Debbie Burns combines all your favorite romance tropes with cuddly rescue pups, but if you need another reason to fall into this cozy romance with heart, we've got plenty!

• An ex-military dog handler whose heart of gold is buried deep


• The sunny shelter volunteer who sees the way he bears his heart to the dogs he trains


• A million never-ending projects that keep throwing them together


• And a pile of puppies so adorable you'll want one for your very own

For devoted no-kill shelter worker Kelsey Sutton, rehabbing a group of rescue dogs is a welcome challenge. Working with a sexy ex-military man who needs some TLC himself? That's a different story. The distance between them seems nearly impossible to cross, but she's never met a puppy who couldn't put a smile on Mr. Grumpy's face, so he can't be all that bad.

Kurt Crawford keeps his heart locked away from everyone. Well, everyone except the dogs who need his help…and always have his back. As he works tirelessly to turn a house generously donated to the shelter into a sanctuary for the dogs who have helped him heal, he gets to know the compassionate, beautiful woman he's been assigned to work with. And the more he sees her do everything she can to protect their four-legged friends, the more he realizes that what he feels for her is a lot like love…