Is it too much to want the dog and the guy?I’ve never been one to take life too seriously. I’ve always been kind of a whirlwind free spirit—Dawn Vasquez, the girl with the sunny disposition and the flighty personality. But then an adorable golden retriever puppy in need of rescue crossed my path and everything changed. Now, I’m wondering just what life would be like if I put some roots down and … and offer Gigi, my rescue pup, the promise of a real home.Unfortunately, as I’m about to hunker down for some full-time puppy love, Adam Dearborn, a hopelessly buttoned-up cowboy rancher, enters the picture and insists he needs a guide dog and it must be Gigi. I’ve got no choice but to fight for my puppy and convince Adam that there are plenty of other dogs who would suit him. But somehow, our little tussle turns into a serious attraction, and now I’m wondering if for the price of a kiss, I can convince this handsome, slightly stuffy cowboy to take on both the puppy and me, so we can all have the chance of a forever home.
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This may be the first book I’ve read by Lucy Gilmore, but it definitely won’t be my last. I’ve purchased Sophie and Lila’s books so I can read their stories too. This story is centered around Dawn and Adam and of course Gigi and Uncle. This book had me flipping the pages as fast as I could. Adam is the owner of the Dearborn Ranch with his twin siblings, Zeke and Phoebe. When Zeke and Dawn are caught speeding, they have to think fast. They tell Sheriff Jenkins they’re taking the puppy to be Adam’s service dog. He follows them to verify their story, lol. Now, the story really gets started. I won’t leave any spoilers, but I will say that I loved all the wonderful characters in this book and how family is great thing to have. Grab your copy and see what happens.
I would like to thank NetGalley for my advanced reader copy of this book. This is my voluntary and honest review.
This third book in the series, gives us the story of the last unattached Vazquez sister, Dawn. The sisters own a service dog training center.
Dawn is the free spirit, and risk taker of the three, or is she? While that’s what she portrays, she really is a woman who cares deeply, and will do anything for those around her.
As the story begins we find her stealing an abused dog in order to save him. Not wanting the cop that stops them to give her friend a ticket for speeding away from the location of “the crime”, she lies about to whom the dog belongs.
Adam Dearborn, is a by the book rancher, who needs a guide dog due to his blindness. When everyone convenes at the ranch, he figures out what her brother and Dawn are up to and much to everyone’s surprise, decides he wants to keep the rescued dog.
It was interesting to watch Dawn and Adam interact. That said, I have to confess that it was the least favorite of the stories in the series.
I felt I had missed some background since as the story begins , it’s assumed we know the two of them have been having a relationship for a while. It just seems to be coming out of left field. Also, during a poker game, we are not clear on how Adam is able to “read” the cards and the ending was sort of rushed.
Thus, for me, it was more of a 3.5 stars story, but having enjoyed the previous stories in the series, I will give it 4 stars.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca.
The opinions expressed are solely my own.
This has been a fantastic series! It’s centered on three sisters who run a facility for the early training of service dogs. A commendable endeavor, plus puppies!! I adore the Vasquez sisters and have been looking forward to Dawn’s story. She’s an even bigger handful than I expected, but she’s such a delight! She brings joy and laughter to any lives she touches and lives life unapologetically. And she’s met her match in her best friend’s brother, Adam Dearborn.
After their parents died, Adam had the responsibility of parenting his younger twin siblings and managing their family ranch. Having been blind for most of his life, he has adapted incredibly well for life on the ranch.
After having so much responsibility to take on at nineteen, he’s lost his joy in life. He’s a little too serious and curmudgeonly, but he’s fine with that. Except his brother’s friend, Dawn, inserts herself into the daily life at the ranch, accompanied by two puppies and her sunshine and eternal optimism, and Adam doesn’t like it. Nor does he like his attraction to the gorgeous, petite woman who’s larger than life.
Adam and Dawn are so much fun! He’s all stoicism, grump and growl, and she’s an impetuous, hilarious shining light, sometimes doing the wrong thing for the right reason. She’s a little out of control and a lot loveable, winning over even the most ornery of senior citizens and misbehaving cows. Even when Adam and Dawn aren’t “together“ together, they’re delightfully entertaining, which only makes me love them more.
Adam and Dawn’s story is pure perfection. The flawless writing, endearing characters and compelling storyline give us everything we love in our romance reading. With delightful humor, a little steam and a big ol’ heap of heart, you’ll love watching this seemingly unflappable cowboy fall for his free-spirited heroine.
Thanks to Sourcebook and Casablanca for the early copy of this book.
A heist, a chase, sweet puppies and lots of fun and sexy times will have readers laughing out loud and loving this story.
Dawn Vasquez had the heist planned out. She had her partner-in-crime Zeke Dearborn as her able accomplice. The loot was gold, a Golden Retriever puppy that is. Dawn had passed by this poor puppy chained up with a big heavy chain that looked to weigh more than the poor puppy, who had no access to shade in the 100 degree temperatures or shelter from the rain, several times. She knew she had to rescue the poor baby or she wasn’t worthy of being part of the Puppy Promise training facility. They got in, got the chain off and were about to escape when a dirty old man who lived in the house on the property where the poor, abused puppy prisoner was chained came to the front door of the house trying to pull his pants on and site his shotgun at them at the same time. Oops! Time to rush their escape. They got in Dawn’s car and took off with No Pants Shotgun in hot pursuit. Just as they lost him the the sheriff’s car, lights flashing, pulled up behind them. The only excuse for speeding they could come up with was the puppy’s precarious condition making the pup’s need to get a vet’s care stat. Saying the puppy was to be a service dog for Adam Dearborn kinda got them off the hook except the sheriff insisted on escorting them to the Dearborn Ranch and that meant facing Adam Dearborn. Yes, that Adam Dearborn, the one Dawn shared a dirty little secret with. This was not going to be pretty.
