I love Lucy Gilmore's books and I loved this one.
This is another excellent addition and I loved this story about life, what you want and what are the priorities.
It made me smile, laugh and root for the characters.
The plot is well developed, the characters human/canine are fleshed out and I rooted for Halley and Cole.
It was an engrossing, heartwarming and entertaining story that I strongly recommend.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Ruff and Tumble was my first read by Lucy Gilmore and with an air of While You Were Sleeping—Hailey reminded me of Sandra Bullock’s character, awkward, quirky and a little alone in the world, and Cole’s family had a feel of the Gallagher’s as they fall for her as much as he does—I absolutely loved it.

“The things I want to do to you don’t have anything to do with sleep.”

Fun from the furry brethren is balanced perfectly with their humans dealing with the complexity of life and love and it’s this that leads to not only Hailey and Cole but every character working their way into your heart. I needed a book to leave mine happy and put a smile on my lately-too-miserable face and with a wonderful cast of characters this was the one. I hope it’s not the last we’ve seen of them but nevertheless, Lucy Gilmore has a new reader.

If there is something I love more than puppies, I really can’t think of it right now.

This book really pulled on my heart strings and I really enjoyed it. The messages in this book were great. I loved seeing Hailey remember that people can love her and I loved that Cole realized that people see him as more than just a football player. It had a happy ending, but not one that might have been completely expected. Plus all those puppies up for adoption?! Precious.

If you’re looking for a wonderful romantic easy read, Lucy Gilmore delivers! A new author for me, a superbly written easy read!
Hailey is the production assistant in charge of organising the ‘Puppy Cup’, a football game for puppies! Cole comes into Hailey’s life and helps deliver puppies, all while Hailey is giving him advice about his failing football game, it seems that the Super Bowl will be benefiting from her blunt observations.
A story of happiness, family belonging and deep consuming love, I absolutely adored the characters and the way the author shared the emotions of Hailey and Cole.

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

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Ruff and Tumble is a cute, if not super substantial, contemporary romance. That’s not a bad thing, as what you see being what you get can be a good thing in this time of confusing romance marketing (and boy, is that discussion becoming more and more loaded…this cover itself got dragged into one such thread).

That said, I think the idea of this was more interesting than the execution. This book seems to fictionalize professional football, with the hero, Cole, playing in a fictional version of the Super Bowl, and Puppy Cup seems like a fictional event similar to the real-life Puppy Bowl. The event and the way the dogs are involved is super-cute, especially how it sets up Hailey’s involvement, as she’s shown to always be working with the winning team, and Cole finds himself reaching out to her for help when he’s in a bit of bad luck.

I wasn’t super invested in the romance, although I appreciated there was some depth and conflict to the relationship, even if the book was still more fluffy. I did feel like there was an easy way out for Hailey to explain the Lumberjacks memorabilia due to her dad being a fan, and Cole did primarily think of his own interests first, although not because he was a bad person, but because of his own lack of foresight.

This book is cute, and while it didn’t blow me away, I never go into these books expecting that. I’m just here for the cute puppies, and this one definitely offered a generous helping of cute puppy scenarios. If you love dogs, sports, or dogs involved in sports (especially if you tune into the Puppy Bowl every year!), you’ll like this one.

I'll grab any romance that features cute pups as this one does. Take a star QB trying to break a playoff "curse" for his team, a production assistant in charge of wrangling a bunch of shelter pups to perform in a puppy bowl in order to hopefully get themselves adopted. lots of cute puppies, and you've got the bones of a sweet and enjoyable romance.

As a former foster child, Hailey has had a tough time connecting with people and trusting in relationships. Cole has a loving and supportive family behind him, but fears that if he pulls out of football as he wants to, his family will never forgive him. When these two come together they give each other the courage to go after what they really want in life. Aside from Hailey's inconsistent characterization (one minute shy, seemingly weak and afraid to make any waves, the next minute strong enough to tell off pro football players) I really enjoyed this story.

Much more than a little bit of fluff about romance with a football player and a dog or two. Cute start leading me to believe this would be a light and bright romance. The back story for Hailey and the football player's issues provided angst and heart-warming moments. There is fun and lots of puppy delight also. I would have been happier without the intimate details.

I was absolutely taken by a book called Ruff and Tumble with a dog on the cover. Hailey is the production assistant who runs the Puppy Cup, the show during the halftime of the football championship game. Cole, the Seattle quarterback, approaches her to get involved with the Puppy Cup as well in hopes that she and the puppies will prove to be a good luck charm. The book features so many shelter pups, as a key goal of the Puppy Cup is to find homes for dogs. I would love the book just for the descriptions of puppies playing.

But the book is sweet in so many other ways as well. I loved Cole's family, especially his sister and niece. And I loved just about everything about Hailey. Her connection with and understanding of shelter pups is deep, and it's a key driver behind her job and her choice to foster dogs. She is equally connected to Cole's team and always picks him in the first round of her fantasy football draft. The two of them together are great fun, especially as she can critique his play like no one else. This book made me smile throughout. It's a fun romance.

Thank you to Sourcebook Casablanca and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

A sweet, if totally unbelievable, romance. Hailey is first depicted as this terribly insecure and shy woman because of her sad childhood as a foster child. But then she’ll burst out with totally sassy comments when she meets the star quarterback of the Seattle team, a superstar she’s had a crush on for years. Yeah, I wasn’t buying that.

Cole is the quarterback whose team has never made it into the final game of the imitation Super Bowl of the fictional universe of this novel. Seattle thinks there is a curse on the team and somehow he’ll give his team confidence by working with Hailey who produces the Puppy Cup which is a pretend competition between puppies in order to encourage puppy adoption from shelters. Yeah, that’s a reasonable decision for a QB heading into the playoffs.

And add on top of that Cole’s secret desire to retire from football because of a shoulder injury and just not feeling it anymore. Except he can’t tell his family because they have devoted the entire family’s existence to furthering his career.

The whole set-up was so unlikely and I could never picture this puppy tournament which seemed to just be videos of cute puppies stitched together to give the illusion that they were playing a football game. A hunky athlete who loves puppies and his little niece and just seems like an all-around great guy is always nice, but I had a lot of trouble suspending the disbelief necessary to fully enjoy the novel.

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.

A sweet romance. Hailey is a producer for the Puppy Cup and Cole is the quarterback for the Seattle Lumberjacks, a team she's worshipped because her dad did. They meet cute but form a relationship when she agrees to help him with PR but he's got a bit of a secret- he's ready to move on from football. A former foster child, Hailey has trust issues. Somehow, they're able to meet in the middle for a little, ahem, steam. Cole's parents are a hoot, the puppy aspect is cute, and the story, while trope-y, has a nice payoff with a twist. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A light fun read.

Ruff and Tumble by Lucy Gilmore is another one of her fun cute romances, featuring wonderful adorable dogs, not to mention some hunks along the way. Hailey Lincoln, our heroine, is a production assistant who runs the annual Puppy Cup, which coincides with official pro football cup. While in the planning stages with her co-worker, Penny, Hailey is shocked to see Cole Bennett (our hero & gorgeous hunk), the Seattle Lumberjacks star quarterback, walking into to her office.

Cole is determined to win this year’s Puppy Cup to help break their football team’s cursed luck, and he knows that the woman standing in front of him is undefeated for a few years; neither have met, though that is about to change. Hailey is not swayed by Cole’s charm, but agrees to work with him to help him select dogs for his team; Hailey only cares about making sure all the cute puppies get adopted. When Cole tries to use his charm, which never fails, she tells him all the things he does wrong on the football field. Though he is shocked how much she knows, he laughs and follows her to the elevator, with the pregnant dog she is taking care of; but to their dismay the elevator breaks, leaving them stuck and the dog is about to give birth to puppies. It was a funny and cute.

What follows is a sweet romance that develops between Cole and Hailey, and the fun with all the puppies was adorable. I got a kick out of Hailey getting Cole to take care of Phillip (a dog that was suffering anxiety), as well as getting another dog set up with Cole’s football friend. As their relationship grows, Hailey (who has no family) gets to meet Cole’s wonderful family, and they welcome her with open arms. They all enjoy Hailey easily setting in, especially since she has an uncanny ability to see what the players are doing wrong. Football is the major importance for the family, with Cole worried that his family will be upset, as his shoulder injury is not healing the way it should.

Ruff and Tumble was a fun sweet heartwarming romance with a couple that sizzled, but I totally adored how Hailey took care of the dogs/puppies, which was so much fun. Lucy Gilmore gave us some great secondary characters, besides Hailey and Cole; such as Penny, Regina, Garrett and Cole’s family. Ruff and Tumble was so very well written by Lucy Gilmore. If you love puppies, and a sweet romance, you should read this enjoyable story.

Puppies + romance = perfection. I will die on this hill.
Lucy Gilmore delivers again with all the puppy content your heart could possibly need!

As usual Lucy throws in a certain type of representation I haven’t come across a lot in books. In this one our main girl is an orphan raised within the system who eventually wound up in foster care. More than that she is described as a girl who walks a mediocre line, is average and has a blushing problem. I just loved this.

This was hilarious. The description of the football players is just too much. One might think she was talking about gods and that’s what I loved about being inside the head of our main girl. For her, they are gods. At one point I wrote down “She’s drooling more than the dog” and I think that describes it perfectly.

