I Hate You More by Lucy Gilmore – a Review

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Description:
Ruby Taylor gave up pageant life the day she turned eighteen and figured she’d never look back. But when an old friend begs her to show her beloved Golden Retriever at the upcoming Canine Classic, Ruby reluctantly straps on her heels and gets to work.

If only she knew exactly what the adorably lazy lump of a dog was getting her into.

If there’s one thing veterinarian Spencer Wilson knows in this world, it’s dogs. Human beings are an entirely different animal. Especially stubborn, gorgeous women clearly in way over their heads. As judge for the local dog show, Spencer advises Ruby to quit while she still can, but her old fervor for winning has returned―and she wants to show the stern, broody-eyed judge that she’s more than just a pretty face. In the end, she’ll show him who’s best in show.

Review:

I Hate You More by Lucy Gilmore is another one of her fun romance novels that center on dogs.  We meet Ruby Taylor, our heroine, at the start, when she is trying to enter a Golden Retriever named Wheezy to a Canine Classic show. Ruby was a pageant queen, who gave up that life when she turned 18; now she is a nursing assistant at Parkwood Manor home, and one of her elderly patients convinces Ruby to enter Wheezy.  The problem: Wheezy is overweight, hard to train and lazy.  How in the world is she going to be able to register him?

Spencer Wilson, our hero, is a veterinarian, who is also one of the judges.  When Ruby tries to register, Spencer takes one look and advises her that Wheezy does not belong at the show; especially detailing everything wrong with him, including not a pure bred.  But Ruby is determined to show the grumpy judge that Wheezy will win the contest.  She hires Caleb (Spencer’s brother) to train the dog; both Spencer and Caleb can’t take their eyes off of the gorgeous Ruby.

Ruby and Spencer in a short time have sizzling chemistry, though they get off on the wrong foot.  Spencer is a nice guy, loves dogs, but is a stickler for rules. This is an enemy to lovers’ slow build romance.    Ruby is smart, savvy, charming and always speaks her mind.  When Ruby realizes that Caleb gets nowhere in training the impossible lazy Wheezy, it is Spencer who gives her tips, and she quickly learns that his stern voice gets all the dogs (and humans) to immediately pay attention.  Spencer finds himself totally enamored by Ruby, who also finds herself attracted to him, and slowly their feelings become very sensual and wild.

Gilmore gave us some great secondary characters, including Wheezy’s mom, Ruby’s mom, Eva, Caleb, etc. Getting to know the relationships between the families and the elderly residents at the home was well done. But Ruby and Spencer were the show (with Wheezy), as the banter between them was hilarious. 

I Hate You More was a fun, flirty, cute read, with some great characters, very well written by Lucy Gilmore.  If you enjoy enemy to friend romance, with humorous banter, flirty sexual chemistry, I suggest you read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher