Loving someone is something you never forget how to do . . . Zoe Hornsby has enough on her plate. Her pet grooming business tucked inside her friends’ veterinarian clinic is busy, and all her free time outside of work is dedicated to caring for her mother’s ailing mind. Dating is certainly not on her agenda. For all she cares, the town gossips of Redwood Ridge, Oregon, can set their … Oregon, can set their matchmaking sights on someone else. Because no way would she consider sexy veterinarian Drake O’Grady her perfect guy. Once upon a time, she may have harbored a little crush, but he’d only had eyes for her best friend. And the crazy attraction building between her and Drake now? Down boy, down.
After Drake lost his wife to cancer, he’s finally clawed his way out of grief and beginning to feel more like a part of the human race. But he’s appalled to learn his prying family thinks he’s ready to jump in the dating pool. And the woman they thrust at him couldn’t be more inappropriate. As his dead wife’s best friend, Zoe is off limits. Even if they seem to share a common sadness, she is too potent a personality to get romantically tangled with. Yet she’s making his heart beat and blood roar like he never thought it could again. And he doesn’t want to just exist anymore . . .
Praise for the Redwood Ridge Romances!
“The chemistry is sizzling in this series opener.”
—Library Journal
“Moran’s knack for connecting with her characters on a deep emotional level makes her latest a Top Pick.” —RT Book Reviews, 4.5 Stars, Top Pick
“Puppy Love is a riveting romance that will pull at your heartstrings and not let go.”
—Patrice Wilton, New York Times bestselling author
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If you’re a Jill Shalvis fan, Kelly Moran should be on your auto-buy list. New Tricks is a heart-touching, toe-curling, binge-worthy read, and puts Kelly firmly on my list of beloved romance authors.
**Five stars***
I just love Kelly Moran’s writing and characters. I love that each book in this series draws attention to disorders (autism, deafness) and mental health, and that it doesn’t mean you’re automatically an outcast. The characters are likeable and so relatable.
This is heartwarming and heartbreaking friends to lovers and second chance romance story.
Drake and Zoe were absolutely adorable and so amazing characters. These two together were a dynamite. I loved their friendship and the way they were with each other. Zoe is fierce, stubborn, opinionated, sarcastic, smart ass, understanding, caring person with a great one-liners. But under that tough act she’s also vulnerable and doesn’t let anybody to see that which she consider a weakness. Drake is broody, moody, smart, understanding, loving, caring, protective, thoughtful and sexy guy. They are so different but they match and just fit together. I love how he’s protective and caring of Zoe and also so patient with her. He’s also tenacious. I admired Drake’s strength and how understanding he was. I love their friendship and it was a good base to start their relationship. They are so super supportive of one another and can lean on each other. Their chemistry was just combustible. I love how both of them just let themselves to love and be loved.
I love Drake’s brothers and their dogs, and love how they support each other and their brotherhood.
Highly recommend this series and this book as a summer read.
Favorite Quotes:
And you call yourself my friend. Get out of my house. And don’t come back without cupcakes or tequila.
Zoe was dangerously close to hyperventilating. Her lungs had shrunken to prunes and her throat was tighter than Spanx.
He was man enough to admit he couldn’t handle her. With a passing glance, she had the ability to make a guy weep, beg for mercy, eat out of the palm of her hand, lose all thought process, shrivel his goods, and have him believe he wanted all of it.
I’ve talked to animals the same way all my life. Identical to how I converse with men— slowly and with as few syllables as possible.
Whatever you posted, just take it down. You’re like a geriatric small-town version of Gossip Girl, and I’m fed up.
My dentist was like, you need a crown, and I was all like, I know, right? A sparkly one.
My Review:
I have enjoyed each of the three books in this engaging series although New Tricks was the most emotive, angsty and melancholy of the three as both main characters had experienced significant trauma and loss. I reveled in the cranky Drake coming alive again after mourning his wife for four years and was thrilled it was Zoe who caused his heart to thump. Zoe’s situation squeezed my heart, as her dilemma is a very real and relevant concern for many. I adore Kelly Moran’s vivid and expressive writing style, for example, she described Drake’s eyes as, “the shade of forbidden chocolate.” And I enjoyed the amusing banter and updates of the continuing stories of the siblings and co-workers from previous books as well as the Battleaxes who also return to meddle, gossip, and stir up small-town drama.
This is book 3 in the Redwood Ridge series. This story has emotional, love inspiring, some sexy stuff and smart mouth stuff in it. This story is about Drake O’Grady and Zoe Hornsby. Drake lost his wife Heather to Ovarian Cancer 4 years ago and all of Zoe’s spare time outside of work is dedicated to taking care of her mother who has Dementia. Heather and Zoe were best friends. Drake and Zoe work at the Veterinarian Clinic together. Drake starts to realize that he needs to starting dating again and when the Battleaxes find out it ends up on Twitter and a lot of the single women in Redwood Ridge try what they can to get Drake to date them but, he only wants to date Zoe. Zoe does everything in her power to avoid dating Drake because she hiding a huge fear. Drake does everything he can to get Zoe to change her mind and talk to him and explain why she won’t date him but, Zoe has a habit of running when she doesn’t want to discuss her fear with Drake. If you want to know what Zoe’s fear is and whether or not Drake and Zoe become an item, well you truly need to read this book!! I recommend this book to all but, I suggest you read the whole series staring with “Puppy Love (A Redwood Ridge Romance)” and “Tracking You (A Redwood Ridge Romance)” then read New Tricks (Redwood Ridge #3). I truly loved this story!!
