Constance, a massage therapist is looking for a change after breaking up with her cheating boyfriend but can not seem to get motivated. When she promises her sister Sunny that she will try a spin class, she is on her way when she sees another gym and decides to peek inside. What she finds is not only a new lease on life, but also the handsome and intriguing trainer Rhett.

Sunny runs a dog rescue and is determined to shut down a neighboring puppy mill at all costs. When she gets caught rescuing a dog, she quickly makes a deal with the local deputy and soon things start to heat up. She is not looking for love, she is just fine with having someone warm her bed on occasion. What Sunny is not counting on is her life long friend Pete, the canine trainer to make her wonder if she is seeing the right man.

What a fabulous novel. Two sisters, each trying to find their way in life, supporting each other emotionally and who are also best friends. A dog rescue with the sweetest animals, a puppy mill that threatens everything they believe in, add in a war hero who suffers with PTSD, a life long friend who is hiding his true feelings and you have an absolute perfect story. I loved all the different personalities, how each character had their own issues to address and the awareness of rescued animals and the dreaded puppy mills. This story is heartwarming, endearing, sweet and just perfect for a chilly fall night by the fireplace. Thank you so much to the author Elysia Whisler, Harlequin Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book to review. It was fabulous! All opinions expressed for this review are unbiased and entirely my own.

Elysia Whisler's novel Rescue You opens with massage therapist Constance slamming on her van brakes to avoid hitting a dog. She gets out of the van and manages to coax the lost dog, who was in bad shape and had recently given birth, to eat a biscuit.

She followed the dog who led her to newborn puppies in an abandoned house. Constance wasn't sure if the dog was a stray or from a nearby overcrowded and dirty puppy mill, run by Janice, an awful woman. She managed to get all the sick, dirty puppies and mom in her van and took them to her sister Sunny's dog rescue home, Pittie's Place.

Sunny has been trying for years to get the puppy mill shut down, and along with childhood friend Pete, (who owns Canine Warriors training dogs as pets for veterans) has snuck onto Janice's property to rescue dogs on their own. Janice looks at it as stealing, as does Detective Callahan of the local police department.

After Constance helps Callahan with a stiff neck, he asks her to help his buddy Rhett, a former Marine who suffered a bad leg injury and PTSD. Rhett owns a weight training gym, Semper Fit, for people who are serious about their training.

Constance has had a rough few years- she cared for her late father through an
illness, and her husband left her. She used to be a runner, but these last few years she hasn't kept herself in shape. Sunny offers her a place in her spin classes, but one day Constance finds herself in front of Semper Fit and goes in.

Rhett is intrigued by Constance, and impressed by her determination and work ethic. They circle around each other, and eventually Rhett takes her on as a client and they become friends- maybe even more.

Rescue Me is the perfect novel for anyone who loves dogs (especially pit bulls) and takes their exercise training seriously. (I know more than a few of those people.) We are introduced to a cast of characters in an interesting settings of the world of dog rescue and weight training. If you spend a lot of time in the gym, you will get this wonderful novel on an entirely other level.

It's the first novel in Dogwood County, a new series, and the characters win you over in such a way that you look forward with great anticipation to the next installment and get to know some of the other characters better. The Christmas gala party at Pittie's Place was so vivid, I felt like I was a guest at the party. I hope I get invited next year.

Thank you to Harlequin Books for putting me on their Fall Reads tour.

OM goodness- this made me cry. It's a wonderfully written story of a pair of sisters- Constance and Sunny- and their friends Rhett, Sean, and Pete, as well as the dogs they rescue. Constance is at a low point when she impulsively enters Rhett's gym. Rhett, a veteran of multiple tours, struggles with PTSD and with physical injuries that, as it turns out, Constance, a massage therapist, is able to help. Sunny runs a rescue for dogs and she's been trying to shut their neighbor Janice, who runs a puppy mill, down for years. Many of the dogs she saves are trained by Pete to be assistance animals. This sounds dry but oh its not. This isn't a big sweeping romance, it's real relatable people who help one another and animals as well. I'm no fitness buff but I loved the details about the workouts as well those of Constance's massage practice. As Constance gets into shape physically, she and Rhett both heal emotionally. And Sunny, well, she finds herself surprised by the turns love take. I defy you not to feel for Humphrey. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This is a terrific debut that I really enjoyed. Two enthusiastic thumbs up.

