From the outside, veterinarian Evie Williams appears to have the perfect but boring life. She is desperate to figure out a way to shake it up, but gets more than she bargained for when she finds her fiancé in bed with another woman. Suddenly, Evie is without a fiancé or a job, and isn’t sure what her next steps should be. That is, until her college crush, Bryson Mitchell, returns to town.
Now, a nationally recognized veterinary surgeon, Bryson is stunned when he encounters Evie Williams for the first time in half a decade. When they learn the animal shelter where they used to volunteer is in danger of closing, the two must work together to save it. It has Bryson wondering, can he and Evie also save the friendship they once shared and finally bring it to the next level?
PJ's Thoughts:
Pugs & Kisses is a heart-warming story set in New Orleans (a location the author knows well) that gave me everything I could have asked for. Second chances? Yes, please, especially in the hands of an author who uses that second chance to full effect. Strong friendships? Evie, Ridley, and Ashanti are friendship goals, the ride-or-die kind who are there for one another, always. Dogs? I mean, c'mon. Look at that cover. You know there are going to be adorable (rescue) dogs!
These characters - both two and four legged - pulled me in from the get-go. I love when couples who crashed and burned earlier in life are given a new opportunity to get it right. Rochon takes her time with Bryson and Evie, not rushing them into romance but allowing them the space to get to know one another again and avoid the issues that derailed them in college. I loved watching them find their way back to one another. Bryson is a total sweetheart and Evie more than deserves her happy ending after finally tossing her horrible ex. Their warm hug of a journey is spicy, hopeful, humorous, and endearing in all the right places.
Toxic family? We have that too. I enjoyed watching Evie evolve to the point where she's ready to tackle the issues with her family head-on. Bryson grows too, especially in regards to the social class difference that caused him to make assumptions and poor decisions during his and Evie's first go around. It all leads to a more solid foundation upon which to build their second chance at love and I am here for it.
While Pugs & Kisses can absolutely be enjoyed as a standalone, readers who like this book will not want to miss book one, Pardon My Frenchie (Ashanti and Thad - read my review).
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