Kristin Von KreislerRecensioni

Adversity

I honestly don't remember much about this book, which I read years ago before I was keeping track of things on goodreads. I'm giving it four stars because the one thing I do remember is that Bea was lab animal who suffered. This book got me to start checking product labels for the words "not tested on animals". I still do, and for making such an impact on my way of life, I figure it should get a high rating.

A charming romance that is as much about love of a beloved pet (in this case, a yellow lab named Earnest) as it is love between the two protagonists. The book is light with only slightly more heft to it than a cozy mystery book (a genre I am more familiar with).

#FirstRead ~ For a year, Will had imagined Hope lounging at his feet under his office desk between her appointments.

I loved this book so much. From the irresistible cover to the story contained inside, it was sheer love. You can tell that the writer lived and loved this story while writing it because it was evident in the attention to detail and the building of the characters and plot. It was all done so beautifully and seamlessly. It captures the love that dogs give and the power they yield. It was a story that was deeper than the cute cover and really touches on so many themes that the reader can relate to. A must read story to escape into!!!

I am a sucker when it comes to dogs. I live with 3 incredibly spoiled canines who seem to rule my world. If I am out and about and see a dog, my heart melts just a little bit. So it is no wonder that I tend to be drawn to books that feature dogs on the cover. If they are a part of the story, that is even better. I just couldn’t resist this book once I saw the cover. It was a heavier story than I expected from the cover but it was so worth it. I am so glad that I gave this book a try.

Tessa works as a librarian driving a bookmobile all over San Juan Island. She is single but open to a relationship so when she meets Nick Payne through a dating website, she meets him for drinks and things seem to go well. They plan to get together again for dinner at his house. She wakes up the next morning having no memory of anything that happened after drinking two glasses of wine. She soon realizes something isn’t right and goes to the police to report a sexual assault. Will is a prosecutor assigned to her case. While he believes her accusation, he isn’t sure that there is enough evidence to win at trial. Will is Hope’s primary handler. Hope is a retriever trained to provide comfort to anyone going through something traumatic at the justice center. Hope has several handlers and stays very busy trying her best to make people feel better.

This was a rather emotional novel. Tessa goes through a lot in this story and it broke my heart that she had to deal with the trauma that she did. I thought that all of the women that were a part of her support group were incredibly strong and I thought that the author did a great job of showing just how much sexual assault can impact the victims. I also thought that the trial was very well done and I could understand how traumatic it would be to pursue justice after an assault.

I would recommend this book to others. It might be a difficult read for some because of the fact that it deals with sexual assault and its aftermath. I would definitely read more of this author’s work in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley.

Police woman Andrea Brady finds a German Shepherd who becomes her best friend and partner. Her life is upended when she is forced to defend them from a surprise attack by a teen from down the street. The turmoil reveals all the cracks in her life but the healing brins her to a much better life.

Yes, I picked this book because of the cover. I am not exactly sure what genre this fits into. It is a detective/K-9 story but there is a mystery, a bit or romance and a lot of self-doubt and deprecation. Andrea is a hard working police detective who works with her K-9 dog, Justice. Justice showed up at her home two years earlier and she worked with him to train him to become a drug sniffing dog. One night when they return home, Justice takes off barking into the woods beside their home. With a high pitched shriek, Justice is stabbed and the person who did it comes after Andrea. She has to protect herself and make a split second decision. Andrea's life is about to change big time because the attacker was a teenager and neighbor, and she is now being charged with murder in the media and the public. Andrea is relieved of duty while Tom, a deputy sheriff, investigates the event to see if it is a justified shooting or not.

The story alternates between Andrea and Tom's point of view. The neighbor who she barely knew stabbed Justice before charging at her with his knife, and she doesn't understand why he would have done this. Then we have to deal with the reality that is the public and the media, the human rush to judgement. With a few keystrokes, the press has Andrea as the perpetrator and the attacker is now the victim. Even the shell-shocked Andrea has her doubts and questions her reaction. Tom worked very hard to remain fair and unbiased, even though there was some history between them. I felt so bad for Andrea. She had so much doubt about her actions and whether or not she made the right decision. She was also heartbroken about the injuries to Justice. She was a good cop, who worked hard to do what is right and she has her heart ripped out. This book brings up a lot of questions about the media and how they spin popular opinion. The issue of victim and perpetrator and who decides which role is which. Death by cop or abuse of power by police officers. There are a lot of things to think about in this book, one that I felt was not really dealt with is the fact that as a K-9, Justice is a police officer, yet that did not seem to be a factor in the unravelling of the shooting. I really enjoyed the story and just wished there were some things addressed after the conclusions found by the investigation. The publisher, Kensington Publishing, generously provided me with a copy of this book upon my request. The rating, opinions and ideas shared are my own.

