Tag Archives: Victoria Schade

Unleashed Holiday by Victoria Schade – a Review

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Unleashed Holiday by Victoria Schade – a Review

 

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Description:
When an old rival reappears right before the holidays, a professional dog trainer must decide if the melting frost between them can make up for their ruff past, from the USA Today bestselling author of Dog Friendly .

Chelsea Higgins is doing just fine. She’s heading into the holidays at the helm of a thriving dog training business, and she’s got a mellow senior dog at home to keep her warm at the end of the day. What more could she need? Enter certified gym bro Andrew Chelsea’s former nemesis, and now the newest neighbor in her business complex, who also wants to expand into the vacant space Chelsea’s been eyeing for months. Who cares if it’s the season of joy? Let the turf war begin.

When an unfortunate (and literal) run-in with Andrew’s lawless dog leaves Chelsea with a bum wrist, the two strike a Andrew will help Chelsea rehab the injury if she’ll work with him to train his adorably uncivilized boxer.

Their typical bickering soon turns to bantering, and Chelsea finds herself inexplicably drawn to the man she thought she had nothing in common with. As she gets to know Andrew and his parents, she realizes she needs to refocus on her own family, especially with a milestone Christmas speeding toward them. But Chelsea can’t help wondering if she and Andrew are training for keeps, or if this unexpected Christmas gift is just too good to be true.

 

 

 

Review:

Unleashed Holiday by Victoria Schade is a sweet romantic novel with wonderful dogs adding to the fun.  We meet Chelsea (Chels) Higgins from the start, as she runs School of Frolic, a successful dog training business; she also has an older dog, Birdie to give her companionship.  When one of her clients has to give up his dog, Edith, Chels offers to take her; so now she has two cute dogs, a young puppy and a senior dog.

To her surprise, Chels learns that the vacant building next store to her shop, has been rented by her old nemesis, Andrew Gibson; which he plans to turn into a gym for fitness training. Though they both share best friends, they have never really gotten along. 

Andrew has a boxer dog, Dude, who is totally untrained, and Chels becomes annoyed at some of Andrew’s bad habits, parking in her space and not training his untrainable dog.  One night, Dude, the wild dog (though very cute), accidentally injures her, and Andrew and Chels make deal; Chels will train Dude, and Andrew will give her strength training rehabbing her wrist injury. Slowly, the bickering between them changes to sort of a friendship, leading to lots of bantering; and both begin to have feelings for each other. 

Chels gets to know Andrew’s parents, and sees that he and his father have their own issues; but in time she will get Andrews to try and find a way to reach out to his father.  But Andrew’s mother is thrilled to have Chels available to train her goats.  This was fun and I really like the mother. Chels also learns from being with his family, that she needs to spend more time with her own family, including her pregnant sister and mother.

When Chels and Andrew learn that the landlord is planning to sell the building, both are concerned.   Chels’s family tries to convince her to use the money her deceased father left, but she refuses to touch the money.  Now will the building possibly being sold; she will need to reconsider. How will Andrew react to this possibility?

Unleashed Holiday was a fun story, with a great couple, nice secondary characters, and all three of the cute adorable dogs. I have to admit, I loved all of the dogs, especially with Birdie’s surprise in falling for Edith, and her dominant ways.  I loved Dude too. Unleashed Holiday was a sweet enemies to lovers romance, and so very well written by Victoria Schade.  If you enjoy a second chance romance and fun dogs, you need to read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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Dog Friendly by Victoria Schade – a Review

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Dog Friendly by Victoria Schade – a Review

 

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Description:
A burned-out veterinarian takes a much-needed beach vacation, where a charming surfer makes waves in her love life, and a unique foster pup renews her passion for her work.

Exhausted veterinarian Morgan Pearce is feeling overworked and under-thanked, so when two favorite clients ask her to watch their special needs senior dog in their Nantucket home, she jumps at the chance for a summer break. She hopes her time on the island will be a reset from the stress of her everyday life, but her chill vacation vibe takes a hit when she gets roped into fostering a challenging, anxious dog and helping plan the local rescue group’s glittery annual fundraiser.

