Ashanti Wright is thrilled over the success of her doggie daycare, Barkingham Palace. But handling the business and taking care of her teen twin sisters is a lot. And now that the antics of her adorable French bulldog and poodle bestie are blowing up on social media, things are even more chaotic than usual. And they only get worse when the world’s worst dog hater shows up.
Thad Sims is not a dog person. He’s barely a person’s person. But after his grandmother is transferred to a senior living facility that doesn’t accept pets, the former army officer agrees to care for her annoying standard poodle, and his first move is taking Puddin’ out of daycare.
Now Ashanti’s beloved Duchess is bereft of her companion, social media is outraged, and Ashanti’s business is hanging in the balance. Her only option is to make nice with the surly, sexy Thad at all costs. But it’s gonna take a tiara-wearing Frenchie, a well-dressed poodle, and a whole lotta treats to teach these humans a few new tricks about falling in love.
Release Date: Jun 4, 2024
Heat Level: Hot
Publisher: Hachette Book Group
Imprint: Forever
Price: $11.99
Ashanti is a huge dog lover. She runs her life around her dog business, Barkingham Palace. Tell me that name is not cute! Thad is in town to open his sports bar. With his grandmother’s assistance, he is able to purchase a building to house his business, but he now has to take care of her dog, Puddin’. Thad is neither a fan of the dog nor Puddin’s small romance with Ashanti’s dog. The problem is that their story somehow went viral, and he has to help keep up with the puppy’s love.
I’m not a big lover of animals in a book, so I tend to shy away from that. Simply because sometimes the author focuses too much on that and not enough on the romance. It is just hard enough trying to keep the plot, characters, and romance moving at the same pace. However, I didn’t get too bogged down on the dog issues in this story.
I did, however, get bogged down with a few other issues in the story. This is a slow burn, which is not my normal jam. However, throughout the years, I’ve come to appreciate the slow burn when it’s executed properly. Thad and Ashanti’s relationship felt a bit forced to me. There is too much to filter through in the first half of the book. The story is very heavy with their background stories. After that, I had to ponder if I picked up a chick lit or another genre because they still hadn’t made a play for one another.
Ashanti’s passion for animals and her business made her strong in her eyes. It’s her joy, and Thad didn’t share it initially. The author “tells” us that he is now a dog lover by how he is accepting of Puddin’. It just comes a bit too late in the game for me to truly buy into it. I just think the main characters didn’t feel compatible.
Overall, if you are a dog lover or in need of a light romance, this is just the right book for you.
~ Samantha
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