I found this book the perfect read for the festive season! I read it in one sitting wrapped up with fairy lights and candles and it was exactly what I wanted!
We follow Verity who ends up getting stuck in Vancouver for Christmas instead of being on a girls skiing trip as planned. She meets the neighbour and things obviously escalate.
I found it was a really good mix of festive cheer with a little bit of smut which has subtle enough that this felt like a cosy romance, but spicy enough that it felt realistic for the characters. I felt verity's voice could really be heard throughout the book and the introduction of Nikau's POV was a really lovely touch now and then to add more depth. I honestly think this is a great festive read to get you in the holiday spirit and I definitely will be interested to read more from Sophie Penhaligon!

I did not like this book at all, I wanted to love it so badly, It had everything Christmas, dogs, and a cute romance but unfortunately, it fell so flat.
At first, I thought Verity was going to be a character that didn't take anyone's shit but secretly underneath was a lot of depth and I think the author was trying to do something like this but it ended up with a character that let everyone walk all over her.
The romance was very insta lovey and I didn't enjoy it at all, Nikau was calling Verity his girlfriend after only two days and they never even had the conversation.
Maybe it's just me but I found the sex rather boring, The first sex scene was literally just in and out and over in about two pages which I found to be kind of a letdown after the flirting previously, also for some reason, I've always found sex as a gift kind of stupid.
Also, I know I was supposed to hate Millie but I couldn't help but agree with her at the end when she said that it was too soon for them to be moving in together. It's been a week maybe slow down a little.

This is a very cute book in many ways (I mean, what a premise!), but I didn't love the main character's voice and her snark isn't quite my snark, so I didn't fully click with the book. I also appreciate the inclusion of past family trauma/issues, but I do read rom-coms for extreme lightheartedness, so this was more of a miss than not for me. That's a me issue, though, and I'm sure the book will more than satisfy readers looking for this sort of thing.

Christmas with Hamish was such a great quick Christmas read! Verity and Nikau's
emotional and physical chemistry hooks you straight in from the start of the book and entices you to continue reading! The Christmas theme was very much present throughout the book and although Hamish isn't a main character, he definitely played a key role in bringing Verity and Nikau together!

The one piece that was difficult for me to wrap my head around is how all that was accomplished in the book took place over 1 week. It felt a little far fetched and fast paced.

Overall a great read!

TW: emotional & physical abuse

Thank you to #Netgalley and #SophiePenhaligon for giving me the chance to read #ChristmasWithHamish for an honest review.

This was a cute, romantic novella. I really don’t love the “love at first sight” trope, but it wasn’t too annoying in this story. I liked both main characters, although I didn’t feel like I had a great sense of their personalities by the end. I liked that despite both characters having terrible childhoods, they were both very well adjusted, happy people. I thought it was a bit far fetched that Verity didn’t know dogs are allergic to chocolate. Even though she’d never had a dog, it’s still extremely common knowledge. I enjoyed the ending when Verity was able to tell her family how she felt, even though it maybe didn’t make a difference for her mother and sister. I was honestly a bit disappointed/saddened about how the book ended on Andy and Millie’s relationship. I expected that they would separate, because Andy is way too good for her, but it definitely went in a different direction.
Overall, I enjoyed this fun, light romance, even with the bit of heaviness included.
Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!

Christmas….check. Dogs….check. Hot guy….Check. I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a quick read and I liked the characters. Wish there was more.

Christmas with Hamish - Sophie Penhaligon

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Books Go Social and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Christmas has never been the most wonderful time of the year for Verity Robinson. When her younger sister sends her an invite to her Christmas wedding on the other side of the country in Vancouver, she decides to kill two birds with one stone and plans a ski trip to Whistler with some old friends. However, her dreams of a snowy Christmas on skis are thwarted by her sister’s dog sitting crisis.

This book was not when I expected when I requested the book, it is a cute Christmas romance. It is a relatively short book and therefore a quick read. If you are looking for a quick, festive book to read this holiday season then this book should definitely be on your list.

Rating: 4/5

When our snarky protagonist meets her charming love interest, we’re initially lulled into thinking this will be a simple, cheery holiday romance. But then come the villains.

Christmas with Hamish is a toasty love story set against a holiday backdrop of twinkle lights and snow, and also an exploration of how we choose to allow our past to influence our present. With bonus cute doggos for lovable sidekicks.

Many thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this work.

A sweet romantic Christmas story with some dark undertones. And did I mention there are two cute dogs in it too? An ideal read for Christmas, romance and dog lovers.

