Series:
Cottages on Ocean Breeze (Book 3)
Christmas, canines and courtship…
Dale Wilson's life hasn't been "good" since his
beloved wife died -- at least until Millie Monroe moves to Ocean Breeze. Dale
and his dog Juice can't help but be drawn to the pediatric nurse. A widow
herself, Millie understands not wanting romance. Finding unexpected common
ground has given them both a friendship they've craved. Plus, their respective
pups have become friends, too! But Dale has a secret -- he's bestselling author
WG Gunder. Not something he readily wants to admit to the woman in his
heart…and his bed. Perhaps the Christmas spirit can teach him that sometimes
happily-ever-after is disguised as a new beginning…
A slow-burning holiday romance between two hurting people
who lost their spouses way too soon. Millie came to Ocean Breeze two years
after unexpectedly losing her husband. She spent those two years burying her
grief in her work as a pediatric nurse until she burned out. She rented the
cottage from a friend who promised that the neighbors respect each other's privacy.
The rental includes dog sitting for the owner's dog, Magic.
Dale lost his wife five years ago. He turned his grief
into a successful writing career as author WG Gunder. He and his dog, Juice,
rarely leave the cabin except for daily runs. He is friendly with the neighbors,
but not a joiner.
Millie and Dale spend a couple of weeks successfully
avoiding each other until they are brought together in a sea turtle rescue. Then
they encounter each other while running, just exchanging nods. After another
sea animal encounter, a sea lion this time, Dale invites Millie to stop by and
try one of his home-brewed beers.
This begins a slow-building friendship. Dale and Millie
connect over their common ground of loss without pushing for more than they are
willing to share. I enjoyed their developing friendship, their honesty about
losing the loves of their lives, and that they aren't looking for love again.
However, the more time they spend together, the more intense the sparks of
attraction grow. They decide to enter into a friends-with-benefits arrangement,
with the clear understanding that it will never be more. Of course, as readers,
we know how that usually turns out.
This is where it turns a little odd. I could see Dale and
Millie growing closer, their feelings obvious to anyone looking, yet they
continued to insist they were just friends. Then they get it into their heads
that since both regret most the loss of being a parent, they should have a baby
together. No intention of marrying, just coparenting. It felt a little too
pragmatic. Would either of them let go of their fear of loss soon enough to
admit the truth? The ending was well done, with an adorable way to reveal their
feelings.
My favorite characters, however, were not Millie and
Dale. The true stars of the book were the dogs - Juice, Magic, and eventually,
Briel. The dogs' sensitivity to humans' moods helped ground them and helped
them get past the rough moments. I especially enjoyed the scene with Dale and
Briel at the end.
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