Christmas at Corgi Cove A novel

In order to keep Everett St. Clair, Lake Queen Corporation's irresistibly sexy legal representative, from buying up her aunt and uncle's beloved bed-and-breakfast, Rosie Reynolds must figure out how she can win a contest that will name Corgi Cove the best Christmas-themed inn in the U.S. Noblin imbues her heartwarming and hilarious holiday romance with plenty of dry humor, cute canines, and quirky small-town residents.

Rosie Reynolds's aunt and uncle, who've raised her since she was 15, are on the verge of losing their charming bed and breakfast, Corgi Cove. When they entertain an offer from a chain-resort corporation, Rosie makes a last-ditch effort to save her beloved home by entering a contest in the hope of having the B&B declared the best Christmas-themed inn in the USA--and winning the prize money. But it doesn't help that the representative from the resort corporation, Everett St. Claire, is distractingly handsome. Alternating between Everett's and Rosie's viewpoints, the chapters are short and move the story along quickly. The mother-daughter issues between Rosie and her mother are superficial and don't get explored, which helps keep things light and upbeat. Bonnie and Clyde, the B&B's two corgis, add charm but are, disappointingly, not central to the plot. Also charming are the humorous quirky townspeople who come together to help Rosie in her mission to save Corgi Cove. VERDICT Although it could use more corgi and more Christmas, this quick-moving novel will especially appeal to readers who like small-town stories and opposites-attract romances, with a sprinkling of the enemies-to-lovers trope.--Sonia Reppe