This is a Romance, and this is the 9th book in the Furever Yours series. I have not read the other books in this series, but I do not think that hurt my enjoyment of this book. I loved the characters in this book. I also loved all the dogs in this book. I think I was living for the dogs as much as I was living for the romance in this book. I think this was a super cute fast moving romance with dogs with is everything I wanted. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Harlequin Special Edition) or author (Rochelle Alers) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.arc-copy harlequin kindle-books ...more35 s Elaine - Splashes Into Books3,663 121

If you're looking for a romance to read,
This could be the very book that you need.
It is a story of folks who've been hurt before
Learning to love and trust once more.

Lucy Tucker's made a fresh start
A bookshop owner now, she's playing her part
Though she's reluctant to trust, she's still unsure
About her building attraction to the business man next door!

He's Calum Ramsey and he's helping her out
Being a friend and always about.
He's helped with her foster dog, Buttercup,
Determined to be there when she has her pups.

A heartwarming read, delightful to escape into,
This story has all the "Aww!" feels and five puppies, too!
In the past they were hurt by others they knew
Now they need to learn to trust others again, too.

For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
It's a gentle, heartwarming read and this is my honest review.
2022 adult authors-to-look-out-for ...more2 s Harlequin Books17.2k 2,762 Read

Categories
African American & Black Romance, Animal Fiction, Contemporary Romance
Miniseries
Furever Yours (Book #9)2022 harlequin_special_edition2 s Susan4,563 108

This was a sweet friends-to-lovers story. Lucy moved to Spring Forest to start over after her fiancé ran off with her best friend. She opened a bookstore and fosters a pregnant golden retriever named Buttercup. She made friends with fellow business owner Calum, who owns the bowling alley next door, Pins and Pints (I love that name!).

I enjoyed watching the development of the relationship between Lucy and Calum. Thanks to the betrayal by her fiancé and friend, Lucy has a hard time trusting anyone. She introduced herself to Calum when she bought the building for the bookstore. She notices his good looks and charm but doesn't allow herself to look at him as anything other than a friend. Calum was attracted to Lucy from the start but respected her "friends" decision. Having been burned in a relationship during college, Calum has no plans to settle down soon. His business keeps him plenty busy and gives him an excellent excuse to avoid anything serious. It was sweet to see that Calum cares about Buttercup as much as Lucy does.

Calum helps Lucy the day that Buttercup has her puppies. The intense emotions of the event lead to them giving in to the feelings that flare up between them. But passion overcomes common sense, and soon Lucy discovers she's pregnant. Once he's over the shock, Calum finds himself happy about the baby and looking for ways to make Lucy a permanent part of his life. However, Lucy's trust issues cause her to maintain some distance between them. Both of them also have had problems with unreliable dads, which affects how they look at parenthood.

I loved Calum's protectiveness toward Lucy and how he tried to take care of her. It can be an uphill battle because Lucy is very independent and reluctant to depend on anyone except herself. The more time they spend together, the deeper their feelings grow, but neither says anything about it. Not only do they fear rejection, but neither wants to mess up their friendship. Things are progressing well between them until Lucy witnesses a confrontation between Calum and his father that sets off her insecurities. After a huge blow-up, she leaves and tells him she needs space. I ached for both of them because they were miserable apart. When Lucy calls her mom, she unloads her fears and worries and gets honest and straightforward advice. She has much to think about as she continues to avoid Calum. But when a medical emergency occurs, Calum is the first one she calls. Some emotional moments at the hospital showed how deep Calum's feelings were. I loved seeing them finally let go of the fears that kept them apart and look to the future as a family. The ending was adorable, with Buttercup playing a significant role.

I loved Buttercup and the part she played in Lucy's life. She was Lucy's friend and confidante and gave her someone to love. I d how she took Buttercup to the bookstore with her. It was easy to see how much Lucy loved her and hated that she would have to give her up. I didn't understand that part since she could have applied to adopt Buttercup herself. The scene where Buttercup had the puppies was terrific, and I was so happy that Calum was there too. One of my favorite things was the names that Lucy gave the puppies: Fritter, Pancake, Beignet, Waffle, and Grits. It made me laugh that the author described the two girl pups as the wild ones.

#netgalley2022-books-read category-romance ebook ...more2 s Mana151 5 Shelved as 'abandoned'

When you think of a classic romance book, this is it.

It features a quaint little town, female heroine with a dark past, a cute dog, independent business owners, a bookstore, and lots of sex.

There's something incredibly old-school about this book. So if you're nostalgic for an old-school written romance with more contemporary characters, this might be the book for you!1 Lindsey998 2

I thought this was a nice simple story. I do not mean that the content was simple, I mean it was an easy going, enjoyable read.
I enjoyed both characters. Lucy and Calum are both hard working people who both have some past experiences that have shaped them into who they are today. I was happy when they both decided to have some fun together and go on their first date. I thought they made a nice couple.
When life hits them with a curveball, they both handle the situation quite well and realize they need to communicate when some mistakes are made.
I also love Buttercup and the pups! The puppies names are adorable!1 Lauren loves llamas837 87

While this is the ninth book in the series, I read it as a standalone. There were a couple of references to other couples that seemed they were referring to previous books, but that was it. And while this has all the cute puppies the book promises, there were other issues that ruined the read for me.

“But the name of her bookstore, Lucy was beginning chapter one of her best new life.”

Lucy and Calum both have their own reasons for not wanting a serious relationship. For Lucy, she moved to the small suburb of Spring Forest to get away from her cheating fiancé and all their friends, and so far, running the bookstore has been a wonderful fresh start. For Calum, owner of the bowling alley next door, he didn’t want to even think about starting a family until he had the means to support them, not to mention the trauma that having an alcoholic father has left him with. Both agree that they’re not interested in kids right now… though I’m sure you can guess how that turns out for them!

“With him, there was no pretense that had her second-guessing or looking for an ulterior motive. He was confident and forthcoming, while he hadn’t hesitated when expressing his views on marriage and becoming a father. She had hit the jackpot with him.”

First off, Buttercup, the pregnant golden retriever that Lucy is fostering, is adorable, as are her little of puppies! There’s plenty of sweet moments with Buttercup and hilarious antics with the puppies, so I definitely got my quota of happy romance dog. Having two main characters who are definitely not looking for something serious (ha, we know how that turns out) but are still (mostly) amazing at communication? I really d that. They were, for the most part, both straight-shooters, though of course it took some time for each of them to open up to the other with their vulnerabilities. So, yeah, it’s a pretty cute romance with flawed-but-trying characters.

Unfortunately, there’s a strain of fatphobia running through the book that ruined the experience for me. There’s references to a side character avoiding certain foods due to age, and Lucy even spouts the classicly awful “A minute on my lips and forever on my hips” in reference to dessert. Even when characters push back on the amount she’s eating, she claims she eats enough to feel full, not overeat. Lucy’s references to weight and dieting came up repeatedly in the book and served absolutely no purpose in the plot and in fact actively jarred me out of it. Weight stigma is rooted in racism which makes it even more disappointing to find in a book with two Black leads.

Overall, a cute romance with cute dogs and unfortunately chock-full of fatphobia.

Content notes: Fatphobia (numerous times on page), cheating (of MC’s fiancé, before book starts), alcoholism (of MC’s dad, before book starts), toxic family, unplanned pregnancyarc bookseller category ...more1 Laura1,922 67 Shelved as 'did-not-finish'

I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes; this in no way impacts my review.

DNF 19%

This sounded a super cute premise and I’m a sucker for books with pets, especially when the pet brings a couple together. I was prepared for heteronormativity because it’s a Harlequin romance, but I figured this would be a fun, quick little read to brighten my day. Instead, I am just really tired of how food and health are correlated. I know this is a common occurrence, but honestly that just adds to my exhaustion. It was super sweet that Calum decided to send food over to Lucy after she gifted him books for his niblings, but her coworker commenting on how she can no longer eat from Pins and Pints for her health and continuing on about how when she was Lucy’s age she could eat whatever and now she has lists of can and cannot eat. I know the healthiness of food choices depends on an individual and their dietary needs and intolerances, but having someone randomly talking about how they can’t eat from a place just, i don’t know, maybe I’m being too sensitive but I don’t have the capacity to handle those kinds of comments in my books. I’m sure this will be a cute book and a sweet romance, but for myself it isn’t working. I hope it finds its audience and brightens peoples’ day.author-of-color black-author black-romance ...more AnthonyAuthor 27 books153