Adam Dearborn lost his sight as a youngster but had adapted quite well. As the oldest Dearborn sibling he raised his younger twin brother Zeke and sister Phobe since the death of their father when the twins were fifteen. He has run their cattle ranch with their help since then. Ranch life is not easy and certainly not a nine-to-five job, but working this ranch is Adam’s life. He wouldn’t have it any other way. When he first met his brother Zeke’s friend Dawn Vasquez he was floored. No woman had ever made such an instant impression on him and the sexual attraction was over the top. Stolen moments of carnal knowledge was the highlight of his life but he’s sure someone like Dawn would never want to be a rancher’s wife. This was no life for her. But he sure did love the Golden Retriever puppy she brought into his life.
I loved the first two books in Lucy Gilmore’s Forever Home series, Puppy Love and Puppy Christmas but this one, Puppy Kisses, is my favorite. Dawn was always known as the party girl of the three sisters but she is so much more. Her charm lights up the lives of the people around her and she has the biggest heart in the world. Adam is the epitome of the sexy hunk of a man who hasn’t let the loss of his sight hold him back and is strong, dedicated and caring. He sings to his cows to calm them down. What a guy!
The dialogue in this book is what makes it so outstanding. The quips back and forth between Dawn and Adam are filled with provocative sexual innuendo while they flirt with each other and this made me smile all throughout the story. Ms. Gilmore’s voice is so attractive to me in this type of story. Her writing style is the perfect blend of serious and fun. This seems to be the end of the series as all three sisters have found a HEA. I can’t wait to see what Lucy Gilmore has in store for her readers next.
I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I have thoroughly enjoyed each book in this series but this one is hands-down my favorite. As usual with Lucy Gilmore’s writing, all the parts blended seamlessly and functioned well together. There was enough puppy training to keep me entertained, enough romance for it to be steamy, and enough novelty to keep me reading until 2am. But there wasn’t too much of any one element. It was exceptionally well-balanced.
This installment almost felt like a character study. We learned more about Dawn and her inner workings than I feel like we did with her sisters. She is so confidently, wildly, unapologetically herself but not emotionless. I’d love to be friends with her! I will say that I didn’t like how Lila was portrayed for most of this one, though. While it got better at the end, the rest felt like we had regressed and were ignoring everything from Puppy Christmas (Forever Home Book 2) (Lila’s story).
I liked the romance and romantic arc in this one more than the others. It was more unique and, I think, more authentic. I appreciate the realness, the chaos of it all. I think that’s what made me fall for this one more than the others.
I will be recommending this to everyone!
The final book in this fun series featuring three sisters, the adorable pups they train as service dogs, and the cute guys they find along the way ends with a romance for Dawn, the middle Vasquez sister. Dawn has always been “the fun one”, and is often overlooked by her family and friends because she’s impulsive, emotional, and doesn’t take anything too seriously. The truth is that she’s fully committed to the people in her life, would sacrifice anything for them and always has their backs, but others don’t give her enough credit for that.
When Dawn decides to “rescue” a sorely mistreated golden retriever puppy, she ends up in hot water and is bailed out by Adam, her best friend’s older brother, a driven, responsible rancher who also happens to be blind and who orders his life rigidly in order to be able to function safely and effectively in a chaotic ranch environment. Unbeknownst to any of their friends or family, Dawn and Adam have been having occasional rather torrid trysts whenever they can find time alone, but Adam figures that Dawn is too much of a fun-loving woman to ever settle down on a ranch with someone like him, while Dawn thinks he doesn’t take her seriously and would never “settle” for someone as inappropriate as her.
It’s a fun ride as Dawn trains another puppy (a Great Dane named Uncle) as a service dog for Adam, while simultaneously trying to convince him that Gigi, the golden rescue pup, is not temperamentally suited as a service dog (hint: she chews on a lot of shoes!). There’s also a mischievous cow (also named Dawn) who constantly gets into trouble. I loved all of the animal scenes that gave a lighthearted tone to the story. This wasn’t my favorite book in the series, but it was a strong ending, and really, you can’t go wrong with any of the books in this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4.5
Cute and fun
What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
The humor
Part of a series: Forever Home
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue
I look forward to reading more from this author.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC from NetGalley.
I liked Dawn and Adam’s weird relationship vibes- the hot and cold did drive me bonkers after a while- but they took a back seat to Gigi, the disobedient, too cute for her own good, absolutely lovable rescue (okay so Dawn stole her from the cruddy, mean owner, but that’s semantics) golden retriever! Sorry guys, but when a dog dominates every page she pops up on…
Uncle, a sweet Great Dane and Adam’s actual guide dog, was just as cute, dealing with Gigi’s antics and crazy personality.
Final thoughts: I enjoyed the first two books of the series, but Dawn’s story fell shy of the mark. The book was still a good read, but the delivery took a good while to come about, leaving me perturbed with the end result.
Puppy Kisses is the third book in the Forever Hope series and can easily be read as a stand-alone.
I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley/Sourcebooks and this is my honest review.
A fun romance nice and light hearted reading. This is the third book in the series with cute matchmaking dogs! Dawn and Adam are great characters but loved the dog slant of the book looking forward to more