Cover Image: Puppy Love

Puppy Love

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Member Reviews

As you may have probably expected, I jumped into reading this book, because PUPPIES! The concept of a wildlife firefighter asking help from a petite dog trainer to get a service dog sounded so amusing that I couldn't resist picking this book up.

This book just exudes cuteness, and if you're looking for a read that will plaster a smile on your face, then this book is definitely it! I had so much fun learning about the backstories of each character and seeing them falling in love with each other. The grumpy/friendly pairing is so adorable, but this book also gave us endearing and heartwarming stories when you need them.

I appreciate the representation of diabetes and leukemia in this book, as well as the way the author dealt with the parent relationships of the main characters in this book.

All in all, Puppy Love was a strong way to start the series. I am so excited for more books using furry friends as a way to connect and bond two characters. A sweet and slightly spicy delight!

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Puppy love is the first book in the Forever home series. It’s a very good beginning for the series and it certainly made me want to read the future books in the series. The puppy training process was cute, although to be honest, I have no idea with the things mentioned are legit or not since I am not a dog owner. Bubbles was a cute and hard-working Pomenarian. Harrison’s initial reaction to her was not very good and I loved watching him slowly fall in love with the dog. Sophie was so much easier to like. Her past health issues made her stronger and they gave her some ammunition towards the very stubborn Harrison. Sophie and Harrison were good together. The book was heart-warming and I would recommend it.

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Puppy Love is a sweet and sexy romance between Sophie and Harrison. Both are great characters and I really enjoyed this story. There's an added bonus of cute dogs!

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Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

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I adored this book. Every chapter, every page, even the epilogue was perfect. This was the most uplifting, romantic and heartwarming novel I’ve read in a long while. The plot revolves around Sophie and Harrison but the character that stole the show was Bubbles, the support dog. You have no idea how emotional I got while reading this story. It was spectacularly believable, cheery and joyful, with a wonderful sense of humor. I felt like I was getting a book hug.

If a reader is fed up with all the dark drama in the real world then escape to a place where miracles happen – between the pages of Puppy Love. Harrison is a bit of a grouch and he has a few reasons to be that way. He’s solidly made of hero material because he cares, he can be counted on and he’s really a protector – although if you told him all these things he wouldn’t believe you. He thinks he’s broken and in some aspects he is, especially after he suffered a serious medical condition and his mom abandoned him when he was just a kid. That’s one of the reasons I liked him so much. Harrison’s sad past made him the unsocial guy everyone respects but won’t approach making him a hero in need of healing. The hero is worth saving and I was cheering for him.

Sophie has her own past burdens to carry and they’re significant. The difference of having family support and love during trying times is made very clear – the heroine ended up well-adjusted, determined, happy and somehow can lighten the mood and bring sunshine where there is grumbly thunder. She was the light in Harrison’s internal dark fortress. I loved her sense of humor and her extreme patience when dealing with her recalcitrant hero. Best of all, she was great with puppies.

Bubbles is the best dog ever. The funniest dialogue occurs early in the book when Harrison experiences Sophie, and meets the puppy, for the first time. The names the heroine comes up with to describe Bubbles were hysterical. In fact, even before the first chapter was done, I’d already laughed out loud quite a bit, I know had a grin plastered on my face. I truly had a feeling I was in for a very fun time right from the get-go. I was not wrong. The heroic little puffball was able to do what no human could do, reach Harrison’s heart and the soft side of the hardened man.

When I mention fun dialogue, I mean it’s hilarious. The names she comes up with to describe Harrison’s male attribute were comical and amusing, not to mention incredibly inventive. I let out a loud guffaw at the scene were Sleeping Beauty is referenced. The banter between Sophie and Harrison turned out to be the gem of the novel due to its strength, naturalness and sheer irreverent fun. Their attraction to each other caused sparks to fly. They pretty much seduced each other and though it initially was subtle, once passion flared they explored it to the max. What amazed me was that every encounter showed progression of their relationship and expressed their growing love in tangible ways. It was awesome.

There is a lot more I can say about this book but a) it would be too long and b) I’d be sorely tempted to unleash a few spoilers. I didn’t get to mention that the book is populated with awesome secondary characters. Also there is the theme of forgiveness. When a person forgives and reaches out, the gains and benefits are extraordinary and good things start to happen. Happiness can happen.

Run, don’t walk, to get your own copy of Puppy Love. It’s worth every minute reading. It’s worth staying up until 1 a.m. just to finish it. It’s worth falling in love. Ms. Gilmore has written an awesome novel!

