LOVE UNLEASHED Isabelle Lopez has never been a dog person. Raising her daughter alone and building a real estate career leaves no time for four-legged furballs. When she finds an abandoned mutt and litter of pups in a foreclosed apartment, Izzy intends to drop them off at a shelter and walk briskly away. Instead, her “heroic” deed makes her a local celebrity. Her boss is thrilled. Commissions … is thrilled. Commissions are up. And thanks to gorgeous shelter owner Bradley Cohen, Izzy’s disciplined life is suddenly much, much more complicated.
He’s got a sexy smile, a wicked sense of humor, and a big, noble heart. Even as Izzy tries to get her libido to heel, boy, Bradley sets out to convince her there’s more to life than padding her bank account. But Izzy knows a trade secret that puts Brad’s beloved shelter at risk, and she can’t warn him.
Their relationship was barely getting started; suddenly it’s in the dog house. Now Izzy and Brad need to figure out what matters most, and whether this could be much more than animal attraction…
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This book first grabbed my attention by the cover because just look at the cover! Then it has a single mom and a man who owns a dog shelter sign me up for this book.I was instantly hooked and I couldn’t put it down. Izzy and Brad shouldn’t work, but they balance one another. Izzy needs some more fun and Brad needs to better plan for the future. I loved Izzy’s daughter. She’s a cutie. I even loved the secondary character as well. You know you have a good book when you get invested in the main characters, but also they secondary characters. I can already tell you I’m a huge fan of this series. I love Brad’s shelter and how he can find the perfect dog for someone. This book has a lot of heart and that’s one of the things I liked best. It also delivers on the heat. Brad and Izzy have a lot of chemistry. Can Brad and Izzy have a future when Izzy is keeping something pretty big from Brad? Can Brad ever forgive her for it?
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.
This was a nice quick read. The plot flowed nicely. The book was written in a dual POV which makes understanding the characters so much easier. Brad and Izzy couldn’t be more different than black and white. It was nice to see how meeting each other made helped them to evolve. In Izzy’s case, is more important to spend time with loved ones (especially her daughter Ana). Yes, it is important to save for the future college, retirement, etc. but not at the expense of quality time with her daughter. For Brad, yes living life to the fullest is important but saving for emergencies is also important.
This book also shows just have important rescuing animals is. It is a thankless job but oh so important. As a Mommy to two rescues, I loved this aspect. This book was a nice escape of everyday life about real people. I was able to relate to these characters more than billionaires. Thank you for a nice enjoyable read.
Forever Home is an entertaining, humorous, and a rather adorable story of dogs, friends, single parenting, priorities in life, and the opposite attracting each other.
Isabelle Lopez has one goal in life, and that is to provide the best possible life for her daughter, economically. That requires hard work, long hours, and cut-throat attitude as a real estate agent. She has no time for PTA and some of her daughter’s soccer games, not to mention men and dating. Isabelle is not a bad person, her priorities even are not completely wrong. Yet she could be a bit more flexible and live more at the moment, enjoy what she has now, instead of planning and focusing solely on money and for the future.
Bradley Cohen loves his furry friends. He left the lucrative career as an engineer behind him to enjoy life and take care of the dogs in his shelter. He is the opposite of Isabella when it comes to planning and economics, and they surely could learn a lot from each other.
I liked the world the author had created, I like the main characters as well as their supporting cast and crew. They all were well thought out, had distinctive individuality, and were pleasant to be around. The story flows smoothly, it is easy to read without any major drama or angst. The chemistry between Bradley and Isabella was smoking hot. The passion was palpable and their feelings towards each other were believable.
Forever Home is a story that was easy to get lost in. It is a bit predictable, yes, but fun and enjoyable. It is a good, solid romance story with pleasant characters and great chemistry, a few life lessons, charming dogs, and amusing moments that made me smile.
A lovely and lively story to spend an evening with
~ Four Spoons
Animal rescue shelter owner, handsome, easy-going guy meets real estate agent, single mom, buttoned-up workaholic who is not a dog lover. Not exactly a recipe for love at first sight. Isabelle Lopez rescues an abandoned dog and her cute puppies from a vacant apartment building. She just couldn’t leave them there to die so she gathers them up and plans to drop them off at the nearby rescue center. Drop and Go. No one the wiser. Not so fast though. Bradley Cohen, the rescue shelter owner catches Izzy dropping off the mama dog and her pups at the back door in the alley behind the shelter building. Yum! Izzy sees a handsome, sexy guy and is attracted to him. Brad sees a lovely, sexy lady and is attracted to her. Sounds like the beginning of a potential HEA. But wait, it can’t be that easy! Izzy has a secret which could derail this love train in a big way.
Allyson Charles has an enjoyable story in Forever Home, the first book in her new Forever Friends series. She spells out the initial conflict in the story in an entertaining way and then proceeds to take the reader to the resolution of the conflict in a well-developed storyline. Along the way she introduces some truly delightful characters as well as some the reader won’t be cheering for along the way. Izzy’s daughter, Ana, is a charming nine year old who loves animals and has always wanted a dog. Does she get her wish? The volunteer vet, Gabe Moretti, is Brad’s cranky best friend. He’s a great vet but not so good with people. Other secondary characters pop up along the way and add charm and sometimes drama to the plot.
The characters in this story and their interactions make this a charming story. What puts the cherry on top for this book are the dogs and their interactions with the people they captivate with their antics. This is a very pleasant beginning to a series I look forward to following.
Forever Home by Allyson Charles
Forever Friends #1
Isabelle Lopez moved to a smaller town to raise her daughter Anna. She is a type A real estate salesperson who has monetary goals. Sometimes it seems she puts those goals before things that should take priority in her life – like her daughter. Her life begins to change when she rescues a mother and her pups, meets the no-kill shelter owner and begins to date him. Bradley Cohen has a much more laid back relationship to life and monetary issues. His focus is the dogs and providing for them even if it is only one month at a time.
This is an easy read with two likable characters, good friends for the hero and heroine, a charming daughter, wonderful dogs, a great supporting cast and the potential for other books in the future. There was not a great deal of drama but there were issues the couple did need to address before they could achieve their HEA.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington – Lyrical Shine for the ARC – This is my honest review.
3-4 Stars