Book Five (all stand-alone titles) of a Series for Dog Loving Romance Readers!
John Santorini has his hands full this summer and not just with Maverick, the wild and willful puppy he recently adopted. He’s trying to franchise his business, he’s got serious staffing issues, and his biggest investor still hasn’t committed to financing. But all of those problems fade away when a five year-old … fade away when a five year-old girl pounces on his puppy in the park and pronounces him “Mine!” John can handle a kid with a crush on little Mav. But he’s not so sure what to do with his instant attraction to her mother, a beautiful young widow who brightens his world the minute she arrives in town.
Summer Jackson has come to Bitter Bark for one reason: to meet a man. But the man she plans to connect with isn’t there. Instead, she finds two outrageous grannies who want to marry her off, discovers a colorful extended family that wraps her in love, and crushes hard on a Greek charmer who offers her a place to stay and a job for the season. John may not have been the man Summer intended to meet, but his soul-melting kisses soon have her rethinking all her plans. He’s smart, sexy, sweet, and his impossibly adorable puppy is helping her daughter overcome her baffling speech impediment.
It doesn’t take long before Summer and John are dreaming of the happy ending they’ve both been denied. But then the past comes back to wreak havoc on all their lives, and Summer’s real reason for coming to town threatens to destroy this budding little family. Will John have to settle for a Summer fling…or do the Dogmothers have the recipe for romance one more time?
The Dogmothers – A Spinoff Series from the popular “Dogfather” books
Fall in love over and over again as two charming and hilarious grandmothers and their precious doxies make it their mission to matchmake all nine of their grandchildren in spectacular, unforgettable, and heartwarming fashion.
Hot Under the Collar – Book one
Three Dog Night – Book two
Dachshund Through the Snow – Book three
Chasing Tail – Book four
Hush, Puppy – Book five
And more to come!
Just the like the Dogfather books, the covers of the Dogmothers series were all photographed at Alaqua Animal Refuge in Florida, using rescue dogs from the shelter and “local heroes” as models. A portion of book sales is donated to that amazing organization!
About Roxanne St. Claire
Published since 2003, Roxanne St. Claire is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly sixty romance and suspense novels. She has written several popular series, including The Dogfather, The Dogmothers, Barefoot Bay, the Guardian Angelinos, and the Bullet Catchers. Several of her books have been optioned for film and many have been translated into dozens of languages.
In addition to being a ten-time nominee and one-time winner of the prestigious RITATM Award for the best in romance writing, Roxanne has won the National Readers’ Choice Award four times, as well as dozens of other writing and industry awards. A frequent and popular national speaker on the subject of writing and the writer’s life, Roxanne is a graduate of UCLA, the mother of two, and recent empty-nester. She lives on the east coast of Florida with her husband and two (at the moment) dogs.
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Hush, Puppy was truly the sweetest and most emotional story I have read in a long time; Filled with love, laughter, tears, and ultimately the love of two people coming together to build a family from a chance encounter. All of the love and charm of this story is exemplified in the relationship between not just Summer and John, but also the one between John and Destiny that develops—that love of a father and daughter that so many overlook or ignore but that is so important in any girl’s life. John is the perfect man to offer his heart to Summer, and Destiny, with his deeply devoted sweetness and the love he showers on all those he brings into his circle. His sexy brain and charming thoughtfulness round him out into the perfect man for any woman to love and of course the fact that he comes with an adorable puppy is not to be forgotten. Summer has had a hard few years but she and her daughter are determined to move forward in their lives and find a new balance—and a new puppy—for themselves, but she has no plan to find a new man for herself. Summer was the perfect lightness to balance out John’s solemn nature and bring him out of his shell while John is strong enough to give Summer a foundation and pillar to lean on which she needs badly. They balance each other perfectly as the passion flares out of control between them and the love grows swiftly and settles deeply into their hearts. I loved every second of this story, all parts of this story combining together to make the perfect mixture—a sexy Greek sweetheart, a lovely smart woman and her sweet daughter, and the puppy that brings them all together, rounded out with the huge clan of Greek and Irish loved ones that support them all. I cannot wait for the next Dogmothers story in the series and know that the very moment it becomes public I will be the first one to beg for a chance to read and review it. Roxanne St. Claire makes magic with every word she prints and this story is another spell cast on readers for sure.
Loved, Loved Loved this book!!! The Dogmothers did it again!. John Santorini met his match in Summer. This is their love story. Their chemistry was off the charts. But I have to say that little, sweet, Destiny and Mavie stole the show and your heart. This was a heartwarming, light read. I highly recommend it and this and the Dogfather’s series. They will not disappoint. I cannot wait to see who the Dogmothers next victim will be. I’ve read many books by this author and I love her writing.
I received an ARC copy and this is my voluntary review.
We finally get John Santorini’s story! I love a good geeky, nerd story and this one was perfection.
John, who is Alex’s twin finally gets his turn at love. John has a dream to franchise his Greek restaurants but just needs the help of a large investor. While most of the time John has his head wrapped around numbers and his wonderful spreadsheets, he also has the crazy idea to adopt a dog….a wild and fun mix named Maverick. While taking Mav for a walk, he gets away from John and runs right into the arms of a darling little 5 year old girl named Destiny who quickly claims Mav is hers. While John is trying to get his dog back he meets Destiny’s mom and is quickly thinking that maybe he doesn’t want his dog back so quickly anymore. When John finds out that the widow, Summer is here in Bitter Bark for a short time, he offers her a job and a place to live to get her to stay longer. What John doesn’t realize is that Summer came to town because of another man. As John and Summer spend more time together, everything in John’s world starts to feel right. Now he just needs to convince Summer that she should stay in Bitter Bark instead of going back to Florida. It doesn’t hurt that he has The Dogmother’s on his side!
As Summer and Destiny spend more time with the Santorini, Kilcannon and Mahoney families they start to realize that they may have just found the place where their hearts really belong. Just when John and Summer think they have found their happy ending, things from both of their pasts come back to haunt them but in the end love wins!
I just adored John. I’m married to a geeky, sweet nerd so I am drawn to these type of men. I just adored the way he accepted Destiny along with Summer into his life. It takes a wonderful man to be able accept that role. I also really enjoyed Summer. I cannot imagine being a widow at such an early age but she seemed to accept her fate lovingly. Overall another great addition to this fun series.
Hush, Puppy is the 5th book in The Dogmothers series of books from Roxanne St. Claire. I’ve adored each and every book in this series to date, but have to say Hush, Puppy is the book I needed in my life right now without realizing it. It is filled with joy, love, hope, romance, laughter, and the sweetest puppy and little girl ever.
Summer Jackson and her daughter Destiny have come to Bitter Bark to adopt her a puppy, and hopefully to reconnect with a friend from Bitter Bark Summer has never met. Their first day in town, they run into John Santorini walking his puppy Maverick, and Destiny falls in love at first sight with Mav. Gramma Finnie and Yiayia have their next matchmaking couple in their sights with John and Summer. Since initially Summer and Destiny are only in town until they find the perfect puppy for Destiny, the Dogmothers need to work fast.
I loved John and Summer as a couple pretty much from the first moment they met. Their chemistry was palpable, and I loved that John seemed to love Destiny every bit as quickly as he did her mother. Destiny is the most precocious child and I loved her spirit and her pure joy for life. She totally has moments of shyness, but when she sings she totally comes out of her shell and has found that she doesn’t stutter while singing. The cutest thing ever though was when Mavvie, what Destiny calls Maverick, starts singing with her. I think I had a perma-smile on my face as I read this story.
I loved that Summer stepped in to help John out at his restaurant when he needed someone to help run the front of the house for the summer. They had the sweetest flirtiest courtship where they truly did start off as friends, even though they had been attracted to one another from the moment they met. John and Summer as a couple gave me all the happy feels, and I loved every moment of their journey. Even with a few bumps along the way for John and Summer, Hush, Puppy absolutely brought me so much joy, and I really wasn’t ready for this story to end.
Roxanne St. Claire gives her readers one of her best stories ever with Hush, Puppy. I really can’t overstate the amount of joy I found from this book. I loved seeing John, Summer, Destiny, and Mavvie become their own little family. Hush, Puppy is the perfect romance for readers who love a story filled with joy, laughter, and hope. Roxanne St. Claire knocked it out of the ballpark with this book!
Rating: 5 Stars (A+)
Review copy provided by publisher
This time the two grandmothers have their sites set on John Santorini as their next matchmaking project and Summer practically falls into their laps as they have the perfect plan for this young mother and her precious little girl. John doesn’t know what has hit him when he meets Summer and cute as pie Destiny.
A lovely romance and I loved it! Throw in an adorable 6 year old, little girl, a sweet puppy, a nice guy who is very hot and you have a story that is pure romance. There are a few nail-biting scenes, there are tears and laughter, a page turning plot, a couple of matchmaking grandmothers and an entire family that makes you want to go live right in the middle of them. Hush Puppy has all the feel good ingredients that Roxanne St Clair has perfected in her story telling. This is a great second chance for our hero and heroine in more ways than one. Hush Puppy is up there as one of my favorites in this series and I highly recommend this book!
Destiny and Mav are just so cute! Summer comes to Bitter Bark to apologize to someone and found so much more than she was looking for. It was instant love between Mav and Destiny. The problem is that Mav is John’s dog, but Destiny loves him so much. As John is trying to get his business to go national, Summer decides to stay a while and help him. John is afraid to risk his heart to a woman and girl who may be only temporary. Will they stay, or will they go back home and break John’s heart?
Summer comes to Bitter Bark with her young daughter to meet a man she feels she owes an apology to. Circumstances happen – her daughter claims a puppy that belongs to someone else, she meets the Godmothers, then she meets John, who happens to own the puppy that has stolen her daughter’s heart. There are some business issues John is going through and some misconceptions along the way but, in the end, things just might turn out right for both Summer and John.
I love this series, the godmothers, the town – everything!
I received an ARC of this book for an honest review.
Kilcannons, Mahoneys, Santorinis, OH MY! No one does heartwarming like Roxanne St. Claire. Cuteness jumps off every page and romance is not far behind. The Dogmothers are at it again and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Hush, Puppy is a heartbreaker. Destiny and Maverick are an adorable combination. Summer and John bring the heat. YiaYia and Finnie bring the mischief and their larger than life family shares the love. There’s a smile waiting to be found and St Claire never ceases to deliver the goods.
Review courtesy of Romance Junkies
John “Yianni” Santorini runs his family’s Greek deli. He plans to franchise his restaurant. But first, John needs to impress a certain investor. The only hiccup in his plans is the lack of a hostess and a problematic landlord. Summer Jackson seems to be the answer to John’s needs. It also helps him that her five-year-old daughter has a strong attachment to his puppy Maverick. Will John give Maverick up to Summer’s daughter? And can he convince his potential investor to finance his restaurant?
Summer Jackson is a third-grade teacher. She and her daughter visit Bitter Bark, North Carolina, for the summer. Summer has another agenda for her visit: to find her late husband’s army friend and apologize to him. Instead, she runs into John and Maverick. John may know where Summer can start her search. She agrees to help him as his restaurant’s hostess for the season. Will Summer find the person she is looking for? Or will she realize that John is the better man?
John is such a sweetheart! He is the type of man who prefers logic over emotions. That does not mean he is unfeeling or cold, quite the contrary actually. I adore how noble and considerate John is towards Summer. When she needed space and time, he never balked or complained but respected her request. What I love the most about John is his interaction with Destiny, Summer’s daughter. He had no ulterior motives in helping the girl with her speech impediment or other things. John genuinely wanted Destiny to achieve her dreams.
