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St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets

Annie England Noblin (Goodreads Author)

3.90 · Rating details · 89 ratings · 41 reviews

If you love Susan Mallery and Jill Shalvis, you won’t want to miss this new novel of second chances, dogs,andknitting, from the author of Pupcakes and Sit! Stay! Speak!

Laid off, cheated on, mugged: what else can go wrong in Maeve Stephens’ life? So when she learns her birth mother has left her a house, a vintage VW Beetle, and a marauding cat, in the small town of Timber ...more

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Paperback, 384 pages

Published January 14th 2020 by William Morrow Paperbacks

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· 89 ratings · 41 reviews

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Dec 22, 2019 Jenny (Reading Envy) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, reviewcopy, read2019, ebooks

This book isn't really about what you'd think from the title or cover. It's about a woman named Maeve who finally learns her origin story when her birth mother dies. There is a tiny bit of romance, a tiny bit of danger, and a tiny bit about pets. But the St Francis Society is pretty minor.

I had an early copy of this from the publisher through NetGalley; it comes out January 14, 2020.

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Jan 18, 2020 DJ Sakata rated it it was amazing

Shelves: family-drama, small-town, womens-fiction, animals

Favorite Quotes:

Your kids ought to be on a birth control commercial or something… I’m pretty sure their high-pitched shrieks would be enough for anybody to beg for the pill.

I made a big production of rummaging around in my purse before Holly sighed and handed over her platinum card… “Well, it wasn’t like that dude was going to accept the hairy Tic Tacs in the bottom of that gross purse of yours...”

The man standing before wasn’t ugly or anything-he was just... odd looking. With his curly red ...more

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Jan 19, 2020 Shannon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Loved every minute of this sweet book!!!

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Oct 20, 2019 JG rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: book-club-choices, comedy, humorous, romance, small-town-romance, arc, for-pet-lovers, character-driven, contemporary, edelweiss

I really liked the story line and the character development. The town of Timber Creek, the setting for most of the story, and the townspeople seems a character on its own. This book was able to present a lot of social issues within the context of Maeve and Annabelle’s relationship/s without becoming to heavy handed. Although there were a lot of hanging plot lines that I hope the final draft can address fully. I’m hoping there will be more written about the St. Francis Society and the town of ...more

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Nov 17, 2019 Mikaela (Booklover1974) marked it as dnf · review of another edition

I can't write a fair review because I dnfed it. The protagonist, Maeve, didn't seem to know she was 36 years old... She behaved like she still was 16. I don't have the energy to read about one more adult woman who is so immature that my 16 old son looks like an adult, in comparison.

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Jan 19, 2020 Really Into This rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Bianca contributed this review to Really Into This

Check out all of our reviews at https://reallyintothis.com
Happy Reading, friends!

Special thanks to TLC Book Tours & William Morrow for providing our copy of St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets by Annie England Noblin in exchange for an honest & fair review.

Maeve is Seattle-based sportswriter with a Major League Baseball boyfriend. But when her career and relationship come screeching to a halt, the future seems bleak. When Maeve gets a ...more

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Jan 16, 2020 Jessica *The Lovely Books* rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Immediate connections to characters are a huge thing for me when it comes to reading. If I can’t connect to a character, then ninety nine percent of the time I won’t like it. I’m happy to say that’s not the case here. I immediately connected to Mae as she navigated throw some tough changes in her life. She’s reeling from a very public humiliation and her birth mother just passed away.

“Maybe I wasn’t looking at my visit to Timber Creek the right way. Maybe it was an opportunity. Maybe I was ...more

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Jan 12, 2020 Phyllis Krall rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A feel good story about a woman’s search for herself after she discovers her birth mother has died. Sprinkled with humor and romance, a small town brings meaning to Maeve’s life when Her life is at a standstill.

It seems as everything is going wrong in Maeve’s life when she discovers that her birth mother who she has never met has died. She is invited to the funeral by her mother’s best friend and travels to the small town of Timber Creek , Washington. Maeve is determined to find out why her ...more

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Nov 17, 2019 Michele rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, digital, romance, netgalley

reaaaaaly thought there would be more animals with that cover and title but the society is more about knitting for pets than actually interacting with pets. plus some other stuff that i will not say for spoiler-y reasons. the characters and plot and romance were all fine, nothing amazing really. it was good. would be a nice summer beach read.

thanks to the publisher for an ARC, this is my honest review.

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Nov 12, 2019 Cari rated it really liked it · review of another edition

My review will appear in Booklist! A charming novel, although it deals with heavy topics at times. Love the narrator.

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Oct 18, 2019 Sharon rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-galley, net-galley

The book is okay, not great, but okay. The author did not seem to have an inspired grasp on her characters. Maeve is 36 years old; even though she has had a good life, she seems to lack maturity and seems to handle her emotions and feelings the way a teenage girl would, with very little grace and awareness of how other people around her feel. The first third was not bad, the middle seemed a bit contrived and the last part seemed to introduce an additional plot that had not been alluded to in the ...more

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Oct 21, 2019 Kimberly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A quick and sweet story.

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Oct 02, 2019 Dana rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: general-fiction, women-s-fiction, abandoned

From the cover and the description of this book I thought the plot would involve more animals. The cover is very cute and will certainly grab the attention of animal lovers, but it does feel misleading after reading the book. The story mainly focuses on Maeve's unresolved feelings about her birth mother putting her up for adoption. The chapters switch back and forth between Maeve in present day and her mother in the year before Maeve's birth. Although this is a light and easy read, the author ...more

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Aug 25, 2019 Ruth rated it liked it

This book isn't one of my typical genre choices but that cover with the upside down Boston Terrier screamed READ ME--you'll be glad you did. I did and it made me smile. Ever have one of those really horrible, awful days--the kind where you lose a job, you find out your significant other isn't who you thought, and you get mugged before you can get home to cry? This book starts out with one of those really bad days but turns out that it just paved the way for a much better life that couldn't have ...more

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Sep 12, 2019 Ally rated it liked it

overall a nice book that is a relatively easy read. the main character was interesting and multi dimensional, but the pacing of the book felt a little off. and there seemed to be almost too many storylines or characters as some of the supporting cast are not fleshed out as well as maeve. i liked getting the flashbacks to maeve's birth mother's thoughts during the time maeve was conceived - it gave a sense of her character and made the present situation more understandable.

3.5 stars

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Jan 20, 2020 Gaele rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: avon-addicts, harper-collins-group, avon, favorites, reviewed, 2020-favorites, william-morrow, chick-lit, edelweiss

I wasn’t sure that I was actually up to stuffing in another new read in the midst of the backlog – but I am SO VERY glad that I took a chance on this story. Maeve is thirty-six, adopted, newly broken from an adulterous boyfriend and suddenly unemployed when the paper she worked for went bankrupt. Never quite feeling as if she ‘fit’, particularly after a series of letters to her birth mother went unanswered when she was a teen, she’s always felt a bit less than. But when notice comes that her I wasn’t sure that I was actually up to stuffing in another new read in the midst of the backlog – but I am SO VERY glad that I took a chance on this story. Maeve is thirty-six, adopted, newly broken from an adulterous boyfriend and suddenly unemployed when the paper she worked for went bankrupt. Never quite feeling as if she ‘fit’, particularly after a series of letters to her birth mother went unanswered when she was a teen, she’s always felt a bit less than. But when notice comes that her birth mother has died, and that her lawyer wants to speak with her, Maeve is faced with a dilemma. Should she go and satisfy a bit of curiosity, or should she just do as she had been – in her childhood bedroom at her parents’ house. While her father is truly a sounding board for her, the tension with her mother (who really is trying in her own way to support her) and her adopted brother all weighing in – she decides to attend the service with her best friend, and then return home the following day.

The small town in which Maeve’s only relative lived is ‘typical’ with gossip and secrets – and everyone knowing one another. But more striking to Maeve is the fact that everyone remarks on how similar she is to her birth mother – despite her anger at being given up, no answers, and her general malaise as the emotions overwhelm. From being the only one to inherit her mother Annabelle’s worldly goods, to seemingly inheriting her friends, a cranky cat and the constant reminders of ‘what her mother did’ just like her – there’s plenty to take in and more questions than answers.

