title: The Christmas Menagerie
author: Howard, Minna
description: Amelia usually loves Christmas, but this year is her first one alone since her husband passed away – though she's not quite by herself. Somehow, she's been lumbered with a menagerie of pets over the holidays, no thanks to the new village vet closing the local kennels.  Between a parrot, two tortoises and god-knows-how-many baby mice, Amelia ends up seeing a lot more of Jules the vet than she planned to. And despite her neighbours' fury for the man who shut down a local institution, she can't help enjoying every moment she spends with Jules.  She tells herself it doesn't really matter as surely Jules will be driven out of the village by this time next year. But as Amelia's about to discover...  ...love isn't just for Christmas!