This was sadly a little too formulaic for me. I started it and didn't finish. The first book in the series was charming but this didn't grab me.

Stefanie London's "Pets of Park Avenue" is a charming and heartwarming contemporary romance that explores the unique bond between humans and their furry companions. Set against the backdrop of the upscale Park Avenue neighborhood, the story follows two individuals who find themselves brought together by their love for animals. London's writing is delightful and infused with humor, making it a delightful read for animal lovers and romance enthusiasts alike.

Scout needs to bag the big promotion, her reputation and her baby sister are relying are on her. She wants, no needs to prove to herself and everyone that she’s not a waste of space. She doesn’t want the same label her mother had…..
She needs to do something and fast…..

Lane wants nothing to do with his estranged wife! She walked out and took her dramas with her. But his feelings never did really die out for his wife, can he really want to be drawn back into a life with drama, but also fun?

How she approaches Lane, will have you chuckling.
She needs a doggy stand-in and she knows who has a look a like, but getting his approval is going to prove difficult!
We find out that after a whirlwind romance and a quick wedding in Vegas, things quickly deteriorate and Scout walked away never looking back. But neither started divorce proceedings, so you have to wonder if they hoped to reunite some day?

If you’ve read book one in the series, you would have already met Scout, but don’t worry if you didn’t, the book is a standalone story, (but after reading this book, you’ll probably go back to read the first one 😉)

So how will she get him to agree to work together, when he really doesn’t want all that drama back in his life? Can she show him she’s changed?
The more time they spend together, the more they remember the good times, the fun times. But with the divorce finally within reach, can Lane walk away?

It’s not necessary to read book one before reading this one. But there are a few characters from the previous book that make an appearance.
It will have you smiling and crying throughout the book, the author knows how to bring out the best in a rom-com.

I did love the four legged star Twinkle, she’s such a cute dog, and her antics had me shaking my head. 😃

I highly recommend this book if you love second chance romance.


🦋

Pets of Park Avenue is the second book in the Paws in the City series, but it can be read as a standalone. However, there are spoilers for the first book in the series, The Dachshund Wears Prada. This new installment is just as delightful as its predecessor. I found myself laughing and even getting teary-eyed.

I enjoyed getting to know Scout more and I felt bad for what she was going through. I liked the way she was trying to come up with new ideas to grow the business. I also liked Lane a lot and it was nice to see his side of the story and learn more about his background. Star was definitely the scene stealer though! I would love to hang out with a dog like her in real life, as long as she didn't misbehave the way she was doing so in the story.

I would have liked to see some blowback from replacing the dog. That could have added to some of the complications between Lane and Scout and heightened the drama a bit. Otherwise, it felt like everything wrapped up too neatly.

The combination of cute dogs, a hot guy, and some steamy bedroom scenes makes this a worthwhile read. It's light and entertaining and I had a lot of fun reading it. I already can't wait for the third book in this series, which will be available later this summer!

Movie casting suggestions:
Scout: Kelli Berglund
Lane: David Corenswet
Beth: Molly McCook
Todd: Luke Benward
Joyce: Kathleen Quinlan
Norman: Reed Birney
August: Kennedy McMann
Isla: Grace Caroline Currey
Theo: James Maslow
Dani: Madisyn Shipman

This cover is precious.
The little white fur ball plays a big role in the story. Scout and Lane have many hang ups and have been apart longer than than they were ever together.
But circumstances have changed and are they willing to take risks?
I liked the character development of both Scout and Lane and the second chance vibes.
The sentence that made my heart hurt was when his heart shattered into a gazillions shards when she left.
Park yourself for a good read.

This was a really cute and sweet contemporary romance novel set in NYC. It's actually the second book in the Paws in the City series. I actually havnt read the first book yet, but I never once felt lost or confused reading this so I feel it would also work as a stand alone.

