This one we meet Hazel and Linc. She’s divorced, essentially homeless, jobless, and fostering 5 dogs. She’s crashing at her friend’s house, playing it off as “watching it” for them until it sells. Only, it did sell, and they forgot to reach out.

Enter Link. The new owner, who’s trying to renovate the house a bit before putting it back up on the market.

We get forced proximity because he lets her stay at the house while he renovates it. And we get to see the different dogs and literally, it’s me. I don’t think I could foster, because I’d want to keep all of them.

There’s just one thing: he’s kept the fact that he’s a millionaire a secret. After her divorce left her with literally nothing, she’s trying her hardest to do whatever she can to make it on her own. She’s stubborn, and it feels like a bit more than necessary.

This is a sweet and lighthearted rom-com. After being left high and dry by her ex, Hazel Bristow finds herself broke, homeless, and temporarily squatting—with her crew of adorable foster dogs—in a house that turns out to have just been sold. Enter Linc , the new owner, who is understandably shocked to find Hazel and her furry companions living in his soon-to-be-renovated home. After some reluctant negotiations, they strike a deal, and sparks begin to fly.

While the setup may require a little suspension of disbelief, the story is full of charm and humor. Hazel’s dogs add an extra layer of heart (even for those more inclined toward cats), and the banter between Hazel and Linc keeps things entertaining.

That said, the story does hit a few snags—particularly around Hazel’s dream of becoming a chef, which feels somewhat disconnected from the rest of the plot. Her emotional walls and fear of being hurt again are understandable, but her repeated resistance starts to bog down the story, especially when it drives the inevitable rom-com “big bad moment” that feels more formulaic than fresh.

Hazel has a collection of dogs that she's fostering, while also housesitting. Until the day her friend sells the house to Linc, which she forgets to tell Hazel about. Hazel makes a deal with Linc to stay in the house while he flips it. She cooks for him, while she starts looking for a new living situation. A cute, heart warming read for those who live all the dogs.

A book with dogs on the cover? Yes please. That's what got me interested in the book. However, this book just wasn't a good fit for me.

Housebroke by Jaci Burton is a laugh-out-loud romantic comedy that perfectly blends humor, heart, and a touch of chaos. The story follows a relatable protagonist navigating the challenges of renovating a house while also fixing her personal life, making for an engaging and entertaining read. Burton’s witty writing and knack for crafting authentic, flawed characters shine throughout, keeping readers hooked. The romance is sweet and slow-burning, with just the right amount of tension and emotional depth. This book is a delightful escape, perfect for readers who love a mix of laughter, love, and a little bit of home improvement drama.

As a first-time reader of Jaci Burton, I found "Housebroke" to be a pleasant yet somewhat underwhelming introduction to her work. The story of Maddy renovating a fixer-upper is charming, but the plot felt a bit predictable and lacked depth. The romance between Maddy and her love interest is sweet, though it seemed rushed and didn't fully capture my investment. Burton’s writing is engaging, and the humorous moments were enjoyable, with quirky secondary characters adding a nice touch. Overall, it's a decent, light read for a lazy afternoon, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
This was a great romance with lots of dogs.

I had a great time reading Housebroke, which actually felt much more emotional than the romcom I thought I was getting. I enjoyed Jaci Burton’s engaging writing, and storytelling, and can’t wait to add more books by her.

*many thanks to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

I absolutely floved this book!!

Jaci Burton is one of those authors that I don't even need to read the description for her books anymore. I just know I will want to read to read it and see what I get haha.

I started reading her back with a big chunk of her sports romances. And just kept expanding my way through her different books.

I loved this one though. It was sweet and adorable. And had some really good characters. And dogs haha.

I loved the premise though. It set up some fun hijinks and was just a fun and new take on a fixer upper story.

Hazel is broke and homeless when a friend lets her stay in a home that is for sale. It's working out fine until the house is sold and new owner Linc wants Hazel and her dog pack gone. She assumes he is a contractor, not the owner and makes a deal to help with the construction. When she finds out he's the owner and very rich things fall apart. A good story of pet rescue and a happy ending.

A fun, forced proximity roommance between a secret millionaire house flipper and a recently divorced, down on her luck foster dog mom. Set in Florida, this was flirty, steamy and full of great canine sidekicks. I really enjoyed this, especially on audio! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: open door

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I didn’t love this one, the rom-com didn’t hit like most Berkley romances tend to do. It felt wildly unbelievable and the characters felt really bland and two-dimensional unfortunately.

Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost from the publisher/author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I am leaving a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

This was a fun and entertaining story brimming with cuteness. And look at that cover! Gorgeous!

Jaci Burton had such an inviting writing style. I fell into the story quickly with the polished and relatable prose. The premise of the story was a bit unbelievable but I was able to push that truth aside and enjoy the book for the light and fun read that it is. The story was fairly fast-paced so it was a quick read.

