Romance, hockey and dogs. My trifecta! Unfortunately I had a difficult time getting into this story. I found the coach’s verbal abuse difficult to read. I also found the writing style did not keep my attention. There seemed to be too much information that was not necessary to carry the story. I don't think this author is for me.

Must Love Dogs is a sweet and engaging hockey romance about Easton and Lilly. They have a chance meeting at a park and it changes their lives.

Easton is a professional hockey player and a nice guy. He is attracted to Lily but at first, she has some reservations about Easton. I enjoyed all of Easton and Lily’s encounters together. They each deserve to find happiness after some bad luck in the past.

I love dogs and enjoyed this charming story involving cute dogs and charming hockey players. Kelly Jamieson knows how to write entertaining stories about sexy hockey players.

I voluntarily read an advanced review copy of this book

Lilly's life is a hot mess and the last thing Easton needs is to focus on all of her crazy...but somehow one little pup brings them together and makes them want to try something they never thought they could have...LOVE!

This book was really good. Kelly Jamieson writes tales that somehow I can figure out or come close to figuring out how the story is going to go and still I fall in love and cry and laugh.

I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review! I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book but I like it! It’s all about hockey and dogs (Hence the title) Easton is a nice guy in hiding from all the lost he’s experienced. I like that the characters are developed and interesting that they both have struggled. Otis is adorable to imagine. Lilly and Easton are attracted to each other but both are anti-relationships for very different reasons. This book was great tension and the end made me feel all warm and fuzzy. Great cute book

I love Hockey, so tend to go grab a book when a book comes out, especially Kelly's books. I thought this book was so adorable, this couple cracked me up and I loved their chemistry and you just can't forget the most adorable dog, otis by his antics.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House and Kelly Jamieson. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own.***

This was a quick read with likeable characters. There were lots of dog scenes thrown in which added to the sweetness of the story. I liked that Lilly and Easton both had a lot going on in their lives and pasts because it added to the depth of the book. This one wasn’t exactly a slow burn in that the attraction is pretty obvious from the get-go. It’s their professional relationship—she cares for the dog he rescues while he’s on the road playing professional hockey—that keeps them resisting getting physical right away. She’s very idealistic, and paid the price with her job because of it when the book opens. He’s got some anger issues. Together they even the other out. The tricky part for them is keeping it no strings and getting over their baggage.

Kelly Jamieson’s new book is a total hat trick! Must Love Dogs…and Hockey is everything I like in a romance. A go-getter gal with opinions, a hottie that shows respect to life and women, witty banter, good steam and a happy ending.

Lilly is feeling swallowed up by life right now. She got wrongfully terminated from a job she actually liked for calling out bad ethics and is suing them. She has debt and owes a few people money. Besides, she lives in New York. Big cheddar to live there. The last thing she’s looking for is a relationship.

Easton (love the name!) is a NHL player playing for the Bears in New York. (I’m a hockey novice, and this isn’t a real time. I looked. Ahem. ) He was traded last year and is simply trying to keep his head down and play. He’s had some big tragedy in his life up until now. Hockey is the one thing that he can count on and can make him happy. While he’s happy to have a bed buddy now and then, he’s not looking for a relationship.

Easton sees a dog being led into an elevator in his building and the doors close on the leash – the owner on one side of the elevator, the pooch on the other side. Scary situation that doesn’t look like it’ll end well. Easton jumps to the rescue to save the dog (good man, Charlie Brown) but despite his efforts for days following the incident, he cannot find the owner.

Easton is a party of one. Puppy isn’t part of the plan here. Lilly enters the picture to help take care of the canine cutie while Easton travels for work. Coicidentally, Lilly’s time with the dog gives her a good idea to launch a dog-walking biz while she looks for full-time employment and while she waits for her wrongful termination case to go to trial.

Easton gets under Lilly’s skin in the very best ways. And Lilly seems to be the one female who can resist Easton’s…everything.

This is romance novel gold, peeps!

I really like Easton and Lily. They're both just flawed enough to make their relationship realistic and a bit challenging for them. There's plenty of strife in their lives to add to their relationship challenges. Well that and neither one of them is actually looking for a relationship.

They each have a "ripped from the headlines" situation to deal with and they approach the problems very differently which causes more stress in the story. Through everything is the sweet, sometimes destructive but 100% loveable Otis. The story of Otis ending up in Easton's care is unique. Once this dog with a fear of elevators and this hockey player with no desire to own a pet come together they're quickly quite attached. Lily comes in and she and Otis also quickly bond. But can Easton and Lily also bond?

