Prancing of a Papillon (Fuzzy Love 2) by Tara Lain
Genre | Gay / Contemporary / Romance |
Reviewed by | Lena Grey on 07-August-2020 |
Genre | Gay / Contemporary / Romance |
Reviewed by | Lena Grey on 07-August-2020 |
Opposites attracting, billionaires getting kidnapped, a Papillon who’s smarter than you are, and near-death at a dog show….
Jericho Jones is giving up on social life. What social life? Six-foot-five and packed with muscles he barely earned, Jericho looks like an alpha top, when he’s actually a gentle bottom who teaches first grade and lives with his hypochondriac mother. When Jericho’s friends, Finn and Em, suggest he accompany Finn to a dog show as the handler for their Papillon, Batshit, he decides, while he might be the world’s least likely Papillon prancer, he’d be grateful for a new experience and a few days away from Mama.
Jericho’s prepared to take dog handling seriously, but he’s not prepared for the pure lust he feels for wealthy dog owner, Brees Apollonia, a guy totally out of Jericho’s league. But Brees’s family issues make Jericho’s look tame – his father wants to marry him to the daughter of a prospective business partner. When Brees starts being followed by unknown guys, he thinks his father’s trying to scare him and uses it as an excuse to be “protected” by big, hunky Jericho. But pretend gets way out of control, and suddenly the only thing between Brees and possible death is a smart dog with big ears, three intrepid women, and gentle wimp, Jericho Jones.
“When A Dog Show Is Over, Whether You’ve Won Or Lost Doesn’t Matter. As Long As You’ve Gone Home With The Best Dog, Everything’s Fine.” – Pat Tetrault
Due to his size, Jericho Jones has been misjudged most of his life. He may look like a linebacker, but he is a soft-hearted, gentle pacifist; definitely a lover not a fighter. He would love to find someone who loves him for who he is, rather than who he appears to be. But, considering the men he has met so far, he has just about given up hope that that will ever happen.
After Jericho’s last disastrous encounter, he confides in his best friend Finn and Em about his fears of being alone for the rest of his life. Quickly, they disagree with him, stating that he just hasn’t found the right guy. During his visit with them, Finn tells Jericho that he has a secret. Em and Jericho are both intrigued. He reminds Jericho that Bat, his dog, was actually a famous and successful dog show winner. Then, he tells them that he has received a call from a lady at the local dog fanciers group suggesting that Batshit compete in an upcoming show. Jericho, who adores her and thinks she can do anything, is all for the idea. The thing is, Finn is much too busy to show her himself. He shocks Jericho by suggesting that he learn how to be a dog handler and show her himself.
Displaying his usual lack of self-confidence, Jericho adamantly denies the possibility, but Finn does not take no for an answer. Finn convinces him he has the time and the passion, not to mention the faith in Bat’s ability to win. Reluctantly, he agrees and goes to work right away, learning all he can about the process. First, he needs to find a person to train him. Jericho pours over information on the internet until he finds an instructor who will help him. With a great deal of trepidation, he heads to the residence of Ms. Ichiko Takayama. Ichiko is a very inviting woman who greets Jericho with respect and patience and, of course, sees Bat’s potential immediately. In fact, she recognizes her. Jericho explains how she came to be with Finn and Em and why Marisol fell off the dog show wagon. Ichiko introduces him and Bat to the rest of the group then begins teaching him the basics of being a dog handler. Bat surprises the heck out of him when she falls right into champion character like she has never been away from it. Jericho is doing pretty well with learning to walk her around the ring when the side gate opens and another dog runs into the yard. He and Bat start running around like crazy; in the process, they tangle Jericho in the leads and down he goes. The dog’s owner, Brees, apologizes profusely, trying his best to help untangle Jericho. Even through his humiliation, Jericho is struck with the idea that showing dogs has suddenly become exponentially more desirable.
The theme of opposites attract is a familiar one, but Tara, as she frequently does, gives it a unique twist. In essence, both men were ‘trapped’ by their families’ expectations and were being forced to lead their lives according to what they want instead of what the men want for themselves. Tara took their differences and demonstrated how, through mutual respect and the ability to see beyond what others saw in them, they were able to forge a close relationship. The details about the dog shows were fun and informative. I can usually figure mysteries out, but, in this case, the kidnapping and the “real” enemy surprised me. I didn’t quite connect with the main characters as much as I have with some of Tara’s other stories, but I appreciated her ability to present her men in an atypical manner. Thanks, Tara, for a fun story.
DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been purchased by the reviewer.
Format | ebook and print |
Length | Novel, 293 pages |
Heat Level | |
Publication Date | 07-July-2020 |
Price | $5.10 ebook, $12.98 paperback |
Buy Link | https://www.amazon.com/Prancing-Papillon-Fuzzy-Love-Book-ebook/dp/B08BKBVYY4 |