Ellie Efron inherits a one-hundred=pound dog named Atlas when her best friend in her early forties unexpectedly passes away. The dog has pretty severe reactive behavior issues and it's recommended that she take Atlas to a vet behavior specialist. Hayden Brandt sets up appointments for Atlas' behavior improvement sessions and Ellie is a key part of these sessions. The chemistry between Ellie and Hayden is instantaneous. However, Hayden does not do relationships and only has one-night stands when the mood strikes. We find out that this stems from grief over family members who have passed away and left her during her youth.

Ellie and Hayden make an honest attempt to stay away from one another, but behavior sessions at her office lead to other work with Atlas at Ellie's condo. Eventually the two women grow close and can't fight their attraction any longer. They agree on one time and then back to friends. This obviously turns into more. The rest of the book deals with the fallout of their non-relationship.

I enjoyed the book, Atlas was adorable, and the story also heavily featured Skye and Bailey from Last New Beginning as a friend of Ellie's. 3.75 stars

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re into pet/vet romance stories then this book will definitely be up your alley. It has a lot of things going for it, Rivers’ writing is deft and engaging, the characters (including derpy doggo Atlas) are fully fleshed out and the pacing is spot on. I even found myself getting choked up after the first chapter due to the reason Ellie adopted Atlas to begin with.

The reason I’m not rating this book higher isn’t the writing itself, but more the relationship between the two main characters. If you’re going to write a good push/pull or forbidden romance it needs to develop some good chemistry and for me that was mostly missing. Also, once they did get together the rest of the story was pretty formulaic and to be honest I skimmed the last few chapters just to get to the end.

Overall a nice addition to the vet/pet genre, but nothing to bark home about. 3.5 stars

Krystina Rivers is becoming an author that doesn't need me to even read the blurb before getting the book. It’s a story of pain and love for both humans and animals. And a story with a happy end, for humans and a particular loveable doggo.

Free ARC via NetGalley

2.5, up to 3 because I didn't really get it but it might be me not the book.
A sweet and quite moving start. Glad this is a good length book so the developing relationship shouldn't be rushed.
Her friend was moving from a condo because it didn't suit the dog but the main, and new dog owner, seems to live in a similar property and is planning another 10! years there?
I didn't get in to the bruised leg scene in the office, it felt too much, and the drink together, in the office just made it even more too much. The retelling the scene to a friend, mere paragraphs later made it seem even more over the top.
I really did not like this sentence. -
"the only upside to being an orphan was that her parents and grandmother had all had insurance policies that set her up for life" It wouldn't have been so bad if it had been said as speech, as bravado, but it wasn't.
27% in and I'm not in love with the mains or their relationship. It feels like I am watching 2 people from a distance rather than being involved.
The push pull is a bit wearing. The barrier to them being together is one is looking for Ms Right but not right away and the other Ms Right Now-just for an evening. Yet there is attraction, and they are both feeling it but the whole "oh no I can't even, tho I want to and I keep torturing myself" is torture.
Half way through the book they give in, for one night only.
Naturally it's not one night only although the whole "I can't" keeps going on. The author has made a stab at explaining again why the main doesn't want a relationship but the whole back and forth is still irritating me.
There is a well written emotional scene that I found myself moved by, followed by a scene with the other main and her ex I just didn't get. The lack of humanity from the ex referencing the dog as if she had chosen to get a pet rather than the life event that caused it, irritated me.
Even when they got together together, no longer pretending it was anything other than a relationship, I skim read it cos I wasn't that invested.
If I find myself forcing myself to read in half hour chunks it is not a good sign and I cannot up from 2.5 to 3. was my thought for most of the book but I liked the start and the emotional scene as mentioned above so I'm willing to say probably not a bad book but not for me.

This was my first book by this author and it didn't disappoint. The writing was engaging and the characters well developed and real.

Ellie Efron is in her forties and inherits a dog named Atlas after her best friend passes away suddenly. She's in over her head and goes to see a behaviorist to help where she meets Hayden.

Hayden Brandt is a nomad who has her own practice in Chicago, but doesn't believe anybody sticks around so she doesn't get close to anyone ever because it's safer.

From the first moment they met, you could feel the chemistry with the way the writing was and the buildup to them finally getting together was handled masterfully. I adored Atlas and his ways of ingraining himself in everything was adorable. This was a very witty, engaging, low angst book that I would definitely recommend.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

An OTO, turns into an OTT, then finds the second star to the right and sails straight on til morning, but strap on a lifejacket because oof- ain't no calm seas for these MC's.

Training a reactive pup whilst grieving and falling face over feet for the trainer screams the quintessential sapphic glory story.

This is a book for all the romantics at heart. The fight for love, do or die, live free and love hard peeps. There are some huge Hallmark moments where the verbiage is belly-achingly sweet, and then there are moments where snot and tears will drip out of your face in equal proportions so, have a bucket and some tissues nearby, as you'll probably utilize both.

Age gap, flight risk, professional women- deliciousness. A sapphic read of two hearts arguing their way into the other and learning to drop anchor when setting sail is no longer the freedom it once was. I was here for this book and am snuggling all my animals (and the wifey) a wee bit longer tonight.