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My Review:Title: Puppy Kisses
Author: Lucy Gilmore
Series: Forever Home #3
Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Release Date: June 30, 2020
Format: ebook
Pages: 384
Genres: Romance, Contemporary
Source: Overdrive
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2021 Diversity Reading Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iBooks ✩ IndieBound ✩ Book Depository
My rating:
Blurb:Is it too much to want the dog and the guy?
I've never been one to take life too seriously. I've always been kind of a whirlwind free spirit—Dawn Vasquez, the girl with the sunny disposition and the flighty personality. But then an adorable golden retriever puppy in need of rescue crossed my path and everything changed. Now, I'm wondering just what life would be like if I put some roots down and offer Gigi, my rescue pup, the promise of a real home.
Unfortunately, as I'm about to hunker down for some full-time puppy love, Adam Dearborn, a hopelessly buttoned-up cowboy rancher, enters the picture and insists he needs a guide dog and it must be Gigi. I've got no choice but to fight for my puppy and convince Adam that there are plenty of other dogs who would suit him. But somehow, our little tussle turns into a serious attraction, and now I'm wondering if for the price of a kiss, I can convince this handsome, slightly stuffy cowboy to take on both the puppy and me, so we can all have the chance of a forever home.
4.5 stars — Who has avoided this review for no reason whatsoever? This girl!! I finished it last night, and I just can’t get my thoughts in order. I have no idea why. I’m just in a bad mood.
Dawn and Adam’s story was NOTHING like what I was expecting. I mean, I’m not sure I was expecting anything, but I was completely caught off guard with them having an established sexual relationship when the book starts! Nothing in the blurb indicates that at all…in fact, the blurb is misleading in other ways as well. Oh gosh — I just finished ranting about a different book I basically all but DNF’d, and I feel like that rantiness is going to come into play, which is ridiculous, b/c I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I should have written this review this morning, now it’s going to be all tainted. Think Lenore, think!
I LOVED how with Dawn we get a very sex positive heroine. You know how playboys don’t get the same shaming as manwhores, but they are very free with the loving? Dawn is like a female equivalent, and it’s super refreshing. She seriously enjoys sex, and she doesn’t feel shame for it. I LOVE that. I LOVE her. In most everything in her life she’s very strong, forthright, she knows what she wants and she doesn’t apologize for it. She’s hiding a very vulnerable heart, and she had a LOT to work through, but it was satisfying to see her get over her own insecurities and get what she deserved in life. I honestly really felt for how she saw her role in life — how she was resigned almost with the way people saw her…which was always partially correctly, but not some important parts. All 3 Vasquez girls had their own set of insecurities about their role and who they were. It was a really interesting series in that way.
Adam was kind of fascinating, but I also wanted to shake him over and over and over! Man, that boy just made some boneheaded moves in the “assume I know what’s best” category. I was worried he wasn’t going to get there, but he did eventually. It might have taken just a titch longer than I wanted though.
Obviously Gigi/Methuselah and Uncle were absolute gems. I adored seeing yet another way these incredible dogs can be trained to be such a life changing resource for humans. I mean, Gigi was just Gigi, though I ached for her start in life. I appreciated how her story played out, but I don’t want to spoil it. But yeah, Uncle was da bomb. And I loved them together, so adorable!
As always there was an interesting supporting cast. It was great to see Sophie and Lila coming together for Dawn this time. And Phoebe and Zeke added their own colour (though I was pretty unhappy with Zeke during a certain scene). And then there’s Bea…Bea and Dawn the cow. Man, what characters.
I’m not sure if it was my mood, but this was probably not my favourite of the three books — but I still loved it. I can definitely see seeking out more from Ms. Gilmore. I wish I could read more in this universe, but we’re kinda out of sisters.
Sorry about the bad mood. At least it wasn’t because the book was bad!