Review: Don't mess with a woman's dog
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 11, 2012
4.5 starsJane Wilson loves the Christmas season, and she has high hopes for this one, after all she has a wonderful new husband, Sam, and her beloved old dog Devil, a girl couldn't ask for more out of life. Sure she has the world's worst boss, and a job that sucks, and her relationship with her stepson is not the greatest, but Jane is not going to let those few little problems get her down.Unfortunately, it seems Sam's psycho ex-wife Bambi has decided that it's time that Sam realizes what a big mistake he made in divorcing her, and the only thing standing in her way of getting him back is none other than his current goody two shoes wife Jane. Bambi is not about to let that little plain Jane Sam married get in her way, so she sets her twisted mind on her goal, and heaven help anyone or anything that gets in her way.Jane is unprepared for Bambi's truly sick, perverted methods of vindictiveness, but she is determined to convince Sam that Bambi is evil, and will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves.Having not read any of Ms. Stroud's works, I wasn't sure what to expect with this book.  Ms. Stroud did not disappoint, she managed to pack a lot of content into a short, well written book that was full of surprises around every corner. Her characters are varied and we are given a good glimpse into each of their thoughts and feelings.Jane is a bit of a Pollyanna in the beginning. She loves Sam, is willing to try to make it work with his son Danny and put up with his ex-wife Bambi. She doesn't understand why Danny doesn't like her, and while it bothers her, she isn't going to let it get her down. She knows Bambi is a bitch, and she gets frustrated with Sam when he just won't see her for what she is.The constant bright spot in her life has always been her dog Devil, who is getting old but Jane can't imagine life without him. It doesn't take her long to take off those rose colored glasses of hers, and she becomes one strong woman not to be messed with. Her relationship with Danny is difficult and I'm not sure if a little bit of it isn't her fault and a little bit of it isn't Sam's fault.Sam is a good man, he's a vet and loves animals (a plus for Jane and Devil) but does have blinders on when it comes to Danny and Bambi. I didn't understand why it took him so long to see Bambi for what she really was, but he was such a softy that I forgave him.Danny was your typical teen of divorced parents, trying to fit in somewhere and wanting to protect his mom despite her neglect of him. He was a good kid, he could have used a little less coddling from Sam and little more parental guidance but hey, no one is perfect.Bambi was the perfect villainess. That woman had no sense of morals, and she was pretty sure the world revolved around her. She was just so easy to hate and boy, did she come through and not disappoint in that department.This is a short book and I read it in about 3 hours, but don't be fooled, even though it is short it packs a wallop. Reader be warned, there is some R rated language, some violence and a few scenes of animal abuse, none of it over the top, but if the F word bothers, this might not be the book for you.I'm not sure what it says about me, but I loved every moment. I ran the entire roller coaster of emotions from love, hate, fright and tears and was sad to say goodbye to Jane, Sam, Danny and Devil when it ended. If you like a book with a strong heroine, a real nasty villain and a big ole softy dog, this book is for you.Reviewed as a Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Dual Reviews Team