I didn't feel much of a connection with the main characters. I certainly empathized with them easily enough but I didn't feel that tug that you feel deep inside when you just get someone. Even so, I still enjoyed their characterization and development. Each has their hangups so it is a little journey to get through them. I admit, I loved all the dogs as side characters. They really added a little something to the story.

I wasn't that into the romance though it did have its moments. The reason why it mostly didn't work for me is because of all the instalove going on. Instalove is not my thing and I typically steer clear of it. The steamy moments were great and I felt that Hazel and Linc each brought something to the relationship that the other needed.

Overall, this was an adorable story that works quite well if you can suspend belief a little bit. The premise may be a little far-fetched but when it comes down to it this book did have some lovely moments. In the end, this story is about some damaged souls (humans and foster dogs included) that find each other and create something beautiful together. If you are a fan of instalove, dogs, forced proximity, and lighthearted stories then you will love this one!

Housebroke was an adorable, fun completely entertaining story. Linc is a swoony hero. I loved Hazel and her pups so much and enjoyed everything about this book except I was slightly disappointed in the ending (but only slightly)
-4 Stars-

This was a light and easy read, but I felt like it was lacking in depth. Hazel had some big life dreams, but also never seemed to do enough to achieve any of them. She make a big deal about her independence yet lacked the ability to actually be independent. She has the frustrating view of “it will just work out”. But sometimes it doesn’t and it made me with someone would really force her to look at her choices and finally start living instead of drifting.

Linc was almost too easy going and it seemed we never really got to know him. I would have liked to see more between him and his family and what his dream life really means to him. He skirts around the idea of planting down roots, but also seeks this nomadic lifestyle, so that never felt totally genuine.

This did also make me think about how I obsessed I am with my dog. Spoiler - I am the most obsessed with him.

This is a sweet romance which has misunderstandings but also a lot of heart. It’s fun to see Hazel a housesitter interact with link who is the new owner of the house she supposed to be sitting. Link lets Hazel stay because she needs a place while he renovates and she starts to find him smart and funny. Lincoln Hazel start to fall for one another but the tooth of who link really is can throw a wrench into the relationship. It’s cute with likable characters and is quite entertaining from start to finish.

Thank you to Berkley for the arc! All thoughts are my own.

Housebroke centers around Hazel, a recently divorced, down on her luck foster mom for 5 dogs that is currently squatting in her friend’s house while she figures out her next move. In comes Linc, the new owner of the home who is here to flip the house for a profit. They live together during the construction and a Pretty Woman esque romance ensues.

This was not it for me because this book requires you to just believe in straight irrationality. In what world is a foster dog program going to allow this woman to have 5 dogs with different health care and behavioral needs when she doesn’t even have a permanent address? In what world is your friend allowing you to squat at her house that’s on the market and OOPS forgot to tell you I sold it here’s the hot new homeowner here to fix it up! This book is lucky I like dogs because otherwise, I don’t think I would have finished it.

A millionaire and a woman who thinks he is a house flipper are stuck living together with a menagerie of rescue dogs, in this heartfelt romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Jaci Burton.

 

Housebroke is a forced-proximity rom-com that just did not hit the mark for me. I love the idea of house flipping but I loved the dogs more and I think I would have been happy to just read about them than the two main characters, Hazel and Linc, and all their issues and past problems.

I have been wanting to pick up a Jaci Burton book for a long time, and now I am wishing I had done it sooner! Housebroke was a sweet, fun, and emotional read with two characters I loved so much.

After her ex cheated on her and stole her money, Hazel is trying to rebuild her life. When Linc buys the house she is staying in they - and the dogs she fosters - become unlikely roommates.

Despite the unusual situation Hazel and Linc clicked so quickly and I loved how their relationship grew from friendship into so much more. The dual POV was really nice. You get to see Hazel's confidence coming back and how much she loves what she does as well as how hard Linc falls for her.

This was a really great read and I can't wait to read more of Jaci's books!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘼 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨 𝙝𝙚'𝙨 𝙖 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙪𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙜𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨.

📍 Read if you like:
• Forced Proximity
• Opposites Attract
• Rescue Dogs
• Romcoms

This was such a fun and quick read. It’s definitely more on the sweet and lighthearted side, so if you’re looking for a romcom like that then this might be for you.

This one starts off so strong with these characters meeting right away and there’s a forced proximity early on - with the house they end up living together in. Hazel was an interesting character and I loved how she cared so much for rescue dogs - Linc was also intriguing with his millionaire side, but he was actually likable.

I loved the connection between both characters and seeing how their feelings evolve over time. The dogs in this were so fun, it just made the book so much more heartwarming and lighthearted. It was a sweet romcom all around.

The characters were super sweet and the story was just so sweet and funny. I flew through it as the writing felt super easy to get into. I also enjoyed the pacing, while I do think the book could’ve wrapped up a bit better.

This felt like one of those cozy reads you pick up when you just want a happy book. I definitely picked this one up because of the dogs, and they did not disappoint in this book.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Berkley for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!