Paws and Prejudice by Alanna Martin – a Review

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Description:
It’s up to a trio of adorable rescue huskies to make two lonely hearts in a coastal Alaskan town realize that true love is worth too much to turn tail and run.

Glaciers have nothing on Kelsey Porter when she decides to freeze someone out. After getting burned once, she’s not about to let it happen again. And right now all that icy contempt is focused on one annoyingly attractive and entitled interloper: Ian Roth. Not only is he looking to take advantage of her quaint, coastal community, tainting the small-town charm of Helen, Alaska, but he has committed the one crime she can never forgive–he doesn’t like her dogs.

Unlike what Kelsey believes, Ian loves Helen’s charms as much as she does. That’s partly why he’s determined to open a brewery there, and he’s not about to let anything or anyone stop his dream from coming true. But he didn’t count on the beautiful, prickly woman getting under his skin. Or having to be within hand-biting proximity of her three huge huskies.

When Kelsey’s family conscripts her into helping Ian get his brewery off the ground, she finds herself caught between a rock and a hard . . . muscular . . . man who has a fear of dogs. But the longer they work together, the more she can feel herself begin to thaw. Now she’ll have to choose: let sleeping dogs lie to protect her heart, or mush head-on toward love.

Review:

Paws and Prejudice by Alanna Martin is the 2^nd book in her Hearts of Alaska series. Kelsey Porter, our heroine, has been very supportive of her cousin Josh and his relationship with Taylor Lipkin. If you read the first book, you learn all about the 100-year feud between the Porters and the Lipkins of Helen, Alaska.  Josh and Taylor decided to ignore the families feuding and solidify their relationship, with Kelsey’s support.  Kelsey meets with the new owners of a brewery, as her father insists, she write something for website, since she writes (though no one knows she actually writes paranormal romance novels under a pen name).  When she goes to meet Ian and his partner Micah, Kelsey has the door slammed on her by Ian.  Unknown to her, Ian has a phobia of dogs, and Kelsey brought her three huskies, and Ian ran to throw tools and such on the floor before opening the door again, telling her she can’t bring the dogs inside, as it would be dangerous. They get off on the wrong foot, as Ian noticed Kelsey wearing a pin that is part of a group trying to stop new business to come to Helen, and he came across as a bit arrogant.

Kelsey will slowly overlook Ian’s attitude, and tries to help write something for their site.  When her father forces some restaurants owned by Porters to back away from the brewery, because of one deal with the Lipkins, Kelsey realizes the unfairness of her family, and discards the pin, and decides to help Ian. In a short time, both of them feel their attractions to each other heat up, and a romance between them begins, with their chemistry sizzling. The more time they spend together, Kelsey learns of Ian’s phobia, and begins to help him overcome that, and he knows of her being a secret novelist, with both keeping those secrets private.

Kelsey, was a great heroine, as she is tough, savvy, independent, at times surly, but also very smart and loyal.  I loved Kelsey and Ian together, and especially adored the time spent with the dogs, and Ian opening up to feeling safe and loving the dogs.

What follows is a fun and sexy romance between Ian and Kelsey, and the adorable huskies, who made this story even better.  Just when we realize that they have fallen hard for each other, something will happen with the feuding that could cause issues. I certainly hoped they would find a way to bring them totally together, despite the family feud. Paws and Prejudice was a sweet romance, but the feuding of both families continued to bring problems. Will Kelsey and Ian despite their love for each other, walk away?

Paws and Prejudice was a wonderful steamy romance, great couple, three fantastic dogs amidst a terrible family feud that created a tense background.  Alanna Martin did a great job writing this book, and continuing the family feud. I suggest you read Paws and Prejudice.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher