A Dogwood Christmas is an amusing romance featuring two couples—Aofie falls for her vetrinarian, Dr Cillian O’Doherty, while Aofie’s cat, Dogwood, falls for Moondance, the vet’s cat. And Dogwood is the sole point of view character. Yes, this is a story told entirely in first person, and from the point of view of a cat. That might put some people off 🙂
This isn’t really a Christmas story, despite the title, so don’t let that put you off.
Rather, it’s a clever dual romance with a unique viewpoint (Dogwood is a particularly cynical cat with strong opinions). I enjoyed Dogwood’s observations about the humans around him, as well as his wry sense of humour. That was a definite strength, even if it did mean we missed out on seeing some scenes because Dogwood wasn’t there.
The fact the story was largely driven by dialogue, which gave the writing a stilted feel.
A lot of the dialogue was characters telling each other what they already knew, and lacked any description of action or body language. The lack of action could be because cats tend to spend most of their lives with their eyes closed, so Dogwood wasn’t able to add in details about what the humans were doing. But the dialgoue didn’t feel true to Dogwood—it was too grammatically accurate (in a way that real-life dialogue isn’t). As such, it didn’t feel real.
For example, this sounds more like a semi-scripted interview on morning television than a conversation between two people who are attracted to each other:
“I’m glad you are actually rather informed on the subject matter.”
Who talks like that? While the writing wasn’t polished, the story was original enough that I kept reading. That’s unusual for me—there aren’t many stories which can keep me engaged when the actual writing needs polish.
Dogwood was the true star of the story, especially in the early chapters. If you’ve ever wondered what your cat was thinking, then I think A Dogwood Christmas will confirm your suspicions. (This may or may not be a good thing.) Sarah N Ham has definitely nailed cat psychology.
Christian romance readers who love cats, and who are prepared to try something a little different may enjoy this unique romance.
Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.
About Sarah N Ham
A California girl with a Southern charm, Sarah N. Ham began writing stories from an early age with her first novel finished when she was 13. Ham has gone on to write 20 novels.
With an educational background in ASL interpreting/Deaf culture and social media marketing, she brings her own curiosities of various cultures and ideologies to her works. Armed with her faith in Jesus Christ, her desire is to write stories that both inspire others while not being afraid to paint the realities of the world around her.
Find Sarah N Ham online at:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter
About A Dogwood Christmas
Sarah Sundin is the author of The Sea Before Us and The Sky Above Us, as well as the Waves of Freedom, Wings of the Nightingale, and Wings of Glory series. Her novels have received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. Her popular Through Waters Deep was a Carol Award finalist, and both Through Waters Deep and When Tides Turn were named on Booklist‘s “101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years.” Sarah lives in Northern California.
Nerys Leigh writes thoroughly romantic Christian historical love stories. She loves heroes who are strong but sweet and heroines who are willing to fight for the life they want.
Heather Day Gilbert, an ECPA Christy award finalist and Grace award winner, writes contemporary mysteries and Viking historicals. Her novels feature small towns, family relationships, and women who aren’t afraid to protect those they love.
Kathleen Denly lives in sunny Southern California with her loving husband, four young children, and two cats. As a member of the adoption and foster community, children in need are a cause dear to her heart and she finds they make frequent appearances in her stories. When she isn’t writing, researching, or caring for children, Kathleen spends her time reading, visiting historical sites, hiking, and crafting.
As a child, Amanda G. Stevens disparaged Mary Poppins and Stuart Little because they could never happen. Now, she writes speculative fiction. She is the author of the Haven Seekers series, and her debut Seek and Hide was a 2015 INSPY Award finalist. She lives in Michigan and loves trade paperbacks, folk music, the Golden Era of Hollywood, and white cheddar popcorn.
As a child, Amanda G. Stevens disparaged Mary Poppins and Stuart Little because they could never happen. Now, she writes speculative fiction. She is the author of the Haven Seekers series, and her debut Seek and Hide was a 2015 INSPY Award finalist. She lives in Michigan and loves trade paperbacks, folk music, the Golden Era of Hollywood, and white cheddar popcorn.
