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The Dogfather #7
Bark! The Herald Angels Sing
With Christmas and a family wedding fast approaching, there’s happy chaos in the air at Waterford Farm. However, not everyone in the Kilcannon clan is caught up in the magic of the moment. Matriarch, octogenarian, and beloved blogger Gramma Finnie hears the clock of her long life ticking far too fast, while her great-granddaughter, teenager Pru, feels squeezed out of planning her mother’s nuptials.
But when this unlikely duo is tasked with the project of producing the “Somethings” for the wedding – and only have Christmas Eve to get the job done – Gramma Finnie and Pru have a purpose and a plan. They set off to find the perfect old, new, borrowed, and blue treasures, but it doesn’t take long for things to spin out of control faster than Gramma’s Toyota in a snowstorm. Detoured by a stray border collie, thwarted by nature and an elf parade, and trapped by a rifle-toting mountain man, it will take more than the power of the Kilcannon clan to save these two from a Christmas catastrophe. It will take the luck of the Irish, a love story from long ago, and a whole lot of help from the angels to make this holiday merry and bright.
But when this unlikely duo is tasked with the project of producing the “Somethings” for the wedding – and only have Christmas Eve to get the job done – Gramma Finnie and Pru have a purpose and a plan. They set off to find the perfect old, new, borrowed, and blue treasures, but it doesn’t take long for things to spin out of control faster than Gramma’s Toyota in a snowstorm. Detoured by a stray border collie, thwarted by nature and an elf parade, and trapped by a rifle-toting mountain man, it will take more than the power of the Kilcannon clan to save these two from a Christmas catastrophe. It will take the luck of the Irish, a love story from long ago, and a whole lot of help from the angels to make this holiday merry and bright.
222 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 3, 2018
558 people are currently reading
233 people want to read
About the author
Roxanne St. Claire
266 books1,833 followersI don’t know about you, but when I check out an author's bio, it’s usually because I’ve read a book I liked and wondered about the person behind it. Let's skip the formal bio and I'll give you the inside scoop on who Roxanne St. Claire really is.
First of all, call me Rocki. Everyone does. Evidently, when my mother brought me home from the hospital I seemed too scrawny and small to pull off “Roxanne” (she’d read Cyrano de Bergerac while pregnant or I would have been Judy) so they called me Rocki.
I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, the youngest of five (overachievers, every one), and fell in love with words and stories the summer I read Gone With The Wind. That year, for my twelfth birthday, my parents gave me a typewriter (with italic font – it was the coolest thing) and from that day on, I’ve had my fingers on a keyboard, pounding out love stories for fun. My AP English teacher taught me the two most important lessons an aspiring author ever needs: 1) verbs are the key to life and 2) a writer should get a real job. After attending UCLA and graduating with a degree in communications, I tried acting and television broadcasting. Oh, they aren’t real jobs? I learned that the hard way. I changed my last name from Zink to St. Claire because a news producer told me Roxanne Zink had too many harsh consonants for a TV personality – apparently Katie Couric didn’t get the memo. I got some fun gigs, and even met Tom Hanks when I did a guest appearance on Bosom Buddies. I liked on camera work, but wasn’t too crazy about starvation, so I moved to Boston and got that “real” job. In fact, I placed my foot on the bottom rung of the corporate ladder and didn’t look down until I’d climbed all the way up to the level of Senior Vice President at the world’s largest public relations firm. On the way up, I met the man of my dreams in an elevator. Two years later – in the same elevator! – he asked me to marry him and I wisely said yes.
I stayed in PR, moved to Miami, had a few babies, lost my home in a hurricane, built another one a few hours north and all along, I kept writing my “stories” for fun. One night, I read a particularly fabulous romance novel that changed my life for good. That night, I decided I wanted to make someone else feel as whole and happy as that author made me feel. (Everyone asks! It was Nobody’s Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.) With two small children and one big “real” job, writing my first novel wasn’t easy, but I did finish a manuscript that managed to get the attention of a literary agent. She told me to do one thing and one thing fast: write another book. (The first one is usually a “learner” book, honestly.) That second manuscript sold to Simon & Schuster’s Pocket Books and was released in 2003 as Tropical Getaway. Since then, I’ve written almost thirty more, in multiple genres, and long ago replaced the corporate ladder with the rollercoaster of publishing as a full-time novelist. Finally, writing is my real job.
Today, I live in a small beach community in Florida with my husband and two dogs. Our kids are off to college and law school, which means my nest is empty! I spend my time writing, working with the kids at my church, enjoying my husband's gourmet cooking, and hanging with my many writer friends. Of course, I love to read. I’m still crazy about words and stories and hope to write at least a hundred books in my lifetime. And, yes, verbs are the key to life. My favorites? Love. Work. Believe.
xoxo
Rocki
First of all, call me Rocki. Everyone does. Evidently, when my mother brought me home from the hospital I seemed too scrawny and small to pull off “Roxanne” (she’d read Cyrano de Bergerac while pregnant or I would have been Judy) so they called me Rocki.
I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, the youngest of five (overachievers, every one), and fell in love with words and stories the summer I read Gone With The Wind. That year, for my twelfth birthday, my parents gave me a typewriter (with italic font – it was the coolest thing) and from that day on, I’ve had my fingers on a keyboard, pounding out love stories for fun. My AP English teacher taught me the two most important lessons an aspiring author ever needs: 1) verbs are the key to life and 2) a writer should get a real job. After attending UCLA and graduating with a degree in communications, I tried acting and television broadcasting. Oh, they aren’t real jobs? I learned that the hard way. I changed my last name from Zink to St. Claire because a news producer told me Roxanne Zink had too many harsh consonants for a TV personality – apparently Katie Couric didn’t get the memo. I got some fun gigs, and even met Tom Hanks when I did a guest appearance on Bosom Buddies. I liked on camera work, but wasn’t too crazy about starvation, so I moved to Boston and got that “real” job. In fact, I placed my foot on the bottom rung of the corporate ladder and didn’t look down until I’d climbed all the way up to the level of Senior Vice President at the world’s largest public relations firm. On the way up, I met the man of my dreams in an elevator. Two years later – in the same elevator! – he asked me to marry him and I wisely said yes.
