Vet Shop Boys: Got Me Hoping – Casey Cox

It’s just a one-night stand, they said. It’ll be simple, no-strings fun, they said. They. Lied.

I’m done with love and being broken-hearted. The only dogs I want to deal with are the ones I treat in the veterinary clinic I work at.

But at thirty-four, having my first one-night stand can’t hurt. Right? The rules are pretty simple.

1. Don’t spend the night.
2. Don’t see him again.
3. Don’t share anything personal.
4. Don’t fall in love with him.

But when Haze, the guy I spent a blazing hot night with and haven’t been able to forget about, shows up as our new receptionist, the rules fly out the window.

There’s no way one night could lead to anything more. So why has Haze got me hoping this might just last?

Got Me Hoping is book 1 in the Vet Shop Boys series and can be read as a stand-alone. Expect plenty of humor, found family, an adorable golden retriever, a foul-mouthed parrot, a whole new way of getting clean (as well as very, very dirty) and a heartwarming happily ever after!

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Got Me Hoping is the opener of Casey Cox‘s contemporary romance series, Vet Shop Boys. The prospect of cute couples with fur babies piqued my interest, so I had to give this series a go.

It took a few tries for the book to stick because the opening chapters weren’t that riveting. It wasn’t until Henry Cavill-lookalike and veterenarian Noah started hanging out with Haze regularly that it clicked. As Jeff and Will of Big Gay Fiction Podcast would say, this is a story about nice guys doing nice things.

Although we have examples of sunshiny all-around sweethearts who are completely adorable, our favorite angel Aziraphale being the perfect example, Noah and Haze failed to make me gush, despite being two perfectly, genuinely nice guys. These two men feel like secondary characters in their own book.

The character that stole the spotlight was the 40-something owner of Vet Shop Boys, Gus, a.k.a. the best boss in the world. He’s been through the wringer, first with the death of his former partner, who was also the co-founder of the clinic. As if it’s not bad enough, his new husband was caught cheating on the very day of their wedding. Now the asshole is demanding half of the clinic in their divorce.

Gus’s story was more compelling, and reading the blurb of his book, he’s going to be paired with a younger man. Which was disappointing because I was hoping for an equally mature boyfriend for him. There’s too few silver fox+silver fox romances, sadly.

Noah and Haze’s romance was mellow and comfortable, spiced with some kinky nipple play and a lot of rimming. They’re kinda forgettable, but at least they’re having fun.

The plot focuses on realistic problems and follows the MCs as they go about their days while breaking the rules of one-night stands. They navigate their relationship while Haze ponders what he wants to do with his life. This is what stood out to me the most.

All his life, Haze jumps from one thing to another, good enough at everything but never a master of something. He took microbiology in college, then bounced from one odd job to another, including a bed tester. Now, he’s on his second degree, while making soaps and part-timing at the Vet. And still feeling lost.

This is eerily similar to my situation, especially during my younger days. I majored in applied physics, even have a masters in the damn subject. But then I worked several odd jobs, and took various courses, including fashion design and hairstyling.

If somebody asked me before what I want to do with my life, I really didn’t know. Now, I’ll probably say my dream is to have enough resources to do what I want when I want it. That should cover everything.

Got Me Hoping is a good example of a 3-star book for me. It didn’t set my world on fire, but it got me hooked on the series.

Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it

Soundtrack: Break The Rules
Artist: Ruen Brothers
Album: Break The Rules

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