I requested an advance reader copy of this novel for several reasons. First, I've never read anything by this author before and thought I'd give her a try. Second, it's the first novel in the series, and I'm tired of always starting a series somewhere near the middle or end. Lastly, the cover and series title led me to believe that a dog would play a major role in this novel. While the writing was quite good, the premise of this novel struck me as odd, and the dog, a K-9 companion to the air force hero, Ethan, was barely mentioned. For these and several other reasons, I could only give this novel a 2-star rating.

The heroine in this novel is Isabella (Izzy), who married her high school sweetheart as soon as they graduated and he immediately joined the military. Being the daughter of a military father and moving from base to base, Isabella envisioned her happy future as being one of a group of friendly and supportive military wives on base, happily married and raising her children. A freak training accident before her husband was ever deployed put an end to those dreams and she swore that she'd never get involved with another military man again. This novel is set 10 years after the death of her husband, and although she's had sex with several men since being widowed, none were in the military, and there were no long-term relationships with any of them.

Izzy's relationship with her father is and has been strained at best for years. Her mother divorced her father when she could no longer handle being a military wife. Why that made Isabella dream of being a military wife is never fully explained, and was a mystery to this reader. Basically, Izzy has gone along for the last decade living a half-life, she teaches grade school, has a few friends and that's about it. When her father arranges a blind date for her, she reluctantly agrees.

Enter the hero, Ethan Masters, and of course, he's handsome, hunky, polite, and oh yes, he's in the air force, and has a K-9 companion, Sam, who makes 2 brief appearances. No sooner does Ethan remove the red fedora he's wearing so that Izzy will recognize him as her date, when she sees his buzz-cut, turns around and literally flees. The two attempt a few more dates, but between Izzy's mood swings, and on-and-off attraction to Ethan, while never explaining why she can't seem to make up her mind about dating him was both childish and ridiculous. She certainly has no problem getting into bed with the handsome airman, but her inner dialogue about him and their relationship, and her fear of losing him as she lost her first husband went on and on, and got her and this reader nowhere.

While I liked Ethan's attempts to get to know Izzy, and his attempts to put her mind at ease about his choice of career, and his introducing her to the wives of his military friends, he doesn't bother filling her in on his plans for the future, a future that includes the fact that he's about to be deployed again, that he's been offered a promotion, and that he plans to re-enlist when he returns from this latest deployment. No sooner does Izzy hear the news when she breaks off the relationship, but is there any hope of a future for these two? Frankly, at this point in the novel, I simply didn't care. I thought Ethan could do better than tie himself to a woman who can't seem to decide what she wants, won't support his military career, and who will probably be a basket case whenever he's deployed.

Of course, there's a big surprise and an HEA ending awaiting you, but this novel truly left me totally unmoved and unsatisfied. It needed more depth, more drama over and above the relationship drama between the two principle characters, and more importantly it needed more of a story than just this on again, off again relationship.

As stated, I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

Interesting and look into getting involved with a relationship of men in the military. Fears of history repeating, can the heart open up to take chances. I read in one day, fast enjoyable book, which was better than I expected from the title.

Blind Date Bet by Nicole Flockton is book one in the "Man's Best Friend" series. I liked the way this book was written. It was very fast passed, and has a young feel through out the book. You could also feel the pain and sorrows that the characters where going through to finally get there very own happily ever after. Refreshing romance read.

I was interested in this book because of the military angle. I was raised an Army brat, and haven’t really read a book that looked at the military from this perspective: a woman afraid to get into a relationship with a military man. I enjoyed that aspect of the story; the rest of it was just ok. I enjoyed the characters, for the most part. It was a pretty short book, and things happened between the couple at a pretty quick pace, while I usually prefer things to progress more slowly, and get a bit more in depth. I enjoyed it for what it was, though, a quick military love story.

I wanted to like this one, but unfortunately the whiplash I got from the whole will she, won't she in the first third was a bit too much. Maybe if there had been one less time ... I don't know. I understood her reasoning but it was a little tiring. I may come back and try again later because the characters were appealing outside of this.

Isabella knows of the sacrifices that military families make to support their soldier. Some make the ultimate sacrifice and that's what she doesn't want to experience again. She was married young to a military man who died while in service, plus her dad is retired military. Isabella doesn't want to get involved with another military person, but her dad has other ideas and sets her up on a blind date with Ethan. He intrigues her, but she is resistant to him. He is as well, but it doesn't seem that they are going to get the chance to explore this chemistry between them until Isabella works things out to be able to accept that Ethan loves what he does in the military (K-9). Will they work out their differences? Will love last? What's going to happen? To find out, you will have to read the book!

