Lizzie Shane’s Pine Hollow series is a contemporary romance series about the residents of Pine Hollow, Vermont, and their love of animals. The series follows the characters as they adopt rescue dogs and find their happily-ever-afters.
I did a full review of the first book in the series, The Twelve Dogs of Christmas, and here are my thoughts on the rest of the series. See my comments below each book.
Book 1: THE TWELVE DOGS OF CHRISTMAS
Pine Hollow has everything Ally Gilmore could wish for in a holiday break: gently falling snow in a charming small town and time with her family. Then she learns some Grinch has pulled the funding for her family’s rescue shelter, and now she has only four weeks to find new homes for a dozen dogs! But when she confronts her Scroogey councilman nemesis, Ally finds he’s far more reasonable – and handsome – than she ever expected.
As the guardian of his dog-obsessed ten-year-old niece, Ben West doesn’t have time to build a cuddly reputation. But he does feel guilty about the shelter closing. So he proposes a truce with Ally, agreeing to help her adopt out the pups. As the two spend more time together, the town’s gossip is spreading faster than Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. And soon Ben is hoping he can convince Ally that Pine Hollow is her home for the holidays…and the whole year through.]
From the BookBitch: I really enjoyed this romantic romp. If you like your Christmas stories with a side of puppies, as I do, this is your book. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Full review
Book 2: ONCE UPON A PUPPY
Opposites attract when a straitlaced lawyer and whimsical party planner must fake-date as co-parents of a rambunctious Irish wolfhound in the second book of this im-paw-ssibly charming small-town romance series.
Once upon a time, an unruly puppy was looking for a place to call home…
Connor Wyeth has a plan for everything. But when he adopts Maximus, an unruly Irish wolfhound mix, he gets more than he bargained for. The only person Max ever listens to is the volunteer who used to walk him at the shelter – a perpetually upbeat woman whose day job is planning princess parties for little kids. Connor can’t believe she’ll be able to tame such a beast as Max, but he’s desperate enough to try anything.
Deenie Mitchell isn’t looking forward to spending more time with uptight, rules-orientated Connor – no matter how attractive he is. But when her sister announces her engagement, Deenie realizes he’s the perfect person to impress her type-A family. When she learns he needs a plus-one for his law firm’s work events, an unlikely alliance is formed. But then playing the perfect couple unexpectedly begins to feel all too…real.
Opposites may attract, but can this rule-maker and rule-breaker find a way to each other’s hearts?
From the BookBitch: I loved this romcom that takes you back to the small town of Pine Hollow, and into the lives of the happy-go-lucky yet sassy Deenie, and the straight-laced yet impassioned Connor, as they find out that opposites do attract. There is definitely more to their relationship than dog training, fake dating, and office politics.
Book 3: TO ALL THE DOGS I’VE LOVED BEFORE
Sometimes a second chance at first love requires a little push…
The last person Elinor Rodriguez wants to spend time with is her first love, Levi Jackson. The quietly intense lawman broke Elinor’s heart once before, and she’s determined to never risk trusting him again. Unfortunately, her mischievous rescue dog seems to have other plans. Somehow Dory always manages to escape Elinor at the worst possible moment. And in the small town of Pine Hollow, Levi is the man to call when a dog is disrupting traffic.
As the kid who barely graduated – and still struggles to hide his dyslexia – Levi always believed that Elinor was way out of his league. Even though he ended their engagement all those years ago, Elinor continues to take Levi’s breath away whenever he sees her. Now, with a little help from a four-legged friend, Levi and Elinor may just get the second chance they deserve.
From the BookBitch: I love a second chance romance, and this was a good one. Levi and Eleanor were engaged, and a couple of weeks before the wedding, he called it off – with no reason. Living in a small town means there is no escape, and finding their way back to one another is a sometimes painful, yet promising journey.
Book 4: PRIDE AND PUPPIES
In this fun small-town romance, a Jane Austen fan struggling to find her modern-day Mr. Darcy gets more than she bargained for when she swears off men and adopts an adorable puppy.
