Agnes Santorini, known as “Yiayia” to her Greek clan, only has one thing on her Christmas list — a brown short-haired dachshund that matches the one she dreamed about, certain that pup can save her aging heart. When she learns that a local man has this very dog for adoption, she and her partner-in-crime, Gramma Finnie, leash up their current doxies and join forces with their great-granddaughter … great-granddaughter to get their paws on the pooch.
But things don’t go quite as smoothly as expected. A quick walk through the town of Bitter Bark turns complicated when the dog’s owner has a simple demand, which sets off a series of events that have two grannies and one girl dashing through the snow with two dogs in tow. As they meet every demand and overcome every obstacle, Yiayia shares the secret of her past…and reveals just why this is the canine angel she needs to save her.
But even if they manage to get the dog under their Christmas tree, that might not be where the little fellow belongs. And maybe, just maybe, Yiayia’s heart can be healed by a completely different kind of love…the kind that only comes at Christmas.
The Dogmothers Series – a spinoff from the popular “Dogfather” books
Daniel Kilcannon has not only orchestrated wonderfully happy endings for his six adult kids, he’s also found one of his own. That leaves his grown nieces, nephews, and stepkids all in need of their own magical romances. Is the Dogfather too preoccupied with his new lady love to pull the strings and make the matches? Maybe. But never fear, there’s a new team in town and these two might be polar opposites in life, but they are lined up in love. Meet Yiayia and Gramma Finnie…one has the steel spine of a Greek warrior, the other has the sweet soul of an Irish poet. Together, along with two darling dachshunds, these Dogmothers won’t stop until all of their grandchildren are hooked, hitched, and happy!
About the Author
Published since 2003, Roxanne St. Claire is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty romance and suspense novels. In addition to being a ten-time nominee and one-time winner of the prestigious RITATM Award for the best in romance writing, Roxanne’s books have won the National Readers’ Choice Award four times and have been translated into more than a dozen languages. A recent empty-nester, Roxanne lives in Florida with her husband and two dogs.
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I am loving this series so much! If you like books about family love with some cute dogs thrown in, you’ll love this Christmas novella. The scheming matriarchs of the families are putting their heads together again to find matches for the grandchildren, but other things take precedence in this story. Both of the elderly women have secrets. They are both hiding things that directly impact their lives. Will they share details with their loved ones and come to peace with the impact on their lives in time to have a wonderful Christmas?
St. Claire has written another heartwarming tale/tail of characters we all wish we had in our family!
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
What a wonderful Christmas Novella. Pru and her two crazy Grandma’s are out and about, unsupervised, on Christmas eve. Yiayia is on a search to find the Dachshund of her dreams and along the way we find out about the guilt she has been caring around with her since she turned 18. This is a heartfelt story filled with love, laughter, sadness and a true Christmas miracle. What a great addition to an already wonderful family based series.
As always love and grace prevail. Following these two grannies with Pru in tow always has me on my toes wondering what they will do next. A lovely story with His love spread by them to a little girl on Christmas Eve and redemption for one of the grannies who has carried guilt around for all of her adult life. What adventures will they get into next year? The author has provided me with a free advance copy of this book. This has in no way influenced my review.
Roxanne St. Claire
Heartwarming, sweetly emotional and action packed holiday adventure filled with all my favorite charters and few new and intriguing charters. Great reading from beginning to end. Really loved this journey!
I’m quite addicted to the Dogfathers & now Dogmothers series!! The relationship between Gramma Finnie & Yiayia is just a joy to experience!! And their relationship with their great granddaughter Pru and the mischief — all in good faith — they get into is so much fun! The Christmas novellas in this series are all emotional and beautiful! Yiayia’s story and her road to redemption helps us understand the behavior she is trying to turn around — and her selflessness in this story is amazing. I still want to be part of this big beautiful family!!
Dachshund Through the Snow is this year’s Christmas story from Roxanne St. Claire and the newest book in her Dogmothers series of books. I absolutely loved spending more time with Gramma Finnie, Yiayia, and Pru, and finding out more about Yiayia’s past helped me to understand her better.
Yiayia has been on the search for a brown short-haired dachshund since she had her heart attack. She feels in her heart she needs this one special dog to be the new Yiayia and not go back to her old ways. I loved that Gramma Finnie and Pru stepped up to help Yiayia out on her mission when she learned the perfect dog was right there in Bitter Bark.
