Puppy Love

Flirt

by A. Destiny, Catherine Hapka

First crush, first love, first kiss—in this addition to the sweet and clean Flirt series, Lauren gets a lesson in love when she takes her new puppy to training classes.

Fifteen-year-old Lauren has always loved dogs, but could never have one of her own until her highly allergic older sister went to college. Now she has her very own puppy, and she’s head over heels…until the cute little monster starts chewing everything in sight and barking loud enough to drive the whole family crazy!

So it’s off to puppy kindergarten they go. There, Lauren quickly falls for the dog trainer, a seventeen-year-old dog whisperer with a hot accent.

But is he really the one for her…or would she be better matched with Jamal, a fellow fumbling owner her own age with an unruly mutt?

Will Lauren graduate from puppy kindergarten with a just a well-trained pup? Or will she have a new boyfriend by her side?

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 2, 2014

Reviews

[Ariel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This might have been one of the worst books I have ever read...
If you want a superficial quick-read, with absolutely no plot, this book is for you. This story is literally about a girl who gets a dog. She is 15. 15!!! She signs up for doggy training classes, and somehow the dog trainer is 17, and certified (completely unbelievable). Adam, the dog trainer, is this "hot" kid with an accent. He is SUPER into his dogs and super into his job. Good for this young man to have found his passion so early in life, but how is Lauren so shallow!? And why is this girl so focused on finding the guy of her dreams. I mean, I get that she is young and hormones are racing, but goodness get it together. In the process of her quest to puppy obedience and Adam, she meets Jamal and hurts him in the process.

The whole thing lacks depth. I thought this would also be about responsibility and Lauren maturing and really finding herself and even happiness about the little things in life... but no. It was all sex-drive and annoying narration.

Unimpressed.

[Alissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok, this book, some people would love it but I did not. I did not hate it but the main character just plainly annoyed me

[Allie York · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute little story, and dogs. What's not to love?

[jodiel86 · Rating 2 out of 5]

See more reviews at Words Read & Written

Why I picked it up:

This book was sent to me from Simon Schuster in exchange for an honest review.

What I didn’t like about it:

I shouldn’t complain about this, because with a title like “Puppy Love” and a fifteen-year-old main character, I knew what to expect. Fluff, cuteness galore, wrapped up in a little bow of more fluff…

But wow, this book was fluffy! Fluffy and light and too “young” for me… I love YA, but this was verging towards middle grade. It had a “first crush” vibe, which I don’t mind, but combined with Lauren’s extreme naiveté, it just felt way too young. This is the sort of book I’d recommend to a 12-year-old.

It didn’t help that Lauren was shallow, judgemental, self absorbed and incredibly clueless. Which I guess is pretty common for someone her age, but she was literally about as deep as a paddling pool.

What I liked about it:

Despite all of the above, Puppy Love wasn’t a bad novel. It was a quick read, well paced, and well written. It kept my attention throughout and despite many eye-roll moments, it was pretty enjoyable.

This book definitely wasn’t for me, but I’d recommend it to anyone under the age of sixteen.

My Verdict – This is a hard one… for me, it’s 2 stars, but for anyone under sixteen, I’d give it a 3. So… 2.5?

[Lauren D · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a 15 year old girl named Lauren she just got a brown Sheltie dog and she is head over heels and driving the whole family crazy. So off to puppy kindergarten they go. Lauren finds herself falling for the 17 year old dog trainer with a hot accent named Adam. Her best friend Robert helps her in any way he can to make them be to together but then questions if Adam really is the one for her or if it's a fumbling owner her age with an unruly dog named Jamal. As puppy kindergarten goes on she realizes her lovable pup might be able to sniff out whitch of the two boys is her perfect match. I loved this book because the adventures that Lauren goes through to find true love are absolutely amazing. If you like fascinating, gripping, and spectacular things in a book then you will like this book. Fans of Love in the air will like this book.

[Kandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much. It got frusterating because she ran into his guy named Jamal at a puppy kindergarten class and he likes her but she doesn't like him instead she likes the puppy kindergarten instructor. Jamal tries to ask her out but she is to distracted by Adam( the puppy k instructor). She doesn't realize that Jamal is actually her dream guy until the end. That is how frusterating it got. I was so mad at her.i was like go out with Jamal he is better. But no she didn't listen to me until the end.

[GraceB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lauren had just got a Sheltie puppy 6 weeks ago and now has to take him to doggie kindergarten! Muckle (the dog) hasn't been good lately! Lauren gets dropped off by Robert (her guy best friend) and starts walking. Muckle then starts barking at another dog and at the other end of the leash was Jamal and the two dogs that are now playing with each other makes Lauren fall into Jamal. I recommend this book to my friend destinee because this book is for people who love romance and mystery!

