Title: Roger
Author: SJD Peterson
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Length: 51 Pages
Category: Contemporary, Holiday
At a Glance: The romance wasn’t the main focus of this novella, but if you are looking for a short story about a guy and his dog to give you the warm fuzzies, this one delivers.
Reviewed By: Lindsey
Blurb: Texas native Colt Burrow isn’t happy about his third cold, lonely Christmas in frozen Michigan. But when fate sends him a gift in the form of an abandoned puppy, he can’t keep his heart from melting. With the puppy’s companionship, he doesn’t feel so isolated anymore, and the holidays don’t seem as bleak. He even finds enough Christmas spirit to take Roger tree shopping. But just when Colt’s starting to hope Roger’s owner doesn’t show up… he does, and Colt doesn’t want to say goodbye.
Will Roger end up being Colt’s Christmas heartbreak… or his Christmas miracle?
Review: So, Colt Burrow is a big ol’ grump and totally not into the Christmas spirit. That is until Roger finds him and begins to thaw Colt’s crankiness.
Roger was a bit unexpected in its delivery of this short holiday story, but still managed to be heartwarming all the same. Instead of focusing on holiday romance and new relationship, the reader follows Colt’s transformation from a lonely and jaded man to someone warm and caring. It happens through his interactions with a dog rather than another person. Roger’s presence in Colt’s life gives him something to take care of, cuddle with, and interact with while in search for the dog’s owner. Eventually he begins to hope Roger’s owner is never found, as his connection with the adorable and intelligent Feist grows. Of course, just when it looks like Roger is going to be his forever, Roger’s owner enters the picture. Colt’s heart breaks at the thought of losing Roger, and that is where the angst comes into play.
The thing is, there is a romantic element presented towards the end of the book, and an epilogue expanding on the romance, but really this story was more about a guy and a dog and the bond between man and animal, which is totally different than a romantic connection between two people. Dog lovers will probably adore this lovely little read. I did. Roger’s antics are adorable, and reading the worn-out Colt begin to experience the joys of the holiday with the sweet and quirky pup made me say aw more than once. But for the readers out there that are looking for that holiday romance with some sexy times, it will probably fall short. Colt and Roger’s owner only have like two interactions towards the final quarter of the book, and though there is a sweetness to the two, the story doesn’t focus on the development of that romance. It’s a… starting point. The epilogue shows the HEA, but since the relationship wasn’t present through the majority of the book, it was more of a and they all lived happily ever after kind of wrap up.
This story was cute, sweet and heartwarming with a dash of humor thrown in. It has all the makings of a feel-good holiday read, as long as the reader doesn’t mind the focus being on a guy and his dog, instead of a guy and a guy.
You can buy Roger here:
[zilla_button url=”http://bit.ly/2CRt8kQ” style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Dreamspinner Press [/zilla_button][zilla_button url=”http://authl.it/B077WPVXYK?d” style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Amazon [/zilla_button][zilla_button url=”http://bit.ly/2CSwSTn” style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Barnes & Noble [/zilla_button][zilla_button url=”https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/roger/id1315295093?mt=11″ style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] iBooks [/zilla_button][zilla_button url=”http://bit.ly/2CTHHV6″ style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Kobo [/zilla_button]