When Verity goes to her sister's wedding, she expects the worst. She has always been pushed around by her mother and sister, and expects verbal abuse. She expects to only be there one day and then head out for a ski vacation with friends. Her mother has other plans though, and manipulates her into taking care of her sister's dog Hamish, while the newly weds go on their honeymoon. Luckily, handsome Nikau lives next door, and is happy to befriend her for the week. Fun story, with a few dark undertones leading to a HEA. Enjoyed this Christmas read and would highly recommend.

Heartwarming romance enveloped in the celebrative atmosphere of Christmas just like what the synopsis promised. I love how the author could make Christmas so vibrant and colourful, to give readers (from the east) a delightful taste of western life. Back to the romance part, it was carefully developed and crafted such that it was not on the cringe side which I appreciate a lot. However, there's an occasional 'information dump' about the background story of the protagonist which probably could be avoided. All in all, a good read.

A lovely frivolous story, romance, Christmas and dogs tied together with a bad family situation. What more do you need? An entertaining few hours spent reading this book.

Christmas with Hamish by Sophie Penhaligon

At first I thought this book was just plain froth and there was a lot of froth in this Christmas romance novel, but there were some really deep scenes in it and this elevated it from a normal Christmas happy romance novel to a really excellent read. I loved it and I could not put it down until the end.

Verity attends her sister’s wedding and after a nasty encounter with her mother, she meets Nikau who is the grooms friend and neighbour, the hit it off and although Verity has plans to leave town after the wedding she enjoys a little flirt with Nikau, but her plans to leave are thwarted by her sister and she has to stay in town at her sister’s apartment with neighbour Nikau across the hall who is determined to woo Verity and make a life with the cautious Verity.

Verity is a lovely character, she has suffered familiar abuse as a child and is still healing from this and this makes her extra cautious about falling for Nikau, she lives in the opposite end of the country so she will not meet her family and although her heart is in Vancouver she is loath to leave Toronto to return because of this.

Veritys family are awful, and you are rooting for Verity to have the courage to tell them to just leave her alone, and to have a life that she yearns for with Nikau and to stay with him.

Although there are some heavy scenes it is a light book and I really enjoyed it.. it is a perfect Christmas read and it is a pure romance with a HEA. Hamish and Chunk steal the book but you already know that as Hamish is on the front cover of the book!

I loved every character in this book (except Veritys family) and was rooting for Verity and Nikau to get there happy ending.. and I was rooting for Hamish to get his as well!!!

I totally recommend this book to be read on a cold day when you can curl up with a hot chocolate and just need a little cheering up.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

#Romance #Canada #Dogs #NetGalley #ChristmasWithHamish

This was a short little piece of romantic Christmas fluff that I polished off in an afternoon.

Set in Canada, Verity has flown from Toronto to Vancouver to attend her sister's wedding the week before Christmas. Turns out Verity isn't that chummy with the rest of her family and consequently isn't really looking forward to the wedding, thus it's a nice surprise when she meets an attractive Kiwi during the reception. As Verity's sister heads off on her honeymoon, Verity is left to housesit with her sister's dog, Hamish, and enjoy a week living next door to her new Kiwi friend and his dog, Chunk. Cute adventures ensue.

Put this book on your list for a bit of harmless Boxing Day hangover reading.

I received a free e-copy of this book with thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial in exchange for an honest review.

Just wanted to flag to the publisher that there's a small typo in the pdf - bottom of pg 66: "Uou've"

This was a lovely, fun holiday read. If you are looking for something light to get you in the Christmas spirit, this is the book for you, especially if you love dogs! It was a quick read, which is often all you want in a Christmas book, but it was definitely one I would read again. I enjoyed the two main characters and their romance was sweet and fulfilling with a lovely HEA ending. A little bit of family conflict in this one, but nothing too gut-wrenching. Just an all-round sweet read. Highly recommended.

I really liked this book! It’s not what I expected based on the cover, it’s a cute Christmas romance with dogs! It’s a quick read that I finished in one day.
Verity goes home to Vancouver for her sister Millie’s wedding. Her mother is there, and belittles her constantly. She moved to Toronto to get away from her awful family. Verity meets a very attractive guy named Nikau at the wedding, who is Millie’s neighbor. At the last minute, Millie’s dog sitter cancels and her family forces her to watch Millie’s dog Hamish.
Verity and Nikau were were attracted to each other at the wedding, and now that they’re neighbors their chemistry is undeniable. Hamish has a dog named Chunk, and they all hang out together. Verity has never liked Christmas because of her family, but Nikau is determined to show her how much fun it can be. She’s falling for Nikau, but she’s not sure she can overcome her past and make a commitment.
I liked Verity’s character development as she falls for Nikau and discovers her self-worth. I recommend this book, 4 stars.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was such a good read! Loved the story and romance between Verity and Nikau. Can’t forget about Hamish and Chunk too. Such a cute Christmas read which I finished in one sitting! Loved every bit of it. Looks forward to more by this author.

Thank you Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the eARC.
I am not a fan of romance novels but love dogs and consequently couldn't resist the cover and the story.
It's very sweet; with two loveable protagonists, a detestable family and two adorable dogs. It made me feel happy and upbeat and I loved the ending.
Definitely recommended!