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Under Her Wing
Kassandra Haden loves working with kids, her quaint condo on the golf course, and most of all, her dog, Lula. She’s happy being alone, having convinced herself that people can’t be trusted. But when Lula gets lost, Kassandra’s thrown into a different world, one that insists she come out of her shell. As allured as she is frightened, Kassandra can’t seem to stay away from the dog shelter, and the devastatingly attractive owner seems to be the cause.
Jayden Beaumont isn’t used to taking no for an answer. Running a no kill dog shelter isn’t easy, but Jayden embraces it. She lives for her work and saves many lives in the process. But in doing so, she’s neglected her own, and it’s about to cost her big. When Kassandra walks into Jayden’s shelter, two very different personalities collide. Can either woman open and trust in order to embrace the life they could have together?
Jayden Beaumont isn’t used to taking no for an answer. Running a no kill dog shelter isn’t easy, but Jayden embraces it. She lives for her work and saves many lives in the process. But in doing so, she’s neglected her own, and it’s about to cost her big. When Kassandra walks into Jayden’s shelter, two very different personalities collide. Can either woman open and trust in order to embrace the life they could have together?
242 pages, Paperback
Published November 14, 2017
7 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Ronica Black
42 books144 followersRonica Black is an award-winning author and a three-time Lambda Literary Award finalist. Her books range from romance and erotica to mystery and intrigue, and she enjoys trying her hand at all. Ronica also enjoys drawing, painting, and sculpting. She lives in Glendale, Arizona, with her partner, where she relishes a rich family life and raising a menagerie of pets.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
October 19, 2017
I’m a fan of Ronica Black. I like the way she writes, and that most of her books are a little different. I always look forward to one of her books, but I was a little more leery about this one. The few ratings/reviews already posted were not great, so my expectations going in were lowered. I did enjoy this more than I expected, but this book did have some issues.
Kassandra is a loner, but really enjoys working with kids as a librarian at the local school. Jayden owns a no-kill shelter for dogs and does anything she can to save them. When their lives collide, an attraction is instant. But Kassandra has never dated a woman, and doesn’t want to let anyone close. Is there a chance at a relationship or are they destined to be just friends?
I did like both characters almost immediately, but I found them hard to connect with beyond a very surface level. Jayden is supposed to be a player, but we see no real evidence of this, only are told by other people. I also didn’t get if she is such a player, why is her friend always trying to fix her up with women. You will see this fix-up storyline plays a large role in the book. Jayden doesn’t want to be fixed up. If she was such a player, you would think she would roll though all these women. I just felt like we are shown how Jayden is but told she is another way. When it came to Kassandra, she is very secluded and doesn’t trust anybody. Okay I can work with that. But the problem is we never really find out why. Something happened with her father and something happened with her ex-husband. Questions are asked what these people did to her, but she never really explains it. I felt like I was missing out on the link I needed to understand and connect with her.
When it came to the romance, it was okay. Parts I like, but sometimes I felt like their relationship was built on just physical attraction. While they worked together well and had similar interests, they never really talked. Not about anything deep, to really get to understand each other. I was just really missing a solid connection I expected them to have.
This book has some angst, some of it I didn’t mind, but towards the end, I was like WTH. I really think this final angst “issue” should have been pulled out of the book. The characters already went through enough; it was time to see them really connect and start a relationship. Instead it made me question if they should really even be together.
On a better note, I really enjoyed all the scenes at the rescue. I’m an animal lover so I ate these parts up. I liked that Jayden not only took care of the dogs, but she actually rescued them.
This book was actually on the shorter side, and I think that is part of the issue. I wonder if Black edited out some parts she had previously put in. This book needed more pages. I needed more about Kassandra’s background to understand why she is the way she is. I needed to know more about Jayden. I needed the two to connect more than just based off of physical attraction. I just needed more.
If you are an animal lover, there are parts of this book you will enjoy. I like Ronica and am going to assume this is just an anomaly. I want to make clear this wasn’t a bad book, just not up to the standards I am used to with Ronica.
An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review.
Kassandra is a loner, but really enjoys working with kids as a librarian at the local school. Jayden owns a no-kill shelter for dogs and does anything she can to save them. When their lives collide, an attraction is instant. But Kassandra has never dated a woman, and doesn’t want to let anyone close. Is there a chance at a relationship or are they destined to be just friends?