I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A Heartwarming Read…
Is Christmas really the best time of year? Maybe not for some but this one will be rather different. A warm and fuzzy Christmas romance with a likeable cast. Some emotional and difficult themes are dealt well with sleight of hand. A heartwarming read.

I really liked this book! A nice feel good light read with dogs! It was a quick read,. Just an all-round sweet story with a HEA at the end of the day. Absolutely recommend.

This is a story about Verity Robinson a young woman who is traveling home to her younger sister's wedding at Christmas. Since she does not spend Christmas with her family her family she decides to attend the wedding and then meet some friends for a ski weekend.

Unfortunately for variety things don't go as planned and she ends up having to dog sit for her sister while she's on her honeymoon. The only bright side to this whole situation is that she gets to spend time with Hamish McDuff, her sister's dog and the sexy neighbor, Nikau.

Verity and Nikau seem to really hit it off but he can see that she has a troubled past and he is determined to help her make the best of this Christmas and forget all about the Christmas past.

By the end of this story Verity has a decision to make in whether to go back home to Toronto or stay with her new found love.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. This book is a cute Christmas story. It is a bit more sexy tones to it than you typical Hallmark story. If you are looking for a quick light hearted read with a little bit of sexy in it this is perfect for you.

I blitzed through this book over the weekend as I just could not get enough. Light and witty I enjoyed every second. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the wholesome Christmas book to start the season off! A nice cosy read to get the festive season off on the right note. A decent romance story (which usually isn’t my cup of tea at all). The title is a bit misleading but we’ll ignore that because hamish is part of the story to start with. A good one to get on a 99p deal on kindle for anyone who wants to feel festive earlier. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review

Christmas with Hamish is a complete in every way. I read it in just a couple hours.
The story put a smile on my face from looking at the cover to the end of the book.
Verity goes to her sister’s wedding with plans to stay just one day and then go off skiing with friends. That was not what happens. Her sister goes off on her honeymoon and Verity ends up staying to dog sit Hamish, her sisters’ dog.
Verity meets very handsome Nikau at her sister’s wedding. The chemistry was instant between the two. It turns out that Nikau is her sister’s neighbor.
The path to happiness is a fun one to read in this book.
A story about Christmas, family, romance and two adorable dogs is a must read for every one’s holiday.
Thank you NetGalley, Sophie Penhaligon and BooksGoSocial for the book. This is my personal review.

Wonderful! I loved Verity. She's has a horrible time of it but she is brave, smart, and sweet. And Hamish is just the sweetest!

This is a fun Christmas romance. When Verity has to come across the country to Vancouver for her sister's wedding she decides to plans a ski trip to Whistler with her old friends, She is dreading this wedding as she does not have a good relationship with her family. She was adopted as an infant as her mother was unable to get pregnant. When she was a young child her mother unexpectedly got pregnant. After the birth of her sister, Verity's mother gave all of her love and attention to the younger sister. Her mother then began to mentally and physically abuse Verity. Her absent father was oblivious to the abuse. The younger daughter was very dramatic and spoiled. At the wedding, her sister starts screaming. Verity goes to see what the problem is and finds that the person that was supposed to watch her dog just cancelled. Their parents tell Verity that she can just cancel her vacation and watch the dog. She hates missing her ski trip but the one good side of this is that the next door neighbor is the handsome man that she met at the wedding. She has the best Christmas ever with the neighbor. This was a heartwarming story of a new relationship. I recommend this book.

If you are looking for a delightful Christmas themed read with two people who are definitely meant to be together, two dogs that are buddies for life, some family drama, snow, look no further. This book is a fast paced read that had me laughing, tearing up, and cheering for the main characters. Written from two points of view, you get to see the inter-workings of the thoughts of Verity and Nikau. Is it a Christmas fling or is it the real thing? Read and find out.

I truly enjoyed Sophie Penhaglion's witty writing style. Her Pop Culture references are magnificent. I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

This was a cute little holiday romcom, only a three hour read. Verity is very damaged by her family's treatment, and when she grudgingly attends her sister's wedding, she meets Nikau and the attraction is instant.

This was a fun, light story, with possibly the most adorable dogs ever. Nikau has his own difficult past to deal with, but is an optimistic happy person, and is written maybe just a little too good to be true. Likewise, Verity's family is almost cartoonishly mean.

Nonetheless, the story was fun, with plenty of Christmas spirit and a satisfying ending. I've visited Vancouver, and the city is a great setting for the story.

Possible objectionable material: a few f-bombs, description of sex toys and sexy lingerie, and two fairly detailed sex scenes.

Who might like this book: anyone who loves Christmas or romance.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.