These adorable service puppies are matchmakers in the making…Lila Vasquez might not be the “fun one” at Puppy Promise—the service puppy training school she runs with her sisters—but she can always be counted on to gets things done. So when her latest client shows an interest in princess gowns over power suits, Lila puts aside her scruples, straps on the glittery heels, and gets to work.If only … heels, and gets to work.
If only the adorable six-year-old’s father wasn’t such an appealing Prince Charming.
Ford’s whole life revolves around his daughter…until he meets Lila. Smart, capable, and amazing at helping Emily gain confidence with her new service puppy at her side, Lila is everything he ever wanted—but she’s way out of his league. Good thing Emily and her new pup are up to the matchmaking task. This Christmas, it’s all hands (and paws) on deck!
Service Puppies Series:
Puppy Love (Book 1)
Puppy Christmas (Book 2)
Puppy Kisses (Book 3)
more
Another grounded, well-balanced gem from Lucy Gilmore!
Of the three Vasquez sisters, I think I most identify with Lila so I was thrilled that her story was second in line. She did so much soul-searching and growing in these pages. It was a treat to watch and experience that with her. Emily is adorable and so realistic. I think that children can sometimes be difficult to capture without making a caricature of them; Lucy did a lovely job here. Ford Ford is hilarious (how can he not be) but also earnest and sweet. I’ve had friends like him.
I love how real Lucy Gilmore’s writing is. It goes beyond the normal tropes of the genre and tackles real issues. She keeps the story light but not superficial. I could stand to see a bit more drama and gravitas in the stories, but that’s more personal taste than anything. Her stories are uplifting and exactly what I needed during this pandemic.
I cannot wait to read the next one!
***3.5 Stars***
Overall, this was a sweet read, but not one that I fell absolutely in love with, more I fell in “Like” with it. Lila and Ford were interesting in that they appear to be absolute opposites, and they are on the surface, but beneath it all they are quite insecure and their ways of dealing were interesting to say the least. I will say that I liked Ford and Lila together because they ended up balancing each other out and helping the other to see that they were good exactly as they were ~ faults, insecurities and all.
What made this read fun for me was Emily, Jeeves and watching as the pup helped Emily branch out. The moments with them were adorable and had me grinning like a fool more often than not.
Also, I actually liked that there were no absolute baddies here, something that could have been with a couple of characters, but didn’t happen. These are all down to earth people making mistakes, working through them and living their lives.
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~
Sparkling, funny dialogue, princesses and puppies… what’s not to love? All the characters including the secondary are well drawn and engaging. The disabilty service dog angle added interest. I prefer novels where conflict is built of everyday life issues such as employment and single parenting instead of violent stalkers and amnesia. This novel is a perfect Christmas feel good, with a fun romance at the heart.
Another wonderful story in this series!
Awesome book
To reach their HEA, Lila and Ford must remove the masks they show to the world and let someone else in. Though it takes a strong push from her sister’s and Ford’s daughter Emily, both realize letting go of perceptions only makes things better.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.
Emily has been granted a service dog for her hearing disability. Lila is the oldest Vasquez sister at Puppy Promise – the service puppy training school she runs with her sisters. Each of the women has their strengths, making their business such a success. Lila’s is that she always gets things done. She didn’t know anything about children but when her latest client (a 6 year old girl) is interested in princesses, Lila puts on a pink dress and gets to work.
I liked Ford and Lila. They both had self-esteem issues that they helped each other with. Lila saw that Ford used flirting to hide his sensitivity to being hurt. Lila didn’t feel confident around men after an ex told her she was cold. I loved how they both learned how to be more open and honest. That helped bring them closer together.
This story had me laughing throughout at the banter between Ford and Leila. I chuckled when Ford spelled words so Emily wouldn’t know what he was saying.
Overall, this was a very emotionally charged novel that has captured my heart. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to romantic comedy enthusiasts.
What a cute story. I feel in love with Emily and you will too. She was adorable. Now I want to go back and read the first book in this series. Thank you SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
I loved everything about this book, from the charming hero, the witty banter, the sweet hearing-impaired little girl in need of a service dog to the heartwarming Christmas puppy content. It was just perfect!
Puppy Christmas, the second book in Lucy Gilmore’s Forever Home series, is an adorable story filled with plenty of emotion and scenes that had me laughing out loud. It’s the first I’ve read by Gilmore, and I really enjoyed it.
Ford Ford (oh, that name!) is a charming, single dad raising his precocious daughter, Emily, who has a hearing disability. His personal life has been on hold and, while he flirts with and makes the single ladies laugh, he doesn’t feel able to offer them anything else.
“Once upon a time he’d had suavity. Heaps of it, in fact. But it had long since been buried under stale Cheerios and lost sippy cup lids.”
Lila Vasquez runs Puppies Promise, a service puppy training school, with her sisters. She is unflappable, responsible and wasn’t a woman who normally “sparkled.” Her inner princess comes out when she attends a fundraiser for the hearing services community, for which she has donated a service dog and training. Lila meets and connects with Emily and Ford, who are each fascinated with Lila.
“This sort of thing might be ordinary for you, but we don’t run into beautiful princesses every day.”
When Emily is chosen as the recipient of the service dog, Lila must handle her attraction to Ford while building a relationship with Emily and teaching her about her puppy. She is pulled out of her comfort zone when Emily wants her to be her friend, and Ford asks her to be his fake girlfriend as a buffer against the neighborhood ladies.
Gilmore develops true-to-life, down-to-earth characters, and her writing style will keep you turning the pages. Even though it is the second in the series, it can be read as a stand alone. I definitely look forward to reading more from this series.
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Puppy Christmas (Forever Home Book 2) by Lucy Gilmore
416 pages
Publication date: September 24, 2019
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
4
Lila Vasquez might not be the “fun one” at Puppy Promise—the service puppy training school she runs with her sisters—but she can always be counted on to gets things done. So when her latest client shows an interest in princess gowns over power suits, Lila puts aside her scruples, straps on the glittery heels, and gets to work.If only the adorable six-year-old’s father wasn’t such an appealing Prince Charming.
Ford’s whole life revolves around his daughter…until he meets Lila. Smart, capable, and amazing at helping Emily gain confidence with her new service puppy at her side, Lila is everything he ever wanted—but she’s way out of his league. Good thing Emily and her new pup are up to the matchmaking task. This Christmas, it’s all hands (and paws) on deck!
MY REVIEW
PUPPY CHRISTMAS is a sweet, fun, realistic Christmas love story . Emily and her service pup Jeeves stole my heart ! Emily is hearing-impaired and has two cochlear implants. This cute story is so hilarious. I laughed so much reading it. ( Which got me some strange looks in the dr. Office. ) Puppy Christmas by Lucy Gilmore is the second book in her Forever Home series and is as good as her first.Thank you to the publisher,Author &Net Galley for my arc for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Puppy Christmas (Forever Home Book 2)
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Shelby –
Book two in the Forever Home series can be read as a standalone, but so far, this entire series has been great.
Meet the Vasquez sisters, the women who run Puppy Promise, a service dog training school. Lila Vasquez is the eldest sister, she’s serious, driven, and in her own words “no fun.” She may be the serious sister, but if allowed, she knows how to enjoy herself.
Ford Ford provides some welcome comedy. His name alone is worth a laugh, but beyond that he is a funny guy. A single father who dotes on his daughter, Ford is doing everything in his power to afford his hearing disabled child the best care possible. When Ford and Emily win a scholarship for a service dog, Lila is introduced to the goofy dad and provides some seriousness to the fray.
This book has it all: comedy, drama, romance, and covers all the emotions. I truly fell for all these characters and want to follow them throughout their lives. Emily, especially, grabbed my heart – I loved seeing her grow in confidence with her puppy pal. Mostly my heart fell in love with Ford and Lila. Watching these two adults overcome their own insecurities, find comfort in one another, and truly learn to give in was beautiful.
I cannot wait for Dawn’s story!!
Ruthie –
This is the second book in the series – I have not read book one, however I intend to do so, as this is a really well written book, and I need to get Sophie’s story too. The series is based on the service dog training school run by three sisters.
Lila is the serious, older sister, who had to help hold the family together as baby sister Sophie went through cancer treatment. She has never really dropped the responsibility habit, and her last boyfriend said some incredibly hurtful things to her about being cold-hearted. It was really sad to see how much this had affected her – but meeting Ford and Emily seems destined to revise her opinion.
Six-year-old Emily has been awarded a service dog to help her with her hearing loss. Lila is going to train them both for six weeks, and so more or less joins the household. She finds herself attracted to Emily’s single dad, Ford, and also unexpectedly enjoying herself with Emily’s obsession with princesses. It is fun and sweet, with a fabulous undercurrent of chemistry between the adults which simmers very nicely. Lila can’t really believe that he has any interest in her, but Ford is definitely determined to win her heart and hand.
Any book with a lot of gorgeous puppies in it would be fabulous, but this one also tells a lovely romance, with a very happy ending.
Reviewers received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
Absolutely adorable!
Lila and Ford’s story was a whole lot of fun to read–the romance was really sweet, the puppy and Ford’s little girl were too cute for words, and Ford’s apparently contagious habit of spelling not-appropriate-for-six-year-olds words out loud made me LOL more than once. The secondary characters (Lila’s sisters and Ford’s next door neighbor, as well as Emily and her cockapoo Jeeves) felt realistic and fairly fleshed out, not as if they’re just there to advance the plot for our main characters.
Ms. Gilmore did a good job of showing the (many) insecurities that Lila and Ford had that were getting in the way of their relationship without making them overblown and ridiculous–even as they did their best to break my (and their) hearts, I got why they were doing and why they believed what they did–and yet, the ways she had them get over them and find their HEA also worked out well. It was more than a little heartbreaking to realize that Lila’s whole idea of how everyone else saw her her whole life was so off–that wasn’t all the fault of her ex–but seeing her begin to realize her true worth was wonderful. Ford too saw himself as less-than, though it manifested itself totally differently than in Lila–and his turnaround too was really rewarding. When I realized that this is just Lucy Gilmore’s second published book, I was twice as impressed!
This was my first book from Ms Gilmore, but definitely not my last! Book 1 ( Puppy Love –) is already on my TBR, and book 3 (middle sister Dawn’s, I presume) will join it, as soon as it has a title 🙂
Rating: 4 stars / A-
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
4.5
Cute and fun
This is my first book by Lucy Gilmore.
What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Ford’s humor
Part of a series: Forever Home
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue
I look forward to reading the other books in this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC from NetGalley.
Lucy Gilmore is quickly becoming my go-to author for contemporary romance that has a comic tone to it. Puppy Christmas is the second in the Forever Home Series that feature the sisters who own and run Puppy Promise. Besides the wonderfully engaging sisters there is always a dog who is as much a main character as the human counterparts.
I fell in love with Jeeves about the time that six-year-old Emily did, while also falling for her too. I could identify with Lila Vasquez. While I had never been called “the fun sponge” (What an expression!) I have been told I am too serious. Lila is fun so I loved her transformation when she is with Emily and Ford. Ford, well it is awesome that Lila saw deep inside of him because I would have pegged him as shallow. The author did an amazing job at bring his depth out through the eyes of Lila.
Loved the banter between Lila and Ford, will never trust anyone with too white teeth and hope that all in real life have service dogs and trainers like the ones in these books. Captivating, humorous, and oh so romantic even with a six-year-old almost always nearby.
I can highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a smile, not just at Christmas but any old day of the year.
An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Wow, just Wow. This was an amazing story. It was a wonderfully well written Christmas romance with amazing characters. The story flowed seamlessly in this character driven storyline. Ford and Lila were endearing characters and I loved Emily and Jeeves. Is is not only a Christmas romance, it is a story about love, hope family and friends. If you like Christmas Romances or well written romances or stories about adorable puppies, or just amazing stories in general, then you will love this book. If you only have time to read one Christmas romance book this year, I would highly recommend this one. I have read many and this is the best one yet.
THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD!
Lila is a CHAMPION, and I mean that in the BEST ways possible. The moment we met her in her moment of feeling lost in a crowded room (think wearing a not-typical outfit of pink ballroom gown style tulle – but honestly, it sounds SO pretty!), see her try to escape elegantly only to be ensnared by the tears and sniffles of a 6 year old, watch her pretend to be a princess all for the sake of that same said child, and fall unexpectedly under the spell of her very own potential Prince Charming (this time without the abnormally white teeth)…I…was…sold. Ford Ford…yes, that’s his name, not a typo…is the complete package; he just doesn’t know it. He flirts A LOT, but it’s good natured and reciprocated fun, not over the top, back-the-heck-off-mister kind of stuff…and he’s totally dedicated to the “little lady” in his life. Though they are the leads, we can’t forget Emily and Jeeves! Emily is the DARLING little girl that holds Ford’s heart in her hands, and Jeeves is her new service pup in training. The way Emily carries her little self, and takes on the big girl responsibilities, she’s not easy to forget. It was great to see Jeeves conquer the obstacles stacked before him and become an intricate part of this little family.
All in all, a FABULOUS read that will have you gladly unburying the holiday decorations a few months early!