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cute concept but was disappointed in the quality of the writing. Didn't this book have an editor? Redundancy reigned supreme not only with vocabulary ("stuff" and "cool") but also with ideas. The main character was so shallow and clueless that it was hard to root for her.

[Hanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was about a girl and her mom who are going through a tough time. They found this little puppy on the side of the rode. She knew what it felt like to feel homeless and couldn't possibly leave him their alone. So basically this book is about their journey with the their little puppy.

[Leah H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, It was a lot of mixed emotions but it is confusing between the two boys that Lauren likes. Anyways if you like puppys and romance kind of books this would be a good book to pick up!

[Nicole Nash (Costanza) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this YEARS ago; a teen girl who gets a new puppy and crushes hard on her dog trainer? Definitely sounds like this is up my alley! 🐕

What I didn't remember: how freaking ANNOYING Lauren was 😒

Let's get into it -

What I liked:
• Rachel, Robert, and Jamal were great characters. I love the life they brought to the story.
• Adam (here me out) I'm also a professional dog trainer and seeing how involved he was with his dogs and dog sports was very true to life. I know so many people in the dog world and Adam reminded me so much of them. (IYKYK)
• Good pace and an easy read

What I didn't like l:
•Lauren...I don't remember her being no naive and annoying the first time I read this.
• This book seemed so juvenile...Lauren is 15 but she's acting like she's in middle school. All she seems obsessed with is boys (I get it, hormones) but honey...it didn't seem like you even cared about your dog 😅

This YA seemed to be aimed at a younger crowd, maybe middle school age.

It was still a decent book! I liked it!

[Allie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book puppy love was a very interesting book. It was about a fifteen year old girl Lauren and how she has always loved dogs and she finally got a dog, she falls head over heals for the puppy who she believes is so cute. Then the puppy begins to go crazy and starts chewing up her moms house. So Lauren takes her puppy to to a training class, when she gets there she meets a dog trainer and quickly falls in love with him. Is he really the one for her though, or would she be better matched with jamal, a fellow puppy lover with his own crazy dog. As she goes through the the puppy training classes she realizes that her puppy may not be the best at behaving, but her puppy might be able to tell witch one of the boys is her perfect match. You will have to read the book find out witch boy she picks as her perfect match.

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not a book, but instead, a printed fan fiction with a eye grabbing front cover. The main character, Lauren, is 15 years old and has just bought her first dog. One thing that distracted me throughout this short, fluffy read, was that I could not believe Lauren's age. She acted like a 12 year old child, oblivious to those around her, and crushing on a much older boy. Yet, we were to believe that she had a source of income, enough to buy a purebred puppy, when she was 15 and jobless. Back to the story, it is all about dogs, dogs, and more dogs, with a sprinkle of middle-grade "love" thrown in. All in all if you or someone you know are obbessed with dogs, between the ages of 8-13, and are looking for a quick read, pick up this book. Personally, this "book" was not for me.

[Nikki Gutierrez · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
Well, Lauren was annoying. She was prying for Adam the whole time, and I didn't even get why she felt that he liked her- he wasn't showing any signs of it throughout the book, and Lauren kept on leaving Jamal. I don't even know why Jamal liked her. She was so obsessed with Adam, I felt like she barely cared about Muckle, and she was assuming all sorts of things about her best friend Robert because she felt like he was trying to steal Robert from her. Jamal even kept showing signs of liking her, it was so apparent, but she keeps on turning a blind eye. I liked it enough it finish it, but maybe it's because the story itself is already so short.

[Lillian Nemmers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A girl named Lauren had just gotten a dog but it had a lot of energy. Her parents said if she didn't get him under control they would get rid of him. So she signed up for puppy classes at PetBiz were she meet a guy named Jamal. Also the puppy instructor Adam, she thought she liked Adam and after he blew her off at a date he didn't like him anymore. She realized that her real dream guy was Jamal. After blowing her chances with Jamal her best friend Robert set up for them to make up. Then they both end up together and live happily ever after.

[Faith Abbington · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I bought this on a whim and thought I might actually end up liking it. Until I actually started reading it. Being a co-authored book, you'd think it would have been better written. And you'd think that the plot would be somewhat okay. But then again, a book with that description and cover. . .what was I expecting? 10-year-old me would have loved this though.

[Bonnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story made me hate the main character and think how dense a person can be. If you like a unfair fight for a girl who is very dense, then go for it. Although, I will warn you that you will be yelling at the main character and wondering what is wrong with her. Sorry, but this story made me so annoyed.

[Emma Heller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Puppy Love is about how Lauren meets two guys at puppy kindergarten and finds both of them attractive. She is distracted by one guy and doesn't realize how much the other guy likes her until the end. This is a typical high school love story and there isn't much action or excitement.

