IS LOVE GOING TO THE DOGS? Head vet at the Forever Friends animal rescue shelter, Gabriel Moretti is known as the Dog Whisperer because of his gift for soothing rambunctious patients. But it’s the two-legged species that has him, and his libido, working overtime. Marla Popov single-handedly saved the shelter from financial ruin. But the bossy trust funder is even more irritating than her … irritating than her snooty Standard Poodle. You’d think keeping his attraction on a short leash would be a no-brainer for Gabe. Unfortunately, Marla is also
smart, beautiful, and intriguing . . .
Most of her life, people have been eager to tell Marla just what she wants to hear. So now that she’s nearing forty, she doesn’t expect to be refused—especially by a sexy younger man like Gabe. She also doesn’t expect it to sting so much. But when she discovers a scheme involving illegal dog fights, she gets a chance to show what she’s truly made of. And as she and Gabe team up to fight it, they discover a surprising respect for each other—and passion that might just grow into love. . .
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This is the second book in the series. I knew going in Gabe had he work cut out for him because he’s a big grump in the first book. He still is in this book as well, but Marla brings out a new side to him. I loved Marla. People underestimate her because of her looks and the family she was born into. They stereotype her, but there is so much to her. She has such a big heart and she fights for all she’s worth for those who deserve it. I would want her in my corner. I loved how she goes to visit her grandpa. Those are some of my favorite scenes in the book because I have a close relationship to my grandpa. You know Gabe has a good heart because he is a veterinarian, but when it come to people his trust has been bruised. Learning his background I better understand why he is so prickly. There is a big twist that had me gasping. This book has the heart and feels like the first book, but a little more suspense thrown in. There are a few parts of this book the kept me on the edge of my seat.
What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Part of a series: Forever Friends
Standalone
HEA
I look forward to reading the other books in this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC from NetGalley.
This author won me over with the first book in this series, so I was stalking Kensington’s listings on NetGalley and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one before release day. This is the story of a grumpy, growly veterinary with a sketchy past and a proper, pampered, trust fund diva who has hidden depths. Along with the rest of the cast of the Forever Friends Shelter, of both the two- and four-legged variety, this unlikely pairing makes for a delightfully entertaining read.
Gabe and Marla’s story isn’t all fun and games, but has surprising depths with Gabe dealing with decades of guilt as well as his close-minded misjudging of Marla, and Marla struggling to find her place in the world and never being able to earn her father’s respect. There are still plenty of light-hearted, laugh-out-loud moments with dogs whose personalities are as big as the humans, bickering senior citizen computer programmers, and a reverse cowgirl scene gone terribly wrong. That one still has me laughing!
Gabe and Marla are absolutely awful and completely perfect together, and Gabe gets most of the blame and the credit. He certainly has his hands full with Marla running headlong into trouble, but the clueless guy needs to buy a lot more than a vowel when it comes to expressing himself. Yet somehow, that just makes this surly, sullen, grouchy guy even more endearing. And, bless his heart, when he finally gets it right, he gets it amazingly, perfectly right. If you’re looking for a book that is entertaining and light hearted yet heartfelt and poignant, and one that celebrates the joy and blessings of animals in our lives, this is the perfect read for you!
Forever Found by Allyson Charles
Forever Friends #2
Wealthy older woman has the hots for younger man who is a veterinarian. She pushes all his buttons in the wrong way except that she is physically his dream come true. Both have issues that come out through the story but it takes most of the book before I could see what the two might see in one another. The issue that underlies this book, besides the cougar romance, is dog fighting…something I have trouble wrapping my head around and difficult to read about although most of what is said about the dogs and the fighting is inferred rather than spelled out.
This book has me on the fence…it was okay in some ways but did not grab me as some of the author’s other books have. I would like to read Dax’s book that is coming up next and wonder what else lies ahead for this series or perhaps another.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing – Lyrical Shine for the ARC – This is my honest review.
3-4 Stars