I did like both characters almost immediately, but I found them hard to connect with beyond a very surface level. Jayden is supposed to be a player, but we see no real evidence of this, only are told by other people. I also didn’t get if she is such a player, why is her friend always trying to fix her up with women. You will see this fix-up storyline plays a large role in the book. Jayden doesn’t want to be fixed up. If she was such a player, you would think she would roll though all these women. I just felt like we are shown how Jayden is but told she is another way. When it came to Kassandra, she is very secluded and doesn’t trust anybody. Okay I can work with that. But the problem is we never really find out why. Something happened with her father and something happened with her ex-husband. Questions are asked what these people did to her, but she never really explains it. I felt like I was missing out on the link I needed to understand and connect with her.
When it came to the romance, it was okay. Parts I like, but sometimes I felt like their relationship was built on just physical attraction. While they worked together well and had similar interests, they never really talked. Not about anything deep, to really get to understand each other. I was just really missing a solid connection I expected them to have.
This book has some angst, some of it I didn’t mind, but towards the end, I was like WTH. I really think this final angst “issue” should have been pulled out of the book. The characters already went through enough; it was time to see them really connect and start a relationship. Instead it made me question if they should really even be together.
On a better note, I really enjoyed all the scenes at the rescue. I’m an animal lover so I ate these parts up. I liked that Jayden not only took care of the dogs, but she actually rescued them.
This book was actually on the shorter side, and I think that is part of the issue. I wonder if Black edited out some parts she had previously put in. This book needed more pages. I needed more about Kassandra’s background to understand why she is the way she is. I needed to know more about Jayden. I needed the two to connect more than just based off of physical attraction. I just needed more.
If you are an animal lover, there are parts of this book you will enjoy. I like Ronica and am going to assume this is just an anomaly. I want to make clear this wasn’t a bad book, just not up to the standards I am used to with Ronica.
An ARC was given to me by BSB, for a honest review.
July 27, 2018
ARC provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I haven’t read anything by this author before, but I’m a sucker for books that feature dogs, so I thought I’d give it a shot. Unfortunately, I just could not get into it.
The story is about Jayden, who runs a dog rescue shelter and Kassandra, a librarian who loses her dog. Well, that’s the catalyst for them meeting anyway. The story is all over the place and suffers from not picking a direction and sticking with it. There’s the rescue shelter, which Kassandra also ends up working at, and both women counsel teens, even though neither is a counselor. There’s also a stalker storyline, and Kassandra is also straight(ish), so it’s a first time coming out story.
The two women don’t actually spend any time talking to each other about anything that matters, their relationship seems to be based on mutual attraction from the first time they lay eyes on each other, but Jayden comes on like gangbusters in a case of mistaken identity (which frankly would have been creepy even if Kassandra was who Jayden had thought she was), and Kassandra hasn’t ever had feelings for a woman and isn’t sure what to do about them. There’s also annoying one-step forward forward, six-steps back situations where Kassandra or Jayden back off from the other for ridiculous reasons because they can’t be bothered to talk about what’s happening like actual adults.
That’s not counting unnecessary side plots of Kassandra’s friends trying to set her up with a guy (the outcome of which you could see coming a mile away, even if a huge mountain was in your way), and Jayden’s best friend’s inexplicable dislike for Kassandra. The standard contrived mix-up at the end was just eye-roll inducing.
The basic premise was interesting, but with so many tangents it was way too fragmented for me. There’s hints about Jayden having a murky past, but we never really get into it. Kassandra is either completely wishy-washy or able to handle aggressive teens without missing a beat. I couldn’t really get a handle on either character, and as a result didn’t care about either of them.
I’m not sure if this is indicative of other books by this author, if anyone wants to recommend another book by her for me to try, let me know.
I haven’t read anything by this author before, but I’m a sucker for books that feature dogs, so I thought I’d give it a shot. Unfortunately, I just could not get into it.
