This book had so much potential but it fell short for me. The story just wasn't developed enough for me. Caleb and Riley's relationship lacked depth in my opinion. While a completely satisfactory story, It just didn't do it for me (the dogs kept me in). I would still recommend however because everyone has different ideas about what they want in a romance.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Cute story but the relationship between Caleb and Riley wasn't developed enough for me. It had so much potential. Their personalities were perfect but I just didn't get the depth of their relationship outside the drama of the building. What I took from the book was the story of Dorothy and her residents plus the dog park.

Cold Nose, Warm Heart by Mara Wells is a cute romance centered around a dog park. Riley is the manager of the Dorothy, a very old apartment building. Caleb is the grandson of the owner of the Dorothy and he wants the apartment building as his next project. Riley and Caleb have to deal with their a love/hate relationship while trying to compromise on the building and spare lot which is being used as dog park.

This is a fun light read. The first half of the book was rather slow but I really enjoyed the second half of the book and loved the characters. The neighbors are sweet and likable. Riley is strong and independent. Caleb is unsure if himself and wants out of the shadows of his family.

If you enjoy romance books with sweet and lovable dogs this is a perfect read for you.

I enjoyed this book and would read more from this author. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

General Fiction (adult)
Romance
Release Date: January 28, 2020

Cold Nose, Warm Heart by Mara Wells is a great read. It shows how money can corrupt and break apart a family. Money usually gets its ways in the operation of things like what Mara Wells tells in her book. However, things did not go as well-planned as some of the characters would have liked. I liked how an elderly woman could make the elderly hard ass feel embarrasses and do what is right. Not always, But somehow she has a little bit of a sway over that man.

The elderly man treated his grandson with absolute disrespect all the way. If Caleb did exactly as his grandfather wanted, his grandfather would sing him praises. If it looked like Caleb failed to turn a piece of property into profit like his grandfather wanted, then Caleb was a loser. Only he really wasn't. He was a good hearted man whose heart was broken by people he should been able to rely on and trust. Yet they kept hurting him constantly...Caleb has a heart of gold. But he is also the biggest idiot. He does not do well in handling his relationship with Riley. Caleb was a terrible actor.

Riley is one the only big time characters that I truly loved. She was true all the way. Never was she a dummy. The only blind side was, that she thought her grandmother owned the run down elderly apartment building only to find out none of that was true. Also, the company handling the finances was stealing from the real apartment's owner. Riley did what she could to save the residents both human and the fury kind.

In addition, I loved the second chance theme presented in this book. It was done well. The plot was entertaining. It was steady paced throughout the book. Characters had a way of charming me. They made me laugh and cry. I also wanted to hit some sense into a few of the characters. The fur babies mentioned in this novel was perfect. I loved how one tiny lady dog kept urinating on Caleb's expensive shoes. The tiny lady dog loved him. And if you read the book, you will find out why.

I really enjoyed this sweet story. It's a heartwarming and humorous romance with characters who are very likable in Caleb and Riley and that I enjoyed getting to know. Oh and of course DOGS!! All good things. What's better than that? This is a new to me author and I will definitely be checking out more books by her.

COLD NOSE, WARM HEART by Mara Wells is a cute, comedic romance easily read in just a few hours for a quick escape from reality. Kind of fluffy and quirky, not real in-depth, it is the story of opposing forces, old heartaches and new beginnings that will leave readers smiling.

Business and the almighty dollar versus the lives of a group of senior residents and their pets as well as the sentimentalities of the unqualified handywoman, toss in a budding attraction from the enemy and this one is cute, although not so much about animals as I thought!

A quick read, predictable, but entertaining!

Series: Fur Haven Dog Park - Book 1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (January 28, 2020)
Publication Date: January 28, 2020
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Print Length: 384 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

Cold Nose, Warn Heart is a well written romance. I enjoyed the plot and the character interaction. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Cold Nose, Warm Heart by Mara Wells is the 1st book in her new Fur Haven Dog Park series. This is the first time I have read this author, and I really enjoyed this light sweet romance story line and the wonderful addition of dogs.

Riley Carson, our heroine, is the building manager for the run-down apartment building, The Dorothy, which her grandmother lives in and owns. Riley is constantly called to help fix things within the apartments, which is made up of mostly senior citizens, but due to barely making ends meet, they have no money to fix up the place.

Caleb Donovan, our hero, has been given a mission by his grandfather to devise a plan to tear down The Dorothy and replace it with luxury condos, and a huge parking area, which is currently a dog park for the local residents. He meets Riley, and to his surprise, the beautiful young girl is the manager, and she has no idea that his grandfather owns the building, not her grandmother. Both Caleb and Riley get off on the wrong foot, especially since it was Caleb’s family that cost Riley her job as a hotel assistant. Though they are on opposite sides, in a short time a friendship and romance will develop between them. Riley and her friends work to fight the Donovan’s from taking over the building, and leaving everyone with no homes. Caleb feels bad, and knows his father and grandfather are doing an injustice to these long-term residents.