I stayed in PR, moved to Miami, had a few babies, lost my home in a hurricane, built another one a few hours north and all along, I kept writing my “stories” for fun. One night, I read a particularly fabulous romance novel that changed my life for good. That night, I decided I wanted to make someone else feel as whole and happy as that author made me feel. (Everyone asks! It was Nobody’s Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.) With two small children and one big “real” job, writing my first novel wasn’t easy, but I did finish a manuscript that managed to get the attention of a literary agent. She told me to do one thing and one thing fast: write another book. (The first one is usually a “learner” book, honestly.) That second manuscript sold to Simon & Schuster’s Pocket Books and was released in 2003 as Tropical Getaway. Since then, I’ve written almost thirty more, in multiple genres, and long ago replaced the corporate ladder with the rollercoaster of publishing as a full-time novelist. Finally, writing is my real job.
Today, I live in a small beach community in Florida with my husband and two dogs. Our kids are off to college and law school, which means my nest is empty! I spend my time writing, working with the kids at my church, enjoying my husband's gourmet cooking, and hanging with my many writer friends. Of course, I love to read. I’m still crazy about words and stories and hope to write at least a hundred books in my lifetime. And, yes, verbs are the key to life. My favorites? Love. Work. Believe.
xoxo
Rocki
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
November 10, 2018
Bark! The Herald Angels Sing by Roxanne St Claire
A holiday novella from The Dogfather romance series.
An adventure for Pru and Gramma Finnie. With a bonus story from Gramma’s past.
Lovely, and heartwarming.
I absolutely loved this short story. Cried a bit at the happy ending.
You need to be familiar with the series to truly enjoy this.
A holiday novella from The Dogfather romance series.
An adventure for Pru and Gramma Finnie. With a bonus story from Gramma’s past.
Lovely, and heartwarming.
I absolutely loved this short story. Cried a bit at the happy ending.
You need to be familiar with the series to truly enjoy this.
November 27, 2019
Excellent story...novella length. Filled with family traditions, love, warmth, home, hearth, family, and dogs!
December 13, 2020
Cute stories
Love Grandma Finnie and all her family. The story of how she met her husband and the painful death of her sister made my eyes leak, but the ending was sweet, especially the wedding.
Love Grandma Finnie and all her family. The story of how she met her husband and the painful death of her sister made my eyes leak, but the ending was sweet, especially the wedding.
November 7, 2018
Review courtesy of Romance Junkies.
Finola Brennan-Kilcannon, Gramma Finnie to her family and community, is the family’s blogging matriarch. She suffers from boredom and writer’s block. Gramma Finnie and her great-granddaughter Prudence embark on a secret yet special adventure: to fix a precious family heirloom. The duo finds a lost pregnant border collie on their trip only to get stranded in a snowstorm. Gramma Finnie distracts Prudence and their crotchety savior with the story of how the heirloom introduced her to her late, beloved husband while the dog births her pups. Will Gramma Finnie overcome her writer’s block? What Christmas miracle will she and Prudence deliver to an alienated veteran?
Prudence Kilcannon is the teenage daughter of a veterinarian and ex-con. She feels left out of her parents’ wedding preparations. Her mother tasks Prudence in finding “something new, something old, something borrowed, and something blue” for the wedding. Prudence enlists her great-grandmother to help in hopes it’ll liven up her life. The project ends up stranding the duo in a snowstorm on Christmas Eve with a laboring dog. Can Prudence and Gramma Finnie help the dog return to her owner?
Gramma Finnie is a hoot. In some ways, her personality reminds me of my late grandmother. Gramma Finnie is the type of woman I want to be when I turn eighty-seven minus the Irish proverbs. I love the insight into Gramma Finnie’s life in Ireland before immigrating to America. Her love of Irish proverbs makes sense now. I like the fact that age has not changed her much, especially her spontaneous reckless streak. But what I adore the most about Gramma Finnie is how she’s caught up in the times, technology wise. She is a wiz with blogs and cell phones, proving age is no hindrance in learning new things.
I love Prudence’s close bond with Grammie Finnie. Usually, teenagers that age do not like spending time with their elderly family members. Prudence does and often comes to her great-grandmother with any problems she cannot discuss with her mother. I like her selflessness by including Grammie Finnie in her task of finding the “weddings’ somethings”.
BARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING is book 7.5 in Roxanne St. Claire’s dog-themed contemporary series, THE DOGFATHER. I generally do not read Christmas-themed stories; however, I did not mind it very much in this book. I adore how the author went about giving readers Gramma Finnie ’s love story without it being a prequel. Sure, I would have loved getting to know about Seamus’s side of the tail a bit more.
BARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING is a charming holiday read. This novella is a nice filler until the most anticipated Daniel Kilcannon’s book. I cannot wait to read about the Dogfather’s story.
Finola Brennan-Kilcannon, Gramma Finnie to her family and community, is the family’s blogging matriarch. She suffers from boredom and writer’s block. Gramma Finnie and her great-granddaughter Prudence embark on a secret yet special adventure: to fix a precious family heirloom. The duo finds a lost pregnant border collie on their trip only to get stranded in a snowstorm. Gramma Finnie distracts Prudence and their crotchety savior with the story of how the heirloom introduced her to her late, beloved husband while the dog births her pups. Will Gramma Finnie overcome her writer’s block? What Christmas miracle will she and Prudence deliver to an alienated veteran?