Summer is the perfect fit for John. I understand her troubles with guilt. I am the same way. Guilt likes to plague my thoughts too. I adore how Summer refuses to enable her daughter because of her handicap. She tries to teach Destiny important life lessons without giving into her demands, even though it is sometimes hard to do. What I like most about Summer is how she handles the Dogmother’s matchmaking. She does not let either Grammie Finnie or Yiayia intimidate her, especially the latter. She handles their meddling with aplomb.
HUSH, PUPPY is book five in Roxanne St. Claire’s charming contemporary series, THE DOGMOTHERS. The story can easily stand alone. However, I highly commend reading the prior books and novellas to grasp the Santorini-Mahoney-Kilcannon family dynamics. I love how the characters from the previous books and the spin off series show up intermittently throughout the story.
HUSH, PUPPY is a cute yet super sweet tale of fate helping two people find what they truly need. This series never fails in making me smile or feel lighter inside. I cannot wait to see which Santorini or Mahoney is next for the octogenarian matchmakers!
Review courtesy of romance junkies
Hush Puppy by Roxanne St Claire
Dogmothers, book 4 which is a spin-off (continuation) of the Dogfather matchmaker series. Contemporary romance with all the emotional feels.
Always includes adorable dogs for adoption and generally sweet irresistible children. Not to mention firemen and pilots and singers and accountants. The whole swoon worthy extended family.
Oh, the singing contest! And then the dancing! So wonderful I was crying. It was perfect and so sweet.
Heat level low.
Love, love, love these heart-warming romances.
The last pages after the book includes a Dogfather/Dogmothers Family Reference Guide which recaps the two series and family connections quite nicely.
Excerpt:
“She just stared at him, keeping her mouth closed in case something really, really embarrassing popped out, like, Why, yes, I’m in love with you. With each passing second, she could feel herself slipping deeper and deeper, like she could actually drown in how much she liked him.
He leaned forward, looking a little pleased with himself. “Ella said she and Darcy used to play with it [the karaoke machine] as kids and thought it might be up in the attic at Waterford, and sure enough, there it was. I brought it back with a few cassettes and…” He glanced at Destiny as one of her many giggles floated over to them. “I thought you might want to let her play with it to learn and practice coming in on time.”
“That would be…awesome.”
“Maybe perform for us or a smaller group to get her comfortable before Monday. We’re having dinner Sunday at Waterford, remember? Maybe that would be a comfortable place to try it. Maybe she’d like to… What’s wrong? Summer? Bad idea? God, I’m sorry.”
“No, no.” She croaked the word and lost the fight against the tears in her eyes. One blink, and it was all over. “You just went way past sweet,” she said gruffly, barely able to talk because her throat was so thick.
It took him a second to figure out what she meant, making him laugh softly. “I thought I’d already reached sexy.”
“Past that, too,” she managed. “Teetering on irresistible.”
He reached over the table to touch her hand. “I’m going to take that as a yes, we can let her play with it.”
“Yes,” she whispered. “And you can stop right there.”
He lifted his brows in question.
“Because what comes after irresistible is…”
Excerpt From Hush, Puppy by Roxanne St. Claire
Loved every single thing about this book! John and Summer’s story is heartwarming, fun, romantic, full of wonderful characters, and had a dash of mystery, drama, and suspense. This story gives you all the feels and keeps you thoroughly entertained from start to finish. One of my favorite series by one of my favorite authors!
This is the fifth book in Roxanne St Claire’s Dogmothers series. It totally stands alone but it is fun if you know the back stories of the (many) family characters.
It is the story of John Santorini and Summer Jackson. It also features John’s lab puppy Maverick and Summer’s 6-year-old daughter Destiny.
John has had a couple of dreams yanked away from him. He wanted to be a Top Gun pilot but his bad eyesight precluded that job. He wanted to develop and run a series of restaurants. He got the training and made the business plan and was ready to go when his father got cancer and he had to go home and run the family deli. That was the end of the franchising plans.
But now he has three deli restaurants, and the flagship one is in Bitter Bark, North Carolina. Home of the Dogmothers, whose matchmaking is legendary. He has made a plan to franchise Santorini’s Deli restaurants and is on the verge of getting financing so his dream can be a reality. And his brother has married into the Kincaid family. Aiden Kincaid is an instructor and is training John for his FAA pilot’s license and then John will assist Aiden in flying the Kincaid plane to re-home dogs. Life is looking up.