Just when all seems perfect between them Easton's bone headed comments create a painful rift. Watching them repair that was worthy of a few tears and ultimately more smiles.

Must Love Dogs and Hockey is another good read from Jamieson.

As I began reading, it was difficult to believe the characters were adults. The writing is remarkably simplistic and the conversations the players have in the bar seem to be those that are assumed men would have. The way the dog falls into Easton’s lap is very coincidental. Lily is down on her luck due to a misunderstanding at her job and because of a pending court case (which is not explained right away) which makes it hard for her to find work. She is trying to get back on her feet and start a business so she is not\ beholden to others for jobs.

Easton is dealing with a bully of a coach, whom everyone on the team is afraid to stand up to. Which makes it harder to play the game, but the situation is tiring. Easton slowly works on his relationship with the team and while he had put up with physical abuse from the coach, he puts a foot down when the coach calls a team member a racial slur. This is what rally’s the team together to make the problem go away.

The setup of their relationship is well done and does not have them falling at each other’s feet right from the beginning. It is a gradual process and so they can get to know each other before they end up in bed together.

The book has potential, the storyline is there but it just misses the mark with pacing!

I received this book for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Random house

I'm still chasing after the elusive "good read" that I know Kelly Jamieson can produce, as she has for some of her past hockey series. However, this one wasn't it. It simply lacked the past magic of intelligent characters, real internal struggles to overcome and chemistry that I found in her Aces Hockey collection.

I was ok with how she wanted to stay woke by including current issues, but in reading it, I was wondering what the initial story thread would've been and felt a little robbed of the original story idea. As a result of squeezing in the coach's issue, I felt it was manipulated and not as organic a storyline. Nevertheless, she did an ok job with a timely topic.

I absolutely loved this! I loved the characters, especially Otis (Percy).
I thought the plot was really well done and I liked how there wasn't a major conflict between the two main characters. I think some books take conflicts too far, and miscommunications drive me nuts.
Overall, I really enjoyed this, but I tend to enjoy a lot of stories if they have dogs in them.

This book grabbed my heart and squeezed for SO many reasons. The first reason is that I had a dog named Otis, same as the dog in the book, and that right there sucked me in! But it was a fantastic book for all kinds of other reasons.

Easton's back story was utterly heart-wrenching - especially given that I think Kelly took inspiration for his story from a real-life tragedy that happened in Canada's junior hockey community a few years back. When that part of Easton's story came out, I bawled almost uncontrollably. Lilly and Easton are both just amazing people. Lilly lost her previous job because she was a whistle-blower trying to do the right thing and the company retaliated by firing her. She's a genuinely lovely person. I felt really connected to her character. Lilly recognizes that for most of her life she really did have things relatively easy. It made it hard for her to keep going when things STOPPED being easy, and she fell into a depression. I can absolutely relate to that.

The way the characters bond over Otis is so sweet. I'm a big believer that people can learn to love by spending time with animals. Easton had to learn how important Otis was to him, but in the end he did. Both characters are such strong, admirable people. They both commit to doing the right thing, even if it means risking a LOT. My ONE tiny complaint about this book is that I felt like the ending left us hanging - Lilly and Easton's story gets resolved, but a new character is introduced and then it's over!! So of course I had to go sniffing around online, and saw that Kelly has another book coming out in December - so I guess this is book 1 of a new series? Anyway, all in all I LOVED this book. A sweet, engaging story with impossible NOT to love characters. It was such a pleasure to read.

Damn, I love a hot hockey player! This book is quirky and fun with great banter and steamy scenes that will fog your glasses!

After a random mishap with a dog and an elevator, pro hockey player Easton finds himself caring for a dog he's not ready to handle. When his NFL game schedule means he needs a dog sitter, a chance meeting leads him to Lilly. She is out of a job and will gladly spend her time with dogs instead of humans.

These two have instant chemistry, but neither is in a place where they can be in a relationship. But that doesn't stop the sparks between them!

I loved how organically Lilly and Easton become friends. This author didn't rush it and it makes the pay off worth it when they finally seal the deal. There are also some really good back stories here that make this book even better.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Lily is out of work and looking for income when she gets offered a lot of cash to take care of Otis, Easton's dog. There some attraction between these two but Lily is hesitant and doesn't want to get involved, thinking that she'd only get hurt and Easton is a client. However, chemistry takes over and these two finally decide to go out together.

The book really takes off when Lily and Easton start dating. Their relationship is really sweet and lovely. But there are a few issues to resolve, one of those being Easton's reluctance to stand up to his abusive hockey coach. Easton is really a sweet man and I loved these two together.