The story is about Jayden, who runs a dog rescue shelter and Kassandra, a librarian who loses her dog. Well, that’s the catalyst for them meeting anyway. The story is all over the place and suffers from not picking a direction and sticking with it. There’s the rescue shelter, which Kassandra also ends up working at, and both women counsel teens, even though neither is a counselor. There’s also a stalker storyline, and Kassandra is also straight(ish), so it’s a first time coming out story.
The two women don’t actually spend any time talking to each other about anything that matters, their relationship seems to be based on mutual attraction from the first time they lay eyes on each other, but Jayden comes on like gangbusters in a case of mistaken identity (which frankly would have been creepy even if Kassandra was who Jayden had thought she was), and Kassandra hasn’t ever had feelings for a woman and isn’t sure what to do about them. There’s also annoying one-step forward forward, six-steps back situations where Kassandra or Jayden back off from the other for ridiculous reasons because they can’t be bothered to talk about what’s happening like actual adults.
That’s not counting unnecessary side plots of Kassandra’s friends trying to set her up with a guy (the outcome of which you could see coming a mile away, even if a huge mountain was in your way), and Jayden’s best friend’s inexplicable dislike for Kassandra. The standard contrived mix-up at the end was just eye-roll inducing.
The basic premise was interesting, but with so many tangents it was way too fragmented for me. There’s hints about Jayden having a murky past, but we never really get into it. Kassandra is either completely wishy-washy or able to handle aggressive teens without missing a beat. I couldn’t really get a handle on either character, and as a result didn’t care about either of them.
I’m not sure if this is indicative of other books by this author, if anyone wants to recommend another book by her for me to try, let me know.
January 2, 2019
I haven't read a lot of books by Black, but those I have read have all been 3 stars. So for me she is an author I will continue to read. Her books are okay reads, but not great. This one was a lot like the others. I enjoyed it enough to continue the book and it was good while reading, but forgettable after it was finished. I actually prefer these types of books on vacations, or trips for work. They allow for mindless entertainment and can be put down and picked back up often without much effort. There were parts of this book I really enjoyed, but the majority was just okay. . If you are a fan of hers I am sure you will really enjoy this one as it appears she is very consistent in her writing. Worth picking up if you want a quick easy read.
July 22, 2018
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I received an arc from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was cute but nothing special. I liked both of the main characters and the romance was sweet. The element of dogs was a lot of fun.
I liked how Kassandra was a middle school librarian. I enjoyed the interactions she had with the students as well as those student characters. Her relationship with them was fun to read about.
It was a cute read but wasn't the most engaging. There's a small elemebt of Kassandra realising she's queer but it wasn't a big part of the story.
There's not much to say, it was a pretty average read.
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I received an arc from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was cute but nothing special. I liked both of the main characters and the romance was sweet. The element of dogs was a lot of fun.
I liked how Kassandra was a middle school librarian. I enjoyed the interactions she had with the students as well as those student characters. Her relationship with them was fun to read about.
It was a cute read but wasn't the most engaging. There's a small elemebt of Kassandra realising she's queer but it wasn't a big part of the story.
There's not much to say, it was a pretty average read.
November 27, 2017
Not a bad book, but not as good as this author usually is. I loved the animal portions of the book.
October 15, 2017
Jayden Beaumont is a lover of dogs. She is so caring and concerned that she will put her life in danger for the four legged buggers. Jayden also cares about troubled young people. Kassandra Haden is a lover of her little furry Lula. When Lula comes up missing it is a race against time to find Lula before something unfortunate happens. Jayden to the rescue. Both women have big hearts and a love for dogs and young people. This read is about caring for others and finding love in the most unexpected place. A memorable scene is when Kassandra first meets Jayden at the shelter. If you enjoy a light-hearted romance with young people putting their life together with the help of caring people and furry dogs, then this is the read for you.
ARC provide by Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley.
ARC provide by Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley.
October 12, 2017
3 stars
This was not a bad romance but it wasn't a very good one either. I found several very contrived spots in the story just to create artificial tension between leads and in general. That made everything less credible, the leads less believable and appealing, and scattered the story all over the place. Too bad, the idea was a really good one with lots of potential.
Tentatively recommended if you aren't very picky about logical plots and believable characters.
eARC by Bold Strokes Books
This was not a bad romance but it wasn't a very good one either. I found several very contrived spots in the story just to create artificial tension between leads and in general. That made everything less credible, the leads less believable and appealing, and scattered the story all over the place. Too bad, the idea was a really good one with lots of potential.
