I picked up this book as a palate cleanser between a romantasy binge, and I was pleasantly surprised! I’ll be honest, the cover did not have me being too hopeful about the contents of the book. But, I thought that this book was excellent! This is my first book by Melinda Metz and I'm definitely going to read more of their work. There were multiple arcs within the story. There was a good exploration of trauma, dealing with the trauma, and addressing it/getting some closure. You saw characters working towards healing that inner trauma in realistic ways and also acknowledging that it was completely dealt with and wrapped up in a nice bow. I also appreciated the neurodivergent representation. The third act break up wasn't annoying and didn't resolve in 2 to 3 pages. This one was done really nice and felt more real. The story flowed well and there were so many flushed out characters that I was rooting for the side characters as much as the main couple.

This was an excellent story! One I couldn't put down. Wonderful characters and a cute plot that I loved.
The dog in my opinion, made this story.
I loved in getting to know him
The fost care part I completely connected with. My parents had foster kids for years as I was growing up. Some I loved and some well.....I will just leave it there
This new to me author did very well with the tough subjects and I felt the characters' every emotions coming from the pages. So very realistic.
I hated to see this wonderful story end. I was sad when it ended.
I will be looking for more by this author. This story was a joy to read. Im still thinking about it.
5 stars from me for a job well done.
My thanks for a copy of this sweet story. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

This is the first book I've read by this author, but I can tell that Metz has a talent for weaving animals into romance in ways that feel genuine and heartwarming. The plot leans on familiar rom-com tropes: the meet-cute, resistance to commitment, and the lovable animal as a catalyst. If you’re seeking darker twists or complex emotional arcs, this may feel too gentle. It's designed to be a breezy, uplifting read, although it does deal with some deeper childhood traumas related to foster care and addiction, which gives this story a bit more depth than typical feel-good romances. This felt a little slow at times to me, but I was invested in the characters and their story. Overall, this is an enjoyable read that is clean and not overly angsty, providing a nice break from the chaos of the world around us.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

Give me a book with a dog and some romance and I am happy
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest opinion

I requested this book because it was set in Sedona, AZ - one of my all-time favorite places. From the description, I thought this was going to be a light and breezy romance novel featuring an adorable dog. To my surprise, this story covered serious emotional-laden issues resulting from early childhood traumas – death, foster care, addiction – all impacting the principal characters’ ability to form healthy relationships. It was a sweet healing journey fostered by a puppy providing unconditional love.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

I really enjoyed this as a wonderfully done romance novel, it had that concept that I was wanting and enjoyed the overall use of the dog and how the dog was used to tell the romance concept. I enjoyed the overall storyline and was glad it had that feel that I expected. Melinda Metz has a strong writing style and enjoyed getting into this world and from Riley.

This is a very cute and sweet book with a wonderful cast of characters that were well written. I now want to read more by this author!

This was so fun. All the characters start out with one frame of mind and completely change into another. The ups and downs are funny and emotional but go hand in hand

This was a cute book ! I choose it not because of the description of the book but because of the dog on the book , Iam so glad I did this was adorable ! I highly recommended this to anyone who loves clean books and dogs