Overall, a sweet hockey romance. It was a bit slow at the beginning, but it really shines when the main characters get together. There's a few lessons to be learned, and Easton comes through like a champ.

What is not to like about this one? Dogs, hockey stars, romance. Perfect, sweet read. Very little angst and did I mention there are dogs??

This author has written some of my favorite series. This book is the first in the Bears Hockey series. They are based in New York. We get the feel and groove of the big city. And then the sweetest meet cute ever--walking dos at the park.

Easton doesn't want a dog or a relationship. Dog falls in his lap first and then along comes a girl who doesn't want anything to do with Easton either. But Lilly agrees to help out and take on the dog. For now. Nice slow burn with this relationship. Of course Otis is at the center of it all. I think he may have pulled some strings to make sure these two ended up together.

Great start to a series! Not a whole lot of hockey but enough to keep it interesting. Can't wait for more!

This book was adorable. Such a cute story.
It’s taken me a while to write this review, and I just don’t know how to get the point across on how much I enjoyed this.
It was charming and it warmed my insides as I outwardly giggled and grinned to myself. 🙈
I mean, this book was right up my alley. I love dogs and hockey and romance. Put them together and you get this super sweet creation.
This book was just what I needed to break up how heavy life is right now. It was an easy, feel good story with the perfect pinch of sexy and slow burn. And, the chemistry between Easton and Lilly was great and believable. Their support of each other was beautiful. The addition of Otis just made their dynamic. Just excuse me as I swoon 😊
I will definitely be picking up the next one.

Great combination of lighthearted sexy romance and serious contemporary issues. As a hockey fan, I appreciate the accuracy of the hockey scenes, and the inclusion of recent events/issues from the hockey world. I enjoyed reading about the antics of Lilly, Easton and Otis the dog. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.

Easton hasn’t had the best life and he’s part of a new team and he’s determined to make this work. He loves Hockey and that’s all that matters until a dog is in need of a rescue and his life is gonna change majorly again.

Lily keeps facing disaster after disaster and she’s still struggling. Dealing with humans hasn’t been working so she’s going to try dog waking and ends up in Easton’s path.

What starts as a friendship and business deal turns more. Lily and Easton are off the charts with attraction and the chemistry is crazy. As their pasts come to light and they deal with pasts and current issues they will grow as a couple. However sometimes things are just to much to handle. Between Eastons coach, a dog he didn’t want, and Lilly’s own issues with her ex and previous employment they will have their hands full to survive! Love love loved this book!

Easton and Lilly are not even remotely looking for love when they meet. He is a professional hockey player and she is, again, unemployed. Lilly seemed kind of flighty and not really sure where to go in her life. Both of them are guarded and not really trusting of a relationship, let alone love. Easton has suffered a tragic loss that has made him question the people in his life leaving him. Lilly doesn't really seem to trust men and finds that they all disappoint her at one point or another. While Easton tries to work on his baggage, I didn't really see Lilly doing the same.
The hockey aspect of the book was great. It gave a feel for what Easton goes through and how much effort he has to put in. It also grapples with a hockey tragedy that closely resembled a real life incident that was touching. Easton started to come out of his shell with both his teammates and Lilly. It was nice to see him embrace "Otis" and try to let love into his life. I thought his teammates should have been there a bit more for him when he is punished for standing up to the coach.
Lilly's life is in flux. She does begin to do a dog walking business and Easton is her first client. She doesn't want to muddy the waters and claims that Easton was "arrogant". I never felt that. I thought she had some preconceived notions and acted on those. Lilly did come off as judgmental at points, but I didn't necessarily disagree with her opinions. I just felt she should own her own issues and not project her feelings onto everyone else. Her issues with her dad should have been addressed with him. I felt she also needed to own up to her roommate and let the poor girl live her life without worrying about Lilly constantly. The advice she was given by those around her was solid. I liked that she chose her own path, but she should have been adult enough to take their advice without being whiny about it.
When Easton does something that disappoints Lilly, she pretty much lashed out. I wanted her to realize that Easton is not a robot and had real feelings. She felt her feelings were warranted, but not his? I didn't get the impression that she truly understood the magnitude of his loss and downplayed it. Felt it was really harsh to tell him he was a coward. The ending of their story did seem to fit them.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher for my honest review.

The title says it all! Must Love Dogs...and Hockey is one of the cutest books I've read all year. Thoroughly enjoyable, the characters are fun, and the setting brings New York to life. Lilly is an independent, strong woman who is following her heart with no regrets. Easton is trying to find where the line is between conformity and standing up for what's right. The two blend together so incredibly well in this lighthearted romance. I didn't want to put it down and would have loved to read more!