Monday 7 November 2016

Book Review - Not Just For Christmas by Alex Brown - Book #45

Amazon UK
Title: Not Just For Christmas
Author: Alex Brown
Format reviewed: Ebook
Source: Purchased
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: 6th October 2016
Rating: 5 Stars


Kitty, who runs the Spotted Pig Tea-rooms in the picturesque village of Tindledale, thinks she's come to terms with her husband Ed’s death on active duty. When she learns that Ed’s army dog, a black Labrador named Monty, is being retired and needs rehoming, it awakens her heartache once more.

Amber runs the pet parlour, but her love of dogs extends to rescuing abandoned pooches and now her tiny cottage is overflowing with homeless hounds. The only answer is to open a proper rescue centre but where will the money come from?

Kitty knows she could never take on Monty – it would be too painful, but with more than one dog needing a home this Christmas, is a miracle too much to hope for?

Short but sweet, but incredibly heart warming and emotionally charged story, in this enjoyable return to Tindledale. 

In just over 80 pages, Alex Brown has managed to tug on my heartstrings, and hook me into this incredibly well written, and well formed story. From what I can tell short story writing is a real skill, as you need to convey a story but in a lot less space than a full book, without leaving the reader frustrated, and this is a brilliant of example of how a short story should be. 

The story centres around a rather special dog Monty, who with the such clear descriptions, I could really picture at all times. He is a truly remarkable animal, and has a huge part to play in this story. 

For fans of the Tindledale series, you will recognise quite a few of the characters that pop up, but if you haven't read any, don't worry this is a self contained standalone story, that will leave you wanting to know more about the village. 

With a great deal of feeling, this cosy tail has definitely left me feeling slightly more ready for Christmas and the season of good will. 

Thank you to everyone who voted for Not Just For Christmas this week. Deep down I was hoping it would win, as I adore Alex Brown's books. As always I am really curious as to what you will pick for me this week. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...