These adorable service puppiesare matchmakers in the making…When Sophie Vasquez and her sisters dreamed up Puppy Promise-their service puppy training school-it was supposed to be her chance to bring some good into the world. But how can she expect to do anything when no one will take her seriously? Enter Harrison Parks: a rough, gruff, take-no-bull wildlife firefighter in need of a diabetic … firefighter in need of a diabetic service dog. He couldn’t be a more unlikely fit for Sophie or Bubbles-the sweet Pomeranian she knows will be his perfect partner-but when Sophie insists he give them both a shot, something unexpected happens: he listens. Even better, he keeps on listening, even as Sophie and Bubbles turn his lonely, uber-masculine world upside-down.
As it turns out, they all have something to prove…and more than enough room in their hearts for a little puppy love.
Service Puppies Series:
Puppy Love (Book 1)
Puppy Christmas (Book 2)
Puppy Kisses (Book 3)
more
I think my favorite part (outside of Harrison’s love for Bubbles) is how these two managed to see the true person underneath the other’s skin. Harrison is gruff and not a very good people person, but he’s got a big heart and a strong sense of dedication. He was raised by a man who wasn’t much for softness but that didn’t mean he wasn’t loved. Unfortunately, it means that, combined with his size, he tends to be a bit gruff and intimidating.
There’s something about Harrison that brings out the best (or worst) in Sophie from their first meeting. Sick as a young child, she’s spent her life being taken care of and, even now, coddled. Only Harrison doesn’t have a clue what her past was like, so he just sees a spitfire who is willing to give him a little grief over a puppy. It’s so appealing to her to have someone treat her like she’s strong, and having seen something more under all that crustiness, that she can’t help but be drawn to Harrison.
These two going at each other (in a bit of verbal foreplay) is such a hoot. Left alone, they rub sparks of all kinds and start to develop a certain amount of respect & understanding that just heightens their attraction. Throw in an adorable ball of fluff and Gilmore definitely delivers a ton of entertainment for her readers.
**Review given honestly and freely after receipt of a reader copy. This opinion is completely my own and was not influenced in any way.**
I enjoyed this book and will be reading the next one.
Cute and fun
I enjoyed revisiting the Vasquez sisters.
What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Part of a series: Forever Home
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue
I enjoyed this series and look forward to reading more from this author.
Mhvdcgnuj’gvfvtgmj first day I would be in a panda state or a place that I had to do with a dessert and dessert because it would be a dessert dessert place that was the best place for a place I like it a little old one of my friends had to go eat a different food or place to use a place for a place that was in a different direction I was not there because I had the same
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Cute, quick, and flirty. I was looking for something light and feel good. I took a look at that cover and that’s exactly what it said to me…this is a light, fun, feel-good story. The cover didn’t lie. Harrison and Sophie both had troubled childhoods with life-threatening medical issues. Their scars are similar, but yet very different. They see in one another possibilities, it just takes them a while to break through the barriers. This is pure fun and filled with loving characters that will warm your heart.
There was so much about this book that I loved!
Harrison Parks is gruff firefighter, who is told by his boss to go to Puppy Promise to get a service dog, his heart is set on the Great Dane, but what he got instead, was a little tiny Pomeranian, named Bubbles. Harrison thinks he’s going to step on it, no tiny dog is going to hold its own with him fighting fires.
Sophie Vasques is a partner with her other two sisters in Puppy Promise, where they match and train dogs with their owners. Sophie has been handled with kid gloves all her life by her family. She sees this opportunity to work with Harrison to prove herself, and it doesn’t hurt that he likes that she has no qualms to take him on.
Bubbles is special, she’s a rescue dog, that Sophie just knows is the perfect fit for what Harrison needs, even if he doesn’t think so!
I loved that we got sneak peaks at Harrison’s tenderness and behind that heart of stone was one of compassion. I loved how Sophie was able to see through the Parks men, their gruffness and little by little they changed. This story was filled with so many laugh out loud moments, that my husband was constantly giving me the side eye. It’s also a very sweet heart warming story!
Puppy Love – Lucy Gilmore – Harrison’s diabetes makes his job as a firefighter dangerous. His boss sends him to professional dog trainer Sophie for a diabetes sniffing companion, but their idea of what makes a suitable furry companion differs drastically. As Sophie works with Harrison, they find more and more to like about each other. What better way to bond than over a fur baby? So precious!! I don’t know why the idea of a burly firefighter with a Pomeranian puppy sets off the squee button in my heart, but it totally does!! There is a lot of baggage in this story, and it has a very satisfying and rewarding ending! Such a fun cast of characters! Lol Happy Reading!
I purchased this book because the premise seemed cute and entertaining, but not too heavy. I mean, what’s not to like? There are puppies, firemen, shenanigans and strong young women.
Lucy Gilmore delivered in so many ways. The whole thing was the perfect blend of light and funny, steamy, and difficult relationships. I was happy to see that it wasn’t too much about any one thing. It didn’t dwell excessively on Sophie’s illness or Harrison’s upbringing or the complicated relationships all around. The Bubbles and the puppy training was present but didn’t steal focus. And it wasn’t only about the romance. It was balanced.
The characters were delightfully defined. All of them were distinct and I’m going to keep reading the series because of it. I appreciated a contemporary romance that didn’t just use the plot to move from one steamy moment to the next. It had substance and felt grounded in reality.
I’d happily recommend this book to everyone.
Loved it and looking forward to more from this author~
Wow, this was an another amazing story. It was a wonderfully well written romance with amazing characters. The story flowed seamlessly in this character driven storyline. Harrison and Sophie were endearing characters and I loved Bubbles If you like well written romances or stories about adorable puppies, or just amazing stories in general, then you will love this book. I read the second book in this wonderful series first. It was an amazing read so I had to read this one and I am glad that I did. I would definitely recommend both books. I can’t wait to read the next one.
A feel good book. Want to read all 3 but last one not yet available.
I couldn’t resist a book about service dogs (puppies, at that) and a wildfire firefighter. Harrison Parks was ordered to get a service dog after going into a diabetic coma. It was either that or a desk job. There was no question about it. He would get a dog. But when he met the dog trainer he had doubts that she could match him with the right dog. He soon found out Sophie was firm and strict with both the dogs and clients. Harrison wanted to get a big dog but Sophie matched him with a tiny Pomeranian. What a funny picture the big firefighter and little dog must have made. Bubbles was an adorable puppy who loved her human to bits. She was constantly on guard to keep him safe. It wasn’t long before Harrison felt the same about Bubbles. It was adorable to see how protective he was of her and how upset he got when he thought something was wrong with her.
Sophie not only made a huge impact on Harrison’s life but his dad’s, too. It was funny when she got Harrison to join the knitting club. He actually made things. Not well but he tried. This gruff man made lots of new friends. I enjoyed the banter between Sophie and Harrison. On the surface, it didn’t look like they had anything in common. But they had a unique chemistry that had them bickering while smiling the entire time.
3.5 stars
I was instantly drawn into this story by the witty characters, especially the gruff Harrison and aptly named Pomeranian puppy, Bubbles. The two came across as complete opposites and not at all a great match, but boy what a match it turned out to be!
I believe Love is Ageless and has the power to heal lives, and Ms. Gilmore’s story proves this. Her characters are realistically flawed, but with enough compassion and love woven into their story, I found myself rooting for them all the way.
If you enjoy hunky, gruff men, lovable puppies, and heroines who won’t give up, give Puppy Love a try. A fun, witty, romantic story with a squishy lovable puppy!
Sophie Vasquez and her sisters had formed a company called Puppy Promise. Their job was to train and deliver service dogs. Sophie had been a sickly youngster and her family still treated her as a fragile person. She was tired of that and wanted to prove herself. She was given the assignment to find a dog to help a wildfire firefighter who had diabetes. She was going to do everything in her power to prove her worth.
Harrison Parks was a large, gruff man who didn’t do relationships. When he met Sophie Vasquez and the dog she had picked for him, he was sure this was a joke. Sophie was an itty bitty woman and the dwarf sized pup she had chosen to help him couldn’t have been a real dog. He was sure he would get a Great Dane or a bull dog, or at least a retriever. But, no he had a dog that could fit in his hands. He knew he either had to make it work or he was be assigned to a desk job instead of being allowed to fight on the fire lines.
I really liked the story about the service animals and how they are used to help those who need them. However, there was a lot of crass language and sexual descriptions that I wasn’t as keen on. It seemed, at times, that the story was secondary and the sexual tension between Harrison and Sophie was in the forefront. In my opinion, it was a little tiresome and detracted from the wonderful story.
