A New Leash on Life

Dog-Mom Rom-Com #1

by Cassandra Joelle

Get ready for a hilarious Christian romantic comedy as we follow the journey of a thirty-something introverted woman, Katie Fitzgerald, who's longing for a husband. But when she accidentally adopts a dog, she discovers that love comes in unexpected ways, and that God's timing is always perfect.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Clean Romance

322 pages, Paperback

First published February 10, 2024

Reviews

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I flew through this book! A wonderful story for animal lovers. It brought back all the emotions and memories of when I got my first pet (a cat). It is truly incredible how much these little critters can be a blessing in our lives, helping us heal in many different aspects and just becoming our constant companions. It is a christian romantic comedy which had me laughing and smiling throughout the whole story. I really enjoyed how the author Cassandra wrote in Katie's prayers. It made me realize how much we can simply pray to God throughout our whole day to keep our hearts and minds in check. It was a great reminder to myself that praying doesn't have to be long and super detailed. As it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Never stop praying". By the time I got to the end of the story I wanted more of Katie and Dolly's story. I highly recommend this book!

[Barbara Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute story about a slightly awkward introvert who is looking for a husband but ends up adopting a dog. LOL!

[Parkland Mom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️&1/4 (3.25 stars)
Read: March 2024
Format: Kindle e-book
Challenge Prompt: CFG’s “A Novel by an indie author”

Book #23 of 2024: I took some time to think about my review but I’m not sure it’s any clearer in my head. I have very mixed feelings about this book which is why my rating is middle-ish.

PROS:
- several funny moments
- quirky main character
- rescue animals
- pet dogs
- humorous awkward dates
- sweet and clean
- refreshing honesty with a woman wanting marriage and kids
- fun premise for gaining more confidence and meeting someone
- I enjoyed how she had little prayers scattered throughout her day.

CONS:
- it sometimes felt high school-ish yet the main characters are late twenties
- the flow felt too simple in areas
- some chapters ended rather abruptly or awkwardly
- the quirkiness of the MC was a little overdone at times
- the premise held so much promise but it just felt a little overdone and teenager-like — left me disappointed
- I wish her past heartbreak would have played into the story more because it added some depth.
- I wish there was more attention on her faith than just the little prayers. They would have been a good springboard to more faith content.

[Regency_Fan_ Michelle RegencyFanMichelleAndMore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! I have 25 highlights to prove it. I could have marked even more, but I didn’t want to cover the entire book! 🥰 The way the message of God is beautifully interwoven throughout is truly remarkable. 💕 This romantic comedy is exceptional. The romance is light-hearted and incredibly witty. The main characters’ dialogue? Absolutely hilarious! It’s one of the funniest books I’ve ever read, and the gospel message resonates on every single page.
Just my thoughts. Godly dog breeders truly do wonderful work. They provide children with hypoallergenic puppies that have the potential to become cherished service or therapy dogs. If you’re looking to make a positive impact in the world, consider adopting special needs children. I’m blessed with three.

[Marbeth Skwarczynski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A New Leash on Life by Cassandra Joelle is a delightful story about a woman ready to start living again. In the years after a life-changing tragedy, Katie has become an introverted homebody. She prays daily, almost hourly, for a husband to share her life, but doesn't go anywhere other than work and church. It isn't until Katie adopts Dolly, a sweet little poodle who has also gone through tragedy. Taking on the responsibilities of a dog means Katie gets pulled back into society at the end of a leash. With her new buddy, Katie finds new friends, happiness, and a chance to love again.

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Loved this book! Nice to read a good clean humorous book. Fell love with the little dog made me want to go adopt more pets.

[Johneice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute story! If you’re an animal lover, I think you’d enjoy this. 🐶❤️ I enjoyed the faith themes, and the banter between the different characters was so funny! It was never a dull moment for me while reading!

[Gracie Schlabach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun! A total hallmark rom/com with dogs. Loved it and look forward to the next one.

[Ranee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. I wasn’t sure I’d like this story- I like dogs and all and have had some great ones through the years but (at the risk of being ostracized by family and friends) it drives me a little nuts how pampered they are nowadays and calling the pets people’s babies, the dog owners their parents. Regardless, the story was cute and I loved how a sweet dog helped the main character heal, come out of her shell and meet some great friends. Her silent prayers were so sweet and, though maybe a little awkwardly done, I liked that she was bold and honest about her beliefs and standards with others.

[Rachel Gruber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute book ! I love Katie in the book and her dog too. I own two dogs so of course I love this book. Katie prays for a husband and she gets more than she bargains for when she gets a dog and meets a man too. I love Katie’s mom too who loves true crime. I was laughing out loud several times.
I love in Cassandra’s books how she writes humor but also writes about God and real life too.
I highly recommend picking up this book you won’t regret it ❤️❤️

[Smutty~ Vibes · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow what a great read as a Huge fan of Karen Kingsbury and Belverly Lewis I loved loved loved this book my first 5 star read of the year. Once I started reading I was unable to stop reading this book. if you are into rom com and Christain books this book is for you and must be added to your TBR like yesterday, shout out to this amazing author for writing this wonderful book.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely rom-com! I'm not a fan usually, but this was so clever and fun. And a dog! Come on! Well written and easily could feel the frustrations and joy that Katie had! We read this for a light read for our church book club. It was perfect, and the discussion was fun and so worthwhile. We all laughed a lot!

[ChristyW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a feel good read! I love how accurate the author shows the joy of having a pet and how they can help you with your emotions and EVERYTHING else! This book has also helped to remind me to have conversation with God throughout my day and about anything and everything! I can’t wait to read the second book that is just waiting on my shelf for me to transfer my cute Shih Tzu bookmark to it!!🐾🐶🥰

[Denise Boldt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A New Leash is a fun romantic story with a lot of humour and subtle depth! I loved this storyline and the characters and hope Joelle writes more stories in this series.

[Cowboy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, cute, enjoyable

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book , the characters especially! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️