Yes, this will is me, blubbering through yet another emotional review for a Kelly Moran book, but as long as she keeps writing them, I am pretty sure I will be blubbering… Because I am having a serious author crush on her and her writing style to take the stories so deep to the dark corners of the human mind, to the hidden emotions that make us so vulnerable, to the depth of the passion and adoration that makes lovers inseparable…
And in New Tricks she touches an issue within a family that had me floored from the chapter one – the (early set) dementia and its consequences on any family it touches, and the tough, wrenching labor of love it is for the family members to witness it and take care of those who suffer from it. The moments with Zoe’s mom are filled with love and respect, yet so realistic and painful, as are the conflicted feelings Zoe has about her mother’s care.
The whole cast of characters won me over in the book one of the series, and even though these stories are standalone novels, the family is important to all of them, and thus all the members are playing an important role in each book.
I have been waiting to read about Drake and Zoe, to see how they manage to find their way to a romantic relationship, how they will get over Heather’s death, and the part she played in their lives. And it is a touching, beautiful, intense road, that had more roadblocks than expected, yet so filled with true love and scorching passion it had me smiling, sighing, swooning, and tearful through the night as I inhaled the story on one emotion-filled swoop.
Drake O’Grady is the hot, brooding, oldest brother and surgeon vet, and a widow. His high school sweetheart passed away four years ago, and it had taken Drake years to find the way out of the foggy existence of grief. His anchor and dear friend through it all, Zoe, is suddenly waking up feelings in him that baffle and scare him, while intriguing and alluring him to find out more. The battle to let go of the past was getting easier each day, now he just had to convince Zoe that the one he wanted to build future with was right there in front of him the whole time.
Zoe Hornsby is one tough, capable, colorful, independent lady. I admired her, I adored her, I wanted to be like her. She faces the storms of life head-on, showing no fear even though it is festering inside. She has a tender, loving, loyal heart, yet there aren’t many she is willing to show it or admit its existence to. She works hard, she takes care of her mother, she has given up her own life, her own goals, and dreams and even her teenage crush, yet she is no martyr, there is not an ounce of bitterness in her.
The connection and chemistry between Zoe and Drake are tangible and something so special, tender, sweet, hot, and sensuous it took my breath away. Yes, it is an emotional journey, yet the emotions touch the whole range from joy and jubilee to raw pain and fear.
Yet again the author has managed to stun me with the amount of emotional depth she manages to put into a story. The natural flow of the story keeps the mind hooked to the tale, the allure of the fascinating characters is strong, the road to happily ever after lined with both beauty and barries, and there’re pets, cute, doting doggies and cats…!
~ Five Spoons!
I received a complimentary copy of this book fro NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.
This was a great story. There were sections that I laughed so hard I almost cried. Then there were sections were tissues were needed. This book was full of angst. I haven’t read the prior stories but I definitely will. The author created characters that are so believable that they feel like friends. You would hate to miss their stories as well. The story had dual POVs which helped me to understand Zoe so much better in regard to her Mother’s illness and her perceived destiny. The plot flowed so smoothly that the pages flew by. I highly recommend this to anyone.
New Tricks by Kelly Moran
Redwood Ridge #3
So much, so very much in this story – and – all of it so very rich, touching and terrifically told. Zoe and Drake have lost so much over the years and so deserve happiness but it is not easily achieved for either one of them. I could not put this book down once I picked it up and I did not want the book to end because I wanted to find out what will happen next in Redwood Ridge. Drake lost his wife – a woman he loved dearly – and is coming back from grief. Zoe lost her best friend and is dealing with her mother’s chronic illness with personal issues impeding her move to a HEA. Zoe and Drake have been friends since they were born, went to school together, work together and after three decades may have a chance to be more than friends…maybe. This book (and series) deals with issues that are heavy – autism, deafness, death, loss, Alzheimer ’s disease…and more. It also talks of family, friends, support, caring, sharing, communication, community and made me want to immerse myself in the Redwood Ridge community.
Heartwarming, thought provoking, intense and oh so much more…this is a great book in a wonderful series – I am so glad I found this author!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books-Lyrical Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
Welcome back to Redwood! Oh how we have missed you! We get to catch up with town favorites, such as Cade and Avery, Flynn and Gabby, Drake plus Zoe… Can you smell the love in the air? For Zoe and Drake, it’s… well, complicated. Zoe has had a crush on Drake since they were teenagers, but as fate would have it Zoe’s best friend, Heather, acted first. I would say the rest was history, but there is way more to this story. Drake and Heather fall in love and marry, while Zoe sits on the sidelines and a be the great friend everyone knows she is.
Fast forward… Heather has passed away, Drake is living his life day-to-day without really living, and Zoe has put her life on hold to take care of her mother… but who is taking care of Zoe and Drake? Drake has always been great with doling out awesome advice when it comes to other people. Can he take advice when it comes to him?
Man does this story pull at your heartstrings! You know that Drake and Zoe deserve happiness and you want them to find it with each other. This story is charming, funny, and endearing. I had to fan myself when Drake started flirting… Hopefully the next book will be a “Where Are They Now?” and maybe even a Hallmark or Lifetime movie… I really need both of those in my life right now!