For this blog tour, we’re looking at a light hearted Southern romance that has a remarkable number of attachments for a book titled “The Summer of No Attachments”. For this blog tour, we’re looking at The Summer of No Attachments by Lori Foster.
First, here’s what I had to say about the book on Goodreads:
Record Scratch. There’s… a remarkable amount of attachments here for a book titled “The Summer of No Attachments”. #ijs đ
But seriously, this is one of those feel good, not even quite Hallmarkie (since it doesn’t really even have any even pushover “big threat”) Southern romance tales. Yes, there are a lot of heavy elements here – mom abandons son, drug use (off screen), abuse (also mostly off screen), #MeToo moments (also off screen), etc – but there is also quite a bit of lighthearted banter and romance. And puppies! And an old cat! This is apparently book 2 of a series, but it totally works as a standalone, as the people from Book 1 barely show up at all – making this one of those barely connected tangential “series” that share the same world and even town, but don’t heavily feature in each others’ tales.
Overall truly a light and refreshing read, despite its occasional heft, and great for a relaxing summer read, or a relaxing read at any point in the year really. Very much recommended.
Below the jump, an excerpt from the book followed by the publisher’s information, including a description, author bio, and various links!
Chapter One
Ivey Anders shoved back a wayward curl and gently secured the dog against her body so it couldnât move while her tech, Hope Mage, carefully clipped away the twisted wire. The poor thing, a stray by the looks of it, had gotten itself tangled pretty tightly and one hind leg was in bad shape. Ivey wanted to get it to the clinic where she could properly assess the damage.
Mud caked the fur, making it difficult to find any other injuries just yet, but there was one astounding fact Ivey couldnât ignore.
Behind her, the homeowner groused that the dog had likely been stealing eggs from his chicken coop.
Voice calm, temper mostly in check, Ivey said, âYou didnât hesitate to call me, did you, Marty?â It was well-known that Marty was not a fan of dogs, or cats for that matter, and mostly considered them a nuisance. However, theyâd come to an agreement some time ago. Marty, who owned a fair amount of wooded acreage, was supposed to call her if a stray showed up, and she, as the local vet, would take care of the âproblemâ for him.
Laura, his wife, was quick to say, âI called.â Defiant to Marty, she added, âSoon as I heard the poor thing, in fact.â
Which didnât mean much. The animal might have been there for hours. Possibly more than a day, though Ivey couldnât bear the thought of that.
âSheâs pregnant, you know.â Refusing to take her eyes off the dog and unwilling to raise her voice since it might frighten the animal more, Ivey said, âIf she took an egg, it would have been from starvationâand you already know I would have compensated you for it.â
Affronted, Marty grumbled, âI wasnât worried about one egg, just donât want to lose my chickens.â He cleared his throat. âIf it helps any, I was out here this morning and she wasnât caught then. Afternoon I watered my garden, and thatâs why thereâs so much mud. So I doubt she was hung up there more than a few hours.â
The fist around Iveyâs heart loosened just a little. âThat helps tremendously, Marty. Thank you.â
More times than she could count, Ivey had taken on problems with stray animals who needed special love and care. It didnât matter that sheâd been working as a veterinarian for years now, seeing all manner of hurt, neglected or just plain ill animals. She still loved them all, and when one hurt, she hurt with it.
âNo thanks necessary,â Marty complained, his tone gruff with insult. âNot like Iâd let an animal suffer.âIvey had a feeling their definitions of suffer varied a bit, but she realized this mattered to him, and she was too grateful to quibble so she just nodded.
Almost got it,â Hope murmured, and with one last clip, the wire loosened. âThere.â Fingers gentle, she disentangled the dogâs leg, exposing a painful wound.
Ivey murmured to the small animal all the while, cooing softly, petting and holding her secure. The second she was able to sit back on the muddy ground, she pulled the dog into her lap. With her face close to the top of the dogâs head, she whispered, âThere now, thatâs better, isnât it? Weâll get you all fixed up, I promise.ââHere.â Slipping off her zip-up hoodie, Hope offered it to Ivey to wrap around the dog. âDo you want me to get the carrier?â
Busy swaddling the dog, careful not to jar her, Ivey shook her head. âShe doesnât weigh more than ten or eleven pounds. Iâll carry her to the truck and weâll see how it goes.â Feeling mud seep into the seat of her pants, she realized she couldnât get up without letting go of the dog. Lifting a brow at Hope, she said, âA little help?â
âOh sure.â Hope caught her under one elbow, and Laura hurried forward to take the other, giving her the leverage she needed.
Marty stepped back to avoid getting muddy.
Carefully, the two women got Ivey on her feet. The thick mud was heavy on the seat of her pants, dragging on her stretch jeans that had loosened throughout the day. At least her rubber boots wouldnât be ruined. Since they treated all sorts of animals, including those on farms, she and Hope each kept a pair at the clinic.