Throughout it all, Noblin depicts and shares the emotions that Maeve would feel – and contrasts those with a few chapters of perspective from her birth mother, Annabelle, as well as an undercurrent of ‘something strange’ from the knitting ‘club’ that makes sweaters for pets, a special ‘starter kit’ for knitting projects that are given free of charge, and the fact that a reclusive yet famous writer is her new neighbor. Maeve first makes a decision to stay without making any decision, and soon finds herself provided with answers, more questions, a new direction and a sort of peace that she never before felt. With plenty of heart, enough emotion to pack a serious punch, a dangerous climax and a sharp recognition of ‘perfect’ people versus people, the story is lovely and engaging. I read this in one sweep – and was disappointed to see the story come to an end, even as all of the biggest questions were answered beautifully. A favorite for the depiction of Maeve’s emotions and questions, and the answers that she came to learn.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
...more

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Jan 20, 2020 Lesa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: women-s-fiction, women-s-relationships, family-relationships

When someone feels lost, it seems as if everyone else in the world has a perfect life. It takes Maeve Stephens thirty-six years to discover she's not alone in Annie England Noblin's latest novel, St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets.

Maeve tells her own story. She doesn't think it can get any worse. In one day, the thirty-six-year-old sports reporter loses her job because the newspaper where she works goes bankrupt. She and the rest of the world see her boyfriend from the Seattle Mariners When someone feels lost, it seems as if everyone else in the world has a perfect life. It takes Maeve Stephens thirty-six years to discover she's not alone in Annie England Noblin's latest novel, St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets.

Maeve tells her own story. She doesn't think it can get any worse. In one day, the thirty-six-year-old sports reporter loses her job because the newspaper where she works goes bankrupt. She and the rest of the world see her boyfriend from the Seattle Mariners cheating on her on a video, and she's mugged on the way to her car. Of course, the world has a way of beating you down. She receives a phone call from a woman named Alice telling her that her birth mother, Annabelle, has died.

Maeve knows her parents, the Stephens, wanted her when they adopted her as an infant. And, they wanted her brother, Eli, who is several years younger. But, despite his rough past, Eli grew up to be a dentist, have a successful marriage, and two children. What does Maeve have in life? No job, no successful relationship, and a car that is dying. So, why not show up for the funeral of a woman she never knew?

But, everyone in Timber Creek, Washington knew Annabelle. She was Alice's best friend. She was a member of a small group of women in the St. Francis Society. And, she took in stray animals. She also left everything to Maeve, including a small house and an incorrigible cat who immediately falls for Maeve. Then there's the man who believes Maeve will take in animals, a man with a bulldog he can no longer keep. Maeve's terrified. She's never been able to keep anything alive, and she's not sure she'll keep the house. But, something about the small town that loved her mother attracts her.

While Maeve relates most of the story, Noblin inserts chapters in which the reader sees a younger Annabelle. While Maeve was raised in a loving household, and felt out of place, Annabelle lost her parents at a young age, and it was Alice's family that took her in. But, just because someone has a place to sleep doesn't mean it's a safe environment.

Over the course of the story, Maeve learns about the people of Timber Creek, about her mother, and about broken lives. It takes time for Maeve to discover that everyone has a life broken in some way.

Noblin has created a cast of fascinating characters, from Annabelle and Maeve and Alice, to the mysterious writer down the street. And, appearances can be deceiving, as Maeve discovers. But, I did feel as if the author waited too long to explain the purpose of the St. Francis Society. And, while Annabelle's story was given a satisfactory ending, it felt as if Maeve's was unfinished.

