Walk Away with Me

by Darby Davenport

What is Charlie Rockwell supposed to do when the sad Rottweiler's eyes connect with hers through the TV screen and work their way straight into her heart? She adopts him without a second thought or the slightest knowledge how to take care of the large, needy dog with the traumatic past.

Ethan Porter is not happy when a savage Rottweiler picks a fight with his mild-mannered Golden Retriever at the dog park. But his anger quickly dissipates when tears begin to form behind the eyes of the dog's beautiful owner—eyes that are far too familiar for his liking. Disregarding his instincts, Ethan can't deny her plea when she asks him to teach her the basics of dog ownership.

Can he ignore the fact that she bears a strong resemblance to his ex and finally learn to trust again? Will she find committing to both man and dog more exciting than the freedom of a single, unrestrained life?

A man with a painful past, a woman who fears commitment, and a dog with only one more chance at life—together, can they find love?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance

104 pages, Paperback

First published February 20, 2013

About the author

Darby Davenport never believed in love—that is, until it happened to her. Now she’s a firm believer that every story is a love story, and has taken to writing out her favorite romantic fantasies and sharing them with the world.

Let’s face it, love–like nature–is powerful, unpredictable, and can change your entire life in a matter of seconds. To that end, Darby combines outdoor adventure with romantic longing in her debut series, The Loving Nature Trilogy. Take it from her: falling in love is the most natural thing you will ever do–as long as you allow yourself to fall freely.

Darby, who also writes young adult and children’s fiction under the pen name Emlyn Chand, lives in suburban Detroit with her own personal soul mate–fellow writer, Falcon Storm–and private zoo, which includes a music-loving Sun Conure, hyper-active Golden Retriever, and two scrappy little rescue mutts.

You can connect with her at www.DarbyDavenport.com, and please like her Facebook page.

Be sure to watch for the first in her contemporary romance trilogy, Walk Away with Me, coming from Evolved Publishing on March 19, 2013, with Skinny-Dipping at Dawn and Melt My Heart to follow later in the year.

Reviews

[Melissa Storm]

This is my book. I'm writing it under my romance pen name. Give it an add, why don't you? ;-)

[Julie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walk Away with Me by Darby Davenport
Love how each of the main characters get alternating chapters. Keeps the story moving and from different angles.
Charlie has just gotten herself a Rottweiler. It's either that or they have to put the dog down. She has no clue as to how to take care of him.
Ethan has his own well trained dog and after a mishap at the dog park he agrees to help her with her dog.
He's been alone a while, he had tossed his girlfriend of 3 years out when he came home early to find her in bed with another guy.
She reminds him so much of Ashlee that he doesn't want to make a move on her. She had kissed him the other day and wants more. He's keeping his distance..
We get to understand things better as the past is brought up and why they appeared to be perfect for one another...
He is getting too serious with her and she doesn't even want a relationship. He leaves for his brothers BBQ and she is able to talk to her mother on how things changed for her when she realized she was in love..
Very detailed, hot steamy sex scenes and even the food is described in vivid detail!
Things start to go wrong when his ex shows up. Particularly love the outside and hiking trail parts but I always stick to the trail myself...

Many sample chapters of her other books are included.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

i was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was the perfect length for a whirlwind romance! While the adult element existed, it wasn't hardcore sex and nothing else. There was a sweet story involved here! Charlie and Ethan's characters come alive as you read. And what's better than a dog in a story? A dog that was a rescue! This is the first book in the Loving Nature Trilogy and also the first book by the lovely Ms. Darby Davenport.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The opening chapter was cute, but the story quickly went downhill from there. I'm certainly glad that it was such a short book, because I was getting very annoyed with it. I know it's a romance, but that doesn't mean it should have as much detail as it did. To me this book should have been labelled erotica, or nearly that, because that's what it was. Also, because of the content, I feel that the cover is very deceiving.

Charlie was so shallow and annoying. Ethan was okay, but not that great of a main character.

The only part of the story I liked was the message of how important it is to rescue/adopt your pet, instead of getting them from a breeder.

I personally can't recommend this book. I do, however, recommend the two YA books by this author (under the pen name Emlyn Chand) that I've read: Farsighted & Open Heart.

I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay I’m going to start this review by explaining that I usually like paranormal with my romance, so this book was a wonderful surprise. The first thing that drew me in was the animal compassion, and Charlie adopting Rugby to save him because he was unwanted. She took him to a dog park trying to learn how to handle him, but Rugby was the one handling her. It brought back memories of childhood and being dragged around by my dogs. Both Charlie and Ethan were trying to run from this connection they had. I remember blowing a great relationship because of fear, so I really connected with Charlie and her wanting to run far away. This story had all the pieces; it made me laugh, cry, and in the end jealous. One day maybe I’ll be lucky enough to find the ‘one’, but for now I’ll have to rely on awesome books like this one. This is my first book by this author, but I loved it and will look for more :) Awesome job, Emlyn…I mean Darby ;)

[Allyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this short story! Charlie and Ethan's Story was such a sweet, Heartwarming story! Charlie adopted a Rottweiler because he was going to be put down, She had to learn how to deal and train her dog! They happen to bump into Ethan and his dog at the park, Charlie then convinced Ethan to train her dog! Would have worked out great if they weren't attracted to each other! The problem being neither one wanted a relationship! It was fun reading about the obstacles that they had to face! I can't wait to read more by Darby Davenport!

[Nai · Rating 4 out of 5]

How hot is my sweet and spicy south-western chilli?