While all this is going on, Riley, who has a cute dog, Lou Lou, whom she takes to the dog park next door a few times a day, and we get to meet some of her friends, who also have dogs. Caleb will get to know some of them, and he will help plan to redesign and create a nice dog park for them; but he still needs to get his grandfather to change his mind about tearing down The Dorothy.

What follows is a cute, fun enjoyable adventure, as we watch Caleb and Riley’s romance heat up, even as they both are on different sides. As Caleb meets most of residents, and all Riley’s friends, he is determined to come up with a viable solution for all. There are some comical moments, especially with the dogs, as well as when Riley’s grandmother joins in the fight, and comes face to face with her ex (Caleb’s grandfather). I loved Riley, as she was a wonderful heroine, who was always there for everyone; I liked Caleb, and rooted hard for them to get together. Wells also has created a wonderful group of secondary characters.

Cold Nose, Warm Heart was a heartwarming story about family, division, senior citizens, dogs, dog parks, and doing the right thing. Mara Wells did an excellent job in writing this story. I suggest you read Cold Nose, Warm Heart.

Cold Nose, Warm Heart is the first book in Mara Wells Fur Haven Dog Park series and tells the story of how Riley and Caleb are thrown together by an adorable fur baby named LouLou. What doesn’t start out as a romance, soon changes course and becomes a tale of how two people on opposing fronts can come together over their love for a pooch. There were moments in this book that I felt were overstated, like constantly bringing up both Riley and Caleb’s pasts, and the story had times when there lacked flow and explanation for why certain events took place. The story was Ok, but it had the potential to be so much more.

I'll admit: I was drawn in by the cover, which looks just like my dog. This cute, light and frothy read did not disappoint. It got me out from underneath all the holly jolly Christmas romances I was reading this season, into sunny Miami and the darling story of a dog lover, an apartment building with real history, and a real estate developer who's facing some hard truths about his work and his family.

This book had tremendous heart. The stories of the elderly folks who live at the historic Dorothy apartment building are written with a light and admiring touch, which I really appreciated. Riley cares about these people, and there's a real coziness in her situation as the building's manager. She also cares about dogs, and people who love dogs. Caleb Donovan was a well-written male lead -- he could've been smarmy but he wasn't. The grandmother was adorable, vain and humorous. The friendships Riley develops are touching. And most of all, the story of the dog park project Riley and Caleb work on together, building their relationship the whole time, is adorable and really life-affirming.

This is one I can recommend to any dog lover. With that cover, it'll be an easy sell!

Cold Nose, Warm Heart by Mara Wells
Book #1: Fur Haven Dog Park Series
Source: NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca
Rating: 3/5 stars

**MINI-REVIEW**

The Bottom Line: This is one of those feel good reads that make for a quick read when you aren’t quite ready to dive into the bigger, more serious books on your list. In truth, this book is as predictable as they come, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the ride and the read. I’m always going to be a fan of books that put the animals front and center and that is certainly the case here. For the most part, this is a very light and somewhat superficial read, but it does have its merits. It’s a solid enemies to lovers read, with a few feisty little old ladies thrown in for good measure, a lot of drama, and plenty of fur. While I can’t in good conscious tell you to move this one to the top of your TBR list, I can tell you to hang on to this one for the day, which inevitably comes, when you need something light and fun that you don’t have to think a whole lot about. Should I happen upon the next book in the series, I may pick it up, but I don’t think I’m going to go hunting for book two.

At first this seemed to be a story about the rich guy who heartlessly wants to convert this old, but charming apartment building into condos which would drive out the elderly residents and transform their dog park into a parking lot. But plucky Riley Carson vows to save her grandmother’s home and the dog park. But the story has several twists that help it rise above the cliches of a rich, selfish developer clashing with the sweet, yet poor heroine.

Caleb is the son of a man who blew through the family fortune in some sort of ponzi scheme. Caleb is trying to regain some self-respect while pleasing his grandfather who owns the apartment building. Riley lost her job working at one of Caleb’s dad’s resorts and is now reduced to unplugging the plumbing in the apartment building where her grandmother lives.

Caleb is actually a good guy who tries to find some sort of compromise to please both his grandfather and Riley. And they spend their time cleaning up and redesigning the dog park. These plotlines help the novel rise above the standard tropes I was afraid the book was going to be about.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Complementary copy given for honest review.
Sweet romance that has the elderly, dogs, and rich guy. It’s a perfect combination.

OK - so I really like the idea of this book; rich man is shown what the true value of time is all about. The girl hard done by is shown the really meaning of loves. LOTS & LOTS of adorable dogs (so much so you just want to cuddle up with the poochies!?!)

I hate that I always default to it was a slow burner, this should have been such an easy read. I should have sailed through it within a couple of hours, unable to put the book down. I should have had a major crush on Caleb and routed for Riley for her to finally have something her way. And I did - but I also kept loosing interested in what would happen.

When compared to other author's I read in the same genre they have this perfect balance of humour and romance. The little happenstance that happen that force the leading lady and man to spend more time with each other.

Cold Nose, Warm Heart (Fur Haven Dog Park Book 1) was missing the humour, the relationship between Caleb and his brothers was rushed and Mara Wells never really delved a little deeper into why the brothers weren't close. Lance appeared to be a likeable guy but wouldn't give Caleb the time of day, Knox only appeared on the scene because of Lance. There has to be a juicy back story as to why the brothers didn't really speak to Caleb.

For me, Mara Wells focused too much on certain areas when she could have delved into other areas. Keeping the readers attention - drawing us through the story to better understand why Caleb was the way his was.

You don’t have to be a dog lover to adore this absolutely adorable fun read. That said, dogs add so much joy to the world that even if you don’t have one or want one, go out and meet one. They’re fabulous, honest, trustworthy and when they love, they love hard! It will make your day brighter, lower your blood pressure and there is little cuter than a full on doggie wagging his or her whole body with joy to see you. If a dog or a child doesn’t like someone take notes and RUN!!
So family is enough to drive even the sanest person absolutely crazy! Grandfather William has serious control issues and no care or concern about how his actions impact anyone in his sphere (or outside of it either) even though he created the issues to start with. elfish is possibly the nicest thing I could say about him. He thinks he is slick but what he really is is a class A jerk. There is nothing likable about him. Riley and LouLou are managing a building called The Dorothy after she was unceremoniously fired from her job because Grandpa Williams son was such a lying thieving cheat he wound up in jail and lost everything his family ever worked for and had. Caleb is being manipulated by Willian to take over the Dorothy, the last property he owns, but has a crazy amount of restrictions, stipulations and rules to get it done. It is his way or Caleb will lose the little he has left and his brothers, who are a part of Grandpa Williams plan want less than nothing to do with The Dorothy, Grandpa or their father. Calebs first words to Riley are “I am here to fire you” when he goes to the Dorothy. And so begins a lot of back and forth, legal threats, Grandpa using undue influence to get the community board get the building approved for conversion to a condo so they can kick out life long tenants, an entire community coming together to fight for their dog park, their beloved home and all that is theirs and of course the eventual HEA between Riley and Caleb. There are no surprises, but it’s a sweet quick light read.

I’m a sucker for stories with dogs. Loulou the poodle was an adorable character and she has many lovely canine pals. Her owner, Riley, manages a building called the Dorothy. Riley used to work for a Donovan resort, but the chain went bankrupt when the Donovan patriarch went to prison. Her grandmother lives in the Dorothy, and Riley practically grew up there. She more or less keeps the building running on a shoestring. A benefit of the building is an adjacent empty lot that Riley and the neighborhood use as a dog park. It’s kind of a community gathering place.

Enter Caleb, one of the aforementioned Donovan family. His grandfather owns the Dorothy and is offering it to Caleb as a rehab opportunity to salvage the Donovan name and start rebuilding a family business. Sparks fly between Caleb and Riley. The last thing Riley wants is for the Dorothy to be converted into upscale condos forcing the residents out. Despite his attraction to Riley, Caleb is committed to this project.

This is a story of redemption, dogs, dog parks, family, trust, and taking a chance. Overall, it was cute. Personally, I wish I had connected more to Riley, Caleb, and their extended family members.

Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a sucker for any book that involves dogs...and this one involves MANY dogs! Probably because there is a dog park located near the apartment building that brings out all of the dogs in the neighborhood and is quite the community gathering space. Of course, I use the term dog park loosely as it is a fenced area that people squeeze through a gap to enter. But it is definitely a gathering space.

Caleb and Riley are friendly rivals once the truth is out about who Caleb is and why he is at The Dorothy that Riley manages. As in a romance novel, there are the ups and downs in their relationship, starting as friends, becoming slight enemies, resolving their differences and finding happiness together.

I appreciated how the community came together when The Dorothy was in trouble and everyone offered their assistance for free to save this iconic building. Sure it was dilapidated but it had charm. Even a crotchety old man can be taught new tricks and that it does not have to be a dog eat dog world.

This is a sweet romance with likable characters. Riley and Caleb are on opposite sides in a struggle over an apartment complex. LouLou, Riley’s poodle, is the catalyst that is the tie that seems to know what they really need. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a decent romance but lacked originality. The characters were bland and the plot uninspiring. Felt like a chic lit without the humor. Just didn't find it interesting but could be entertaining to those looking for a quick chick lit.

This was a sweet romance where the two main characters are on opposite sides. Riley is determined to protect the apartment building her grandmother & friends have lived in for years. Caleb has been tasked with turning “The Dorothy” into a money making proposition. He wants to rehab it & turn it into condos which none of the current residents could afford. The neighborhood has been utilizing a vacant lot next door as an unofficial dog park but Caleb wants to turn that into a concrete parking ramp. He didn’t know what he’s come up against when he meets Riley but he knows he’s interested. Will their chemistry help them find a compromise or will the conflict drive them apart?