As Yiayia, Finnie, and Pru make deals to help Yiayia secure her perfect dog, Yiayia shares the story of her past at each new stop. Her story had me feeling so many emotions, and made me understand how Yiayia had been before her heart attack. I also felt like her sharing her story brought her and Finnie even closer as friends. Pru had her own bit of drama along the way in this story with her best friend. My heart broke for the girls as they had to figure out how to deal with the changes that are coming and how to remain best friends. I have to say I didn’t see the ending coming and I cried all the happy tears as I finished reading this story.
Dachshund Through the Snow was another winner from Roxanne St. Claire. I’ve fallen every bit as in love with the Dogmothers books as I love the Dogfather books. Normally I’m all about reading books in a series in order, but I think Dachshund Through the Snow is the perfect Christmas book and would be a great introduction to this series of books.
Rating: 5 Stars (A)
Review copy provided by publisher
The great thing about The Dogmothers series is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The irony of that statement is that both the Dogfather and Dogmothers series manage to stay light-hearted while at times dealing with some series subjects. At heart St. Claire delivers a little food for the soul wrapped inside a cuddly, heartwarming package. Dachshund continues that legacy with a hint of teen angst, more furry cutie pies and a couple of busybody grannies that prove a force onto themselves. Life lessons with a dose of heart tingles on the side. Irresistible.
A fun Christmas tale of friendships and families, plus of course the search for the perfect pup. Follow Pru, Gramma Finnie and Yiayia on the hunt for a dachshund that haunts someones dreams or nightmares. Once again we are taken to Bitter Bark and into the lives of the Kilcannons’ and the Santorinis’ and the dogs they love. Perfect book to read on these cold December days!
I received an ARC of the novella Dachshund Through the Snow by Roxanne St. Claire, the first Christmas novella in the Dogmothers Series, for an honest review, and once again Roxanne St. Claire has delivered an amazing Christmas story. The story is filled with love, friendships, big families, lots of dogs, and Christmas wishes coming true. Dachshund Through the Snow, is the story of Agnes “Yiayia” Santorini and how her past decisions defined her. Yiayia is looking for another dachshund and Gramma Finnie found one for sale. The discover that the asking price for Rover, is a good ticket to the Christmas Pageant. Gramma Finnie, Yiayia and Pru start their treasure hunt around the streets and shops of Bitter Bark to get Yiayia the dog that she has been longing for, who she will name Charis. After all the steps of the mission are completed they arrive back at the owner’s how to discover he sold Rover to a young couple, since he wasn’t certain that they would be returning for the dog. Yiayia and Gramma Finnie seem to be having a falling out. Then Yiayia shares the story of her past with Gramma Finnie, it was a warm, but heartbreaking story. Gramma Finnie is the only person that Yiayia has shared the entire story to. I loved discovering Yiayia’s past, what made her the way she was, and what occurred in her life that lead to her transformation. Pru also has a falling out with her BFF Teagan. Pru has no idea why Teagan has been treating her so coldly on Christmas Eve. Yiayia received Charis as a Christmas gift from Cassie and Braden, only to turn around and regift him, to someone who needed him more, the true meaning of Christmas. I loved the story and it brought tears to my eyes on multiple occasions. I love celebrating Christmas with the Kilcannons, Mahoneys, and now the Santorinis. Who doesn’t love big families, dogs and Christmas wishes coming true. Roxanne has once again delivered an outstanding story with her surprise plot twist, poignant and bittersweet moments and lots of love. Roxanne even gave us our own Christmas magic, a glimpse into the next target of the Dogmothers matchmaking. Loved all the surprises at the end. I could not out it down. It was a wonderful story filled with the magic of Christmas!
Agnes Santorini, Yiayia to her grandchildren, is the Santorini clan’s matriarch. She learns about the availability of a certain dachshund, the kind she had always wanted. Agnes is willing to pay any price for this dog, even swallow her prickly pride. Along with her roommate and the woman’s great-granddaughter, the trio embark on a Christmas style scavenger hunt. As they gather each thing on their list, Agnes begrudgingly shares her past. Will Agnes finally get her dream dog? Or will redemption come in another guise?
Agnes is one of those characters that it takes a while to warm up to. She is an embittered woman trying to make amends with her remaining family. I admire how Agnes tries to change her ways. She sometimes slips up, but she never allows it to stop her from becoming a better person. I like Gramma Finnie’s influence on Agnes. The two women’s personalities often clash, yet Finnie refuses to let Agnes revert to her old self. I also like the fact that Agnes’s romance with her late husband started off rocky. What I adore the most about Agnes is that she owns two dachshunds. I am partial to that particular dog breed since I own three doxies.