I loved the dynamics between characters. The banter and the wittiness. But as usual it goes far beyond that. We get a look into why they are the persons that they are and why they hold onto certain stuff. The family dynamics and struggles family brings with it were so relatable and made the characters come to life. I just want to give all of them a big hug. All the characters had to work through some stuff and I loved it!

The respect within this relationship made me stand still and realise this is a normal relationship but something we don’t always see in books. I just loved the mutual respect and during the book the main characters crawled inside my heart and stayed there.

Let’s take a second to talk about the star of the show: Julian, Cole’s dad. This man is hilarious and very relatable. He has good intentions but sometimes poor execution. He is such a drama queen. Luckily, Paula (Cole’s mother) is there to save the day with a hug when his poor execution strikes. One thing is for sure, Lucy stayed true and close to the traits of her characters. Everything they do makes sense.

In this one the grand gesture is not what you think and will surprise you. Would love to see things getting to the HEA more in this way. For me, this was a more realistic way to getting there. The HEA feels much more deserved in this one. Life is messy, not perfect and this book does not shy away from that all the while managing to keep a positive and hopeful note in there.

I will continue to pick up everything Lucy Gilmore puts out and I cannot recommend this enough! If you loved this, definitely pick up her earlier series “Forever Home”.

Thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Cassablanca and Lucy Gilmore for giving me this ARC and granting me the opportunity to read this wonderful story.

TW: loss of a loved one, heart attack

Ruff and Tumble, gave me all of the feels. I blush as badly and frequently as Hailey does. Cole is funny in all of the ways that he tries to get her to blush. I loved reading, Ruff and Tumble.

If you're looking for a cute sport romance with interesting and compelling main characters, really adorable puppies and a bit of steam, search no further. There were things that bothered me but all in all it was a really fun read.


I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks!

This was my first book by Lucy Gilmore and I was not prepared for how absolutely adorable this story about puppies and football was going to be!

On its surface Ruff and Tumble is a romance between a famous sports star and a lowly production assistant but it ends up being so much more than that. Beyond the sweet love story developing between our two mains, and beyond the delightful antics of the many adorable puppy mascots, there is a lot of substance and depth to be found. Both the heroine and hero have inner struggles they must overcome and there are a lot of lovely heart-warming moments, particularly for those who like the found family trope.

I absolutely adored Cole’s family. In fact, I’d like to be adopted by them please and thank you. Every scene with them in it was so chaotic and delightful and the connection they all showed was clear right from the start. I loved how they worked their magic on the suspicious Hailey, pulling her into their bubble, and there are a couple of scenes towards the ending that truly tug at the heart strings.

Speaking of Hailey, she is a heroine who has not had an easy life. Cole makes a big deal of the fact that she’s a ‘lucky charm’ but Hailey herself feels the opposite, she has a lot of insecurities that developed from her rocky past and she finds it very hard now to trust people. Her development throughout was a real treat to read and I really enjoyed seeing how she started to open up to everyone around her.

Cole I found a little harder to sympathise with. He’s a famous football star who has a lot going for him but he takes most of it for granted. He’s pretty much perfect and everyone loves him but sometimes he seemed a little too perfect. I did really love his emotional climax in the end though, how he kept his feelings and fears bottled up for so long they just came pouring out of him. He also did a really good grovel afterwards haha.

I have to say that it’s such a shame this isn’t going to be a series! (Or at least I don’t think so?) The side characters were absolutely fantastic and I would love to read further about Reggie, Garrett and Penny. They were all so fully fleshed out with their own wants and needs and I was a bit disappointed to see that Ruff and Tumble is a standalone.

Saying that though I did love this book, and it wrapped up with a lovely and very satisfying HEA. If you’re looking for a story that is funny yet still emotional, with plenty of sweet and steamy romantic moments then you should definitely be adding this book to your TBR.

Firstly if the dog on the cover doesn't sway you into reading this book then I don't know what will. A huge thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for my e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was a delightful read that has got me thinking of puppies and dogs everything. This book is about a production assistant of a Puppy Cup a football and puppy event (you might have to read this book so you call me out if I am wrong) who is just the sweetest thing who is asked to help Lumberjacks star quarterback Cole Bennett with some PR. If you love puppies and football then grab this book. The plot was well developed and the characters were just lovable.

I recieved an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very cute romance. I was pleasantly surprised by the bit of steam we got. Unfortunately, I didn't really like the main characters but it was still fun to read.

Lucy Gilmore’s dog-centered romances are such a weak spot for me - mostly because she knows her stuff when it comes to running rescues and manages to make her human characters flawed but likeable.  Ruff and Tumble is no change from that winning formula, and involves a fictionalized version of The Puppy Bowl. If this notion doesn’t make you “aww” at least once, then this isn’t the book for you.  Me, I gobbled it up like a bowl of ice cream, even though Cole isn’t my favorite among the author’s heroes.

Hailey Lincoln is a football-loving production assistant on the Puppy Cup, a nationally televised alternative to the Kickoff Cup, a large scale football game that takes place every February.  Each year, the puppies play and gambol with a football-ish theme, and with any luck get themselves adopted out and bring attention to shelter pups in need. Hailey is on the floor of her office checking Bess, a pregnant golden retriever, for toxemia when Cole Bennett, quarterback of the Seattle Lumberjacks, Hailey’s crush, and all around football god, comes striding up the hallway.  Fortunately for a lust-stricken Hailey, Cole loves Bess and finds the whole thing charming – and Bess immediately adores Cole.

Unfortunately, the second Hailey is alone with Cole, she asks him why he’s being so badly lately – and mentions the Kickoff Cup Curse, which has been haunting the Lumberjacks for ages.  He takes it in stride, and soon he and Hailey find themselves stuck in an elevator in Hailey’s office building, trying to deliver Bess’ puppies.  It’s a bonding experience.  To say the least.

The fame from the elevator puppy delivery is just the kind of positive press Cole’s been looking for, as he’s trying to outrun a media scandal which is due to drop any moment. His original objective was to become a part of that year’s Puppy Cup coverage, but this is twice as good as a simple appearance at the event.

While taking care of Bess’ puppies, Cole and Hailey get closer.  Cole’s niece Mia soon wants one of the pups, and the fostering process means more interaction.  But will Cole break the Kickoff Cup Curse, or buckle under the pressure?  And will Hailey manage to find contentment in her new found family?

Ruff and Tumble is, quite simply, a fun little book that balances serious topics – heavy expectations of your community and your family, clingy families, commitment issues and trying to open yourself up to someone new – and makes a lovely exploration of it all.

Cole is cocky and confident and smooth, but he’s also incredibly bad at relationships and his fumbling awkwardness makes for both frustration and good solid humor.  Hailey is also awkward as heck, and lonely and yet afraid of letting anyone get close.  She has a pattern of keeping animals in foster only for a few months, so when she bonds with Bess and her puppies it’s a new experience for her, and an intense one.

Together, they make a very good couple, though Cole does make a series of dumb, rash decisions that drag this book down a few notches.  He and Hailey both stink at communication, so if that kind of romance novel annoys you, this probably isn’t the kind of book you’ll enjoy.  Cole has a very close-knit family whom he takes for granted; Hailey was very close with her father, who died when she was a teenager, resulting in her being fostered out in her teens.  They have a lot of issues with attaching to others.

As always, Gillmore’s kids are properly childlike, and her dogs read like dogs and not props – they’re subborn, messy, inconvenient and naughty, and not always in a cutesy-poo way.  The supporting characters are good, too - I loved Cole’s sister Regina in particular.  She does not take an inch of her brother’s BS and manages to give as good as she gets.

Ruff and Tumble is a great little book, and it’s immensely enjoyable if you like your contemporaries warm and sweet, with a little bit of sass.

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I went into this expecting just a sweet romance with some cute puppies, but this had so much more substance to it. Both Hailey and Cole were complicated and interesting people outside of their relationship with one another. I'm not a huge fan of the circumstances that initially brought them together because it was not fair of Cole to try to interfere with Hailey's career. I forgave him though because it wasn't so much that he didn't care, I'm pretty sure he just didn't think how the whole situation would play out and what impact it may have on her. he's selfish, but only so he can help others. As for Hailey, I didn't understand why she didn't just tell Cole her house was a shrine to the Lumberjacks because her dad was a fan. She didn't have to go into detail, but it would have been saved her the embarrassment of having him think she was a crazy stalker level fan. The build up to their argument was believable and I understood why Cole was getting upset - he was trying to explain to Hailey about the pressures he was feeling from all directions and she wasn't really listening to him. I get that she was trying to help reassure him that everything would be okay, but she couldn't see past her own feelings about it to understand how difficult his situation was for him. That still didn't make what he said to her okay, so I was glad that she made him work for it a little bit and didn't let him just make his grand gesture without really apologizing to her. I did want to smack Cole's dad for his reaction to Cole's decision to retire - I wish Hailey had been there to witness it so she could see that his fears weren't completely unfounded.

In addition to the main characters there are a lot of great supporting characters. I don't think this is a series, but I would certainly read stories focusing on Regina, Garrett, and/or Penny.

A great read, the story of Cole and Hailey.
He is a footballer nearing the end of his career and knowing he needs to break the curse and win the cup before he leaves.
Hailey runs the puppy cup - she always wins and Cole thinks is it her good luck that he wants to rub off on him. So he wants to join forces and help run the puppy cup - it starts with him helping a dog giving birth and then adopting a dog. What lengths will he go to in order to win?