Cover Image: Forever Home

Forever Home

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Retired marine, Delaney Monroe has just arrived in Dogwood County looking for a fresh start after losing her father. All she has ever known was motorcycles being raised by her father, so she opens a motorcycle shop in the small town and is ready for a new beginning. She is slowly making friends and has one particular friend who keeps coming back to visit, a sweet shy pup. Everything is going as planned until one stormy night when her father’s prize motorcycle is stolen. Now she must rely on her new friends and one handsome police officer to help her get her life back on track.

This story is so beautifully written by Elysia Whisler. She gives us a view into serious topics of PTSD and animal rescue, but also into friendship, family, and unconditional love. The pitbull in the story is so loving, I was waiting longingly for his happily ever after. The characters were well written with depth and dimension that you could feel their pain right along with them, but it is also a story of hope and new beginnings. I also liked that previous characters were also in the story and am waiting to see who is in the next book and to get an update on Delaney and Sean. In thanks, I was gifted an advanced readers copy from Harlequin Publishing in exchange for my unbiased opinions.

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Title: Forever Home
Author: Elysia Whisler
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Newly retired from the Marine Corps, Delaney is looking for somewhere to start over. It’s not going to be easy, but when she finds the perfect place to open her dream motorcycle shop, she goes for it. What she doesn’t expect is an abandoned pit bull to come with the building. The shy pup is slow to trust, but Delaney is determined to win it over.

Detective Sean Callahan is smitten from the moment he sees Delaney, but her cool demeanor throws him off his game. When her late father's vintage motorcycle is stolen from Delaney's shop, Sean gets to turn up in his element: chasing the bad guy and showing his best self to a woman who’s gotten under his skin in a bad way.

Delaney isn't used to lasting relationships, but letting love in—both human and canine—helps her see that she may have found a place she belongs, forever.

Solid writing here and well-developed characters, but I’ll probably never read anything else from this author again. I enjoyed reading Delaney’s point-of-view and her background was interesting until, 73% of the way through the book (Yes, I checked.), she revealed that her previous relationship was with a woman.

The way it was said, oh-so-casually, without any previous mention of it (or any further mention of it, either) and without the slightest reaction at all from the male lead (or Delaney herself), made it feel like virtue signaling from the author, not a believable part of this character. This was after a previous episode of virtue signaling in the form of a minor background character had already taken place. This is a major part of this character’s life, and she never once thought of it until 3/4ths of the way through the book? Not believable. When an author break’s my trust as a reader like that, it negates anything else I found appealing in the book.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.)

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A new author (to me) and I am so glad I discovered her books. I read the first book “Rescue You” and I was hooked. Strong female and male main character with secondary characters who added so much depth to the story. A story of complex human emotions with a positive theme of recovery…a lovely read from beginning to end. Delaney Monroe has retired from the Marines after twenty years. Her father, who raised her, passed away just prior to her retirement. Her desire to open her own motorcycle shop has led her to Dogwood County. She meets Detective Sean Callahan, who is entranced with her from the first moment, at Semper Fit gym. Other than her father and “uncles” she has never had anyone to count on except herself. Used to being on the move, will she stay in Dogwood County? Secondary character Tabitha Steele, a former Navy Assistant Chaplain with her service dog Trinity, stole my heart as she struggles to deal with PTSD. I can’t wait for the third book in this series! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

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Forever Home is a heartwarming story about finding yourself. Many of the characters served in the military and have lasting impacts to their lives because of it. In this book they learn to accept themselves and heal.

My favorite character was the dog. He was so sweet and looking for a home that would be his forever home.

I gave the book three stars because while it is a great story, it was not the story for me at the time I was reading it. I had a hard time staying interested in it.

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I read the first book in the series and loved it. Forever Home is just as good!
What a wonderful community to live in.
Rescue dogs and retired military members….both carrying invisible scars.
Forever Home will have you feeling all kinds of emotions.
Overall a great story I highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Forever Home is the second book in Elysia Whisler's Dogwood County series, and while I haven't had the pleasure of reading the first book, I plan to remedy that soon. That said, I didn't feel like I was missing anything I needed to follow this story. It's just that I thoroughly enjoyed the setting and the characters, and I want more of both. Of course, this one also has a scene-stealer of a dog that I just wanted to hug every time he showed up on the page. The story is a good mix of romance and mystery, and I enjoyed both elements. It's also a story of finding your place as well as your family even if it is a chosen family rather than the one we're born to. It's a story of moving forward and healing, and the author touches on so many important issues. The whole thing is wonderfully written and it's one of those books that worms its way into your heart, one that I won't soon forget.

