REVIEW: "The Twelve Dogs of Christmas" by Lizzy Shane
When I'm not reading and drinking… and repeating, I work as a school principal.
While you might think that the life of a principal is all perfecting that stern look, dispensing suspensions, and — occasionally — finger painting with the kindergarteners, that’s honestly not the case. Really, the bulk of my job involves one particularly onerous task: saying no.
It kind of sucks. I’m the place that hopes and dreams meet reality and rules. I’m the place where wishes come to die.
I mean, don’t get me wrong, I certainly try to make the parents and students and teachers who are part of my school feel supported. But, at the end of the day, when the budget isn’t there or there are non-negotiables that prevent me from acquiescing to a request, I have to be the asshole.
It is probably because I have to say no more often than I would like that I found myself immediately endeared to Ben, the hero of this novel.
Though he has grown surprisingly good at disappointing people, Ben hasn’t always been in the position of rejecting requests. There was a time when he was carefree and engaged and envisioning a bright future. That all changed when his sister and brother-in-law were killed in a car accident, leaving him in charge of his young niece, Astrid.
The moment Ben stepped up and tried to fill the hole left by his sister and brother-in-law, he put himself in the position of having to make hard choices. He had to make hard choices to benefit Astrid, forcing her to eat her broccoli and go to bed on time and tend to her homework before she flipped on the TV. He also had to make hard choices for the town of Pine Hollow because, along with becoming a new parent to Astrid he became a new member of the town council, filling his brother-in-law’s now vacant seat.
To do this job right, he wouldn’t just have to passively fill a chair. He would have to become the enforcer. He would have to tell people no.
One of the people who he has to tell no is Allie. A recent — and, perhaps, not permanent — Pine Hollow transplant who has come to help her grandparents run the town dog shelter.
When a budgetary shortfall requires the making of hard choices, it’s this very shelter that lands on the chopping block. Unlike most people who Ben has the displeasure of disappointing, though, Allie won’t take his no laying down. Spunky and determined, she puts up a fight.
Though Ben might not be in a position to continue funding the shelter, he can at least help, working with Allie to find homes for all 12 dogs that currently occupy the shelter before their funds are cut on the first of the year.
As Allie and Ben spend more and more time together, they find themselves fighting a mutual attraction that they simply can’t ignore. And as the days pass and the dogs continue to find permanent puppy parents, it looks more and more like, by Christmas’ end, Ben and Allie might find a new forever home in each others’ arms.
The thing that surprised me most about this book was how quickly it captured first my attention and then my heart.
Like Ben, I can be just a little bit of a curmudgeon. Typically I scoff at people who put up their Christmas tree too early, agree with those that argue that Christmas loses all of its magic once you reach adulthood, and decline any offer of eggnog any time other than Christmas day itself. But, almost miraculously, this book had me humming carols despite the fact that fall had barely settled in.
One might think that what captured my heart was the heavy presence of adorably drooly dogs throughout. But, the thing is, I’m not even a dog person.
Please note - I am not opposed to all small, furry things. I like cats, who languish about the house, letting you read your book. Disinterested cats who can't even be bothered to even turn their gaze toward you unless you’re offering them something like a treat or toy or perhaps — when they want — a pet.
Given the fact that, honestly, this novel should not have been one that resonated so hard with me, I spent some serious time analyzing my obsession. When I did, I realized that a huge part of my enjoyment stemmed from the small comedic asides.
Peppered throughout this book were one liners that were as simple as they were enjoyable. They added sparkle to the novel, brought a smile to my face, and even, at times, made me laugh out loud — Although in truth the degree to which I actually allowed a chuckle to escape my lips was certainly impacted by how deep into my bottle of wine I was.
Also present in abundance in this novel were adorably frustrating misunderstandings -- those little confusions, common in romance, that could easily have been cleared up by the hero and the heroine actually talking to each other. While, generally, I found these stumbling blocks standing between our protagonists and ultimate happiness to be adorable, I do have to admit there were times when they made the plot drag. As I neared the end of the book, my enjoyment of these hindrances seemed to decrease and my eagerness for Ben and Allie to just get on with it and hook up already grew.
All factors considered, this cute-as-a-Christmas-morning-puppy novel provided a much-needed escape from the frustratingly complex world in which we currently live. Readers who elect to snuggle up next to the Christmas tree with a copy — and their favorite four-legged companion — will not be disappointed.
It earns 4 out of 5 cocktails.
Though it’s not even Thanksgiving yet, I am (figuratively) dying to put up my Christmas tree — and, let me tell you, I am not the type to rush past Turkey Day. When do you usually put up your tree? Tell me about it in the comments, below.
Let’s see… what’s next? To follow along with my reading and drinking, subscribe to updates in the sidebar on the right and follow me on Goodreads.
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