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The Christmas Camel

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All you need is love… and a camel.

Mollie Stanton has no intention of ever returning home – until her boyfriend dumps her twelve days before Christmas, and her incorrigible grandmother, Duchess Delilah, calls from jail, asking Mollie to bail her out, along with her two best friends.

There’s just one small catch. The judge insists that Mollie be guarantor and guardian. Translation: if she wants to get out of town before New Year, she has to find out who framed Duchess Delilah. Ideally, while also avoiding the handsome but annoying vet who’s staying in the Stanton Farm’s guest cottage.

All Dr. Darren Little wants is a fresh start, free from his family’s political ambitions – and scandals. When he learns about a too-good-to-be-true opportunity to buy out another vet’s rural practice, he signs the contract. Looking after farm animals in a small town sounds like the perfect prescription for a much needed dose of calm, order, and sanity.

Problem is, there’s nothing calm, orderly, or sane about Teaville and its residents, whatever their species. And no one is crazier than Duchess Delilah. As for her granddaughter Mollie… she’s charming but guilty — and crazy — by association.

Neither Mollie nor Dr. Little have any idea what crazy looks like until Christmas Eve when Delilah’s shenanigans, a pregnant camel, and an altercation with the law conspire to rewrite more than just the doctor’s prescription.

Christmas Camel is a new TeaTime RomCom novel by Vered Ehsani, author of the Society for Paranormals, Wavily Witches, and the Pirates Ahoy cozy mystery series.

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2022

169 people are currently reading
188 people want to read

About the author

Vered Ehsani

97 books313 followers
I've been a writer since I could hold pen to paper, which is a lot longer than I care to admit. I live in Kenya with my family and other animals. When I'm not writing, I pretend to work as an environmental consultant.

Visit my world at http://veredehsani.co.za/free-books/ & pick up 3 FREE books about paranormal mysteries set in colonial Africa.

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5 stars
206 (44%)
4 stars
150 (32%)
3 stars
78 (16%)
2 stars
22 (4%)
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10 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
Profile Image for Darla.
4,864 reviews1,256 followers
December 20, 2022
There’s nothing like the sound of an unborn baby’s heartbeat to remind us how marvelous life really is.

Mollie upends her life to go out the country and bail out her grandmother. At the same time a new vet rolls into town. He calls himself Dr. Little and his first house call is to the Stanton Farm where Mollie's grandmother and two friends live to vaccinate Lady, the goat. At first Mollie and Dolittle rub each other the wrong way. There are some OTT comedic scenes with the farm animals contributing as noteworthy supporting actors. A camel named Caramel steals the show with her antics and she is expecting. Did anyone else find it surprising that the camel could go in and out of the buildings on the farm -- including the house? I found the explanations for some of the plot components to be lacking or nonexistent and would prefer to have the Duchess and her partners in crime be The Three Musketeers. Overall, a satisfying read with plenty of humor and heart and a satisfying HEA. If you want to read this title and have the Kindle app, just use this link to get your free copy:
https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Came...
Profile Image for (Katie) Paperbacks.
927 reviews396 followers
December 7, 2024
This was such a funny sweet read. I loved the antics of the three musketeers...uh witches....older ladies. They were so much fun. I laughed quite often in this book and found myself binge reading. Definitely in the top fave Christmas books.
Profile Image for Carolien.
1,075 reviews139 followers
December 19, 2022
A light-hearted romantic Christmas comedy for a fun end of year read. Mollie's holiday and career plans are shattered when she receives a call shortly after being dumped by her former boyfriend to come home and bail out her grand-mother and friends from the local jail. Home includes a trio of eccentric old ladies, but a pregnant camel, a flock of geese, a dog names Psycho and a bad-tempered goat who will attack the attractive new vet. Darren is fleeing his only family circus including a mother who considered her family an extended part of her political career. He has given up an urban practice to join a peaceful, rural setting except that the local animals and their owners all seem to be insane. Really enjoyed this sunshiny Christmas romance.
Profile Image for Lili.
843 reviews48 followers
December 6, 2022
I so enjoyed reading this book! It is a great mix of quirky and normal, with a very good dose of amusement thrown in. The inner dialogue of the heroine is so funny, you almost miss the really exasperating drama in her life. Apparently, it's all about a drama queen, but ultimately you realize things are not exactly as they seem.

If this love story is not an example of serendipity at its best, I don't know what is. In a single week, a lot of living happens, and understanding the title is the best proof of that.

Great characters, interesting approach, very good writing and an original story make this one of the best of Vered's yet for me. That is even without mentioning the tears-in-my-eyes-laughing-out-loud moments...
Profile Image for Ryan.
681 reviews
January 11, 2023
Middle of the road.

This is the story of Mollie and Dolittle and their Christmas week in Teaville. This book was mostly harmless but enough nagged at me that I think 3 stars is appropriate.

First of all, the three ladies, the three musketeers, the three witches. The way the novel was written, they were over the top comedy in every scene, up until they had an emotional moment at Christmas when Mollie and Dolittle are needed to save the day. The pacing didn’t work for me. They were amusing, but it’s like hearing constant dad jokes. After a while, you get it.

Much of the novel had the feel of a Three Stooges sketch, with Dolittle being beat up by the countyside, the ladies being over the top, with the foundation being the ladies were framed for theft and Mollie had to find the real culprit or else be bound to Teaville for months in what is clearly an unenforceable legal document. I feel like I wasn’t given the chance to care because no one could get any traction as a character because shit kept falling on them.

I have to spoiler mark this review to comment, so last warning…we get some clues about who is the real culprit (there’s a reference to the neighbor having a Williams lawn sign, Dolittle deals with the ladies’ rooster only for Mollie to make a throwaway comment about it not being their rooster, so I’m thinking perhaps the neighbor is somehow in cahoots with Williams and the evidence is in his rooster house or something. When evidence is found in the shed, there’s a comment made that Carmel was the real culprit, as in she wandered into town somehow and stole the banner, which didn’t make sense given the distance and everything else, and then the book ends. That’s it. It was the camel. And the charges are dropped. Because when you’re charged with a crime and they find the evidence in your shed, they drop the charges because clearly livestock did it. It was such a twist it threw me out of the story.

I’m also a political geek, and I get not everyone is, but the best books add details where they’re not really needed just to make you believe this world continues off the confines of the page. Williams is the politician from that great political family running in the upcoming election for high office. What office? Which party? Who cares. It’d be like including a cooking show with a dozen references to “this wonderful looking entree” as they eat it. I wish the author took a couple of minutes and grounded that part of the story with detail.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for April Neal.
475 reviews
December 29, 2022
Muddling mess

I found at times that this was difficult to follow. I think the antics of the 3 elderly ladies were meant to be amusing, but I just found it confusing. The side love story was good, but let down by untrue facts. For example, a concussion patient needs to be monitored and woken every hour, etc, etc.
351 reviews4 followers
December 5, 2022
A wonderfully fun, funny read set in a town full of eccentric characters and their equally eccentric pets.

This book is billed as a Christmas-romance-comedy. The strongest of these three elements in the book is the comedy - most of the characters (human and otherwise) are eccentric and quirky or sane but completely out of their depth and the combination sees a steady stream of hilarious and zany situations.

The romance is sweet and clean with a cozy feel. There is the typical bumpy start, the growing closer and the secret that threatens to derail it all, basically all the staple elements of most light hearted romances.

The element of Christmas is probably the weakest. It's set in the week leading up to Christmas and this typically means copious descriptions of snow, cocoa and roaring fires, but this book doesn't have those things. For me this is actually a bit of a nice change as I'm Australian and have never actually experienced these things at Christmas time anyway, but pop culture has still trained me to expect them regardless. There are themes of family and homecoming that are common in Christmas stories, but this story would work just the same set at any other time of the year.
Profile Image for Areeba | Bookaddicted_soul.
105 reviews8 followers
November 14, 2023
My Rating: 5/5 ⭐

I was intrigued by this title and cover! I mean Christmas and camel seems to have no connection whatsoever. My first thought was sounds quirky and that's what this book is!

Mollie and Dolittle were literally the cutest mcs. Alongside with Mollie's grandmother and her friends were the craziest comedic trio possible.