Her trip starts to feel more like a vacation when Morgan begins falling for Nathan Keating, an irresistible entrepreneur who thinks every problem can be solved on a surfboard. Just as the summer is shaping up to be the magical refresh she needs, thanks to a fling that feels like the beginning of something real and Hudson, the foster dog who reminds her how much she loves her job, a visit from her estranged brother and the discovery of who Nathan really is changes everything. Morgan finds herself at a crossroads, trying to determine if mistakes from the past must define the future, or if she should forgive, forget, and grab hold of a chance to finally rescue herself.

 

Review:

Dog Friendly by Victoria Schade is a cute fun romance, with adorable dogs.  Morgan Pearce, our heroine, is a veterinarian, who is overworked and somewhat burned out, and when she faints on the job, she knows she needs to take a break.  I was surprised to learn that many Veterinarians have a high rate of suicide, due to the stress and pressor that takes a mental toll. 

Morgan loves dogs, and when one of her customers offer her a chance to spend a few months at Nantucket, while they are away, to watch over their dog, Bernadette; she accepts. Other then the people offered her the chance to get a good vacation, Morgan hides that she is a veterinarian, and claims only to babysitting the dog.  Bernadette was a sweet lovable dog, which was easy for Morgan. But she is asked to foster a challenging and anxious dog, as well as help with the local rescue group’s annual fundraiser. Morgan is happy and content in beautiful Nantucket, allowing herself to relax and enjoy the friends she has met, as well as both dogs she is taking care of; and now she finds herself meeting hot hunk.

Nathan Keating, our hero, has been pushing his new flavored drinks, which he hopes will escalate into a successful business; he is also very friendly with everyone in town.   is the gorgeous guy who is friendly to all. He meets Morgan, and in a short time a slow build romance begins, with them spending a lot of time together, as well as him training Morgan how to surf. 

What follows is a lighthearted, fun, enjoyable story, which also deals with stress, burnout & mental health. This book does give us a look at the harshness of the veterinary profession.  I really liked Morgan and Nathan, and hoped they could get past some personal issues to stay together.  I will say I absolutely loved the dogs, especially Bernadette and Hudson, who Morgan slowly trained her to overcome his fears.  

Dog Friendly was a very good story line, with a great couple, wonderful fun dogs, and so very well written by Victoria Schade.  This was a charming read, that kept me unable to put the book down.  I suggest you read Dog Friendly.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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Lost, Found, and Forever by Victoria Schade – a Review

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Lost, Found, and Forever by Victoria Schade – a Review

 

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Description:
Justine Becker could not be more in love with her rescue dog, Spencer. He’s her best friend and colleague at her dog supply store, Tricks & Biscuits, in upstate New York. When she discovers a heartbreaking social media post trying to locate a dog that looks suspiciously like Spencer, Justine realizes that her beloved pup might actually belong to someone else.

Her worst fears are realized when she and Spencer meet up with Brooklyn-based Griffin McCabe, and he wants Spencer back. He claims he is the dog’s rightful owner, and has the paperwork to prove it. But Justine refuses to roll over and let him take Spencer without a fight.

It’s not easy juggling Spencer’s burgeoning new career as a dog actor, along with the demands of her life upstate, all while constantly trying to prove she’s a better pet parent than Griffin. Their not-so-friendly competition teeters on the edge of flat-out hate, so when romantic feelings for Griffin catch Justine off guard, she needs to determine if it’s all part of his plot to win the pup back, or if the guy who was good enough for Spencer might also be good enough for her.

 

 

 

Review:

Lost Found and Forever by Victoria Schade is a cute fun standalone novel. We meet our heroine, Justine Becker, as she opens her Tricks & Biscuits dog supply store; with her dog, Spencer, whom she loves with all her heart.  Justine is an excellent trainer, and works with people to train their dogs, but Spencer is so smart, he can do so many tricks.  Despite this, she is financially struggling to keep the store open, despite the ideas her friend and helper suggests. While at a private local restaurant, she shows off to friends the many tricks Spencer can do, and at another table a producer sees her.  Justine is approached to try out Spencer for a series they are doing, and Spencer could be the perfect dog for them. Excitedly, Justine accepts this chance to change her life, especially with her training abilities.

