Falling for the Pet Doctor

by Crystal Lacy

When his estranged mother passes away, struggling artist Felix Lu is saddled with a middle-aged parrot after he returns to his hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii to put her affairs in order. Out of his depth and dealing poorly with grief, Felix turns to compassionate veterinarian Tyler for comfort.

Losing the love of his life in an accident has made Tyler Hayworth afraid to risk his heart again. When Felix walks into his life, Tyler tries his best to steer clear of temptation--but lowers his guard when he realizes Felix is only looking for a temporary fix for his loneliness.

Felix is going back to the mainland soon. They can both take what they need from each other without compromising their hearts, right?

An emotional romance featuring a singing African grey parrot, lots of cats and dogs, and a sweet, well-deserved happily-ever-after. This 44,000 word novella was originally published under Radish Fiction under the name Finding Home. It has been revised and edited for re-publication here.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, LGBT, Romantic

172 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 17, 2022

About the author

Crystal Lacy lives with her loving family in Hawaii, where it is always either drizzling or sunny and never snows—which is a shame, because she prefers being cold to being damp and hot unless it’s for Very Good Reasons. She writes queer romance, mainly M/M, but also some F/F. She has aspirations to one day write a YA novel about cats.

Crystal is a long-time fangirl and writes slash fanfiction for the Untamed/CQL and NBC Hannibal fandoms under the name crystalusagi. She has a deep love for fandom culture, and can be frequently spotted on Twitter and Tumblr reblogging pretty fan art.

Join her readers' group on FB for sneak peeks, extras, and the chance to grab advanced reader copies at https://facebook.com/groups/lacybits

Subscribe to her newsletter at crystal-lacy.com/subscribe for monthly book giveaways, recs, news, and more!

Reviews

[Agla · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down. This was good but not great. It's the story of 2 grieving men (one his mom very recently, the other his husband a while back) who support each other. They connect through animals and that part was very nice. Something was missing in the relationship development for me, maybe because some conversations happened off-page and were just summarized? As a result, it was difficult to see their feelings deepening. The angst was well handled and I still bought their connection but it took a while for us to get to know Tyler who was just supporting Felix without really talking about himself all that much which was a tad odd. The sex was not it, which is atypical for this author. I still had a good time but if you don't know this author maybe don't start with this one

[Ed Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sweet story about two men finding each other while dealing with grief. I liked it, but I didn’t find myself completely wrapped up in either Felix or Tyler. I have to admit my favorite character was Dorian.

[Peppa]

Sorry but I had to dnf it at 48%. Believe me I really didn’t wanted to it’s my first crystal lacy book that I dnfed but this one here was just not like. I didn’t felt anything at all and the characters were (in my opinion) so unbelievable off. Everything in this book was just not working for me.

[Anna]

This was fine. I don't really have anything super positive or super negative to say about it. It is about a guy named Felix who ends up in his mother's house with her parrot after she dies. He is working through grieving when her parrot starts self-harming and if he likes takes him to the vet for help. The vet is Tyler and he is animal rescuer extraordinaire. Tyler is working through some of his own grief in the death of his partner from a few years back. He and Felix end up doing a friends with benefits kind of deal with neither one of them committing for their own reasons. Obviously they fall for each other and things happen.

I really liked Tyler and Felix but I feel like we missed out on a lot of their conversations. Things were referenced but not actually happened on page. I would have loved to see more of their getting to know you and even then more of their conversations once they finally make things official. I did really love the animal aspect of this one and seeing the different types of animals. This isn't a bad book but it isn't a favorite either.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been a while since a book made me tear up, but this one managed. I have read Crystal's sweet books and her kinky books. I like them both. Having an angsty book seems a nice and natural branch out, and she did it nicely. And this is coming from someone who enjoys angst.
It was also pretty sweet, having Tyler and Felix learn to shoulder their grief together and live and love again. I like it. I also like Jeremiah, qnd if she ever decides to do a sequel with him, I'd be very pleased.

[Kirstin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute little story and I really enjoyed both Felix and Tyler, but it was lacking something to the story. I didn't understand how Felix was a starving artist, yet wasn't creating art, or selling it. I also felt like there were a few sweet moments shared, but then weeks went by with nothing. I like a bit of the early in relationship in each other's pockets stuff.

[Rin (indefinite hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately this novella really didn’t connect with me. I understand grief, but I really didn’t feel the connection between the MC’s at all… they just felt… flat. And the sex was really awkward which is unusual for Lacy.

There also needs to be some proper editing… the timeline was totally wonky. The first half it said it was hot and Felix was “here til the end of summer” and only a few weeks had passed, then all of a sudden it was Thanksgiving. And that previously months had passed. It was SO confusing.

The writing just felt off and I just didn’t connect with this story at all, except for the grief Felix dealt with.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Madhu MaBookYard - · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don’t look so proud! If I told anyone else I know they’d think I was crazy to set aside an entire room for a bird.”“Crazy is endearing.”
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My Rating : 3.5/5 🌟🌟🌟✨
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Felix is dealing with grief when his mother passes away and her pet parrot starts making life difficult. Tyler is afraid to open his heart up again after losing his love. When these two meet when a pet emergency happens, sparks are bound to fly and leaning on each other becomes inevitable. I really liked the relationship development between Felix and Tyler. They were a mess individually but they were open about what they wanted.Their chemistry was amazing even though the development was a slow burn.
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“Be my distraction until all this tension between us bleeds out. And I’ll be yours.”
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Coming to the story and character development,I absolutely loved Felix and his arc. The way he dealt with his grief and his relationship with the pet parrot and Tyler.It was heartwarming to watch them fall in love with each other. The author made the story and the plot serious,but introduced some much needed humour in between that made the story addictive to read and easy to get through. The talk about grief and moving on with life was explained in a way that was both hopeful and matched the character’s personalities. Tyler was an absolute sweetheart and I loved him so much. I still feel like the romantic relationship the characters developed could have been written differently and with more emotions and chemistry.
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"I know it doesn't make a difference. But I feel it anyway." "There's nothing wrong with feeling things, Felix,"
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The only thing I didn’t like in the book was the pacing towards the middle and the ending.I liked it, but I wanted the book to explore more about the past and the characters communication. Overall, it was a really good book that talks about grief, a sweet happy ending and a talking parrot that makes you want to smile.
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Thank you so much GRR for the gifted review copy!
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Book 56 - February 2022 / Arc / GRR
Tags : Feel Good Romance, Talks about Grief,Books with adorable pets

[Juniper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tyler and Felix share a number of things– a deep emotional and physical chemistry, a love for animals (although Felix has to discover the depths of his via a fraught relationship with a highly opinionated parrot), and an understanding of the many, many ways grief can be devastating. Felix’s grief for his estranged mother is new, Tyler has spent years mourning his husband, and they each, in different ways, help each other to cope and endure. Tyler holds Felix through his tears, and Felix’s existence, and the bond they develop, encourages Tyler to face his fears. This is a highly emotional story, and not all the emotions are kind, but there’s very little tension within the relationship itself. Everyone’s motivations are clear, and met with patience and understanding. The story is also, it should be said, a bit of a love letter to life in Hawaii– the community, the cuisines, the landscapes are all celebrated as a vibrant, and healing, backdrop for the romance.

*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Heather Duff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really tender and endearing story of two men who find connection through their own grief. 


Tyler, the Veterinarian, has lost his husband to an accident. Though it's been a while, his heart isn't ready for another relationship, another chance to have his heart broken. 


Felix has returned home to Hawaii after his estranged mother's death to settle her estate, which includes Dorian the parrot. He's been lost and drifting for some time.


Together they learn it's okay to keep living, to be happy and to love again.  


Expect lots of cute animals and sweet moments. 

< ARC provided by GRR and this is my honest review >

[Janet Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felix lost his mother and had to go back home to settler her affairs. He ends up her parrot. Tyler is the veterinarian that Felix takes the parrot to. Tyler had lost his one love in an accident and is dealing with grief. They are both bogged down in grief and turn to each other. This was a sweet story, especially loved all the animals. I really enjoyed how their relationship progressed. The character development was well done. Overall, a great read! The story was really well written, the pacing was smooth, highly recommend. I am voluntarily leaving a review form an advanced copy that I received. My reviews are solely based on my thoughts and opinions.

