Release Date: 14 October 2013
An Anthology by Shirley Jump, Susan Meier, Jackie Braun and Barbara Wallace
Can a feisty four-legged matchmaker help four best friends find the romance of their dreams?
When a handsome man from Gabby’s past agrees to a cross-country road trip, her master plan to re-launch her art career quickly morphs into an unexpected, romantic reunion.
Marney’s 9-1-1 emergency help arrives in the form of a rugged, blue-eyed cop. Now she has the perfect bodyguard to keep her safe during those dark, steamy nights…
The last thing Mia wants is a relationship…yet the headstrong florist can’t keep her hands off her sexy-as-sin ex-boyfriend. Will she open her heart before he leaves town for good?
Jenny is a woman on a mission – she’ll even resort to dognapping to make her point! But can she teach a reclusive, emotionally-wounded tycoon that love heals all things?
My Opinion 3 STARS
**ARC Provided by Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for an honest review**
This is an anthology, four different authors, writing for each of the four friends who each find love and a four legged friend that helps them all out.
Driving Mr. Wrong Home
Gabby is an artist who has an impulsive side that tends to get her into trouble. In order to re-launch her career, she is about to travel across America taking picture of famous sites on her way.
The day before she leaves she is asked via email to visit Mr Bonaparte. She hopes its a commission, yet on the doorstep she meets T.J. Shephard, her high school best friend. They guy that left the area for college and never looked back, even to help her when she needed it most.
She soon learns via his butler Cyrus that Mr Bonepart is about to go abroad and he wants her to look after his dog Charlie who always escapes and finds his way to her studio.
T.J. was a computer geek and at college started a business that has earned him millions. He wants to reconnect with the girl he has never forgotten, Gabby. The girl he always wanted as a girlfriend but never had the guts to pursue. When he finally did, she turned him down. So he left for college and never looked back. He wanted to make it on his own. especially without his controlling father.
Withholding the truth and using little white lie his get his wish to spend time with her and goes along on the road trip. They both reconnect and find there is now a definite spark between them. Both find that they both wanted each other but were scared to go further as they didn't want to lose each other.
However Gabby finds out the truth from a text on his phone and she runs. T.J doesn't want to lose her and tracks her down via helicopter. He refuses to leave until she admits that she wants him permanently. After a whirlwind romance they are married and T.J start to move his office to Chandler's Cove.
The Sheriff's Secret
Marney is hiding in her closet because she has heard a noise in her house. Thinking it could be a burglar, she calls the police. Not too long later she hears footsteps in her house and they are edging closer. When the closet door opens she goes to attack only to find Sheriff Dell O'Neil, she has only seen glimpses of the man before. The sight of him has her off kilter ad she acts like a love sick puppy.
Not impressed, her tells her off for wasting his time, thinking she only got him there to drool over him. Knowing she won't get any help from him again, and not wanting to be alone she asks her newly married friend Gabby is she can borrow Charlie, the dog she is looking after for a while.
However after a trip to a gallery in Chicago, she finds out the Sheriff's secret. He is the son of a millionaire and watches as the women fall all over him. When he sees her he looks terrified and asks her not to tell his secret. He wants to be known for being him, not as his fathers son.
Charlie has a habit of running off however. As she is cooking one evening there is a knock on the door. It is the sheriff with the dog under his arm. As a peace offering she offers him food as she always cooks too much. He takes up the offer after an enjoyable evening her leaves saying that he would love to have sex with her but on his conditions only.
The next day she goes over with soup but they end up having sex with he totally initiates, taking control over the situation. Once she's gone he feels guilty as it was her husband that was controlling. So the next day he takes over soup to apologise and they end up having sex again.
However the feelings change between them and after their secret affair, Dell decides he doesn't want to be alone after all and tell Marney that he wants her for good.
Love Unleashed
Charlie is dropped off at Mia's when Marney and Dell go on their honeymoon. Gabby and T.J are still moving hi office over and can't look after him. She wants to give him back but Marney speeds off after telling her that the dog has a check up booked for later that day. This is a problem for Mia as the vet it her ex-boyfriend. The man that asked her to marry him and she said no. Her issue of trust and loving another getting in the way.