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FOREVER HOME is the second book in the Dogwood County series. Even though it is the second book, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. I do not like jumping into a series in the middle, but I did not feel lost at all. I love all the characters especially Delaney. She is a veteran with a broken spirit. She just lost her dad, who totally was her best friend, and now, at 37, she’s decides to open a motorcycle shop after being a marine for twenty years. She is trying to find a place to start her business and call home. Im sure it is really hard to write about veteran’s struggles, especially mental health, and it is accurately but mildly portrayed in FOREVER HOME.

I’ve never read any Elysia Whisler’s books before FOREVER HOME, but I know for sure, this won’t be my last one! She hooked me from the very first page and never let me go! Elysia sure knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat while reading and I love when an author does that to me. All of the characters will have you feeling sad and then smiling on the same page. Once you finish devouring this story, you are going to want to tell everyone you know about this awesome book.

The twists and turns just keep coming. So much so, that you won’t be able to put FOREVER HOME down until the very end. My emotions were all over the place while reading and as soon as I was finished, I immediately checked on Goodreads for more of Elysia’s books! All of the people in FOREVER HOME are dealing with problems in their lives while trying to do good, going forward. I enjoyed this story and the empathy the main characters show for cruelty to animals. If you have compassion, love, and respect for animals, FOREVER HOME is for you.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Mira through Netgalley. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

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FOREVER HOME (Dogwood County Book #2) by Elysia Whisler is a wonderful addition to The Dogwood County series featuring memorable characters in a Women’s fiction with romantic elements/small town fiction mash-up. This book can be read as a standalone, but many characters and locations carryover from the first book, Rescue You and I feel they are better read in order.

Delaney has served 20 years in the Marines and right before she got out her father who raised her died. She plans to carry on his and her dream of owning a vintage motorcycle repair shop. She finds the perfect place, but she finds not everyone is happy with her choice.

Detective Sean Callahan and his partner are assigned the case of a stolen motorcycle. He is surprised to find the woman who shot him down at Semper Fit is the owner of the shop and vintage bike. As he works to discover who stole the motorcycle, he finds himself wanting to solve the case to impress the woman who he finds he cannot stop thinking about.

Delaney is not used to lasting relationships, but this might be the man and place that changes her mind.

Ms. Whisler’s writing makes you believe every character is just waiting for you in Dogwood County. Semper Fit is the perfect place for all the Marine veterans to come together in a place where they are understood even as they sometimes struggle with civilian life. Delaney and Sean are perfect for each other with their similar childhoods, but it is never an easy road for an H/h. Ms. Whisler writes veterans with PTSD and/or physical impairments with empathy and never forces an easy or quick solution. I also love the inclusion of the dog rescue and the training of dogs for veterans with disabilities. I live with and love all pittie breeds and this author has represented them wonderfully in her stories.

The theft of Delaney’s family vintage motorcycle and the problems with the previous occupants of her motorcycle shop are the crime/mystery plots that brings the H/h together and moves the story along. With Delaney’s lack of permanence and trust and Sean’s once bitten attitude, the romance proceeds at a slow pace, but it also moves at a realistic pace which is why I feel this story is more a Women’s fiction story with romantic elements than a straight romantic suspense, but that does not distract from my love of the story at all.

I loved this second book as much as the first! These are memorable characters that I hope I will be able to visit over and over again.

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So this is the second book in a series. Usually, I do not like jumping into a series in the middle but will say this one was really good. Yes, there is mention of previous characters that if I read the first book I would know more about but I was okay not knowing and felt this book was a great one even without reading the first.

I loved the characters and I especially loved we had a female heroine that was slightly broken. Usually, in books, it's the man who has a troubled past or is the veteran with a broken spirit so it was refreshing to see a female in this part.

I also felt it was nice seeing the man in the role of the nurturer. the one who steps up to help heal our heroine. Plus a rescue dog was just the rising o the cake for me.

Overall a great story, wonderful character, a lovely town, and a book so refreshing I want to go back and read the beginning so I can reread this one with new eyes.