DACHSHUND THROUGH THE SNOW is book three in Roxanne St. Claire’s heartening, dog-related series, THE DOGMOTHERS. This story can easily stand alone. However, it is best to read the prior books and the spin off, to better understand the three families and how far they have come.
I adore the fact that a bearded dragon makes a small appearance in the story. They are one animal I never expected to see in a book, especially a romance novel. I smiled when I read how the reptile once belonged to a woman. Along with dachshunds, I also have a bearded dragon, one who prefers me over the males in my household.
DACHSHUND THROUGH THE SNOW is a heart-warming story of an aging woman’s search for redemption during the Christmas season. I am generally not one for Christmas stories, yet this one warmed my heart. I cannot wait to read more of the Dogmothers’ shenanigans.
Review courtesy of Romance Junkies
I so loved this Christmas novella. Last year we learned Gramma Finnie’s love story and this year we learn Yiayia’s. Her story unfolds as the two Dogmothers and Prudence try to satisfy the request of the owner of the dachshund that Yiayia wants to buy. Of course, there are obstacle along the way that the three have to overcome.
Along the way, Yiayia shares her story – although most of it only shared with Gramma Finnie. We also learn more of what transpired when Yiayia had her heart attack and what led her to change her ways to try and be a nicer person.
As with the other books in the series there are lots of laughs and tears, and you feel the love of this large family.
This story is as great as it’s title! For St. Claire Dogmother followers, this story gives us Yaiyai’s backstory of her finding what love really is. While the plot revolves around the guilt that YaiYai has for her actions as a young girl, the true heart of the story is the love and relationship between friends and family and YaiYai finally finding what love really means –whether that be romantic love or the love between friends and family and even strangers. This story is heartfelt and delivers all the feel good emotions of a true Christmas story. St. Claire is a fabulous writer so even if you haven’t read her earlier books, you’ll have no trouble following the story and understanding the relationships. This story put me in the mood for a true Christmas spirit holiday.
I just love the dogmothers. It is great to get Agnes’ story. Made me shed a tear or two. Agnes is set on getting a certain Dachshund. Pru, Agnes and Gramma Finnie set out to get the dog but have to jump through a few hoops only to be disappointed. There is a reason Agnes needs this certain Dachshund. As she explains her reasoning, Pru and Gramma Finnie know they have to help her. It is Christmas Eve and there are many things to do, but she has to have this dog. It is about love and miracles.
Roxanne has outdone herself with this story. As the grandmas chase a dachshund through the snow, we are reading another story in the background. I don’t usually like books that are two stories in one, but this is exceptionally well done. The best part is the surprising Christmas ending. Whatever you do, don’t miss this book.
This is such a lovely, heartwarming story to begin the Christmas season. I loved everything about it. You are an amazing writer, Rocki! You give us love, joy, tears….all wrapped up in a beautiful story with wonderful characters! Thank you!
I loved this story. The interaction between Gramma Finnie, Yiayia, and Pru were very entertaining and the backstory on Yiayia helped me better understand her personality
Such a wonderful look into this great family.
This story really focusing around YiaYia and Grammy Finnie and Pru. All these wonderful stories have to include a doggie finding their forever home.
Dachshund Through the Snow, by Roxanne St. Claire is the perfect holiday escape. Heartwarming and filled with puppy kisses it will melt even the chilliest heart.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.
You have to just love a story featuring the two Dogmothers with lots of their antics, disagreements, and Christmas cheer. When Yiayia, Agnes, learns of a local man selling one such dog, she enlists Gramma Finnie and great-granddaughter, Pru, to help her get this dog who will save her. As these three dash around Bitter Bark to meet the demands required to adopt this dog they come up against obstacles with every demand. While on this errand Yiayia shares the secret of her past as well as why this canine angel will save her. Even if they obtain this dog, it just might not be the one to help heal Yiayia’s heart. It just might be another kind of miracle, a Christmas miracle which heals broken hearts.
Ms. St. Claire wrote an emotional and moving story filled with lots of feelings, wonderful dialogue, and endearing characters that should not to be missed. I highly recommend Dachshund Through the Snow to other readers and look forward to the next book in this wonderful series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Looking for a heartwarming, charming, Christmas story? This one is a perfect choice. Laughter, tears, family, friends, and dogs, this is a beautiful story of love, forgiveness, and the beauty of giving.