The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson

I had mixed feelings about this book. I loved many of the supporting characters but was not fond of the main character which made it difficult to really get into the book. But despite my dislike for the main character I ended up liking the book in the end.
Check out an excerpt from the book here and see what you think.

http://www.revellbooks.com/Media/MediaManager/Excerpt_9780800718817.pdf

The first half of the book was tough getting through because you are learning more and more about the main character Betty and I just didn't like her mainly because any negative idea that was even mentioned in passing she took it as truth in her life. She decided to believe the worst in all situations and not the best. This kept me loosing respect for her the whole way through the book so that when she finally does get to the end and starts to have a small change of heart it feels anticlimactic to me.
However, the supporting characters are wonderful like her granddaughter Avery and Jack the neighbour that she misjudges and later finds out that had she just given him a small chance she would have come to realize he was a wonderful person. The dog seems to have a small part in the story but a good one as well.
Overall I don't think I would recomend giving this one as a gift berofe you have read it yourself and have made your own oppinion. I know there are many different types of readers and many oppinions so please read the book and make your own conclusions. But if your ok with taking my word for it, save your money and borrow it from the library or a friend first.

Christmas miracles can come from unlikely sources.

Betty Kowalski isn't looking forward to the holidays. She just can't seem to find Christmas in her heart. Maybe it's because her husband is gone. Maybe it's because she's missing her children. Or maybe it has something to do with her obnoxious new neighbor, who seems to be tearing his house apart and rearranging it on the lawn.

But when a mangy dog appears at her doorstep, the stage is set for Betty to learn what Christmas is really all about.

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus. She also writes many teen books, including Just Another Girl, Anything but Normal, the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series. Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon. Visit Melody's website at www.melodycarlson.com.

Available now at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.