Tentatively recommended if you aren't very picky about logical plots and believable characters.
eARC by Bold Strokes Books
February 18, 2018
A beautiful romance, endearing characters, but a story a little agreed. It’s works anyway. Very pleasant to read, a book that I recommend. 🌸🌼🌺
November 14, 2017
**I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review**
2.5 stars
I have never read any of Ronica Black's books before but as a dog lover this really caught my attention. I really wanted to like it but it just didn't work for me.
The story was just a bit unrealistic for me. As a character I liked Cassandra more than Jayden but I still couldn't really connect with them. I felt that they got physical waaay to quickly with Jayden basically attacking Cassandra when she first walked in the door to the shelter. I also thought that their greatest connection was when they did get physical but that their everyday relationship wasn't really deep or meaningful.
I did however like that it was a mostly light hearted romance with a happy (if slightly rushed) ending. The dog shelter element was also plus as I am an animal lover and I thought it added a sweet element to the story.
All in all I feel like this book had potential but I just couldn't really get into it. However It wouldn't put me off reading other works by this author in the future.
2.5 stars
I have never read any of Ronica Black's books before but as a dog lover this really caught my attention. I really wanted to like it but it just didn't work for me.
The story was just a bit unrealistic for me. As a character I liked Cassandra more than Jayden but I still couldn't really connect with them. I felt that they got physical waaay to quickly with Jayden basically attacking Cassandra when she first walked in the door to the shelter. I also thought that their greatest connection was when they did get physical but that their everyday relationship wasn't really deep or meaningful.
I did however like that it was a mostly light hearted romance with a happy (if slightly rushed) ending. The dog shelter element was also plus as I am an animal lover and I thought it added a sweet element to the story.
All in all I feel like this book had potential but I just couldn't really get into it. However It wouldn't put me off reading other works by this author in the future.
October 10, 2017
Kassandra, a librarian, is emotionally cautious. She is surprised by but reluctant to disclose her attraction to Jayden, an animal shelter director. Jayden, initially misunderstanding the reason for Kassandra’s arrival at the shelter, comes on strong until she discovers the mistake. While rescuing young people and dogs the women work through their emotional responses to the dynamic initial attraction. As it evolves, their relationship is challenged by internal and external conflicts. Though coming from different places in life, they both fantasize about the hot attraction and long for finding emotional comfort. Good storytelling and engaging characters create an enjoyable read.
October 26, 2017
Ronica Black wrote a sweet, funny, endearing story. Kassandra & Jayden each come from different backgrounds, but the way Ronica Black weaves in a story that has warm, humor and emotional connection is a delight to read. The story backdrop is set between a library and dog shelter. The author manages to weave in beautiful story lines with at risk youth that compliment the vulnerability and connection with Kassandra & Jayden. I highly recommend this book.
ARC was provided by the publisher for an honest review.
ARC was provided by the publisher for an honest review.
October 4, 2021
So, I've read Black numerous times. But I felt this was off. Just off. I love Black's writing style and her story are usually different but in a good way. This one was just a little off. I'm not sure if I'm able to explain that any better.
I loved the parts about the animals. I liked the way they not only took care of them but also rescued them.
Two main characters are Jayden who runs a no kill shelter for dogs (all shelters should be no kill) and Katherine who is a librarian.
I found them quite likable. But there seemed to be too much drama for my liking. I found myself wanting to scream at the book. Hey I scream at the TV too. Don't judge.
Overall it is an enjoyable read. Just refrain from the screaming, they can't hear you.
Enjoy!
I loved the parts about the animals. I liked the way they not only took care of them but also rescued them.
Two main characters are Jayden who runs a no kill shelter for dogs (all shelters should be no kill) and Katherine who is a librarian.
I found them quite likable. But there seemed to be too much drama for my liking. I found myself wanting to scream at the book. Hey I scream at the TV too. Don't judge.
Overall it is an enjoyable read. Just refrain from the screaming, they can't hear you.
Enjoy!
