Finding hope, keeping love.
Needing a change of scene, Griffin Burke moves from Brisbane to Coolum Beach to start a new job. The beautiful white sand, aqua-coloured ocean, blue skies, and summer breezes are everything he longs for. What he finds is a mud-covered dog, lost and hungry, with a nametag and a phone number.
Dane Hughes is stuck in Surfers Paradise at a week-long work conference when he gets a phone call from his distraught mother. His dog, his fur baby, Wicket, has run away. Unable to leave and feeling helpless and miserable, he gets a text from a guy. “I think I found your dog…”
Griffin and Dane start talking, and Griffin agrees to look after Wicket until Dane can collect him. With a few days left before his new job starts, Griffin takes Wicket on some coastal adventures and sends Dane photos of their fun, and so the start of something new and kind of wonderful begins.
Griffin might have moved to Coolum in search of a new life, but what he finds is so much more. What he gets to keep just might take some four-legged help.
Amazon
Sign. Swoon. Smile. *fans self* This story is so sweet, so romantic, so hot. Like a rom com movie in gay book form. With lots of hot sex. AND A DOG NAMED WICKET!
I will read anything my NR Walker. I love her stories. I love how they are all so different. This has to be her sweetest to date. No angst, no miscommunications, no anger. Just two people falling in love.
A good, I’d say, third of the book is them communicating by text and phone calls. Dane is away at a work conference and Griffin found his lost dog Wicket. Since Griffin just moved, he gets to know the down by going on day trips with Wicket and relaying the info to Dane. When they finally meet- the sparks fly.
There aren’t a lot of supporting characters, save for some random co-workers. But Griffin’s landlady and her boyfriend/booty call are awesome. She is definitely the old lady I want to be!!! Both of them added to the story, yet still had their own story. I loved them both.
I don’t always love sweet, fluffy books like this. Oftentimes I don’t feel like I know the characters. But this one was different. You really get to know them, and in turn love them. You cheer for them and smile for them. It was sweet without being sappy and fluffy without being airheaded.
If you need a reconfirmations that love is out there, it is real and it doesn’t have to have obstacles- yes, this is absolutely the book for you.
4.5 pieces of eye candy
Griffin is new to the beach town of Coolum and while out exploring places to hike, he happens upon Wicket, a wet, dirty and sweet dog. Griffin uses the contact info on Wicket’s tag to get in touch with Wicket’s human, Dane, who’s out of town on business. Griffin agrees to care for Wicket in the meantime and over the course of the next few days, the two men hit it off as they call and text, then make plans to meet. The rest is just a sweet story.
The book is told in first person by each of the MCs, one per chapter. As usual Walker’s writing is very good and I feel like her characters are real people. I wanted to grab and snuggle Wicket the dog. There’s not much serious angst. Initially they each go through wondering if the other man is gay? Single? Interested? Just being nice? Which, since I like these characters, I enjoy reading about their insecurities, what they really think of each other and how cute each one thinks the other is while not thinking it about themselves. It’s always nice to see likable characters find each other and develop their chemistry and relationship further. What’s not to like about these guys? Dane is devastated that his baby, Wicket, has gone missing. Griffin appoints himself Wicket’s caregiver until he’s sure who he’s sending him back to is worthy. Dane and Griffin are just good eggs, and I want them to care about each other, have great sex and be happy. And I’m not disappointed.
Good guys. A little bit of yummy angst. Sexy times. HEA. What more can I ask? I mean, there’s a DOG for crying out loud. There’s nothing not to like or want, as long as you’re okay with not whole lot of action, which is not a criticism. I’ve read a handful of Walker’s things and you just know what you’re getting from her. And that’s ok with me.
3.5 pieces of eye candy