Once Upon a Puppy

April 15, 2021
Connor Wyeth is a catch--a stable and focused lawyer and devoted son to his Tongan mother, eager to settle down and start a family in cozy Pine Hollow. He's even acquired an impressive six-pack, working out to soothe the ache of being dumped via a Post-it note days before his wedding. Deenie Mitchell--a neon-haired, glitter-covered, party-planning, world-traveling, dog-training whiz who has landed in Pine Hollow to help with her friend's dog shelter and to care for an aging relative--would also be a catch, if only she slowed down and stayed in one place. The second in Shane's Pine Hollow series, following The Twelve Dogs of Christmas (2020), tracks this oil-and-water pair as they connect over training Connor's giant, lovable, uncontrollable pooch, and then agree to date to stave off judgment from Connor's firm and Deenie's Waspy relatives. Refreshingly, the drama rests in Connor and Deenie continually examining and challenging their own needs and motives, and not in manufactured conflict. This is a warm and upbeat romance, enriched by reflective characters with strong community, family, and found-family ties. Highly recommended.

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April 19, 2021
Shane returns to Pine Hollow, Vt. (first visited in The Twelve Dogs of Christmas), for a doggone enjoyable contemporary romance. Connor Wyeth’s fiancée dumped him via Post-it note two weeks before their wedding. A year later, the driven lawyer is still coping by burying himself in work, planning to dive back into the dating pool only after he’s made partner. But after Connor adopts Maximus, a 140-pound Irish wolfhound who still thinks he’s a puppy, the dog becomes a wrecking ball to Connor’s well-ordered life, and he turns to shelter volunteer Deenie Mitchell for help. Free-spirited Deenie makes a living planning princess parties for kids when she’s not volunteering or traveling the world. The pair couldn’t be more different, but Deenie agrees to help Connor, both by training Maximus and—after Connor’s bosses express concern about his work/life balance—by posing as his girlfriend at work events. Connor and Deenie’s developing relationship strikes every emotional chord, with irresistible chemistry and realistic speed bumps. The endearing characters will capture readers’ hearts from the first page, and a subplot about Deenie’s aunt, who has Alzheimer’s disease, is especially well handled. It’s hard not to fall in love with this spirited tale. Agent: Michelle Grajkowski, 3 Seas Literary.