[Florence . · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC but I quite enjoyed this one. I really enjoyed all the themes it explored and how it explored them. I just didn’t really feel the relationship between the main characters which is what stopped me from loving the book.

I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest opinion

[Devy B · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75
0.75 for the cover. So gorgeous 😬

This is not bad, it has a good potentiel but I’m not fan of the dead partner trope, the guilt of falling for another person and the mourning through the whole book.

[Abigail Beckwith · Rating 5 out of 5]

old post reposted


New author, same old binge-reading habits. Crystal Lacy, the new(ish--to me--sorta) author. "Falling For The Pet Doctor", the same old binge-reading habits.
["When his estranged mother passes away, struggling artist Felix Lu is saddled with a middle-aged parrot after he returns to his hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii to put her affairs in order. Out of his depth and dealing poorly with grief, Felix turns to compassionate veterinarian Tyler for comfort.

Losing the love of his life in an accident has made Tyler Hayworth afraid to risk his heart again. When Felix walks into his life, Tyler tries his best to steer clear of temptation--but lowers his guard when he realizes Felix is only looking for a temporary fix for his loneliness.
Felix is going back to the mainland soon. They can both take what they need from each other without compromising their hearts, right?"]

This book was all about grief, support, and caring for yourself (and your bird--not a euphemism). It was so fluffy and sweet. The connection was there between these two before the spark was. Tyler wanted to take care of Felix and be there for him, something his last partner didn't do after his mother passed and something he felt he wasn't up to do for himself. Felix wanted to be near Tyler and make him laugh, something his friends had been trying to do for a while and something he felt he couldn't do after his husband passed. That was instant (and through Dorian). The spice came after--quickly after, but after.

#fallingforthepetdoctor #crystallacy #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This romance manages to incorporate the heavy topic of mourning the loss of a loved one while not feeling overly weighed down by grieving.

The story does give the grief felt by the characters its due, though. Tyler literally gives Felix a shoulder to cry on as Felix works through the complicated emotions surrounding the death of his estranged mother. Tyler’s husband died several years ago, but even though his grief is no longer fresh like Felix’s, Tyler is also still dealing with the fallout of his death by resisting finding someone new for fear of suffering another loss.

What keeps the sadness in check is the happiness that Tyler and Felix find in each other as they go from being friends with benefits to true lovers. It’s not all just Felix crying in Tyler’s arms. They spend a lot of time together, both in bed and out of it, simply taking pleasure in each other’s company. So, Felix and Tyler have plenty of happy moments to balance out the sorrow as they drift into being a couple. They are also supportive of each other outside of their respective losses, as when Tyler encourages Felix to look for new opportunities in his career as an artist. The two of them are just very good to each other, which makes for a sweet and gentle romance.

I really enjoyed it, especially with the added bonus of the birds, cats, and other critters to satisfy the animal lover in me.

This review is based on a complimentary advanced reader copy; all opinions are my own.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an e-ARC of Falling for the Pet Doctor by Crystal Lacy from Gay Romance Reviews in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick, sweet read. Felix just moved back to Hawaii because his mom passed away and he has to handle her belongings, including a parrot named Dorian. Dorian starts biting himself bloody so Felix takes him to a veterinarian’s office where he meets Tyler. There are immediate sparks, but neither one is looking for a relationship. Felix is moving back to LA and Tyler is still grieving the loss of his partner five years ago.

There’s a lot of grief in this book, but it manages not to be heavy. That’s something I think this author can do really well — handle hard emotions with a soft touch so that they are real but not overpowering the development of the relationship. You can do stuff like that in a romance novel. Anyway, Felix and Tyler become friends with bennies, and they both fall pretty hard. There’s a little lack of communication toward the end, but not enough to take me out of the story to scream “TALK TO EACH OTHER.” So again, just the right amount.