Thanks to netgalley for the arc and the opinions here are my own.

Title : Blind Date Bet

Series :Man's Best Friend #1

Author: Nicole Flockton

Genre: romance

Pages:232

Netgalley

Publishers: Tule Publishing

Book synopsis:

Never say never…



After loving and losing a soldier once, Isabella Knowles made a vow: No more military men. She’s rebuilt her life and has a classroom full of fifth graders to love, which is more than enough even though her father doesn’t agree. When he sets her up on a blind date, she only goes to humor him -- never dreaming that the man she meets will tempt her to break her one rule.



In theory, Ethan Masters is not opposed to the wife, kids and house with a white picket fence. But he loves his career as a K-9 handler in the air force, and a dream promotion dangles before him like dog tags. While contemplating his future, he accepts a drunken bet for a blind date, never dreaming that the captivating woman fits perfectly into his ideal, all-American dream. Only one problem. She's gun-shy about all things military.



Can Ethan prove to Isabella love is worth the risk


My thoughts

rating: 3.5

Would I recommend this series : yes

Would I read anything else by this author: yes

A slow going romance , which is once again a nice change of pace , but still a good one to read, Loved how Isabella and Ethan first meet and their first date ,but there was times I just couldn't stand Isabella at all , it was like one minute she was hot for Ethan then she was cold, and there was times it was like she couldn't even make up her mind.Another thing I didn't like was how we didn't see Ethan doing his job , or even his dog Sam ,over all its a good story just to get lost in . With that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read it and review it exchange for my honest opinion

4.5 stars

Blind Date Bet by Nicole Flockton is a sweet and heartwarming read and I really enjoyed it.

I enjoyed the storyline, it's well written, the characters are likable, relatable and I enjoyed watching them fall in love.

Overall, Blind Date Bet is a lovely Sunday afternoon's read and I highly recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the advance copy.

It's been a while since I've read a romance based on a blind date so when I saw the synopsis for Nicole Flockton's Blind Date Bet, the first story in her Man's Best Friend series, I was intrigued. It's about a widowed teacher whose dad sets her up on a blind date – and it's a bust. And yet, there is enough curiosity there for them to try, and try again. How they overcome their issues and make their way to a real life happy ending is captured in a thoughtful and thoroughly enjoyable romance that I'm happy to recommend to all of those who believe in second chances.

Isabella Knowles doesn't think much of the clearly militarily enthused (and okay, very handsome) man shepherding mall patrons out after a bomb scare. So when she ends up with the same guy on a blind date arranged by her dad, she's not impressed and upon learning that he's active military, she calls it off before the coffee is even cold. Upon reflection, and a discussion with her best friend, not to mention the fact that this guy is really cute, she contacts him with an apology and an overture to give it another go.

Ethan Masters is intrigued by Isabella despite their rocky start. As a dedicated career military man his job is everything, enough so that he's put plans for a wife and kids on hold while moving up the ladder. He has a special attachment to his dog Sam who serves with him on his K9 unit, and he's up for re-enlistment, and a possible promotion. Clearly Isabella is interested in him, yet she has reservations and until he can figure out what those are, they are destined to keep their dating on a superficial level. As they get to know each other, they find that their attraction is leading them into something deeper. But can Isabella trust Ethan enough to let him into her heart?

The obstacles facing this couple are clear. Isabella's experience with the military has not been kind. Her father was a career officer and her mother left him and her, when she was a teenager. She relied on the kindness of military families to get her through while her dad was away on active duty. Then she married a soldier who died on a training exercise. She's has a strained relationship with her father and is definitely not thrilled that he's set her up on a date with the type of man she's sworn not to get involved with again. She doesn't tell Ethan all her concerns right away, thinking that it's just best if they don't see each other at all. But her best friend convinces her to give him a chance, and her a chance to lay the past to rest. And she can't deny that she's attracted to Ethan as a person, career choices notwithstanding.

Ethan comes across as a patient and kind man, willing to give Isabella the space she needs to decide whether a second or third date are in the cards for them. When she finally shares her past experiences with him, it encourages him to really take things slow, especially in terms of sexual advances. Even when Isabella expresses a willingness to take the next step together, he's determined that she be really sure. I really respect this attitude in a hero – consent is one thing, but understanding the emotional complexities that sex can involve for a heroine, especially one with Isabella's past make the chances of their future success much higher. Plus, you can tell a lot about a person by how they treat their pets, in this case Ethan's service dog Sam. He brings Sam with him to Isabella's so she can meet him, and he's as much a partner to Ethan as a real person would be.

In developing feelings for Ethan, Isabella is also forced to acknowledge that she could do more to fix the relationship with her father, who has always wanted the best for her. It's not surprising that she's looked at her mother's abandonment as being partly her father's fault when in truth her mother was never cut out for the role of military wife, or even motherhood. Their reconciliation is slow but meaningful and goes a long way to enabling Isabella to let go of the past and think about a future with Ethan.

There's a lot to enjoy about this slow burn romance. The characters feel authentic and they have to own up to their choices, sometimes requiring apologies and forgiveness. The attraction between Ethan and Isabella leads to some sexy and emotional love scenes. Their happy ending comes with a few tears, some compromises, and the belief that their relationship will be a strong and satisfying one. I'm looking forward to continuing this series.

This review has been posted at All About Romance and feedback updated with the link.. It's also been posted at Amazon and Goodreads.

Blind Date Bet by Nicole Flockton is a lovely distraction from reality. You can’t go wrong with this read. Nicole Flockton is able to pull you in from the beginning with this book and won’t let you go until the last page. This was a cute and totally loveable story with not only great characters but with fabulous secondary characters that capture your heart and interest as well. I was disappointed that there weren't more interactions with the dog, but I understand it’s not a doggie love story. The scenes with the dog were priceless, I could have read more of those, for sure! This book has all the feels, friendship, romance, pain but by the end, you feel privileged to have been a part of the story. Looking forward to having these characters pop up in future books. This is definitely a book you want to pick up. As a matter of fact, you might just want to add this author to your one-click list.

Actual rating is 1.5 stars (sorry!).

Thoughts and Plot

Okay, let's just start by saying that me and this book did not get off to a good start and I struggled to read the whole thing. It was not the advertised cup of tea I was looking for.

Right off the bat I was annoyed, both by Isabella and Ethan. Isabella thinks she's entitled to ignore an evacuation alarm because she thinks the younger staff of a clothing store couldn't possibly have training on what to do when the evacuation alarm goes off? She was literally holding them up by not leaving when asked to. I'd get rude too! Also, she doesn't have to follow instructions AGAIN because she sees one of her students? Dollar to donuts his parents were somewhere and even if they couldn't reach him, the fire and police would most likely find him in a sweep. Listen to the professionals the first time Isabella.

Then there's Ethan, who immediately whines that his friends are trying to help him out by setting up blind dates (which, okay, isn't fun I get it.) but then thinks offhandedly that at least THIS date isn't ugly while he leers at her from feet to face, giving us a detailed account of how dirty his mind is. No thanks.

Things don't get much better. So that dog on the front cover? Yeah, Sam (I think was the name?), the dog, gets a few mentions in the book and like...one scene where nothing happens. You never get to 'see' Sam and Ethan work. Or Ethan work really...I was expecting SOMETHING. There was nothing.

Isabella...Izzy. Izzy immediately got on my nerves. First with her lack of listening skills in an emergency situation. Then she spurts hot and cold...for most of the book when it comes to Ethan. And who starts dating someone because their parent dares them???? That's stupid. She whines, she throws temper tantrums, I feel like she somehow regressed into a spoiled teenager sometimes.

Ethan, again, starts off with some lecherous thoughts and complaints that the girls his friends kept setting him up with were not hot enough for him. Also, he apparently knows how to handle cranky women....uhuh. Also, in a romance novel I believe that men should only check the windows and doors if there is an imminent threat to either himself or the woman he's with. It's weird and a bit annoying when that's not the case. I'd be annoyed, personally. But other than that, if I had to pick who I thought I could stand being around, Ethan is the one. Why? Because he put up with a LOT of bullsh*t from Izzy, mostly the extreme mixed messages she was sending.

In general, the writing was alright. Save the fact that I felt that some of the conversations didn't feel natural. And some conversations I skipped through because I really didn't care (terrible, I know). Nothing really happens. Like, nothing worth mentioning happens. This is purely a relationship story, so if you don't like it in the first few chapters, quit because it's not going to get better. As a direct result of me not liking the characters and it being a relationship story, the story was really slow for me. I really struggled with this one. If this had been a library book I would have dnf'ed at chapter 3 and never looked back.

In Conclusion

The writing in general was...okay. I didn't really feel that the conversations were always natural, and I couldn't stand Izzy, so it made it a tough read for me.
Also, I'll say again, I was really disappointed that the dog didn't feature (on the cover for crying out loud!!!) and that nothing really happened in the story, save the relationship part.

Long drawn out story..... I would have liked to read more about the what Ethan does in the airforce.. using Sam his canie companion. Izzy is too caught up in herself about maybe getting hurt again /losing someone to the military. The book could have been better./ it had some cute areas but left me asking why it took me so long to read such a short story. I felt like so what happens now?

Rating: 3.5/5

Isabella Knowles is a teacher who has vowed to have nothing more to do with military men after her husband was killed whilst training. Her father dares her to go on a blind date, she could never resist a dare, but the man she meets is, you’ve guessed it, a military man! Ethan Master is a K-9 handler in the Air Force and his friend has set him up with a blind date after they had a drunken bet which Ethan lost. There’s definitely attraction between them but Isabella is obviously torn between following her heart or her head and blows hot and cold. Ethan is so considerate, her complete antithesis in how he relates to her and gives her space and time. Can he prove he’s worth breaking her vow and win her love?

I actually enjoyed this book but was still disappointed in it because the series title and cover both implied that a dog would have a prominent role in the romance and, whilst Sam does get mentions and is involved in one scene that’s about it. The camaraderie with the military families is heartwarming and there are plenty of great characters in this angst filled romance. The development of a relationship between Isabella and her ex-military father was also a key element to this story and was brilliantly portrayed. However, I never really warmed to Isabella as she was judgemental, didn’t want to listen but then discovered she was wrong – again -and apologised, this happened so many times you’d really think she’d have learnt better! Poor Ethan really didn’t deserve how he was treated but I was very glad his resilience and fortitude was rewarded in the end.

I requested and was given a copy of this book, via NetGalley. This is my honest review of the book after choosing to read it.

I usually love books featuring military men. And I did like Ethan. I get it... he wants someone to love and someone to love him back. Who doesn’t? I could relate to him. He was a very likable character.
Isabella, on the other hand, was an annoying character to me.... if you don’t like military men, why did you call Ethan and ask him out again??? Because your daddy told you to do it?!?!?
I quit this book. Didn’t work for me.

This is the first book Ms Flockton that I have read. Military storyline intrigued me. There was a lot of push forward, pull back in the story that I did find a bit much. I also expected more of the dog in the storyline based on the name of the series. It was a decent read and I would definitely try more books by this author.


I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review.

I enjoyed this book and the chemistry between the characters are believeable. This is the seventh book in this serie and you enjoy it more if you read them in order.

Was given this arc from netgalley to give an honest review.

Enjoyed it

What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
Part of a series: Man's Best Friend
Standalone
HEA
Epilogue

I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC from NetGalley.

This blind date military love story started very well and optimistic. It seemed that it will be funny and hot but more into the book we got the less satisfied I was. Ethan was soo good guy everything about him was great and I liked him and fell sorry for him because with Isabela I felt so frustrated. She just didn't know what to do, her playing hot and cold and for my opinion not so solid reason for not to date a military guy. In a way, her ex had had in a sort of way working accident and was not KIA so it was really hard to understand her. It was like she was searching for a reason not to date Ethan and she found it in trivial thing. The end of the book was for my liking and I was glad to see their HEA.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly

I thoroughly enjoyed the building relationship of Izzy and Ethan. Both have obstacles that they must overcome to go forward in their relationship. Izzy lost one husband to the military is she ready to take that chance again with Ethan. Ethan is everything military as a K-9 handler in the air force. Sam is right hand dog, until he meets Izzy on a blind date and his priorities may soon change.

Loved these characters, great character development. I only wish Sam was more part of the story. Looking forward to reading more in this series.

Not what I expected!

Nicole Flockton is a new author to me. I was expecting to have a book with more interactions with the K9s. Unfortunately, I only had minimal interaction with the dogs. and I was excited to read the book maybe with that and the name of the book and the great cover I was expecting to much. I also could not relate with the heroine Isabella at all. I felt she was unfair to Ethan with respect to each of them keeping secrets. I also felt her to be whiny and couldn’t accept any thing she had a part in when it didn’t go her way.

I received an ARC copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.