Prudence Kilcannon is the teenage daughter of a veterinarian and ex-con. She feels left out of her parents’ wedding preparations. Her mother tasks Prudence in finding “something new, something old, something borrowed, and something blue” for the wedding. Prudence enlists her great-grandmother to help in hopes it’ll liven up her life. The project ends up stranding the duo in a snowstorm on Christmas Eve with a laboring dog. Can Prudence and Gramma Finnie help the dog return to her owner?
Gramma Finnie is a hoot. In some ways, her personality reminds me of my late grandmother. Gramma Finnie is the type of woman I want to be when I turn eighty-seven minus the Irish proverbs. I love the insight into Gramma Finnie’s life in Ireland before immigrating to America. Her love of Irish proverbs makes sense now. I like the fact that age has not changed her much, especially her spontaneous reckless streak. But what I adore the most about Gramma Finnie is how she’s caught up in the times, technology wise. She is a wiz with blogs and cell phones, proving age is no hindrance in learning new things.
I love Prudence’s close bond with Grammie Finnie. Usually, teenagers that age do not like spending time with their elderly family members. Prudence does and often comes to her great-grandmother with any problems she cannot discuss with her mother. I like her selflessness by including Grammie Finnie in her task of finding the “weddings’ somethings”.
BARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING is book 7.5 in Roxanne St. Claire’s dog-themed contemporary series, THE DOGFATHER. I generally do not read Christmas-themed stories; however, I did not mind it very much in this book. I adore how the author went about giving readers Gramma Finnie ’s love story without it being a prequel. Sure, I would have loved getting to know about Seamus’s side of the tail a bit more.
BARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING is a charming holiday read. This novella is a nice filler until the most anticipated Daniel Kilcannon’s book. I cannot wait to read about the Dogfather’s story.
November 10, 2018
This book made my heart happy ! :)
It's the Holidays for the Kilcannon family but it's also the preparations for Molly and Trace's wedding. Their fourteen-year-old daughter, Pru, feel a little left out because she wanted to be the wedding planner. When she confide in Gramma Finnie, the older woman admit she feels a little alone too right now. So that's how Pru and Gramma Finnie's Christmas adventure begin to find special presents for the wedding and a chance for Pru and us readers to learn more about Gramma's life story.
I don't have the words to explain how much I loved this book ! It was so much more than I expected and I can't think of a better Holidays tale for those endearing characters.
If you enjoy books with love, family and dogs, you have to read this series !
It's the Holidays for the Kilcannon family but it's also the preparations for Molly and Trace's wedding. Their fourteen-year-old daughter, Pru, feel a little left out because she wanted to be the wedding planner. When she confide in Gramma Finnie, the older woman admit she feels a little alone too right now. So that's how Pru and Gramma Finnie's Christmas adventure begin to find special presents for the wedding and a chance for Pru and us readers to learn more about Gramma's life story.
I don't have the words to explain how much I loved this book ! It was so much more than I expected and I can't think of a better Holidays tale for those endearing characters.
If you enjoy books with love, family and dogs, you have to read this series !
December 11, 2020
4 Furry Stars-Woof Woof-It's Free This Weekend!!! (12/11-12-13)
Dogs, Cute People, Holiday Time...What's Not to Love.
Sit...Stay...Beg (The Dogfather, #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
New Leash on Life (The Dogfather, #2)
Leader of the Pack (The Dogfather, #3)
Bad to the Bone (The Dogfatehr, #4)
Rough Around the Edges, #5)
Double Dog Dare (The Dogfather, #6)
Bark! The Herald Angels Sing, #7)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Old Dog New Tricks (#8)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
Dogs, Cute People, Holiday Time...What's Not to Love.
Sit...Stay...Beg (The Dogfather, #1)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
New Leash on Life (The Dogfather, #2) Leader of the Pack (The Dogfather, #3) Bad to the Bone (The Dogfatehr, #4) Rough Around the Edges, #5) Double Dog Dare (The Dogfather, #6)Bark! The Herald Angels Sing, #7)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Old Dog New Tricks (#8)https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
November 5, 2018
It was great fun to visit Waterford Farms during the holidays. Add in a much anticipated wedding and things are hectic and fun. When Gramma Finnie and teenage Pru feel left out of all the planning they are given a very special task to complete. That's when things really get crazy!!
This book was pure fun and good times. Gramma Finnie has always been a favorite of mine so I really enjoyed this story featuring her. I highly recommend this one.
This book was pure fun and good times. Gramma Finnie has always been a favorite of mine so I really enjoyed this story featuring her. I highly recommend this one.
November 11, 2018
The stories in Roxanne St. Claire's The Dogfather contemporary romance series aim straight for the heart and this new holiday novella is no exception. In the final days leading up to the wedding of reunited lovers Molly and Trace (Bad to the Bone), the couple's teen daughter, the uber-organized Pru, is feeling left out of the preparations and her great-grandmother "Gramma Finnie" is feeling left out of life. When the two combine forces to find four very special "somethings" (old, new, borrowed and blue) for the wedding, their enthusiasm leads them into a snowy adventure with unforeseen, and potentially perilous, consequences that could see the Kilcannon family spending Christmas without their beloved matriarch and "General" Pru.
I adored this story. St. Claire has brought these characters to life throughout the course of this series but, for the most part, they've been secondary characters, not the main focus. In this novella, Gramma Finnie and Pru finally step into the spotlight, giving readers the opportunity to learn more about them and the special bond they share. Especially enjoyable is the window St. Claire opens into the past as Gramma Finnie shares the untold story of how she met her beloved late husband, Seamus. Moving flawlessly between 1940s Ireland and their present-day adventure, Gramma Finnie's story is poignant, heart-wrenching, and hopeful. St. Claire has a way of pulling me into a story so that rather than reading about the events within I feel as though I'm actually experiencing them along with the characters. I could easily identify with both Pru, a girl on the cusp of young womanhood, as well as Gramma Finnie, a woman in the sunset of her life, wondering if all of her adventures are behind her and after "meeting" young Finnie and learning about that part of her life, I have even more affection and admiration for this woman who is the very heart of the Kilcannon family.