Ad a huge animal lover (especially dogs!) I was immediately drawn to this book and it definitely delivered with the adorable pets! I'm always going to be a sucker for books that feature cute dogs. This was a second chance romance, which is a trope that I love. I thought it was realistic and had some great character growth. There were some humorous moments in there and I thought the whole story flowed quite nicely.

I'd be interested in reading more books in the series! Special thanks to the publisher and netgalley for my copy!

Pets of Park Avenue is the second book in a series but could easily be read as a standalone. I wanted to love this book based on it being both about dogs and also as a second change romance trope but I just could not get into it. I ended up skimming a lot of it just to see where it was going. It is not bad but it just didnt work for me. I think the characters are in need of therapy and the lack of communication was just so bad, it hurt the story. I wanted to know more about how Lane and Scout got together and the chemistry and love that burned so bright in the beginning, it was hard to root for them. The ending was good and solid, if maybe a bit rushed.

I thought this would be way more dog-centric and lighthearted. It was at times both of those things, but not enough for my tastes. It was actually surprisingly heavy and emotional for a good portion of the book. I have many friends who would be all about a book in this style and I've recommended it to them. It just wasn't to my particular tastes.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Pets of Park Avenue by Stefanie London is the second book in the contemporary romance Paws in the City series. As with a lot of contemporary romance series the Paws in the City series will feature new main characters with each installment with a full romance in each book. Since there will be new characters each book can be read as a standalone or in any order if choosing to do so with some glimpses of previous characters.

Scout Myers has always felt her life would never be anything but a mess, an inherited trait of hers from her mother. Now however Scout finally feels like she has turned a corner when the business she works at with her best friend begins to take off and Scout takes on more and more responsibility.

When Scout has a slight accident at a photo shoot with one of the furry clients Scout bites back her own pride and contacts Lane Halliday. Lane is one of Scout’s many regrets in her life, the man she married on a whim only to have the marriage quickly crumble. The love between Scout and Lane has never gone away though they both realize while Lane helps Scout out of her jam at work.

Another great installment in the Paws in the City series! This was a nice second chance romance with a huge heaping of character growth with the main character Scout. Of course being a huge animal lover I was immediately attracted to this series and I think other furry lovers will feel the same gushy sentiments with all the cute pet moments too the only add to the enjoyment. Not sure if the series will continue but if so I’ll certainly be back or interested in the author’s future reads!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I loved The Dachshund Wears Prada and was super excited to read book 2 in this series. I'm not a big fan of second chance romance to begin with and this was definitely not a relationship I enjoyed reading about. And Scout's family situation was just so sad and depressing.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin Trade Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Harlequin Trade Publishing.

I have so enjoyed this series and I love a second chance story so this was a win win for me. Such a cute romance with the bonus of dogs!

This cute romantic comic novel is a fast-paced easy read that is full of heart. While some of the details seemed random as I read, everything fit together rather nicely overall by the end. I would also classify this as a standalone, although while reading it's evident that it's a part of a series based on references to a previous love story.

Recommended for lovers of rom-coms and dogs (or any pet, really). PG-13 for language and open-door love scene.

: "I received a copy of this book via Netgalley Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

I very much enjoyed reading The Dachshund Wears Prade, so I was very excited to read Pets of park avenue, I was not disappointed.

The book is such a fun easy read that you don't want to put it down. The characters, whether human or canine each of such distinct lovable personalities, you can't help but root for them. I can't wait for Stefanie London's next book.

I really enjoyed the first book in the Paws in the City series, The Dachshund Wears Prada, so was looking forward to another fun romance starring, adorable animals. Pets of Park Avenue is Scout's story. We met Scout in the first book, Isla's best friend. In this book, Scout is trying to prove herself to Isla, hoping for a promotion down the road. Her younger sister lives with her grandparents, but she is hoping to get custody of her and needs to be able to show that she can support her. When disaster strikes at a photoshoot, Scout suggests they get her estranged husband to allow them to borrow his dog. Scout walked out on her husband Lane, five years ago, but she still loves him. When they see one another for the first time in five years, it doesn't take long for the feelings to rise to the surface. Lane has issues and there were things that happened when they were together that had never been dealt with. When they decide that it's time to make their divorce final, Twinkle Stardust, yes, that is the little bichon frise's name, has a meltdown and Lane knows he needs to cut ties for good.

I really enjoyed this contemporary romance. Scout is a mess. She is scattered, nervous, has low self-esteem and is constantly trying to prove herself. We learn about her past and it is sad indeed. I am surprised she is as put together as she is. She loves animals and really enjoys her job, so when she thinks she is in danger of losing it, she thinks outside the box to fix things. I was surprised to hear about her marriage and lack of divorce after five years. Lane is also a character with a lot of baggage. It is obvious to the reader how much they love each other, but they need to work though all the things that caused their marriage to end if they want to move on. I loved Star, aka Twinkle Stardust. She had a lot of feelings around the situation as well, with Scout there, leaving, back, leaving etc. The humor in the story is all around the animals and it did make me laugh. This was an extremely emotional second chance romance. There are themes of abandonment, insecurity, family issues, trust and honesty. It was nice to see the characters from the previous story and catch up on their lives as well. There are a few steamy scenes, but they were not too detailed and I was able to skim them and still very much enjoy the story. If you enjoy a second chance romance with some steam, some issues, adorable animals and family, then I recommend you pick this one up.

Second chance for Scout and Lane! Once they got the past baggage out in the open, the healing began. It turns out that the grandparents weren’t as bad as initially thought. Wonderful ending!

Pets of Park Avenue by Stefanie London—Book Two in the Paws in the City series, but can be read as a stand-alone—was utterly adorable and a joy to read. It was also so intensely, gorgeously emotional. The angst, the longing in this second chance romance had my heart aching, and Scout’s journey to self-love after feeling rejected and unloved her whole life…whew. She and Lane were both such great characters. But of course the star of the show was their adorable pup, Twinkle Stardust, the most perfect Bichon Frise to help Scout fix a screw-up and bring her parents back together. Scout and Lane’s chemistry was also intense, absolute 🔥, but poignantly so, if that makes sense. This book was lovely all around, had me fully entertained and completely emotionally invested, and I highly recommend it.

I had fun in reading The Dachshund Wears Prada and had fun in reading Pets of Park Avenue.
Scout works with Isla from the first book and the antics of their customers are always funny. Scout is a more complex characters, a woman who needs to face her insecurities and rebuild her self-esteem. It won’t be an easy task and there will be a lot of twists, surprises and some sad moments.
Stefanie London delivers an entertaining rom com and I like the descriptions of the pets and Scout character arc.
It was a compelling and entertaining read, it can be read as a stand-alone.
Recommended.
Many thanks to HQ for this arc, all opinions are mine

Things in Scout’s life just might be looking up, especially when she is in line for a promotion at a talent agency for pets called Paws in the City. While it is true that Scout's boss is also her best friend, Scout knows she has earned the upcoming promotion. Things had been rough on Scout for years. This promotion would be ideal to prove her worth.

Scout and her younger sister were raised by their grandparents. However, Scout had problems when she was a teen, and this led to her becoming estranged from her grandparents. When she discovers that her grandfather is taking a job across the country, Scout is devastated that she won’t be able to see her sister nearly as much as she'd like. Her upcoming promotion just might show her responsible enough to become her sister’s primary guardian.

That promotion? Well, a mishap at work might have just washed that down the drain. Her next dog at the agency needs a stand-in. Thinking quickly on her feet, Scout makes the difficult decision to contact her ex, Lane, as his dog would make the perfect doppelgänger for the upcoming photo shoot.