Disappointingly thin. I would have like this better if there had been one more sentence for each of the anecdotes, and one less sentence each time the author refuted the dominant scientific paradigm that animals don't have feelings or make choices. Enough already, you don't need to tell me again and again.

3.5 stars

Lila was injured in a shooting at her workplace. She is invited to a friend’s place to help her heal, but her friend has also just taken in an abused dog until she (and her friend and fellow rescuer, Adam) find a home for Grace. Lila is terrified of dogs as a result of a bite when she was a child. Even worse is when Lila’s friend has to go away for a few months and Lila is left to take care of Grace until Adam can find her a home. She is also obsessed with finding out why the shooter did what he did.

I didn’t like Lila at all. Her attitude toward Grace was awful. I also didn’t like that her friend and Adam trusted her with the dog when she obviously hated dogs and had no idea how to take care of her! I thought there was no need for the romance in the book, either. However, I loved Grace! What a poor, sweet dog. I picked up the book because of the beautiful dog on the cover and I still love the cover, as well.½

Earnest is a yellow Labrador retriever who was rescued from a shelter by Anna and her boyfriend, Jeff. Earnest soon settles into family life with her two favorite people. By day, he goes with Anna to her floral shop. The shop is located in a Victorian home that was once owned by Anna's grandmother. Anna and her two fellow business owners dream of purchasing the building from Mrs. Blackmore. Meanwhile, Mrs. Blackmore plans to tear it down and have a more modern building designed by Jeff put up in its place. When Anna learns of this, she feels betrayed and order Jeff to leave. Earnest doesn't understand why his two favorite people are not together with him any longer. To complicate matters, both want ownership of Earnest--though neither wants to hurt him. Can Earnest be the bridge to healing their relationship?

Earnest by Kristin Von Kreisler
This story starts out with Jeff and Anna and they've dated for 3 years and live together in a condo in the Northwest.
They decide to pick out a dog, Earnest and they divide their days with each spending time with the dog. They live as a family.
Jeff is an architect and is designing a new project for a house in town that he hopes will get the permits to demolish so they can rebuild a new facility to hold his girls' shop along with her two friends shops.
Problem is there is a fire, the dog gets hurt and Anna and her friends find out his project wants to destroy the house their businesses are in.
Anna won't listen to what he has to say and he leaves and she's left with the condo. She even takes steps to legally get Earnest. The dog also has some chapters where you understand what is happening to him during the separation.
Can they ever find it in their hearts to at least listen to one another, for the sake of the dog even? So many times of remembering how they met, certain events they attended throughout their years as it tugs on their hearts.
Loved all the flower classes and descriptions of the parks they frequent and his career and all he has to go through. Funny touching scenes when using online dating sites they meet.
I received this book from The Kennsington Books in exchange for my honest review

Earnest by Kristin Von Kreisler is set on Gamble Island, Washington. Anna and Jeff are looking to adopt a dog. They go to the Seattle’s Second Chance Shelter to check out their selection. They see Earnest (well, his name is listed as Moonbeam). He is a beautiful wheat colored Labrador Retriever. He was found tied to the shelter’s doorknob (poor little thing). Earnest is a great addition to the family. Earnest goes to work with Anna during the day to her flower shop called Plant Parenthood. Her shop is housed in a beautiful Victorian home that she lived in with her grandmother when she was a child. After her grandmother’s death, the home was sold. Anna and her two friends, Joy and Lauren (who also have shops in the house) are saving up to buy the gorgeous home from their landlady Mrs. Blackmore (who they called Mrs. Scroogemore). One day a fire breaks out in the house, but thanks to Earnest everyone made it out. Earnest, though, suffered some damage from the smoke and is rushed to the vet. When Anna calls Jeff to tell him about Earnest, she finds out that he is working to tear down her beloved Victorian (he is actually down the street turning in paperwork for the permits). Anna does not understand why Jeff did not tell her about the Cedar Place project (she had to hear about it from his office assistant). Anna does not even want to hear Jeff’s side of the story. Anna asks Jeff to move out. This leads to a custody battle over Earnest. As well as a fight for Anna’s beloved Victorian. Can Jeff and Anna work out their differences? What will happen to Anna’s Victorian house? How will Earnest get his owners back together again?

