In Service of Love

Laurel Greer

Sep 2020 · Sutter Creek, Montana Book 5 · Sold by Harlequin

About this ebook

Could a dog help heal them both?

A service dog in training knows just what they need!Veterinarian Maggie Reid is focused on training service dogs and has no time for romance. Yet Asher Matsuda sends her guarded heart into a tailspin. The widowed single dad has vowed to put his grieving daughter first. He can’t be falling for a beautiful workaholic who hides behind her career. But every dog has its day and this stubborn duo is no different…if only they’ll take a chance on love!

Ratings and reviews

3.5 stars — There were so many things I absolutely LOVED about this book, but it was also missing something to push it over the top, kwim? I am in LOVE with Asher. He was unique, adorable, almost too good to be true. He swoonily always said the right things when it came to his daughter, and how to treat Maggie, and just…everything. I could FEEL his caring right down to the bones. And OMG, I felt his grief too! He brought so much to this book, I really need more heroes like him, b/c he’s definitely a favourite. I also loved that his bisexuality didn’t feel like a plot device, but really gave a glimpse at how much harder it can be to be bi vs gay. I thought that was dealt with quite well, from my hetero perspective anyways. Maggie was a bit harder to fall in love with. I think on the surface I got her hangups, but I will admit that I didn’t connect with that and feel for Maggie as much as I wanted to. I kinda felt like her brother and her friends, just wanting to smack her. I’m not sure what I needed, but I needed something more for me to really understand where these fears came from, b/c I didn’t empathize with her over it…it just seemed unreasonable to me. The chemistry between Asher and Maggie was okay…I will admit that I didn’t feel the steamy stuff as much, no idea why. But oh wow, I DEFINITELY felt the rest of the relationship connections — from their friendship to their crushes to the flirting, to all the emotion that came along with it. It was a very strangely mixed bag, and I really don’t know how to explain what wasn’t enough for me. Ruth was a complete surprise for me — in a FABULOUS way! I’m not a huge fan of kids in books…well, not like I’ll avoid them, they just aren’t something I seek out either. I get really frustrated with how unrealistic they feel sometimes. No worries on that with Ruth! She sincerely felt like a 10 year old girl dealing with grief. She could be adorable, she could get to your heart, but she could also be exactly how I expect a tween to be — struggling with growing up and asserting herself and dealing with her emotions and and and… And then there’s Jackson. I need a Jackson. For realz. I love that good boy. Lots of interesting secondary characters that make me want to check out previous books in the series, and look forward to future books (Stella, Stella, Stella…). So yeah. There were elements that had me cheering, and there were elements that I wanted more from. But it was a satisfying romance in the end, and I can definitely see myself looking into more books in this series…

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Laurel Greer loves writing about all the ways love can change people for the better, especially when messy, well-meaning families and small towns are involved. She lives outside of Vancouver, BC with her law-talking husband and two daughters and is never far from a cup of tea, a good book, or the ocean—preferably all three. Find her at www.laurelgreer.com.