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This was a adorable and cute read, I espesially loved Bubbles - The Pomeranian puppy <3 You'll know what i mean when you read it, hihi.

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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.

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If you love puppies, have a heart for service dogs, and are fans of heart felt romance that is clean and uber cute, this is definitely worth a read. I love Bubbles the diabetic service dog, a service I did not know dogs could do. The training is pretty mapped out in the book and I really liked Sophie and Harrison. I will definitely check out the next in line.


**thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to review**

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Harrison Parks has been sidelined due to his diabetes. After lapsing into a diabetic coma while on the job, his boss demands he find a service dog that can alert him when his blood sugar is low. When he goes to the service center where the dogs are located, he is thinking that he will get a big, husky dog. Instead, Harrison walks out with a Pomeranian. The little female dog is nervous from the start. Nervous and clingy,

The woman who runs the center, Puppy Promise, Sophie Vasquez, needs to train Harrison and the dog, Bubbles. Not only does Sophie have a huge job ahead of her, she has to contend with her family, who are rather overprotective. This comes to no surprise, because Sophie was very ill with leukemia as a child.

Meanwhile, Harrison wants to get back out in the field. When this happens depends on how well he and Bubbles work together. It certainly doesn't come easy. However, the adjustment period is indicative of this example: The very first night, Harrison is trying to put Bubbles to bed. So, he sets up pillows at the edge of the mattress. After all, he thinks, babies roll, so puppies must roll too. But then Harrison worries that the pillows might suffocate the dog. So, on the very first night Bubbles sleeps on his chest. This is the beginning of an incredible bonding experience between man and his dog.

The way Harrison treats Bubble is in complete contrast to his personality. On the job, while training, he is tough as nails, even making grown men cry. Also, due to his health, and his experience with his mother, which is explored in the story, he has a wall around his heart. It was a true pleasure while reading this book to see both Bubbles and Sophie melt Harrison's heart.

This debut novel by Lucy Gilmore truly hits the mark. It is a warm romance, but also one that deals with some sensitive issues. As mentioned, Harrison's diabetes and how serious it is, and also Lucy's past illness and how she has worked hard to make her life er own. This book is balanced quite well, because the serious moments are interspersed with moments that will truly make you laugh out loud.

I am thrilled to have read Puppy Love and I look forward to the next book in the series, which is Puppy Christmas, due in September. Then there is Puppy Kisses, release date TBA.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Puppy Love is a feel good romance that hits you right in the feels. Harrison is a manly man, wildlife firefighter. He tall, rugged, and some consider him handsome. He also has type 1 diabetes. After his monitor failed during a forest fire, Harrison ended up in a coma for a few days. While this doesn't seem to phase Harrison too much, his boss won't let him return to work without some back up. That backup comes in the form of a service dog. l
Sophie is the baby of her family. Not only that, she also had leukemia as a teen. So her family has a hard time recognizing her as the smart and capable adult she is.
When hot shot firefighter Harrison comes to Puppy Promise, the Vasquez sister service puppy training school, he wants a manly, rugged, dog that is a reflection of him. Needless to say, he was not thrilled when Sophie presents him with Bubbles, a sweet Pomeranian puppy that was rescued from a puppy mill and Harrison describes as miniature ball of fluff with raisin eyes. Sophie and Harrison have to spend a lot of time together training Bubbles. However, training Bubbles isn't the only thing they do. Sophie is excited to find someone who sees her as a woman rather than someone who needs to be protected and babied, someone who will argue with her. Harrison is hesitant to let anyone in, This includes Sophie and Bubbles. Yet, without even trying, they work their way right in to his heart.


***I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

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While Lucy Gilmore is a new-to-me romance author, some of you may know her under the name Tamara Morgan. (I may even have some of “Morgan’s” romances lurking in the TBR.) Though I’m leery of new-to-me romance authors, I succumbed to the cover puppy’s cuteness. If I were to ever have a dog, it would be a Pomeranian, though in truth, I’m a cat-lady. Reading Gilmore’s first volume in the Service Puppies series, I didn’t regret my venture to new-author territory for a moment. Gilmore’s romance may not break new genre ground, but it delighted me. To start, I loved the premise and meet-cute and recounting them will give you a good idea of what you can expect. Harrison Parks is my favourite kind of hero: huge, grumpy, rhetorically monosyllabic, introverted, and a sentimental softie under the bluster and muscle. He’s also a wildfire firefighter and type 1 diabetic, whose workaholism put him into a diabetic coma. Now his boss, Oscar, wants him to get a service dog to detect his blood sugar — before he’ll let him anywhere near a wildfire again. Harrison loves his work and, grumbling and whinging up a storm, he finds himself at the Puppy Promise kennel staring down at a ball of fluff named Bubbles and a bitty woman in a ruffled dress telling him Bubbles is his new lifeline to getting back to the work he loves.