I was given an arc copy of this book and I offer my honest opinion.
I fell and I fell hard for Lucy Gilmore’s Puppy Love, the start of her new Service Puppies series. Her hero, Harrison Parks, is big and tough with a gooey center, which is only more prominent when he gets paired with a fluffy Pomeranian service dog. Sophie, who everyone treats as the frail baby of the family, is only too willing to take on Harrison and his puppy while they both find out where family begins and loyalty reins.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.
Rough on the outside and gooey sweet on the inside, Harrison was a lovably grumpy hero. Contrary to her perspective, Sophie was a bossy little thing, with a steel backbone and a spirit that wouldn’t quit! I loved both characters equally, but the funniest character was Bubbles! This super cute, cuddly, ‘raisin eyed’ Pomeranian was a little diva and could give Harrison hilarious conniption fits, but loved her human like he was her world and vice versa. How sweet is that?!
Puppy Love was a delightfully funny read! The conversations Sophie and Harrison had with Bubbles-and themselves-had me straight up laughing and I loved Sophie and Harrison’s dynamics! They were a quirky couple with issues I liked seeing them work through. The subject matter on the need for service pets due to health issues or even a pet for companionship was a strong thread and I enjoyed getting a glimpse into the pet training process. Overall, this was a fabulously sweet read and I can’t wait for the next book!
***4 ‘Bubbles’ Stars***
The cover made me curious, but it was the blurb that hooked me and I have to say this really was a cute read that kept me smiling all the way through until the end.
I loved Harrison and Sophie. Harrison is something of an enigma. He is a grump and wants to be left alone ~ which means he tends to give very short and to the point answers ~ but he also does this verbal vomit thing that ends up getting him in trouble. But regardless of the walls he’s built around him, the man has a good heart and a softer center than many would ever believe.
Sophie was a lot of fun. Bright, sassy, snarky and playful. She’s had it rough, but hasn’t let that stop her from living. I loved her determination and how she saw outside the box and followed her gut, even when others doubted her.
Sophie and Harrison’s journey to their HEA was unexpected and yet highly enjoyable. I’d love to go into the particulars, but then it would ruin the uniqueness of their journey, but what I can say is that they simply flowed well together. They saw each other a lot more clearly than most around them and it worked in their favor. I loved their bantering and the chemistry between them was undeniable. And then there is Bubbles, who was simply adorable, and I loved the role she played in their journey. The bump in the road wasn’t unexpected, and I had to shake my head when it happened, but I loved how everything turned out for them in the end.
This was a fun debut read. It was engaging and though the pacing did slow down for me at times, it still kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. And as for the supporting cast of characters. They were all well written and unique and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what men will get under Dawn and Lila’s skins and the dogs that will help them do it!
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~
This was a fun read, a bit fluffy at times but I needed a light read at this time.
Both of the main characters had baggage, the guy’s history had him a little dark and hers appreciating life. Together they sizzled.
He needed a service dog and she provided the service. Way more than a professional relationship, these two were meant for each other.
Entertaining story, I loved it.
This is a sweet and adorable romance. I enjoyed this story very much, and of course, doggies! Nice writing style by this new author. I will definitely look out for more from her. Love Sophie and Harrison and the whole premise of their story.
Harrison Parks wakes up from a diabetic coma to the news his boss has decreed he must take on a service dog before returning to his wildlife firefighter job. No problem! Harrison has seen other service dogs, Golden Retrievers, German Shepards and the like. He arrives at Puppy Promise, the service dog training facility his boss has sent him to and meets Sophie Vasquez, one of the sisters who own the training facility. Zing! Both guy and gal find themselves attracted to each other. What Harrison isn’t attracted to is the dog Sophie insists is the best match for him, a Pomeranian named Bubbles. Bubbles! She has got to be kidding. He has no choice though. He goes home with Bubbles and thus starts his new life.
Puppy Love by Lucy Gilmore is the first book in this author’s Forever Home series. Three sisters have established a service puppy training school. The first book is a good start to the series. The author introduces and gives some background for all three sisters although emphasis is on the youngest sister, Sophie in this book. The storyline flows smoothly and introduces the conflict and the the resolution well. I really enjoyed the interaction between Sophie and Harrison as their relationship developed. These two characters helped each other overcome issues from their past. Bubbles, the Pomeranian is just so super cute and definitely added lots of fun to the story. This is a romance which makes your heart feel good.