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Furever Yours #9

The Bookshop Rescue

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How to fetch a family

Bookshop owner—and recently heartbroken—Lucy Tucker never imagined how dramatically life would change once she started fostering Buttercup, a pregnant golden retriever. The biggest change? Growing a lot closer to the businessman next door, Calum Ramsey, especially after the two of them help Buttercup welcome her five puppies into the world. One romantic night later, and they’re expecting a baby of their own! Stunned at first, steadfastly single Calum is now dutifully offering marriage. But Lucy doesn’t need rescuing. She wants the true-blue happy ending they both deserve.

247 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 14, 2022

48 people are currently reading
124 people want to read

About the author

Rochelle Alers

221 books1,056 followers
Rochelle Alers was born in Manhattan, New York, USA, where she raised. She obtained degrees in Sociology and Psychology, before started to work. She is a member of the Iota Theta Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and her interests include gourmet cooking and traveling. She has traveled to countries in North, Central and South America, and Europe. She is also in accomplished in knitting, crocheting and needlepoint.

Published since 1988, today a full-time writer, has been hailed by readers and booksellers alike as one of today's most prolific and popular African-American authors of romance and women's fiction. With more than fifty titles and nearly two million copies of her novels in print, she is a regular on the Waldenbooks, Borders and Essence bestseller lists, regularly chosen by Black Expressions Book Club, and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Gold Pen Award, the Emma Award, Vivian Stephens Award for Excellence in Romance Writing, the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award and the Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award. She also wrote as Susan James and Rena McLeary.

Rochelle Alers lives in a charming hamlet on Long Island.

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5 stars
70 (44%)
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50 (31%)
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29 (18%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
Profile Image for Tina Loves To Read.
3,481 reviews1 follower
July 11, 2022
This is a Romance, and this is the 9th book in the Furever Yours series. I have not read the other books in this series, but I do not think that hurt my enjoyment of this book. I loved the characters in this book. I also loved all the dogs in this book. I think I was living for the dogs as much as I was living for the romance in this book. I think this was a super cute fast moving romance with dogs with is everything I wanted. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Harlequin Special Edition) or author (Rochelle Alers) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
Profile Image for Elaine - Splashes Into Books.
3,884 reviews136 followers
April 28, 2022
If you're looking for a romance to read,
This could be the very book that you need.
It is a story of folks who've been hurt before
Learning to love and trust once more.

Lucy Tucker's made a fresh start
A bookshop owner now, she's playing her part
Though she's reluctant to trust, she's still unsure
About her building attraction to the business man next door!

He's Calum Ramsey and he's helping her out
Being a friend and always about.
He's helped with her foster dog, Buttercup,
Determined to be there when she has her pups.

A heartwarming read, delightful to escape into,
This story has all the "Aww!" feels and five puppies, too!
In the past they were hurt by others they knew
Now they need to learn to trust others again, too.

For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
It's a gentle, heartwarming read and this is my honest review.
Profile Image for Susan.
4,809 reviews126 followers
May 1, 2022
This was a sweet friends-to-lovers story. Lucy moved to Spring Forest to start over after her fiancé ran off with her best friend. She opened a bookstore and fosters a pregnant golden retriever named Buttercup. She made friends with fellow business owner Calum, who owns the bowling alley next door, Pins and Pints (I love that name!).

I enjoyed watching the development of the relationship between Lucy and Calum. Thanks to the betrayal by her fiancé and friend, Lucy has a hard time trusting anyone. She introduced herself to Calum when she bought the building for the bookstore. She notices his good looks and charm but doesn't allow herself to look at him as anything other than a friend. Calum was attracted to Lucy from the start but respected her "friends" decision. Having been burned in a relationship during college, Calum has no plans to settle down soon. His business keeps him plenty busy and gives him an excellent excuse to avoid anything serious. It was sweet to see that Calum cares about Buttercup as much as Lucy does.

Calum helps Lucy the day that Buttercup has her puppies. The intense emotions of the event lead to them giving in to the feelings that flare up between them. But passion overcomes common sense, and soon Lucy discovers she's pregnant. Once he's over the shock, Calum finds himself happy about the baby and looking for ways to make Lucy a permanent part of his life. However, Lucy's trust issues cause her to maintain some distance between them. Both of them also have had problems with unreliable dads, which affects how they look at parenthood.

