Starred review from September 1, 2020
When Constance's younger sister, Sunny, gets into trouble trying to rescue abused dogs at a puppy mill, she becomes ensnared with the cop, who lets Sunny off. Constance is supposed to figure out how to help his injured war buddy, Rhett, via her therapeutic massage skills. Ironically, Constance has already met Rhett at the gym he owns, where he has been trying, surreptitiously, to coach her to regain the body strength and tone she lost after her fianc� dumped her. Constance and Rhett fall for each other, but Sunny gets in trouble again and has to decide if her deal with the cop (i.e., sleeping with him) is really making her happy or if she still has a chance with her unrequited love for dog trainer Pete. Debuting romance writer Whisler presents a complicated story about tormented people finding and healing each other. The rescued dogs are almost an excuse for the human stories, except for Humphrey, the poor, abused beagle Rhett saves. Whisler is a licensed massage therapist, and her description of Constance's massage practice is fascinating, almost spiritual. An unusual and wonderful story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)
November 2, 2020
In Whisler’s heartfelt debut, two sisters who rescue neglected pit bulls find new loves and righteous causes. Headstrong Sunny Skye Morrigan owns pit bull rescue operation A Pittie Place, and her sister, Constance, looks for mistreated dogs and rehabilitates them with massage therapy, then matches them with war veterans to help them cope with PTSD. After Constance is questioned by police detective Sean Callahan about some dogs that have gone missing from breeder Janice Matteri, who the sisters suspect is running a puppy mill, she warns Sunny to lay low, knowing Sunny has been doing more than rescuing dogs. Meanwhile, still grieving over the death of their father a year earlier, Constance joins a gym and swiftly connects with its owner, Rhett Santos, a former Marine who served in the Iraq War. Constance and Rhett have their own scars that need healing, hers emotional and his physical, and Whisler keeps the fire crackling slow and steady between the pair. Meanwhile, Sunny pursues a casual fling with Callahan, whom she persuades to help her take down Janice’s alleged puppy mill. The beauty of this book is in the down-to-earth characters. Whisler’s intimate look at the bighearted women’s lives makes for a worthy, stirring tale. Agent: Sara Megibow, KT Literary LLC.