Housebroke is full of a pack of pups that exude so much personality.
Lincoln is a yummy investor who works with his hands and has been wounded.
Hazel has a heart of gold and has no home or job prospects until Lincoln crashes into her life.
I loved how she cared for her foster dogs and had a hard time relinquishing them.
It’s a comfortable read that has great rhythm and fun dog personalities.

DNF at 23%

Unfortunately I'm not a fan of either characters, the writing style, the plot, or anything. I really want to like this one but 🤷‍♀️

Housebroke follows Hazel who is staying at a friend’s house with foster dogs until someone comes barging in. She’s ready to fight Linc until she meets him and finds out he’s the owner of the house. Once things are cleared out, she goes to leave but Linc says she can stay.

From there, the two start up a friendship which slowly turns to more as they continue to work and spend time together. While Linc’s renovating the house, Hazel cooks for him and the two slowly but surely start to fall for each other. It’s one of the cutest things I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year.

What made this book perfect for my fellow dog lover is that Hazel fosters dogs and it’s clear she loves all of them. We meet the entire crew which includes dogs of all shapes and sizes. There are some younger dogs and some senior dogs but Hazel loves them all equally and eventually, Linc grows to love them, too.

In addition, the book doesn’t gloss over the hard parts of fostering dogs. One of the dogs she’s fostering gets adopted and it’s hard on her. While people can put on a brave face, it’s not an easy job. Ultimately, Housebroke felt like an amazing romance book for all my dog lovers out there.

As a romance reader, this wasn’t a perfect book but I just enjoyed it so much that I couldn't be mad at it. Hazel, Linc, and the dogs had me grinning every couple of pages so it was a perfect comfort read. If you’re a romance reader and a dog lover, you can’t go wrong in picking up a copy of Housebroke.

You gotta go with it- and like dogs- to enjoy this tale of Hazel and Linc. Hazel and her five foster dogs have been living rent free in her friend's house except that it's been sold to Linc, who is quite surprised to find her there. They meet, they lust, they come to an agreement that she'll cook for him in return for her room. All of that's fine except that it's never clear how, if her ex took all her money and she has no income, Hazel is eating. Or why her friend forgot to tell her the house was sold. Or why an inspection (there must have been an inspection) didn't alert her of the sale AND Linc to the fact that someone was living in the house. Or how she's feeding the dogs. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Love the dogs, btw. And, on the plus side, I liked Hazel and Linc.

This is a light romance that was an enjoyable read. The different personalities of the dogs made the story especially entertaining. The fact the two main characters are thrown together the way they were makes for an interesting story. A quick read that was charming.

Hazel is reeling from a devastating divorce and she finds herself broke and homeless. Thankfully one of her friends allows Hazel and her five foster pups to stay in her house that’s for sale until it sells.

Linc is shocked when he gets to his new flip house and finds Hazel and her dogs squatting. After they calm down and talk, Linc hires Hazel to cook his meals in exchange for a small salary and room and board. Linc doesn’t tell Hazel his true story, he’s worried she won’t see him for who he is. Can he share who he really is?

What a cute romcom! I absolutely loved that Hazel fostered dogs! I foster puppies myself, and it is a lot of work so I had the utmost respect for her fostering five dogs at once, I can only handle three dogs at a time. Getting to know the different personalities of each dog was a lot of fun. I felt that even though they were dogs they were all well developed, and they made fantastic side characters. This is one of those books that you really need to suspend rational thoughts for it to work, if you don’t you will struggle. This one was perfect to just let go and escape. I thought the romance between Linc and Hazel was enjoyable. Forced proximity is one of my favorite tropes and this worked. Miscommunication also played a part in this one, and this trope is hit or miss for me. I think that it worked for me in this book because it felt so believable.

If you are looking for a fun romance featuring some amazing dogs, then I recommend you check this one out.

Thank you to the publisher Berkley Publishing, @berkleypub, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled to get into this one. One must suspend their disbelief to get through the bringing. And I’m going to be honest, the dogs were the best part of the story.

