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Talyton St. George #4

It's a Vet's Life

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Long, irregular hours; occasional risk of injury; and often smelly and dirty. Job satisfaction guaranteed. This is the life Maz Harwood signed up to when she became a vet, and she has never regretted it. She now has a beautiful baby boy, George, and she will be marrying fellow vet, Alex Fox-Gifford, at Christmas. But recently things have become difficult. Because between arranging the wedding, performing life-saving animal surgery, and taking care of George, there hasn't been much time left for poor Alex. So Maz decides to take things into her own hands - with terrible consequences for all concerned. As Christmas draws near, Maz realises that she's going to need more than a miracle for her and Alex to make it up the aisle and rekindle the love they had once shared.

400 pages, Paperback

First published November 10, 2011

15 people are currently reading
353 people want to read

About the author

Cathy Woodman

28 books183 followers
I began my working life as a small-animal vet. Like turning the pages in a book, I was never quite sure what was going to happen at the surgery next. From the sausage dog who swallowed a sewing needle to the telly addict of a rabbit who lost an eye to infection, there was never a dull moment.

I have always loved to read, escaping into all kinds of novels during those long nights on call, but I didn’t have much time to pursue writing until after my children were born and I gave up full-time work to look after them. I joined a creative writing group and entered all the writing competitions I could find.

My break into becoming a published author came in 2002 when I was joint winner of the Harry Bowling First Novel Award. At the award ceremony, I met Laura Longrigg of MBA Literary Agents who signed me up on delivery of a finished manuscript.

In April 2003, Laura rang to say that Headline were offering me a two book deal. I had to dial 1471 to check she really had called me and I wasn’t dreaming.

My first novel, Under The Bonnet, was published in November 2004. My second, Our House, was published in 2005, the third, Family Matters in 2006, and the fourth, The Boy Next Door in 2007.

Since then, I’ve been working on an exciting new project, a series of novels about The Otter House Vets, a fictional practice set in a quiet Devonshire market town. Trust Me, I’m a Vet, which will be published in paperback by Arrow Books in April 2010, closely followed by the second book in September 2010.

Since I last updated my website, my menagerie of animals has grown, much to my family’s delight. We now share our lives with two cats, three mad Border Terriers, two ponies and two pet rats which we found abandoned to starve in a cage in the woods nearby. You should have heard my husband’s sigh of resignation when I told him we were bringing them home!

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5 stars
229 (40%)
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181 (32%)
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117 (20%)
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26 (4%)
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6 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
Profile Image for Ruth Ellis.
583 reviews12 followers
November 5, 2018
Sorry couldn't get past chapter 4 have read this author before
Profile Image for Jo Dorman.
93 reviews2 followers
September 28, 2014
good book, like the series but didnt grip me as much as the others in the series.
Profile Image for Jen.
1,576 reviews
January 21, 2018
I just love these! Maz, Emma and company always have such true-to-life experiences. I love reading about the vet practice, even the disasters. It's great that the author showcases real life, the good and the bad, instead of everyone living in a perfect world. Just about the time you realize what's coming, and can't believe the author actually went there, she does! I understand the entire series covers other townfolk and isn't limited only to the Otter House crew, but I think the books that focus on those characters are her best works. I still get annoyed when Maz caves too quickly or sticks around too long. If it were me, I'd have walked away without saying a word the first time. This one was just as great as the first two.
773 reviews
March 22, 2018
I bought all 10 "Talyton St George" books despite not having read any of her books because a) they were on offer @£0.99 each b) I liked the scenario and c) she is popular with Millie Johnson fans. Well I have read the first 4 back-to-back and loved them. In fact after reading book #1 I spotted several other titles by CW also @£0.99 and bought them too.

This one is probably the best so far, certainly the most emotional, I felt Maz's pain. I will have a break from the series but expect it only to be a short one.
Profile Image for Lisa Montanaro.
Author 2 books188 followers
January 2, 2019
Fun to read the next book in this series about a female veterinarian in a small country town outside of London that is in a relationship with the vet that works in a rival practice. The quirky cast of characters and zany happenings make for an enjoyable read. I am married to a vet so particularly enjoy the backdrop of the vet practice. The relationships are well developed, and the story line flows nicely. All in all, an easy satisfying read.
1 review
September 27, 2019
Did not like the character Alex. How can he divorce his first wife and left her with 2 young children aged 3 years and 7 years old? He stinks and to top it all banged up this woman and have a 21 month old baby too!! Plus proposed to her!!!??
His parents are quite chummy with this new woman max and has no problem with their philandering son. Terrible storyline and i did not go beyond the first chapter. Sorry
Profile Image for Julie.
698 reviews13 followers
September 3, 2023
3.5 ⭐ =Quite Good.
#4in the series.
I didn't quite enjoy this as much as the previous three, but it was fairly good all the same.
The characters lives progress, along with the comings and goings of characterful animals.
Despite a little heartache, a feel good book.
Profile Image for Mohamed Zaman.
309 reviews
August 7, 2025
What a nice festive themed book.....the title is a festive pun on the popular Christmassy classic movie named It's A Wonderful Life and the story has deep profound meaning and even appreciates the hard work of veterinarians and a healthy dose of Christmas magic......
Profile Image for Angela Free.
736 reviews1 follower
March 12, 2018
I’m finding these vet stories rather addictive. Quite dramatic in places too. I didn’t expect Old Fox Gifford to do what he did.
Profile Image for Lorna.
26 reviews
June 15, 2018
Definitely some "didn't see it coming not really liking where this is going" moments in the last third but it all came together in the end
217 reviews
September 29, 2019
I love this series of books. I love the feel of the village and the relationships of the main characters with the highs and lows of everyday life. Highly recommend reading it.
Profile Image for Kate.
421 reviews
December 20, 2020
TBH I struggled to get through this book. I found it to be one long bout of bickering. There didn't seem to be much let up and no real substance to the story. Disappointing.
Profile Image for Tracey.
3,023 reviews76 followers
July 16, 2021
Another really lovely read by Cathy woodman.
I live her continuation of Maz and Alex’s love story and the vets adventures they have . It was a more dramatic read than the first in the series with some nail biting moments and tears from me at one point over as usual a dog.
I know a book is a great read when I cry , it shows the author has captured my attention completely snd I’m so wrapped into the story that my emotions lead the way. Thank you Cathy woodman , I’ve ordered the others in the series straight away .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Leah.
1,656 reviews338 followers
November 30, 2011
Cathy Woodman’s Talyton St George series has become a firm favourite with me – there have been three previous novels set in the small village, and the fourth It’s A Vet’s Life is the most recent. It’s the third (of the four) to feature Maz Harwood and all at Otter House Vets and it’s rather like coming home and putting on your favourite slippers and dressing gown. It’s one of the cosiest book series around at the moment, and I love the comfort that comes with knowing who the characters are already, where the land lies with everyone, and seeing how their lives are currently panning out. Not to mention, all the goings on at the vet which as an animal lover is both saddening at times, but also makes me immeasurably happy.

It’s A Vet’s Life is the third novel, as I mentioned, to feature Maz Harwood (the previous two being Trust Me, I’m A Vet and Must Be Love) and I’m crossing my fingers it isn’t the last, as Maz seems to have so much mileage to her and I love seeing how her life has come on since she moved to Talyton St George. How she came as a free, single, City woman and how she’s bedded down and had a baby, and gotten engaged, and how she’s generally just settled in to country life. This third outing sees Maz trying to keep up with everything life brings – looking after her son, George; trying to keep her relationship with fellow vet Alex Fox-Gifford going; planning her wedding to said vet; and making sure all runs smoothly at Otter House. It’s pretty much a novel about life as a working mother, if I was to put it bluntly but that makes it sound drab and dull which it most certainly isn’t. (Life is never drab and dull in Talyton St George!).

The novel is pretty much the same as the previous two, with a lot of vet comings and goings and Otter House always being full to the brim with patients. All the previous characters return – all the past patients are back, Emma, Maz’s parter at the vet’s, is back, but there are some new faces, too, in the shape of Will, the new trainee vet at Otter House. It’s not an exciting novel, but there’s something there that kept me hooked. I personally really like reading how Maz treats the animals, and I like the fact Maz is in a stable(ish) relationship and although that not might be everybody’s cup of tea, well, it suits me perfectly. The characters, the setting, the things that occur, it’s all totally enjoyable for me, and I found myself whizzing to the end in a bid to see how it would all pan out!

Despite the predictable nature, there is a massively shocking twist that occurs during It’s A Vet’s Life. It’s not something you see in a Chick Lit novel, it’s not something I expected, and although it sort of made sense for it to occur there was also a part of me that was a bit sickened at what happened. Part of me felt it was out of place in a novel that’s generally not known for being shocking like that. It didn’t put off my enjoyment of the novel, but it did give me pause for that, did give me a jolt. It’s A Vet’s Life was just as good as its predecessors and it made me cry. That’s just what I expect now, every time I read a new Otter House novel – it’s inevitable with a novel that centers around a vets and around sick animals that not all the animals will survive and the thought of animals dying always makes me teary and I inevitably end up crying whilst reading Cathy’s novels. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel, it’s a brilliant addition to the series and is probably my favourite so far. I look forward to more from the Otter House Vets in future, because the series is still as fresh as it was two books ago and I love reading about Maz and co.
Profile Image for Georgina.
92 reviews94 followers
January 8, 2012
http://chicklitaholic.blogspot.com/20...

