As a dog lover, there is a true shortage of romances featuring dogs. That’s why upon seeing the cover for Worst in Show, I knew it was going on my list.
Thankfully, Forever was happy to send me an ARC so I was able to read this one early, and what a delight it was. Of course, I’m getting ahead of myself so let’s get into the other details.
Written by Anna E. Collins, this book feels like a love letter to being a pet parent, the lengths we go to for our pups, and how love can come in the most unexpected places. It also feels like a nod to something a lot of business owners can relate to as well.
It’s a romance book, though so things are better than how they would play out in reality. If you’re a dog lover who loves romances, then you need to pick up Worst in Show by Anna E. Collins.
Worst in Show is a pawsitively adorable romance for pet parents.
Worst in Show follows Cora who dropped out of college to help her grandfather run his pet store business, Happy Paws. It’s a pet store in town and has been for decades. That all changes when Canine King opens up across the street and Cora is determined to make sure they don’t cause her grandpa’s business to go under.
Canine King is owned by Leo and from his first introduction, he seems like a jerk. While it does take a while for us to understand his motives, it’s clear Leo isn’t looking to block Cora and Harvey from being successful. Cora isn’t inclined to believe that as she’s doing everything she can to take him down including entering a dog show to win the prize money. Leo gets wind of it and the two have this tension as rivals that’s undeniable. From there, it’s basically a race to see if they’ll make it to the dog show without kissing or killing each other.
There was also a slight You’ve Got Mail element featured as Cora is talking to someone online and we figure out pretty quickly who it is. However, it added something else fun to the plot and added an extra layer of tension to their romance. The story didn’t just focus on romance though as Cora was trying to follow her dream of being a fashion designer and taking care of her grandpa. Leo was dealing with some familial pressure and keeping some secrets which went as well as you might imagine.
The stars of the show in this book were the dogs. Leo has his dog: Tilly which felt so funny to me as it’s my niece’s name. Cora had her dogs which were Cap, Cholula, and Boris. Each had such distinct personalities and I fell in love with each of them. Even if you’re not a big dog lover, you’ll love all the pups featured in Worst in Show.
No matter, if you’re a pet parent or not, Worst in Show, is steamy, sweet, and the ultimate pick for those who can appreciate how big of a role dogs can play in our lives. Plus the author is a proud dog mom so we have to support her!