A poignant and heartwarming story that moved me to tears and made me root for the characters.
It’s a well written story that keeps you hooked and you cannot help feeling for Constance, Sunny and Rhett.
Constance and Rhett are damaged, they have to overcome their grief and their story is about moving on and learning to love and trust again.
Sunny is a complex character and the arc from warrior who doesn’t take consequences into account to a responsible woman.
The dogs are important characters and I loved them.
The character and plot development are very good and the plot is tightly knitted and engaging.
I recommend this moving story that I liked.
Many thanks to MIRA for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is a great piece of chick lit with a story about a dog rescue thrown in, why wouldn't it be a great read? This was a relaxing and enjoyable read for me, as I have been reading so many thrillers that it was nice to take a break and enjoy some chick lit!

I really enjoyed Whisler's Rescue You but I gotta start with a little gripe. With Rhett being former military and the blurb comment about the dog rescue being threatened, I expected there to be a little more action in the story. It's an excellent emotional journey piece about people learning to let go of the past and healing so they can have a future. But the adventure really only comes into play towards the end and Rhett isn't that much involved. If that's what you are looking for, I'm afraid that it might leave you a little disappointed ... although all the feels will definitely give you a great read.

Constance is struggling to find her footing after taking care of her dad as he faced a terminal illness and losing her fiance. She used to be a person in charge but lately she can barely make it out of the house. A chance encounter at a local gym puts her on the path to finding who she can be. And maybe a new chance at love.

Rhett is still struggling both physically and mentally from his last mission. Having a quirky woman who is obviously out of place drop into his gym has him working to push her out of her comfort zone, to help her find the strength hidden inside. And maybe a way to handle some of his own pain.

While Constance and Rhett play the main roles here, Constance's sister Sunny and the men in her life also need a little help in figuring out what their own futures hold. All around there's a lot of growth, support, understanding, and love that wraps you up and holds on until the very last page. It left me wanting me, hoping some of the others at Rhett's gym will get a chance to find HEAs of their own.

Hey folks, daddy Steve with a little doggiebook review of a book I finished reading yesterday. Title is Rescue You by author Elysia Whisler.

I'll start by saying that I received an advanced reader copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review, this is as honest as it gets.

I'll be blunt, I liked the cover, then thought the story looked interesting enough, maybe a bit romancey and given the fact I have tons of book on my to read pile, I'll be honest and say I'm not sure I would have bought it at the current price. It's not a knock on the book itself, or the fact it is published by Harlequin, I simply don't buy too many books at full price.

Ok, I kinda cringed when I saw the Harlequin name (To Harlequin, I will explain right now, please do not block me from future request!! 😉) because, well, I'm a man, right? Manly men don't read Harlequin books, right? But I guess I'm not just any manly man, I also love some woman's fiction, as they call it. I loved every book Susan Wilson has written with dogs in them, same with Catherine Ryan Hyde, and this one was indeed a bit more in the finding oneself than the simple pure romancey type book.

Most important? I enjoyed it, really enjoyed it. The doggie rescue aspect started out strong and kinda got lost in the middle to the people finding each other but the loop was closed well at the end.

Overall another recommended read for you. Maybe the best thing I can say about this author is that given another chance of getting one of her upcoming books, I probably would buy and read it.

Note that this book will be coming out on October 27th but is curently available on pre-order.

#Malcolmstories #doggiebooks
#RescueYou #Netgalley

Constance and Sunny, are 2 sisters, who run a dog rescue shelter.
Constance is getting over a heartbreak and has joined a gym. Rhett owns the gym and is in need of rescuing himself. As Constance and Rhett get close to each other he is also helping them with the dog rescue. We are also getting first hand about their neighbor who runs a puppy mil.
This book has all the emotions. Wanting to scoop up the rescued dogs and wanting the puppy mill shut down. I loved how these 2 sisters work together. What they go through to rescue dogs and the work they put into keeping them healthy.