Whether you've read the earlier books in this series or not, this is a short, heartwarming story that celebrates family, the joy of the season, the unconditional love to be found in a four-legged companion, and the absolute necessity of kindness. Pru and Gramma Finnie's adventure made me laugh, cry, and fall in love with the Kilcannon family all over again.
I adored this story. St. Claire has brought these characters to life throughout the course of this series but, for the most part, they've been secondary characters, not the main focus. In this novella, Gramma Finnie and Pru finally step into the spotlight, giving readers the opportunity to learn more about them and the special bond they share. Especially enjoyable is the window St. Claire opens into the past as Gramma Finnie shares the untold story of how she met her beloved late husband, Seamus. Moving flawlessly between 1940s Ireland and their present-day adventure, Gramma Finnie's story is poignant, heart-wrenching, and hopeful. St. Claire has a way of pulling me into a story so that rather than reading about the events within I feel as though I'm actually experiencing them along with the characters. I could easily identify with both Pru, a girl on the cusp of young womanhood, as well as Gramma Finnie, a woman in the sunset of her life, wondering if all of her adventures are behind her and after "meeting" young Finnie and learning about that part of her life, I have even more affection and admiration for this woman who is the very heart of the Kilcannon family.
Whether you've read the earlier books in this series or not, this is a short, heartwarming story that celebrates family, the joy of the season, the unconditional love to be found in a four-legged companion, and the absolute necessity of kindness. Pru and Gramma Finnie's adventure made me laugh, cry, and fall in love with the Kilcannon family all over again.
November 5, 2018
An angelic novella just in time for Christmas traveling from the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains with glimpses back in time to the lush greens hills of the Emerald Isle itself - Ireland during the mid 1940’s.
In this, one of the sweetest, most heartwarming and very first love stories of all in the Kilcannon Clan, we learn the breathtaking story of Finola Brennan, the Dogfather’s cherished mother, affectionately known to all as “Gramma Finnie”, and his father Seamus Kilcannon.
As Molly and Trace are finishing up last minute wedding plans, Pru their only daughter, plans the special “somethings” with Gramma Finnie that ends up taking them both on a grand and daring adventure on Christmas Eve! Special “somethings” that include “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue”. Together they discover the most adorable, very lost and desperately pregnant border collie in serious need of help.
Far away from home, on dangerously slick roads during a snow storm in the backwoods of the Blue Ridge mountains with Gramma Finnie’s somewhat questionable driving, things take a treacherous turn for the worse.
Don’t miss this exciting adventure with Gramma Finnie and Pru that brings together the entire Kilcannon clan and their dashing cousins. Meet some new members of the family from days gone by and learn the true history and love story of the couple who started it all, Seamus and Finola.
I truly loved this novella. It was everything I could have dreamed for the beloved “first couple” of the Kilcannon Clan and then some, with a little luck O’The Irish and a lot of charm. It will pull at your heartstrings and remind you of the true meaning of love, family and the magic of Christmas. And of course, have you pulling for one very pregnant pooch and her precious pups.
*I was honored to be given an ARC by the author for an honest review.
In this, one of the sweetest, most heartwarming and very first love stories of all in the Kilcannon Clan, we learn the breathtaking story of Finola Brennan, the Dogfather’s cherished mother, affectionately known to all as “Gramma Finnie”, and his father Seamus Kilcannon.
As Molly and Trace are finishing up last minute wedding plans, Pru their only daughter, plans the special “somethings” with Gramma Finnie that ends up taking them both on a grand and daring adventure on Christmas Eve! Special “somethings” that include “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue”. Together they discover the most adorable, very lost and desperately pregnant border collie in serious need of help.
Far away from home, on dangerously slick roads during a snow storm in the backwoods of the Blue Ridge mountains with Gramma Finnie’s somewhat questionable driving, things take a treacherous turn for the worse.
Don’t miss this exciting adventure with Gramma Finnie and Pru that brings together the entire Kilcannon clan and their dashing cousins. Meet some new members of the family from days gone by and learn the true history and love story of the couple who started it all, Seamus and Finola.
I truly loved this novella. It was everything I could have dreamed for the beloved “first couple” of the Kilcannon Clan and then some, with a little luck O’The Irish and a lot of charm. It will pull at your heartstrings and remind you of the true meaning of love, family and the magic of Christmas. And of course, have you pulling for one very pregnant pooch and her precious pups.
*I was honored to be given an ARC by the author for an honest review.
November 7, 2018
My heart is so full it could just burst right now! This was the perfect story for Gramma Finnie and Pru's excellent adventure. The wedding of Molly and Trace is fast approaching and Pru is feeling left out and Gramma Finnie is feeling her age or nostalgic or just a bit of writer's block with the coming of Christmas and all the festivities and the clipping of her wings and no one letting her drive any more. When Molly overhears the fussing, she gives Pru a special task to get the special somethings for the wedding, that must be kept secret. Oh, this is all good until Gramma Finnie decides she should grab her keys and take Pru and drive to the next town over to undertake a task. Soon they are lost in the mountains, find a pregnant dog, and...don't forget the snowstorm on the horizon. Excellent adventure? Oh yea! All is well and the Kilcannon clan is not far behind.
Even if you have not read the rest of the series (and why haven't you!) you will love this one! It can be read as a standalone and enjoyed! Definitely worth spending an afternoon with your feet up and a smile.
**Received this ARC for review**
Even if you have not read the rest of the series (and why haven't you!) you will love this one! It can be read as a standalone and enjoyed! Definitely worth spending an afternoon with your feet up and a smile.
