Sit. Stay. Love. by Karis Walsh is a sweet contemporary romance. The perfect read for a relaxing Sunday afternoon.
Alana Brendt is trying to rebuild her resume after her losing her job due to a mishap by accepting a job offer in Yakima, Washington. She admittedly fudges a few things on her resume, but quickly learns that she may be in over her head upon her arrival at the ranch. Alana did not expect to lead trail rides and whitewater adventures, she only thought that she would be coordinating them.
Veterinarian Tegan Evans notices pretty much instantly that Alana is not capable of doing the tasks she is required to do. She wrestles with how to tell the owner of the ranch, however before she is able to, they meet again. After hearing about Alana’s situation and convincing proposal, Tegan agrees to help her.
They both know that Alana has other plans than to stay in Yakima forever, yet Alana and Tegan can’t help from falling in love. Will this love be enough for Alana to remain in the small town?
Pros And My Favourite Parts
In the beginning, I was concerned that I would not like Alana’s character much, but my concern was quickly dispelled within the first few chapters. After seeing how hard Alana was learning to do a proper job of taking care of the horses and the role she was hired to do, how could I not respect her?
Walsh’s writing style may seem simple but to have it flow from page to page is, I am sure, a lot of work. Additionally, many props go to the author for piecing together enjoyable banter between the two leads. Their banter made Alana and Tegan’s relationship all the more believable.
The puppies! Need I say more? I will admit that the cover grabbed my attention and I couldn’t resist picking it up. While I am not a dog owner myself, I can certainly appreciate reading about pets. I loved how Alana was determined to find a forever home for each of the puppies she found. Although she is inexperienced in taking care of them, I thought it was sweet that she ended up secretly hoping to keep one for herself.
Cons And Heads Up
Zilch. Nada. Zippo.
The Conclusion
Sit. Stay. Love. is the perfect read for puppy cuteness overload, great conversation, and an overall, good love story. I believe this is the second novel I’ve read by Walsh and I haven’t been disappointed with her writing or storytelling yet.
Excerpt from Sit. Stay. Love. by Karis Walsh
She put her plate in the sink and looked through the phone book Chip had left on the counter. She found Tegan Evans, DVM, and dialed the number after only a slight hesitation.
“Dr. Evans.” Tegan’s voice was crisp and professional. The phone book ad showed the clinic was closed for the night, and Alana heard muted sounds of voices in the background, as if Tegan was at a party or restaurant.
“This is Alana. We met today at Chip’s ranch.” Alana paused, but was met only with silence. “I’m his new…um…Activity Coordinator.”
“Yes, I remember,” Tegan said in a sharp tone.
Alana sighed. What had she expected? A hearty hello and an invitation to come over for the party or out for dinner? “So, I found a dog and puppies under my porch, and the mother dog looks like she could use a vet. She’s really thin.”
“What kind of dogs?” Tegan switched gears immediately, resuming her professional voice.
“Oh, I don’t know. Brown and white ones? What kinds of dogs are brown and white?”
Tegan’s sigh was audible. “Never mind. Tell me about the mother dog. Has she eaten anything or had any water? Is she moving around, or lethargic?”
“She ate about a cup of plain poached chicken and hard-boiled egg. She drank a little water, too. She’s not really lethargic, just wary. She jumped into the box with her puppies.”
“All right. I’m not at the office now, but it sounds like they’ll be fine until morning. Can you bring them in at eight?”
“Yes. That’ll be fine.”
“Good. If you think they need emergency care during the night, call Dr. Hannigan. Otherwise, I’ll see you in the morning.”
She ended the call before Alana could say thank you or good-bye. She sat at the table for a long time, fiddling with the paper with Dr. Hannigan’s number on it and wondering over her mixed emotions about seeing Tegan again. She should be avoiding her, since Tegan knew about her lack of horse experience and could make her lose this job. Or maybe she should be glad to have a chance to see her, to convince her not to tell Chip about her misleading job application.
Or maybe she was just looking forward to being around Tegan again. She certainly made Alana feel alive, even though some of the emotions she incited weren’t comfortable ones, like frustration and embarrassment. Some of them were pretty appealing, like attraction and intrigue. Alana had always prided herself on being in control at work and in her social life. She planned her career and her relationships carefully, aiming toward her goals with precision and forethought. Now, though, her future was blurry. She couldn’t even predict what the next day would bring, whether she’d find herself holding another box of stray animals or discovering yet another disturbing requirement of her new job. Until now, she hadn’t realized that she had been going through life while barely noticing it, since most of her thoughts and energy were focused on the next steps she needed to take. Suddenly, she found herself with nothing but the present. Where Tegan was, with her confidence and skills that made Alana feel incompetent at a job for the first time in years. And with her sexiness that made Alana aware of how many possibilities might open up when the predetermined route into the future took a detour.
Alana sighed and cleaned the kitchen until the counters and dishes were spotless again. She was just feeling a little lonely and exhausted after this mess of a day. She’d face tomorrow when it came.
The dog cried and scratched to get out of the bedroom, and Alana carefully opened the door to check on her. The dog squeezed through the opening and ran to the back door. Alana hesitated before letting her into the yard, but the grassy area was small and well lit. Hopefully she wouldn’t run away and leave Alana alone with the pups. The dog seemed to have as little faith in her ability to take care of them as Alana did, though, and she went outside and came back in in only a matter of moments, disappearing like a skinny ghost into the guest room closet.
Alana refilled her water bowl and left the room. Maybe Tegan would be so distressed by her incompetence that she would confiscate the animals, and Alana would no longer be responsible for them. If not, she would get some real dog food, or maybe take the animals to a shelter if she could find a no-kill one. Then she’d be alone in this creaky old house. She lay awake for a long time, missing the sounds of hotel elevators and the footsteps of guests.
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Bits and Bobs
ISBN number: 9781635554397
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
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