Despite the few flaws, I'd recommend St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets. The characters and their stories stand out in this book, and I'll look for Noblin's future novels. ...more

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Jan 22, 2020 Trish rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed-at-my-blog

When St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets begins, Maeve Stephens has hit rock bottom. She has broken up with her cheating boyfriend, been laid off from her job, and mugged. Surprise word comes that her birth mother, whom she has never met, passed away. At the funeral, Maeve finds that her birth mother, Annabelle, left her house, vintage VW, and all her belongings to her. Maeve stays in the small Washington state town where Annabelle lived to try to sort things out, and slowly her life changes. When St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets begins, Maeve Stephens has hit rock bottom. She has broken up with her cheating boyfriend, been laid off from her job, and mugged. Surprise word comes that her birth mother, whom she has never met, passed away. At the funeral, Maeve finds that her birth mother, Annabelle, left her house, vintage VW, and all her belongings to her. Maeve stays in the small Washington state town where Annabelle lived to try to sort things out, and slowly her life changes. She meets new friends, an intriguing man, a group of ladies who knit sweaters for pets, and a cat and dog who claim her.

I wanted to read this novel because I am a great animal lover and the title and adorable cover art intrigued me. I also previously read and reviewed the author's book Just Fine With Caroline and liked it very much.

I absolutely adored St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets! I loved the small town setting that readers get to experience along with Maeve. It is a quirky little place with a lot of interesting characters.

The book is told both from the viewpoint of Maeve and also of her birth mother Annabelle during her teen years in the 1980's. I was initially mostly interested in Maeve's story, but over time Annabelle's story really captured my interest too. The author does a good job at delineating these different (and similar!) characters.

Maeve is a character I really liked. She is at a place in her late 30's where she is reevaluating her life and trying to decide what comes next. It was heartwarming to see how she grew as a person in this book. I enjoyed the friendships she made and especially the tenuous bond she struck with Abel, an author living in the little town and dealing with his own sadness.

I loved the pet rescue storyline in this book and enjoyed all the scenes with Sherbet the cat and Happy the dog. Maeve observes Happy:

"Still, she didn't seem to hold any of that against people the way I probably would have. There were clearly some things that scared her - like car rides and storms - but after the offending event was over, she was back to her old self, and I thought that humans could probably learn a lot from dogs" (p. 301).

I will admit that I was curious as I went through the book about what the St. Francis Society was. It was mentioned often but not really explored until Chapter 20. I won't say more because of spoilers, but it is pivotal to the plot and there are twists and more twists that reminded me a bit of This Is Us.

I wholeheartedly recommend St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets for fans of women's fiction, small town fiction, knitting, pet rescue, and heartwarming storytelling. ...more

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Jan 14, 2020 ReadingGirlReviews (Gina) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: blogtour, 2020

Don't let the dog on the front cover fool you.

St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets tells the story of a woman who hits the wall of loss at an alarming speed. She loses her job, her boyfriend and then her birth mother (who she's never known) all at the same time. Not to mention she also gets robbed. When she (Maeve, her name is Maeve) heads to the small town of Timber Creek to accept her inheritance of a small house her mother has left her, she starts to unravel the story behind her birth mother, ...more

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Jan 19, 2020 Michelle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I don’t pre-order a lot of books but this author is one whose books I do. I learned when I read Pupcakes how enjoyable her books are. Then I read The Sisters Hemingway and loved it too. So, this book deserved a pre-order. And of course, here I am having finished the book in less than 24 hours. I got pulled in and I didn’t want to put it down.

Mauve was raised by a loving family. She’s had a good life. But she’s 36 and it doesn’t really feel like she knows exactly what she wants yet. She finds out ...more

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Jan 19, 2020 Clark Cathy added it

Don’t judge a book by its cover...or it’s title. I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads promotion. When it arrived, I placed it on my shelf since I wasn’t in the mood to read a book about pets. When I picked it up yesterday, I decided to give it a chance. If you are looking for a book about animals, this isn’t the one. Even though the characters of the book have pets, there is so much more to the story.

Maeve is a 36 year old woman who has lost her beau, her job, and finally her apartment. ...more

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Jan 07, 2020 Kathleen Gray rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

No it's not really about pets- but it's a boffo read about a woman finding herself. Maeve loses her job and her boyfriend (publicly that one!) and then her birth mom, who she's never met. Annabelle gave Maeve up for adoption when she was born 36 years earlier and, as Maeve soon discovers, she always wanted not only the best for her but also to leave her everything she had. Maeve's thrown for a loop, as one would be, but she finds herself moving to small town of Timber Creek, where she starts to ...more

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Jan 24, 2020 Carol rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Oh - my, this was such a nice surprise! In the beginning I was thinking that it was a light, "between" book to read to take a break from the more substantial books that I love - thrillers and such. About 3/4 way through I upped my potential rating to four stars as the plot became more complicated and meaty. When I finished it I was so pleased and so touched that it has to be a five star read for me. This author does understand people and the characters here are not cardboard cut-outs, that's for ...more

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Dec 24, 2019 Miriam rated it really liked it

Shelves: chicklit, fiction, about-life, romance

The book was a wonderful way to enjoy my Sunday. I got engrossed in the tale which has great twists, turns, and some genuine humor. I love that the women were helping other women and pets.

It was sometimes difficult to relate to Maeve who is still searching for herself and finding her place in the world even though she's thirty-six. Sometimes life is just hard and doesn't settle in around you.

The characters were fun to get to know, including Maeve's birth mother whose death turns Maeve's life on ...more

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Dec 30, 2019 Marcia rated it liked it

I'm reviewing an "uncorrected proof" which definitely needed some correcting. The story is about Maeve, who was given up for adoption and then learns that her birth mother has died. She'd tried to contact her birth mother when she was younger, with no response. So, her feelings aren't positive. She attends the funeral, finds she's the heir, and meets a wonderful cast of characters. I did like the story. However, the book cover with a dog, and the title, made me think it was a dog story— not an ...more

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Nov 08, 2019 Brenda Mcallister rated it it was amazing

I received this ARC from the publisher and Netgalley. Enjoyed it and hope others will too!
Really enjoyed this book! A little mystery, a little humor, a little romance, all held together by Maeve, who finds that life doesn't have to be so confusing. Day one finds her jobless, watching her boyfriend caught on camera kissing another woman, then robbed a knife point as she heads home. At 36 years old Maeve thinks she is a total failure at life, broke and having to move back in with her parents. Then ...more

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Jan 09, 2020 Sara Strand rated it it was amazing

I know that people wanted more animals in this book because of the cover, but the ones we got were kind of special in their own way. LOL. I really enjoyed this story and I usually struggle with characters in this book, but I absolutely adored them all, flaws and all. It felt like this could be turned into a TV show or a made for TV movie because they are each so quirky and fun. If I had to pick something I wish was a little more in depth it would be the romance part because the ending we got ...more

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Nov 25, 2019 Carrie rated it really liked it

Maeve's life has been turned upside down, and then one more shoe drops. Just when she decides that life has thrown her all of the curve balls it can, she finds out her birth mother has passed away and left her a house in a small town not too far away. Questions she has always wanted to answer, but thought long forgotten suddenly rise to the surface as she faces a turning point in her life. I am not sure I would have picked this book up, if I hadn't gotten the ARC, but I am so glad that I did. ...more

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Jan 05, 2020 Elysa rated it liked it · review of another edition

I expected this book to be more animal-centric like Noblin's other works. They're not front and center, but when they are there, it's cute. I liked this story, but there is A LOT going on. It tackles grief over a lost spouse, domestic violence, death of a birth mother, various reasons for being adopted (including one particularly dark story), animal abuse, and a bit of sexual harassment. I think this book could easily have been a series to flesh these things out more instead of tackling ...more

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Dec 27, 2019 Cj Zawacki rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Wayward Pets, by Annie England Noblin, is a novel of a young women's growth after hearing the death of the mother who gave her up for adoption. A mother who had refused contact with her during years, the young woman, Maeve, now finds herself owning her mother's house. As her mother's friends take her into their confidence, we walk through the redemption of her adoption.

This is a very fresh slice of life story, fun, and intriguing. It tells the tale of both sides of adoption issues in a beautiful ...more

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