REVIEWED BY DANIELLE

TITLE: Hound Dog and Bean

AUTHOR: B.G Thomas

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH: 276 pages

BLURB:

There’s been little love in H.D. “Hound Dog” Fisher’s life since the death of his beloved mom when he was a boy. Bounced around the foster care system, he ran away as soon as he could… and took the foster dog with him. As far as he’s concerned, only dogs have no ulterior motive, never hold a grudge, and offer unconditional love. Now he helps run a no-kill shelter and leaves relationships where they belong: in the back room.

“Bean” Alexander settled in Kansas City to open his coffee shop after years of traveling. He never expected to open his heart too. When a man with a grudge takes a swing at H.D. while in line at Bean’s shop, Bean jumps to intervene.

So taking a hit for H.D. gets Bean noticed, and H.D. feels obligated to pay a debt. But then the unexpected happens. A series of misadventures causes H.D. to open up—but falling in love makes him turn tail and run. Trust is a tough road to travel. Will good friends, a dog named Sarah Jane, and a bit of folk magic be enough to bring Hound Dog and Bean a happy ending?

REVIEW:

If you love coffee, dogs and a love story this is your go to book.

In this book we meet H.D while he’s working, taking care of the dogs and other animals in the no-kill animal shelter he co-owns with Elaine. His life is dedicated to those animals. He has a connection with them and can sense what they need and whether they will be placed in a good home or not.

He doesn’t do love or relationships and just gets his kicks going out for quick action.

When H.D. meets Bean,the owner of the coffee shop near the shelter, there is something there from the get go.

Bean’s attraction for the guy standing before him is immediate and when he gets punched stepping in front of H.D, it seems to be the start of something.

But there are quite a few roadblocks up the hill.

We see how H.D. and Bean slowly fall in love and how H.D. opens up carefully to Bean. You feel how difficult it is for H.D. to share himself and to dare to take some steps that are even close to bordering on a relationship.

During this we get a intensive workshop on coffee and different ways to brew and coffee beans.

As a reader, we get swept off our feet by little Sarah Jane first when she sticks close to H.D. but even more when she meets her new owner Bean. I dare you to not aww at that scene.

Besides the story of H.D and Bean, on the side we get to see the lovely, sweet romance of Elaine (as I mentioned before the co- owner of the shelter) and Mara Pointdexter, Beans employee in the coffeeshop.

I have to admit I have some troubles with this story which I wonder if they are general or personal.

I don’t drink coffee at all so the extent to which it is mentioned repeatedly didn’t really appeal to me. Then the fact that H.D. keeps going out to “experiment”on the side is a hardship for me,  and I have to say I didn’t like the fact of how casually it was written, like it was normal.  There wasn’t even a mention of it with Bean/Dean. I do have to say that in defense that near the end the author makes sure you know that H.D.’s beliefs have changed a great deal.

Those little things made it more difficult for me to feel a real connection with the characters or the story.

That being said, as always author B.G Thomas has a fantastic way of writing and telling his story.

It is flawlessly written and he certainly has a story to tell. The research that went into this is shining through whether it is on the coffee or on the shelter and its inhabitants.

The use of the animals like Sarah Jane and the side characters of Elaine and Mara is very well put and well written into the story, as are the little kind of familiar names you see throughout the book.

The drama that you feel coming is there and it is real. You know that it will come at some point and it is addressed very nicely.

There’s a very sweet and kind of magical twist there and I still am trying to figure out if it was real or dreamlike, but it was exactly what H.D. needed to work out through the things that needed to get worked out.

The HEA is there but it’s very quick and abrupt. I would have loved to have seen a bit more of an extension on that part because in the end it is that what you have been working towards to, reading the whole story.

I find it hard to hang a rating on this story.

I cannot deny it is a fascinating read but for me it just didn’t make the click I usually have reading the stories of this author.

There were a few things that just were more difficult for me although as I said the story is very well written, very well researched and well worked out. You can feel the love the author poured into it .

Setting personal things aside, in total I do believe it is a very complete and solid read .

RATING :

BUY LINK: Dreamspinner