This title was really immersive, as in, I’m more of a cuddle on the couch type of person than a let’s get sweaty and run 5 miles before we bench-press our bodyweight type of person, but I found myself wanting to hit the nearest CrossFit facility after stopping at the local animal shelter to adopt a puppy. The author brought her environment to life in an engaging and appealing way.

The characters were smashing* in a kick-butt, no-nonsense regard. Constance was sweet and sassy, strong and protective – a down-to-earth woman with a very low tolerance for bull from anyone. Rhett is damaged but kind and also, ridiculously fit. I particularly appreciated some of Constance’s realizations regarding her own self-image, workouts, etc. She needed some healing and I think she found that. Beyond that, the story has layers – the primary heartwarming love story, the sisters’ relationship, a dog rescue, and a secondary romance. All the layers mesh together to create this easy-to-read, give-you-all-the-feels, about-what-you’d-expect contemporary romantic women’s fiction. It wasn’t anything spectacularly “out there”, but was warm, stirring, engaging – exactly what you want for a fall weekend read. (*I didn’t know what word to use here… use your imagination.)

Reader discretion advised for occasional language and not-graphic adult scenes (that you can definitely skip over if you choose.) While I enjoyed the novel, I wouldn’t be comfortable lending it to a 12-year-old.

My thanks to the team at Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing an advanced readers copy for review as part of the 2020 Fall Reads Blog Tour featuring Women’s Fiction & Romance.

This is the last book that I had to read from the fall selection that I got from Harlequin. I am constantly looking for new authors. Especially with romance. I have plenty of authors that I love in other genres but I am kind of new to the romance genre so I am always looking for new authors. Plus the description sounded sooo good.

Constance has had it rough. Her dad recently passed away and her boyfriend was cheating on her with someone else. She found out when she went to surprise him with a run and saw him with another woman. She is trying to find her groove in life again. That all changes when she on a whim goes into a CrossFit gym. She finds the passion for something that she has lost along the way. She may also find passion. Guys… I stayed up until 1 AM one night reading this book and got 68% read in that time. The next day I kept sneak reading it. Although me hurting my back did help because I sat down more during the day but still.

I loved the character of Constance. It could have been any of us. She was down to earth and smart. She has a connection with people and can figure them out pretty quickly. I loved that during the book she got the nickname Stanzi. That isn’t the normal nickname that I would think of for a Constance. Her sister does call her CiCi but that is it. The character of Rhett (her love interest) is multilayer. I wanted to smack him at times because of his stubbornness but at the same time felt bad for him for his issues. He served in the military and has PTSD along with physical issues from a bomb blast. I liked how Constance and Rhett’s relationship formed over the entire book. They didn’t fall into bed. They took that time and built it up. They feel for each other slowly. This is a fairly clean romance. They do have sex but it isn’t overly descriptive and in my books rather clean. I will certainly be checking out more books by this author and I HOPE that she writes a second book so I can find out what happens to Constance’s sister Sunny and her romance that began to blossom at the end of the book.

This is one of those truly heartfelt love stories -- the characters are complicated and relatable, and we come to care very much about their relationships. Best of all, there are the rescue dogs the main character helps to train. It is wonderful to see how animals can rescue even the most troubled of people. I think this book will have wide appeal, and I look forward to recommending it to readers.

From the opinion of a dog mom, a book where the two sisters focus a lot of their time on rescuing dogs who need a new good home is one that I am excited to read. Constance is the older sister who after their mother dies ends up raising her younger sister and Sunny is that younger sister who hasn't had a lot of burden on her shoulders and has spent her life rescuing/stealing dogs and giving them a better life through adoption or through a program where they become a helpful aid to veterans in need. Rhett is a veteran who owns a gym and hasn't completely mentally or physically healed from his years and many tours and maybe an encounter with Constance could change his life.

Although there were moments in this book that I felt missed the mark and felt forced to move the story along, overall the story was enjoyable. I appreciated that the sisters had two very different journeys in the book. They both reacted to their childhood trauma in different ways and it informed the way they entered love. I was glad to see two women grow up in the same home end up in different situations that are so polar opposite.

If you are an avid reader of the romance genre, there may be moments where this book doesn't live up to others, but you can appreciate good characters and sweet love story.