It's so hot . . . you don't get to find out until the end of the post :P

I've been posting all week about the newest romance novella I've added to my list of must reviews.

If anyone was wondering the list is 12 books long, and growing by the second. I should write more - and read more - and CRAP!

I'm stuck in an infinity loop! One I quite like, as long as the pile of books is never bare.

I've expunged a lot about books, I have.

I have also been writing this review for about a week, and it's taking me forever. In the middle of the week, I came across the photo above in an email - and decided that it pretty much looks like the inside of my brain. Wordies are fun.

You see, I really loved the book, and I want to make that clear right from the start - but I love life less than usual, and haven't been in a great 'happy writing place' lately.

Probably, I'm a little bit like Ethan, and, when confronted with what you know is right - even when you don't want it to be - we may tend to sit and spin around for a while, wandering in circles trying to convince ourselves not to care. I'd love to not care right now, but I do. Ethan goes through that phase too, but I'm very glad he came out of it. :P

It would be so much easier sometimes not to, though.

Ethan and Charlie quickly became my favorite book couple within the first two chapters, and while I don't normally read - or LOVE - romance books, this novella can be added to the list of books I love.

Before we go one step farther though - Darby Davenport - your sex scenes are scrumptious. I wasn't sure what to expect, and instead of getting something cheesy, I got a great story with some sweet, and some spicy added in. The 'spicy' part of romance novels is what usually either turns me off, or makes me laugh hysterically. Between you and Bella Andre though, the tides are definitely flowing in romance's favor.

Romance books are the one kind of book I have to be in the right mood for. Usually, I read them as a break from something philosophical, or more demanding of my mental capacities to read (like David Foster Wallace, or Aldous Huxley). Turns out, I needed an escape book, one that I could read in an afternoon, and still enjoy, but not have to read for days at a time. (This may be because lately all I ever have is an afternoon - so I tend to look for things I can start and finish in one sitting.)

There's a line in Emlyn Chand's article about how to write a book review that keeps reminding me I have to tell you WHY this book is important.

THIS BOOK is important because it will give you hope, in a world where hope can be elusive, and sometimes it feels like the world is about to end.

Or maybe the metaphorical Borg have taken over the world and your ship is about to fall to pieces.

Walk Away With Me reminded me, that much like a chilli recipe, each ingredient is important, but it really is the simmering and marrying of all the flavors and spices that make it come together and create something beautiful.

Darby Davenport did just that with her characters. This book has the perfect recipe of characters, both human and animal, spicy and sweet, sad and happy. They all come together to create the perfect ending, and a happily ever after you won't want to miss.

I might be a tad cynical, and I might feel like the world is falling to pieces, but reading a great story with a happy ending and some wonderful dogs is just what I needed to plow through the week, and go back to work (again) on Monday.

Sometimes - I wish the infinity loop of going to work was more like the infinity loops of Star Trek.

See? I have Hope! Even if it just hope that there are multiple parallel universes, and that ONE of them is happy. SOMEWHERE.

More about the dogs - I'm a cat person myself - we all know this. That, or I have some weird obsession with anthropomorphizing creatures into talking beings?

That said, I also love four-legged dogs, and my mom's dog has a special place in my heart. She was not always particularly well-behaved, and it was the writing style in Walk Away With Me, specifically with regards to dogs that made me realize Darby Davenport knows EXACTLY what it's like to train a dog.

Whiskey, my mom's dog, was not a rescue dog, but she was the runt of a pure bred litter, and my brother (bless his heart) didn't have the nerve to leave her behind. I even remember him being told "don't pick the runt..." but right after he left I think we placed bets on whether he would or not.

] How could you say no?

You might think since I've only talked about Ethan and Charlie that they are the only important characters in the plot - but I'd have to argue with you.

Each animal plays its own important role in bringing this couple closer to bliss, and by the end of the book you'll love the rascal dogs just as much as you love Ethan and Charlie.

I promise.

About Walk Away with Me

A man with a painful past, a woman who fears commitment, and a dog with only one more chance at life--together, can they find love?
***
What is Charlie Rockwell supposed to do when the sad Rottweiler's eyes connect with hers through the TV screen and work their way straight into her heart? She adopts him without a second thought or the slightest knowledge how to take care of the large, needy dog with the traumatic past.
Ethan Porter is not happy when a savage Rottweiler picks a fight with his mild-mannered Golden Retriever at the dog park. But his anger quickly dissipates when tears begin to form behind the eyes of the dog's beautiful owner--eyes that are far too familiar for his liking. Disregarding his instincts, Ethan can't deny her plea when she asks him to teach her the basics of dog ownership.
Can he ignore the fact that she bears a strong resemblance to his ex and finally learn to trust again? Will she find committing to both man and dog more exciting than the freedom of a single, unrestrained life?
Walk Away with Me is just $2.99 for the eBook and $9.95 for the paperback. Here are all the links you'll need: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo Books, GoodReads.
***
"Lovable characters, compelling plot, and an exciting twist that will leave you on the edge of your seat as Charlie and Ethan find their happily-ever-after." ~ Lucy Kevin, New York Times bestselling author of THE WEDDING KISS
About Darby Davenport


Darby Davenport never believed in love--that is, until it happened to her. Now she's a firm believer that every story is a love story, and has taken to writing out her favorite romantic fantasies and sharing them with the world.
Darby, who also writes young adult and children's fiction under the pen name Emlyn Chand, lives in suburban Detroit with her own personal soul mate--fellow writer, Falcon Storm--and private zoo, which includes a music-loving Sun Conure, hyper-active Golden Retriever, and two scrappy little rescue mutts.
You can connect with her at www.DarbyDavenport.com.
Related articles

An Interview with Darby Davenport, Author of Walk Away with Me (naimeless.wordpress.com)
Release Week Blogging Bash, a Guest post by Darby Davenport - Author of Walk Away With Me (naimeless.wordpress.com)
Learning to Believe in Happily-Ever-Afters: A Guest Post by... Me? (emlynchand.com)
Release Week Event: Walk Away with Me by Darby Davenport (iam-indeed.com)

What's that you say? Where's my sweet and spicy south-western inspire chilli???

This IS the salsa I use in my chilli :D

I won't tease anymore :)

Sweet and Spicy Southwestern Chili

Brown 2 pounds of lean ground beef, ground turkey in a large frying pan, or cook 2 cups of brown rice if you want to try a vegetarian version.

Spice the meat or rice with the following:

Pressed Garlic and olive oil (my ground beef is super lean and I actually have to ADD oil to the pan.

A medium Chili powder - mine is Mexican chili powder and tastes similar to the kind used in tacos.

Ground pepper and minced onions, or onion flakes

Pour all the meat or rice and it's juices into a slow cooker - or a large pot like the one in the picture above and turn on to low heat.

Now for the fun part:

The absolutely wonderful thing about a slow cooker is being able to put it on low - leave it for 6 to 8 hours and have the house smell like wonderful foods and spices marrying together.

All the meat and juice should be on the bottom, to this I add

one large can of crushed or diced tomatoes
one large can of salsa - this is key - find a salsa that is made with apple cider vinegar, or a black bean and corn variety. Mine is homemade, but there are plenty of store-bought ones that work well.
three chopped bell peppers
one chopped (very small) chili pepper
one chopped jalapeño pepper
more garlic, a dash of basil, salt and if not in the salsa about 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
shake in spicy Tabasco sauce and Worcestershire sauce to taste (I've also added sweet and spicy barbeque sauce to this instead of the Wrocestershire, and it tastes just as good.)
One can red kidney beans (wash well)
One can black beans (also washed well)
I also add one cup of organic red quinoa, even if it's the vegetarian version - it adds something homey and warm tasting to the mix.

Clearly you could add more or less peppers, but the key ingredient is the vinegar, whether in the salsa or separate it gives the chilli a sweet taste. The mixture should look a little runny, but will condense down and become sweet and spicy deliciousness in just a few hours.

The pot or slow cooker you're using should be about 3/4 full, and if it looks dry, add some tomato juice or more salsa.

Pot cooking time - 1-2 hours on medium. 2-3 hours on low. So, you can make this for an evening meal, or have it ready for the next day.

Slow cooker time - 6-8 hours on low. I make it before bed, and have crazy good smelling dreams all night, and wonderful chili to eat for lunch the next day.

Enjoy!

[Josette Reuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been sitting on this review for a few days now. Why, well, because it is important to me to be totally honest about my thoughts when providing a review. I had a lot of strong reactions to this story and wanted to be able to write them up in a clear and complete manner. I'm going to breakout my review into separate ratings to better describe why I gave it a 4 star rating.

Story structure: 5 stars, there is a complete story here. A beginning, middle, and end. I didn't feel that the story was hurried at all and it included all of the basic parts. I was hooked in and couldn't put it down. I had to finish it.

Story premise: 4 stars. A girl is guilted into giving a homeless dog a home. She has never had a dog and doesn't know the first thing about training him. I really enjoyed how the story started with a description by the girl of her basic personality and why she shouldn't be getting a dog, but why she had to get the dog. A boy sees the girl with said uncontrollable dog and ultimately offers the girl help with training the dog. Attraction occurs. Lust follows. Then, the beginnings of Love. Girl has unresolved childhood issues that interfere with her thoughts on relationships. Boy has just gotten out of a long term bad relationship. So, for Love to grow, they have to decide to let go of the past.

Charlie's unresolved childhood issues are where the storyline loses a bit for me. See Characters section below.

Characters: 2 stars. This is where this story failed for me. The characters were well developed, but I disliked Charlie from the very beginning and throughout the whole story. To explain why I disliked the characters so much, there was a role reversal, Charlie was very masculine in her reactions and her actions; and, as my husband put it, Ethan wasn't Beta, he was Zeta! And, when I'm sitting there yelling for Ethan to run away as fast as he can, then something is lost in the love story. I wanted Ethan to have his HEA, but didn't see why it should be Charlie until the last part of the story. I mean she kept using her mother as an excuse not to have a relationship, but I never felt that it was justified. She appeared to have a great upbringing. Towards the end when she finally talks to her mom, I finally get an idea of why she feels the way she feels. I think if a conversation with mom would have happened at the beginning of the story or a description of an event that really gave her the impression that her mom was unhappy, it would have went a long way in helping me to understand Charlie. I've had several discussions about this story to try and put my feelings into words, basically, I feel that as an older reader I couldn't connect with Charlie's thought process. The way I see it, you do your crazy stuff while young, grow up, get married and settle down (it’s the basic concept of life that I was raised with). However, when Charlie looked at her mom doing this, she felt that her mom sold out. What happened to make her feel this way? Her mom told her and her sister about the crazy stuff she did before marriage, and just because she wasn't doing it anymore Charlie assumed she was unhappy. We grow and change. We might jump off buildings as a teenager for the adrenaline rush, but typically adults realize the danger doesn't outweigh the benefits and move on to do calmer things, it doesn’t mean that we are unhappy. The prelude was the best part of the story for me, because I finally felt like I could like Charlie and I was happy for her and Ethan.

