This one starts off with a woman who is experiencing complex grief over the loss of her fiancé two years before being set on the path of healing by a dog jumping through the window of her car. The dog’s name is Tucker, and though he belongs to someone else, his owner isn’t responding to Sloan’s calls and messages. So she decides to keep the dog. Until his owner Jason, who was out of the country, realizes he isn’t where he left him and now he wants him back.
This is a tough one because I really, really liked the first part of this with the dog before they actually met. And then it turned out the conflicts it was wanting to explore were ones that don’t especially interest me! I didn’t know that I was signing up for a “oh no, my boyfriend is very famous and it is ruining our relationship” book. The third-act breakup was also unnecessarily dramatic and out of character on the part of Jason. The way they got back together was also really dramatic. But the ending did sort of make up for it.
Also, I’m just gonna say it, I find it super cringey and awkward every time the characters mention Nadia Cakes, the author’s bakery. Yes, Abby, we know what Nadia Cakes is you don’t have to bring it up all the time.
Anyway, this was only her second book published (but first written!), and I feel like the author is just getting better over time (I gave her latest book five stars). I feel no need to check out any more of her backlist. Only forward!