REVIEW: Ruff Around the Edges by Roxanne St. Claire

In Ruff Around the Edges (The Dogfather #5) by Roxanne St. Claire, Aidan Kilcannon thought he would remain in the Army until he was ready to retire. But losing his best friend Charlie Spencer, a fellow Night Stalker, overseas on a routine mission in Afghanistan changed everything. Aidan finds his way back months later to Waterford Farm, surrounded by family but feeling more lost and unsettled than ever. Until Charlie’s dog Ruff, a boxer he rescued overseas, arrives at the farm so Aidan can fulfill his buddy’s dying wish: to take over ownership of Ruff and give him a wonderful life. Only, somehow Charlie also asked his sister Rebecca to watch over the pupper. And now Aidan must find a way to convince Beck that he’s the right guy for the job. Even as he falls a little bit more every day for the beautiful photographer and her sunny outlook on life.

“You still can’t have my dog,” she whispered. “We can kiss for hours, but you can’t have my dog.”
…”I’ll take the ‘kiss for hours’ option.”
“Good call.”

When Beck and Charlie lost their parents as kids, they moved to Bitter Bark to be raised by their aunt and uncle, helping them at their restaurant, Slice of Heaven. So it’s no wonder that now with Charlie passing away and Beck returning to help her aunt handle the business while her uncle recovers from a stroke, it brings back some solemn memories. Ruff was going to be the one bright spot in her time in Bitter Bark. A part of Charlie’s life to have for her own. But when Aidan brings the energetic dog to her, she finds out that her brother supposedly told his best friend to care for Ruff as well. So begins a battle for the dog’s custody, made a bit unfair due to the bond Aidan and Ruff have already made. But Beck is willing to do anything to keep the pup in her life. Although it may put her heart at risk when she and Aidan give in to their chemistry and she faces down the L-word. Something she’s sworn she’ll never get caught up in ever again.

“I can’t lose another person, Aidan. If I let myself fall in love with you, I’m putting it all out there and taking a risk that absolutely terrifies me.”
“You won’t lose another person,” he insisted. “Not this person.” He sealed that promise with a kiss on her lips…

It took an unruly dog and some divine intervention to help our grieving hero and heroine heal in Ruff Around the Edges. Some drama, lots of laughs, even a fiery rescue, this book had ALL the feels. And I would expect nothing less from one of my go-to authors, Roxanne St. Claire.

‘Everything and everyone else disappeared. The kennels, the sunshine, the grief and guilt he’d been carrying for months… There was nothing but Ruff, a wild, crazy, loving brute of a dog who was as much a part of Aidan as his soul.’

I have to hand it to Rocki. Not only did she get the personality of Ruff–a rather spastic boxer–perfect, but the story itself was a twist on two tropes: older brother’s best friend and enemies-to-lovers. Now Aidan and Beck were not exactly enemies, per se, but there was definitely a competition between them as they sorted through the custody issue of Ruff. So that made things interesting and led to some fun, lively dialogue. But there was intense chemistry right away with Beck and Aidan that just felt so right–like they belonged together no matter what. I think the fact that they were both so close to Charlie, Beck’s older brother and Aidan’s best friend, and were still grieving his loss, that it was kind of a connecting thread between them. So I think that kept their battle over who would get Ruff from turning mean-spirited.

Talk about two great characters. Aidan was the emotionally-wounded soldier who had a heart made of solid gold. I mean, he was a Kilcannon after all! (lol) And Beck willingly stepped away from her successful baby photography business to work at her aunt and uncle’s pizza shop. Even though she hated pizza! (She had a good reason why she didn’t like it.) Both main characters also proved to be quite selfless, compassionate and kind. So how could you not like them, right?

Beck and Aidan certainly made a great duo. He challenged her a bit to step outside of her comfort zone, and she had a way of enjoying life–the big things and the small everyday stuff–that I think grounded Aidan, helping him feel less restless since leaving the Army. I loved that there were so many fun scenes with Beck, Aidan and Ruff together. That dog was the epitome of the boxer personality and I had to wipe away tears more than once, I laughed so hard. And that book cover! It really captured Aidan and Ruff’s awesome bond and how Aidan had to, ahem, deal with mischievous Ruff in a few tricky situations. But what I truly enjoyed was the fact that Ruff helped everyone around him heal, with his crazy antics and just by being there for his people. Knowing that Aidan and Beck only wanted what was best for Ruff and to uphold Charlie’s wishes? That was icing on the cake.

Well, Rocki did it again–she reduced me to happy tears as I read the final page of another stellar Dogfather book. Aidan and Beck had to *really* earn their HEA the hard way here. But what a heartening happy ending it was! I think romance fans will have a blast following their journey and will fall even more in love with the captivating Kilcannon clan.

Book Info:

Publication: April 12th 2018 | South Street Publishing | The Dogfather #5

The Dogfather is a contemporary romance series from New York Times bestselling author Roxanne St. Claire celebrating what she loves most: hot guys, great dogs, big families…and true love. And a portion of the proceeds from every book in the series will be donated to the Alaqua Animal Refuge in the author’s home state of Florida!

U.S Army Night Stalker Major Aidan Kilcannon leaves Afghanistan after his best friend, Charlie, is killed in action. Aidan’s only consolation is the knowledge that he’s now solely responsible for Charlie’s dog, Ruff, a rambunctious boxer they’d found in a bombed-out hospital in Kabul. With the help of Aidan’s father, the Dogfather himself, they transport Ruff back to the States. He arrives shortly after Aidan, and both dog and man are suffering from loss, trauma, and sudden change. Aidan is certain his only hope is the comfort and love he gets from Ruff, and that this dog will help him adjust to the staggeringly difficult transition from battlefield to Bitter Bark.

But the day Ruff arrives, Daniel Kilcannon informs his son that Rebecca Spencer, Charlie’s younger sister, has a hard and fast claim on Ruff and she intends to honor her brother’s wishes. Aidan has to relinquish the dog to her, no matter how impossible that is.

Beck Spencer is in Bitter Bark temporarily to help the only living relatives she has left. After losing her parents as a child, and her brother six months ago, she, too, hopes that Ruff will offer the solace and companionship she needs. But when Ruff finally shows up at her door, the man holding the leash is obviously determined to talk her out of keeping the dog. In fact, Aidan uses every persuasive power he has to convince Beck to give up Ruff…and he’s as wild and unpredictable as the dog they both want.

Everything gets complicated by Ruff, who has his own idea of who should be his master, making it impossible for Beck to win him over. But she’ll do anything to succeed, even work closely with maddeningly sexy and relentlessly determined Aidan Kilcannon, who has some skills she desperately needs to save her uncle’s local pizza business.

With an uneasy truce, a restless dog, and an attraction that bubbles like one of Slice of Heaven’s award-winning pizzas, Aidan and Beck soon realize they can help each other heal. But as they fall deeply in love and discover the true meaning of family and home, they’ll have to face the pains of their past if they have any chance of a future.