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Thank you to Netgalley and HARLEQUIN for access to this arc.

I am not going to finish this arc. Partially this is a mismatch between me and the book and partly it's the book. If a reader is not extremely interested in gym fitness and motorcycles, then this isn't the book for them. Since a little bit of both subjects goes a long way for me, I was not the right fit for the story.


Way too much time is spent on what I felt were details that only slowed things down. The pace of the story is agonizingly slow. Editing it down by 50-75 pages might have helped. Sean's initial scenes with Delaney also had a slightly pervy feel to me.

I did like the strong, working class heroine and seeing issues important to her treated with respect.

DNF @50%

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The second in a series and like many romance series this book has a self contained romance that centers around different characters than book one, BUT the character from book one are in this story and it is more enjoyable to experience those characters knowing what happened in book one.

With that said. This book centers around a former marine Delaney as she is trying to find the next chapter of her life and Sean Callahan who is a Detective in this town in Virginia. Delaney wants to set up a motorcycle shop and one of her prized possessions is a motorcycle that has been passed down from generation to generation and it is now hers and she wants to make a home with it. Of course, as soon as she is settled, one night due to a series of events, this motorcycle is stolen and the detective steps in to solve the crime and he may put more effort than most because a beautiful lady needs his help!

I love romance books where the characters can build their story and that was the case in this book. Nothing was instant or quick and there were some great mountains and valleys to the story. I appreciated how the author put together the story. And of course a little mystery with a stolen motorcycle was fun to follow within the bigger romance picture.

I can't wait to continue in this story and hope that there are more to come in this town in Virginia.

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I really enjoyed this book...it’s the second in a series but I did not realize when I started reading and it was ok to read as a stand alone. After finishing it I will be looking at reading the first book of the series Rescue you. I am secretly hoping there will be a 3rd in the series based on Tabitha and more of her story and happy ending. I loved how in-depth we got to see the characters , the scars they carry and how they managed to Peal back layers to allow others into their lives. It’s about a wonderful community and two of the issues they tackle are rescue dogs and life after the military when not all scars are visible. These two storylines are very close to my heart . And if you’re into motorcycles and take charge women this book also has that.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. All opinions Ive written about this book are my own. I would definitely recommend this book to friends and my book club.

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Since this is the second in the Dogwood County series readers will enjoy the story more by reading the first book. This is an enjoyable book featuring Delaney, a retired Marine fulfilling her dream of opening a motorcycle shop. I like the author featuring the relationship Delaney had had with her father. Readers will want to find out if Delaney will open up her heart and find a home.

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This story was more an ode to pit bulls than a romance. It was quite readable and the main characters were fairly well developed but for me the story line was just OK. A Marine veteran biker chick meets a veteran policeman at a gym for veterans who are serious about physical fitness. Delaney has just opened a bike shop in a small town and with it comes a needy pit bull. A beloved motorcycle that belonged to her late father is stolen from the shop and she enlists the help of Sean, a policeman. Their relationship develops very slowly and the story, including the hunt for the motorcycle and the relationship with Wyatt the dog, moves slowly as well. Everything is resolved in the end and the two main characters end up together -- another successful romance.

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A sweet romance that will have you feeling all of the emotions from happy to sad and will make you feel like you want to cry but happy tears.As well as been will writing and characters that will make you smile and will make you laugh, as well as like the title says finding your forever home wither your human or a loveable puppy .

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I wish to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Romance, MIRA Publishers for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a delightful book. It has it all. If you enjoy a romance story, dog story, mystery, biker books and strong female characters then you will not want to miss this book.

I felt engaged from the very start until the end and liked all of the characters. This is storytelling at its best. I look forward to reading more of her books. I did not realize that she had written another book prior to this one but feel this is a standalone book. I love the connections with the animals in this story and Wyatt frequently put a smile on my face. I wish I could share the Uncles with Delaney. This is a book you will want your friends to read.

