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biene2513's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
saveyourtears's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lsnack's review
5.0
I truly love this series of books. The story is so sweet and romantic. Marley has an issue from her childhood that she needs to get past and Blaire can help. They have great chemistry and they share a love of animals. Blaire didn’t expect to give her heart to someone again but Marley is irresistibly.
chloeberg's review
4.0
Super cute, nice story. I've read quite a few of hers and they just keep delivering, time after time. Cosy read for when you just want to curl up with a cup of tea.
telemachus's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
Having now finished this book and sat on it for a few hours, I can see why other reviewers have called it the weakest in the series. Unfortunately, I have to agree.
Puppy Love still has many of the elements that make Cara Malone's books such pleasant reads. The writing is wonderful and well-edited, the smut scenes are steamy as hell, the fluff is sweet enough to rot you teeth, and the plot is well paced.
Puppy Love is not a bad book nor is it problematic. But in comparison to the rest to Foxy Lady and Lucky in Love, it's just kind of generic. Maybe even a little shallow. I'd say my disappointment in this book can be summed up in three bullet points:
1. There's not enough puppy love in this book! Compared to Lucky the rabbit from book 1 and Sonic the fox from book 2, Toby the shiba-inu from this book has little screen time. After all, he belongs to neither Blair or Marley, but to Blair's mom. The animal companions of this series have been some of the most memorable parts of these books. They're the hook of the series. Without a strong showing from Toby, the book suffers.
2. Marley is not a particularly memorable heroine. I felt that a lot of her flaws went underdeveloped and when they were on screen, the made her seem immature and unstable. Truly, she didn't seem thirty-seven at times. Maybe that was the point, but in that case, the point just didn't work out. Instead, it made me wonder why Blair was really trying so hard to make it work with her.
(That said, I really loved Blair. As far as romantic leads go, she felt new and refreshing.)
3. The conflict in this book was weak as hell.Blair had come to terms with her divorce before the end of the book, the only remaining conflict there being that she'd distanced herself from their mutual friends which is resolved when Blair & Marley go to a friendsgiving with them. This could've been a perfect moment for some conflict and anxiety and character growth. Instead, it's a single chapter. Not to mention, the biggest conflict in this book is a complete retread of Foxy Lady with Blair being offered a temporary job oversees that would force Blair & Marley to be long-distance for six months. It begs for a direct comparison and that direct comparison doesn't favor this book. It's not as strong a black moment as Foxy Lady's version of this because it's temporary and also because it relies on miscommunication rather than a conflict of Blair & Marley's wants/needs.
So all-in-all: 3 stars. Still enjoyable. Still finished it in two sittings. Still a worthwhile read if you've enjoyed the rest of the series. Yet just keep in mind that it's missing some of the charm of the previous installments.
Puppy Love still has many of the elements that make Cara Malone's books such pleasant reads. The writing is wonderful and well-edited, the smut scenes are steamy as hell, the fluff is sweet enough to rot you teeth, and the plot is well paced.
Puppy Love is not a bad book nor is it problematic. But in comparison to the rest to Foxy Lady and Lucky in Love, it's just kind of generic. Maybe even a little shallow. I'd say my disappointment in this book can be summed up in three bullet points:
1. There's not enough puppy love in this book! Compared to Lucky the rabbit from book 1 and Sonic the fox from book 2, Toby the shiba-inu from this book has little screen time. After all, he belongs to neither Blair or Marley, but to Blair's mom. The animal companions of this series have been some of the most memorable parts of these books. They're the hook of the series. Without a strong showing from Toby, the book suffers.
2. Marley is not a particularly memorable heroine. I felt that a lot of her flaws went underdeveloped and when they were on screen, the made her seem immature and unstable. Truly, she didn't seem thirty-seven at times. Maybe that was the point, but in that case, the point just didn't work out. Instead, it made me wonder why Blair was really trying so hard to make it work with her.
(That said, I really loved Blair. As far as romantic leads go, she felt new and refreshing.)
3. The conflict in this book was weak as hell.
So all-in-all: 3 stars. Still enjoyable. Still finished it in two sittings. Still a worthwhile read if you've enjoyed the rest of the series. Yet just keep in mind that it's missing some of the charm of the previous installments.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Alcoholism
Marley was emotionally involved with a married woman prior to the start of the book. Part of her character arc is moving on from this woman. Marley's mother is also a recovering alcoholic; there are brief mentions of her being in AA and sponsoring another woman.
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