Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Puppuccino
SERIES: Bold Brew #2
AUTHOR: Allison Temple
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 163 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 4, 2021
BLURB:
Charlie’s life is a dumpster fire. He’s got a broken heart, a job he can’t talk about in polite company, and a puppy slowly destroying his apartment. Desperate to save what’s left of his belongings–and self respect–he calls in reinforcements, but all it takes is one look at the silver-fox dog trainer and Charlie is panting for a little attention.
Mason understands dogs more than people. Give them strong leadership combined with gentle guidance, and they’ll eagerly obey. It doesn’t take long for Mason to realize Charlie is desperate for that same firm hand. Normally he would never get involved with a client, but gazing into Charlie’s puppy dog eyes, he longs to give them both a treat they won’t soon forget.
Under Mason’s careful charge, Charlie is empowered with control he never knew he had. Yet, as hungry as Mason is for more, he senses Charlie’s heart isn’t ready to open up. Will allowing Charlie to run free ensure his return? Or will his past keep him leashed and out of Mason’s reach?
REVIEW:
Puppuccino is the perfect combination of adorable and sexy in a quick read. The novella is part of the multi-author Bold Brew series (my Love Bytes colleague, Larissa, will be reviewing the other nine books) based upon a coffee shop of the same name, which is known as a kink-friendly place complete with a back room for toy demos.
I thought it was a story about a guy, his dog, and a dog trainer. I like guys and I like dogs, so win-win, right? Well, it seems I read the blurb too quickly because I missed one key sentence: It doesn’t take long for Mason to realize Charlie is desperate for that same firm hand. It didn’t occur to me that the book had an element of kink. Then I thought, kink plus the Puppuccino title – yikes, this is puppy play, which is not my thing. But it’s not; it turns out it’s a lovely tail tale of Dominant/submissive dynamics with Mason helping Charlie recover and regain confidence after an emotionally harmful D/s relationship with a past partner. And that is my thing, so this was a pleasant surprise. My favorite portrayals of D/s relationships are those in which a sub grows as an individual outside the bedroom, in terms of confidence, self-esteem, and empowerment as Charlie does here.
Charlie is completely inept at puppy parenting and his over-achiever googling efforts on the wrong sites leave him convinced dog trainers do more harm than good. The result is Little Miss Mayhem (aka Athena), Charlie’s eleven month-old Husky, running roughshod over his house and life, leaving Charlie at the end of his leash, er, rope. His best friend Vann, a barista at Bold Brew, refers Charlie to Mason, a dog trainer who hung up a flyer at the coffee shop. Charlie’s not keen on the idea but arranges to meet Mason out of desperation.
Since their connection is through Bold Brew, is safe to assume they’re both in the kink lifestyle. Upon meeting for a training session, Mason immediately picks up on Charlie’s natural submissive tendencies, including his inclination toward obedience, his immediate response to instruction, and his posture and body language when addressed. He’s attracted to Charlie but thinks it’d be a bad idea to continue with training sessions and ultimately rejects Charlie’s request for more. He senses that Charlie has some emotional baggage and it’s more responsibility than Mason wants. Clearly he changes his mind and they strike up a casual D/s agreement.
Charlie feels he’s failed at everything in his life, including past relationships and career. Mason is able to quiet the chatter in Charlie’s head enabling him to surrender and give up control. When Charlie finally gives Mason his trust, it’s a gorgeous thing. The sexy times are very entertaining. There are toys, spankings, ropes, and an edging scene that lasts so long there’s a meal eaten in the middle of it.
Puppuccino is a sweet and sexy book that’s lots of fun. How can it not be with a very naughty puppy? I happily recommend this book. And if you’ve never had a puppy and are considering one, I’ll leave you with Charlie’s lament because it represents an everyday occurrence with puppies:
My favorite pair of pistachio-colored boxer briefs are now basically a jockstrap, both ass cheeks chewed to nothing, and the actual jockstrap I bought because I thought Gavin might like it on me is currently wrapped around Athena’s neck.
RATING: 
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