Mistletoe Summer  (Applebottom Dog Lovers Book 3)

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It was love at first sight. For their dogs.

Cody Jones didn’t expect to ever return to Applebottom, planning a long life of military service and world travel.

But a devastating injury in Iraq narrows his options, so he begrudgingly helps his mother expand her doggy bakery until he figures out what’s next.

And in walks Melody Hopkins.

Melody is dead broke and takes a summer job painting the new pet store to pay the bills. She’s new to Applebottom and has never encountered the moody, brutally handsome Cody Jones. She isn’t sure she can work around him, but then her tiny Pomeranian Mistletoe refuses to leave Cody’s service dog, a gorgeous Golden Retriever named Tyrus.

The town notices their reluctant friendship and puts them in charge of a grand opening celebration sure to draw visitors to the new store — a Christmas in July pet parade.

Cody doesn’t want to show off his injury to the whole town, but Melody’s infectious optimism convinces him to try. Besides, his service dog Tyrus can’t seem to live without Melody’s little fluff ball. What’s a veteran and a dog dad to do?

 

Favorite Quotes:

 Delilah gripped her coffee like it was the last Tickle Me Elmo at Walmart.

“They have a Christmas in July here. So we start decorations early.” “Why?” Grandma’s eyes met hers with sadness. “Because many of us won’t see another holiday season.”

 My Review:

While sweet and wholesome is not my typical fare, I am gleefully enjoying Abby Tyler’s delightful small-town romances, this entire series has been sweet enough to cause dental issues. This quick installment covered a lot of ground with a wide range of characters including a seriously wounded and recovering and vet suffering from PTSD, senior citizens, a cancer survivor, teachers, small-town matchmaking busybodies, service dogs, parades, Christmas out of season, and a Manic Pixie Dream Girl – a moniker which required the unlimited resources of Mr. Google to fully appreciate.   The storylines are thoughtfully written, easy to follow, and pleasantly entertaining while observantly insightful and wryly amusing and host a lively and enticing cast of uniquely quirky characters. I’m already eagerly awaiting the next volume.