**Received this ARC for review**
November 9, 2018
If you have been reading the other books in The Dogfather series, you will just adore this novella.
Gramma Finnie has been feeling a little down lately. As Gramma Finnie is getting older, she is reflecting back on her life and feels that she is missing some excitement. At the same time, Pru is feeling left out of all the wedding planning between her parents. Molly realizing what is happening to Pru and tells her she is in charge of getting together Molly's "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue" for the wedding. Of course in true Gramma Finnie and Pru style, they take this task to the next level and turn it into an adventure.
Their little adventure includes a lot of fun, some danger, a romantic love story and of course dogs! Just when the danger is looking like more than they can handle, the entire Kilcannon clan comes charging to their rescue.
Oh my gosh, I just LOVED this story. I laughed and cried. It was so fun hearing some of Gramma Finnie's old stories. I just adore Gramma Finnie and Pru. They make such a great pair and I'm glad they were able to find their little moment of excitement!
Gramma Finnie has been feeling a little down lately. As Gramma Finnie is getting older, she is reflecting back on her life and feels that she is missing some excitement. At the same time, Pru is feeling left out of all the wedding planning between her parents. Molly realizing what is happening to Pru and tells her she is in charge of getting together Molly's "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue" for the wedding. Of course in true Gramma Finnie and Pru style, they take this task to the next level and turn it into an adventure.
Their little adventure includes a lot of fun, some danger, a romantic love story and of course dogs! Just when the danger is looking like more than they can handle, the entire Kilcannon clan comes charging to their rescue.
Oh my gosh, I just LOVED this story. I laughed and cried. It was so fun hearing some of Gramma Finnie's old stories. I just adore Gramma Finnie and Pru. They make such a great pair and I'm glad they were able to find their little moment of excitement!
October 29, 2018
You can never go wrong with a book by Ms. St Claire, and if you have come to love her Dogfather series as much as I have , this sweet and touching story will undoubtedly touch your hearts.
Molly and Trace are about to get married and their daughter, Pru, is feeling left out . While the matriarch and glue of the Kilcannon clan, Gramma Finnie, feels her life is coming to an end , as she is 87 years old, and wants an adventure.
When these two embark on a search to finding the wedding treasures, off they go in Gramma Finnie’s Toyota. Little did they know the adventure was the least of their worries.
The reader also gets a chance to find out how Seamus and Gramma Finnie met, and about their lives before coming to America.
Pru and Gramma Finnie might be decades apart in age, but their love of family and their spirit is wonderful to watch. Both are strong, smart, capable, and powerful. Able to overcome obstacles while still being loyal and full of heart for their families.
A truly wonderful story for this holiday season. One that will stay with you for a very long time.
I was entrusted a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
Molly and Trace are about to get married and their daughter, Pru, is feeling left out . While the matriarch and glue of the Kilcannon clan, Gramma Finnie, feels her life is coming to an end , as she is 87 years old, and wants an adventure.
When these two embark on a search to finding the wedding treasures, off they go in Gramma Finnie’s Toyota. Little did they know the adventure was the least of their worries.
The reader also gets a chance to find out how Seamus and Gramma Finnie met, and about their lives before coming to America.
Pru and Gramma Finnie might be decades apart in age, but their love of family and their spirit is wonderful to watch. Both are strong, smart, capable, and powerful. Able to overcome obstacles while still being loyal and full of heart for their families.
A truly wonderful story for this holiday season. One that will stay with you for a very long time.
I was entrusted a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
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November 9, 2018"Bark! The Herald Angels Sing" is Roxanne St. Claire's 8th installment of the Kilcannon family of Waterford Farm, a Dogfather Holiday Novella. In this heartwarming story, you feel the love between a young teenager, Pru, and her 87-year-old great-grandmother, Gramma Finnie, the matriarch of the clan. We hear the backstory of Gramma Finnie, her life in Ireland before coming to America, and how she met her husband. As she reminisces with Pru about her life, they embark on an adventure. Pru's mother, Molly, is getting married and she is feeling left out of the wedding planning. Pru wants to do something special for her mom so she and her great-grandmother develop a plan. It involves driving into the Blue Ridge Mountains with snow in the forecast. Along the way, they rescue a lost dog (because a Dogfather book isn’t a book without dogs!) and bring Christmas cheer to a lonely mountain man. This is the story of the love a family has for each other, their dogs, and the lengths they will go to help. It is a great holiday story and I highly recommend it!
November 9, 2018
The Dogfather series of books is one of my favorites ever from Roxanne St. Claire. With each new installment, I fall more in love with the entire Kilcannon Clan.
Pru and Gramma Finnie are two of my favorite characters from this series. I love how close these two characters are and how Pru keeps Gramma young and Gramma helps Pru have fun. I love they take over finding the “somethings” for the wedding, and get to have a grand adventure at the same time. No adventure with a Kilcannon would be complete without a dog, and I loved Pru and Gramma come the aid of sweet Blue in her time of need.
I love how Gramma Finnie shares stories of the past to help everyone see the right path now. I adored reading about Gramma’s sister and how she met her Seamus all those years ago. Gramma sharing these stories of love with Pru and even their new friend Cutter as the work together to save Blue (Queenie) as she delivers her puppies was perfect. You can’t have a Dogfather book without a special dog, and I absolutely fell in love with Blue along with Gramma.
I love seeing all the Kilcanons come together to help each other out. When Gramma and Pru need a rescue, the Kilcannons are all hands on deck. Seriously I have so much love for this family and these stories and each one just builds on the last as they get better and better.
Bark! The Herald Angels Sing was the perfect Christmas novella for the Kilcannon clan and totally had gotten me into the Christmas spirit early. I highly recommend the entire Dogfather series and have to say Bark! The Herald Angels Sing was an absolutely perfect addition to the series.
