Review: Humbugged by Pippa Grant & Lili Valente (Happy Cat #4)


Note: An advanced reader copy (ARC) was provided by the authors via Give Me Books Promotions.

“You're mine. From now until the clock strikes twelve on New Year's Eve, your lips and your hands and every other part of your beautiful body belongs to me. No one makes you sigh or moan or scream their name but me. Does that work for you?” 
She nods, her lids drooping to half-mast and her lips parting as she sighs in a sexy-as-sin voice, “Yes. That works.”

I would like to thank Pippa Grant and Lili Valente for now filling my head with visions of a stalker-like goose with a hidden agenda, a reindeer with a crush on a baker, a raccoon with a sweet tooth, and memes galore celebrating the awesomeness that is Clint O'Dell. These two authors and their writing tandem have become one of my all-time favorite collaborations, and while this fourth novel in their fabulously addictive and hilarious Happy Cat series is what I suspect will be the last one since all four O'Dell brothers have gotten their happily-ever-afters, I'm seriously considering writing to Santa to wish for more books from Grant and Valente. How could I not, considering the quirky and endearing O'Dell family--humans and animals alike, of course--and the rest of the residents of Happy Cat, Georgia have made me one satisfied and happy puppy? Yep, I'm going need a WHOLE lot more, Pippa and Lili.

If you've read the first three Happy Cat novels--and if you haven't, rectify that mistake as soon as humanly possible!--then you know that the three eldest O'Dell boys are all coupled up with their wives and starting families of their own. You'll also remember that the youngest brother has been stationed in Korea, occasionally visiting his family whenever he's on leave. Well, twenty-four-year-old Clint O'Dell is back for longer than usual thanks to be assigned in the area, and he's got his eye on one particular new-ish Happy Cat resident--Noelle Alwyn, the thirty-one-year-old owner of Second Chance Cupcakes. Clint's pretty much got a crush on her but Noelle is determined to keep the hot and highly popular Marine firmly in the friend zone. Clint, however, is determined to push himself out of that zone and pull Noelle into his arms, but will someone trying to sabotage Noelle's business, a crazed goose stalking her, and Clint's love for the Marines get in the way or can Clint have his Cupcake and eat her, erm, it, too?

I've got this bittersweet feeling in my chest right now because I fear this is the end of a series that I've fallen in absolute adoration with this year. Closing out this quartet of romantic comedies with what is now my favorite was that like having that perfect serving of dessert to close out what's been a scrumptious meal but as full as I may feel, I want more. Oink! (Ooh! Maybe there should have been a pig in the series...) I was as smitten with Clint and Noelle as they were with each other, and while I may be addicted to angst, I was glad that there was very little of it here. Yes, there were expected complications, but can I was happy it wasn't drawn out nor was there unnecessary drama--not counting the sort brought on by the four-legged and webbed feet variety. This book had that extra bit of Christmas magic, and no, I won't tell you what I mean by that, so go read this already! I also loved seeing Ryan and Cassie, Jace and Olivia, and Blake and Hope as well as all the other Happy Cat residents--human and otherwise--but this truly was Clint and Noelle's story, and it was a wonderful one! Five-plus stars for Humbugged. ♥

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Read my reviews for the Happy Cat series:


Hosed (book one) - 4.5 stars - My Review

Hammered (book two) - five-plus stars - My Review

Hitched (book three) - five-plus stars - My Review

Humbugged (book four) - five-plus stars - My Review (posted above)

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Release Date: 10 December 2019

Date Read: 10 December 2019

Learn more about Pippa Grant and Lili Valente.

Purchase Humbugged on Amazon | Apple Books | B&N | Kobo.

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