Earnest is a cute novel, but I thought it a little over the top (the feud over the Victorian home). I give Earnest 3 out of 5 stars (which means it was okay). I have to admit to skimming a little through the middle (during Anne’s thinking periods). My favorite character was Earnest (sounded like such a cutie and smart cookie). Earnest was the dominant character in the book. Earnest is an easy book to read (the author has a nice writing style) and can be finished in a couple of hours. I just thought everything was a little exaggerated and the story was basically frustrating (because of a lack of communication). Earnest is a simple story. I just felt it lacked depth. The novel felt more like a rough draft than a finished book.

I received a complimentary copy of Earnest from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A special thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kristin von Kreisler returns following An Unexpected Grace the lovable golden retriever with, EARNEST, an irresistible yellow Labrador retriever—another heartwarming tale of a wise and adorable dog-- teaching one couple the meaning of life, love, and second chances.

Anna and Jeff visit Seattle’s Second Chance Shelter in search of the right dog. They had been living together for the last two years. Jeff wanted a buddy, and Anna secretly wanted a trial run at parenting. She hoped the dog would give Jeff a nudge closer to marriage. They both were almost thirty-five and it was time.

When viewing the dogs, the Labrador retriever draws them in. At eighty pounds, with his warm big brown eyes, he has “take me home” written all over him. A purebred, only three years old his former name was Moonbeam; however, they felt the wise old soul, living behind this cute face needed a new name, Earnest.

Anna was so excited -- she would take him to work with her every day. She owns a flower shop and Jeff was an architect. They were now a family. Anna’s flower shop was located in an old Victorian house, called Plant Parenthood, in her grandmother’s old house, she hopes to buy; however, currently she rents and shares with other others. The owner wants to sell and build something else.

Since Jeff is an architect—Cedar Place Downtown, they have differences of opinion. Can two differences be strong enough to tear two people apart?

Poor Earnest is caught in the middle. Jeff thought Anna was being impractical, and he thought he could bring her around to approving his project. Then there is a fire. Anna knows life is one never-ending change. Earnest wants his two special people together and happy. A war between two people. A fight to save what they stand for.

Symbolic in many ways, with the name, house, butterflies, flowers, seasons, holidays, history and the town. The past, present, and future—a blending. The good and the bad. Joy. Love. Retribution. Meet your beautiful life like a butterfly. Rebirth. Good things come with time.

Highly sensitive and intelligent, Earnest brings life to the tale, a divided family—with a cast of quirky characters and the love of an unstoppable dog, Earnest and his unwavering devotion.

The name Earnest was fitting for the dog as well as Anna, and Jeff's characters. Each had a strong intention, sense of purpose, putting forth effort, sincerely zealous, showing depth and sincerity of feeling. Demanding, and serious about their overall mission.

As always, Kreisler takes readers deeper into the powerful connections between humans and animals, for a heartwarming story of love. If we all could be more like dogs—Trusting fate. Enjoying the now. Live in the present. Greeting the future with job. Flow with the wind. Reconciling with hardship. A life lesson. Moving on. Trusting. Embracing Life.

Reminded me so much of my beloved Golden "Duke" of Farmington (Golden Retriever for 15 glorious memorable years; unforgettable "best dog ever"; miss him, everyday). Dogs can touch your heart and soul as no other.

Ideal for book clubs and future discussions (included). Dog lovers will adore----Loved the front cover!

