Reviews

Christmas in Dogtown by Suzanne Johnson

lyndajdickson's review

Go to review page

5.0

Resa (Teresa) Madere has recently been dumped by her husband and is struggling to pay her mortgage. She heads home to Dogtown just before Christmas to help her Uncle Emile in the family sausage-making business. Dogtown is a small town whose residents belong to either the Madere or Caillou families. Its major attraction is the strange dog-like mascot, the rougarou, located in the center of town. Resa's sentiments about her home town can be summed up as follows: "Dogtown was like quicksand; unless one kept moving, getting stuck was inevitable, followed by sinking and suffocation."

Coincidentally, Resa's old school friend Chan (Chandler) Caillou has just moved back to Dogtown to take over his family's alligator wrangling business. He states, "It was my responsibility, you know? Sometimes we're born into a situation and we have to decide if we're gonna be a part of it or if we're gonna put an end to it." According to both their families, Resa and Chan are destined to be married. Resa has never felt that way about Chan, but now that he's all grown up, she's not so sure. When Chan asks Resa out to the community dance, the town's tongues start wagging.

What secret are both families hiding and how does it affect Resa and Chan? The future of both families is in her hands, and Resa has a decision to make.

This is a magical tale not so much about Christmas but about love, family, and new beginnings. A nice quick holiday read.

I received this book for the purpose of providing an honest review.
More...