Scout and Lane’s past was intense and all too brief. Their history is to the point that their past together left a lot of unsaid answers - and emotion. Passion. Will they be able to end their relationship once and for all, or will this present an opportunity for both of them to rekindle their past feelings? Meanwhile, Scout needs that promotion. She feels she has to prove herself to her grandparents so that she and her sister can be together.

What an entertaining read by Stefanie London! The characters were marvelous and the setting with the dogs was pure joy. I also loved Scout’s relationship with Lane and their experiences in this book were palpable. Then there is also Scout as a caring older sister and also how good she was with dogs. Scout grew so much in this fabulous book, which made it all that much enjoyable.

Many thanks to HQN Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/DqMDyU_2x2Y

PETS OF PARK AVENUE (Paws in the City Book #2) by Stefanie London is a heartwarming second chance romance/women’s fiction. This second book in the Paws in the City series starts where The Dachshund Wears Prada left off with the focus this time on Scout and her self-proclaimed hot mess life. The second chance romance in this book can be read as a standalone, but all the connections between characters and pets is more enjoyable if you read book #1 first.

Scout Myers is making the most of her chance to help her best friend, Isla, make Paws in the City a success. She and her baby sister were taken in by her grandparents, but her grandparents saw her as wayward as her mother had been and kicked her out to protect her sister. It has been a five-year separation with only monthly visitation, but she is determined to prove she is mature enough to have her sister move in with her now that her grandparents are moving to California.

At a pet photo shot Scout oversees one of Paws in the City’s stars, but when the dogs go wild, Scout is left in need of a temporary replacement for another engagement. She knows just where she can find an identical Bichon Frise. It happens to live with her not quite ex-husband, Lane Halliday.

Can the truth and forgiveness be the keys to a possible second chance with the person you could never forget?

I loved this second Paws in the City romance as much as the first. I at first found Scout to be the hot mess she believed herself to be, but the more you learn about her background and treatment from her mother and grandparents, it is amazing that she is as caring and loving as she is. The mistakes made when they first married were believable for the young couple and it was wonderful to see them come back together with a more mature and open understanding. Ms. London’s writing is funny, heartfelt, and emotional in all the right places. All the pets in the series are adorable and I love them, too.

I highly recommend this second chance romance, both Paws in the City books to date and I am looking forward to the next book in the series!

Stefanie London’s book 2 of the “Paws in the City” series is just as lovable, sweet, angsty, and romantic as the first. It’s about learning to love and accept yourself, forgive, and learn. “We can’t change the past…we can learn from the stupid things we do and make a promise that we won’t repeat our mistakes.”

Scout Myers is a hot mess as she’s screwed up again at a job she loves, lives a life believing she’s unacceptable in the eyes of her grandparents, works hard to prove to the world that she IS amazing, and all the while she keeps herself at arms length from fear of being of being told she’s not good enough.

She has a shot to win it all, though. Not only can she prove to her bestie and boss that she can fix things, she has a chance to win her grandparents over so that she can have full custody of her teen sister.

But she’ll need the help of Lane Halliday, her husband—the husband she walked out on after their one-month Las Vegas wedding. We get their full backstory and let me tell you: it’s angsty and dramatic and heartbreaking. I was emotional to see life through Scout’s eyes: rejected, unloved, and unaccepted. Oh and my heart ached for Lane and how his raw love and pining for Scout was endless. “He was the lottery of men.”

The central star of the story is the whole reason why Scout seeks Lane out again: their dog, Twinkle Stardust, who was the perfect Bichon Frise to help Scout in her little screwup. But like all cute doggies with an attitude, she was the perfect 3rd wheel to help bring her parents fall in love again. I loved seeing her behaviour emulate the turmoil Lane and Scout were facing. It’s been awhile since my chest ached so much for a couple who had a second chance at their happy ever after.

This was steamy BUT such a sweet steam if you know what I mean. So tender. Passionate. All in all it made me laugh and cry and I really hope there's another book coming in this series.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQN Books for an advanced copy.