Wellies and Westies

Published: 2015
Author: Cressida McLaughlin

The perfect summer afternoon read

As a little girl I always wanted a dog but my dad wasn’t keen, but mum and I wore him down and when I was about 11 we rescued a little West Highland Terrier who was being given up by her owners. Misty was the sweetest little dog you can imagine and we had her for roughly 15 years. Despite now being a mad cat lady I still have a lot of affection for Westies, they really are adorable little beasts. When I discovered Cressida McLaughlin’s debut novella Wellies and Westies, the first in her Primrose Terrace series, I was hooked by the name alone. Who couldn’t fall for a book with that name and that fabulously cheerful cover?

Catherine (Cat) Palmer loses her job at a nursery after she sneaks a puppy into work and chaos ensues. Refusing to be left downhearted by this turn of events, Cat decides to set up her own business as a dog walker. Supported by her flatmates Polly and Joe, she reaches out to her fellow Primrose Terrace residents and their pooches including a celebrity food writer and her three spoiled Westies.

With summer approaching, this is the perfect short read for a sunny afternoon on the beach or in the garden with a glass (bottle) of wine. The characters are fun and likeable and the action skips along at a nice pace. There’s not a huge amount to the book but I imagine that once all four parts are released it will make a fun story which will become a summer staple.

I was reminded of Alexander McCall Smith’s Corduroy Mansions series with its engaging cast of characters and adorable dogs taking centre stage but with a more chick-lit sensibility.

I really enjoyed Wellies and Westies, it lived up the promise of its fun title and cover. It’s an easy and sweet read which will cheer up any summer day. I’m now waiting in happy anticipation for Sunshine and Spaniels, the second book in the series.