When I was younger, growing up in the countryside, I always wanted to be a vet. I love animals and constantly begged my mum and dad for a pet. Sadly one never came and my dream of being a vet quickly diminished when I realised I can't handle the sight of blood. My love of animals, however has continued, and upon finding a set of books about, you guessed it, a vet living in the countryside, I just could not pass up on reading them.

While It's A Vets Life is part of a series of books by Cathy Woodman, you do not need to have read any of the previous books to enjoy the latest installment. While it is always best to read all the previous books, I found it reassuring that no important parts of the story would be missed. Anything mentioned from previous novels is described in detail so you don't become lost at any point. Cathy Woodman's insight into the world of being a vet, as she herself was once a practicing vet, adds an extra layer to really bringing the clinics in the book to life. I really enjoyed that she was able to add this realism to the world that she has created in It's A Vets Life. Creating this quaint countryside village and community had me wanting to move to there immediatly. The way in which she is able to deal with writing about a rocky relationship, as well as other emotional incidents that occur while creating empathy yet not making the story too sombre with the witty humour she adds, had me hooked.

Many of the characters from the previous novels were brought back in It's A Vets Life, which added the familiarity of reading about characters you already know. Maz is a character you will begin to really care for as you get to know more about her and her life, being a really compassionate and generous character. I did find that my feelings towards the character of Alex changed during the course of It's A Vets Life. In the previous novels I found that I really liked Alex and the relationship that he has with Maz. However, through the course of this novels my feelings towards him changed, as his selfish actions towards Maz became more promient. As for Old Fox Gifford, I still found myself disliking him with a passion. He is selfish, sexist and set in his ways, unable to listen to anyone elses views or opinions.

found the actions that Old Fox Gifford, takes about half way through the novel, to be quite disturbing. It was definatly not something that I saw coming, nor did I expect it to happen. While I knew that it was an integrial part of the storyline and a turning point for some of the characters, the incident was not something I particularly enjoyed reading about. Nor did I really fully understand why it happened as it did. The actions taken, however, did not take away from my overall enjoyment of It's A Vets Life.

It's A Vets Life has both characters you will find yourself caring about, and a storyline that will have you laughing and crying throughout. The Otter House books are a great series and I cannot wait to see if Cathy Woodman will continue on with these books. I really hope so. If you haven't picked any of these books up yet then I would highly reccomend that you do
Profile Image for Rea Cobb.
439 reviews696 followers
November 28, 2011
This book was sent to me for our Christmas 2011 book competition. The cover of this book is still in keeping with the style of the previous three books by Cathy Woodman but it has got the Christmas touch which stands out among the shelves, with a snowy setting and the sparkly snow flakes on the cover it is in true fitting for this time of year.

I really enjoyed the previous two books and so when I heard there was a third instalment based in the lovely fictional village of Talyton St George I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy.

The first thing I will mention about this book is that it is not imperative that you read the previous books first as this is an easy read and you can pick the storyline up straight from the first chapter. When any points are mentioned about the previous books you are given enough detail so as you don’t lose your way in the story. Having said this I would still say that it is well worth picking up the previous two books as they are lovely reads and allow you to get to know the characters more.

What I have always loved about Cathy Woodmans style of writing is that each of her books are so believable it really does feel as though you are reading about a traditional devon village with normal everyday country folks typical day to day life. I found this book had the same feel to it and I found myself getting lost in the little village’s events. There was one chapter in the book which came as a big shock for me involving Maz’s father in-law to be which did put a little downer on the book for me as it really didn’t fit into this beautifully written series, I found it very unexpected and out of place. Having said this, the scenario I am talking about wasn’t drawn out to long so I soon found myself getting back to the comfortable feel of the book.

We get to see many of the characters from the previous books which gave a feeling familiarity to the book. I did find my feelings towards Alex’s character changed in this book.

I love the ending of this book where the Christmas feel comes into place and the story is wrapped up like a perfect little present, I am hoping now that the Talyton St George series has come to an end as I think this was a perfect finish to a wonderful set of three books. I will always look out for books by Cathy Woodman as she really has a unique style of writing which I cannot compare to any other author whose books I have read.