I give this book 4 stars. If you like animals, you will enjoy all the pets in this book. Tyler is basically running a mini pet rescue out of his house.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and satisfying story about two hurting men and a depressed parrot

Felix is suffering from a break-up and has just lost his mother while Tyler is still grieving for his love, when the two bereaved men meet because Felix's squawking but sad new roommate needs a trip to the vet's.
The two men are instantly attracted despite the circumstances that brought them together but neither is looking for love. They agree to spend time together until Felix has sorted out his mother's estate and sold her house, when he will then return to his life in L.A. Of course, feelings and hearts won't get involved because there is a time limit on their... whatever they want to call it, but they're only fooling themselves.
This was a sweet story, with no real angst between Felix and Tyler (apart from the angst that their grieving causes each of them but that actually helps to pull them closer together), and their love for each other shines through.
Tyler's menagerie made me laugh, Dorian made me smile, and Felix's art was so beautifully described that I want one of his sunrise paintings. I loved the ending, which was perfect for them all.

[Raven and Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about grief. Don’t let that stop you from reading it though. Felix is dealing with guilt and grief over the death of his estranged mother. He finds himself developing a relationship (although he isn’t sure what kind) with the local vet Tyler. Tyler is also dealing with grief but his is over the death of his beloved husband 5 years before. They both agree that hooking up would be a fun thing to indulge in while Felix is on the island because he will have to return to LA soon. But what neither one of them expects is how good they are for each other and how much they actually need the support of another person. Tyler has been hiding from life and Felix was just getting by. This book is a beautiful dance of learning to forgive yourself and to live again. It is definitely worth a read. Make sure you have your tissues handy though as these two work through their feelings. This story doesn’t have any angst but it does have a lot of sweetness as Tyler and Felix fall in love without really trying.

[Brianne McCallum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 4th book I have read by this author and just like the last 3 I absolutely loved it.

This was a quick read that I absolutely could not put down. I was sucked in from the first page by the plot and sweet characters and an amusing parrot. Both of the MCs were loveable characters and they had instant chemistry that you can feel. I felt the story was well written and didn't feel rushed. Though I would have loved if there was more, even though we do get the complete story and I didnt think anything was left hanging, I didn't want it to end. Even though the story was short the characters were well developed and the relationship moved at a natural pace and didn't come across as instalove.

This was a sweet, low angst, low heat story that was very heartwarming and filled with emotion. The plot had some sad/tragic feelings of loss for both of the MCs but I thought the emotions were well balanced out. I loved that there was mutual hurt/comfort and that they helped each other heal. I absolutely would recommend this story. It had all the feels.

[Chelsea Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweet, emotional and tender story! I absolutely loved it. Tyler and Felix are able to find their way to each other and develop this deep and meaningful connection by being there for each other through their own grief. Tyler lost his husband in an accident and Felix lost his mother. He returns home to Hawaii to settle her estate and that is where he meets a grieving Tyler. Together they learn that its okay to keep going in their lives and to keep living. Even though its hard they learn that its a beautiful thing to love again and open their hearts. This is truly a beautiful story and the relationship these 2 men develop was such an amazing read. I adored this book so much and I would for sure read again!


I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.

POV: 3rd Person

Standalone or series: Stand-alone

Would I recommend it: 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ highly recommend!! 🤩

Would I read it again: Most definitely!

[Elle Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an emotional book, set on the beautiful island of Oahu, Hawaii. Felix is back on the island because his Mom died and his grief is deep and real. Tyler is still hurting 5 years after losing his husband Terrence. Together, the two men stumble through grief as Felix experiences it and Tyler tries to support him as he relives some of the pain himself.

The characters are strongly created, right down to the bird Dorian. The island weaves its magic, too, as only Hawaii can . . . and is made more tangible by descriptions of Felix’s art.

The romance between the two characters is sweet and hot. And can we just talk about the sizzlingly adorable cover for a second? Is there anything better than a super hot guy with cute animals?

Although the grief makes this book feel heavy at times, and there are a lot of tears, there are moments of laughter too and lots of tenderness as the two characters navigate falling for each other.

[Allyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Falling For The Pet Doctor does a really nice job of balancing sweetness, heat, and emotion. Felix comes home to Hawaii after his estranged mother’s death in order to get his childhood home ready to go on the market. His mother left behind her parrot, Dorian, and Felix has no idea how to care for a grieving bird. He takes the bird to the vet and meets Tyler, the sexy veterinarian who’s also working through his own grief. Neither one is in a place emotionally for a relationship, but they strike up a friendship as they bond over caring for Dorian. Felix and Travis are so good for one another. They have amazing chemistry and give each other the grace to process tough emotions. It’s a story about embracing the unexpected, opening yourself up to love and intimacy, and finding that person who accepts you completely. It’s a really lovely book.

