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Guys & Dogs #4
Bedtime for Bonsai
Penelope Porter longed for a baby. But now that her marriage is over, she's turned to the next best thing—a cute, cuddly puppy. Mr. Darcy's an absolute sweetheart, but he could use a stint in obedience school. He keeps sneaking over to the shop across the street, the one owned by Baltimore bad boy Dylan Mersey. Not that Penelope minds having to fetch her dog from his handsome new friend . . . Mr. Darcy? Only a high-society hottie would name a mischievous pooch after a romantic hero. No, to Dylan this pup's name is Bonsai . . . and his owner's impossible to resist. Dylan's more rough-and-tumble than refined, but he's about to prove he's exactly what Penelope needs to forget her heartless ex. Soon things are heating up between proper Penelope and dangerous Dylan as they learn that misbehaving isn't just fun for the dog. What Penelope considers unsuitable quickly becomes unstoppable, and she discovers that true love truly is worth the risk.
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
8 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
About the author
Elaine Fox
44 books83 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 16, 2014
I like this author so I’ve been going through her contemporary romance novels, rereading them one by one. The protagonists, Penelope and Dylan, come from vastly different backgrounds but end up neighbors. In the past, Dylan was a criminal and served time in prison. He is trying to start a new life, but his past is biting his heels, and his former thieving buddy is asking for one more favor.
Penelope is a society divorcee, trying to rekindle her broken marriage and reconnect with her former husband, a rich lawyer. She is used to golf courses and country clubs, while Dylan is a chips and football guy. Now, he is a potter, and she owns a gift shop across the street from his pottery. They meet by chance, but their attraction is instant(*) and powerful.
Both try to resist. He doesn’t want to drag her down into his sordid life. She realizes that they have nothing in common and doesn’t want to offend him. But fate wouldn’t be denied, blah, blah, blah. You can pretty much imagine the rest.
It’s actually a nice light read, sometimes humorous, sometimes sensual, and I enjoyed every minute of it despite the abundant romance tropes.
(*)Note for those who dislike instant attraction in romance novels: this book is not for you.
Penelope is a society divorcee, trying to rekindle her broken marriage and reconnect with her former husband, a rich lawyer. She is used to golf courses and country clubs, while Dylan is a chips and football guy. Now, he is a potter, and she owns a gift shop across the street from his pottery. They meet by chance, but their attraction is instant(*) and powerful.
Both try to resist. He doesn’t want to drag her down into his sordid life. She realizes that they have nothing in common and doesn’t want to offend him. But fate wouldn’t be denied, blah, blah, blah. You can pretty much imagine the rest.
It’s actually a nice light read, sometimes humorous, sometimes sensual, and I enjoyed every minute of it despite the abundant romance tropes.
(*)Note for those who dislike instant attraction in romance novels: this book is not for you.
January 13, 2021
Feel good contemporary romance
5 stars
Now that Penelope Porter's marriage is over and she's still without the child that she always longed for, she does the next best thing and gets a puppy. Mr Darcy is an adorable ball of fluff - if only he would stop running off and over to the shop across the street. The shop owned by the sexy bad boy, Dylan Mersey.
Dylan hasn't had many dealings with the society types - especially none that are as hot as Penelope. But nobody should name a dog Mr Darcy so he decides the puppy's name should be Bonsai. Both dog and owner are too difficult to resist but Dylan has secrets from his past that threaten his fresh start, Penelope and whatever he might feel for her. And there's also Penelope's ex to consider. Soon they have to decide whether they are a mis-match or a match made in heaven.
Penelope, who, if you're a fan of Elaine Fox, you might remember from previous books Guys & Dogs and Beware of Doug, is a likeable, engaging character without any of the stereotypical characteristics that many would put on an upper class, divorced society character. I loved how she was believable and yet confused over her feelings for Dylan. Dylan was a deep, tortured hero who, despite his past, had such a good heart that it was so sweet to see him get some happiness!
The story was interesting, engaging although perhaps not as light in nature as Elaine Fox's previous novels. I still found it very entertaining and I love how the style of writing and way of telling a story leaves you with a nice, happy glow at the end.
If you're looking for an entertaining contemporary romance with likeable characters and a good, happy ending then I would recommend this book to you. 5 stars.
August 8, 2010
This series just got better and better right to the end.
This story is a little more complex and suspenseful than the other Guys & Dogs Books. We've all been waiting for Pen's story since the beginning of the series and this book didn't disappoint.
I was most happy to see how Pen was able to grow from her failed marriage (which she considers trying again at) to her more recent relationship with Dylan.
Another great book. Where has Elaine Fox gone? Why has she not released anything recently?
This story is a little more complex and suspenseful than the other Guys & Dogs Books. We've all been waiting for Pen's story since the beginning of the series and this book didn't disappoint.
I was most happy to see how Pen was able to grow from her failed marriage (which she considers trying again at) to her more recent relationship with Dylan.
Another great book. Where has Elaine Fox gone? Why has she not released anything recently?
January 12, 2018
Okay, so I enjoyed this for the most part. It was funny and the author did a good job with making this work as a stand-alone. There were a lot of characters, and even though I hadn’t read any of the other books, I wasn’t lost.
This next bit is a bit ranty: (you’ve been warned)
The one part that really irks me is the first time they have sex he just assumes she’s on the pill and leaps on her without a condom. Why would you assume that, dude??? You think every woman out there is on the pill? Ffs, ask! (My husband heard me yell, “Noooo! Use a rubber!” when I read that scene.)
And then, once the hero finds out that she wasn’t on the pill, he wonders if she’s hoping to trap him. Duuuuuuude. You’re the one who didn’t ask, did it without a raincoat and didn’t bother to at least pull out either. I hardly think it’s fair to think she’s trying to trap you when you didn’t bother to even ask. If you’d asked and she’d lied, then you have a right to think that.
Unsafe sex in contemporary stories really irks me. In historical, I give more leeway: people weren’t as well informed about it or had access to contraceptives. But in a contemporary book published in 2008? I took off a star because it bothered me that much.
This next bit is a bit ranty: (you’ve been warned)
The one part that really irks me is the first time they have sex he just assumes she’s on the pill and leaps on her without a condom. Why would you assume that, dude??? You think every woman out there is on the pill? Ffs, ask! (My husband heard me yell, “Noooo! Use a rubber!” when I read that scene.)
And then, once the hero finds out that she wasn’t on the pill, he wonders if she’s hoping to trap him. Duuuuuuude. You’re the one who didn’t ask, did it without a raincoat and didn’t bother to at least pull out either. I hardly think it’s fair to think she’s trying to trap you when you didn’t bother to even ask. If you’d asked and she’d lied, then you have a right to think that.
Unsafe sex in contemporary stories really irks me. In historical, I give more leeway: people weren’t as well informed about it or had access to contraceptives. But in a contemporary book published in 2008? I took off a star because it bothered me that much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2017
This was the kind of book I was looking to read after a few emotional books. I liked the light, fluffy quality of this contemporary romance. However, the ending didn’t jibe for me as well as i’d have liked. I felt the hero owed the heroine an apology and instead she was doing the majority of the emotional labor throughout the book. I did like the group of friends though. I want to read the others in the series!
August 23, 2017
The plot and story were good. However, the book had explicit sex and foul language, which means that I do not recommend it.
June 3, 2018
I REALLY ENJOYED THIS STORY.IT HAD SOME MYSTERY AND ROMANCE IN IT. AND SOME HUMOR TOO. IT WAS AN ALL AROUND GOOD READ. AND A SURPRISE ENDING I DID NOT EXPECT.
November 30, 2021
Good read 🐾🐾💗🐾💗🐾💗🐾💗🐾💗🐾
December 7, 2008
Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Dec08
The prim society girl and the ex-con. Talk about the ultimate in bad boy fantasies. “Bedtime for Bonsai” by Elaine Fox gives a different take on the ‘unsuited lovers’ theme in her latest from Avon romance. This book furthers her series of stories about dog owners and how their dogs help them find that special someone.
Penelope still wants a child. This longing for motherhood was a major player in her divorce from her husband. She’s always been the society-type, even though her other dog owner friends aren’t exactly cut from the same mold. Until her divorce, she was content to be taken care of, stay at home, look nice, and support ‘her man’. Now, however, she’s met someone totally different…an ex-con. Her attraction to him is very strong even when his treatment of her leaves her feeling dazed and confused.
Dylan went to prison to save his mother. Oh, he was also guilty of other petty crimes, but when the bust came…it wasn’t for his crimes, it was due to his mother’s drugs. The only good thing to come of it was that his mother got ‘clean’ afterward. Now, with a grant, he is making a fresh start in a new town and opening his pottery business. When the classy lady across the street appears interested, he figures she’s just ‘slumming’. But it quickly becomes clear that she thinks she’s interested in him. However, some old ‘friends’ are trying to blow his fresh start and Dylan is sure the best thing he can do for Penelope is to keep her out of his life.
Fox’s story appealed to me from the moment I read the back cover blurb. It sounded like a funny, light-hearted, and cute story involving an adorable puppy. There were funny, light-hearted, and cute moments in this tale, and the dog, Mr. Darcy or Bonsai depending on who you ask, was indeed adorable and did have a minor part to play in the plot of the book. My beef with the overall story is basically the heroine. I haven’t read any of her other books about Penelope’s dog-owner friends, but I definitely picked up fairly early on that the other books existed. Maybe not having read them was why I felt Penelope was a fairly shallow individual. I kept hoping that my feelings would change and Penelope would ‘grow’ a bit, but that didn’t happen until the last few pages of the book and it was almost an overnight thing. That was just a bit too contrived for me.
Maybe I was expecting too much as I’ve read some of Elaine Fox’s earlier stories and enjoyed them very much. Humor and romance are a great combination, but it is hard to find authors who do them well all the time. I also felt that maybe I was ‘missing’ some information which might have been a result of not reading the earlier books in the series, but was still irritating. Where the story shined, it shone very brightly. But for me, “Bedtime for Bonsai” just didn’t shine quite often enough.
The prim society girl and the ex-con. Talk about the ultimate in bad boy fantasies. “Bedtime for Bonsai” by Elaine Fox gives a different take on the ‘unsuited lovers’ theme in her latest from Avon romance. This book furthers her series of stories about dog owners and how their dogs help them find that special someone.
Penelope still wants a child. This longing for motherhood was a major player in her divorce from her husband. She’s always been the society-type, even though her other dog owner friends aren’t exactly cut from the same mold. Until her divorce, she was content to be taken care of, stay at home, look nice, and support ‘her man’. Now, however, she’s met someone totally different…an ex-con. Her attraction to him is very strong even when his treatment of her leaves her feeling dazed and confused.
Dylan went to prison to save his mother. Oh, he was also guilty of other petty crimes, but when the bust came…it wasn’t for his crimes, it was due to his mother’s drugs. The only good thing to come of it was that his mother got ‘clean’ afterward. Now, with a grant, he is making a fresh start in a new town and opening his pottery business. When the classy lady across the street appears interested, he figures she’s just ‘slumming’. But it quickly becomes clear that she thinks she’s interested in him. However, some old ‘friends’ are trying to blow his fresh start and Dylan is sure the best thing he can do for Penelope is to keep her out of his life.
Fox’s story appealed to me from the moment I read the back cover blurb. It sounded like a funny, light-hearted, and cute story involving an adorable puppy. There were funny, light-hearted, and cute moments in this tale, and the dog, Mr. Darcy or Bonsai depending on who you ask, was indeed adorable and did have a minor part to play in the plot of the book. My beef with the overall story is basically the heroine. I haven’t read any of her other books about Penelope’s dog-owner friends, but I definitely picked up fairly early on that the other books existed. Maybe not having read them was why I felt Penelope was a fairly shallow individual. I kept hoping that my feelings would change and Penelope would ‘grow’ a bit, but that didn’t happen until the last few pages of the book and it was almost an overnight thing. That was just a bit too contrived for me.
Maybe I was expecting too much as I’ve read some of Elaine Fox’s earlier stories and enjoyed them very much. Humor and romance are a great combination, but it is hard to find authors who do them well all the time. I also felt that maybe I was ‘missing’ some information which might have been a result of not reading the earlier books in the series, but was still irritating. Where the story shined, it shone very brightly. But for me, “Bedtime for Bonsai” just didn’t shine quite often enough.
October 23, 2013
Bedtime for Bonsai was well written (and well edited) with a reasonably plausible story line.
I would categorize it as a sweet romance. I don't recall any cussing of significance. There were 2, not overly descriptive sex scenes; but one of them did occur between 2 for all intents and purposes strangers and took place after hours on top of a store display case (and there ends my public service announcement).
The reason I rated the book as just "OK" has solely to do with personal preference and quirks...I did not like the heroine...like not at all. The story opens with the heroine Penelope trying to rekindle a romance with her ex. husband Glenn. Her ex. husband who told her he never wanted to have children, then cheated on her, then after they divorced married someone else (who may or may not have been the other woman - it's not clear) and promptly gets the someone else (now his second ex. wife) pregnant and embraces (Okay wrong word) participates in fatherhood. THIS is the man who's bushes she is skulking around in because she wants him back. Only 4 words come to mind...and they would be "sad, pathetic, desperate, loser".
However before Penelope can once again land the catch that is Glenn, she is distracted by the new guy in town. Dylan Mersey, pottery artist and ex.con; opens up a shop directly across from Penelope's pen shop. At first Penelope isn't sure about Dylan because of his sordid past and the fact that they obviously don't run in the same social circles...but that's OK...she decides she can simply mold him into a handsomer, less despicable version of Glenn.
Dylan is a really decent guy (which sadly in the land of romance fiction...isn't my type). He's sweet, although harboring some self esteem issues. He had a tough childhood and he did get involved with fencing stolen merchandise; but really he went to jail taking the rap to save his flighty, flower child, head in the clouds mom from drug charges.
Penelope and Dylan are brought together by the plot device which is Penelope's new puppy named Mr. Darcy or Bonsai depending upon who you talk to. As a head over heels dog lover, I should have appreciated this little tidbit...but it only made me more annoyed with Penelope. She was an irresponsible dog owner with no clue about training and I wouldn't trust her with my pet hamster.
There is obviously a HEA; and in all fairness Pen does show some emotional growth by the story's end.
I would categorize it as a sweet romance. I don't recall any cussing of significance. There were 2, not overly descriptive sex scenes; but one of them did occur between 2 for all intents and purposes strangers and took place after hours on top of a store display case (and there ends my public service announcement).
The reason I rated the book as just "OK" has solely to do with personal preference and quirks...I did not like the heroine...like not at all. The story opens with the heroine Penelope trying to rekindle a romance with her ex. husband Glenn. Her ex. husband who told her he never wanted to have children, then cheated on her, then after they divorced married someone else (who may or may not have been the other woman - it's not clear) and promptly gets the someone else (now his second ex. wife) pregnant and embraces (Okay wrong word) participates in fatherhood. THIS is the man who's bushes she is skulking around in because she wants him back. Only 4 words come to mind...and they would be "sad, pathetic, desperate, loser".
However before Penelope can once again land the catch that is Glenn, she is distracted by the new guy in town. Dylan Mersey, pottery artist and ex.con; opens up a shop directly across from Penelope's pen shop. At first Penelope isn't sure about Dylan because of his sordid past and the fact that they obviously don't run in the same social circles...but that's OK...she decides she can simply mold him into a handsomer, less despicable version of Glenn.
Dylan is a really decent guy (which sadly in the land of romance fiction...isn't my type). He's sweet, although harboring some self esteem issues. He had a tough childhood and he did get involved with fencing stolen merchandise; but really he went to jail taking the rap to save his flighty, flower child, head in the clouds mom from drug charges.
Penelope and Dylan are brought together by the plot device which is Penelope's new puppy named Mr. Darcy or Bonsai depending upon who you talk to. As a head over heels dog lover, I should have appreciated this little tidbit...but it only made me more annoyed with Penelope. She was an irresponsible dog owner with no clue about training and I wouldn't trust her with my pet hamster.
