Travel Book Review by Fly By Night Press – Dogs ‘n’ Dracula: A Road Trip Through Romania

I am thrilled to share Christine Karren of Fly By Night Press’s five-star review of Dogs ‘n’ Dracula: A Road Trip Through Romania

“…such an absolute pleasure to read that it ended in just a few days, with me wishing for more!”

Christine Karren, author

The Dogs ‘n’ Dracula ebook has been selected for a Kindle Deal, and is ONLY 99p from 1st to 31st January 2026.

Here is Christine’s Full Review:

“Having lived in Romania for 16 months during the 1990s, revisiting it in book form was already predestined to be walk down memory lane for me.  As I read, I tasted the irresistible cheese donuts called papanasi, hiked mountains of staggering beauty, haggled with shop-keepers, and snacked on those oh-so nostalgic choco-croissants.  It all took me back, with a knowing smile on my face and an occasional chortle of recognition.

“But the charm didn’t end with the nostalgia.  Jackie and Mark actually spent most of their time in places I’ve never been.  Their touring preferences definitely tended more toward the ancient, natural and medieval–citadels of the original Dacians, stunning alpine passes and the medieval ruins of castles like Rupea and Poenari.  I was especially intrigued by Jackie’s descriptions of Prejmer, the fortress castle outside Brasov that survived 50 sieges in 500 years, and the idyllic villages of Maramures with their wooden churches and traditionally-clad locals.  

“Every new camp location brought together fellow campers from all over the world who interacted with Jackie and Mark in hilarious and often surprising ways.  Having doubled my bucket list by the end of the book, I will definitely keep it as a reference for future trips east.

“All of this valuable information was packaged in a very easy-to-digest form: fun humor without being crass, a cheerful take-life-as-it-comes attitude with only one meltdown (for a very good reason), and plenty of heart-melting dog stories.  Mark and Jackie have a love of furry friends that’s beyond anything I’ve ever seen, but if the world held more people with such kind hearts with regards to their fellow creatures, it would be a better place indeed!”

C Karren’s review of Dogs ‘n’ Dracula posted on Goodreads

C Karren’s review of Dogs ‘n’ Dracula posted on BookBub

For further details, an excerpt, and a photo of Dogs ‘n’ Dracula being handed to Britain’s Ambassador to Romania, click HERE.

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Blurb and Links

Chill With A Book PREMIER Readers’ Award September 2022
Romania Insider Awards Finalist*

Ever considered giving up work to escape into the wide, blue yonder?

Jackie and Mark Lambert did just that. They rented out their house and took off in a caravan with their four dogs. With windsurf boards strapped to their roof, they struck south for Spain and Portugal, but decided to turn left…

According to The Spectator, Romania is “Europe’s most overlooked holiday destination”.

According to everyone else, it was somewhere where they would be robbed, scammed, kidnapped by gypsies, eaten by bears or attacked by wild dogs and wolves – if they managed to avoid the floods and riots.

This is the story of how they towed their caravan through the largest untouched wilderness in Europe, crossing the Carpathian Mountains via one of the world’s most dangerous roads, guided by a satnav haunted by a revenge complex more pathological than Vlad the Impaler’s.

With a good few surprises on the way, Dogs ‘n’ Dracula is a tale of adventure, packed with history, humour and the exploration of lesser-known parts of one of Europe’s more obscure destinations.

Join our Adventure Caravanners as they really do ‘Boldly Go Where No Van Has Gone Before!’

* Chill With A Book PREMIER Readers’ Award; 4th September 2022
* Finalist in the Romania Insider Awards 2019 for ‘Most Effective Promotion of Romania Abroad.’

5* Reviews for Dogs ‘n’ Dracula:

• Armchair Travel Delight
• Inspirational and hilarious – I am completely hooked on Jackie’s tales… I had never thought about taking a caravan to Romania but we are eagerly planning our trip.
• Another great read – This is a fantastic, fabulously written series, 100% recommended.
• Romania is now very much in my sights – Brilliantly evokes the highs and lows of camping across Europe, whilst painting pictures of places unknown in such a vivid palette that they immediately become ‘must visit’ destinations.
• Another lovely tail – Once again, once started, difficult to put down.

Although part of a series which is chronological in time, and follows the author since giving up work to travel, each book is a stand-alone adventure.

Read Dracula NOW – find it on Amazon.co.uk

Find Dracula NOW on your local Amazon Store.

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