John has learned to use his brain and plan. He does not want to do anything by how it feels. Boy, does he have a lot to learn when Summer and Destiny come to Bitter Bark!
This is a sweet story with Ms. St. Claire’s usual happy ending.
I voluntarily read an Advanced Reader Copy and I am happy to tell people about it.
I was charmed from page one right through to the end of this one! John Santorini has a new puppy and that is not always the easiest thing to have when you are trying to run a business, especially one you are struggling to get funding for an expansion for and while taking Maverick out for a walk and answering a call with the investor Mav is ambushed by the cutest little girl who declares him to be her new puppy. The little girl also comes with the prettiest mommy and the two of them work their way into his life and heart and the hearts of the Dogmothers and the rest of the family. I found myself laughing and shedding a few tears. This was the perfect book to read in this trying time. Roxie, in this series has given us many great books and they can all be read as standalone books but as they make one great big, loud Irish and Greek family and every one is special.
There is just so much goodness in the newest Dogmother book, Hush Puppy, by Roxanne St. Claire I just don’t know where to begin. I don’t think I have ever read a book with a little girl in it who stole my heart as fast as Destiny did. She is a force to be reckoned with in the best possible way. Summer (Destiny’s mom) and Destiny come to Bitter Bark to choose a puppy and maybe on another mission as well. John Santorini is the owner/manager of the family business Santorini’s Deli with dreams of a major expansion. The chemistry between Summer and John is off the charts. The Dogmother’s might not have to work so hard with this match. We’ll see!! I absolutely love this series and this author. She writes characters who are down to earth, family oriented, and have hearts-of-gold. St. Claire’s heroes are not only swoon-worthy but are the best alphas when they fall for their women. Her heroines are beautiful, smart, sassy, and so strong. There was a good bit of sexual tension until John and Summer figure out what they are going to do about their attraction to one another. I really could feel the emotion this time (like always) but there was something more maybe because there seemed to be some suspense going on with the various situations. Wow, I just loved John, Summer, Destiny, and Maverick/Mav. Without recounting the entire story please trust that if you love family sagas, lots of dogs, feel good stories with HEA then you will enjoy Hush Puppy even if it is your first Dogfather/Dogmother book. They are stand-alones with a connection to prior books. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. So easy to give this one 5stars*****
There is nothing like the feeling you get from reading a Roxanne St. Claire book. They definitely take me to a happy place that I wish I didn’t have to leave. Her characters are always so perfectly meant for one another that you know they are going to end up together no matter what problems or grief they are having.
John and Summer are no exception to the St. Claire “meant to be” rule. How the mighty do fall! John is a tall, in control of his life, smart as a whip kind of guy, but you can’t always think your way out of what your heart wants. John’s heart definitely wants Summer and her enchanting young daughter who has clamped HER heart around John’s dog, Maverick.
Summer is dealing with grief and guilt..and trying to teach her precocious daughter that she can’t just take John’s dog. They have to return home and leave Maverick and John behind. The Godmother matchmakers are determined that that won’t happen–and they’ll have another success under their belts!
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
Oh this book. John is super focused on his business plan for the family deli. Summer is a widowed mother who is in Bitter Bark to find her husband’s friend and her daughter a dog. What better place to find a dog then a place where the mayor is a dog? Density is so cute. From her stutter to the fact she falls hard for Mav , John’s puppy, at first sight.
I laughed at points, my heart broke for both Summer and John (at different points and for different reasons), and there was even a part that I shared the characters’s fear. Each book in the series is so good that I feel like I am living in Bitter Bark with all the Kilcannon, Santorini, and Mahoney family.