This of course is my opinion of these characters and others may not see them this way.

Sex scenes: 4 stars. HAWT, yes. However, the first scene seemed to come out of nowhere. I guess I like a bit of buildup, some foreplay first, and it seemed like... well, it was a booty call! A booty call initiated by Charlie. I guess I'm an old fashioned girl and like my love scenes to be controlled by the man. These scenes really helped cement my dislike of Charlie as she runs from each encounter as quickly as possible, because of Ethan showing her a bit of tenderness. The funny thing is that it is the reaction we often see portrayed by men in similar situations, but I don’t have as strong a reaction. I just accept it as part of the story that the girl will get the guy to realize what he has in her and he will grow to accept the tenderness and love. This story has really made me rethink some of my stereotypes.
Recommend: YES, I would suggest this story to others. I'm not sure everyone will see these characters in the light that I have seen them. The story is well written and the characters well developed. I just personally couldn't connect to the heroine. I will definitely look forward to Darby Davenport's next story. I like her writing style. I just hope I can fall in love with her next set of characters.

What I liked: After the first introduction to Charlie, I had a strong reaction to her and began to read the story aloud to my husband. We totally enjoyed sharing this story together. It really added a new depth to the story having his viewpoint as we read. He said that he would give this story 4 stars for the fact of how it brought us together and how we read and discussed each part. We lived the story together, laughing and yelling as the relationship grew. He agreed that the sex scenes were pretty steamy as well.

Disclosure: This ebook was provided to me free of charge by the author for the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments, and ratings are my own.

[Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was first published on my blog, here

it all begins
If you’ve been following my blog for a while then you’ll know that I only recently started reading romance novels. It was never something I was really interested in but then I decided to give it a go and found myself to really enjoy the genre. It is easy to read, nice and light, and is something that is nice to read when you want a break from the hard-hitting dystopians and epic fantasy books. Thus, when I was offered the chance to read this book, I decided that I would take the chance on it. It is here I feel I should also mention my attitude towards dogs. When I was very young, I was petrified of dogs, I never wanted to be near them and would simply cower around them. Then I met my best friend who had a dog and I would be at her house ALL the time, thus allowing me to see that dogs are actually really cute and totally super friendly. So now I really love dogs and would love to get one for myself – my mum despises them – thus I was also very intrigued by how dogs played a part in this little novella.

with a chance
One of the most important things to a romance novel is the plot. Readers know, essentially, what is going to happen by the end of the book so it’s nice to have little surprises along the way and the plot of this novella definitely manages to shock the reader and keep them guessing. It was compelling and hard to put the book down as I read through it and my heart was pumping for a lot of it. What makes this book even more enjoyable is the fact that you’re not just seeing the relationship between the male and the female, but you’re also getting relationships between owner and dog, lover and dog, and dog and dog. It was the perfect combination of relationships that really pulled me into this story and made my heart pump in completely sporadic ways. This book keeps the heat up with the perfect combination of action, sexy scenes, emotional moments, and individual space. It just worked really well together.

between two people
It is easy to state here that the characters of this book were really well-developed and you were able to see not just the people they were but the reason they were the way they were which is incredibly difficult to do in a small novella! At first I didn’t like Charlie, I found her to be a bit irritating but I couldn’t put my finger on why. But then I got to know her a bit more, saw more of who she was and suddenly found myself liking her and her journey. I wanted things to be okay for her and Rugby. Then there was Ethan, then one who you were supposed not to like to start with but who I enjoyed from the start. You were able to see so much of Ethan straight away and I liked that. It was nice to see more of him as the book continued and I really liked the journey he took. But really, for me, it was Tuck that stole my heart away in this story. From the first moment we meet this adorable Golden Retriever, I was smitten with him. I wanted him to be my dog because he was just so friendly, lovely, and seemed to just have this heart of gold. Of course, Rugby was just as adorable as well, but Tuck just won me over.

that could change
While, essentially, this is Darby Davenport’s first attempt at romantic novel writing, it is not her first book and this is very noticeable through the writing style which is crafted well and was truly compelling. I enjoyed the style of the writing and found it to be used in an easy pace and made it easy to read without wanting to throw the book down. It is clear that Darby knows what she is doing and if this is just her first foray into romance writing then I look forward to seeing what else she has on the way. I really liked the way the chapters were broken up between the two different perspectives and how each character had a clear and distinctive voice. It made the book more enjoyable and entertaining and that is always what you wish for in a novel.

absolutely everything
All in all, Walk Away With Me was a novella that is easy to read quickly, is compelling and really gets your heart thumping – for more than just the heated scenes! It is the perfect mix of action, sexy scenes, fun, emotional scenes, and animal love. For me, it was the perfect book to lighten my mood after reading some darker stories, although I did find myself tearing up towards the end until I could finally breathe again. In this short novella I truly went through so many emotions and I find that to be such a wonderful and amazing thing. I would recommened this novella to anyone who likes romantic fiction, or to anyone who loves animals and would like to witness a lovely and sweet story surrounding them. It is the animals that bring these two characters together but they also play a large role in the characters’ lives throughout the novella which is nice to see. They weren’t just there to be plot points. Thus, if you want to read a good, but unfortunately short, book, then you should pick up Walk Away With Me.