Dr. Charlotte Rodriguez is single—again—and she blames Jane Austen. She made brooding, aloof men sound oh so dreamy. But after years of failing to find her own Mr. Darcy, Charlotte decides it’s time to swear off dating. She’s going to lavish all her love and affection on someone who actually deserves it: her new puppy, Bingley.
And there’s no one better to give her pet advice than her neighbor and coworker George Leneghan. He’s quiet and patient and, best of all, way too sweet to ever be her type. But as their friendly banter turns flirty, the unimaginable happens—Charlotte starts catching feelings.
Just as Charlotte is trying to untangle what it is she truly wants, George announces he’s contemplating a cross-country move. Suddenly, Charlotte wonders if she’s kept her soulmate in the friend zone so long that she’s entirely missed her chance at a happily ever after. Dear Reader, could it be possible she’s had it wrong all this time?
From the BookBitch: This contemporary take on Jane Austen goes one step further with a family obsessed with everything Austen, including their names. George is so perfect for Charlotte but it takes them both a while to figure it all out. This was a sweet romance sure to please any Austen fan.
Book 5: FOUR WEDDINGS AND A PUPPY
In this uplifting small-town romance, a rambunctious puppy gives two childhood friends a second chance at love.
When her Olympic downhill dreams were crushed by an injury, Kendall Walsh retreated to Pine Hollow to help her parents run the local ski resort—and watched from a distance as her childhood best friend took the winter sports world by storm. Now nearly a decade later, Brody James has suddenly retired and returned to Pine Hollow for his sister’s wedding, but he isn’t the same carefree daredevil Kendall remembers (and had a secret crush on as a teen).
Haunted by the recent death of his fiercest rival, and struggling to regain his footing in a life after sports, Brody finds himself trailing after Kendall at the resort as eagerly as her golden retriever puppy. Kendall had promised herself she wasn’t going to bother with things like romance until she’d proven herself as the ski resort’s new events coordinator, but Brody has always been her kryptonite and maybe they both need to remember how to be a little more daring…
From the BookBitch: Kendall was supposed to follow in her father’s footsteps and become an Olympic champion skier. She was well on her way when she had a terrible accident, and hasn’t been up on skis since. Her childhood best friend, Brody, did make it all the way but when his arch rival dies, it really throws him off kilter. He comes home and tries to figure out his next move, helping Kendall out at the ski resort her family owns. Lots of family drama ensues, but Kendall and Brody find their happy ending.
Book 6: LIKE CATS AND DOGS
A small-town baker faces off against her longtime nemesis on a reality TV competition in this delightful romantic comedy.
Magda Miller’s feud with rival baker Mackenzie Newton is so old, folks in tiny Pine Hollow, Vermont forgot how it started. But Magda remembers: Ten years ago, she offered Mac her heart—instead, he ran off with her grandmother’s maple cake recipe. Now, Mac traipses all over Magda’s baking territory, just like his oversized tabby keeps sneaking into her house to claim her dog’s favorite bed. So, when Magda gets the call to compete on The Great American Cake-Off, she’s thrilled to finally shine in a Mac-free zone. But when she arrives on set, her devilishly handsome nemesis is already there . .
It turns out, Mac and Magda’s story has inspired the first ever Arch Rivals edition of Cake-Off, and of course Mac has to raise the stakes with a wager. The winner takes all—the Cake-Off title, the contested recipe, and control of the narrative. Magda is more than ready to kick Mac’s Bundt. But as they spar, on-screen and off, Mac and Magda reveal the best in each other…and the sizzling attraction fueling their rivalry. Only one of them can win, so why does it suddenly feel like they both stand to lose?
From the BookBitch: I think this may be my favorite book in the series, which is really saying something. Set in the world of a competitive baking reality TV show just amped up my interest for sure. Mac and Magda have been sworn enemies in the tiny town of Pine Hollow for years, so when they compete on TV things really take a turn – and then another turn, when they fall in love. This enemies-to-lovers romance was everything I wanted – relatable characters, slow-burn romance, and, of course, the happily ever after.
11/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™ 