Three Dog Night (The Dogmothers #2)
by Roxanne St. Claire
Blurb:
Alex
Santorini puts his family first and foremost, and that's going to keep him
behind the grill at the family restaurant for the rest of his life, especially
if his Greek grandmother has anything to say about it. But when a local winery
needs a chef to step in to cook for a celebrity wedding, Alex jumps at the
opportunity to showcase his culinary skills...and a chance to get closer to the
winery owner who has captivated - and refused - his attention.
Grace
Donovan is in a bind and knows that the answer to all her problems is one sexy
Greek chef who has everything she needs...and everything that scares the hell
out of her. Raised in a series of ever-changing foster homes, Grace has spent
her life using science and logic to surround herself with protective walls.
With all his passion and intensity, Alex could burn those walls down and, like
everyone else in her life, leave her broken and alone.
As
Alex and Grace join forces to land the wedding of the year, they also launch a
search for the mother of a three puppies abandoned at the winery...only to
discover a shocking connection to Grace's own mother and her shadowy past. When
the truth comes out, their romance faces its greatest test. Will Grace choose
the family she's wanted her whole life...or the love she may never find again?
Themes: Contemporary
Rating: 4.5 stars
Review:
The
Dogmothers are back with a new plan for love and new victims to work their
magic on. I have been looking forward to
this one for a while because I am a cook and I knew that there would be lots of
my favorite things in this novel—animals, love, and of course FOOD! Roxanne St.
Claire has been a favorite author of mine for many years, but when she began this series revolving around an Irish family and their animals I knew I was
instantly going to be a lover. As the
series has evolved into something so much more than any of her readers ever
imagined it could be, I have become even more enamored with the Kilcannons and
their extended family. This newest
edition focuses on the Santorini branch of the family and one of the sexy twins
as he finally goes after the woman that has challenged and intrigued him for a
while. Of course there are three sweet
and adorable puppies that play a leading role in the story, but the focus
remains the magic of two people overcoming their fears and hang-ups to find
love and a chance at a future neither of them ever imagined. I am looking forward to whichever of the
Santorini or Mahoney clan are next on the list for the Dogmothers and I cannot
wait for that story to land on my kindle for my reading pleasure. If you
haven’t yet given the Dogmothers (or Dogfather) series a chance, this is a good
story to jump in on, and I highly recommend you jump in as soon as possible,
just know you will be ready to start back at the beginning and binge read the
entire series for days—guaranteed.
Alex has been watching Grace ever since he met
her, determined to capture, and hopefully hold, her attention long enough to
ask her out. She draws him like no woman
has in a long time and he knows that they would be an intense experience. Grace on the other hand is determined to avoid the sexy Greek chef at all costs Even to the point of being rude, because
she knows that she can’t handle the passion and emotion that he lives his life
by. She is going to protect herself no matter what, but when her professional
world begins to unravel, there is no one else that can keep her together. Alex offers his help for Grace’s dilemma
because he wants her to achieve her goals, but he also knows that it is his chance
to spread his wings professionally. As
they work together on the event of their professional careers, a decades old
secret to Grace’s past begins to come to light and they are just as determined
to uncover the truth of Grace’s life.
But as they get closer to one another the emotions that Grace has tried
so hard to hide from her whole life become undeniable and she has to decide if
she is willing to risk the pain of loss so that she can have a chance at a life
with the only man that has ever inspired the kind of love that she has always
wanted for herself.
Grace
and Alex were an intense and interesting couple to get to know. They were both guarded in their own ways but
the connection between them and their needs to be the best for one another and
for their goals showed how truly matched they were. Alex has been on a roller coaster the last
few years as his family changed and adapted to the changes that were thrown at
them, but he is stagnating in his professional life and needs to find his way
back. He desires Grace for herself but
also for the chance she can offer him to expand his goals and show off his
skills as a chef and she inspires him to be the best he can be when he stops
hiding. I loved seeing Alex working to
pull out all the stops in his food and show off for his clients and his woman,
but the best moments were when he shows Grace how family is meant to be and
that she can be a part of his if she lets herself. Alex was sexy as all get out and his
sweetness with Grace and the puppies rounded him out and made him the perfect
man in my opinion, because really who doesn’t love a sweet, sexy, optimistic,
loving, and wonderful man that not only can but loves to cook. Grace has lived a long and hard life and she
guards her heart for good reasons. It
was interesting to see her come out from behind those walls slowly, with Alex’s
help along with the love of three sweet puppies, as she found of the truth of
her past and the full breadth of her own strength. Her fears have lead her direction in life for
so long, but once Alex convinces her to let them go she truly shines and begins
to become the woman she was always meant to be.
When we find out the truth depth of her pain we begin to understand why
she is so guarded, but it was great to see that with the love of the right man
she was able to release those fears and embrace the love she has always needed
and deserved.
Three Dog Night is
a story that quickly grabs your heart and squeezes it tighter and tighter right
until the very end refuses to release you for even a moment. I don’t recommend
starting this book if you can’t finish it immediately, because you aren’t going to
put it down once you start. Alex and
Grace’s story is so full of emotional turmoil that I honestly couldn’t stop the
tears a few times and had my family and animals reacting to the tears. Graces
past is heart-wrenching to be sure, but the worst part is watching her learn
hard truths and find her way past the trauma.
Grace is a woman that has a backbone of steel forged in the fires of her
past, but the wall around her heart is the true challenge for Alex to
overcome. Alex is ready for a change in
his life and this woman that draws him so strongly is the catalyst to change
that he needs. His family and extended
clan come around him and support him and Grace at any moment needed but he knows
that to reach his goals, both personal and professional he will have to stand
on his own too. The heat and passion between Grace and Alex was memorable
especially when they sparked off one another to challenge each other to be better,
but the love that developed, despite Grace’s reluctance for it, was the most
enjoyable part of their relationship. I loved seeing Grace and Alex fall in
love with the three abandoned Puppies that bring them together and give them a
goal to begin, and they are sweet and loveable through the entire story. As always the puppies play a sweet and unique
role in the love story for Grace and Alex and we get to enjoy seeing the pups
from previous stories as well. I am looking
forward to whatever comes next and seeing more and more love between the
Mahoneys, Santorinis, and Kilcannons as the Dogmothers continue to wreak havoc
on their grandchildren and matchmake them all into trouble and love. Another amazing story of love and
adorableness, keep the magic coming Rocki!
*eARC provided by author for the
purpose of an honest and unbiased review.
No compensation was provided.
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