[Krishna Veni · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A sweet and heartwarming romance where dogs play a big role in bringing two people together. Perfect quick read for pet and love story fans!”

https://www.petzlover.com/us/puppies-...

[Lissette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie Rockwell's life is going just the way she wants it to. She's footloose and fancy-free, enjoying every minute of the life she leads. Yet when she catches a glimpse of a sad Rottweiler named Rugby on TV, everything changes. She knows she doesn't need any further complications in her life. Yet she can't quite seem to let the dog come to harm. So what does she do? She brings him home in hopes of calling him her own.

Never once did she imagine the immense responsibility that would come with owning a dog. Most especially since Rugby is untrained and doesn't listen to anything she tells him to do. Charlie knows she'll need to do everything possible in order to make the dog understand what she's trying to say and make him do.

Charlie's life is further thrown into limbo when she comes across Ethan Porter while out walking Rugby one day. Ethan doesn't seem to be too happy to meet her or her rambunctious dog. In fact, he's downright put out. That fact, however, doesn't deter her from trying to acquire his help in trying to train her beloved, Rugby. He reluctantly agrees, never expecting the whirlwind affair that soon takes place between them.

For Charlie, her relationship with Ethan was never meant to be anything more than a casual one. Deep inside, she's refused to allow herself to feel anything for him. After all, she's following her mother's footsteps, so it's only fair to keep things open and unattached, right? Unfortunately, her heart has other ideas.

This was honestly a very heart-warming and stirring story about a woman who's made decisions in her life based on her mother's carefree lifestyle. In her mind, she's content with the way things are going. She doesn't have time for long term attachments. Unfortunately, when the heart is wanting, there's no way to avoid the turbulent chaos that's coming your way.

Darby has fleshed out a wonderful story, capturing each character's emotions beautifully. We're able to immerse ourselves in Charlie's world as she makes decisions based on the life she's leading. Decisions that will change everything in more ways than one. A bittersweet story, it's one that is certainly thought-provoking while also tugging at your heartstrings.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Walk Away with Me is the amazing romance debut by Darby Davenport. And if this is just her debut, I can't wait to read the encore!

When free spirited Charlie literally runs into Ethan at the dog park it obvious they have more than just Charlie's rescued pooch, Rugby, in common. No matter how much she wants to deny it, Charlie is attracted to the stable and work oriented Ethan. She keeps telling herself she only wants Ethan for a fling, but she can't get him off her mind.

Ethan is facing challenges of his own. Charlie reminds him of his ex, and he has no plans of ever getting his heart broken again. But, no matter how hard he tries to resist,Charlie is winning him over. He can't believe how much he cares for her free spirit, and her take charge attitude in the bedroom. For Charlie is a woman who knows what she wants. And what she wants is to be nothing like her stay at home mother.

The challenge is these two realizing they need to give a relationship a chance,get rid of their preconceived notions, and listen to their dogs. Who obviously know these two belong together. The story is sweet, at first I thought it was taking the predictable romance novella course, but than Davenport throws some plot twists in and gave it her own spin. A formula that works. The bedroom scenes are just the right mix of spice and lace. Their chemistry is believable, and I found the role reversal very refreshing.It was nice to see the man on the opposite side of this equation, and to have a take charge female in the relationship.

If you are a fan of romance, in the style of Laura Kaye and C.J. Ellisson, I highly recommend you give Darbey Davenport a try. I can't wait for the rest of the loving nature series and to see Davenport explore this genre more. I gave the book 5 stars, definitely shelf keeper.

**Also be sure to continue reading for the inspiration behind Rugby, and the great information on pet adoption. You can see the love of animals shine in this book.***

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walk Away With Me is a sweet romantic novella about two people who have fears and insecurities when it comes to love and relationships. When their lovable dogs brings them together at the local dog park, their attraction and chemistry leads them to confront their fears for a real chance at love and happiness.

Free-spirit Charlie Rockwell is afraid of commitments. Ethan Porter has a hard time getting over a past broken relationship. When Charlie adopts an unruly Rottweiler named Rugby, she didn't know the first thing about taking care of a dog who needs obedience training. A chance meeting occurs when Rugby charges after Tuck, Ethan Porter's Golden Retriever at the dog park, which leads Charlie to ask Ethan for help with Rugby's obedience training. Can a chance meeting and two lovable dogs bring together a relationship challenged couple for a chance at love and happiness?

In her debut novella, author Darby Davenport, aka Emlyn Chand, weaves a lighthearted and whimsical romantic tale written in the third person narrative with alternating points of view by Charlie and Ethan. Charlie and Ethan takes the reader along for the ride as their chance meeting prompted by their dogs develops into a romantic relationship that neither had been looking for, which eventually leads them to let go of their pasts and realize that they are meant for each other. Frought with personal struggles and conflicts, twists and turns, steamy romance, and two lovable dogs, Walk Away With Me is an enjoyable quick read that reminds the reader that anyone can find love at the most unexpected time!

Walk Away With Me is the first book in The Loving Nature Trilogy.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book launch event hosted by Novel Publicity.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...

[Jamie White · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOTE: I received a pre-release ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Darby Davenport makes her debut with the first installment of her “Loving Nature” trilogy. The first book finds impulsive, adventurous Charlie adopting a rescue dog. There’s just one problem- she has no idea how to handle her new fur-child.

