House Trained

I was given an advanced copy of this e-book in return for my honest review.
All opinions are my own.

By: Jackie Bouchard
Release Date: October 20, 2015
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Format: e-book
Source: publisher via NetGalley
Overall rating ☆☆☆☆

Alex Halstad, a childless-by-choice interior designer and dog mom, is a true perfectionist. But her orderly life turns chaotic when the teenage daughter her husband, Barry, never knew he had shows up on their doorstep...with a baby girl of her own in tow. While Alex’s dog enthusiastically welcomes the new arrivals, Alex struggles with the loss of her steady routine. She desperately needs peace and quiet to get her business back on track before Barry finds out she’s spent most of their savings. Meanwhile, the arrival of the girls stirs up old insecurities, and Alex can’t help but worry that Barry’s ex will make an entrance too. With her tidy life a distant memory, will Alex be able to learn from her dog the true meaning of love and acceptance?

From bestselling author Jackie Bouchard comes a humorous and heartwarming look at how life creates opportunities to love in surprising ways. - description from book jacket

I thought this was a sweet story. Totally wasn't what I was expecting from the first few chapters. By the time Alex's husband's daughter showed up I was completely confused. This wasn't at all what it seemed from the first chapter. I was kind of expecting light-hearted funny, but it wasn't.

This book delves quite deep into the importance of trust and openness in a relationship. I appreciated the fact that the author made the characters imperfect. Part of Alex's struggle is that she doesn't want children. Her mother doesn't understand and thinks she might change her mind. But Alex is quite content being a doggie mom. I love that she rescued her fur-baby. But when she suddenly ends up with a teenager and baby on her doorstep, I began to wonder if she was going to changer her mind.

One thing that I especially loved is that Alex begins to wonder if she should be more like her dog. Not in a weird way, but in the way that animals are so accepting and how much they welcome people. Alex's dog is very welcoming of the new additions to the household and while Alex isn't as open, she comes around. Something happens that makes her realize the important things in her life. Don't worry, no spoilers here! It ended well, but not what I was expecting.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. Sometimes the things Alex was thinking or doing made me laugh out loud, sometimes she had me groaning at how stupid she was being. I finished this book pretty satisfied with the ending. I thought it was a good book and liked it very much. I would totally recommend this to women's fiction readers. It's mostly lighthearted and a quick read. Four out of five stars.