I enjoyed this book almost as much as I enjoyed An Unexpected Grace, the author’s earlier dog book. In this one, Anna and Jeff adopt a dog, Earnest, from the local shelter. Anna’s and Jeff’s relationship is not all that new, but is at a point where it needs to go to the next level if it is to survive, while likewise having other problems, which no one realizes until after the dog comes to the home. Jeff is a young architect, hoping to move up in his career. Anna owns and operates a plant/flower store in the town. The problem surfaces when Anna finds that Jeff is working on a project that will destroy her grandmother’s home and the location of hers and two friends’ small stores. The current owner of this historic house wants to use the area where the house is for development, after the house is razed. Jeff has made the big error of not telling Anna about this project, and she finds out by speaking to someone at his office. Their relationship, which probably was not on as steady footing as it should have been, falls apart.
The member who suffers most from their beak-up is Earnest. As the story unfolds, Earnest becomes more despondent, trying to understand what exactly is going on, while trying to return things to their original state. Throughout the story, Earnest is the main character. The reader is treated to his feelings and actions on every page, as well as to those of Anna and Jeff, as each moves through the angst of their break-up and separation. The story was an interesting one and one that tugged at my heart strings. However, I am a big dog lover at heart, and that may have colored things a bit. I loved the way the author provided such a solid, complete picture of Earnest and his reactions, so I could understand where he was coming from. Though his character was very well developed, I think the author could have done a better job with the couple, though, to be honest, Earnest is the star character and deserved the most attention. I could almost feel the way this poor dog did as things around him were routinely falling apart and as his regular hopes and dreams that things would revert to the loving family life he was familiar with were dashed to smithereens. The ending was okay, but seemed a bit forced and a bit unrealistic to me. Still, the book is well done and better than many I have read recently. If you love dogs and/or have one, you will definitely enjoy reading this one. Earnest is the dog we all would like to have. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.


I enjoyed this book almost as much as I enjoyed An Unexpected Grace, the author’s earlier dog book. In this one, Anna and Jeff adopt a dog, Earnest, from the local shelter. Anna’s and Jeff’s relationship is not all that new, but is at a point where it needs to go to the next level if it is to survive, while likewise having other problems, which no one realizes until after the dog comes to the home. Jeff is a young architect, hoping to move up in his career. Anna owns and operates a plant/flower store in the town. The problem surfaces when Anna finds that Jeff is working on a project that will destroy her grandmother’s home and the location of hers and two friends’ small stores. The current owner of this historic house wants to use the area where the house is for development, after the house is razed. Jeff has made the big error of not telling Anna about this project, and she finds out by speaking to someone at his office. Their relationship, which probably was not on as steady footing as it should have been, falls apart.
The member who suffers most from their beak-up is Earnest. As the story unfolds, Earnest becomes more despondent, trying to understand what exactly is going on, while trying to return things to their original state. Throughout the story, Earnest is the main character. The reader is treated to his feelings and actions on every page, as well as to those of Anna and Jeff, as each moves through the angst of their break-up and separation. The story was an interesting one and one that tugged at my heart strings. However, I am a big dog lover at heart, and that may have colored things a bit. I loved the way the author provided such a solid, complete picture of Earnest and his reactions, so I could understand where he was coming from. Though his character was very well developed, I think the author could have done a better job with the couple, though, to be honest, Earnest is the star character and deserved the most attention. I could almost feel the way this poor dog did as things around him were routinely falling apart and as his regular hopes and dreams that things would revert to the loving family life he was familiar with were dashed to smithereens. The ending was okay, but seemed a bit forced and a bit unrealistic to me. Still, the book is well done and better than many I have read recently. If you love dogs and/or have one, you will definitely enjoy reading this one. Earnest is the dog we all would like to have. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.


I enjoyed this book almost as much as I enjoyed An Unexpected Grace, the author’s earlier dog book. In this one, Anna and Jeff adopt a dog, Earnest, from the local shelter. Anna’s and Jeff’s relationship is not all that new, but is at a point where it needs to go to the next level if it is to survive, while likewise having other problems, which no one realizes until after the dog comes to the home. Jeff is a young architect, hoping to move up in his career. Anna owns and operates a plant/flower store in the town. The problem surfaces when Anna finds that Jeff is working on a project that will destroy her grandmother’s home and the location of hers and two friends’ small stores. The current owner of this historic house wants to use the area where the house is for development, after the house is razed. Jeff has made the big error of not telling Anna about this project, and she finds out by speaking to someone at his office. Their relationship, which probably was not on as steady footing as it should have been, falls apart.

The member who suffers most from their beak-up is Earnest. As the story unfolds, Earnest becomes more despondent, trying to understand what exactly is going on, while trying to return things to their original state. Throughout the story, Earnest is the main character. The reader is treated to his feelings and actions on every page, as well as to those of Anna and Jeff, as each moves through the angst of their break-up and separation. The story was an interesting one and one that tugged at my heart strings. However, I am a big dog lover at heart, and that may have colored things a bit. I loved the way the author provided such a solid, complete picture of Earnest and his reactions, so I could understand where he was coming from. Though his character was very well developed, I think the author could have done a better job with the couple, though, to be honest, Earnest is the star character and deserved the most attention. I could almost feel the way this poor dog did as things around him were routinely falling apart and as his regular hopes and dreams that things would revert to the loving family life he was familiar with were dashed to smithereens. The ending was okay, but seemed a bit forced and a bit unrealistic to me. Still, the book is well done and better than many I have read recently. If you love dogs and/or have one, you will definitely enjoy reading this one. Earnest is the dog we all would like to have. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

My book club has read a couple of books about dogs and considering the premise of this novel, we thought it would be enjoyable. Although I did feel compassion for the trials that both Lila and Grace encountered, this novel did not resonate with me.

As the summary above indicates, Lila was a survivor in a shooting that took place where she worked. She struggles with her feelings after the incident-violation, trust, and nervousness invade her thoughts constantly. A friend opens her home to Lila, a refuge where she can spend time alone, hoping to come to terms with the violence that was thrust upon her. Her world of safety is shattered when Lila finds out that another house-guest happens to be a dog that was rescued from an abusive home. Since Lila has always been afraid of dogs, she finds herself on the brink of a breakdown once again.

Lila doesn't plan on getting close to Grace, but Grace inches closer and closer without Lila even realizing it. Both of these souls have experienced trauma on a grand scale so they must learn to trust each other to get through the day. Lila finds solace in the company Grace offers during the storms of life.

It doesn't take long for Lila to realize that she needs Grace as much as Grace needs her. Knowing this is just a temporary home for Grace until the humane society finds a permanent home for her, Lila must figure out a way to keep her for her own. When Lila realizes that Grace could end up with the owner that abused her, she becomes even more determined to keep the animal.

Like I said earlier, this book just didn't cut it for me, or for the rest of my book club for that matter. Many parts of the story just did not seem believable to me and the writing was just odd at times. With themes of violent acts, trust, and forgiveness, you may find more enjoyment from this book than I did.

This is like a "Chicken soup for _______ soul" book, as it is a collection of sentimental, tear-jerking true stories of animal altruism. Perfect reading for a hospital stay, while you're home sick, to read to children, or just to warm your heart.

I found the main character, Lila, not Grace the dog, rather tiresome and someone who would not be pleasant to be around, even with the complete realization of what she had been through with her job disaster. Her relationship with Adam was just too easily pulled together---not quite believable because they were basically connected only because of and over Grace. It was a little hard to think they were a permanent unit unless Grace was in the picture. But Grace was the sweet part of the book---and was another reason why I found it hard to like Lila at all until she finally appreciated Grace. I kept reading because I had to find out what the ending would be---not always a reason to continue reading.

A Full review to follow

A loving portrait of a rescued beagle, layered with the history and personality traits of the breed, and facts about animal testing.

Bea's transformation from neglected lab animal to confident conpanion is uplifting, and I particularly enjoyed the chapter called "Conversations with Bea."

This is the true story of a beagle that had been used in lab experiment. She's rescued by a Von Kreisler and her husband and they patiently nurse her back to physical and psychological health over months and years. Bea's courage to trust again encourages the author in her own journey of healing. The moving ending of the book is one of the best ever.

This is the true story of a beagle that had been used in lab experiment. She's rescued by a Von Kreisler and her husband and they patiently nurse her back to physical and psychological health over months and years. Bea's courage to trust again encourages the author in her own journey of healing. The moving ending of the book is one of the best ever.