My first book by this author and my tenth Chick-Lit book. At least I think its Chick Lit. I’m not going to get bogged down again, as I have in the past, so I’ll just note in passing that – other than ‘contemporary romance involving a woman as the lead, family, and plenty of humor’ I’m still not 100% clear what differentiates Chick Lit from Romance (especially since so many books I’ve read seem to have those characteristics to a lesser or greater extent, and many books I’ve read labeled Chick Lit appear to be lacking, to me, in humor).

This is one of those books that I found hard to stop reading, to put it down. I just kept moving along, pulled for whatever reason. That’s vaguely strange, on one hand, as that’s what is normally said for a fast paced thriller, and while this one had violence and a tiny bit of action, it’s by no means a thriller. I’m not going to say it was an easy read as I’m sure someone else could attempt it and find that it isn’t – for them. But it was an easy read for me. Easy in that I found myself easily drawn into the story, and finding it difficult, as I noted, to put down.

The book had a lot of little flags here and there that I would probably, if written differently, have found off-putting, labeled them as being red flags. A couple come near, but do not immediately come together for various reasons. Sometimes I get annoyed when people play cat-and-mouse around having a relationship, with many books adding a dash of miscommunication. Written poorly, those types of books are tiring, tedious, and boring. Then there are those couples who meet, and instantly move in together. Those can be annoying for other reasons; though it is hard to think what they might be since that particular storyline never seems to actually occur. Well, this one had a ‘flowed naturally’ feel. There was a reason why they were apart when they were apart, and there was a reason why they were together when they were together. Flowed naturally – wasn’t forced, the things that kept them apart seemed reasonable and not a ‘trick’ by an author to ‘build’ forced tension, and the reasons they were together were similarly of a natural feel. Though, flags were there. There was a certain melodramatic vibe that might have built and expanded to consume. But it didn’t.

Wow, no idea what I’m writing. Hmms.

The characters, for the most part, seemed fully formed. The main ones at least. The mother, Barbara, seemed a little bit ‘pesky mother who can’t shut up about marriage/boyfriends/etc.’ cliché-like. The receptionist, June, was on the edge of coming across as a little too ‘perfect’. An aged woman who fit perfectly and ‘magically’ got what needed to be done, done. Though there was an enough there to keep from falling over that edge. The best female friend Marilyn seemed a little thin, but she didn’t seem to fall into any clichés. So . . . what I’m really saying is that the characters seemed strong, except for Barbara and Marilyn, but, while Barbara came off as a stereotypical nagging mother cliché the book wasn’t about her so it’d be hard to build her up more. I suppose more could have been done to fill Marilyn out more, though I’m not sure when that might have occurred, since Rebecca, the main character, seemed to always be working. And even when she wasn’t at the Vet office, and was near Marilyn, they couldn’t interact as much as might otherwise occur, as Rebecca was being a coach, and Marilyn was being a parent in the stands (Marilyn’s daughter being one of the player’s on Rebecca’s team she was coaching).

Now I remember why I normally just say if characters were thin, or strong, or clichés, or whatever. Because I’m just babbling now. So . . .

Plot: strong/solid
Characters: mostly fully realized with a few clichés here and there
Romance: Several romances occurring, all but one seemed relatively well done. When Jimmy the vet tech had a woman pop up for him to ask out, did kind of cringe a little. I recall thinking at the time that it all seemed a little too . . . .bah, not sure how to word it . . .a little too ‘must find matches for all my characters!’ type vibe (no, not all characters hook up with someone, so that vibe doesn’t really ‘work’, but that’s what I was thinking at the time). ( )

Dogs Aren’t Men by Billi Tiner

Dogs Aren’t Men by Billi Tiner is contemporary romance novel that is interesting and conveys every emotion known to its readers. Readers will laugh out loud, cry, be extremely angry, and be warmed by the bond between not only the main couple, but by the connections between all the characters, two and four-legged respectively. Those individuals who have experience working in the public sector will have special appreciation for the experiences as seen through the eyes of the main female character, Rebecca Miller, DVM.

The characters, like the any real-life individuals, are complex; and while not larger than life, each feels to the reader as though an individual meriting further investigation and attention. These are real characters, and embody the element that writers strive to incorporate while creating, believability. Along with the amiable doctor Miller, are many other wonderful and just as life-like characters, not the least of which is Derrick Peterson, Rebecca’s possible love interest. He is strong and driven yet still manages to warm the reader’s heart by allowing glimpses of his sensitive side.

The plot is straightforward and easy to read. There are a few surprises, but not overtly taxing on the reader’s senses. This is not a flowery and puffy romance novel. Those needing such over-indulgence will still enjoy the work, but it will not put anyone in an extravagant dream world. It is what it is, and like the characters, hold to the realistic realm’s rules of black and white instances being rare. True life is full of grey areas bred by complications.

A word about the cover image...It is nothing elaborate and some will say it errors on the simplistic side. However, as Dr. Miller finds, and all humans must learn, judging a book by its cover is over simplification that may cost missed opportunities. The cover is relevant to the story contained with the pages. It is just is just such a simplified connection that one might miss it. Readers, those who endeavor to delve into this work, will be pleasantly surprised and enjoy every minute of every page. ( )