Gilmore’s opening scene is hilarious and the humour, wit, and banter don’t let up. The juxtaposition of alpha-man with furball, especially when Harrison had already picked out his service animal, a Great Dane, is a hoot. Like Bubbles, Sophie is tiny, adorable, and a will-o-the-wisp. She’s also a hard ass puppy and man trainer, with nerves, discipline, and wisdom earned from a childhood with leukemia.

While the puppy’s, man’s, and heroine’s antics and banter are comic (Sophie gets Harrison to join a knitting circle, with chuckle-inducing results, need I say more?), there are serious stakes for hero and heroine as well. Harrison and his father, Wallace, live a Miss-Havishamian existence in the woods, in a farmhouse kept exactly as the day Harrison’s mother left twenty-two years ago. What Harrison needs is a resurrection and Bubbles and Sophie, as it turns out, are exactly the dog and person who can give it to him. Gilmore’s novel isn’t just funny, it’s endearing and touching. Bubbles is the nonpareil; Harrison and Sophie have chemistry, affection, and winning, snappy banter. Secondary characters are nicely developped and our hero and heroine show growth.

Puppy Love, however, is a hero-centric romance. It’s Harrison’s story and Bubbles even more than Sophie’s. In this lies its flaw. Though Sophie shows growth in confidence and independence from her overprotective but gloriously loving family, her character notes wane as Harrison’s dominate. I enjoyed it nonetheless, but I did notice how Sophie became less and less of a changing, growing character and moved solely toward being Harrison’s emotional saviour. I did enjoy, however, how Bubbles’s growth as a service puppy, brave, loving, devoted, and disciplined paralleled Sophie’s role in Harrison’s life.

Another tiny moue of disappointment came at the dark or betrayal moment. Ye olde crank of deus ex machina made its way into the narrative and, without spoiling, left some unanswered questions, or rather underdevelloped answers, about Harrison’s childhood. The not-baby-but-Bubbles-filled epilogue, on the other hand, was priceless. Gilmore writes with a sure, pleasant hand and paces her narrative so that it remained compelling. Like Harrison with Bubbles and Sophie, I’m now a sucker for a doggy cover, though I maintain my cat-lady status, and pantingly await the next book in the series. With Miss Austen, we found in Puppy Love “a mind lively and at ease,” Emma.

Lucy Gilmore’s Puppy Love is published by Sourcebooks Casablanca. It was released on May 28th and may be found at your preferred vendor. I received an e-ARC from Sourcebooks Casablanca, via Netgalley.

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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.

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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Shelby – ☆☆☆☆
To be honest, this cover is what drew me in. I have a soft spot for Pomeranians, and who doesn't love to see a handsome man handling a cute little pup?!?

When you think of a service dog, what do you picture in your mind? Maybe a German Shepherd, a Labrador, or Golden Retriever. When Harrison is in the market for a new service animal, he's referred to Puppy Promise. The Vasquez sisters run the service animal training school, they have a wide variety of pups in training and the expertise to match a dog to individual needs.

Sophie has had a rough go of life, not experiencing it the way most people do. She has the need to prove herself to not only her family, but to herself, and Harrison is her special project.

Harrison is the big, alpha male. He's a hero in his everyday life, but a hermit when not at work. Social niceties are not in his repertoire, and he doesn't believe he has the ability to love.

When Sophie and Bubbles integrate themselves into Harrison's life, everyone has something to learn. Some learn that life is more than their insecurities... and maybe, just maybe, love can truly heal.

I truly enjoyed this story more than I thought I would. I liked Sophie and her fiery nature, she was the perfect complement to Harrison's burly, grumpiness. Of all the characters, though, Bubbles was my absolute favorite! This was a cute story, with great characters, that kept my attention all the way through. If you're looking for a relatively light-hearted, romantic story – look no further!

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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.

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After recieving this book from netgalley i read it in one sitting it was funny and sweet,it showed that little things have the biggest hearts. When harrison is sidelined due to a dibetic coma his boss says he gets a service dog or he will be stuck with desk work. When he goes to get a dog his vision is differnent than the trainer Sophie. She matches him up with a little fluffball Pomeranian named Bubbles. At first he is resistant but he falls for the little fluffball so fast and he falls in love with the funny sophie at the same time.

