Friday, November 8, 2019

ARC Review: Three Dog Night (The Dogmothers #2)

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
Heat Rating: 
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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