Enter Ethan, an avid hiker and risk-assessor. When he and his Golden Retriever, Tuck, run into Charlie and Rugby at a dog park, he’s annoyed at the dog’s lack of discipline. Charlie apologizes and begs for his help in getting Rugby under control. He’s reluctant, as he’d just experienced a heartbreak and Charlie reminds him too much of the ex. Ultimately, he can’t bring himself to turn down her pleas for help and decides to teach her how to control the energetic dog’s behavior.

It doesn’t take long for the lessons to lead to a mutual attraction neither one wants to admit at first. Charlie is a free spirit, afraid committing to a relationship means giving up her whole life and becoming subservient to a man. Will they end up finding happily-ever-after?

There are a lot of love story conventions in this book, and some readers may see a lot of the twists coming. The real draw of this book is in the characters and how they relate to each other while doing the will-they-or-won’t-they dance. Charlie and Ethan are an entertaining pair, and Davenport adds something different to the mix by making the dogs a large part of the story. I laughed out loud while reading about Charlie trying to assert her “alpha” status to Rugby.

If there was one part of the story I didn’t like, it was something that came during the end. I won’t say anything to spoil it, but what happens hits a major weakness in me that made me uncomfortable. Still, if you like this genre it should be an enjoyable and quick read.

[Ruth Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, this is a quick read. If you need a romance book that you can read within an hour or so, this will definitely be it. The writing style is amazing, and it will appeal to those of you who like chick lit and simple romance.

My favorite parts of this book concern the dogs. I am one who loves animals, and while I wouldn't have a big dog, I still love them. For a while, the story made me think of "101 Dalmations." There were some delightful exchanges between Ethan and Charlie. It was also nice that the author continued to change perspectives every chapter so the reader could see the story from both sides of the coin. Darby Davenport is an expert at this writing device, and I couldn't have been happier.

Unfortunately, there were a couple of things that contributed to my somewhat disliking the book. I did not enjoy the morality of the two characters. I could have done without the extended bedroom scenes--especially since this is a novella. I would have liked to have seen more interactions between the two characters outside of the bedroom. I also could have done without the profanity. Don't get me wrong--I am not marking down the book for either of these morality issues. However, because the couple's romance appears to be based on sex more than anything else, I really struggled with enjoying the story.

This book is this author's first romance novel, and I have to say that she is promising in this field. I hope that her next romance will have more interactions between the characters in diverse situations. I think that if she were to write a full-length romance, it might be better as well.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not one to normally read novellas, they are simply too short for me. I sometimes feel that there just isn't enough development to the story in 100 pages. Or that it ends abruptly. But Walk Away With Me by Darby Davenport made me want to try a novella again.

In this novella, Charlie impetuously adopts a large dog who no one else wanted. Trying to get some energy out of her new Rottweiler, Charlie takes him to a dog park where he gets a little rough with a Golden Retriever owned by Ethan. Ethan quickly reprimands Charlie on how badly her dog is behaving. But Charlie quickly notices that Ethan has a way with dogs and asks for help training her dog.

Their relationship starts to bud over trainings at the dog park, but both bring baggage into the relationship (as everyone does). Charlie is a free spirit who doesn't want to be tied down to a relationship (her biggest commitment was her new dog), and Ethan was burned by woman in the past who looked similar to Charlie. They will have to overcome dog drama and human drama before they can have their happily ever after.


What can I say, the cover drew me into this book. I love dogs so any book that has one on the cover will generally catch my attention at first glance. But, the synopsis had me hooked on reading this book, even though I normally don't read novellas. While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I felt that all of the sudden we were in the climax of the story and without much resolution they all lived happily ever after. I give this book 4 stars out of 5 simply because I wasn't thrilled about the rather abrupt ending. I literally thought it was a mistake when my Kindle said I had completed the book.


Walk Away With Me is a fun, quick read that any dog lover would enjoy-I certainly did!

[Tracy Riva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walk Away with Me is the debut novella by Darby Davenport and she promises to be an author people are going to love. Her heroine is the footloose Charlotte Rockwell, aka Charlie. Charlie wants nothing to do with love. In her eyes love, romance and marriage only deprive a woman of her freedom – and Charlie values her freedom more than anything else.

Ethan Porter has been in love, and has been burned badly. When Charlie and her dog come rushing into his life at the dog park her similarity to his ex-girlfriend puts Ethan immediately on guard. Still, Charlie definitely needs help handling her huge Rottweiler and Ethan finds himself agreeing to provide some lessons in dog obedience, against his better judgment.

I loved the way Davenport set this romance up and the fact the storyline was a twist on the usual romance where it is the guy who wants to stay free. I loved that Charlie would be the one who needed to be convinced that love was worth taking a chance on.

And the love scenes. . .in a word, hot. They are mature and tantalizing, but not so much so that the book crosses the line into erotica, but it definitely blurs the line, a lot.

Davenport’s writing is crisp and clean and her characters are realistic. They are people you would meet in any town in America. They are people you can identify with and root for and their pets, Tuck and Rugby are as much characters in the book as Charlie and Ethan are.

I definitely recommend Walk Away with Me by Darby Davenport and I expect to see great things come from her in the future. She is definitely on my list of author’s to watch.

[Gaele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This new release, by this author under her new penname, is a clever romance with a lovely spotlight on the need for ‘forever homes’ for unwanted and abused animals: a spark for the story.

When Charlie, a free spirited single woman without interest in a relationship spots the Rottweiler with the sad eyes and only a few days left on a pet adoption commercial, she realizes that she can’t ignore him: even though dog ownership, training and care are completely out of her experience.
Newly single Ethan has a beautifully trained and cared for Golden Retriever and until the two dogs have a bit of a dust up, followed shortly by the owners: neither has romance on the mind.

