Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Bowling for Turkeys
AUTHOR: Amy Lane
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 270 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 5, 2024
BLURB:
Milo Tanaka was not recovering from the mother of all breakups when his best friend barged into his home and gave him a dog. While Julia the dog doesn’t like squirrels, cats, turkeys, other dogs, or most humans, at least she gets him out of bed.
When a tiny blond dog rockets out of nowhere to bark ferociously at Garth Potter’s enormous Daniff, “the Chad,” Garth is annoyed, but Chad simply woofs in Julia’s face. But when Garth looks around for her irresponsible owner, he finds a fey panicky disaster desperately trying to keep his dog from getting eaten, and realizes Milo is simply new to dog ownership, not neglectful or cruel.
In fact, Milo is a truly decent guy, and he and his best friend have been struggling to find their footing in adulthood and relationships. As Garth befriends Milo and the irascible Julia, he finds himself entangled in Milo’s broken heart and fractured life. As much as Garth wants to fix it, he knows that Milo has to fix it himself. With the holidays approaching, Milo realizes that a good relationship won’t leave him isolated and afraid, but surrounded with friends, and that the key to thriving isn’t just chasing the turkeys out of his life—it’s letting a good man in.
REVIEW:
Folks. I can only say that this story hits very differently today. I feel like we are all going to need some sort of emotional support to get through things.
Amy Lane continues her tradition of holiday stories that start with a protagonist who is not in a great place in the runup to the holidays. In this case it’s Milo who is dealing with a bad breakup and a real jerk of an ex. He’s struggling even to get out of bed. His bestie, Mari, is not having it. She decides drastic times call for drastic measures. So she brings him a dog. Julia is a dog who is not trained or used to people or other dogs really. But this rather unusual dog needs to be walked. And fed. And trained 😉
When Milo and Julia meet Garth and his dog Chad, well it’s not a really a great introduction. Garth is not thrilled with Milo’s dog’s behavior but he recognizes that Milo must be new to dogs and dog behavior. He grants him some grace and as he gets to know Milo, there is more here than meets the eye. Milo has been through quite a bit and Julia and his friends are helping him keep his head above water. Garth steps in as well and does his best to help Milo deal with the crap from his ex Stuart as well. They start as friends and then more. But Milo is still reeling and bit and Garth doesn’t want to push. As the holidays get closer, Garth is willing to give Milo the time and space to get to a place where he’s ready for more 🙂
Honestly this is a sort of medium to low angst in the Amy Lane Universe. I enjoyed this story even though I’m not a dog person. I’ve never owned a dog. I like them – but my lifestyle/jobs just don’t work with those responsibilities. I liked Garth SOOO much and his care for Milo was sweet. Everyone needs a Mari as well! A great Bestie! Then there is Stuart. What a JERK! Karma. it’s a thing. If you’re ready for some holiday love and found family, this is the book for you. Take care of yourselves and read books about love! Recommended.
RATING: 
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