Okay, so first off, how on earth is it that someone can buy a house and get the keys without the original owners, who offered the house up to Hazel after her divorce left her penniless, remembering to let her know? The house would be looked over by someone before they would ever hand over the keys anyway. So, this scenario seems highly improbable. And the fact that Linc just lets a complete stranger he has never met STAY at that house while he’s renovating? Yeah. Suspend the disbelief.

Also, Hazel doesn’t even have money to house herself and no job, so how is she able to keep fostering 5 dogs? I don’t know of any rescue so irresponsible as to let that happen. It is obviously a volunteer position, but still, if you don’t have a permanent address, you can’t continue fostering. It’s a thing.

I didn’t really feel the romance. Both characters have insta-lust for each other (accompanied by fantasies and lusty thoughts about one another), but both are avoiding getting into a relationship. There is so much resistance to it happening, and you would think a woman who has been gaslighted and browbeaten for years by her husband would be a lot more reserved about the whole thing. But other than a few instances the author throws in a mention of her being proud of herself for standing-up-for-herself type comments, Hazel acts a lot like a woman coming out of a normal relationship situation. It’s obviously not been too terribly long, but she has none of the normal post relationship down in the dump feelings. Or at least, she didn’t really seem to, for me. Someone in an abusive or otherwise relationship isn’t just going to waltz out unaffected emotionally or mentally whether they feel out of love or not. Then you throw in all the miscommunication later on…sigh.

I did really like the dogs though. Improbable situation aside, the dogs were what kept me going. Each one is so different (as anyone who has owned multiple dogs will know) and had their own personality. My personal favorite was Gord. Lol The characters, at the beginning, won me over by how kindly they treated the dogs. But by the time we hit the ‘big’ climatic situation I was very over Hazel.

Conclusion
Loved the dogs. Could have done without the people. lol

Hazel Bristow is left in the lurch after her ex-husband took all her money when they divorced. Her friend lets her and her five foster dogs stay in her home while it's on the market, but she forgets to let Hazel know when it gets sold. Linc Kennedy wasn't expecting a squatter in the new home he bought, but after some negotiating, he agrees to let Hazel and her dogs stay in exchange for her cooking skills. It doesn't take long for feelings to grow, but Hazel has been burned and doesn't trust easily, and Linc is hiding a major secret.

Honestly, this wasn't even on my radar before I got the ARC, but the synopsis sounded cute. I love rom-coms that feature cute animals, so I was excited to dive in. I thought the use of the forced proximity/roommates trope was fun. The highlight of this was the animals. I loved watching Linc and Hazel bond over the dogs, and it led to some adorable interactions. But my issue was with the writing. I didn't enjoy Burton's style. The characters are annoying, and the plot is brimming with miscommunication. I would've liked to have seen a more natural progression in their relationship because it took off so quickly. It also felt like Burton was trying to squeeze in a lot of heavier topics, but it fell flat. It was a cute, quick read, but not memorable.

3.5 STARS
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If you love plots with the forced proximity theme, this story is for you! It's a bit wacky and far-fetched as strangers sharing a home, but entertaining too.

The female lead, Hazel, has every problem in the world, it seems, and with no means of support, it was a bit hard to get into her reality in the story. Linc is a perfect blend of good guy and hottie secret millionaire and a great balance for her issues.

What I enjoyed most was their connection, budding romance, the steamy heat level, and their development along the way. I loved Linc’s support of her, but Hazel had some serious issues that did not flow with the story and downgraded the enjoyment for me.

Burton does an excellent job with the dogs becoming the third main character. I love that the author finds ways to include dogs in her stories. It makes the story light-hearted and so fun!

Overall, Housebroke is sweet and hot! I seriously wanted so much more at the ending though! This book needs that epilogue to wrap everything in a bow.

Housebroke is a light fun romance. I loved all the dogs and their different personalities. The forced proximity made for instant banter and attraction. However, the characters were a little annoying. The unresolved issues were mostly due to lack of communication, and the third act drama was blown way out of proportion. The plot attempted to deal with some heavy issues but never quite got there.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

I loved Hazel and the sweet pups she fosters. If you love books with cute animal interactions, you’ll enjoy this one. The characters meet-cute was sweet and the slow build into romance worked for these characters. I found this story to be a bit slow moving and I wished for a little more tension to the plot. An enjoyable light read.

