Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Mutts and Mistletoe by Natalie Cox Narrator: Marisa Calin
Published by Penguin Audio on October 9, 2018
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Length: 9 hours, 17 minutes
Format: Audiobook
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Thirty-one-year-old Charlie isn't in the mood for Christmas cheer.
Her boyfriend has left her for his personal trainer, her mother has absconded with her latest husband for the holidays, and--adding insult to (literal) injury--her London apartment has just been destroyed by a gas leak. Single, mildly concussed and temporarily homeless, Charlie realizes there's only one place to go: Cozy Canine Cottages, where she'll spend the season looking after her cousin Jez's doggy day care center. And if she's not exactly a dog person, well, no one has to know...
But her plans for a quiet Christmas in a quaint country village are quickly dashed. Peggy the pregnant beagle and Malcolm the anxious Great Dane seem determined to keep her up all night. A strange man has been casing her cousin's house. And where is Cal, the unbearably patronizing but disturbingly handsome local vet, when she needs him?
As the days tick down to Christmas, Charlie's life has never felt so out of control--but with some help from her new four-legged friends, she just might learn a thing or two about living in the moment, embracing the unexpected and opening herself up to love..
I requested Mutts and Mistletoe for the HoHoHoRAT without really knowing much and assuming it was a holiday romance with dogs. Well that’s the jist of it, I guess.
Charlie, the main character, and our view into the world is rather young and shallow. I didn’t like her at the beginning but I will say she grew during the story. After an accident, she ends up at her cousin Jez’s doggy kennel country house. It is utterly ridiculous for her to be left caring for the dogs when Jez leaves, especially with Peggy ready to have puppies. She had a few TSTL moments which didn’t endear me, either. The most unbelievable was how many people could just change their job or living situations at a moment’s notice; it’s hard to do without some wealth or savings.
The small town, Jez, the vet and the dog owners make a colorful cast of characters. I love the British setting and wordings. Charlie does grow and learn during her stay. Her courage was uplifting. She has a few mishaps which luckily don’t result in serious problems. Even though she didn’t like dogs to start, how could she not be won over after her time with them?
Narration:
I had just listened to an audio at 1.5x but I couldn’t manage it with this one. There is a definite British accent which I needed to slow to my usual 1.25x to grasp everything. It was appropriate with the English country setting and very pleasant to hear. The voices of the male characters are comfortable and enjoyable. Most of the narration is Charlie’s stream of consciousness which sounded perfect to me.
Listen to a clip: HERE
#HoHoHoRAT 11
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2018 Audiobook Challenge
- 2018 New Release Challenge
It sounds like it could be cute, but maybe too cute?
It’s possible it tried to be too cute and that is how it ended up so unrealistic. But overall it was fun. I would have liked more of the other characters to be better developed in addition to Charlie.
Wow! You are rocking the Ho-Ho-Ho RAT, girl! I’m sorry this one wasn’t “all that” but at least there were a few elements to enjoy…Charlie being won over by the dogs. 🙂
Yes, it wasn’t all bad. She did have some character growth so she was fairly likable at the end. The realism wasn’t quite enough for me. I know it’s fiction. I did think it was cute and fun. I like dogs.
This sounds cute and it’s the first I’ve heard of it.
It’s set in England which I didn’t realize. I just like dogs and mistletoe. It was on my PRH audio email and I thought I’d like at least one audio for HoHoHoRAT instead of all ebooks or books.