Amy Hutton

Sit, Stay, Love is a fun romance with a love triangle and plenty of dogs behaving badly (or cutely) to interrupt serious conversations. It is a fresh entry into this genre by Amy Hutton with a great Australian feel. (Think beach).

Sera runs Rose’s Rescue, named after her grandmother who left her the property she runs her animal rescue from. It’s not exactly profitable, but Sera enjoys her work and finding new homes for the animals. Plus, she gets great mates’ rates from best friend and show more local very Toby. They are firm friends, nothing more, even though everyone else thinks it would be great if they got together. Everything is doing fine until Sera needs to rescue movie star Ethan from a German Shepherd. It turns out he’s scared of dogs after a nasty incident – and has just signed on to do a movie where a dog is his main co-star. Ethan wants Sera to help him get over his dog phobia, and is prepared to pay her handsomely which just make makes ends meet at the rescue. Sera and Ethan get along well, but as their lessons continue, Toby gets weirder and weirder. Why he dislikes Ethan so is pretty clear to everyone except Sera and soon she is juggling two men demanding her attention and affection. Who will she pick?

This novel is very pleasant, it’s warm and familiar with some laugh out loud moments. The sniping between Toby and Ethan doesn’t get old, nor did Toby and Sera’s cluelessness towards each other either. If you’re a fan of dogs, you will love all the different breeds mentioned and their personalities (I don’t know dog descriptors between big or small). Although the plot is mainly centred on the love triangle, there are enough subplots about Sera’s business and Ethan’s work to keep the reader interested. The different facets of Ethan and Toby’s characters are well done, revealing both their positives and less desirable traits to the reader. It made for a difficult decision when trying to choose who Sera should end up with!

The novel also has a lovely Australian feel to it, despite it being set on the edge of the city. Both the beach and the bush are well represented in Sera’s day to day life and it just feels familiar and cosy. (And maybe just a bit like Home and Away in the setting, but with less drama and more pets). The story flows well with no slow parts and Hutton has a talent for whip smart dialogue. It’s a delight to read, and it would make for a great TV series (if only for the scenes where Sera and Toby watch Ethan’s movies)!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the ARC. My review is honest.

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