Taking the dog to the vet she sees that his house is for sale, he is moving to another job as he no longer has a reason to stay in Chandler's Cove. The dog is fine, but we find that he has not been fixed. A while later however Mia comes back after a few hours out to find a sorry looking dog. On her floor is a pile of chewed up recycling, rubbish and a bra. The dog is sick and she worries. She rings up Gideon and asks if can see the dog.
They take x-rays and the dog is sick a good few more times, they all end up asleep on the floor at the vets. A feeling of rightness takes over waking up together and she invites him home for breakfast which they eat like their a couple again. She suggests he uses her shower so he won't be late for work, but they end up in bed together and are both late for work Gideon knowing this could be the last time he touches her.
A while passes before they see each other again, he needs roses for his mothers birthday. She already knows what colour they will be and what will be put on the card. Knowing she has to give the dog back and knowing she will have an empty house she invites him over for pizza. She realises just how good he was at compromising for her whilst she never had.
Unfortunately she ends up keeping the dog longer but Gid turns up with the pizza and they chat about old times and end up in bed together that night and nights after. But the time is ticking down before he leaves. One morning he tells her that the house has been sold and he asks what would happen if he didn't move.
Mai turns round and says that he has never asked about her past. Saying he knew that she would tell him when she was ready, she starts to tell him about her painful past and why she finds in hard to trust, to love. But she ends up telling him that she loves him. He knows in that instant that he is staying put.
After a discussion with her friends she ends up asking if Gideon would like to move in with her. A very big step and Gideon is glad and understands. Packing up the rest of his boxes however, she sees and email asking him to reconsider saying no to moving. She realises how much he compromises for her. So she says she wants them to live in Chicago, so he can have his dream job.
He tells her that where ever she is he will be happy. Besides he knows she thinks of this place as home and her friends as her family. His family is also there.
Love in the Shadows
Jenny is now looking after Charlie the dog. But unfortunately as the dog was not fixed her dog is now pregnant and as she is a pure breed she was hoping to breed her and get some cash from the puppies.
Now Mr Bonaparte has returned home and has requested his dog back. She wants the man to pay the now loss of earning she will have along with the vets bills. After meeting Cyrus she tells him she must see Mr Bonaparte. She is given a five minute meeting, in a dark room, and a sexy sounding man.
Her temper gets the better of her when she sees how coldly he acts. In a fit of temper she takes the dog back with her storming out especially as he will not compensate her for her loss. But her friends are quite shocked and says she can be done for kidnapping. But she has not been reckless in the five years she has been in Chandler's Cove. She has rebuilt herself after giving herself to anyone who would show her a little love.
Going to find the dogs, she finds the door open and both dogs, Charlie and a pregnant Lulu have gone. She goes out on foot to get them back, she follows their trail and finds them in the outskirts of Bonaparte's property. But she doesn't see him in the shadows, where he has taken a walk with Jenny on his mind.
Seeing her and after a long abstince he finds he can't help himself and he kisses her. Jenny responds but stables back when she believes herself to be falling into an old cycle. Picking up her dropped torch she puts the light in his face and sees his disfigurement. He sees the horror on her face and believes the worst. But she is horrified with her reaction to how she felt and she scarpers.
The next day realising her mistake she goes over to explain her reaction, knowing he probably thought it was about his looks. She explains her past and they come to a better understanding of each other before she leaves.
Her dog is restless and doesn't like the bed she has made for her, the due date is any day now. The next morning however she can't find Lulu, so she rings Mr Bonaparte to see if she has turned up there. But she hasn't s she goes out on foot to look for her, she even goes to Bonaparte to look in the grounds and finds Nick looking too, limping.
When Gabby rings and tells her to get to the studio, Nick decides to come out of the shadows and drives her himself. They find Lulu in the back with a litter of four puppies and Charlie goes and sits next to his family. When the dog family are back safe at Nicks house and she sees him limping again. So she tells him to sit and starts to massage his back. Her fingers work over his clothes before she tells him to take off his top. She runs her fingers over his skin and starts to kiss his spine before running her hands in front.
Not surprisingly they start to make out before they head to the bedroom and have a fantastic time together, healing each others wounds and knowing that they have found their own perfect other half.
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