Personally, I am not a big fan of the in-between filler stories, but this was better than most. First, it covered a big event in Ali's life: her marriage to B. Simpson and all of the hullabaloo. Second, there was a cure little mystery involving her grandkids rescuing a miniature dachshund, and locating its owner. Jance's long personal history with dogs is described in the afterword. ( )

I believe A Last Goodbye was a free Kindle novella that I downloaded because I once read a J.P. Beaumont novel by Jance that I really, really liked.

This book has the protagonists of two of her other very popular series meeting to . . . I can’t remember. There was hospital visiting and a dog (as evidenced by the cover) involved, but I forget the rest.

It was well-written, but forgettable.

3½ stars ( )

If you're looking for a big advance in the storyline in Jance's Ali Reynolds series, I'd suggest you wait for the next book. If you don't like dogs you might want to give this story a pass, too. But if you're looking to spend a little time with characters you've grown to love, then settle down for some Christmas cheer that will tug on your heartstrings.

This is just the type of story that many authors' fans want to see: little vignettes of their favorite characters' lives that won't fit comfortably into a novel; something that will help tide them over until the next book is published. "A Last Goodbye" also has the added bonus of Jance blending her own life into the story. One cold, wet night Jance herself found a terrified miniature dachshund running down the side of a busy street. That little dog, Bella, is now a part of Jance's life and goes with her on book tours. It was lovely to read this blending of fact and fiction even if it did make me break into tears at the end.

The Author's Note after th story tells you about the dogs Jance has loved throughout her life, and will evoke smiles and similar memories from any pet owner.

Do you need to be a follower of the Ali Reynolds series in order to make sense of this story? Not at all. Don't be afraid to jump right in. To be honest, I wanted to read this story because I've met Bella. Somehow I knew the fictional Bella would be very bit as memorable as the real one. ( )