Puppy Kisses

The effervescent third romance in Gilmore’s Forever Home series (after Puppy Christmas) pairs a reserved blind rancher with a happy-go-lucky sighted dog trainer. Dawn Vasquez has a reputation for being flighty and flirtatious, but after witnessing her sisters,with whom she owns a service-dog training business, settle down, she longs for a happy ever after of her own. After liberating a puppy from an abusive owner with her friend Zeke Dearborn, Dawn lies her way out of trouble with the law by claiming the puppy is Zeke’s brother Adam’s new guide dog. Adam, the blind rancher, and Dawn have been hooking up since they first met, but beyond the hot sex and their love of riling each other up, they’re both unsure of where they stand. To get back at Dawn for using him as an excuse, Adam claims he really does want to keep the puppy as a service dog though he has no trouble getting around his sprawling ranch on his own. Sparring over the pup’s ownership leads Adam to fall hard for the dog—and realize he’s in love with Dawn. But he’s afraid she’ll never commit to a monogamous relationship. Gilmore’s peppy prose and skillful scene-setting unite into an unputdownable tale. This sensitive contemporary is a tail-wagging treat. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary. (July)