The Perfect Match

I loved this book! It amazed me how real the characters were & how flawed the hero was. Mac and Charlie ..love at 1st read. These kids made the book as well as the pull that Cash tries to deny himself. If you are looking for a book to sit with...laugh, cry...laugh some more...cry some more...this is your book. I have already read it twice. It will end up on my rotation of books I read over and over. Hope you will enjoy!

I picked this book on a whim because of the cute Newfy puppy on the cover and because i have read many of Ms Cates' back list and have enjoyed her talent creating emotionally satisfying reads. What I found here was incredibly delightful story that had me laughing hysterically one minute and sobbing the next. Charlie is a heartbreaker with her need to be noticed, and Mac is the child we all wish we had but would find it too funny to live with. Their father Cash makes the most delicious transition from a stern cop to a caring dad and lover who readers will dream about. Quirky newcomer Rowena, "fairy godmother" to the town's homeless animals is the catalyst who heals the whole family but not without the help of her "familiar" of sorts Clancy/Destroyer, a 175 lb slobbery ball of fur Newfoundland dog. The sexual tension begins with Cash calling Rowena "Trouble" a crack in his demeanor and doesn't let up. You might never look at your laundry room the same way again. I may be biased but having been owned by a wonderful member of this unique breed of dog, MS Cates so nailed this dog's behavior, I could see my own dog on every page. But what really made this a five star read was the emotional one-two punch of the story with the girls. If you read this book and don't shed tears what are you doing reading romance in the first place? Some romance readers are tired of stories with kids and pets, but if you only read one such book this year it MUST be this book, you will be rewarded with a story that stays with you long after the last page is turned . This is one is destined to be a Classic, just have the hankies ready you will need them.

Her nonagenarian Irish "fairy godmother" Great Auntie Maeve MacKinnon tells twenty-seven years old Rowena Brown to open her animal rescue pet store in Whitewater, Illinois because in this tiny town she will find her soulmate. Rowena heeds the advice of her godmother although she has mixed feelings about finding the love of her life. Using her magical Cuchullain pipe, Rowena is able to perfectly match people with the animals she heals; so her rescue store proves very successful. She matches nine year old sad faced Charlie with the hundred plus pound and growing juvenile delinquent Newfoundland dog her father Deputy Cash Lawless calls Destroyer and Rowena calls Clancy because the child and the canine are soul mates. Cash is initially irate until he sees how good Charlie is with the dog. As Rowena becomes involved with Cash, Charlie and his other younger daughter Mac, she realizes her fairy godmother is right that she will find her soulmate here as the Lawless father and two daughters stole her heart. Male names aside, THE PERFECT MATCH is a delightful whimsical romantic fantasy starring three wonderful humans and a canine who steals many of the scenes. Rowena and Cash are fully developed and readers will feel for Charlie as much as her father does. The secondary players, mostly regally commanding "Princess" Mac the townsfolk, other rescued animals, and of course Clancy, enhance a warm tale of love. Harriet Klausner

Rowena Brown has a knack for introducing the right pet with the right human. When her overly rambunctious Newfoundland falls for quiet and shy Charlie, Rowena is sure it's a match made in Heaven. Until she meets Charlie's dad, who is town deputy Cash Lawless who's had more than a couple run-ins with the quirky canine. Rowena insinuates herself into the Lawless household as she tries to convince Cash to let Charlie and Clancy be together. But single father Cash is in over his head, with two girls to raise - one of them disabled in a car accident. When Clancy sneaks in to visit Charlie, he startles the babysitter, causing him to break his leg, and Rowena steps in to help the family out, much to Cash's consternation. But Clancy melts Cash's heart when he proves to be a therapy of sorts to other daughter Mac, but he insists his name be Destroyer. And Rowena proves to be therapy to Cash's hardened heart, while battling her own family for the freedom to be herself. Cates heartwarming tale of a little lost girl finding solace with a four legged friend is engaging. Despite the fluffy cover, it's pretty heavy at times, tugging at the reader's heartstrings, especially as the reader gets to understand what has caused Charlie to fold up inside herself so much. It's a sweet and charming story.