Natalie Cox

Charlie winds up at her cousin m’s dog kennel after an accident at her home. Her cousin offers to take care of her but quickly leaves Charlie behind by herself.
Charlie isn’t a dog person, so she begrudgingly agrees to watch the dogs while her cousin is away.
It’s partially motivated by money. And sometimes I didn’t like Charlie much in the beginning of the book for that reason. She agreed to an amount her cousin would pay her to watch the dogs, which included giving one of the dogs suppositories. Of course no one would want to do that. But she told her cousin she would and then tried to pawn it off on a friendly neighbor, only after not doing it herself.
So, I can’t help it, I know Charlie is written as someone who doesn’t like dogs...and I know she’s basically stuck caring for them...but she shouldn’t have told her cousin she would give the dog medicine if she wasn’t going to do it.

All right...moving on...
Gradually Charlie begins to take better care of the dogs and to start liking them too.
She also finds herself in a bit of a love triangle between one of the dog’s owners and the local vet.

I thought this was a nice light read. It’s definitely what I had in mind when I picked it up.
The animals are adorable and the setting is cute too.
Of course it’s a bonus that it’s set at Christmastime.
A sweet read during the holidays, or any other time.

I won a this book through a Goodreads giveaway. Thanks!… (more)

Charlie's least favorite time of the year, the holidays, is the worst it could possibly be this year. Not only did her long-time boyfriend cheat on her, but her apartment is destroyed and she has a concussion as a result of it. Her cousin, Jez, needs Charlie as much as Charlie needs a place to stay peacefully to eat as much chocolate in front of the tv. Jez runs Cozy Canine Cottage, a dog boarding place, out of her country home on several acres in the country. Jez needs someone to look after the dogs while she jets off to the Arctic, Charlie needs a place to stay, sounds like an easy trade. There's just one teensy, tiny problem: Charlie is a city girl who hates dogs as much as she hates the holidays.

I was at my local library on the hunt for a fun holiday romance book when I came across a recommendation from one of my favorite authors, Sophie Kinsella (see reviews: #1 & #2 ), for this book. I figured, she knew what she was talking about when it came to fun romances as I am a big fan of hers. I was right. Mutts and Mistletoe is a funny romance that will warm a reader from the inside out. Many times I audibly gasped followed by a "Noooo!" or I laughed out loud. It is an engaging storyline with a lovable yet mischievous main character that seems to attract disaster wherever she goes. I loved the tumultuous way in which the relationship between her and Cal, the veterinarian who seems to be opposite of her in every way, grew. This is further complicated when another love interest wedges his way into the house crammed with a growing number of friends of all species.

My favorite interaction was on page 233:

"What do you know about alpacas?" Hugo asks Cal in a jaunty tone.

"They make great sweaters," says Cal stonily.

It was tough to choose my favorite character in this book as there are several great choices. My top three were: Cal, Charlie's father, and Malcom-the great dane. Charlie's father was very reasonable, open-minded, and optimistic-much like my own father- which was endearing and seemed to be very good at stabilizing Charlie. In the end, Cal won my heart as I am sure he will warm the hearts of many other readers, as will all of the animals in this book. Natalie Cox did a wonderful job of assigning each animal with distinctive personalities. She also created a fun winter wonderland in a remote location with situations that would be ridiculous outside of this plot. Furthermore, the vocabulary in the writing is exquisite. There were many times that I had to put the book down to look up words such as "munificence" and "rictus" or I resorted to consulting with my logophile friends.

I would recommend this book to adult readers looking for a fun holiday romance. I would also recommend this book for animal lovers, particularly of dogs, wolves, and alpacas. Fans of the English countryside, or small towns in general, and of winter snow will also enjoy this book. There were only suggestions of sexual scenarios and there is a big scene of birthing puppies which is why I did not recommend it for an audience younger than adults. I do not remember any foul language or violence but that is not to say that there was not any in the book. If there was, it was not enough to stick out in my mind.… (more)

This book has gone to the dogs (in a good way). If you are a dog lover, than, you will really enjoy this book. It features all types and sizes of dogs. Each one will melt your heart.

Charlie is so adorable. Although, she needs to brush up on her people skills. Her first impression meeting Cal was not a great one. Yet, it was memorable. She called him "Bovine Cal" and indicated that he was into cows. Hey, not judging. However, that is not Cal's "thing". He treats cows among other animals. Luckily, for Charlie the dogs don't mind her lack of refinement.

Another great thing about this book, besides the dogs is the humor. Laughter is just what the doctor ordered. I enjoy a good laugh. Yet, this book delivered on more than just one laugh. It delivered on laughter throughout the whole book. Mutts and Mistletoe is the perfect gift for the dog lover in your life.… (more)