A few romance stories as summer approaches are always welcome. These three are all very different from one another, but all bring that couple together that the reader is rooting for. From New York, to London to the West Coast of the U.S., romance and love blossoms.

The Dachshund Wears Prada (Paws in the City #1) by Stefanie London, Jennifer Jill Araya (Narrator)

Published May 3rd 2022 by Harlequin Audio, HQN Books

4 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

First I want to say, don’t think this is a sweet, cutesy story based on the cover, like I did. This is an enjoyable romance, but it is a steamy one. Isla Thompson is a social media consultant who accidentally posts a video that not only ends her career, but makes her a laughing stock in the industry. She needs to find a job in order to support herself and her fourteen year old sister, Dani. An accidental meeting in the park has her accepting a job as a companion and carer to Camilla, a glossy-maned, foul-tempered dachshund. Theo Garrison is the present owner of Camilla after his grandmother dies and passes her pampered pet to her grandson. Camilla is a terror, having gone through so many animal carers that the agency dumps Theo. Isla refuses to give in and gradually builds trust with both Camilla and her reclusive owner. Meanwhile, she takes fun pictures of Camilla in various situations, never showing her face so she can’t be identified, and begins her own instagram persona, The Dachshund Wears Prada. As Isla and Theo get to know each other better, they develop feelings for one another, but they both have reasons why a relationship won’t work.

I really enjoyed this story. It was full of humor, emotion and family. Camilla was hilarious, trying and often succeeding in intimidating almost everyone. All her appointments, including a pet psychic were so over the top. Isla is a very responsible person caring for her sister when their mother abandoned them. She was smart, loyal and resilient able to do what was needed. She had a lot of baggage to get past in order to move on. Theo earned his reputation as a grouchy, hermit honestly. After the death of his parents, he was raised by his grandmother who recently passed away. He now runs the family publishing business, but after a bad relationship, he refuses to get into any serious new relationship. He has his own baggage to get past, realizing that not everyone is out to use him. I was cheering Theo and Isla on and I enjoyed watching them come out of their shells and begin to trust one another. The ending was great and had me smiling widely as conflicts were resolved and trust and love flourished. Even Camilla got a happily ever after. This is one that I highly recommend with a warning that there is a lot of open door romance. If you love books where animals play a large role, romance and family, then this is a book for you. Jennifer Jill Araya narrated the audiobook, which I very much enjoyed. Although there were male and female characters as well as those of various ages, she used her expression and tone to give identifiable voices to them all. I definitely enjoyed her performance.

One Night With You by Laura Jane Williams, Narrated by Charlotte Beaumont & Arthur McBain

Published May 26th 2022 by HarperCollins UK Audio, Avon

3 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐

One Night With You introduces us to Ruby and Nic. Ruby is leaving London to go to university in Manchester. Nic has just arrived in London, planning on starting a new life. Fate brings them together on Ruby’s last night and Nic’s first night in London. Sparks fly but obviously, they cannot have any kind of relationship. As the story progresses, we learn about Ruby’s film-making education. While working on a documentary, she meets JP, a 97-year-old who is looking for his long-lost love. Ruby and her team use this opportunity to bring them together and create their final project for school, and it is a great success. Nic gets a surprise that changes the course of his life as well, and he ends up leaving London as well. Will these two ever get together?

I found this story really hard to get into. There was a lot of dialogue about one night stands, jumping into bed etc. at the beginning, that turned me off. I kept with it and as the story developed, it got more interesting. I liked seeing Ruby’s and Nic’s relationship develop into a strong friendship, despite the distance. The book was told from the POVs of Ruby and Nic, in alternating chapters, which gives us insight into both of their lives. There were a lot of characters and I found it difficult to keep track at times. The audiobook was narrated by Charlotte Beaumont and Arthur McBain. I do like when there are both male and female narrators as the main characters had definite voices, but the secondary characters all sounded quite similar, which made it difficult to keep track at times. Overall, this book is about fate, finding “the one”, responsibility, friendship and following your dream. I don’t think I was the right audience for this book.

A Lot Like Love (Blue Moon Bay #1) by Jennifer Snow

Published June 29th 2021 by Entangled: Amara

4 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a lovely romance set in a small town with wonderful characters. Marissa is the piece that holds this puzzle together. Both she and Sarah are computer geeks, and Marissa is already developing apps. Wes wants her to be involved in sports and outdoor activities, but she only does it to please him. They connect quickly and this does cause some problems which causes some conflict between Sarah and Wes. Wes was easy to like, especially as he only wanted the best for Marissa, but he also frustrated me when he wouldn’t allow Marissa to do what she loved, but what he thought was best. Wes and Sarah made a cute couple, especially if you believe opposites attract. A side story was Sarah finding out some family secrets. Finding some hidden letters led her to change her outlook and find her Happily Ever After. Although this was a predictable story, I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to A Lot Like Forever, the third book in this series.