Wellies and Westies (A Novella) by Cressida McLaughlin

 

Cat's day doesn't start off well when she's fired from her job as a nursery assistant. But by the end of the day she's picked herself up and is feeling more positive than she has in quite a while. Cat adores dogs and she enjoys walking through the local park and along the beach, so why not combine the things she loves and start up a business?

 

Wellies and Westies is the first of the four-part Primrose Terrace series. Dogs are always a welcome addition to a book and as this series centres around our four-legged friends, I was looking forward to diving in. With the help of her housemates, Polly and Joe, Cat sets up her dog-walking business and begins to accumulate clients. While she's walking the dogs, Cat starts to learn more about her neighbours on Primrose Terrace and meets the handsome but smug-chinned Mark and famous author Jessica.

 

While Cat is attracted to Mark, she senses there is something going on between him and Jessica, so he's out of bounds until she can find out what is going on. Then there is Joe, her housemate and the brother of her best friend, Polly. Joe is still heartbroken over his recent relationship breakup and this can make him pretty grumpy at times, but there are flashes of a sweet bloke buried beneath all the hurt. I liked that there are two possible candidates for romance for Cat (I do like a good love triangle) and I'm looking forward to finding out how it will all work out during the course of the series.

 

I really enjoyed Cressida's style of writing. It was so warm and inviting and I could completely relax and enjoy the story unfolding before me. Cat is a great central character and I can't wait to find out what adventures she'll get up to in Fairview. The setting of Fairview is perfect - I love the idea of the beach being just around the corner and the park, with its pesky squirrels and pavilion café, sounds delightful. I also love the idea of Primrose Terrace, with its pretty pastel-coloured houses and I'm looking forward to getting to know more of its residents. And then there are the dogs, who I absolutely loved, especially little Disco. I wanted to reach into my kindle to give her a great big cuddle!

 

Wellies and Westies is a fantastic start to this new series and I'm very much looking forward to continuing Cat's story in Sunshine and Spaniels, which is out in June.