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Chasing Dreams at Wagging Tails Dogs’ Home–Christmas at the Dog Rescue
Chasing Dreams at Wagging Tails Dogs’ Home
by Sarah Hope
This author seems to specialize in romances set in Cornwall. Chasing Dreams at Wagging Tails Dogs’ Home is a sweet, clean romance. If you like dogs in general or rescue animals in particular, you will be attracted to this book. Poppy had bought a city home with Ben, but they are ending the relationship, and Poppy’s job as a supply teacher is on a holiday break. So, she packs a bag and heads to West Par where her beloved Aunt Flora has a dog shelter.
Poppy eventually realizes she has just been existing in her life with Ben. She has even gotten grouchy over the very idea of the Christmas spirit. She soon meets Mack, the new veterinarian in town. He is very nice to both people and animals. He buys expensive things, but says he is unable to keep up the former vet’s policy of only charging for medicines. Of course shelter animals often require medical assistance, and the shelter depends on donations and volunteers for its existence. Mack and Poppy are attracted to each other, but they both have childhood and more recent baggage to overcome.
There are lots of likable characters, and the community spirit is outstanding from sing-a-longs at the town center to visits to the local Christmas Market. There are lots of fundraisers for the shelter that are also fun for the community. Percy is a special friend of Flora’s who helps at the shelter and repairs various things as breakdowns arise and Flora is too frugal to hire the work out. The money needs to go to the dogs. Included in the story is a dog hoarder: Mr. Thomas has taken in many animals over the years, but he is too old now to take care of them or clean up after them. Flora spends a lot of time trying to convince him to put them in her shelter. Mack has two younger siblings that he has raised. The younger one, Spencer, is convinced that Percy, who has a white beard, is Santa Claus. It’s easy to see why—he looks like Santa and is always helping someone. Spencer is an enthusiastic Christmas lover and cute too. The story behind Mack and his brothers helps Poppy and the reader understand his attitude towards money.
The Wagging Tails Dogs’ Home is in serious trouble. Read this gentle romance to see if the shelter can survive and what happens to certain special dogs. Also, you’ll want to see what develops between Mack and Poppy and how Poppy manages her house sale. The shelter’s future as well as Poppy’s and Flora’s are all tied up in the finances.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Fiction, Romance
Notes: #2 in the Wagging Tails Dogs’ Home Series. I read it as a standalone. Although I enjoyed it, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the first in the series as there are many delightful characters, but it is hard to jump in with the community spirit that they share without knowing more about them.
Publication: October 25, 2023—Boldwood Books
Memorable Lines:
Ralph was a complete softie with them, but was terrified of other dogs and reacted when scared, so it was best he was walked at times when the likelihood of running into another dog was low.
“She’s the miniature poodle, isn’t she?” “Oh yes, although she may be miniature, she has the personality of a young boisterous Labrador.”
This was what Wagging Tails was all about, community, the coming together of like-minded people for the greater good. It sounded deep, but it was true. Each and every person here, staff members and volunteers alike, turned up each day or once or twice a week to give their time to the dogs. She’d missed this feeling of belonging.
A Pho Love Story–kitchens in conflict
A Pho Love Story
by Loan Le
Perfect for Valentine’s Day—or any day for that matter! Loan Le’s A Pho Love Story, written with a teenage or young adult audience in mind, is a modern day Vietnamese-American “Romeo and Juliet” tale. Báo and Linh, seniors in high school, do not understand the family conflict that has gone on for as long as they can remember. Their families’ restaurants, serving authentic Vietnamese dishes, are situated on opposites sides of the same street. The parents, however, clearly dislike each other. In fact, the children are not allowed to talk or play together. Is this conflict a result of competition for economic survival or is there a deeper reason going back to their days in Vietnam and the dangerous boat trips to safety and freedom? Cultural norms for showing respect to their parents prevent both Báo and Linh from questioning them about the deeply felt social boundaries in the neighborhood.
Báo and Linh are sympathetic characters; Báo is trying to decide on a career and Linh wants to make her passion and talent for painting acceptable to her parents. The Vietnamese flavor throughout is authentic and reflective of the author’s family heritage. Because both families own restaurants, food plays an important role. Vietnamese culture is also prominent in descriptions of the parents and the family dynamics. As someone familiar with Spanish, French, and Latin, I can usually read expressions from those languages when added to the text for authenticity, but the phrases included in this book sent me scurrying to a translation app. Most meanings could be divined from context, but I really like to know the exact meaning of words, whether in English or another language, for a deeper reading experience. A Pho Love Story was enriching in that respect.
I am sure most readers can predict the outcome, but not how the characters will arrive there. The journey is bumpy, but fun, as the author weaves literary magic within the plot. The story is told by the teenagers from alternating points of view by chapter, a technique which works really well in this book. There are several interesting adults who act as mentors to the pair without telling them what to do. This would be an engaging read for teenagers and young adults.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Teen and Young Adult
Notes: There is some bad language sprinkled throughout the book.
Publication: February 9, 2021—Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
Memorable Lines:
My parents—my mom, really—has now perfected the art of non-encounters; knowing their schedule right down to when they close and when they leave. In a way, their schedule has become ours. We’re background characters in each other’s stories.
She trusts Viet to do his job, as well as make sure I do mine. The concept’s not perfect: We’re the same age, and letting him watch over me makes as much sense as letting a horse and a pony run the show. But somehow it works.
I like the writer’s style. One person can say something that’s been said before but in a way that’s completely different; their unique experiences and personality infuse their words, their sentences.
Memories and Murder–scamming seniors
Memories and Murder
by Lynn Cahoon
The name of the series, Tourist Trap Mysteries, doesn’t begin to describe this bookish set adequately. Memories and Murder is the latest installment in which Jill Gardner, owner of Coffee, Books and More in little South Cove, drinks coffee, eats sweet treats, and reads her way through relationship and murder issues. There are lots of threads to this plot. Aunt Jackie has called off her engagement to Harrold and gone silent. Deek is a new barista in the coffee shop; he is more perceptive than psychic, despite his heritage. He has great ideas for book clubs and follows through with implementation. Jill juggles investigating a murder and a scam and finds herself in deadly trouble.
The story is told from Jill’s point of view, and first person narration works well here. The pace moves along snappily in this cozy mystery. Don’t be deterred by Memories and Murder being the tenth book in the sequence. Author Lynn Cahoon is a master at bringing readers up to speed on characters and background. In the first chapter you will learn almost everything you need to know to enjoy this book while the storyline gets underway. There is perhaps a little too much description of who ate what, when, and where, but other than feeling like I needed to accompany Jill and her dog Emma on their beach runs, those details were not truly excessive. In fact, I’m looking forward to joining the South Cove family of friends in their next adventure.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Lyrical Underground (Kensington Press) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #10 in The Tourist Trap Mystery Series, but works well as a standalone.
Publication: November 12, 2019— Lyrical Underground (Kensington Press)
Memorable Lines:
Fighting with my boyfriend had not been one of the things on my to-do list today, but you had to make room for impromptu items.
Operation Harrold Wins Jackie Back was going to work. It had to work. All the best books and movies had a happily ever after. Real life should too.
…he’d assured me that the sun would turn to ice before he left me for her.
education pathways 