Santa Paws

This fun anthology gives us four different novellas, each including a Christmas setting and delightful dogs. We get to understand people and events from the dogs' points of view and their uncanny senses--and the way they can sometimes gently nudge their people together. Loving pets combine with loving stories to make a marvelous combination that's a great read any time of year. Victoria Alexander starts off with "Shakespeare and the Three Kings," set in 19th century England. Sir Oliver Stanhope's great aunt, the woman who raised him so lovingly, has died and left Oliver charged with the care of her three beloved Yorkshire Terriers, Melchoir, Balthazar, and Gaspar. She has also arranged for one D.K. Lawrence to come and train the Yorkies for him. When Diana Lawrence, once the love of Oliver's life, shows up at his home with her Great Dane Shakespeare in tow, Oliver wonders at his Aunt Ellie's true motives--but of course goes along with his aunt's last wish. Lady Eleanor's hopes for her nephew to find true love tug at the reader's heart--be sure to have a hanky ready.In "Athena's Christmas Tail" by Nina Coombs, Athena that knows her mistress, Mercy, isn't as happy as she should be, especially since she is newly married. And Viscount Brockton acts strangely towards his bride, as well. Athena knows he likes his new wife, but why is he so distant from her? When they buy Hannibal from a cruel master, the two dogs put their noses together to try to get their master and mistress to see what any dog can tell immediately--that they really do care for each other. Another sweet, emotional story.We move to the present day for "Away in a Shelter" by Annie Kimberlin, a funny, original twist on the snowed-in-log-cabin story. When they signed up to volunteer for the Christmas holidays at the animal shelter, neither Camille nor Roger realized they'd be sharing duty with the volunteer they liked least: the snobby lady lawyer and the big guy who always looked at her like she was a pariah. Both of them want to adopt the little dog who was left on the steps of the shelter; Camille calls her Gracie and Roger calls her Splinter. When the snow storm doesn't allow Camille and Roger to leave the shelter on Christmas Eve, they are forced to get to know each other as human beings--and find not only do they have a love of dogs and cats in common, but that they actually enjoy each other's company, and made some bad assumptions about each other at the outset. This is one of the best contemporary romances I've read all year. The characters and setting are all so very real, likeable and sympathetic. I was very sorry to see this story end and am very much looking forward to more from Ms. Kimberlin. (Writing as Annie Smith as of October 2002, with a new novel out -- yahoo!)Miriam Raftery wraps it up with "Mr. Wright's Christmas Angel," which opens in present-day Los Angeles. Joy is upset that she won't be able to fulfill her daughter's fondest Christmas wish: she wants a daddy. The

This collection of novellas is a delight for the dog and romance lover. My favorite was Away in a Shelter, by Annie Kimberlin. An innocent puppy, two lonely dog-loving volunteers, a Christmas Eve blizzard that strands the three at the animal shelter--what more do you need for love to blossom? The puppy is wonderful--very much a character in her own right, and yet totally canine. Nothing mystical or anthropomorphic about her. Just Puppy Magic--which works on everyone! The man and woman work through their romance-traditional initial dislike very believably, especially considering the amount of time they have to do it. Real characters, honest settings and believable dogs add up to a great Christmas story which could be enjoyed any time of year.

Set in Victorian England, this book has a great beginning, and it gets better and better the more you read. Sir Oliver Thornton Stanhope inherits from the beloved aunt who raised him three spoiled-rotten Yorkshire terriers whom he, at first, sees as nothing but "rats with fur, far too tiny to do anything but yap and get underfoot." To ease the transition, his aunt made provisions before her death for a dog trainer to come teach them some manners. Oliver reluctantly agrees to the houseguest, then is shocked to discover the trainer is the woman he once loved whom he thought betrayed him. The heroine, Diana, and her huge Great Dane, are very appealing characters. The hero is very sympathetic, too, and overall, the book is a funny, touching, truly wonderful read!