This is a wonderful, feel good story! The latest Dogmothers book features John, owner of Santorini’s Greek Restaurant and Summer, the woman the Dogmothers have pegged as his “happily ever after”. Include her charming daughter, Destiny, and his adorable puppy, and we have a heartwarming story about sometimes putting feelings over logic, of forgiving oneself and letting go of guilt, of being brave and going after your dreams, and of finding true love. I laughed, I cried, I loved every minute! I highly recommend this book!
WOW! Roxanne St. Claire has done it again and delivered another smash hit Dogmother matchmaking romance with Hush, Puppy, the fourth book in The Dogmothers series. I received an ARC for honest review, and I could truly say that Hush, Puppy was an incredible romance that I could not put it down. Who doesn’t love big families, romance, sexy men, and dogs! I love that Hush, Puppy is narrated from the viewpoint of the main characters. I really enjoy getting the perspective from those characters. Once again, Roxanne St. Claire has shown that she is an amazing storyteller who delivers truly page turning romances. Hush, Puppy is filled with heartbreaking and heartwarming moments. I love the big, loving, Irish, Greek, Kilcannon-Mahoney-Santorini family! I feel like each book feels like a family reunion and gives readers a chance to catch up with all the Kilcannons, Mahoneys and Santorinis. I love the nickname of Andi and Liam’s daughter, Fiona is Wee Fee! Hush Puppy, is the story of John “Yianni” Santorini, the brains behind the Santorinis restaurants and Summer Jackson, single mother to Destiny and third grade teacher from Orlando, Florida, and John’s dog, Maverick “Mav”. John is more of a thinker and needs to learn how to feel. Summer uses guilt as her crutch and needs to overcome her feelings of guilt when things do not go as planned. John is looking for a franchising opportunity for Santorinis and is in the park talking to a potential investor, when Destiny runs up and claims Mav as her own. Summer told Destiny that they were heading to Bitter Bark to get her a dog for her sixth birthday, in reality, Summer is looking for Travis Shipley, a friend of her late husband, Isaiah, who was killed in action in Afghanistan. Summer befriended Travis following Isaiah’s death, and she wants to apologize to Travis for ghosting him several years ago, after he confessed having feelings for Summer. During their conversations, Travis always talked about Hoagies and Heroes, the business that the Shipleys ran in the building that Santorinis now occupies. Summer goes to Santorinis in search of information about Travis, and runs into the Dogmothers, and then “Yianni”. Summer agrees to help John out with hostessing duties, while Destiny attends Tails and Trails Camp with Maverick daily, and in return, Summer and Destiny will live in the apartment above John’s house. While working and living close together, Summer and John give into their feelings, for John starts as a “Summer fling”, since he expects that Summer will return to Orlando after her vacation concludes. I am so happy with the evolution of both John and Summer throughout the book, and how John is willing to allow Destiny to keep Mavvie after the two become inseparable. Hush, Puppy is filled with all those things that I have come to love and expect in Roxanne St. Claire’s stories. I love the bittersweet and poignant moments that filled this page turner. My favorite parts are the surprise plot twists, that keeps me guessing how everything will get resolved to the characters get their happily ever after. As always, I love Gramma Finnie and YiaYia, and their matchmaking abilities. I was so happy that Roxanne included a crush for Christian, in Hush, Puppy. I also really enjoyed John’s memories of his father. Hush, Puppy was a wonderful story filled with everything that I love in a book. Cannot wait to be reunited with my favorite Irish and Greek family members when the Dogmothers work their magic with Declan.
I had so much fun reading this book, I even laughed out loud a time or two. In this troubled time, we need to escape into a gentle world. That world is found in Bitter Bark. The family is large and loving, the town is a happy place, and the Dog Mothers are always working on another love match.
John is running his Greek restaurant and he’s in need of a front end hostess. Summer is in town to apologize to her late husband’s best friend. Summer’s daughter is a shy girl who has fallen in love with Mav, John’s puppy. Together, they find love and a future together. The story involves some disappointment, many life goals, and the blooming of a young girl.
This is a well written book that transports you to a much kinder world where life outside almost doesn’t exist. I recommend this book.
I received the book as an advanced reader copy and this is a voluntary review.