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Lots Of Moving Parts And Yet It All Works. This book has a *lot* of moving parts with a primary romance, a secondary romance setup, two different tragic female backstories to encounter and mostly resolve, and a primary mystery and a secondary one to boot. And yet Whisler somehow manages to make all of that work, though the fact that she has 400 or so pages to play with here probably plays into this working as well as it does. The story is well paced - if you don't mind a very slow burn primary romance. As in, not so slow that there is zero "piano playing" at all, but slow burn enough that this doesn't actually happen until the last 15% or so of the book. So for the clean/ sweet crowd... eh, *all* of these characters have enough rough edges you're likely not going to like this one. For those that *like* a bit more edginess... yep, this one is for you, particularly if you're closer to the clean/ sweet side but like to get brave occasionally. :) Overall a great tale that never overly feels like a "Book 2", even though it is explicitly noted that this tale is, in fact, a "Book 2". Very much recommended.

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Lots Of Moving Parts And Yet It All Works. This book has a *lot* of moving parts with a primary romance, a secondary romance setup, two different tragic female backstories to encounter and mostly resolve, and a primary mystery and a secondary one to boot. And yet Whisler somehow manages to make all of that work, though the fact that she has 400 or so pages to play with here probably plays into this working as well as it does. The story is well paced - if you don't mind a very slow burn primary romance. As in, not so slow that there is zero "piano playing" at all, but slow burn enough that this doesn't actually happen until the last 15% or so of the book. So for the clean/ sweet crowd... eh, *all* of these characters have enough rough edges you're likely not going to like this one. For those that *like* a bit more edginess... yep, this one is for you, particularly if you're closer to the clean/ sweet side but like to get brave occasionally. :) Overall a great tale that never overly feels like a "Book 2", even though it is explicitly noted that this tale is, in fact, a "Book 2". Very much recommended.

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Great story, great characters!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One of the things that struck me about the story was definitely the synopsis. It’s very rare that we get a book with a female veteran, but oh, what a refreshing character and story this turned out to be.

There’s so many issues that the author calls out that are important to women. Women business owners, struggling with PTSD, finding your niche in a male-dominated world/business, finding comfort with who you are, trusting again, forgiveness, and so many more. Whisler blends these hot topics into the story in such a beautiful manner and with true compassion.

The author also has a great job with the character development and allowing her characters to be real people with great relationships and beautiful friendships. Plus, the dog lovers in the world are really going to fall in love with the paw patrol characters. I need Wyatt in my life!

Forever Home winds you up with a mixture of so many feelings. Whisler takes us from raw to sweet, emotional to stoic, heartbroken to happy. This is a book that will leave you with dreams of Sean while cheering them on for days! I so need an epilogue!

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Forever Home by Elysia Whisler is the second book in her Dogwood County series. I haven't read the series, but I feel like I would have enjoyed this more having read the previous book. I also feel like I would have none maybe the male character a bit more, I am assuming you meet him in the first because in this book we get to be more than a bit acquainted with the couple I'm assuming book 3 is about.

Still healing from the death of her father, Delaney moves to Dogwood County after she retires from the Marine Corps to open up a motorcycle shop. A shop that happens to come with a lovable Pitbull who is just as much of a free spirit as she is. While she works hard to get her shop off the ground someone steals her late father vintage motorcycle and the previous shop owners are doing their best to halt her growth. Cue Sean, the detective assigned to her case who also happens to be a former marine who caught her eye at the local veterans' gym. Sean is determined to find her missing bike and wouldn't mind getting to know Delaney more along the way.

Like I stated in the first paragraph I might have enjoyed this more if I had read book 1 but it was still a pleasant read. I genuinely enjoyed all the character,s from the main ones to the supporting cast. The Pitbull Wyatt was a star of the story and constantly put a smile on my face. The romance itself is the slowest of slow burns. Delaney and Sean barely interacted for the first 30 percent of the book, then we get a few kisses and the sexual tension slowly builds. Thankfully it pays off with an opened door intimate scene towards the end. I really loved that Delaney was the one who took the reins in the physical department since Sean turned into an awkward teenager around her lol

My biggest problem was with the pacing of the book. We really only needed Delaney and Sean's point of view yet for some reason the author made the decision to have the side character Tabitha's point of view and pretty much start her romance arc in this book. It would have been better if it was something that was just observed by the main characters as a "oo I wonder what's going on between these two " type situation in order to get you excited for the next book. When all it did was take me out of Delaney and Sean's story unnecessarily.

All in All I think readers you have read book 1 would really love this, and even I would be interested in reading future books in the series. I need to know what happens to Tabitha, even if I didn't like the way her story overshadowed our main characters in this one at times.

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