Okay, so I have a small (fine, huge) obsession with dogs, and my sister had a wonderful cocker spaniel called Millie, AKA Pudding, sadly now over the rainbow bridge.
So when I read the name Puddles for a dog in the first chapter, I knew this book was exactly the kind of dog story I needed.
I haven't read the 2 previous books in the series, but I didn't feel like I needed to. I will now go back and read them, because I need more Wagging Tails stories in my life!
After the recent stress in my personal life, this came as a welcome escape filled with my favourite animal.
There is still drama, and a little romance thrown in, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The community of volunteers at the Dogs' Home is as strong as ever and the story has a familiar feel from the beginning. The focus of this story is Sally who has started anew and is building up a promising business. Putting down roots, she is settled in West Par. When her family contact her, she is horror struck at the suggestion that she should return to their legal business. She has tried so hard to find her own way in life, not the path laid out for her by her family. She has some decisions to make. Sally's past returns also in the form of her ex- Andy which is a huge shock for her.

Alongside Sally's life, there are the events and the dogs at the Dogs' Home which is under threat from an aggressive building firm who wants the Dogs Home to be sold to them. There is quite a fight to save the Dogs' Home but you see the determination and ingenuity of the friends there. This is another enjoyable story in an entertaining series.

In short: Uplifting reading

Thank you NetGalley and boldwood books for this ARC. This is the third in a series but I read it without reading the first two. As soon as I finished this I headed to Amazon and downloaded the first two on my kindle and I can’t wait to read them

I enjoyed this story but thought it was a little predictable... but then there was a twist in the tail! This tale would make anyone who likes dogs smile, you cannot fail to laugh at the description of dogs trying to get treats or just generally being cheeky.. This was a lovely love story of dogs and people coming back together. This was a fun quick read and would recommend it to any dog lovers.

This book is part of a series set around Wagging Tails Dogs' Home in fictional West Par, Cornwall, run by Flora. In "A Fresh Start at Wagging Tails Dogs' Home," we meet Sally, a dog trainer at the home, who rekindles a relationship with her ex, Andy. Meanwhile, the home faces threats from a developer seeking to buy them out. The story intertwines romance with everyday developments at the home, highlighting the challenges of caring for rescue dogs. The author raises awareness about rescue work and challenges faced by such organizations. The romance subplot involves second chances and miscommunication between Sally and Andy. Despite some predictable elements, the book offers a gentle, charming, feel-good read, cherished for its portrayal of dogs and setting.

I’m really loving the Wagging Tails Dogs Home books. Highly recommended
Sally hasn’t been working too long at Wagging Tails, she’s really settled here though and loves her new jobs, the people and the area. When she bumps into her ex Andy unexpectedly, she struggles to work out what she wants - Andy, the one that got away or her ideal job and life.
At Wagging Tails a developer has been sniffing around trying to buy their land to enable access to his developement. Everyone is worried about the future.
Is this just a coincidence bumping into Andy or is there something else? Can Sally rekindle her relationship with him and stay at the job she loves?

This book is a great read! It's a beautifully written story that holds your attention from the first page until the last.
I loved everything about this book and highly recommend it!
I received a complimentary copy from Boldwood Books via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The third story in this entertaining series focuses on Sally and Andy and their second-chance romance. The dogs' home is busy as always, but there are sinister goings-on when a developer wants to buy their land at any price. Whilst the themes are not new, and it's not difficult to guess what will happen, the characters are relatable, and the dogs are delightful. This immersive read has a lovely mix of laughter and poignancy and ends upliftingly.
It's a book to escape with.

this series I found it so heartwarming and such a beautiful read and this was no different. I had you could want in a story, love, family, community and second chances. This was another lovely installment in this great series and I am desperate for there to be more.

I received a review copy of this book from Boldwood Books via NetGalley for which my thanks.