This is a well written that holds your attention. It's an emotional story that could have been a 5 star read. I loved that the story revolved around rescue dogs what i didn't like was the language used. If you don't mind the language, it's a 5 star read. Thank you HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada)--MIRA via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Just wow!
This story is beautiful.
Two sisters, loss, rescue dogs, romance, friendships and most of all, finding the strength to go forward with your life.
Rescue You is a emotional, heartwarming story I encourage you to read.
Elysia Whisler’s writing just draws you in and you can’t stop reading until the books has ended. And, then sadness sets in that the story is over.
I hope to read more books by Elysia Whisler.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read and give my honest review about this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Rescue You by Elysia Whisler is a sweet, romantic and emotional story line revolving around rescue dogs. Constance Morrigan, our heroine, helps out her sister, Sunny, who runs a non-profit dog rescue, Pittie Place. Constance’s main job is as massage therapist, which she is very good at; in her spare time, she will help find dogs that are suffering or treated badly, especially a local kennel who mistreats dogs, even using them as fighting dogs. Sunny, is our second heroine, since there are two POV’s though out; and despite Constance telling her to be careful stealing the dogs in bad shape, as the woman in charge of the kennel threatens them.

Both were great sisters, always watching each other’s backs, with their heart and soul into helping the dogs.
Constance is still trying to get over her ex-boyfriend dumping her a year ago, and decides to join a fitness gym. Rhett Santos, our hero, owns Semper Fit gym, who upon seeing Constance, decides to be the one to teach her. Rhett runs a hard-core operation, especially with former military friends, and though she is new to this kind of exercise, he pushes Constance beyond normal. Constance finds herself attracted to hunk who takes the time to teach her, and Rhett also begins to have feelings for her; but they both try to keep this strictly as a teacher and student.

Sunny works hard taking care of the dogs, with some good friends, such as Pete (who takes many of them to become service dogs), local doctor (who always help to bring the dogs back to health), and Detective Sean (who makes a deal to help her stop the evil owner of the kennel, as well as having Constance do her massage expertise on his friend, who suffers from injuries in the army). They all made a great group of characters, who all were determined to help those dogs treated inhumanly. Cruelty to Animals was a major theme in this story.

I loved both Constance and Sunny, and enjoyed to romances that followed for both of them. I enjoyed Rhett teaching Constance so much stuff in the fitness gym, some of which I thought may have been a bit overkill; though I loved them together. It was very emotional when they rescued a dog, who was in very bad shape, and afraid to let anyone near him; and I loved Fezzi, Constance’s dog, who had lost a leg.

What follows is a sweet romance, wonderful couples, heartwarming and emotional story, that also becomes suspenseful after threats that put their lives, and the dogs in danger. Rescue You is a story that pulls on so many emotions, as well as finding love and happiness. If you enjoy stories with great couples and dogs, you need to read this book. Very well written by Elysia Whisler.

I absolutely loved this story!
You cannot help but love this book with romance,mystery, fitness, dogs and friendship.
This novel has it all!
You will not go wrong with dogs and crossfit in the plot!
With each page turned, I got more involved with these characters who became friends!
Sunny is the rescuer and owner of Pittie Place, and it is her whole world.
She will do anything which includes stealing to save abused dogs.

Her sister is a massage therapist named Constance, who needs some self confidence and to rebuild her own life. She has always been the family caregiver and really needs some care of her own.
She joins a crossfit for some assistance. ( A crossfit??)
She learns more than crossfit and finds more than confidence in the box!

Beautiful novel!

Just finished reading Rescue You by Elysia Whisler! I loved all the dogs throughout the story, from Fezzi the three legged pitty to Humphrey the neglected beagle. Constance is a massage therapist who also helps out at her sister's dog rescue Pitty Place. When she meets Rhett, an ex-marine with a leg injury, at a local gym, the two become tied together unexpectedly. While I really liked the beginning of this book, the middle got a little slow and the ending felt a little rushed and their story seemed to fizzled out a bit. There was so much build up and nothing happened until the last 20% of the book. The dogs were definitely my favorite characters and helped to keep the story moving. Thank you @netgalley and @harlequinbooks for the advance copy!