While waiting to start, her friend notices on social media a picture of a dog that looks like Spencer, who has been missing for over a year.  Griffin McCabe, our hero, is ecstatic that his dog has been found, but quickly realizes that Justine will not give up ‘her’ dog, whom she loves. In the beginning, though Griffin tries to not antagonize Justine, they are both suspicious of each other; especially when Justine tries to keep her personal information secret, but Griffin manages to find her. As much as Justine loves Spencer, she can see how much Griffin does too.  Who will get custody of Spencer?

When Justine has to begin working with the studio with Spencer, they are both exhausted from the car drive; and when Griffin offers his place (near the studio) for her and Spencer to stay overnight on the days they travel, she accepts. Justine finds Griffin very charming and sweet, and a friendship begins with the two of them.  Griffin travels a lot on his job, and slowly he realizes how Justine is always there for Spencer; a slow burn romance, both Justine and Griffin find themselves attracted to each other, though they know there is no future, since Griffin does not do relationships. 

I did enjoy the scenes at the studio, with Justine working with Spencer to do the scenes expected of him. It was fun to see what goes behind the scene of a shoot, as well as meeting the actors/crew of the studio.  Griffin occasionally came to watch, and offered help to Justine. I did love both Justine and Griffin together, not to mention how great Spencer was. Did they have any future together?

Lost Found and Forever was a cute, fun, fast paced story of a dog that brought two people together.  I really enjoyed this book, which was very well written by Victoria Schade.  If you love a pure romance and a fantastic dog, I suggest you read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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Life on the Leash by Victoria Schade – Review, Excerpt & Giveaway

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Life on the Leash by Victoria Schade – a Review

 

 

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Description:
Cora Bellamy is a woman who thrives on organization. She’s successfully run her own dog training business for years, perfectly content with her beloved rescue pitbull as the main man in her life. She’s given everything to her business, and her lack of social life (or slobber-free clothes) has been completely worth it.

But all that changes when she meets Charlie Gill, the hottest client she’s ever had. The only problem? Charlie’s taken. Luckily, Cora has a new friend—the sweet, lovably geeky Eli Crawford. More loyal than a retriever, he’s always there to help Cora with her problems, including her love life. That’s why she’s shocked to realize that even as things start heating up with Charlie, there might just be a more-than-friends spark between her and Eli, too.

As Cora’s life gets more tangled up than a dogwalker’s leashes—and as she prepares to audition for a dog-training TV show that may irrevocably change her entire life—she has to figure things out before it all goes straight to the dogs.

Charming, witty, and warm-hearted, Life on the Leash inspires you to cheer for every underdog looking for love.

Review:

Life on the Leash by Victoria Schade is a standalone romantic comedy that centers on dogs, and the dog trainer.  Cora Bellamy, our heroine, owns her own dog training business for years.   I did not know what to expect, but I am happy to say this was a fun, humorous storyline, with lovable dogs and a sweet romance.

We meet Cora immediately as she is with her own dog, Fritz (a pit bull), and is rushing to be on time for one of her training sessions.   We get to meet many of Cora’s clients, many of whom have money, but have no idea how to treat or take care of their dogs.  Some of the things Cora trains them on are basic, and others are great tips dog owners can use.  Some of the things that happen are funny, but there are a number of things that are terrible; which makes Cora occasionally try to secretly help the dogs.  Cora is a wonderful heroine, who loves her job, as well as loves all dogs. 

Cora has not found a man in her life, but in a short time she will meet two totally different men that will change this.  She finds herself very attracted to one of her clients, Charlie, who has a girlfriend, who is also in on training their dog; but when the girlfriend is out of town, Charlie begins to make advances on Cora.   She also meets Eli, who becomes a friend that always finds time to help Cora with the dogs. 

In the midst of this fun story surrounded by dogs, laughter & romance, Cora is offered a chance to do a tv show on Dog Training.  When she does an audition, she ends up as one of the top 3 candidates.  Will Cora be the chosen one?

I loved Cora, who was such a sweet lovable character, who despite any mishaps or concerns, she never backed down or gave up.  Cora was a great hero to all dogs.   I did enjoy some of the secondary characters created by Schade. If you love dogs, humor, a bit of romance, then Life on the Leash is a book you should be reading.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

“Charlie’s on the way,” Madison volunteered. “He called and apologized for being late—he really wants to help with Oliver’s training. I mean, he better help. Oliver was his idea. I’ve never even had a dog before . . . Charlie doesn’t know it, but I’m really more of a cat person.”
“Maybe Oliver will help you be both,” Cora replied, starting to understand the scope of what she would be dealing with. She fretted that she’d eventually have to snake charm the woman into liking her in order for them to successfully complete the program. But for now, she focused on the dog, knowing that a puppy could blur the hard edges of even the most disagreeable clients.
So his name is Charlie. Cora checked Madison’s left hand. Bare. Pretending to be a puppy person to lock down old Charlie?
Oliver stopped jumping on Cora long enough to find just the right spot to pee, and Cora chanted “Hurry up, hurry up,” to him. She turned to Madison. “I like ‘hurry up,’ but do you already have a potty phrase?”
“A what?”
Cora started to explain how a simple phrase can become a Pavlovian trigger to get a dog to eliminate but was interrupted by the French doors opening to reveal the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen. Cora suddenly understood why Madison would lie about being a dog person.
He was Cora’s kryptonite: tall, broad shouldered, with short sandy hair that swooped in a way that looked styled but not fussy. He radiated the kind of kick-in-the-gut good looks that made both women and men stare. He wasn’t “pretty” but arresting. Manly, like he’d be at home chopping wood in a flannel shirt, even though he was wearing an expensive-looking suit.
There’s got to be something wrong with him, Cora thought, steeling herself to remain professional. Aside from the fact that he’s dating someone who doesn’t like dogs.
He strode over toward Cora with his hand outstretched. “Hi, you must be Cora. I’m Charlie Gill. Sorry I’m late. Can you believe that I hit traffic at lunchtime?” His ruddy cheeks and quick smile unnerved Cora.
Cora met his grip with a firm handshake and did her best to hide her immediate and unprofessional attraction to her new client.
“Nice to meet you, and I totally understand the traffic. It runs my life—I could tell you stories!” Cora said, smiling her biggest “I’ll blind you with my teeth so you don’t notice that I’m not wearing makeup” smile. She hoped that he hadn’t heard the tremor in her voice or noticed the bright red splotches she could feel blooming on her cheeks.
Oliver rushed over and jumped up on Charlie. “There’s my little guy!” He laughed and leaned over to pet his puppy. Charlie’s voice went up. “Are you the best puppy in the world? Yes you are! Why, yes you are, little Ollie-by-golly!”
“I know this is going to sound totally bitchy, but can we get started?” Madison asked. “I have a one o’clock meeting.”
“Of course! Sorry about that,” Cora replied, embarrassed that she wasn’t more on top of the lesson and avoiding looking directly at Charlie. She usually controlled the progression of the hour with a conductor’s fluidity, but she had a feeling that the Perry-Gill household wasn’t going to be business as usual.

 

Victoria Schade is an author, speaker and dog trainer known for her upbeat approach to living and working with dogs. She’s published two books, “Bonding With Your Dog; A Trainer’s Secrets for Building a Better Relationship” and “Secrets of a Dog Trainer: Positive Problem Solving for a Well-Behaved Dog.” LIFE ON THE LEASH is her first novel.

She’s a frequent resource for the media, including the CBS Early Show, The View, WEtv, and FOX. Victoria has been featured in The Washington Post, Martha Stewart Living, Real Simple Magazine, Reader’s Digest, The Bark, and many dog-specific publications. She currently serves as a pet expert for petMD and PawCulture, writing training and behavior content and appearing in educational videos.

 

 

Victoria Schade’s publisher is offering a paper copy of LIFE ON THE LEASH to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

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4. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

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7. Giveaway open to USA only

8. Giveaway runs from September 18 -22, 2018

 

 

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