[Mikee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute read

[Iris · Rating 2 out of 5]

So bad. I'm glad I got this book on clearance for 5 dollars. Literally one of the worst books I've ever read. Terrible predictable plot. Little romance. Garbage.

[*Weebles* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute love story!

[Morticia Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book so much i love the end

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I overall liked the book..it was spot on of a young teen girl wanting her first boyfriend

[Emily hill]

very love dove but its a great romance book

[Ashlyn Gayk · Rating 2 out of 5]

2-2 1/2

[Tonie Apodaca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perfect book for a teenager who likes romance. Wasnt my cup of tea. Didnt meet my expectations of romance. But I love dogs so i had to read it 💗

[Patricia Rafael-Luis · Rating 1 out of 5]

IDK

[Miranda Shae · Rating 3 out of 5]

CAUTION: If you are easily offended and loved this book, do not read my review. Or do. Either way, just remember, I care about your reasons for liking this book about as much as you care about my reasons for not liking it.
I'm looking back on my rating of this book because I just got done watching a review of popular books some girl didn't like. Today is the 21st of October (I finished this book in June), and I'm thinking I am a super nice human being. I can't believe I gave it three stars. Is there a way to give it zero?
Okay, I get it, that's harsh, but I don't think I have ever disliked a book this much. Imagine my utter disappointment to realize there are about ten other books just like it. The only time in my life that I would have enjoyed this cheesy book was elementary school, and I still enjoy Hallmark movies. If that doesn't tell you how utterly predictable this book was, I don't know what will. If you are looking for a super light read (I read it in one day because I wanted it to be over as quickly as possible) that is amazingly predictable (again, Hallmark movie), and will make you feel better about you life decisions (because I swear all this girl cares about is hotness and getting a dog. She is literally blind to every hint indicating she is making the wrong choices), then this is the book for you.
Now that I'm done writing all of that, I remember why I gave it three stars...
The main character's best friend! I don't actually remember his name; all I remember is that I liked his sassy attitude. I would look up his name but I can't find it and don't care enough to look deeper into my shelves.
If you love this book, good for you. I'm glad someone does because I would hate to think of all of those trees who sacrificed their lives for a noble cause only to be created into something no one read.
Okay, I'm done ranting, and if you read all the way down here, I'm guessing you agree with me or want information on this book. My advice to you is to read the book first, make up your own opinions, then read someone's review because if you read someone's review and then read the book, you won't know how you truly feel about the book. Some people will like this book, but I'm definitely not one of them. Thanks for reading!

[Summer · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars. Lauren has a best friend, Robert, but beyond him, she isn’t the most socially active girl, not until her new puppy requires training classes where Lauren meets a new friend, and two potential love interests in Adam, a Irish guy extremely passionate about dogs, and Jamal, a kind-hearted jock contending with a wild puppy of his own.

Lauren’s a bit oblivious, which was frustrating at times, though I guess everyone has those moments in life where they’re so fixated on a goal that they don’t see what’s right in front of them. For this reason, I very much appreciated her best friend, Robert, not only interesting, and quirky, he tended to figure things out right away and nudged Lauren in the right direction - it occasionally seemed as though Lauren may never get their on her own.

This was a cute, quick read, and puppy classes provided a fun setting, I just wish more scenes had been devoted to the other relationship rather than the one that was kind of obviously going nowhere.

Puppy Love wasn’t my favorite of the three Flirt novels I’ve read, still, I’m glad there are books like this one out there, for girls who maybe aren’t quite ready for more mature subject matter, or just for those who prefer their romance on the sweet, innocent side, it’s nice that there are options out there for those with specific boundaries, or those like me, who just enjoying reading a wide range of styles and heat levels.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, hear me out.

If we're just going off of quality of literature and story? This is a one. It's candy that's old and stale for just about everyone.

It's the "just about" that's the key here. This book isn't a serious read by any stretch of the imagination, it's a love triangle with cute puppies. That's it. But in that I do love me some teen romances, in that romance as an overall category continues to essentially keep publishing afloat, this is basically a gateway drug into that industry.

In that way? It works. It's a fast, quick, surface-level story designed to hit a few quick plot points and resolve a love triangle. That's basically it, and it is completely functional in that regard. It has nothing to offer anyone with knowledge of the genre because it's not for us, and I'm sure this book (along with anything else in the Flirt line) will hit those preteen girls looking to move up to something a little more substantive. They need these books, too.

So yeah. If you're old enough to be reading this post, stay far, far away from this book. But if there's a 12 year old girl in your life who has shown some interest in this genre, this might just be the place for them to start.