Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good story about a hurting man, a young woman and her little brother, and the dog that brings them together as a family. After leaving the Marine Corps, Gabe recently returned to his hometown and is slowly readjusting to civilian life. With him is Radar, the dog his buddy Tom befriended in Afghanistan, and Gabe helped train. Gabe moved into one side of a duplex owned by friends and discovered Addie and her little brother Teddy occupied the other half.
Addy is a young woman who took over caring for her seven-year-old half-brother, Teddy when their drug-addicted mother no longer could. She is in the process of obtaining permanent custody of Teddy. Addy worries about whether she is doing a good enough job and tends to be overprotective.
Thanks to Addy's fear of dogs, Gabe and Addy's relationship got off to a rough start. Gabe is walking Radar when Teddy (who LOVES dogs) gets off the bus and rushes over to pet Radar. Addy freaks out and says some things she later regrets. But when she goes over to apologize later, Gabe is a bit of a jerk thanks to his issues, and they do not part friends. No matter what she does, Addy can't keep Teddy away from Radar, and it isn't long before Gabe and she start spending time together.
Both Gabe and Addy suffer from overactive guilt complexes. Gabe suffers from survivor's guilt, blaming himself for his friend Tom's death. Those feelings, and his memories of his unhappy childhood, keep him from believing that he can ever be in a healthy relationship, so he tries to keep Addy and Teddy at a distance. Radar seems to know what Gabe needs better than Gabe himself and drags Gabe into the land of the living ins spite of himself. There are some sweet scenes with Gabe and Teddy as Gabe rethinks his stance on relationships. Meanwhile, he and Addy get closer as he helps her overcome her fear of dogs.
Addy spent most of her childhood taking care of herself. Her mother had addiction problems and would get wrapped up in her latest relationship and ignore Addy. When Teddy came along, it fell to Addy to make sure he was taken care of when her mom couldn't. There were occasional stretches when her mom would be clean and sober, but that only happened when Addy kept after her. After an extended good period, Addy went away to college. But it wasn't long before her mom fell off the wagon, this time with tragic consequences for Teddy. So Addy quit school and went back home to resume caring for them. But now, she blames herself for Teddy's injuries and goes a little overboard in worrying about his safety. Spending time with Gabe and Radar helps her let go a little and begin to trust herself.
I liked seeing Gabe and Addy grow closer. It was interesting to see them work to convince the other that their feelings of guilt were unnecessary while clinging to their own. At the same time, they began to feel that together they made a good team and that maybe a future would be possible. There was a speed bump in the road to that future when a misunderstanding revived Addy's fears, and she exchanged some harsh words with Gabe. I ached for Gabe, who didn't deserve it, and the blow to his feelings of self-worth was severe. Fortunately, Teddy and Radar stepped in to bring the two stubborn adults back together.
I loved Teddy and Radar. While he wasn't a trained service dog, Radar was very good at sensing Gabe's moods and pulling him out of them. He also did well with Addy during their sessions, always careful around her. Teddy was adorable. Perhaps a little too serious/mature for seven, but his life had affected him deeply. I loved seeing the little boy in him come out when he played with Radar.
This is the first time I've read one of this author's books, but it won't be the last. I will add the previous books in the series to my tbr list, as some of the other couples mentioned in this book sound like they also have intriguing stories.
Addy is a young woman who took over caring for her seven-year-old half-brother, Teddy when their drug-addicted mother no longer could. She is in the process of obtaining permanent custody of Teddy. Addy worries about whether she is doing a good enough job and tends to be overprotective.
Thanks to Addy's fear of dogs, Gabe and Addy's relationship got off to a rough start. Gabe is walking Radar when Teddy (who LOVES dogs) gets off the bus and rushes over to pet Radar. Addy freaks out and says some things she later regrets. But when she goes over to apologize later, Gabe is a bit of a jerk thanks to his issues, and they do not part friends. No matter what she does, Addy can't keep Teddy away from Radar, and it isn't long before Gabe and she start spending time together.
Both Gabe and Addy suffer from overactive guilt complexes. Gabe suffers from survivor's guilt, blaming himself for his friend Tom's death. Those feelings, and his memories of his unhappy childhood, keep him from believing that he can ever be in a healthy relationship, so he tries to keep Addy and Teddy at a distance. Radar seems to know what Gabe needs better than Gabe himself and drags Gabe into the land of the living ins spite of himself. There are some sweet scenes with Gabe and Teddy as Gabe rethinks his stance on relationships. Meanwhile, he and Addy get closer as he helps her overcome her fear of dogs.
Addy spent most of her childhood taking care of herself. Her mother had addiction problems and would get wrapped up in her latest relationship and ignore Addy. When Teddy came along, it fell to Addy to make sure he was taken care of when her mom couldn't. There were occasional stretches when her mom would be clean and sober, but that only happened when Addy kept after her. After an extended good period, Addy went away to college. But it wasn't long before her mom fell off the wagon, this time with tragic consequences for Teddy. So Addy quit school and went back home to resume caring for them. But now, she blames herself for Teddy's injuries and goes a little overboard in worrying about his safety. Spending time with Gabe and Radar helps her let go a little and begin to trust herself.
I liked seeing Gabe and Addy grow closer. It was interesting to see them work to convince the other that their feelings of guilt were unnecessary while clinging to their own. At the same time, they began to feel that together they made a good team and that maybe a future would be possible. There was a speed bump in the road to that future when a misunderstanding revived Addy's fears, and she exchanged some harsh words with Gabe. I ached for Gabe, who didn't deserve it, and the blow to his feelings of self-worth was severe. Fortunately, Teddy and Radar stepped in to bring the two stubborn adults back together.
I loved Teddy and Radar. While he wasn't a trained service dog, Radar was very good at sensing Gabe's moods and pulling him out of them. He also did well with Addy during their sessions, always careful around her. Teddy was adorable. Perhaps a little too serious/mature for seven, but his life had affected him deeply. I loved seeing the little boy in him come out when he played with Radar.
This is the first time I've read one of this author's books, but it won't be the last. I will add the previous books in the series to my tbr list, as some of the other couples mentioned in this book sound like they also have intriguing stories.