I loved Calum's protectiveness toward Lucy and how he tried to take care of her. It can be an uphill battle because Lucy is very independent and reluctant to depend on anyone except herself. The more time they spend together, the deeper their feelings grow, but neither says anything about it. Not only do they fear rejection, but neither wants to mess up their friendship. Things are progressing well between them until Lucy witnesses a confrontation between Calum and his father that sets off her insecurities. After a huge blow-up, she leaves and tells him she needs space. I ached for both of them because they were miserable apart. When Lucy calls her mom, she unloads her fears and worries and gets honest and straightforward advice. She has much to think about as she continues to avoid Calum. But when a medical emergency occurs, Calum is the first one she calls. Some emotional moments at the hospital showed how deep Calum's feelings were. I loved seeing them finally let go of the fears that kept them apart and look to the future as a family. The ending was adorable, with Buttercup playing a significant role.

I loved Buttercup and the part she played in Lucy's life. She was Lucy's friend and confidante and gave her someone to love. I liked how she took Buttercup to the bookstore with her. It was easy to see how much Lucy loved her and hated that she would have to give her up. I didn't understand that part since she could have applied to adopt Buttercup herself. The scene where Buttercup had the puppies was terrific, and I was so happy that Calum was there too. One of my favorite things was the names that Lucy gave the puppies: Fritter, Pancake, Beignet, Waffle, and Grits. It made me laugh that the author described the two girl pups as the wild ones.

#netgalley
Profile Image for Mana.
151 reviews5 followers
abandoned
June 11, 2022
When you think of a classic romance book, this is it.

It features a quaint little town, female heroine with a dark past, a cute dog, independent business owners, a bookstore, and lots of sex.

There's something incredibly old-school about this book. So if you're nostalgic for an old-school written romance with more contemporary characters, this might be the book for you!
Profile Image for Lindsey.
1,232 reviews3 followers
April 2, 2022
I thought this was a nice simple story. I do not mean that the content was simple, I mean it was an easy going, enjoyable read.
I enjoyed both characters. Lucy and Calum are both hard working people who both have some past experiences that have shaped them into who they are today. I was happy when they both decided to have some fun together and go on their first date. I thought they made a nice couple.
When life hits them with a curveball, they both handle the situation quite well and realize they need to communicate when some mistakes are made.
I also love Buttercup and the pups! The puppies names are adorable!
Profile Image for Lauren loves llamas.
849 reviews108 followers
April 30, 2022
While this is the ninth book in the series, I read it as a standalone. There were a couple of references to other couples that seemed like they were referring to previous books, but that was it. And while this has all the cute puppies the book promises, there were other issues that ruined the read for me.

“But like the name of her bookstore, Lucy was beginning chapter one of her best new life.”


Lucy and Calum both have their own reasons for not wanting a serious relationship. For Lucy, she moved to the small suburb of Spring Forest to get away from her cheating fiancé and all their friends, and so far, running the bookstore has been a wonderful fresh start. For Calum, owner of the bowling alley next door, he didn’t want to even think about starting a family until he had the means to support them, not to mention the trauma that having an alcoholic father has left him with. Both agree that they’re not interested in kids right now… though I’m sure you can guess how that turns out for them!

“With him, there was no pretense that had her second-guessing or looking for an ulterior motive. He was confident and forthcoming, while he hadn’t hesitated when expressing his views on marriage and becoming a father. She had hit the jackpot with him.”


First off, Buttercup, the pregnant golden retriever that Lucy is fostering, is adorable, as are her little of puppies! There’s plenty of sweet moments with Buttercup and hilarious antics with the puppies, so I definitely got my quota of happy romance dog. Having two main characters who are definitely not looking for something serious (ha, we know how that turns out) but are still (mostly) amazing at communication? I really liked that. They were, for the most part, both straight-shooters, though of course it took some time for each of them to open up to the other with their vulnerabilities. So, yeah, it’s a pretty cute romance with flawed-but-trying characters.

Unfortunately, there’s a strain of fatphobia running through the book that ruined the experience for me. There’s references to a side character avoiding certain foods due to age, and Lucy even spouts the classicly awful in reference to dessert. Even when characters push back on the amount she’s eating, she claims she eats enough to feel full, not overeat. Lucy’s references to weight and dieting came up repeatedly in the book and served absolutely no purpose in the plot and in fact actively jarred me out of it. Weight stigma is rooted in racism which makes it even more disappointing to find in a book with two Black leads.

