Megan Rix

Finding love and having a family was something that Megan Rix had all but given up on, but when she met Ian suddenly one night during her early forties that all changed. When complications arose from the struggles of trying to have children shortly after their quick marriage they found they could never replace their want of a child, but could certainly fill the void by helping others. As Megan and Ian embark on a effort to help train service dogs though they quickly learn that what they’d show more really love is a dog of their own and then, along comes Traffy.

For one reason or another I find myself reading memoir after memoir after memoir when in reality it’s about my least favorite thing to review. The idea of critiquing someone’s life experiences is not only absurd to me, but very judgmental. So when I began reading The Puppy That Came for Christmas I was weary because of the issues it dealt with, specifically infertility. Having suffered from it myself I can hardly imagine reading someone’s review of my own personal feelings on the subject, so I applaud Megan for having the courage to come forward with her story because it was incredible! Not only did I love her story, but her writing was amazing and perfect for a quick glance into the lives of this not-so-ordinary couple.

Obviously the readers who will be immediately drawn to The Puppy That Came for Christmas will be dog lovers as well as those who may have experiences with infertility, but that doesn’t mean others won’t enjoy it. In quite a few books the issues of infertility can sometimes overcome the entire story line. Not to trivialize those experiences, but it’s nice to have a story with a good balance. In The Puppy That Came for Christmas Megan Rix is concise in her writing but also has a depth to it that allow you to share her experiences in such a way that you are able to feel her heartbreak with not only infertility, but in having to give up her trained dogs as well. When Traffy comes along you can’t help but be attached to this wonderful couple and hope they will be able to enjoy a long life with their newly found puppy.

The Puppy That Came for Christmas by Megan Rix is a delightful read and one I’d easily recommend for the holidays. Dog lovers will appreciate the stories of the dogs that come into Megan & Ian’s home with their rambunctious ways, the training that occurs and the heartbreak that follows their moving on. Other readers will also love Megan’s journey to find her happiness with not only Ian but their lovely new puppy Traffy. This was such an enjoyable read for me! As someone who has struggled with my own fertility issues I found it comforting but didn’t find myself feeling like I was dwelling on the subject for the length of the book. Megan Rix knows how to write a compelling memoir, one that will tug at your heartstrings and have you turning the pages to the very end.

Originally reviewed and copyrighted at my site, Chick Lit Reviews and News. show less

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Meg and Ian's struggles as they tried to have children and how, as inexperienced dog people got involved in the organization Helper Dogs by raising and training puppies, kept me enthralled to the last page. I learned a lot about this type of organization, but told through the heart. Meg was honest throughout, and in the end could see the bigger picture of all that had been gained even though it hurt while it happened. An absolutely delightful read!!

I overall liked the book. As the summary indicates, the book has two tracts, the authors quest to get a baby and her taking on a puppy to train for the first 6 months before it is taken back to complete it's training for being a service dog.
I can appreciate trouble getting pregnant, as we had our own issues before being blessed with 2 boys. That part of the story was not as interesting to me, but I get the struggle.
I applaud those who taken on the duty to train service dogs for others. Hard show more enough to say goodbye to a dog ever 10 years, much less every 6 months. I really enjoy reading the details on training them, and especially love hearing all the stories on what an enormous different service dogs make in peoples lives. I have read some better 'dog' books, but overall I would say a good read and would recommend it. show less

A newly married couple, who live near London, cope with infertility issues while also becoming new "Puppy Parents" for a Helper Dogs organization. This book chronicles their experience as "Puppy Parents" and describes their heart breaking attempts to have a child. The author gives honest details about her emotional struggle. In spite of my interest in dogs as well as infertility, I found it difficult to stay interested in this book. I found some of the chronology and event details boring. show more This book was not engaging to me and I ended up skimming parts of it. Still, the ending is heart warming. show less