The Review

The emotional growth these two people shared with one another and their own tragic pasts really made this story shine so brightly. The instant attraction they feel for one another and their hesitancy after a painful past and the fears they brought made this story feel real and alive on the page. The small-town setting and intimate setting really allowed the intimacy of the characters and their relationship to thrive and grow in this narrative.

As a pet owner and pet parent, the shared love for the pregnant Golden Retriever and how they took care of the golden retriever together was so amazing to read. It served as a great metaphor for their circumstances later on, as a surprise pregnancy will put these two on a wild and insane journey of romance and responsibility. The balance found between the whirlwind romance of their narrative and the realities of life beyond the initial romance were great to see portrayed here.

The Verdict

Captivating, engaging, and heartwarming, author Rochelle Alers’s “The Bookshop Rescue” is a must-read modern-day romance and an emotional story overall. The intimate nature of this romance and the realism and honesty with which their relationship was examined made this story so entertaining, and the natural progression of their romance will have readers hanging off of the author’s every word. Carol CassadaAuthor 37 books103

Bookshop owner has a busy life running her shop and fostering a pregnant dog named Buttercup. Luckily, she has help from her friend, bowling alley/pub owner Calum. Lucy and Calum have a growing attraction to each other which culminates into a night of passion. But the two soon learn Buttercup isn’t the only one expecting.

This was a wonderful small town romance book. Spring Forest is one place you’ll want to visit just based on the bookshop and bowling alley alone.

Lucy and Calum have dealt with heartbreak in the past. Lucy’s fiancé dumped her for her best friend, meanwhile Calum’s alcoholic father abandoned his family. As the couple navigates parenthood and their relationship, they must confront their pasts before planning for the future.

The writer did a good job of developing Lucy and Calum’s relationship . It didn’t feel too rushed, and it was great how they started as friends before going to a full-fledged romance. Calum is caring toward Lucy, although at times he comes across as too protective. As for Lucy, she puts on the persona of a strong independent woman, with a sensitive side. Although she tries to do everything herself, she realize she needs to let other help.

This was a great romance story and I loved the inclusion of Buttercup and her puppies who stole the show. Eileen2,135

The Bookshop Rescue by Rachelle Alers, book nine in the Furever Yours series is a sweet romance that is an easy and enjoyable read. Lucy Tucker moved to the town of Spring Forest, North Carolina after the betrayal of her fiancée with her best friend. She opened a bookstore and found some kind employees, but has a hard time trusting people again. Calum Ramsey is the owner of the nearby Pins and Pints bowling alley and has been attracted to Lucy since they met. They both have some past experiences that have shaped them into who they are today. They both care about Buttercup, the pregnant dog Lucy is fostering. After an exhausting night of helping deliver puppies, Lucy and Calum unexpectedly give in to their feelings and being unprepared and unplanned, results in consequences. These two likable people, who both make mistakes, slowly move towards each other, learning how to trust in love and each other. Buttercup and her puppies add another layer to the story and their names are adorable. I highly recommend The Bookshop Rescue to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
arc netgalley publisher Aly2,626 90

3.75

You know I'm in love with this cover, right?

Lucy Tucker used to be an elementary school teacher but when she left her hometown to heal her broken heart, she decided to open her own bookstore. When she arrived in Spring Forest last year, she made friend with Calum Ramsey, who own the bowling alley next door. Calum has been attracted to her since the first time he saw her, but he understood she needed time to get over the betrayal that happened to her. After being left by her fiancé one month before the wedding for her best friend, Lucy doesn't know if she'll be able to trust again. These days, she's happy planning activities at work and fostering a pregnant golden retriever for Furever Paws Animal Rescue. But on the night Buttercup give birth to her five puppies, Lucy and Calum get closer and soon, she's the new mommy to be
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