There is obviously a HEA; and in all fairness Pen does show some emotional growth by the story's end.
September 26, 2010
Nice, pleasant story about a woman lonely for love and an ex-con wanting a fresh start. Her puppy keeps bringing them together.
STORY BRIEF:
Penelope is divorced and has a store selling expensive pens. She wanted a baby but her ex-husband Glenn didn’t. He married someone else and got divorced again. Penelope asks Glenn if they can start seeing each other. He agrees. Meanwhile Dylan has just moved to town. His store is across the street from Penelope’s. Penelope and Dylan are drawn to each other, but Dylan is resisting the attraction. Penelope’s puppy frequently runs over to Dylan’s shop which keeps bringing them together. Pinky is a criminal/acquaintance from Dylan’s past. Pinky claims Dylan owes him a favor and wants Dylan to hold and deliver some stolen property. Dylan doesn’t want to but is being forced to. He wanted a fresh start in life, and this could send him back to jail.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
When I finished the book I thought that was nice, it was pleasant. It didn’t surprise or delight me as much as other romance novels have, but it was ok. Think of it as a typical contemporary romance novel. I loved Dylan’s story and was deeply sympathetic to his plight. He grew up taking care of his naïve, childlike mother, first a drug addict and later an alcoholic. Dylan’s life was full of hard knocks, but he makes it through and ends up with a great girl.
To avoid a spoiler, I won’t give details, but I did not like a certain plot twist. At the end of the book, we learn something unexpected about what Pinky was doing with Dylan. Pinky was keeping a secret which could have put Dylan in jail again. The secret was not necessary. Pinky and Dylan could have done something needed without the risk of jail. I think the author was trying to create interesting conflict, but I wish she would have used something different.
DATA:
Story length: 359 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 2. Total number of sex scene pages: 12. Setting: current day Fredericksburg, Virginia. Copyright: 2008. Genre: contemporary romance.
STORY BRIEF:
Penelope is divorced and has a store selling expensive pens. She wanted a baby but her ex-husband Glenn didn’t. He married someone else and got divorced again. Penelope asks Glenn if they can start seeing each other. He agrees. Meanwhile Dylan has just moved to town. His store is across the street from Penelope’s. Penelope and Dylan are drawn to each other, but Dylan is resisting the attraction. Penelope’s puppy frequently runs over to Dylan’s shop which keeps bringing them together. Pinky is a criminal/acquaintance from Dylan’s past. Pinky claims Dylan owes him a favor and wants Dylan to hold and deliver some stolen property. Dylan doesn’t want to but is being forced to. He wanted a fresh start in life, and this could send him back to jail.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
When I finished the book I thought that was nice, it was pleasant. It didn’t surprise or delight me as much as other romance novels have, but it was ok. Think of it as a typical contemporary romance novel. I loved Dylan’s story and was deeply sympathetic to his plight. He grew up taking care of his naïve, childlike mother, first a drug addict and later an alcoholic. Dylan’s life was full of hard knocks, but he makes it through and ends up with a great girl.
To avoid a spoiler, I won’t give details, but I did not like a certain plot twist. At the end of the book, we learn something unexpected about what Pinky was doing with Dylan. Pinky was keeping a secret which could have put Dylan in jail again. The secret was not necessary. Pinky and Dylan could have done something needed without the risk of jail. I think the author was trying to create interesting conflict, but I wish she would have used something different.
DATA:
Story length: 359 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 2. Total number of sex scene pages: 12. Setting: current day Fredericksburg, Virginia. Copyright: 2008. Genre: contemporary romance.
June 2, 2014
When I started reading this book, the characters sounded familiar. It was a continuation of one of the earlier books by Elaine Fox called, "Guys and Dogs". It was how Penelope Porter met Dylan. He was a recipient of a grant from the Sutter Foley Foundation. It allowed an ex-convict to start his own business in the small town.