April 10, 2018
Kassandra is a school librarian, passive in the face of other staff, but talented in working with emotionally disturbed middle schoolers. She loves her little dog but has no interest in dating. She guards her heart. Jayden is somewhat butch and runs a no-kill dog shelter with her friends. When Jayden finds Kassandra's lost dog, the two meet and Jayden is instantly smitten. Kassandra hasn't been with a woman before and isn't sure she wants to risk being hurt.
Dog shelter settings are all the rage in lesfic romance. Lesbians love their pets and love animal rescues. This is a decent romance with a stalker subplot.
Dog shelter settings are all the rage in lesfic romance. Lesbians love their pets and love animal rescues. This is a decent romance with a stalker subplot.
November 7, 2017
ARC provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review.
The romance and characters were quite enjoyable in this book but there were some aspects thrown into the story to build up tension between the characters and make roadblocks but it seemed very uncharacteristic for the characters as they were described and seemed unrealistic in some ways. It felt like a way to prolong the storyline but cost some of the credibility of it.
The romance and characters were quite enjoyable in this book but there were some aspects thrown into the story to build up tension between the characters and make roadblocks but it seemed very uncharacteristic for the characters as they were described and seemed unrealistic in some ways. It felt like a way to prolong the storyline but cost some of the credibility of it.
November 13, 2017
I rec'd an ARC from NetGalley/Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
Dog lovers will enjoy this romance. Unfortunately I couldn't get attached to the characters of Jayden and Kassandra and found the storyline somewhat choppy. It was an ok read.
Ultimately, however, Ms. Black remains one of my favourite writers.
2.5 stars.
Dog lovers will enjoy this romance. Unfortunately I couldn't get attached to the characters of Jayden and Kassandra and found the storyline somewhat choppy. It was an ok read.
Ultimately, however, Ms. Black remains one of my favourite writers.
2.5 stars.
June 18, 2018
Great romance. I really enjoyed this story. Ronica Black is always someone I'll read whens he writes anything. This one took place mostly in an animal shelter and that is something I always like to see. Kassandra and Jayden were fun characters and I really clicked with them. Good job, I look forward to your next story.
May 5, 2019
An honest review thanks to NetGalley. This was a sweet read, but the author created a lot of angst and miscommunication that I felt didn't add to the story but just frustrated the reader and characters. I loved the rescue center and the teenagers who were helping out and turning their life around. Though the relationship between the two main characters didn't seem to fit.
October 11, 2018
A guilty pleasure read.
November 27, 2019
For some reason I love Ronica's books. They are sweet, some are hotter than other, but all in all, I haven't read one that I didn't like. This one was no exception.
May 30, 2021
Really loved both main characters, and the writing style.
May 27, 2018
I absolutely love the way Ronica Black writes.. Under Her Wing was a great books with an awful title. I am not sure why you chose the title but it doesn’t accurately represent what was in the book. The book it self was a good, but predictable read. I think I am just getting tired of seeing the same type of lesbians one butch one femme one dark haired and one blonde. Come on these are loads of other types of lesbians and I have read a lot of these books and not a single one of them ever represent the type of lesbian I am nor any of my friends. So I loved the social,worker/counselor aspect of the book. I work with troubled teens and it is a very tough and often under appreciated field so it was nice to see two people with seemingly normal jobs and not ones where they were like super hot and wealthy corporate lawyers. I enjoyed reading and learning about kennels and dogs. The prose was beautifully written, and the mystery of the stalker was an interesting twist that honestly didn’t need to be there. Maybe just go with the grateful pet owner and figure out another way for them to fall in love. So overall it was fine, but I didn’t love it liked I’ve loved other books I’ve read by this author.
I received this book from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
October 9, 2018
I love her stories. But this one just wasn't up to her quality writing. I did read the whole book, but it just didn't satisfy like her older stories. i like sex to just happen, not that.... do you like it, do it now, nonsemse. it doesn't transfer well on paper. total turnoff.
March 12, 2020
It was predictable, but decent, right up until the last fifth or so. Then I just couldn't buy into what happened. Almost DNF'ed, but I was so far along, I trudged through it.
For a good animal shelter story, go with Georgia Beers and her Puppy Love series. I've reread that one multiple times.
For a good animal shelter story, go with Georgia Beers and her Puppy Love series. I've reread that one multiple times.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews