Publisher Blurb:
How do you start over when the biggest mistake of your life has more than one million views?
Forget diamonds; the internet is forever. Social media consultant Isla Thompson learned that lesson the hard way when she went viral for all the wrong reasons. A month later, Isla is still having nightmares about the moment she ruined a young starlet’s career and made herself the most unemployable influencer in Manhattan. But she doesn’t have the luxury of hiding away until she’s no longer “Instagram Poison.” Not when her fourteen-year-old sister, Dani, needs Isla to keep a roof over their heads. So she takes the first job she can get: caring for Camilla, a glossy-maned, foul-tempered hellhound.After a week of ferrying Camilla from playdates to pet psychics, Isla starts to suspect that the dachshund’s bark is worse than her bite—just like her owner, Theo Garrison. Isla has spent her career working to make people likeable and here’s Theo—happy to hide behind his reputation as a brutish recluse. But Theo isn’t a brute—he’s sweet and funny, and Isla should
not see him as anything but the man who signs her pay cheques. Because loving Theo would mean retreating to his world of secluded luxury, and Isla needs to show Dani that no matter the risk, dreams are always worth chasing.My Review:I absolutely adore the Grump vs. Sunshine trope, and this book delivered!Isla is holding onto her signature brand of optimism with every fiber of her being —- even though the world seems determined to throw her nothing but lemons and curveballs. She’s the victim of an unpredictable fiasco that cost her career, and she’s trying to pick up the pieces. But the fiasco was of epic proportions and now her name is synonymous with mud. She has obligations she needs to take care of, including a younger sister she’s responsible for. She needs a miracle. Theo is reclusive because he has been taken advantage of so many times. And now he’s lost because one of the only people in his life that accepted him as he was, and genuinely, truly loved him is gone. And now he has custody of his grandmother’s temperamental diva of a dog, Camille. She dispatches every dog sitter he hires with an aplomb and grit that cannot be overexaggerated. When Theo and Isla meet in the park, it is serendipity. Camille warms to Isla, and Theo offers Isla the impossible dog-sitting gig. Despite all of his misgivings to the contrary, and his determination to remain unaffected, there’s something about Isla that pulls Theo in. Isla is drawn to Theo as well… but her life isn’t exactly conducive to a romantic relationship. The fact that he’s her employer makes the entire situation even more conflicted. Life has other plans for Theo and Isla. They are exactly the push and pull the other needs to edge out of their comfort zone, set aside their fears and let go and let be. Isla shows Theo how to be more receptive to others and Theo shows Isla how to spread sunshine from a place of strength as well as a place of vulnerability.Author Q & A
1. Have you read The Devil Wears Prada, and what made you use this play on words in the title and create a plot like this? I haven’t read the book, but I do love the movie and have seen it many times. When I was pitching the Paws in the City series to my publisher, I told her I’d envisaged the first book being “a modern version of The Devil Wears Prada… except that Miranda Priestly was a sassy little dog” and that there would be a social media element and a hot hermit hero. The book actually had a different title at this stage, and it was my editor’s suggestion to make it a twist on The Devil Wears Prada title because she thought it was such a fun idea, and why not really hammer the inspiration home? So we changed the title and the rest is history!
2) What was the most difficult part of writing the book and why? Writing Theo’s darker emotional arc and his grief while trying to balance the expectations of a romantic comedy story (i.e. that it’s funny, lighthearted and uplifting) was something that required a lot of thought and refining. It’s a balance I always work really hard on, because as much as I love the laugh-out-loud elements of writing romcoms, I always strive to write a deeply emotional story and sometimes those two things can feel at odds. But I work closely with my editor to get the balance right and she always helps to reign me in if I go too far in either direction.
3) What’s your favorite scene in the book and why? Oh that’s such a tough question! I love so many scenes in this book, that I could give you a different answer on any given day. The scene where Theo tries (and fails) to cook dinner for Isla is one I really enjoy, because I think we really see the hero in a vulnerable spot here and the way Isla reacts so kindly is a moment of bonding between them which really helped to move the romance to another level.But also, I adore the scene with Theo and Camilla where she finds his grandmother’s old scarves. It made me cry every time I had to read it in edits. But really, any scene with Camilla is gold because she’s just so vibrant and adorable.
4) Who is your favorite character and why?I couldn’t possibly pick a favorite. Sorry! I just love them all so much.
5) Is there a character who was difficult to create and why? Writing Camilla was quite a challenge, as is any animal character that plays a major role in a story (and I have written several!) Partially this is because she doesn’t have her own POV or the ability to speak, so her “dialogue” and intent has to be interpreted by the human characters. In essence, the humans give Camilla her voice. I also wanted Camilla to have her own character arc and a relationship development with both the hero and the heroine, just like the human characters have with each other, which was something I haven’t done before.In the end, I loved writing Camilla so much that we decided to have animal characters with their own strong voices front and center for each book in the series. It was a challenge, but one that was a load of fun.
6) What do you like to do when not writing?So many things! My husband likes to joke that I’m the Queen of Hobbies. I knit, sew, bake, read, cook, make cocktails, practice Pilates, ride on my Peloton, collect perfume, play boardgames, video games and card games, travel, explore new restaurants… can you tell I can’t stand being bored?The things that are really capturing my attention at the moment are playing Dying Light 2 with my husband, knitting sweaters and reading dark, twisty thrillers.
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Publisher’s Blurb:Crown princess. Clever spy. Powerful mind magier. Gemma Ripley of Andvari is all those things—and determined to stop an enemy from using magical tearstone weapons to conquer her kingdom.Gemma’s quest for answers leads her to a trade Summit between the various kingdoms. Among the other royals in attendance is Queen Maeven Morricone of Morta and her son, Prince Leonidas—Gemma’s charming and dangerous nemesis.Gemma knows that Maeven always has a long game in motion, and sure enough, the cunning queen invokes an arcane tradition that threatens the fragile truce between Andvari and the other kingdoms. Despite her best intentions, Gemma once again finds herself thrown together with Leo and battling her growing feelings for the enemy prince.When a series of deadly attacks shatters the Summit’s peaceful negotiations, Gemma realizes that someone wants to tear the royals down from their thrones—and that this enemy just might succeed.My Review:Leonidas is the last person Gemma wants to see. Like a fool, she believed his lies. Like a fool she fell for his smile and the way he seemed able to read her thoughts. Like a fool she believed he was able to see into her soul because his feelings were becoming as strong as her own. Like a fool she believed he would make the right choice. Until he betrayed her. She still bears the scars of that betrayal on her heart and her body, and he is the last person she wants to see strolling into her kingdom with his traitorous family. And then he does the unthinkable. He submits himself to The Gauntlet — a brutal courtship ritual. He swears to Gemma that he is doing it for her sake, that he has done everything to protect her. That he will always do what he can to keep her from harm. That he is risking death and destruction for no other reason than to prove his loyalty and love. Gemma can’t be certain if he is an instrument of destruction, subject to the insidious plotting of his murderous family, or a man whose feelings for her are just as confusing and overwhelming as hers are for him. They must learn to trust each other enough to navigate the twisted games of dominance and dominion ripping through the royal families. They must learn to trust the strength of the ties between them - bonds that defy the expectations and wishes of their families.I adored the second book in the Gargoyle Queen series, and look forward to finding out if these star-crossed lovers prevail against all of those who want nothing more than to separate them.