I actually liked this book more because it was a complex issue of someone in the upper middle class falling for someone from the wrong side of the tracks. The story had a lot of moral issues that people have to deal with. Who can resist reading about an adorable puppy, Mr. Darcy or aka Bonsai was a big part of the story. Easy read and also Penelope's three best friends which she met at the dark part are also a large part of the story, Lily, Megan and Georgia.
I actually liked this book more because it was a complex issue of someone in the upper middle class falling for someone from the wrong side of the tracks. The story had a lot of moral issues that people have to deal with. Who can resist reading about an adorable puppy, Mr. Darcy or aka Bonsai was a big part of the story. Easy read and also Penelope's three best friends which she met at the dark part are also a large part of the story, Lily, Megan and Georgia.
September 7, 2009
I'm a sucker for a good romance that involves a dog, so this book was right up my alley. Bonsai or Mr. Darcy depending on which character is referring to him is all throughout this story.
Penelope is the sweet, somewhat innocent girl done wrong. She's recently divorced and desperate for a baby, but with no way to get one she goes for the next best thing, a cute little dog. Enter Mr. Darcy, or as Dylan calls him, Bonsai. Who is Dylan? Good question! He's the mysterious new guy in town. He unintentionally terrifies Penelope at first, but Bonsai can't seem to stay away from him. Pretty soon he can't stay away from Penelope and she can't stay away from him either.
Penelope is the sweet, somewhat innocent girl done wrong. She's recently divorced and desperate for a baby, but with no way to get one she goes for the next best thing, a cute little dog. Enter Mr. Darcy, or as Dylan calls him, Bonsai. Who is Dylan? Good question! He's the mysterious new guy in town. He unintentionally terrifies Penelope at first, but Bonsai can't seem to stay away from him. Pretty soon he can't stay away from Penelope and she can't stay away from him either.
February 8, 2010
I've enjoyed all of the books I've read by Elaine Fox, and Bedtime for Bonsai was no exception. I thought Ms. Fox did a wonderful job with the character of Dylan, making his emotions very real as he tried to come to grips with his past life intruding on his future. Penelope was never my favorite character in this series of books because I always thought she was somewhat shallow, uptight, and status conscious. But through the course of this book Penelope grew and developed and I enjoyed the change.
February 9, 2010
This is now my favorite book I ever read. Penelope and Dylan are dynamite! Penelope's friends are fantastic! And then there's Mr. Darcy/Bonsai - wonderful dog! I can't say one negative thing about the book. I hated to see it end.
Be aware, this is a series and there are other books to read first. I didn't know this when I purchased the book, so it spoiled it somewhat for me to go back and read the other books now. I'll wait a little while, then go back and read the series in order.
Be aware, this is a series and there are other books to read first. I didn't know this when I purchased the book, so it spoiled it somewhat for me to go back and read the other books now. I'll wait a little while, then go back and read the series in order.
May 27, 2016
af en toe zijn die flutromans erg leuk en heb erg genoten van dit boekje. het einde was natuurlijk erg voorspelbaar maar buiten de romantiek was er ook nog een beetje ruimte voor wat spanning en humor. heb hem in het Nederlands gelezen maar kon op Goodreads alleen de engelse cover en beschrijving vinden.
Read
March 26, 2014From the start, I found Penelope over dramatic and a bit hard to take. I was hoping for a redeeming alpha hero but Dylan didn't hit the mark for me. I skimmed through 3/4 of this book and Penelope didn't seem to get less irritating. DNF.
December 2, 2008
Love these dog stories!!!
May 13, 2009
I thought this book was about a dog. It's not.
January 20, 2011
I love Elaine Fox's books! She brings you into the story. I have read the books previous to this one and will continue to read this series and any others that she writes.
April 1, 2011
cute contemp rom, great guy char, good open-mindedness
September 7, 2011
Hilarious, fun, upbeat and a long, satisfying read.
June 4, 2012
Cute story about people I could like. Reminded me a lot of Kristin Higgins books.
January 19, 2013
Sweet story. Nice Saturday afternoon read.
June 16, 2015
Just loved it...
August 1, 2009
fun story, but with depth. Loved the characters and the romance.
Read
October 9, 2010Cute love story!
Read
July 24, 2017Didn't really hold my attention. Gave up.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews