Let love -- and a puppy -- lead the way!
Former Marine Gabe Bishop is focused on readjusting to
civilian life. So the last thing he needs is the adorable kid next door bonding
with his dog, Radar -- and the boy's guardian butting in. Addie Miller is
afraid of dogs, so why does she keep coming around and making his heart melt?
Soon, Gabe finds himself teaching Addie about the beauty of the human-canine
bond…and becoming her shoulder to lean on. Could his new neighbors be
everything Gabe never knew he needed?
Good story about a hurting man, a young woman and her little
brother, and the dog that brings them together as a family. After leaving the
Marine Corps, Gabe recently returned to his hometown and is slowly readjusting
to civilian life. With him is Radar, the dog his buddy Tom befriended in
Afghanistan, and Gabe helped train. Gabe moved into one side of a duplex owned
by friends and discovered Addie and her little brother Teddy occupied the other
half.
Addy is a young woman who took over caring for her
seven-year-old half-brother, Teddy when their drug-addicted mother no longer
could. She is in the process of obtaining permanent custody of Teddy. Addy worries
about whether she is doing a good enough job and tends to be overprotective.
Thanks to Addy's fear of dogs, Gabe and Addy's
relationship got off to a rough start. Gabe is walking Radar when Teddy (who
LOVES dogs) gets off the bus and rushes over to pet Radar. Addy freaks out and
says some things she later regrets. But when she goes over to apologize later,
Gabe is a bit of a jerk thanks to his issues, and they do not part friends. No
matter what she does, Addy can't keep Teddy away from Radar, and it isn't long
before Gabe and she start spending time together.
Both Gabe and Addy suffer from overactive guilt
complexes. Gabe suffers from survivor's guilt, blaming himself for his friend
Tom's death. Those feelings, and his memories of his unhappy childhood, keep
him from believing that he can ever be in a healthy relationship, so he tries
to keep Addy and Teddy at a distance. Radar seems to know what Gabe needs
better than Gabe himself and drags Gabe into the land of the living ins spite
of himself. There are some sweet scenes with Gabe and Teddy as Gabe rethinks
his stance on relationships. Meanwhile, he and Addy get closer as he helps her
overcome her fear of dogs.
Addy spent most of her childhood taking care of herself.
Her mother had addiction problems and would get wrapped up in her latest relationship
and ignore Addy. When Teddy came along, it fell to Addy to make sure he was
taken care of when her mom couldn't. There were occasional stretches when her
mom would be clean and sober, but that only happened when Addy kept after her.
After an extended good period, Addy went away to college. But it wasn't long
before her mom fell off the wagon, this time with tragic consequences for
Teddy. So Addy quit school and went back home to resume caring for them. But
now, she blames herself for Teddy's injuries and goes a little overboard in
worrying about his safety. Spending time with Gabe and Radar helps her let go a
little and begin to trust herself.
I liked seeing Gabe and Addy grow closer. It was interesting
to see them work to convince the other that their feelings of guilt were
unnecessary while clinging to their own. At the same time, they began to feel
that together they made a good team and that maybe a future would be possible.
There was a speed bump in the road to that future when a misunderstanding
revived Addy's fears, and she exchanged some harsh words with Gabe. I ached for
Gabe, who didn't deserve it, and the blow to his feelings of self-worth was
severe. Fortunately, Teddy and Radar stepped in to bring the two stubborn
adults back together.
I loved Teddy and Radar. While he wasn't a trained
service dog, Radar was very good at sensing Gabe's moods and pulling him out of
them. He also did well with Addy during their sessions, always careful around
her. Teddy was adorable. Perhaps a little too serious/mature for seven, but his
life had affected him deeply. I loved seeing the little boy in him come out
when he played with Radar.
This is the first time I've read one of this author's
books, but it won't be the last. I will add the previous books in the series to
my tbr list, as some of the other couples mentioned in this book sound like
they also have intriguing stories.
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