Having read Chasing Dreams at the Wagging Tails Dogs’ Home and enjoyed it, though it isn’t my usual choice of genre, when I was offered a copy of this one, I was pleased to read it, once again very much loving the setting of the book in a dogs’ rescue home where we ‘meet’ a lot of the different residents, learn their stories and see them either adopted or reunited with their families. There is a romance thread at the centre of it (with humans, not dogs) of course.

This is a series of books (three so far) set around the Wagging Tails Dogs’ Home in fictional West Par in Cornwall run by sixty-five-year-old Flora, widowed soon after she set up the home with her husband. In each book there is a romance thread involving someone associated with or working at the home while we also follow along life at Wagging Tails as they take care of the different dogs and cope with various problems that arise off and on.

In A Fresh Start at Wagging Tails Dogs’ Home (2024), we meet Sally a relatively new employee at the home who essentially trains the rescues, helping them overcome any fears or issues they might have so that they can settle happily with their new families. We learn that Sally had studied and partly trained as a solicitor as her family expected her to join the family firm, but while she underwent some of that training, she realised her heart lay elsewhere. She has trained as a dog trainer since and besides working at Wagging Tails also runs private classes for students for behaviour and agility training. Sally has been dating a few people off and on but she always finds herself comparing them to Andy the boyfriend she broke up with before starting her legal training. When Andy suddenly appears at West Par (now running his father’s business), they rekindle the relationship but Andy seems apprehensive somehow. Will this second chance work out?

Meanwhile, at the home we follow everyday developments and catch up with characters previously met but new troubles arise as a developer who’s acquiring the land next to the home is seeking to buy them out, resorting to every possible threat and intimidation. What will now happen to Wagging Tails and all its dogs?

Like the last book, my favourite part of these books are the home and the dogs themselves. We see the different issues that crop up with different dogs, how the employees must go about managing and looking after them, rearranging kennels or having to organise special sessions with some of the dogs, some even going home with Flora. This time we have Puddles, a dachshund terrified of other dogs though comfortable with humans; Cindy, a greyhound with separation anxiety; and Bonnie, a grey Staffie mix whose loving owner must heartbrokenly surrender her for he no longer has a job and the resources to look after her. We go along with Sally and Ginny (who was the focus on book 1) to rescue a German Shepherd and even witness a training session. I loved these sections of the story especially and liked that the author presents things realistically; we meet dogs who’ve been mistreated as much as those who’ve been loved and see both dream adoptions and heartbreaking surrenders.

Besides the story itself, Hope also in an afterward has highlighted the work of a Dogs’ Home she supports (Wellidogs) much like she brought up the issue of excessively high vet bills in the last one, and I think while being nice feel-good stories, these also do a great job (both in the story and through her notes) raising awareness on rescue work, challenges faced and how those that are interested might possibly help.

Back to the story, the home must also face the unscrupulous developer who is willing to stop at little to get them to sell (in his favour, he doesn’t try anything outrightly criminal). From offering more and more attractive prices to intimidating them by starting construction right next to the home. The home and its employees and many in town rally though, with protests and writing to those in power, but how it gets sorted, you must read to find out.

The romance thread is a second-chance one and different in that it was Sally rather than Andy who broke up the relationship and for reasons she seemed to think made sense but which she didn’t share with Andy at the time. This obviously causes some obstacles in the way of their reconciliation and as I mentioned, there are some apprehensions from Andy’s side too—the reader can easily guess his reasons from the start but Sally herself does not. Sally like the typical romance heroine (at least based on the few I’ve encountered) is always making assumptions and jumping to (the wrong) conclusions which while something that can likely happen, does feel rather annoying—especially as she does so even after receiving sensible advice. But anyway, things do eventually sort out though once again, you’ll have to read it to see how.

A gentle, charming, feel-good read, which as with the other book I read from the series, I loved for the dogs and the setting!

This is a real feelgood novel from beginning to end. Sally is a dog trainer that works at the Wagging Tails (dogs home),a job that she loves and the dogs and staff also love her. A developer is trying to purchase Wagging Tails as he needs access to his new development and the staff are fighting the proposal. Sally’s ex Andy turns up unexpectedly for a brief break not knowing that Sally lived in the area. Will they both have a second chance at their relationship?You will love this book especially if you’re a dog lover,it’s a comfy read and unputdownable.
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for inviting me to read this lovely book that I can highly recommend.

Sally is the relatively new dog trainer at Wagging Tails Dogs' Home, but she quickly becomes part of the team. Whilst out in the City one day she sees her ex Andy. He is the one that got away and she has never quite been able to forget about him completly. With her life at a crossroads romantically and with her job as a developer is trying to buy up all the land near the sanctuary, Sally has some very important decisions to make.

I haven't actually read the other books in the series, and I hadn't realised when I requested it there are two previous books. I am not sure if this impacted my enjoyment at all. But I do feel like I may have been missing out on the other staffs backgrounds or more about the business itself. However, being an animal lover, this was such a great read I found myself smiling at the dogs antics throughout the book.

The characters are really well developed and I couldn't help rooting for Sally and Andy from the outset. The romance part of the book is very sweet and a slow burn. Making this book an easy escape for an hour or two.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ - It was just okay, I enjoyed the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It is clear that the author loves dogs and, I imagine, supports their local rescue. This is something I applaud (and I support a number of rescues as I am an animal lover myself), however, I felt that the passion leaked into the writing a bit too much, which meant that sometime the book felt like it was preaching a bit too much (for example, in chapter 5 when dog walkers didn’t listen to Flora about a reactive dog “Oh, for goodness’ sake. When will people begin to realise that it doesn’t matter if their precious dog is friendly? If they’re approaching a dog who isn’t, they’re putting their dogs at risk as well as causing unnecessary suffering to the reactive dog”.

I found myself getting frustrated with the protagonist who, despite every neon sign that her love interest was involved in the new build scheme, was completely oblivious.

This was an okay read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

The third book in a series by Sarah Hope. Another enjoyable read. Who can resist adorable dogs and romance? A lovely book for a cosy night at home. I very much enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more from the author.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'A Fresh Start At Wagging Tails Dog Home' by Sarah Hope.

Read and reviewed for Sarah Hope, NetGalley, Boldwood, Book & Tonic and Rachel's Random Resources Tours.

Publication date 20th March 2024.

This is the third book I have read by this author. It is also the third book in The Wagging Tails Dogs' Home Series but can be read as a standalone. I have previously read 'The Wagging Tails Dog Home' (book 1 in this series) and 'Chasing Dreams At Wagging Tails Dog Home' (book 2) and would highly recommend them both!!

This novel consists of 33 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

Love, LOVE, LOVED this absolutely gorgeous page turner!! An absolute must read!!! An absolutely stunning addition to this amazing series and I'm counting the seconds until the third book is ready for me to get lost in so I really hope your busy writing it Sarah!!!!!

OMG!!! I absolutely LOVE this gorgeous page turner and I LOVE this stunning series. I must say that this series is one of my favourites!! I just cannot WAIT for the next book in this series to come out!! It is just guaranteed to be stunning!! Any books that revolve around animals is a HUGE bonus for me!!! I am a MASSIVE animal lover and with all my pets being rescues to, volunteering in rescues, working in rescues and now running my own little cat rescue (Golden Oldies Cat Rescue And Hospice which you can look up on Facebook if you are interested) I know exactly how Flora and the rest of the amazing characters feels and have the same passion running through me for the animals so I was 100000% invested in this beautiful storyline all about Wagging Tails Dog Home. I fell in love with the dogs home in the first book in this series and fell even deeper in love with this gorgeous addition to this absolutely stunning series!!! Sarah even goes one step further than just writing a stunning fictional story about a dog rescue and that is the fact that she has not only based her beautiful story on a genuine no kill shelter called Wellingborough Dog Welfare (Wellidogs) based in Grendon, Northamptonshire and even helps to promote it in her notes so I want to say a MASSIVE THANK YOU AND WELL DONE Sarah for promoting what seems to be an amazing rescue but to also for your kind notes in your acknowledgements thanking volunteers and workers at dog rescues, such an amazing thing to do!!! I absolutely adore the fact that you based many of the rescue dogs in the books on the dogs at Wellidogs such as basing Ralph on Wellidogs resident dogs. Just amazing and I absolutely love it and I really cannot compliment this book enough!!! Even if you are a reader who has no experience with rescue or animals at all Sarah's stunning and evocative writing skills will drop you straight into the middle of Wagging Tails Dogs Home as well as Trestow, Cornwall where she ensures you can hear the dogs' happy barks and absolutely fall in love with this beautiful series. This book is extremely well written with vivid and evocative descriptions setting the picture perfectly in the readers mind. The title, description and cover works perfectly with the storyline. It is one of those books that are very easy to read and perfect for any reading situations whether you are laying on a beach or curled up in front of a fire. It is an absolutely ideal read for anyone who is looking for a fantastic read that will have you hooked from beginning to end. I absolutely LOVED the realism of this storyline which made it so easy to picture everything that was going on which had been helped by Sally's fantastic evocative writing skills. I cannot wait to get hooked into more of Sally's books so I hope she is busy writing her next one!! This is definitely one of those books that will turn a frown upside down and make life seem a lot brighter. It is packed with fun, dogs, romance, heartbreak, friendship, anger, second chances laughter and everything you could ask for in a fantastic feel good book. I can promise you it will be a fun rollercoaster ride of drama, romance, dogs, festivity and absolutely everything you could want in an absolutely unforgettable and stunning page turner!!!! Sarah's evocative writing skills drew me deep into the book bringing the atmosphere and characters to life all around me. It is one of those books that I could not put down. I ended up walking around the house looking at my kindle reading away and absolutely devoured it in one sitting. Roll on the next book in this beautiful series!!! This is one of those amazing series that can go on and on for hundreds of books about all the amazing rescue dogs and I will never get bored!!!

Well done Sarah on an absolutely stunning and perfect addition to an absolutely stunning series!!!

Although this is the third book in the series I would have had absolutely no problems reading it without the first book. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

The characters were all an eclectic mix and each one of them were realistic and strong. I was completely invested in them all. It also makes them more realistic, believable and made me feel even more for them than I normally would. I was landed to return to the Wagging Tail dog home and meet some of my favourite characters again from the first book and I was not disappointed. I fell in love with all the new characters as well as back in love with all the previous ones. In this book we get to know the dog trainer Sally more and find out about her background and family. Sally is in the previous book so I have previously met her but it was nice to get to know her more in this one. We find out how she lost the love of her life Andy after being together and travelling for many years. Andy wanted to continue travelling but Sally had to stay to run the family business. Sally didn't want to hold Andy back from living his dreams so ended the relationship with him. However, 7 years later with her working in the dogs home she runs into him in the cafe and discovers he is now running his father's business with work locally. I wont say anymore about the storyline but just to give you a bit of an idea of the storyline and characters. My heart went out to Sally with everything that she gave up for her family and then because of what happens in the book and I was rooting for her to find happiness and love with Andy again. I also really liked Andy who was a really sweet nice guy and I am hoping we continue to see him throughout this beautiful series!! I absolutely LOVE Ginny in regards to her love for the dogs at the rescue. I was so pleased to meet her again!!! She is such a kind hearted person and a MASSIVE animal lover and she is definitely the type of person I would love to have in my life!!! The passion she has for the dogs sparks out of the pages and you really can feel the emotions running through your fingertips!!! I am so pleased that her and Darryl's relationship is still going as strong as ever (you can see how it began in book one!). Flora is just one in a million and the world needs more people like her. Flora owns and runs the rescue and would give her last penny to the dogs. That is a true rescue and a true hero!!! I cannot wait to meet her again and again in this series. I could go on and on about the amazing characters as there were so many I love meeting time and time again but I will easily write an essay so will just keep it short. The other characters were also just as amazing and intriguing and I loved getting to know each of them and looking forward to getting to know them more as well as (hopefully) seeing some relationships grow between certain characters!!! I really cannot wait to meet Alex, Susan, Malcolm, Tim and Percy as well as all the dogs including Luke, Dougal, Ralph, Nala, Cindy and Bonnie plus the many more characters and dogs soon!!!!!! It was amazing seeing Puddles , Dory, Marlin, Nemo, Peonie get their happy ending although it would be nice for them to come to visit the rescue again. What I loved especially in this particular story is that we get to see so many of the previous residents that have been rehomed again such as Alfie and Oscar, Tyler, Archie and Scooby Doo to name a few!!! From greyhounds to cockapoos, jackapoodles to spaniels and cavapoochon to vizla's there is a dog breed for everyone is this stunning book and series!! Each of the characters and dogs are memorable and unique in their own ways and they are a group of people that I wont be forgetting any time soon!

Pick up this book and get lost in this absolutely STUNNING page turner! Regardless of whether you have read the first book or not you won't regret reading this absolute beauty!!!!

Congratulations Sarah on yet another absolutely GORGEOUS read that I just could not put down!!! I absolutely loved the first and second books in this series and thought there was no chance you could make the third book as good or better but you absolutely blew it out of the water!!! Absolutely LOVED IT!!! I cannot wait to read more of your previous and future books. This is one of those book series' that could literally go on and on with 1000's of books and I would never tire of them! I would absolutely love to see this book turned into a movie!!! This is the EXACT reason you are on my favourite author list and here's to your next success 🥂

Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the first chapter of Sarah's 'The Seaside Ice-Cream Parlour', which promises to be just as stunning as this book and is one I'm definitely looking forward to reading myself!!!

Overall another unputdownable, gorgeous, STUNNING page turning book filled with dog, tears, drama, romance, fun, laughter, friendship and so much more by the amazing Sarah!!

292 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £9.99 in paperback via Amazon, at time of review which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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what a fun escape from a miserable march!
i really enjoyed this book and felt engaged with the story straight away and felt like the characters were old friends

The third story in this entertaining series focuses on Sally and Andy and their second-chance romance. The dogs' home is busy as always, but there are sinister goings-on when a developer wants to buy their land at any price. Whilst the themes are not new, and it's not difficult to guess what will happen, the characters are relatable, and the dogs are delightful. This immersive read has a lovely mix of laughter and poignancy and ends upliftingly.
It's a book to escape with.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I’ve read and reviewed the previous two books in this amazing series so I just knew I’d love this one just as much. (I was right!)

This time it’s all about Sally who’s the resident Dog Trainer at Wagging Tails Dogs’ Home.

I was so happy to be reunited with all the characters in this series, they’re all so lovely and wholesome, they make you feel like you’re getting a warm hug when you read about them. (don’t forget the dogs!)

Sally has a had such a hard/sad life before she came to the dogs home , now she’s finally happy but when a figure from her past shows up and with struggles at the place she works and loves so much can she have it all?.

This was the perfect third instalment for this fantastic series, it continues a few long running storylines from the previous books which I was keen to find out the conclusion too. ( sorry no spoilers here)

I’d happily read another ten books in this series.

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

I believe this book is part of a series, and I haven't read any of the previous books, but I enjoyed this one. The book seemed to radiate warmth and charm, and I found myself warming to all the characters - both the humans and canines. I liked the protagonist, Sally, and appreciated her bonds of friendship with some of the other characters. It also seemed that the dogs helped the other characters bond and brought them closer in some ways, so I really liked that.

This book made me smile, and I think readers of feel-good romance will enjoy it, especially if they're dog lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, the publisher, and the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

Lovvved this beautiful romantic story, made me enjoy the chemistry between Sally and Andy, made me smile at how Sally and her kennel friends helped care for the dogs at Wagging Tails, etc. Highly recommend to all romance lovers and dog lovers.