From this point forward the story moves forward, with both characters and dogs learning to deal with their past, present and each other as the humans fight their attractions as their dogs improve theirs.

As the two learn to deal with all of the issues, their chemistry becomes undeniable, even to them. With some push-pull of desire over fear, and the opening up of communication and trust between Charlie and Ethan, they finally see what their dogs knew all along: they are meant for each other.

Well-developed characters, an easy to relate to set of experiences, steamy sex scenes and a smooth writing style: this is a great start to a new romance series that is more than just the happily ever after.

I received the ARC copy of the book from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Emlyn Chand's Alex from Farsighted is my literary boyfriend, Ethan in Walk Away With Me is my real life boyfriend in book character form minus the dogs!

This wonderful novel by Darby Davenport is like Must Love Dogs but pulls on your heart strings more and has more dogs involved! This is the first book in the Loving Nature series and tells a wonderful story about finding love when you weren't necessarily looking for it to begin with.

Charlie is a first time rescue dog owner and has no clue how to take care of the rambunctious Rugby the Rottweiler. On their first encounter with the elusive dog park, the run into Ethan, a mild-mannered person and his sweet Golden Retriever, Tuck. To help poor Charlie out, Ethan offers her training lessons to help the poor excitable puppy (I say puppy, but Rugby is one and in dog years that's old. Plus I call dogs no matter their age puppy because they all still are). Little does Ethan know that this friendly offer soon turns into more!

Davenport has beautifully crafted a love story giving two points of view of the story so well! I wish I could tell you my favorite part because its a HUGE spoiler, but I will say it involves a nature sanctuary, picnics, and a mountain lion! This story was just right. It was a quick read and left you wanting more of Ethan and Charlie's story. Luckily Davenport has more stories to share with the other books in this series! I can NOT wait!

[C.p. Bialois · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darby Davenport’s Walk Away With Me is the first in her Loving Nature trilogy and, despite the stigma tied to the genre, is a very interesting and fun read. We’re introduced to Charlie, who is incapable of having a committed relationship beyond a couple of weeks. That changes when she sees the lovable face of a Rottweiler on a show featuring rescue animals. Without knowing why, she picked up the phone and called the shelter to schedule a time to pick up the dog.

After arriving home with the newly minted Rugby the next day, she begins the process of training the dog to the best of her ability. She quickly learns doing so is out of her league when they go to a local dog park and Rugby runs towards a Golden Retriever.

Enter the love interest, Ethan. A year after getting out of a bad relationship with his girlfriend of several years, the last thing he wants is to get close to another woman but finds himself volunteering to help train Rugby.
Their relationship runs the gambit between mutual lust to affection and love as they unwittingly attempt to help each other heal.

As I said before, this was an interesting and fun read that I highly recommend. The only issue I have is a part near the end. I understand the literary reason behind the scene, but as a country boy and dog lover there are a couple of things I wasn’t comfortable with. This didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story; it only caused a brief “hmm” moment.

[Flirting With Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at Flirting with Romance blog:

Want a quick read with a ton of romance? This book is for you. In Walk Away with Me we meet Charlie, the spontaneous heroine and Ethan, the straight by-the-book hero. Both think they are finished with love, but their hearts tell them different.

Their first meeting is caused by a sweet rescue Rottweiler named Rugby. After rescuing Rugby, Charlie takes him to the park for a trial and error test. The day was full of more error than anything. Ethan stands on the sides with his faithful best friend, Tuck. He dares not to get involved since Charlie immediately attracts him and also reminds him of his ex. Charlie, however, uses her clever ways to talk Ethan into helping train the dog. After a few meetings, Ethan can’t help but fall for Charlie, even if she insists they’re only having fun. Soon, Charlie discovers her feelings run deeper, too.

My favorite parts of the book include the sexy love scenes, the lovable secondary characters (the dogs) and Ethan’s warmth. I found myself turning the pages quicker and quicker, to see what would be next. Ethan’s sensitive soul pulled at my own heartstrings and Charlie’s fun-spirit had me laughing. I always enjoy the opposites attract story, and this was no different.

[E.D. Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walk Away With Me is a novella about two people and their dogs: Charlie, an independent commitment-phobe who rescues Rugby, a big Rottweiler, from the pound; and Ethan, a risk-adverse actuary with a golden retriever named Tuck. The two bump into each other at a dog park, and when Ethan reluctantly agrees to give Charlie doggie behavior lessons, sparks soon fly.

This is romance, so of course it's going to have an HEA. But the author does a good job of keeping the two apart without the typical romantic comedy cliches. The misunderstandings flow naturally based on the characters' personalities and back stories.

My only criticism would be that we're flat-out told so much about the characters - for example, Charlie repeatedly tells the read point-blank that she doesn't want a relationship because it'll kill her spontaneity, like it happened with mother - rather than letting it come out in the story through character actions and interactions. Maybe because this is only a novella, rather than a full novel?

Despite that, it's a quick, sweet read, good for lovers of dogs and happy endings.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A man, a woman and an unruly dog, what more do we need to create the perfect setting for a romance? When Charlie saw those sad eyes on TV she couldn’t resist saving the poor rottweiler, Rugby, from certain death, but she didn’t bargain on him being such a handful! Quiet sedate golden retriever, Tuck, seemed like the perfect playmate on their trip to the park, but his owner Ethan just saw Rugby as an out of control brute. A few harsh words to the apologetic owner ended with Ethan offering to help train Rugby, but how long could he keep up those walls around himself while spending so much time with the beautiful Charlie?

