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Friday, May 15, 2020

Book Review: The Summer of Falling in Love


By Sara Steven

The thought of having a dog hasn’t crossed Theo Martin’s mind. It’s not that he doesn’t like dogs – he does – but the idea has simply never occurred to him.

It has occurred to his mother, though. When she decides to buy him a puppy because she thinks it will “liven him up a bit”, his life is turned completely upside down, and not for the better as far as he’s concerned. But when he discovers that having a cute dog on the end of a lead attracts a great deal of female attention, he soon changes his mind. All kinds of women stop to pet the pup and while they coo over Poppy, they talk to him. A lot. And for Theo, it looks like his love life is taking a very welcome turn for the better.

But what about Josie Wilde, his dog sitter?

Forced to employ someone to walk his dog when he’s in work, he finds himself increasingly attracted to her, but unfortunately Josie’s interest in him appears to be purely professional. As the summer unfolds and he falls head over heels in love with the sweet and vulnerable pup, he finds himself falling for Josie, too. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

This is a sweet love story in not only a romantic sense, but in the bond that many people have with their pets and animals. While Theo never imagined he’d end up with a dog, and makes every attempt to find a new home for it, Poppy ends up becoming more to Theo and as he puts it, “worms her way” into his heart. The beautiful detail given for Poppy made me feel like I had an adorable dog sitting right next to me. She becomes a magnet, not only in gaining female attention, but by pulling positivity and enjoyment into Theo’s life.

As mentioned in the synopsis, Josie is a tough cookie to crack. There were plenty of quips and remarks that she makes in what feels like an attempt in protecting herself from letting anyone in, and that includes Theo. It was nice to see a potentially romantic couple who don’t instantly fall for one another, that there is work and effort put into it. Theo has to prove that he is someone to be trusted, and that made me appreciate this couple even more.

I thought it was also a nice change of pace to see what life is really like when adopting a puppy. Theo goes through trying times and has to muster up a lot of patience, which is very real and true of what happens when bringing a puppy home. I could feel the tension and irritation, along with the exuberance when he finally feels he’s having breakthroughs with the new addition to his life. It made me feel closer than ever to my own dog!

There are a few bumpy experiences along the road to petdom, as well as Theo’s attempts at making it known with Josie on how he feels for her, even when he’s not entirely sure on what that is. But Falling in Love was such a nice reprieve from the current real-world situation we find ourselves in right now, a nice break with sweet tender moments that really highlight the love a man has for his dog. The back and forth between Theo and Josie was great to see, but it’s the relationship with Poppy that really did it for me!

Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review. 

Purchase Links:
Amazon UK
Amazon US

Liz Davies writes feel-good, light-hearted stories with a hefty dose of romance, a smattering of humour, and a great deal of love.

She’s married to her best friend, has one grown-up daughter, and when she isn’t scribbling away in the notepad she carries with her everywhere (just in case inspiration strikes), you’ll find her searching for that perfect pair of shoes. She loves to cook but isn’t very good at it, and loves to eat - she’s much better at that! Liz also enjoys walking (preferably on the flat), cycling (also on the flat), and lots of sitting around in the garden on warm, sunny days.

She currently lives with her family in Wales, but would ideally love to buy a camper van and travel the world in it.

Visit Liz online:
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