You know I've this knack of crying easily over any book, I can even smile or blush, but laughing out loud while reading was never in my dictionary until I read this book! Mann I was literally cracking up. It was effortlessly hilarious without being annoying. The story was fast paced, easy to read, and short, making it a perfect binge material!

I loved the romantic aspect of this book, which falls alongside with storyline without being dominant. And Mollie and Dolittle sweet banter, heartfelt, lol and emotional moments, made me so invested in them.

Although this book doesn't have too much Christmas feeling to it except like the last 15 pages, but I'm certainly not complaining especially after such a cute and happy ending.

This is the sort of book you read after a really tiring day or when you need to laugh hard, give this a try!
Highly recommended!

✨ Follow @bookaddicted_soul on Instagram for more reviews ✨
Profile Image for Beverly Laude.
2,266 reviews43 followers
December 12, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Full of amusing antics, eccentric characters and tons of animals, the author has created a fun book, with plenty of LOL moments.

Mollie Stanton has to return to her childhood home to bail out her troublesome grandmother, Duchess Delilah, and her two elderly friends. Fresh from an unexpected breakup with her boyfriend, Mollie plans to just do her duty and leave ASAP. But, things work to keep her in Teaville and try to prove Delilah's innocence.

Add in newly arrived Veterinarian, Darren Williams (who chooses to go by his mother's maiden name, Little) and you have a great story. Since I am a retired Veterinarian, I especially enjoyed the descriptions of Dr. Doolittle (as Delilah dubs him) trying to treat an obnoxious goat while being attacked by a herd of geese (along with other animal antics).

Throw in a little romance, political intrigue and lots of dysfunctional family dynamics and you have an entertaining and light-hearted cozy with just a touch of the Christmas spirit. I was given the chance to read an ARC of this book through the publisher and chose to review it.
Profile Image for Teresa Collins.
1,124 reviews19 followers
December 11, 2022
This was a delightful Christmas romance/cozy mystery. I loved all of the zany characters (human and animal) that inhabit the town of Teaville and look forward to the opportunity to visit again. I hope Ms. Ehsani plans to make this a series with a little more emphasis on the mystery. (Sorry, I'm not a big fan of the romance genre.) However, as a cozy mystery fan, there was enough action and mystery to keep me happy. Check it out. It's just what you need to lift your spirits in the middle of all the craziness that is the Christmas season.
69 reviews
February 4, 2023
Ehsani is Always a fun read

I like good literature, but sometimes I want light and uncomplicated, fun romance or that particular brand of writing that these stories fall into. Well written, I never argue with her as an author, or correct her sentences, language or logic.She does a bit of good-humored slapstick sometimes, but I always enjoy the time that I spend with her work, and I have read several stories. I give myself over to the adventure as we embark on, and enjoy the ride.
Profile Image for Janet McMillan.
500 reviews
December 8, 2023
Disappointing! I was hoping for a light Christmas story. The book feels contrived. The characters feel like they are out of an old comedy tv program. 3 older ladies that are good friends since childhood and very annoying to me. The granddaughter (Mollie) of one of the ladies, has to fly home to bail her grandma and friends out of jail. A new vet in town is hoping for a calm country position. The position is not calm but annoying to me. I am sure some might like the book. I found it annoying.
1,235 reviews5 followers
March 12, 2023
This is a cute story. Molly has some crazy older women she has run from since they get in so much trouble. She is doing a job she doesn't like because she wanted to be away from her family. Now she is called home to get them out of jail. The family farm has quite a few different animals and some might call them all a bit crazy. She wants to get this done and move out but that isn't happening. Then a new Vet comes to town and he doesn't understand the craziness of the small town.
15 reviews
November 10, 2024
Definitely quirky

Words never fail Ms. Ehsani. I have read several of her series and have been sometimes speechless, in a good way. Her imagination for her stories and the characters is boundless. I always feel like a friend on the outskirts of the characters conversation s. Usually baffled and on a runaway train. But oh the ride is " curiouser and curiouser".!!! The story is fun , c!ean and a holiday happy ever after . I really enjoyed this story. !!!!!
Profile Image for Vicky Coughlan.
1,016 reviews3 followers
December 19, 2024
This book started by giving off visions of All Creatures Great And Small by James Herriot with a bit of romance on the side but soon tumbled into an inane narrative of unmentionable antics by 3 old women who should know better. The vet didn’t know what hit him. The animals were cranky and the other people were all plain old crazy. Oh it all is love and Christmas and teary moments at the end but still it felt this author was trying a bit too hard. Good possibilities not fully achieved.
216 reviews2 followers
December 13, 2022
Wonderful

I thoroughly enjoyed this terrific story. Its original and hilarious characters caught my attention immediately. The plot is engaging and funny in an All Creatures Great and Small way.

I voluntarily read an Advance Reader Copy of it and can definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a great story.
Profile Image for Eirlys.
1,763 reviews16 followers
December 23, 2022
An enjoyable read

An amusing story of family and the undercurrents they could have. Molly has to return to her home hometown, when her eccentric grandmother is in trouble. The characters were skilfully crafted to provide very intriguing and yet believable people. Her escapades provided humour and romance.
500 reviews1 follower
January 20, 2023
1/23. 3.5 Stars. If you're in the mood for a silly, laugh-out-loud piece of leisure reading, this could be the book for you. Rom-com in all ways - Mollie reluctantly returns to Teaville to bail her grandmother and her two cronies out of jail. New vet Dr. Little comes to the same town looking for a peaceful place to practice. What could go wrong, or right? And what about the camel?
8 reviews
June 7, 2023
Honestly….the best book ever.

I was not expecting all the humor this book holds. And the fact “romance” was not turned into sexy trash. Vered has extra special writing qualities that most other authors don’t have. Yes, others are good, but Vered is the orchid among roses. Can’t wait to read more. Thanks, Vered!!!
4 reviews
June 15, 2023
This was a very interest book to read and I like it very much.

There was a many laughable moments is this book that kept very enjoyable to read. This is the first time that I have every read any of this author work but will search for more books by this author to read in the future.
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
88 reviews1 follower
July 24, 2023
Delightful Light Romantic Comedy

Vered Ehsani shows the breadth of her range by a masterful rendering of a genre most often considered in conjunction with s certain greeting card company - but I LIKE what she has done! All the fast-action you might expect, and a happy ending.

I want to read it again!
485 reviews3 followers
January 12, 2024
A very enjoyable read. While the supporting charters where a tad 2 dimensional, Molly and DoLittle were reasonably well rounded. The plot was enjoyable and even with few surprises made for a good story. The humor was well done and kept me laughing quite a bit. It also had its heartwarming moments. A good quick fun Christmas read.
590 reviews2 followers
December 16, 2022
Delightful

I don't often rate a book with five stars but this one definitely deserved it. It is a lighthearted laugh-out-loud story with fun characters, silly shenanigans of animals and humans but with a beautiful message of love and acceptance. Enjoy
Profile Image for Leslie.
60 reviews1 follower
December 17, 2022
Loved the cover

Yes, I know don't judge a book by its cover. But this cover deserves a read. The cast of characters are a hoot. The story flows along too. Grab it even after Christmas is over.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
101 reviews
December 19, 2022
🎄Have a Holly jolly Christmas!!! 🎄
Omg 😲 this book was romantic and funny.
Found myself laughing out loud at times and wiping tears out of my eyes as this story pulled at my heart strings. Definitely recommend to any reader out there. ❤️
181 reviews2 followers
December 24, 2022
Lol

I laughed so much throughout this book OMG, the characters were funny and crazy and kept everyone on their toes. I'm onto the next book by this author. Enjoy everyone if you want to laugh with a lot of crazy this is the best book to read.
32 reviews
December 28, 2022
I snorted tea up my nose laughing so hard.

So much simple fun and shenanigans. Our romantic couple-to-be are both running to and from family pressure. They collide in the middle in hilarious animal
Misadventures that kept me laughing. Thank you Vered for another great book.
49 reviews1 follower
December 29, 2022
Fun for all ages!!

Delightful and clean read!! Refreshing characters and hysterical incidents with animals. I enjoyed this book immensely, and am looking forward to reading more of Verses books!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews

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