Walk Away with Me didn’t have a unique story line, but was written nicely with the right amount of angst, lust, love and romance for a quick read. The inclusion of dogs is bound to win points with all animal lovers especially as Charlie saved Rugby from being ‘sent to heaven’.

This was a lovely, totally predictable romance story, with the added cuteness of furry friends. It is the first book I have read by Darby Davenport, I found it a satisfying read, and would recommend it to all romance lovers.

Copy supplied for review

[Summer Binde · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to read Walk Away With Me because I have enjoyed this authors work under her other name Emlyn Chand!! Let me start by saying that I usually do not read much romance. So when I started reading this book I was pleasantly surprised!! I really enjoyed this book I love dogs and the combination of dogs and romance turned out to be an amazing story. So if your like me or are just not sure about reading romance give this one a try you won't regret it!! I'm excited to read the rest of her romance in the future and if they are anything like this I know I will love them!! What I liked most about this book was the story that went along with the steamier scenes. It was a perfect balance. The story was a great one of learning to love again for him and learning to let go and let love in for her!! Let's just say also the ending was awesome!! I'm not going to say much about it since I don't want to spoil it for anyone else. Just read this book and know the ending adds some definate excitement to the already awesome story!!

[M.M. Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her first book Walk With Me we meet the character of Charlie who has just rescued a rottweiler from the pound and knows nothing about dogs. We also meet Ethan, who own a golden retriever and has a past that hurts him with loving another woman. The two meet in a dog park where Charlie is desperately trying to teach her new dog to behave.

What goes from a chance meeting turns in to a hot and steamy romance. The story twists and turns with Charlie and Ethan shedding everything including their clothing. One where past hurts, past loves, and simply the past melt away with honest to goodness lust.
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I can honestly say that romance novels have not been my favorite genre but I was pleasantly surprised by reading this one. Darby Davenport's book had substance which was totally unexpected. The characters are fun, relate-able and real.
Great job and congratulations, Darby, on your entry in to romance.

~Naila Moon

[Bookish Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pet lovers, this is the story that might interest you! Yes, Walk Away with Me talks about dogs but not that much about dogs but also that drool worthy guy with a dog.

The story started with how Charlie decides to adopt a Rottweiler without knowing the basics of taking care of dogs. That's how her dog ended up picking up a fight with her neighbours Golden Retriever. Oh yeah! That's how the main characters met! Isn't it interesting?

The book has a good balance of romance and fun. It's definitely an enjoyable ride that Darby (or rather, Emily Chand) has came up for us. You'll be left rooting for Charlie and Ethan to be together. That's especially when a complete surprise came about!

So, if you really enjoy a quick and enjoyable romance ride, this is the book for you! The pets portion will be a bonus for you!

(I received a review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review)

[BBMoreB ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a reader, the story must gain my attention quickly. The author’s unusual writing style did just that. With alternating chapters between the main characters; it never allowed the reader {me} to become complacent. This is a whimsical romance about two dog-owners that have no interest in pursuing a relationship. I was astonished by both the depth of character development and the natural progression of romance between the main characters of Ethan and Charlie. Given the length of novella readers are often overwhelmed or forced to accept an abnormal timeline. Not in this story, the pace was prefect - it never lagged, and it pushed forward toward the HEA with just the right amount of gusto.

I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for the rest of The Loving Nature Trilogy!

Disclosure: This ebook was provided to me free of charge by the author for the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments, and ratings are my own.

[Donna McBroom-Theriot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Darby's first crack at writing romance. It had a great story line and being a novella, a very fast moving story line. Sometimes, that's a good thing. We don't always have a load of time to spend enjoying the chase and the beautiful scenery along the way. We have just enough time to jump in there for a couple of hours for some love and jump back out. That is why you will love this novella.

Walk Away with Me gives us wonderful characters who have seen the worst side of love and aren't too sure they want to risk their hearts again. It has great scenery and a quick chase with love at the end. Oh! And it has dogs! So...follow one of the links and find yourself a little bit of love for the afternoon. You'll be glad you did.

Read more at http://mylife-in-stories.blogspot.com

[Brenda Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walk Away with Me is a lovely novella with all the right ingredients: a take-charge heroine, a to-die-for hero, and a couple of lovable dogs.

Irrepressible Charlie Rockwell is afraid to commit. Risk-adverse Ethan Porter is trying to recover from a bad break-up. They seem like an unlikely couple, and that's part of the fun. Darby Davenport has done a great job of showing how the characters' perceived lust for one another actually masks deeper emotions, finally forcing them to confront their fears or risk losing their one real chance at happiness.

This book is a great start to a new series. I'm looking forward to reading the other books in Davenport's Loving Nature trilogy.

I also have to add the formatting is gorgeous; very unique in an eBook.

[Kim Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

.I received an ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) in order to read and review the story for launch week...I must say it sure was a fun read...
First let me make it clear that this is a novella, and as such is a quick read...that makes this a perfect little book to pick up for a nice, fun, little romance:) I love dogs...This book has dogs:)
The characters are pretty well developed for such a short book and I loved the way they interacted with their pets. The pets and the humans had a very real relationship happening and the romance develops while Ethan tries to help Charlie with her newly adopted Rottweiler named Rugby...she fell in love with Rugby after seeing him on the TV...Perfect:) Ethan has a wonderfully behaved dog named Tuck...It all works out...somehow...