It Happened at the Park

Ryan Jo
Summers
Genre: 
Contemporary

ROMANTIC COMEDY:  Cassidy Grant likes dogs just fine — in theory.  However, when her sister dies and leaves the city planner with strict instructions to take in and care for her precious pooches, Cassidy swallows her grief and does as instructed, starting with taking them to the dog park. Political cartoonist and dog lover Ethan Sheppard knows Cassidy is out of her depth the moment he sees her at the dog park wearing heels. Helping her learn to be a dog mom should have just been a friendly gesture, not the beginning of a relationship, especially since Cassidy is trying to find the cartoonist poking fun at the mayor and shut him down. Being with Cassidy means keeping secrets, but with lovable dogs and their hearts on the line, work might be the least of their worries.

"It Happened at the Park" is a contemporary boy-meets-girl with doggie love all over it. An interesting premise with emotional baggage, and cute dogs, this story has plenty to work with. However, both Cassidy and Grant are straight-up characters with little depth. Although several traumatic circumstances are in Grant's history, they are not explored or explained. The main conflict is about Grant's political cartoons, however, the resolution doesn’t really jive with Grant’s initial intentions. Still, the pace is smooth, the romance full of sparks and the relationship between Cassidy and her sister touch the heart. Overall, a cute contemporary romance for pet lovers.

Sarah E Bradley