ABOUT THE BOOK
She’s sunshine and sweetness. He’s a fallen hero with a plan. And the dog? He might be the only one who can teach them both how to love again.
Jif Pritchard lives for laughter, late nights, and making life fun, but when a classroom crisis shatters her carefree world, she’s desperate to help her students feel safe again.
Enter Miles Porter: ex-firefighter, professional brooder, and the man who lost everything when an injury ended his career. Now he’s stuck playing therapy handler with his four-legged partner, Nix, and the last thing he needs is a whirlwind teacher who talks too much and smiles too big.
But as Nix works his magic on Jif’s shell-shocked third graders, Miles starts to see the cracks behind her glittering facade. And Jif? She can’t stop wondering what it would take to melt the walls around his scarred heart.
When sparks fly, Jif and Miles will have to decide: cling to the lives they thought they wanted or risk everything for the messy, beautiful future they never saw coming.
MY REVIEW
I was really looking forward to the second book in this series, and it did not let me down. I love grumpy sunshine romances because it’s so much fun to watch the guy go from grumpy to happy.
Jif is a character who becomes more likable as the story goes on. At first, she seems self-centered and a bit much, especially when she dates football players from her brother’s NFL team. This party-girl side feels odd for a third-grade teacher. But everything changes for her after Miles, an injured and grumpy ex-firefighter, and his therapy dog Nix visit her class following a tough event.
I have to admit, I didn’t like Jif much at first, but I grew to admire her patience and kindness toward Miles. Working with third graders all day is tough, and being able to comfort and calm them is a real skill. Her flirting with her brother’s football team was awkward, so I was happy to see her mature and take responsibility for herself.
Miles is your classic grumpy character, and it’s understandable why. He hurt his leg doing the job he loved, lost that job, and then his girlfriend left him. But it’s his therapy dog, Nix, who really stands out with his gentle eyes and calming presence. Seeing Miles and Nix in Jif’s classroom is great, as they win over both the third graders and Jif after their traumatic experience at school.
Jif and Miles are a true opposites-attract couple. Jif is outgoing and loves being around people, while Miles is quiet and keeps to himself. Their relationship builds slowly, but it’s worth the wait as they handle life’s ups and downs and find their perfect match in each other.
Ms. Minelga creates real, believable characters and storylines that kept me interested and made me want to keep reading. I definitely recommend giving this book a try.
Thank you to Ms. Minelga for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.
Pawprints On My Heart Series
- Third and Long (2026) – My review
- False Start (2026)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rebecca Minelga is an author and speaker who uses the power of words to navigate the liminal spaces between who we are and who we are becoming. She raises Guide Dog Puppies and two sons—in that order—with her husband just north of Seattle. When not writing, she can be found open water swimming in her local lake, exploring the National Parks with her family, or traveling the world on an adventure!
Follow Rebecca on her website, Goodreads, Amazon, Twitter, and Instagram.
