Review: A Dog Called Valentine by Roxanne Snopek

No good deed goes unpunished.

When an unwanted Valentine’s Day present is dumped at the shelter, volunteer Lily decides to foster the poor dog herself. A little attention is all he needs to blossom into a loving pet, ready for his forever home. Plus, helping a poor, rejected animal will distract her from her own problems. Win, win. Right? Wrong. Valentine needs more than a makeover if he’s going to be adopted. He destroys her home, hates to be groomed and when he behaves better for a perfect stranger than he does her, Lily swallows her pride and begs the good looking but quiet stranger for help

After losing his canine partner in a horrific moment that upended his future, sexy and stoic Shane turns to books, walks in the park and remodeling his grandmother’s home. No more intense K9 officer career, no more dogs, no more risks. But it’s hard to ignore the misunderstood mutt at the park and his well-intentioned, but clueless, handler. Shane reluctantly agrees to give her a few tips and tricks, but that’s all. He won’t care. He won’t get invested. And once Valentine finds his new home, his life can go back to normal.

But Shane doesn’t bargain on a new normal in town and, suddenly, Valentine’s Day will never be the same.

My Review:

A sweet and heartfelt story.

Shane is a police officer who is preparing his grandmother’s house to sell while he is recovering from a career ending injury.  His meddling grandmother is determined to get him dating again even if she has to submit his picture to the reality show, The Bachelorette.

Lily is an heiress who desperately wants to live life on her own terms.  Her dream is to start an interior design company with her friends.  But, her mother just wants her to dedicate her time to charity and settle down with one of the many so-called perfect men she knows.  When Lily fosters a dog from the shelter she volunteers at, she has no idea how much her life will change.  She didn’t expect to fall in love with the dog or Shane, who helps her train him. 

I loved this book.  I went through all the emotions while reading it, but mostly I laughed because of Valentine’s silly antics.  Lily and Shane were the perfect couple.  They were so good for each other, but they just didn’t see it at first.  I enjoyed the fake dating part of the story and watching Valentine heal their broken hearts and lives.  Shane’s grandmother was a fun part of the story too.  I almost think she needs her own book.