*I received a free copy of this book with thanks to the author and Rachel Gilbey at Rachel’s Random Resources blog tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
I would like to apologise to the author and to Rachel that this tour post is late, due to illness on my part.
Blurb: The thought of having a dog hasn’t crossed Theo Martin’s mind. It’s not that he doesn’t like dogs – he does – but the idea has simply never occurred to him.
It has occurred to his mother though, and when she decides to buy him a puppy because she thinks it will “liven him up a bit”, his life is turned completely upside down and not for the better as far as he’s concerned. But when he discovers that having a cute dog on the end of a lead attracts a great deal of female attention, he soon changes his mind. All kinds of women stop to pet the pup and while they coo over Poppy, they talk to him. A lot. And for Theo, it looks like his love life is taking a very welcome turn for the better.
But what about Josie Wilde, his dog sitter?
Forced to employ someone to walk his dog when he’s in work, he finds himself increasingly attracted to her, but unfortunately Josie’s interest in him appears to be purely professional. As the summer unfolds and he falls head over heels in love with the sweet and vulnerable pup, he finds himself falling for Josie.
For Theo, it’s not so much ‘love me, love my dog’, but more like ‘love my dog, love me, too’. Please…?
The Summer of Falling in Love is a heart-warming romance for romcom fans and dog lovers.
It’s not just about a puppy meet-cute though. Theo, the main character, is not just disillusioned with love; he hates his job and spends the time when he isn’t at work just moping around his flat aimlessly. He is convinced that he is fine and that his life is comfortable and well-ordered.
So when his parent’s dump an unexpected puppy on him and run away (very naughty – don’t do this at home!), Theo is determined that Poppy must be rehomed as quickly as possible, so as not to disrupt his busy schedule of takeaways and action films.
It quickly becomes clear that the main focus of the story is less about Theo falling in love with another person. It is about him falling in love with a puppy, who then reminds him how to love his job again, find joy in his life, and then open himself up to a romantic relationship. Quite a lot for one little fuzzy bundle to manage, but luckily Poppy is a cute and determined little Cockapoo!
I love that this story is told solely from the point of view of the male character – not often the case – and that the plot and character developments all feel completely natural and realistic, instead of a series of unlikely coincidences and manufactured misunderstandings designed to provide conflict. Theo is incredibly relatable and his reactions and feelings are easy to sympathise with.
This book is an ideal sweet summer read, about learning to fall in love with life again. And dogs, of course!
Theo’s mum hurried around to the passenger side and got in.
His dad wound the window down.
‘Er, haven’t you forgotten something?’ Theo asked, holding the puppy up.
‘No, I don’t think so,’ his mum said. ‘Have we forgotten anything, Gerald?’ She slapped a hand to her forehead. ‘Yes, we have – we forgot to tell you that she’s had all her injections, but she can’t go out for a walk for another seven days. Her paperwork is in one of the bags.’
‘Wait, what? I don’t understand. What are you talking about, and can you please take your dog with you? I’ve got a Chinese takeaway coming shortly.’
‘It’s not our dog, son, it’s yours,’ Gerald said.– Liz Davies, The Summer of Falling in Love
Find more from Liz Davies at her website here, or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.
The Summer of Falling in Love is available on Amazon right now!
Don’t forget to catch up with the other blogs that were on this tour (see the poster below for details) for more great content and reviews!
Bookshine And Readbows 