The Wisdom of Bug: A Festive, Slow-Burn Sapphic Romcom with British Charm and One Very Naughty Dog

by Alyson Root

Now updated in a fully revised and expanded Second Edition — with new chapters, fresh scenes, and a brand-new festive cover.

Evelyn Crawford is officially having the worst run-up to Christmas in history. Overnight she’s become the reluctant CEO of her father’s multi-million-pound pet-supply empire, the board want her head on a platter, and she’s just caught her girlfriend tangled up with someone else. Christmas cheer? Absolutely not.

So when a scruffy little dog appears in the middle of her London office, Evelyn assumes she’s cracked under pressure.

Alyssa Fox, head of Four Paws Rescue, is equally fed up. Every year her centre is treated like a seasonal gift shop by people who think a dog is a stocking filler. This year she’s calling it quits—no adoptions, no time-wasters—and partnering with Crawford Pet Supplies to keep her dogs socialised and (hopefully) out of trouble.

What she didn’t plan for was a gorgeous, grumpy CEO who hates Christmas… or the rescue dog Bug, who immediately decides Evelyn is his new favourite human.

With dogs roaming the halls, the office descending into festive chaos, and one stubbornly cheerful rescue owner invading her world, Evelyn’s life becomes anything but orderly. And Alyssa—well, she’s always been a love-’em-and-leave-’em type... so why is falling for Evelyn starting to feel dangerously easy?

A cosy, heartwarming British Christmas romance filled with humour, dogs, unexpected sparks, and one very wise little pup determined to nudge two women together. Perfect for fans of feel-good sapphic romcoms, grumpy-sunshine pairings, and festive stories with real charm.

Genres: LGBT, Contemporary

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 15, 2025

About the author

Alyson was born and raised in the heart of England. She moved to Paris in 2015 when she met her wife. Together they moved to the west of France where they now live with their two dogs and pet bird. Alyson spends her time running a small campsite and holiday home. During her off time, she loves to read lesbian romance books, write and Scuba Dive.

Reviews

[Unpopmary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐

[Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alyssa the dog rescue centre owner is not looking for a relationship.
Evelyn reluctant CEO and Ice Queen has no time for a relationship.
An adorable spaniel and doggy chaos in the office ensues in the run up to Christmas.

'Fleas Navidad' lol...
as always with Alyson Root you get a great blend of story, yearning, humour and spice.

[Fran Sappharc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the original shorter story and again was hooked from the first scene. Root has a way with words that amuses me as it is based in reality.
I adored getting more of the story.The main character is fully drawn as are the two supporting humans. I read it with a smile on my face and I will confess literally lol'd quite a few times. this is perfect for the season, any season!

[Anna Demosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was so cute! i loved alyson root, and this was no exception. i love dogs in books especially when they play such a big role. bug was just the absolute best and wisest dog. i loved the relationship between evelyn and alyssa and how it evolved, it wasn’t rushed or too slow it felt like it was paced well for a short book, especially coming from a novella. i listened to the original a couple weeks ago so i was very excited for the extended version and it did not disappoint! i had a great time with all of the added scenes, like the way the market and the christmas parties were expanded on, and it talked about their feelings more, i felt like we got to know the book more this time around. loved their respective bestfriends, they were hilarious and had all the tough love that they both so desperately needed.
i was so glad that evelyn talked to her dad and really just yelled at him bc he kinda deserved it😂
i also really liked how they moved into alyssa’s mobile home instead of evelyn’s cushy penthouse, such a nice change of pace. typically it’s the other way around so i liked that! overall a great read and i really enjoyed it 🩷

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this read! After I reached chapter 5 I couldn't put it down. I had to finish it the rest of the way throguh. The emotional struggles of both MCs were very real and so were the complications that followed. Bug, oh Bug, he may have been my favorite character. I am very much looking forward to reading more stories by Alyson Root.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was decent but just boring

[Shannon Luchies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evelyn Crawford is the recently appointed CEO of her family pet company, and wants this Christmas to be successful. She's also newly single, having caught her girlfriend cheating.

Alyssa, head of Four Paws dog rescue, has made arrangements with Richard Crawford to have his company have visits from dogs they were caring for. Alas, he didn't tell Evelyn about it. First day goes great, second day...

Evelyn, after a day off, is working in her office when a dog turns up. A cute spaniel. She thinks she's hallucinating from stress, then her assistant Maggie also sees it. She meets Alyssa, and at first they argue.

Alyssa does NOT like Evelyn's attitude, but realizes she needs her for this to work. Evelyn is also apologetic, and they bury the hatchet.

Bug, somehow, keeps showing up at Evelyn's office, and Alyssa keeps showing up to take him back. Evelyn finds herself destressing with Bug, and looking forward to seeing Alyssa. And she is falling fir Evelyn, but us afraid she might not be good at actually dating someone.

They have a great evening and morning together... then Evelyn's ex turns up.

Third act breakup.

Evelyn cusses out her Dad for just disappearing on her, she and Alyssa make up. resolution.

Good read, good characters.

[zagzig · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think you can call it a slow burn romance if it's less than 300 pages

so this slow-to-medium burn romance features dogs, who are excellent, and humans, who are fine for the most part but go a little insane in the back third. Alyssa going on a date with some dude because she's scared of her feelings for Evelyn, Evelyn spinning out after not being able to reach Alyssa for a few hours then drinking two bottles of wine and calling her father to scream that his new ladyfriend is a trollop. it was an eventful third act

it's a perfectly fine read, sweet, short, and festive. as is traditional for the author, everyone is very well off and economic scarcity is not a concept that exists in the world. though to be fair if you're going to write a multimillionaire as a sympathetic character then having her invest it all in starting an animal rescue is a very effective way to do it. and yeah I could spend many more pages of people bonding with dogs more dogs please yes

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of British charm!

Grumpy CEO Evelyn buries herself in her work until Alyssa, head of Four Paws Rescue, and the scruffy little dog, Bug, show her there's more to life than just work. I absolutely adored the way in which the author wrote Bug as if he were the third human in the mix. It's cozy, heartwarming and not only filled with unexpected sparks, but a very special connection all three of them needed. I truly enjoyed every page of this holiday story filled with British charm and humor! Well done!!!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Way to make a fun cozy holiday story even more fun and cozy! I adored Bug and Alyssa and Evelyn the first time I read their story. Bug steals the show throughout! He knows what he’s doing ;). I enjoyed and felt the spark when Alyssa and Evelyn met. I loved how their friendship grew even as their chemistry intensified. I quite enjoyed the extra scenes overall. Whether you read the first edition or not, this is a must have sapphic holiday read and very much worth the reread!

[Stephieloohoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of Alyson Root and this holiday romance didn’t disappoint.

It was very cute and cozy with low angst and it was an easy read. I love Bug! Growing up, I had two Cocker Spaniels, so I feel like I could envision all of Bugs mannerisms to a T.

Really my only complaint, and this is definitely a me thing, is I hate the nickname “Al” for Alyssa. Or anything really.

Anyways, I enjoyed this book!

[Michael Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little bug

This is a story about love and a little dog named bug. Evelyn has been thrust into the role of CEO when her father needs some time off. Allison is the owner of a dog rescue post women are focused on their jobs and the little dog plays matchmaker. I found this a very warming Christmas story and I recommend it to our readers.

[Cat5 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this book multiple times. It's very fun, warm, and cozy. Low angst, with characters who are easy to root for. Love the new cover art.