Two strangers thrown together who gradually get to know each other. There is a definite attraction. This was a good romance that also had some cute rescue dogs. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy

I adored the characters, I loved their unique connection, the snarky humour that colours their every exchange, and I was utterly charmed by the way their relationship slowly but surely takes hold, never rushed, never forced, thoughtfully and realistically mapped out from the start.

A cute and fun read about two strangers being thrown into a forced proximity living situation. Hazel has had a rough go in life. Even though she is essentially homeless she has found a love in fostering dogs and cooking. In walks a sexy man in the form of Linc. Being around each other day in and day out will push them closer then either of them was expecting, but can they be brave enough to admit their true filling for each other and the temporary life they have made together.

Mandy Harris
Angel Wings Bookstore

This was a super light and easy read. Obviously the dogs were the star of the show for me. I love forced proximity as a trope so that was enjoyable. The characters were alright, very sweet but I didn’t quite fall in love with them while I read.

I thought this was a super cute, simple romance. I enjoyed the storyline (hello forced proximity) and all of the adorable dogs! Linc and Hazel were really sweet, although I did get annoyed by Hazel's decisions at the end. This is the perfect book if you are needing a light, easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for access to this arc.

Housebroke by Jaci Burton was absolutely adorable! I am completely captivated by the rescue dogs featured in this story. It has ignited a desire within me to have a pack of my own. Witnessing the main characters' journey into love was truly heartwarming. The passionate moments between them were incredibly steamy, adding an extra layer of excitement. In summary, this book is an excellent choice for a quick and enjoyable read.

This romance turned out to be kind of a mixed bag for me, though some of that might be that I read it late at night waiting for a call about a relative in hospital.

I loved the idea: a woman's dream is fostering abandoned dogs. And the best part of the writing, for me, was definitely the dogs. Each animal had personality, and best of all (unlike those horrible dog stories when I was a kid, every dog gets a happy ending).

Where the story faltered for me is that Hazel also dreams of becoming a chef. Two very different careers. Over the top of that stretched a negative motivator. I totally am on board with once-burned, twice-shy heroines. But when it begins to drag the story with all the noping, especially providing the impetus for the sadly-overdone-but-seemingly-necessary "big bad moment" near the last chapter, it's noping again, for no real good reason.

The pacing seemed to slip a bit, too, with most of the story pretty much resolved before the halfway point, then a series of incidents that keep the pair at the same emotional level until the breakup. This is a very experienced author, making me wonder if this was one of those books written at top speed, then rushed into publication before it had a chance to marinate over time, and then get a serious redraft. Whatever, the dogs engaged me more deeply than Hazel and Lincoln, though I liked the idea of them as people, in spite of the negative motivation. (They both had it, but end up in bed anyway.)

But like I said at the top, it made enough of a read to keep me going during a stressful time, so hats off for that. And yeah, more dog rescue books with happy endings!

DNF at 24%. I got this as an advanced reader copy and I've tried. But it's got a dumb premise and doesn't have enough depth to make it worth it for me.

1. Both main characters have negative motivation, trying to avoid a relationship. So, that's exhausting. I hate negative motivation. Ya, ya, you've been hurt and are afraid of a new relationship... but it makes it annoying to read.

2. Instalust. Both are "oh, that person's hot and I want to get in their pants." I'm not a big fan of this kind of instalust where they don't know each other, don't want a relationship, and constantly have tons of thoughts about sexy times in the most annoying way..

3. This woman has no money. Her husband left her and stole all their money. Sure, it can happen but the level of theft is absurd. So, she's living in a friend's house while the friend is selling the house. Somehow the house is sold and the heroine is never alerted. My question is "how can she afford to do anything when she doesn't have a job?" She fosters dogs. But seems to do that as a volunteer. How does she afford to live!? It makes no sense. And how did no one kick her out of the house before the close of escrow?

----

So much of this book makes no sense. And I'm bored and annoyed.

The premise is amazing, but the writing style isn't engaging and it fell flat for me. I stopped after chapter 1 (7%).

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.