Brenda doesn’t believe in the magic of Christmas, especially after the two worst moments of her life happened during the holidays. But this year, she’s stuck helping the organization she works for deliver dogs to their forever homes.
On the way north, Brenda's colleague Dolly bombards her with Christmas cheer. Brenda can’t wait to return home. Just as they are getting close, snow begins to fall. It’s not bad at first, but then the weather takes a turn. Dolly’s a seasoned driver, but even she can’t stop the van from skidding. The twelve dogs, Dolly, and Brenda get into a car accident. Dolly’s banged up quite a bit, but the dogs and Brenda are unharmed.
Once Dolly is in the ambulance, Brenda and Adam, the paramedic, bring the dogs to the vet. In a town this small, everyone wants to pitch in to help. Adam is a single dad and one of the families receiving a dog this Christmas. As Adam helps Brenda with her work, the two form a bond. While Brenda is still looking forward to going home, she can’t help but notice there is something growing between them.
THE TWELVE DOGS OF CHRISTMAS by Susan Wiggs is a cozy story where a stranger comes to town and finds herself a home. Brenda fights against falling in love with both Adam and the town. She knows from previous experience that you can’t get your heart broken if you don’t let yourself fall in love. It’s a switch on the sunshine heroine and grumpy hero trope and works nicely for this book. I quite enjoyed the subplot of Brenda’s writing and dream of becoming published. The heartwarming part of this book is that everyone finds a forever home.
"Don't miss this charming Christmas tale of thawing hearts, escaping dogs, and finding home. I couldn't help digging into this book with both paws." --Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Must Love Flowers
The ultimate holiday gift from New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs: a delightful novel about a Christmas transport of rescue puppies that’s guaranteed to warm readers’ hearts.
Brenda Malloy wants nothing to do with Christmas ever again. Last year, Brenda and her husband rushed their beloved dog Tim to the emergency vet on Christmas eve. The good news: Tim survived after the vet cleared the obstruction--a pair of women’s lace undies. The bad news: the undies were not Brenda’s.
A year after the breakup, Brenda has put her life back together. She’s trained for a marathon, is writing a children’s novel, and she’s found purpose and healing as a volunteer with a dog rescue organization in Houston, Texas. The rescue partners with a program in Avalon, New York--a small, snowy town deep in the Catskills. Now Brenda is arranging the transport of rescued dogs from Houston to Avalon—just in time for a merry Christmas with their forever families. Brenda’s friends worry about her driving a van two thousand miles with twelve dogs in crates, but she shrugs off their concern. How hard can it be? She knows the way, and she’s just looking to escape the Christmas overload for a while.
But a blinding snowstorm, an escaped mutt, and a life-saving encounter with Adam Bellamy—a single dad and paramedic—means Brenda has to stay in Avalon longer than she planned. As she drops off each precious pup at their new homes, some of the comfort and joy of the season begins to creep up on Brenda despite her determination to avoid the holidays. Perhaps you can bring Christmas into your heart after all...if you have the right furry friends to guide the way.
No excerpt available.
© 2003-2026