Blogging by Liza: RUFF AROUND THE EDGES (THE DOGFATHER #5)

Thursday, April 12, 2018

RUFF AROUND THE EDGES (THE DOGFATHER #5)

U.S Army Night Stalker Major Aidan Kilcannon leaves Afghanistan after his best friend, Charlie, is killed in action. Aidan's only consolation is the knowledge that he's now solely responsible for Charlie's dog, Ruff, a rambunctious boxer they'd found in a bombed-out hospital in Kabul. With the help of Aidan's father, the Dogfather himself, they transport Ruff back to the States. He arrives shortly after Aidan, and both dog and man are suffering from loss, trauma, and sudden change. Aidan is certain his only hope is the comfort and love he gets from Ruff, and that this dog will help him adjust to the staggeringly difficult transition from battlefield to Bitter Bark.

But the day Ruff arrives, Daniel Kilcannon informs his son that Rebecca Spencer, Charlie's younger sister, has a hard and fast claim on Ruff and she intends to honor her brother's wishes. Aidan has to relinquish the dog to her, no matter how impossible that is.

Beck Spencer is in Bitter Bark temporarily to help the only living relatives she has left. After losing her parents as a child, and her brother six months ago, she, too, hopes that Ruff will offer the solace and companionship she needs. But when Ruff finally shows up at her door, the man holding the leash is obviously determined to talk her out of keeping the dog. In fact, Aidan uses every persuasive power he has to convince Beck to give up Ruff...and he's as wild and unpredictable as the dog they both want.

Everything gets complicated by Ruff, who has his own idea of who should be his master, making it impossible for Beck to win him over. But she'll do anything to succeed, even work closely with maddeningly sexy and relentlessly determined Aidan Kilcannon, who has some skills she desperately needs to save her uncle's local pizza business.

With an uneasy truce, a restless dog, and an attraction that bubbles like one of Slice of Heaven's award-winning pizzas, Aidan and Beck soon realize they can help each other heal. But as they fall deeply in love and discover the true meaning of family and home, they’ll have to face the pains of their past if they have any chance of a future.

Release Date: April 12, 2018

South Street Publishing

The Dogfather #5

Contemporary Romance

Review copy provided by publisher

Liza's Review:

Just when I think the books in this series can't t get any better, Roxanne St. Claire proves me wrong with the next book in the series. Ruff Around the Edges totally blew me away and hit on every single emotion possible for me.

Aiden heads home to Bitter Bark still waiting for his dog Ruff, who his best friend Charlie asked him to take, on his deathbed, to arrive. I love that The Dogfather totally helped bring Ruff home to Aiden, and had to let Aiden know that Charlie had also told his younger sister Beck that Ruff would be her dog. I loved both Aiden and Beck as soon as we met them both, but have to say that Ruff the boxer totally stole the book from them. I loved that crazy dog and the fact that he seemed to bring some measure of emotional support to Beck, Aiden, and especially Beck's Uncle Mike.

I loved how Aiden stepped up to help Beck out at her family's pizza place Slice of Heaven. The more time Aiden and Beck spent together, the closer they became. The fact that Beck had plans to head back to Chicago once her uncle recovered and was back at Slice of Heaven gave me some concern, but not much as I could totally see they were falling for each other. Beck and Aiden had great chemistry and I loved when they finally acted on their attraction to one another. However, I loved they could talk to each other about pretty much anything and I think that gave me every bit as much hope for them as their chemistry.

I'm just going to say I totally understood some of Beck's emotional blocks based upon her losing her parents at a young age. I'm lucky I still have my dad, but I lost my mom at 12, so I got her fear of losing people. I won't lie, I cried more than once while reading Ruff Around the Edges, both happy and sad tears. I love a book that pulls emotions from me, and Ruff Around the Edges did so in spades. Just when I thought all my tears were gone, Rocki threw another make me cry moment, but only happy tears this time.

Fans of the series will love getting to spend time with the entire Kilcannon clan once again. I swear I wish these characters were real, as I feel like I could be a friend with them all. With each new addition to the series, I find myself loving it more and more. The Dogfather has 5 of his kids taken care of and I can't wait to see what he has in store for free-spirit Darcy next.

Rating: 5 Stars (A+)