In Skydovia, Princess Ava is decorating the palace and preparing for the Christmas Eve charity event, when a small border collie runs in and begins to wreak havoc. Her mother, the queen has rescued a dog which she plans to share with her kingdom at the party. Ava is a bit of a stick in the mud and wants nothing to do with Stormy. She plans on getting engaged to Henry on Christmas Eve and will run the kingdom much like her father, but needs her mother's blessing. She is also a scientist, but this is kept secret. She has many inventions in use around the palace, but it was something she did with her father. She and her mother get along fine, but don't have a close mother/daughter relationship. Her mother has hired a dog trainer, almost like a dog whisperer to train Stormy, and he and Ava meet under unusual circumstances. When her mother goes away for an event, Ava is left to look after Stormy. He manages to slip out of the palace and for most to the book, Ava and Justin are searching for him, and spending a lot of time together. The reclusive princess spends time in the town and with others for the first time in a long time. She runs into Henry at one point, but is afraid to tell him that her mother has not given her blessing to the engagement. As Justin and Ava spend more time together, she begins to think that maybe Henry isn't the right man for her.
I really enjoyed this fun, Christmas story. I love books where animals play an important role and that is exactly what happens here. Stormy is a handful, and every bbtime they are close, he manages to escape again. This had Ava and Justin doing some fun and festive things together where Ava actually has fun. I liked both of these characters and wanted them to get a happy ending. Talk about opposites, though. Justin is a free spirit, he wants to have fun, but is caring and especially conscientious about caring for animals. He is actually a veterinarian, but doesn't know if that is what he wants to do with his life. I liked seeing the sparks fly and the chemistry that took Ava a while to recognize. There are some surprises in store, some drama, some danger, and some romance. I really enjoyed this story and loved getting to know these characters. The audiobook was narrated by Hannah Curtis, and she did a great job. I enjoyed her voices, tone, and expression.