Review - - Four Weddings and a Puppy

Four Weddings and a Puppy

by Lizzie Shane

Pine Hollow - Book 5

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: November 21, 2023

Reviewed by PJ

 

When two childhood friends return home after their sports careers don't go as planned, a puppy just may give them a second chance at happiness together.

She’s always been the girl with the plan . . . until the plan crashed big time

Kendall Walsh has exactly one second to save a fancy, five-tiered wedding cake and any possibility of being a wedding planner—not to mention her family’s struggling ski resort. All because of one very cute, very furry, golden menace of a retriever who has a serious thing for butter chiffon icing. Which is exactly when Olympic skier Brody James shows up and saves the day . . . and the cake.

Brody makes Kendall feel about a million indecipherable things. He’s her brother’s bestie. Her first crush. And a ridiculously popular Olympic hero, which only reminds her of her own failed Olympic dreams. What Brody isn’t telling her is that he’s walked away from it all. The fame. The sponsorships. The celebrity girlfriend. Now he and Kendall are both lost somewhere between their past and a future they can’t yet see. But four weddings, one mischievous puppy, and a few steamy kisses later, these two might just realize that they are both exactly where they need to be…with each other. 

PJ's Thoughts:

I don't know how I managed to not read any of the books in this series before getting an ARC of book five, Four Weddings and a Puppy. Once I began reading I couldn't put it down. Finished the entire book in one day then immediately bought the first four books in the series. Then, I read all four of them back-to-back over the next five days. I am in love with Pine Hollow, the pups, and all of the residents!

Shane has created a friends-to-lovers trope simmering with emotional depth, snappy banter, and swoony romance. Brody has enjoyed a stellar career on the slopes while Kendall's crashed spectacularly just short of achieving her dreams. Yet both are now at a crossroads and unsure of their next steps. It's the perfect time to reunite them as adults and toss some unexpected romance into the mix. I loved how they each supported the other, challenged one another, their open and heartfelt conversations, and the perspective, confidence, and direction gained. I really enjoyed these two together. 

While the book deals with some tough topics - mental health, debilitating injuries, dysfunctional family relationships - its overall tone is upbeat and hopeful. Let's face it, when you have a town brimming with lovable dogs and a good friend who runs the local shelter, there's bound to be plenty of laughter and smiles. 

Although I usually prefer to read a series in order, I had no issues with jumping into this one at book five. However, as I mentioned above, by the time I had finished Four Weddings and a Puppy, meeting Kendall's friends and numerous pups in the process, I couldn't wait to go back to book one and read everyone else's heartwarming journeys to love. If you enjoy charming ski towns, great friend groups, heartwarming romance, and adorable dogs, don't miss Four Weddings and a Puppy, as well as the earlier books in Lizzie Shane's Pine Hollow series. I laughed, cried, and willingly handed over my heart in all five books.