Rating: 5 Stars (A)
Review copy provided by publisher
Pru and Gramma Finnie are two of my favorite characters from this series. I love how close these two characters are and how Pru keeps Gramma young and Gramma helps Pru have fun. I love they take over finding the “somethings” for the wedding, and get to have a grand adventure at the same time. No adventure with a Kilcannon would be complete without a dog, and I loved Pru and Gramma come the aid of sweet Blue in her time of need.
I love how Gramma Finnie shares stories of the past to help everyone see the right path now. I adored reading about Gramma’s sister and how she met her Seamus all those years ago. Gramma sharing these stories of love with Pru and even their new friend Cutter as the work together to save Blue (Queenie) as she delivers her puppies was perfect. You can’t have a Dogfather book without a special dog, and I absolutely fell in love with Blue along with Gramma.
I love seeing all the Kilcanons come together to help each other out. When Gramma and Pru need a rescue, the Kilcannons are all hands on deck. Seriously I have so much love for this family and these stories and each one just builds on the last as they get better and better.
Bark! The Herald Angels Sing was the perfect Christmas novella for the Kilcannon clan and totally had gotten me into the Christmas spirit early. I highly recommend the entire Dogfather series and have to say Bark! The Herald Angels Sing was an absolutely perfect addition to the series.
Rating: 5 Stars (A)
Review copy provided by publisher
November 16, 2018
This one was so cute! I love Gramma Finnie and Pru, they are so cute together. They have a special bond. I like how they egg each other on. For the most part it is good natured and even their adventure started out good spirited, but turned quickly. For some reason both of these reasonable people lost their reason. I thought it funny when Pru seemed to be the more level headed as things started to spin out of control, while Gramma just kept going, hoping for a good outcome.
The ending to this one had me smiling for lots of reasons, but most especially due to where Gramma and Pru were found and the company they kept.
The ending to this one had me smiling for lots of reasons, but most especially due to where Gramma and Pru were found and the company they kept.
October 31, 2018
Gramma Finnie is bored and facing her mortality. Pru is feeling left out in the planning for her parents wedding. When Molly, Pru’s Mother, realizes how Pru feels she gives Gramma and Pru a special task for the wedding. They are in charge of the somethings, something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. This leads them on an adventure. Along the way Gramma tells the story of her meeting Seamus, but things soon take an unexpected and dangerous turn.
This is another great addition to the Dogfather series. I love all the characters in this series and you will too.
This is another great addition to the Dogfather series. I love all the characters in this series and you will too.
November 2, 2018
This is a Christmas novella to go with Roxanne St. Claire's The Dogfather Series. In it, Roxanne takes one of the youngest characters and the oldest, Pru and Gramma Finnie, for an adventure. They've both been feeling left out and despondent. Off they go in Gramma Finnie's old car. They end up finding more excitement than they bargained for, and of course it involves a dog.
I love both these characters and I loved the story from the past that Gramma Finnie tells Pru as they go along. It was a great touch by St. Claire!
I love both these characters and I loved the story from the past that Gramma Finnie tells Pru as they go along. It was a great touch by St. Claire!
November 9, 2018
So sweet, heartwarming, heartbreaking...yes you will shed some tears. Happy and sad tears. Ms. St. Claire shows us love, loss, Christmas miracles and so much more. When Molly is preparing for her wedding she overhears her daughter telling Gramma Finnie she feels left out of the wedding preparations. So not to give herself away. Molly tells Pru she needs something special done. The somethings old, new, borrowed, and blue.
What happens next will keep you turning the pages.
See what happens.
What happens next will keep you turning the pages.
See what happens.
October 31, 2018
Awesome holiday book and a great series! Gramma Finnie and Pru embark on an adventure. Gramma is feeling her age and Pru is feeling left out of her parents wedding. The come across a n extremely pregnant border collie and the adventure gets more interesting.
This is another awesome book 📖 in a great series.
This is another awesome book 📖 in a great series.
October 31, 2018
Roxanne St. Claire has another winner with this Christmas story. It gives plenty of details about what all of the Kilcannons are up to as well an adventure for Pru and Gramma Finnie. Enter a romance and a bit of mystery, and of course a dog at the center of it, and we have an awesome Christmas tale.
October 8, 2019
I particularly liked Gramma Finnie's story of her past. It was very touching and special.
Want to read
December 16, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (12/16/2020)! 🎁
October 30, 2018
I just love Gramma Finnie and Pru. Gramma and Pru have an excellent adventure and we learn more about Gramma Finnie. Pru is a planner and when her mother hires a wedding planner to do her wedding, Pru is feeling left out. Gramma Finnie is feeling bored and has writer's block. When Molly realizes what is happening, she give them a task to help with the wedding. While getting their "somethings" together, they end up in the mountains in a snow storm with a dog that is in labor and a scary mountain man on Christmas Eve. The Kilcannon family comes to the rescue.
Read
October 15, 2018I worked on an early version of this 40K-word Christmas novella, which features Gramma Finnie and her great-granddaughter, Pru, as they embark on a holiday adventure together. Definitely more women's fiction than romance and intended for fans of the Dogfather series. (I can't say more without spoilers!)
Preorder now on Kindle. This title will also be available in print closer to the release date (November 9, 2018).
Preorder now on Kindle. This title will also be available in print closer to the release date (November 9, 2018).
January 22, 2021
The couple: none
Romance genre: holiday story; family reunion
Plot: You know how you read a series that you really like, and several books in there's a novella, maybe centered around the holidays or to catch up with previous characters, and you shouldn't read the novella without reading the other books because it doesn't make as much sense? Yeah, that's what this was. And I hadn't read the other books. The book centered around Grandma Finnie and Prudence, the 14 year-old daughter of Molly, who is getting married that weekend. Pru feels left out, and Finnie is starting to feel old and useless, so they're bonding that weekend (Finnie is actually Pru's great-grandmother). Pru and Grandma Finnie go on an adventure, and Molly gets married (there's a short story at the end about the wedding and Molly's indecision about changing her name). So this isn't really a romance novel at all, like I first thought. The romance in the book is from knowing that Molly is getting married, and from the story Finnie tells about meeting her husband.
