I Hate You More

Sparks fly when a former beauty queen crosses paths with an uptight veterinarian in the run-up to the West Coast Canine Classic dog show in this delightfully over-the-top rom-com from Gilmore (Ruff and Tumble). Though 28-year-old Ruby Taylor abandoned her pageantry career at 18 to work as a nursing assistant in a senior residence, she trusts her competition know-how will help her fulfill an old woman’s dying wish to see her golden retriever, Wheezy, win a local dog show. Thirty-year-old Spencer Wilson, one of the Canine Classic judges, has never seen a more beautiful woman or a less qualified dog. But when Ruby hires Spencer’s twin brother and roommate, Caleb, to train Wheezy, Spencer is pulled into close contact with Ruby, and the more time they spend together, the more he’s tempted to throw away the rule book. Gilmore’s empathetic, appealing lovers both wrestle with old family dynamics—Ruby with her demanding pageant coach mother and Spencer with his challenging twin—as they seek to break out of roles that no longer work for them. Snappy dialogue, a brisk pace, and buoyant humor will charm Gilmore’s fans and newcomers alike. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary. (Nov.)