Book Review - Once Upon A Puppy by Lizzie Shane

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Title: Once Upon A Puppy

Author: Lizzie Shane

Format reviewed: Paperback

Source: Publisher supplied copy

Publisher: Headline Eternal

Publication Date: 25th May 2021

Rating: 5 Stars

For fans of Holly Martin, Phillipa Ashley and Sarah Morgan, Lizzie Shane's Once Upon a Puppy is sure to capture your heart!

Opposites attract when a straitlaced lawyer and whimsical party planner must fake-date as co-parents of a rambunctious Irish wolfhound in the second book of this im-paw-ssibly charming small-town romance series.

Once upon a time, an unruly puppy was looking for a place to call home...

Connor Wyeth has a plan for everything. But when he adopts Maximus, an unruly Irish wolfhound mix, he gets more than he bargained for. The only person Max ever listens to is the volunteer who used to walk him at the shelter - a perpetually upbeat woman whose day job is planning princess parties for little kids. Connor can't believe she'll be able to tame such a beast as Max, but he's desperate enough to try anything.

Deenie Mitchell isn't looking forward to spending more time with uptight, rules-orientated Connor - no matter how attractive he is. But when her sister announces her engagement, Deenie realizes he's the perfect person to impress her type-A family. When she learns he needs a plus-one for his law firm's work events, an unlikely alliance is formed. But then playing the perfect couple unexpectedly begins to feel all too...real.

Opposites may attract, but can this rule-maker and rule-breaker find a way to each other's hearts?

I'd been eager to return to Pine Hollow from the moment I finished reading The Twelve Dogs of Christmas, so couldn't wait to start reading as soon as this arrived in the post. 

And I wasn't disappointed, this was just as good if not better than the first book.  Lizzie Shane certainly knows how to write dogs that you will fall in love with and it was great getting to know Maximus better. 

He is a gentle giant but has clearly never been trained, which is something Connor is intending to do but just keeps finding reasons not to attend the training sessions.  Although the first one in a while he does go to, he bumps into Deenie, his polar opposite. 

They appear to rub each other up the wrong way, he's a lawyer and wants to be partner at his firm, whereas Deenie organises Princess parties and appears to be a dog whisperer too. She also has great wanderlust and rarely stays in one place as long as she is going to be spending in Pine Hollow. 

I loved how the two of them banter and rub each other up the wrong way, especially when Connor hires her to become Maximus's personal dog trainer! And what a first training session it is, its hilarious!! 

I also loved seeing familiar faces from all over Pine Hollow and more of Ben and Ally's story from the previous book.  Also seeing Deenie's family dynamics made me just want to punch them and stick up for her. 

I found the story really went up a gear as it verged into one of the tropes I really enjoy and yet from not having read the blurb properly, due to just knowing I wanted to read this, took me by surprise and I'm glad it did as I was enjoying the book even more from that point. 

I've had a lovely couple of afternoons in the garden reading this book, From a great community setting, to gorgeous dogs and fabulous chemistry this book has it all.  And I even loved how the title fits in once I gave it a thought, and realised it was quite clever! 

I really hope this isn't the last we have seen of Pine Hollow I can't help but think there is at least one more resident's story that should be focused on and I hope that may be coming next! 

Thank you to Emily Patience at Headline for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,.