Character development: Some character development for Pru as she has to begin accepting her parents' marriage and their changing family, as well as her own growing up.
Part of a series: yes (The Dogfather)
Grammar/formatting: no major issues
Would I read more from this author/in this series: probably not - not a bad story, but not to my taste
I picked this book up for free as I'm on a Christmas book-reading spree. There are dogs - lots of dogs. The family in this book runs some sort of rescue farm for dogs. There are lots of siblings and they all do things related to animals - training, vets, etc.
This wasn't a bad story although it wasn't what I expected and I imagine I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the other books in the series. If you have read the rest of the series, want to read a book that doesn't focus on a romance, or you really like dogs, this book will definitely be for you.
Romance genre: holiday story; family reunion
Plot: You know how you read a series that you really like, and several books in there's a novella, maybe centered around the holidays or to catch up with previous characters, and you shouldn't read the novella without reading the other books because it doesn't make as much sense? Yeah, that's what this was. And I hadn't read the other books. The book centered around Grandma Finnie and Prudence, the 14 year-old daughter of Molly, who is getting married that weekend. Pru feels left out, and Finnie is starting to feel old and useless, so they're bonding that weekend (Finnie is actually Pru's great-grandmother). Pru and Grandma Finnie go on an adventure, and Molly gets married (there's a short story at the end about the wedding and Molly's indecision about changing her name). So this isn't really a romance novel at all, like I first thought. The romance in the book is from knowing that Molly is getting married, and from the story Finnie tells about meeting her husband.
Character development: Some character development for Pru as she has to begin accepting her parents' marriage and their changing family, as well as her own growing up.
Part of a series: yes (The Dogfather)
Grammar/formatting: no major issues
Would I read more from this author/in this series: probably not - not a bad story, but not to my taste
I picked this book up for free as I'm on a Christmas book-reading spree. There are dogs - lots of dogs. The family in this book runs some sort of rescue farm for dogs. There are lots of siblings and they all do things related to animals - training, vets, etc.
This wasn't a bad story although it wasn't what I expected and I imagine I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the other books in the series. If you have read the rest of the series, want to read a book that doesn't focus on a romance, or you really like dogs, this book will definitely be for you.
December 1, 2021
So this being a novella and not about a romance meant the story structure was a little different, and if you aren't already reading the series, this is not a good place to start. Definitely read Bad to the Bone before reading this one. I enjoyed this one a lot because Gramma and Pru are characters I love, and the stories from Gramma's past are fantastic. This is a great chance to get to know two characters who don't have novels (though I hope we do eventually see Pru get her story). Also, the ending was sweet. Be warned that it ends with kind of a cliffhanger and you will need to sign up for the author's mailing list to get full closure on this story. But the related short story on the website really ties up those dangly bits and was sweet.
November 1, 2018
What a wonderful Christmas gift from Roxanne St. Claire! She delivered it in Bark! The Herald Angels Sing, her latest novella in her The Dogfather series. I received an ARC of Bark! The Herald Angels Sing, for an honest review. It was such a wonderful story, filled with such bittersweet and poignant moments. All of the Kilcannon family members are getting ready for their traditional Christmas Eve festivities. They are also putting on the finishing touches for Molly and Trace's wedding. Gramma Finnie and Pru are feeling left out of the wedding festivities, since Molly has chosen a wedding planner to help with her wedding planning. Gramma Finnie is feeling old and Pru feels over looked. Molly gives them a special assignment, to find special "somethings", new, old, borrowed, and blue for her wedding to Trace. Gramma Finnie knows just what to use as the something old, a pin that belonged to her sister Mary Violet. Gramma Finnie tells Pru all about her sister "Vi" and how she met her husband, Seamus Kilcannon. The telling of the story is heartbreaking and heartwarming. Along the way to Holly HIlls find the "somethings" and get the stick pin repaired, they find a lost, pregnant border collie along the side of the road and name her "Blue", the only letters that they can make out on her ID tag. While getting Blue groomed, the owner of the grooming salon, identifies Blue as "Queenie", whose owner is Bill Cutter. As is starts to snow, they set out to return Blue to Bill, on Christmas Eve, and they get stuck along the road to Bill's home and Blue goes into labor in the back seat of Gramma Finnie's car. All that happens after is truly magical and heaven sent. It is such a heartwarming tale, that unites all the Kilcannons in their search for Gramma Finnie and Pru. I loved the story and the characters, it was so enjoyable. It was so wonderful reading Gramma Finnie's back story and how she met Grandpa Seamus. I love Gramma Finnie even more. Thank you for the wonderful early Christmas gift.
November 22, 2018
☆☆☆☆☆ for the Holidays, Kilcannon's style!
What do you get when a slightly conflicted teenager and her bored great grandmother take upon themselves to find the perfect something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue in the biggest Kilcannon wedding to date? Well, we get a fun ride, sprinkled with adventure, humor, wisdom, heart, dogs and most of the beloved characters of the Dogfather series.
General Pru is feeling left out in the planning of her parents' wedding and Grandma Finnie is feeling a little blue, with a bad case of writers block that had her unable to keep blogging. Grandma Finnie recognized Pru’s conflict and in the most unexpected way, these two got charged with the important tradition of finding the bride's something old/ new, something borrowed/ blue. Pru wanted something unique and special, Grandma Finnie had just that and in typical Kilcannon's fashion, a simple task gets complicated, a dog or two needs caring and more breadcrumbs are added to the story of how this family came to be. Pru and Finnie are the best partners in crime, their uniqueness made anyone to long be like them or at least have that special connection with your elders. “Bark!...” happens during the Holidays and we're gifted with a Christmas miracle, new friends, insightful flashbacks and appearances of all the Kilcannon clan. Overall, I was unable to put it down, one more page was a new laugh, a new awww, simply put it gave me “the feels “.