I would definitely recommend you pick this book up. I am giving this book a 4 star rating, I would have given the full 5 star but It was a shame the only Christmas part to the book was in the last chapter and also because of the scenario involving Maz’s father in-law.
Profile Image for Elisabeth.
381 reviews8 followers
August 17, 2016


“It’s a vet’s life” is the fourth book which is set in the fictional market town of Talyton St George in East Devon. Like the 1st and 2nd books in this series, this book carries on the story of Maz and Alex – the third book was not their story so me reading this one before number 3 didn’t matter.
It is two years since the birth of their baby boy and when Maz and Alex decide to set a date for their Christmas wedding. Although they have a good few months to organise the Talyton St George wedding of the year, the busy pair seem to have little time to speak to each other let alone organise their big as the overwhelming demands of running two vet practices begins to take their toll on their relationship. With all the trials and tribulations that come their way will the two of them ever make it up the aisle at Christmas?

As her previous two books have been, “It’s a vet’s life” was a lovely gently read interspersed with plenty of emotional moments but also plenty of laughs. It was certainly a pleasure to catch up with Max, Alex, Emma, Shannon and the other characters from the previous two books.
Profile Image for The Bookish Wombat.
782 reviews14 followers
May 7, 2012
As I haven't read the previous novels in this series, I must admit that I struggled a bit this one as I found the sheer number of different characters overwhelming. It was hard to keep straight in my head who everyone was and I kept having to flick back to earlier pages to find out what I could about them.

I also found the book oddly superficial. It deals with some very dark subjects, but seems to use them as mere plot devices, rather than actually examining them closely and seeing how they effect the characters.

I liked the vet surgery setting and the view of rural village life, but it didn't make me want to either read any of the earlier books in the series or look out for more from this author.

It's quite a quick read and enjoyable enough, but it has a sense of something missing that I can't quite put my finger on.
Profile Image for Loretta.
Author 16 books98 followers
September 1, 2018
I must have had the paperback of this ages ago. I just bought it again on Kindle at the bargain price of 99p as I thought I'd missed a few in the series.
The last time I read it must have been a while ago as I didn't remember it at all and was able to enjoy it all over again.
Ms Woodman writes delightful stories which are so much more than chicklit and this one is no exception.
I enjoyed it so much, I'm going to read the whole series again.
Profile Image for Emma.
1,629 reviews
January 7, 2014
This wasn't what I expected. I was hoping for a fluffy Xmas novel and it was fluffy all right but not Xmassy at all.

It took me quite a while to get into the story because I needed to get accustomed with the many characters and also, because, let's face it, I don't care all that much for vets, but in the end it was a rather pleasant read if very predictable.

I don't think I'll be reading the other books in the series though.
Profile Image for Nikki.
1,428 reviews12 followers
November 5, 2016
This was my favourite book in the series. .. yes, its shocking in the middle, but very well written and I read the majority of the book in 1 sitting over 4 hours I just couldn't put it down.
The book also deals with issues which probably occur in veterinary practices every day.
I laughed and cried and cried some more... have a box of tissues handy, you'll need them!
Best book so far and cannot wait to read the next. ...
434 reviews4 followers
November 21, 2011
Maz Harwood is engaged to Alex Fox-Gillford they have a son George (21 months). They are both vets and lead very busy lives, Maz hardly sees Alex. They make a date for there wedding Maz is left with the preperations, but has Alex changed his mind?
I really enjoyed this book I would definetely recommend.
Profile Image for Claire Simpson.
Author 33 books6 followers
December 1, 2011
I loved the previous books in this series so much, and I was super excited when this one came out. But something about it just wasn't right. The story is exciting and sad, but the writing style has become very present tense conversational and it's slightly annoying. That said, it's a good book and I'm already looking forward to Woodman's next book.
Profile Image for Amanda.
707 reviews100 followers
December 29, 2012
I wasn't so keen on this instalment in the vet's series by Cathy Woodman. I liked the pieces about the animals, but the rift between Alex and Maz seemed to be very contrived in order to create tension. Having said that, Woodman writes very accurately the feelings of desperation as a relationship goes bad, but it did make for a very depressing book at times.
Profile Image for Karen.
307 reviews
February 17, 2020
Book 4 in the series but could be read as a stand alone. Lovely to continue this series with the other characters from previous books appearing within the story. A lovely comfortable read fun characters as well as animals needing care. Multi layers story line with the human elements that you come to expect by this author. Look forward to the next book in the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews

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