[Jamey A Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartfelt and heartwarming. Such a great book. Fate steps in for two men who probably wouldn't have ever met. Two men each hurting for very different reasons. Two men who just may be able to help each other. Felix is in town to put his recently deceased mother's affairs in order. His mother's parrot falls ill and Felix turns to Tyler for his expert care. There is an attraction between the two. They decide upon a friends with benefits arrangement while Felix is in town. Tyler is still hurting from the death of his husband and that's all he can off despite the attraction between the two. Felix will be leaving town in a few months anyway. The two get closer as they get to know each other and their lives become intertwined. Will the two find out they need each other more than their original arrangement? I highly recommend.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

One of my favorite things about this author is the way they include so much about Hawaii that makes me feel like I live there again. I believe the setting so much that I can picture everything as the plot moves forward. Once again, a definite win for this book.

What lacked punch was the connection both in the actual relationship between the MC's and the MC's and me, the reader. There were tender scenes and the passion was there sometimes, but there were bits that felt like opportunities missed or moments skipped that pulled me from the story to wonder if I'd misread or skimmed past some text.

Overall this was a very sweet story and lighter in the angst department than the synopsis led me to believe and was a well-written story. There were aspects that didn't come together as well as I'd hoped, but it was definitely an enjoyable couple-few hours while I read this.

[Dixiecowgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful journey from grief to finding friendship and love.  I really enjoyed both our struggling artist, Felix who is dealing with the loss of his mother and our veterinarian, Tyler who is grieving the loss of his partner.  Each of these men need a life-line and they find that friendship and physical connection with each other.  This is just a charming book from the difficult bird to the many rescue animals, this book builds the road from accepting loss to finding friendships and love.  

I really enjoyed the MC's and they felt authentic as they struggled to find their way each day.  Their connection was fun and steamy, yet it was also so very meaningful and cathartic. 

I  was gifted this book from Gay Romance Reviews and i freely give my honest opinion and review.

[Enirehtak Melas · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part I enjoyed the story, but I didn’t feel the chemistry between the main characters. I liked that both men were dealing with different levels of grief and found comfort and connection with each other. However, I felt that Tyler’s character and his more personal struggles were mostly kept from us. Most of the character growth and development appeared to be highlighted in Felix, and Tyler’s was more in the background or even off page. I wish we had a chance to learn more about Tyler too. Overall, while I did enjoy the book, a lot was missing for me in terms of whole character development. I prefer that to be equally shared between the main characters rather than one over the other.

*ARC provided by Gay Romance Reviews, and I have given my honest and voluntary review.*

[K-Me · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful hurt comfort read. What I loved most was that both men needed comfort and support and they ended up slowly giving it to each other. Felix is trying to forgive himself after his mother's death through taking care of Dorian her parrot and Tyler is still grieving the death of his husband. These two are drawn to each other for comfort and intimate companionship, but they are also very attracted to each other. They have great chemistry and spend time just talking and with the animals along with some steamy, sensual times with just each other. I received an ARC and this love story made me feel good and so happy for these two wonderful guys!

[Kay Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this as an ARC from gaybookreviews.com

When I saw this as an option for an ARC I got it straight away, because I've read most of Crystal Lacy's other books, and this one looked really interesting!

I'll admit, I wasn't in the mood for sex scenes when I read this, so I kind of skimmed those scenes. The second act in the book felt like it dragged on for a bit too long at times. But that said, I really enjoyed the bits that were about the animals, Felix's art, and the parts about grief. And the third act and ending made up for the rocky middle. The epilogue is also really sweet!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can we not fall for good-looking men who love animals! Crystal Lacy caught me at the title.
Felix came home to bury his mom and while there had to rush Dorian to the vet. Tyler took Dorian home to treat and that led to fun with the animals and getting to know their quirks.
Both Men grieving a loss in their own way and needing to accept that they can depend on each other to heal.
Another good read from this author. I received a copy from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my voluntary review.