Puppy Christmas

Starred review from August 26, 2019
Gilmore’s enchanting, laugh-out-loud second Service Puppies contemporary (after Puppy Love) is grounded by serious themes. Lila Vasquez runs a service dog academy with her sisters, who convince her to wear a fluffy pink dress to an elegant gala. She’s ready to disown them, but then sobbing six-year-old Emily decides Lila is a real-life princess—and Lila realizes that the girl’s father, Ford, would make an ideal Prince Charming. Ford, a lighthearted illustrator, has one priority: helping his beloved daughter cope with going deaf. When a charity connects them with Lila’s business, Lila pairs Emily with a darling cockapoo puppy and falls in love with Ford. Readers will be completely satisfied by the sensitive yet unsentimental way in which Gilmore portrays a young girl’s disability, a divorced father’s fretfulness about relationships and his own worth, and a beautiful woman’s insecurity. Gilmore’s generous novel is as appealing as a puppy. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary.

August 1, 2019
Serious, matter-of-fact Lila Vasquez is the eldest in a trio of sisters and the owner of Puppy Promise, a service-dog-training business. Ford Ford (yes, his actual name) is her opposite, always joking and casually flirting. He also happens to be the father of Lila's newest client, six-year-old Emily. As Lila works with the Fords to train Emily's new service puppy, she finds herself crossing her professional threshold and growing attached. Ford makes her laugh and feel desired. He hasn't had a serious relationship since his divorce years ago, yet Lila fits into his life so naturally. But with exes and careers getting in the way, can this relationship continue after puppy training is over? In the second in her Forever Home series, following Puppy Love (2019), Gilmore has crafted a romance that blends heat, humor, and heart with a tiny touch of Christmas spirit. Though the plot is overly predictable, which lessens the impact of the conflicts, readers looking for a light, comforting read to curl up with will be satisfied.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)