This is a novella in the Dogfather series (Book 8) by Roxanne St.Claire and it came into my life in a moment when all family matters are front and center. Roxanne, you gave me normalcy in a difficult time. Your wisdom via these characters reminded me that life is full of joy and heartbreak, misunderstanding and redemption but above all it is about love, where it's in the form of an earth angel doing a good deed, familiar love or the unabashed loving nature of a fur baby (babies). Bark! The Herald Angels Sing is a beautiful, touching Holiday novella, a ☆☆☆☆☆ read for me.
What do you get when a slightly conflicted teenager and her bored great grandmother take upon themselves to find the perfect something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue in the biggest Kilcannon wedding to date? Well, we get a fun ride, sprinkled with adventure, humor, wisdom, heart, dogs and most of the beloved characters of the Dogfather series.
General Pru is feeling left out in the planning of her parents' wedding and Grandma Finnie is feeling a little blue, with a bad case of writers block that had her unable to keep blogging. Grandma Finnie recognized Pru’s conflict and in the most unexpected way, these two got charged with the important tradition of finding the bride's something old/ new, something borrowed/ blue. Pru wanted something unique and special, Grandma Finnie had just that and in typical Kilcannon's fashion, a simple task gets complicated, a dog or two needs caring and more breadcrumbs are added to the story of how this family came to be. Pru and Finnie are the best partners in crime, their uniqueness made anyone to long be like them or at least have that special connection with your elders. “Bark!...” happens during the Holidays and we're gifted with a Christmas miracle, new friends, insightful flashbacks and appearances of all the Kilcannon clan. Overall, I was unable to put it down, one more page was a new laugh, a new awww, simply put it gave me “the feels “.
This is a novella in the Dogfather series (Book 8) by Roxanne St.Claire and it came into my life in a moment when all family matters are front and center. Roxanne, you gave me normalcy in a difficult time. Your wisdom via these characters reminded me that life is full of joy and heartbreak, misunderstanding and redemption but above all it is about love, where it's in the form of an earth angel doing a good deed, familiar love or the unabashed loving nature of a fur baby (babies). Bark! The Herald Angels Sing is a beautiful, touching Holiday novella, a ☆☆☆☆☆ read for me.
November 9, 2018
The perfect adventure for Pru and Grandma Finnie to find out that they are totally and completely love by the entire Kilcannon family. As Molly and Trace’s wedding approaches along with Christmas, Pru finds herself feeling left out from the planning itself. Pru, even at 14, is the ultimate planner in the Kilcannon family. At the other end of the age spectrum is Gramma Finnie who finds herself reminiscing about the first time she met her Seamus in Ireland. After Pru is tasked with finding the “somethings” for Molly’s wedding, she and Gramma take off to fix a special piece of jewelry. Gramma tells the beautiful story of her teenage years in Ireland and how she met Seamus and they made their journey to America. During this grand adventure Gramma and Pru find a beautiful dog Gramma names “Blue” because of her beautifully special eyes. As Gramma and Pru go about returning Blue to her owner circumstances begin to endanger them. Now the Kilcannons come together to locate Gramma and Pru. Another beautiful story of the Kilcannons by Roxanne St Clair. I have loved each and every Dogfather book and this so special because of the relationship Pru and Gramma Finnie have developed over the years. I found myself pretty teary eyed towards the end because this is a wonderful family to be a part of. Even if they are only in my mind. Looking for a kick start to your holiday season, then grab ‘Bark, the Herald Angels Sing!’ by Roxanne St. Claire, you won’t regret it. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 5 stars*****
November 10, 2018
‘Tis the night before the night before Christmas and all through Waterford Farm, all creatures were stirring, preparing for the holiday and wedding fun! Yet Gramma Finnie and her favorite sidekick, great-granddaughter Pru are feeling different stirrings. Finnie is feeling bored and very mortal while Pru is feeling the stirrings of jealousy and anger at being excluded from her mom Molly’s wedding preparations. How dare they replace “General Pru” with a wedding planner!!! So when a spur of the moment mission created to get Finnie and Pru’s mojo going takes a turn (literally) towards danger, the Kilcannons mobilize into action!
No blurb for this story can truly capture just how amazing this story is. As always, Ms. St. Claire’s writing is perfection, alternating smoothly between the characters’ different points of view and locations. But is the back and forth between present day North Carolina and WWII Ireland that makes this book a standout. Finola Kilcannon is not just an important character in every Dogfather book, she is its soul. Here, we the reader get to meet the young Finola Brennan and view her teen years back on “the old sod” from her point of view. Her story enraptured not just Pru, not just a stranger but this reader as well - I read Bark! in one sitting, unable to to close the book until that final pawprint signalled the end. Oh the “feels!” This book is a glittering star on top of the Kilcannon “Dogfather” series tree!
No blurb for this story can truly capture just how amazing this story is. As always, Ms. St. Claire’s writing is perfection, alternating smoothly between the characters’ different points of view and locations. But is the back and forth between present day North Carolina and WWII Ireland that makes this book a standout. Finola Kilcannon is not just an important character in every Dogfather book, she is its soul. Here, we the reader get to meet the young Finola Brennan and view her teen years back on “the old sod” from her point of view. Her story enraptured not just Pru, not just a stranger but this reader as well - I read Bark! in one sitting, unable to to close the book until that final pawprint signalled the end. Oh the “feels!” This book is a glittering star on top of the Kilcannon “Dogfather” series tree!
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