Paws for Love by Mara Wells

Paws for Love by Mara Wells
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 5 Stars
Review by Dryas

Damaged hearts―man, woman, and dog―have a second chance for love, healing and happiness under the warm Miami Beach sun in this endearing contemporary romance…

Danielle Morrow works tirelessly for the greyhound rescue as an adoption coordinator, rehabilitating retired racing dogs and helping them find forever homes. She guards her heart as vigilantly as her two adopted greyhounds guard her home. One heartbreak per lifetime is enough for any woman, and no one she’s met since her high school boyfriend dumped her to join the military has ever tempted her enough to risk love again.

Knox Donovan expected to be career military, but an injury has resulted in an honorable discharge that leaves him uncertain of his future. When his brothers ask him to come back to Miami Beach to help manage their new condo conversion, he figures he can at least advise them about security systems before declining the job. He has no intention of staying in the city that has so many bad memories for him.

Knox is reminded that not all his memories of growing up in Miami Beach are bad when he sees Danielle again at the Grand Opening of the new Fur Haven Dog Park. Fifteen years haven’t softened the pain of their breakup. But Knox is different now, more hard-edged and suspicious, and when he bonds with the retired racing greyhound, Sarge, Danielle’s cool reserve begins to melt. Sarge needs special care after the injuries that ended his racing career, and it’s not long before Danielle realizes that Knox does too. Can Danielle trust her heart to the one man who’s ever broken it?

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I absolutely loved this book.  It helps that I am also crazy about dogs. The plot is interesting but also can make your blood boil if you love dogs, especially the greyhounds. Danielle Morrow owns a rescue company for greyhounds that are in great need especially since racing was banned in Florida. I had to keep tears from falling when I learned so many of the dogs were euthanized because the trainers had no more use for them. We get to meet her new project, a greyhound she recently rescued that had a horrible break in his leg, was starving, and didn’t trust humans.

She is lucky that her father owned a vet practice. Dr. Alan Morrow helped his daughter heal the physical wounds while she concentrated on the rehabilitation. Their newest acquisition impressed them by his fighting spirit, so Danielle decided to call him Sarge.

Danielle is an exceptionally complex character with a heart of gold. She has many secrets and a disappointment in not pursuing her dream to become a vet. Something in her past has blocked her and now she considered herself to old to go back to college. She lives in the guest house on her father’s property with her two greyhounds, Luna and Flurry. You can feel the passion, love and pride she has for her rescue, Home Stretch. There is also the awesome dog park that was designed and built by the Donovan brothers. I wish I had a place like that, where you could see the Atlantic Ocean, a large fenced in yard which had a gate to keep the small dogs and large dogs separate. I found it adorable that there were bone shaped benches.

Then there is a complex man named Knox Donovan who was discharged from the military because of an injury to his leg from an IED. He is stubborn and believes that if he pushes himself, he will regain the strength in his leg and go back to the military and take care of his men. Unfortunately, his dream won’t come true as his knee is beyond repair. He did find some purpose with working with his brothers Caleb and Lance in demolishing and rebuilding the Dorothy building into luxury apartments. He still holds a flame for Danielle and when he sees her at the park on the grand opening, his feelings are mixed. He didn’t mean to approach her, but he couldn’t help himself.

Their first meeting is awkward as there are many things that were left unsaid and actions taken that can’t be undone. I enjoyed watching the connection that Sarge made with him in an instant. Danielle recognizes it and does her best to make sure that Knox does too. They both have things in common including a bum leg and the mistrust and inability to connect to others unless they know they can trust them. Both dog and human can be stubborn but once you get past their guard you will have a friend for life.

Knox and Danielle’s relationship is hard to define, at first it evolves around her trying to get Knox to adopt Sarge by texting him cute pictures of the dog. Then when Knox ends up buying a house from an elderly woman that Danielle is close to, they are thrown together as she helps him move in. Their relationship is a slow building one with mistakes made on both sides. In fact I think it was a little to slow, although there are reasons. I believe that it could have been sped up a little and I wish that Danielle told Knox her secret a lot earlier.

Their relationship is sweet, loving, and hot. The lovemaking between them is like nothing they felt except when they were going out in high school. That spark didn’t take much to rekindle into a flame. A wonderful romance I heartily recommend.