âLetâs go.â Plodding forward, Ivey led the way to the truck. Halfway there, the dog started panting. Concerned, she hastened her step, not at all worried about getting mud on the truck seats. âNo need for the crate. Just get us back to the clinic.â
Picking up on her angst, Hope ran around to the driverâs side and got the truck on the road in record time. âEverything okay?â
âNot really, no. Somethingâs wrong.â
âWhat should I do?â
Poor Hope. A sick cat had kept them an hour past closing, and then Marty had called⌠âIâm sorry.â Ivey barely took her gaze off the stressed dog. âDo you think you could assist me at the clinic?â
âOf course I will! You donât even have to ask.â Frowning, Hope muttered, âDid you think Iâd drop you off with a dog in distress? Tell you good luck?â She snorted. âHave I ever done that?â
She and Hope were close enough that Ivey knew sheâd inadvertently insulted her. âNo, you havenât. But itâs Friday night after a very long day.â
âItâs Friday night for you, too, you know.ââWhat a sad situation for us both.â Despite her worries, Ivey chuckled. âMost women would have plans, and yet we never do.â
âYou have Geoff.â
Ivey made a face. âLot of good that does me.â Likely Geoff was settled on the couch already, watching sports or playing a video game. The excitement had left their relationship a long time ago, so she doubted heâd even notice her absence.
For her part, Hope never dated. That bothered Ivey a lot, but she loved Hope enough that she would never pry.
Smiling at her friend, Ivey said, âIâm glad I wonât have to do this alone.â
âNot ever,â Hope vowed. âEven if by some miracle I ever do have something worthwhile lined up for the weekend, Iâd still be here for you, okay?â
Her friendship with Hope meant so much more than any other relationship Ivey had, including her lackluster romance with Geoff. âSmartest thing I ever did was hire you.â
âIâm so glad you did,â Hope whispered. âOtherwise we might not have become friends, then where would I be?â
âLetâs just agree that weâre better off together.â Though Ivey was ten years older than Hope, theyâd still hit it off from the start, meshing together as if theyâd been lifelong friends. Where Ivey was take-charge and sometimes a little too outspoken, Hope was an intent listener with an enormous heart.
Ivey often wanted to challenge the world, and Hope, sadly, wanted to hide from it.
Or more accurate, she wanted to hide from any interested men.
Hope had an affinity with animals, plus a gentle but sure touch. She was never squeamish, but she exuded sympathy. Ivey valued her. The clients loved her. And the animals trusted her.
Unfortunately, they were still five minutes away from the clinic when the dog went into labor. âThis is definitely happening,â Ivey said, doing what she could to make the animal comfortable.
Leaning closer to the steering wheel, Hope drove a little faster. âBe there soon.â
Theyâd barely gotten in the door when her water broke. Hope ran ahead to prepare an area, moving with practiced ease as she opened an already cleaned kennel and set up a whelping box, then filled it with bedding material. The box had three tall sides to contain the coming puppies, and one low side for the mother to step out for food and water.
Knowing Hope had it in hand, Ivey began cleaning the dog as quickly and efficiently as possible. She managed a cursory job, removing the worst of the mud, when Hope rejoined her. âWeâre all set.â
âWith luck weâll have enough time to clean and wrap her leg before she gives birth.â Usually that happened within two hours after the animalâs water breaking, so they didnât have a minute to spare.
A day that had already been long just turned entirely endless.
The Summer of No Attachments : A Novel
Lori Foster
On Sale Date: June 22, 2021
9781335459893
Trade Paperback
$16.99 USD
336 pages
ABOUT THE BOOK:
From New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Lori Foster comes the heartwarming story of two best friends who cross paths with a pair of new-in-town brothers with one angry little boy in tow. A standalone story of second chances at life and love, with found family and rescued animals, perfect for fans of Jill Shalvis, Sarah Morgan, and Lori Wilde.
Summer flings with no strings mean nobody gets hurt.
At least, that was the planâŚ
After putting the brakes on her dead-end relationship, local veterinarian Ivey Anders is ready to soak up this summer on her own terms. The way she sees it, no dating means no disappointment. Why complicate life with anything long-term? But when she meets Corbin Meyerâand his troubled young son, JustinâIveyâs no-strings strategy threatens to unravel before she can put it into practice.
Trust doesnât come easy for Iveyâs best friend, Hope Mage, a veterinary-clinic assistant whoâs affected by an incident thatâs colored every relationship sheâs had. Though Hopeâs happy for Ivey, she canât quite open her own heart to the possibility of love. Not just yet⌠Maybe not ever. Soon, however, sheâs faced with a dilemmaâCorbinâs older brother, Lang. Heâs charming, heâs kindâŚand he may just be the reason Hope needs to finally tear down her walls.
And as the sweet summer months unspool, the two friends discover love wonât give up on them so easily.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a New York Times, USA Today, and Publisherâs Weekly bestselling author. She lives in Central Ohio where coffee helps her keep up with her cats and grandkids between writing books. For more about Lori, visit her website at www.lorifoster.com, like her on Facebook or find her on Twitter, @lorilfoster.
Social Links:
Author website: https://lorifoster.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lorifoster
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lorilfoster
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorilfoster/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgeOARHmjBYWcmReym_N39A
Buy Links:
Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/books/the-summer-of-no-attachments/9781335459893
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ioRrfn
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-summer-of-no-attachments-lori-foster/1137483437?ean=9781335459893
Books-A-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Summer-No-Attachments/Lori-Foster/9781335459893?id=7036960299115
Indie Bound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781335459893