Overall, a cute romance with cute dogs and unfortunately chock-full of fatphobia.

Content notes:
Profile Image for Sharon Helfrich.
1,221 reviews6 followers
July 31, 2023
Tough to read a romance when you don't really like either of the main characters. Definitely my least favorite installment of this series.
Profile Image for Laura.
2,170 reviews75 followers
did-not-finish
March 22, 2022
I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes; this in no way impacts my review.

DNF 19%

This sounded like a super cute premise and I’m a sucker for books with pets, especially when the pet brings a couple together. I was prepared for heteronormativity because it’s a Harlequin romance, but I figured this would be a fun, quick little read to brighten my day. Instead, I am just really tired of how food and health are correlated. I know this is a common occurrence, but honestly that just adds to my exhaustion. It was super sweet that Calum decided to send food over to Lucy after she gifted him books for his niblings, but her coworker commenting on how she can no longer eat from Pins and Pints for her health and continuing on about how when she was Lucy’s age she could eat whatever and now she has lists of can and cannot eat. I know the healthiness of food choices depends on an individual and their dietary needs and intolerances, but having someone randomly talking about how they can’t eat from a place just, i don’t know, maybe I’m being too sensitive but I don’t have the capacity to handle those kinds of comments in my books. I’m sure this will be a cute book and a sweet romance, but for myself it isn’t working. I hope it finds its audience and brightens peoples’ day.
Profile Image for Anthony.
Author 29 books199 followers
May 13, 2022
The Review

The emotional growth these two people shared with one another and their own tragic pasts really made this story shine so brightly. The instant attraction they feel for one another and their hesitancy after a painful past and the fears they brought made this story feel real and alive on the page. The small-town setting and intimate setting really allowed the intimacy of the characters and their relationship to thrive and grow in this narrative.

As a pet owner and pet parent, the shared love for the pregnant Golden Retriever and how they took care of the golden retriever together was so amazing to read. It served as a great metaphor for their circumstances later on, as a surprise pregnancy will put these two on a wild and insane journey of romance and responsibility. The balance found between the whirlwind romance of their narrative and the realities of life beyond the initial romance were great to see portrayed here.

The Verdict

Captivating, engaging, and heartwarming, author Rochelle Alers’s “The Bookshop Rescue” is a must-read modern-day romance and an emotional story overall. The intimate nature of this romance and the realism and honesty with which their relationship was examined made this story so entertaining, and the natural progression of their romance will have readers hanging off of the author’s every word.
Profile Image for Carol Cassada.
Author 39 books106 followers
July 23, 2023
Bookshop owner has a busy life running her shop and fostering a pregnant dog named Buttercup. Luckily, she has help from her friend, bowling alley/pub owner Calum. Lucy and Calum have a growing attraction to each other which culminates into a night of passion. But the two soon learn Buttercup isn’t the only one expecting.

This was a wonderful small town romance book. Spring Forest is one place you’ll want to visit just based on the bookshop and bowling alley alone.

Lucy and Calum have dealt with heartbreak in the past. Lucy’s fiancé dumped her for her best friend, meanwhile Calum’s alcoholic father abandoned his family. As the couple navigates parenthood and their relationship, they must confront their pasts before planning for the future.

The writer did a good job of developing Lucy and Calum’s relationship . It didn’t feel too rushed, and it was great how they started as friends before going to a full-fledged romance. Calum is caring toward Lucy, although at times he comes across as too protective. As for Lucy, she puts on the persona of a strong independent woman, with a sensitive side. Although she tries to do everything herself, she realize she needs to let other help.

This was a great romance story and I loved the inclusion of Buttercup and her puppies who stole the show.
Profile Image for Eileen.
2,694 reviews
April 23, 2022
The Bookshop Rescue by Rachelle Alers, book nine in the Furever Yours series is a sweet romance that is an easy and enjoyable read. Lucy Tucker moved to the town of Spring Forest, North Carolina after the betrayal of her fiancée with her best friend. She opened a bookstore and found some kind employees, but has a hard time trusting people again. Calum Ramsey is the owner of the nearby Pins and Pints bowling alley and has been attracted to Lucy since they met. They both have some past experiences that have shaped them into who they are today. They both care about Buttercup, the pregnant dog Lucy is fostering. After an exhausting night of helping deliver puppies, Lucy and Calum unexpectedly give in to their feelings and being unprepared and unplanned, results in consequences. These two likable people, who both make mistakes, slowly move towards each other, learning how to trust in love and each other. Buttercup and her puppies add another layer to the story and their names are adorable. I highly recommend The Bookshop Rescue to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Profile Image for Aly.
2,932 reviews86 followers
May 8, 2022
3.75

You know I'm in love with this cover, right?

Lucy Tucker used to be an elementary school teacher but when she left her hometown to heal her broken heart, she decided to open her own bookstore. When she arrived in Spring Forest last year, she made friend with Calum Ramsey, who own the bowling alley next door. Calum has been attracted to her since the first time he saw her, but he understood she needed time to get over the betrayal that happened to her. After being left by her fiancé one month before the wedding for her best friend, Lucy doesn't know if she'll be able to trust again. These days, she's happy planning activities at work and fostering a pregnant golden retriever for Furever Paws Animal Rescue. But on the night Buttercup give birth to her five puppies, Lucy and Calum get closer and soon, she's the new mommy to be 😛. Calum says he wants to be with her but Lucy is afraid it's only because of the baby.

One of the things I liked best about this book (except for the dogs of course!) was to read about Lucy's enthusiasm for her bookstore and all the events she organized. It was cool to see Calum at work too. I wasn't 100% sold on the romance part I needed more sparks between the MC I think but they were still cute together.
Profile Image for Stephanie Harless.
175 reviews2 followers
September 29, 2024
The female main character was making me mad through most of the book, she acted so stupid. I liked the main male character better than the female character in this book, and I usually don't in other book. First of all the male character is a sweetheart, and would do anything for the female character, but she is too stupid to notice the signs. She to caught up in the past, and keeps bringing up her ex fiance. The male character is not your ex fiance. The male character said he would take care of you, love her, and does what he says he going to do. The female character keeps saying she can't trust him, doesn't know if she loves him. He was the best part of this book, she was acting childish, and couldn't decide what she wanted. Then she should've started dating him. I don't think she deserved him. Sorry not Sorry.
286 reviews7 followers
March 13, 2022
Lucy Tucker has moved to the town of Spring Forest, North Carolina after the betrayal of her fiancée with her best friend. She has opened a bookstore and found some kind employees, but she has a hard time trusting people again. Calum Ramsey is the owner of the nearby Pins and Pints bowling alley and has been attracted to Lucy since they met. They both had difficult upbringings with unreliable dads, but do not share their pasts well. They do both care about Buttercup, the pregnant dog Lucy is fostering and after an unplanned night, Lucy is also pregnant. These two likable people, who both make mistakes, slowly move towards each other and learn to trust.in love and rely on it. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Brinley.
1,250 reviews73 followers
April 18, 2022
I'll admit, I picked this one up because of the puppies on the cover. I had almost no idea what it was about... And really, that wasn't my problem with this one. The characters were cute. The romance was cute. The plot wasn't anything new, but it was fun. My only problem with this one stems from a trope it uses. It's not done badly, it's just not something I'm a fan of. I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading this one, it just wasn't my jam

Thanks to Harlequin for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
Profile Image for Moira.
1,262 reviews12 followers
April 23, 2022
Lucy and Colum were owners of neighboring businesses. He's attracted to her but picks up on her reticence about relationships. They are friendly and supportive until one day things change between them and they move beyond friendship. After engaging in unprotected sex Lucy finds out she's pregnant.

Can Colum accept his past family failures to realize he's not his father and will be a more responsible father? Can Lucy put the betrayal of her fiance and best friend behind her to trust in Colum? This is an uplifting story of learning from mistakes on the past to embrace the future you imagine.

I received a free ARC eBook from Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinions.
521 reviews10 followers
May 9, 2022
Bookstore owner, Lucy Tucker left her hometown after her fiance ran off and married the maid-of-honor before their wedding date. She opened the bookstore next to Pins and Pints, a bowling Alley owned by Calum Ramsey. Calum had accompanied her when she went to Forever Paws to foster one of the dogs that had been recused from a backyard breeder. When Lucy saw the pregnant golden retriever, Lucy agreed to foster Buttercup until her puppies were weaned. Calum had carried the underweight dog to Lucy's SUV. In fact, Calum also agreed to be there when Buttercup went into labor.
Their relationship changed after the puppies were delivered. I do not want to say more as it may reveal the ending.

Profile Image for amirahlynn.
599 reviews21 followers
August 14, 2022
2.75 rounded up. I’m sad to say this but I didn’t really like this. It’s my fault for not reading reviews or reading the synopsis. I don’t like unplanned pregnancies or books centered around pregnancy. I though this was going to be a cute little story about a bookstore owner moving to a small town and fostering a pregnant dog. I didn’t know that her romance would involve her getting pregnant the first time they have sex. They hadn’t been dating long at all, they had sex one time, don’t see each other for weeks and know nothing about each other. And then the entire book is her pregnant and them both easily upsetting each other because they don’t know each other’s triggers. It was very annoying because they wouldn’t explain much. At least it was fast paced
Profile Image for Novel Obsession.
183 reviews4 followers
June 7, 2022
When Lucy's world cam crumbling down, she decided to start over somewhere new, opening up her very own book store. A year later, and she has a foster dog about to have puppies, a good friend in local Pins and Pints owner, Callum, and a staff full of women who would do anything for her. The book opens well. After that, it just didn't hold up to the hype. Callum tends toward domineering over supportive. Strong Lucy, despite her insistence of being independent, tends to defer to him. It wasn't for me.

Disclaimer: A copy was provided by the publisher.
Profile Image for Brittany.
1,099 reviews37 followers
June 26, 2022
This was the ~*~perfect~*~ summer romance read for me. I loved Lucy & Calum (& of course, all the puppers) & I swooned/giggled (I know, giggled LOL) a lot through this precious romance! Just under 300 pages, I got through this pretty quickly & it was an enjoyable way to spend a summer morning on my patio :) I also did not realize this was #9 in the series, though I assume each of these books can be standalone because I didn't feel like I needed any more context from the previous 8 books?

I received an e-copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
380 reviews1 follower
September 5, 2022
Lucy Tucker had moved to Spring Forest to have a fresh start after bad breakup. She opened a bookstore called Chapter One. The people were very friendly and helpful. Calum Ramsey owned the business across the street called Pins and Pints. Calum had a bad break up, but he wanted to get to know Lucy better. Lucy was fostering a dog named Buttercup. Calum helped her with the dog and also helped her with her store. This was a great story about people finding their joy. Both had left places to start over and to open a new business.
Profile Image for Cassandra Haywood.
326 reviews
November 7, 2022
Cute Love Story

This is a cute story of friends to Lovers. Both main characters Lucy and Calum had some life issues because of how their father's treated their mothers and family. Lucy and Calum didn't want the same things to happen in their romantic relationship together.
Sometimes it is best to let past hurts go so it doesn't put a damper on your future.
I enjoyed this storyline which held my interest from the beginning until the end
Profile Image for Tati Richardson.
Author 4 books286 followers
March 15, 2022
I am not a big sweet romance person. Nor am I a dog person. But I am an Rochelle Alers fan. I've read Kathy Douglass' entry into this series a while ago. This gave me all the Hallmark-type feels. Lucy and Callum were the absolute cutest doggie parents to pregnant Buttercup as they nursed her through her pregnancy. I was provided a copy via NetGalley for review.
Profile Image for Antionette.
207 reviews3 followers
May 1, 2022
More Than Puppy Love

I loved the storyline and the devotion by Calum and Lucy to the small town of Spring Forest,Buttercup, and each other. I enjoyed watching love blossom from a simply act of pooch sharing. Romance and human and animal nature blooms in this beautiful tale of small town love and goings on. Great beach,vacation, and weekend read.
Profile Image for Annarella.
14.2k reviews167 followers
May 3, 2022
I'm a fan of books mixing romance and pets and this one was a good match. I loved Buttercup and rooted for the characters.
It's a sweet and compelling story and I liked it.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
132 reviews4 followers
May 9, 2022
Another awesome book by Rochelle Alers. Lucy and Calum are a great couple. After being hurt by her fiance and best friend, Lucy moves to Spring Forest to start over.This is a great story. Buttercup is so sweet.
126 reviews
December 3, 2023
A very good read!

This couple got their happily ever after! They deserved it! I wished the got to keep the puppies!
A good story dealing with lack of trust on both their part but in the end communication was the key! A must read!
Profile Image for Sarah Pesnell.
178 reviews
March 13, 2022
I really enjoyed this book by Rochelle Alers. It was very well done and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews

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