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Review: Love in the Headlines - Small Town Shenanigans #0.5

Love in the Headlines book cover on blue background

I am so excited that I was able to read this book for the Clearly Christian Readathon's contemporary buddy read this month! Love in the Headlines by Penny Zeller starts off the Small Town Shenanigans series as a standalone prequel and is an absolute joy. Combining a newspaper rivalry with a dog scheme and plenty of sparks, I couldn't help but chuckle at just how true the series name became.

Book Synopsis

Can paper and paw prints draw these two nemeses together?

All Carleigh Adams wants is a relaxing evening. But Sullivan Theodore IV, her wayward shih tzu, has other plans. After escaping from home, Sullivan Theodore unlawfully enters what Carleigh assumes is a stranger’s house via a doggy door. Much to Carleigh’s horror, it is actually the home of her coworker and nemesis, Trey “The Irritating” Montgomery.

Trey Montgomery has had to work with “Quirky Carleigh,” his top competitor for the best articles at The Oakville Daily, for the past two years. It’s safe to say that she and her criminally-minded pet are his adversaries. Trey’s attempts to keep his distance from her are demolished when their boss thrusts them together as The Oakville Daily Duo, forcing them to work as a team on every. Single. Article.

Petty crimes and crazy shenanigans in Oakville soon draw Carleigh and Trey into doubling as detectives. When dogs, including their own pets, begin to mysteriously disappear, Carleigh and Trey join forces to uncover the culprit. As they work to report the daily news and solve the crimes in Oakville, can these two stubborn reporters find love in the headlines?

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

I love it when the characters are known for their shared faith. Seeing Trey and Carleigh interact with each other is pure bliss because at the end of the day, they may be rivals, but they also care for each other as believers. It's from this background that they are able to grow in their fondness for each other, especially when they're thrown together as the Oakville Daily Duo for the newspaper they work at in their small town. This is a charming story filled with dog antics, a troublesome van, side quests into other townspeople's romances, and investigative sleuthing. Readers can't help but smile at seeing how this Daily Duo tries to outdo each other at every turn.

More than the shenanigans that take place with the dogs and newspaper stories, I appreciate that relationships are central to this book. It's evident that these characters come from loving families, and the scenes where they impart wisdom are a blessing. The transformation from rivals to more is subtle but beautiful as Carleigh and Trey pray about their future and about one another. If you're looking for a romance where God is clearly the glue holding a couple together, Love in the Headlines will have you rooting for this dynamic duo from start to finish.

Book Summary

  • Format of book: 📱
  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Recommendation: 👍
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