**eARC received for review; opinions are my own
I loved book one in the series and couldn’t wait for this one.
The series centers around three sisters who own Puppy Promise, a service training school . They match the dogs with those in need .
This time the story belongs to the oldest sister, Lila Vazquez. She’s the organizer, the take charge and the giver of the group. Sometimes to her own detriment making some think that she is not affected by anything, and is cold and unfeeling. When in reality, it’s just the opposite.
The service dog is going to a child with a hearing impediment, whose single Dad, Ford, will do anything for his sweet daughter Emily.
This vulnerable trio will touch your hearts. This story, with a well develop plot and characters that are perfect in their imperfections, is at times heartbreaking , at others funny , as well as touching and heartwarming.
Another winner in this series.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley and Sourcebooks. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
Get ready to laugh your way through this super fun story! There’s the sweetest little girl and her adorable service puppy, her funny and sexy single dad and the puppy trainer who falls for all three of them.
Lila Vasquez, who co-owns Puppy Promise with her two sisters, feels like a real loser. It’s all her two sisters’ fault. They thought the nonprofit event with the Once Upon a Time theme meant it was a costume party. They couldn’t have been more wrong. No, it’s an upscale elegant event complete with a string quartet for entertainment. Lila is so embarrassed. Here she is in her “costume,” a full-skirted bubble gum pink gown complete with glitter. Lots and lots of glitter. She can’t leave this event either. She and her sisters have donated a service puppy and their personal training and the lucky winner will be announced here tonight. Then, as luck would have it, her ex-boyfriend (Yes the one who broke up with her because she was too “perfect” said in a voice of distain.) enters the ballroom. Oh no! Escape! She finds an Energency Exit stairway and heads down to a first floor landing. She just has to regroup and try to avoid the guy until she has to return to the ballroom for the big announcement. Alone and safe! Not quite. She hears a sniffling sound and discovers a little girl in a bubble gum pink dress similar to her own. Seems six-year-old Emily is lost. She calms down when she decides that Lila is a true princess. As Princess Lila is about to take Emily to find her dad he finds them. Our hero has arrived! So even though our hero has the ridiculous name Ford Ford that doesn’t take away from his sexy good looks, humorous wit and loving heart. Plus when Lila meets him she finds he smells so good. Like aftershave and peanut butter(?). So begins the fun and laughter.
Puppy Christmas by Lucy Gilmore is the second book in her Forever Home series. This series is centered around three sisters who run Puppy Promise, a service puppy training school. All three sisters are fun, loveable characters. This story highlights the oldest sister, Lila, the staid, responsible “too perfect” one. At the nonprofit event Lila discovered that Emily Ford was the recipient of the donated service puppy and training. Emily is hearing-impaired and has two cochlear implants. Both Emily and her single dad Ford are such personable characters that I fell in love with them and I fell in love with the Lila (Princess Lila) who fell in love with Ford and Emily. The dialogue in this story is the best part. The lines Ford comes up with are “laugh out loud” fun. I loved this story and readers of Romantic Comedy will love it too. And yes, even those readers who prefer more traditional contemporary romance books will love this book too!
This single parent romance was a super fun read for many reasons, but I’ll start with Lila and Ford. Lila runs Puppy Promise with her siblings. In the first book, I would have said she was really uptight and serious. However, getting to know and explore what made Lila tick gave me a much better appreciation for why she was who she was. I don’t think she was emotionally closed off. Lila just hadn’t found the right person to unlock what made her tick. Then Ford in all his glory popped on the scene!
Ford may have had physical appeal, but he wasn’t a typical male lead. He’s a single dad who lives in a modest home, drives a minivan, and eeks out a decent living illustrating coffee machines. And he’s okay with that. His daughter is his world and he wants to make sure he can put her first. He’s also great at deflecting personal questions with jokes of all kinds and can put anyone at ease with a snap of his fingers. Yet there’s something about Lila that thaws his heart in places he didn’t know still had room for someone else, besides his daughter, Emily. But is it worth risking another broken heart to reach for someone who appears to be much better off without him?
I loved Puppy Christmas sooooo much! From the zany supporting characters (to live on a street with that many single moms speaks highly of Ford’s ability to stay single and still be supportive friends with them all) to Ford’s adorably cheeky humor, Emily and her princess obsession, her service dog, Jeeves the cockapoo, and the wonderfully charged romance between Lila and Ford… there isn’t any part of the story I disliked…well, maybe a longer epilogue. Like a few years down the road or something:)
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca. All thoughts and opinions are my own.