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This book is an absolute delight. The way Harrison and Sophie interact, the snarky back and forth, was fun to watch as they fell for each other. Add in Bubbles, the dog as far from the big, tough dog Harrison wanted as you can get, and your heart melts as Harrison falls for her too. The themes of family, dedication to work, and service dogs work well in the story and I was very satisfied with the happy ending.

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Puppy Love is the adorable story about a firefighter who gets paired with a Pomeranian as his service animal. Harrison has battled with diabetes since he was a kid. He's usually pretty good about checking his levels, but when he's on the job, he sometimes gets wrapped up and forgets to make sure everything is okay. So, with this last scare of him passing out, his boss has demanded he seek help and get a service dog who can at least help alert Harrison when his levels get too low. What he was expecting was a Great Dane or a German Shepherd, what he wasn't prepared for was his new companion to be a pint-sized Pomeranian.

I really liked the idea of this big, surly man getting paired with this dainty dog. He wasn't really thrilled with the idea of needing a service animal to begin with, but he was not at all happy with getting saddled with a tiny yapper named Bubbles. However, when he agrees to take the dog on as a trial run to appease his boss and the dog handler, Sophie, he ends up becoming attached to Bubbles. The progression of Harrison as he began to lower his guard and try to work with Sophie and Bubbles was probably what really made this book work for me.

Now, of course there is a romance between Sophie and Harrison, but I honestly was more invested in Bubbles and Harrison. I suppose Sophie and Harrison's romance felt so random and not fleshed out enough for me to really get on board with it. I wish I could have seen more of a spark or connection with them. However, I still liked the story.

This was a great debut novel by Lucy Gilmore. I liked that she wrote real characters. These characters have battled some serious health issues starting at a young age, and those hurdles in life made those characters who they are today. I can't say that I've ever read a book that dealt with a character having diabetes before. If you're in the mood for a slower-paced romance with some real down to earth characters, you might want to give Puppy Love a read.

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I liked the storyline but I did not like Sophie and how she handled the whole thing at the beginning of the book. Instead of explaining to Harrison, as soon as he got to the service animal place, that a pomeranian is the dog he needs for his diabetes. She lets him assume he can pick out any dog. First of all he likes big dogs and not small dogs. She also made it sound like this puppy was a lost cause and she was just trying to pawn it off on someone and hoping that it works out. Not enough communication. There was just something about Sophie that rubbed me the wrong way right from the beginning. I never did end up liking her. It was her sugary personality and immaturity. She is in a business that she should be explaining things. Harrison also told her he had never owned a pet at all before so she needed to really sit down with him before he left.

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***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!

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Alright, I admit it, this one had me at “puppy” and gained my affection within the first chapter. PUPPY LOVE not only delivers a charming romance with a bit of a sizzle factor, but it also shows the heart of any service dog (or those that train them). In order to return to his life work as a wildlife firefighter, Harrison will need to have a service dog to alert him to changes in his diabetes. He’s already gone into a diabetic coma from low blood sugar once, and his boss will not let him return until he has a dog that can monitor him and push him into taking care of his medical situation. Now Harrison, being a gruff, silent type of guy pictures himself with a Husky, a Great Dane, maybe even a German Shephard – but a Pomeranian who is just as nervous about all of this as he is, not exactly what he pictured. Yet true love often comes in the small form of a puppy who will never be a huge, intimidating adult. So Bubbles and Harrison set out to bond and to train — and maybe to fall in love.

Sophie survived childhood leukemia and is a healthy, thriving adult who along with her sisters is putting everything she has into their service puppy business. Now if only her family would stop trying to baby her, to coddle her, to not let her live outside of bubblewrap she just might find a life for herself. Enter Harrison who has issues of his own and has no idea of Sophie’s past medical history. Here is a man who is treating her like any other female and Sophie comes to life under his attention. Maybe she’s found what she never dared to dream of, a man who loves her just as she is.

I loved PUPPY LOVE on so many levels. Service dogs are amazing, talented, loving creatures and such a help and blessing to those they care for. That bond is for life. I, personally, am always amazed by what they can do for their person. This story also deals with very real medical issues, one a survivor and the way those that love them try to keep on protecting them from life long beyond what’s necessary – and a man who is dealing with a medical condition that will affect his life and those he cares about for the remainder of his life. The believability factor is strong in PUPPY LOVE. I fell in love with Bubbles, and I’ve no doubt you will as well. Sophie and Harrison work so well together and watching them fall in love and deal with life was such a touching, emotional journey. There are issues to be dealt with, life happens that way, yet this couple is real, believable and you’ll be cheering them on throughout their story. I cannot wait to continue this series.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

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