Reviewed by JustJen
Title: The Dog Trainer
Author: Owen Keehnen
Heroes: Richard/Abe
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 70 pages
Publisher: Wilde City Press
Release Date: May 21, 2014
Available at: Wilde City
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Sometimes the last thing you expect is exactly what you need.
Richard is a typical neurotic gay urbanite, a serial monogamist with a domineering peer group and a well-paying dead end job. That is until one night, while stumbling home drunk, Richard finds a puppy named Hambone. Almost immediately Richard’s life and his relationships begin to change. At the recommendation of Evelyn, his neighbor across the hall, Richard hires a dog trainer named Abe. From the moment Richard hears Abe’s voice on the phone he feels a connection with this professional pooch-handler. When they meet face-to-face the attraction is palpable. Richard loves the way Abe treats Hambone. Abe opens Richard’s eyes to a different take on life and what really matters.
Will love conquer all in the end? It will if Hambone has any say in the matter.
Review:
This was a nice story with a lot of potential. I was a little unsure of the writing style, Richard said this, Abe did that, etc., and while I did get used to it, I never really felt completely comfortable with it. I generally prefer more dialog in my stories than what takes place here.
I did like the general idea here, that Richard discovers the person he has become isn’t the person he wants to be. He has allowed his shallow, materialistic friends to shape him to be the same way. It isn’t until he experiences what the unconditional love of a dog brings to his life that he realizes what he has been missing. Of course, there is also the help of Abe, his dog trainer/walker, who he friends and receives many honest truths from. Between the two, he has his eyes opened and learns what is important in life.
Richard’s friends, and ex, are awful, but the Richard that blossoms through his interactions with Abe make them more bearable. There are some really sweet moments between Richard and Abe, from their first kiss, to their first sexual encounter. Abe is really sweet, and while he had issues in his past, he seems to live happily doing what he loves. I never really felt a strong connection between them, but they made a nice enough couple. Again, I think I would have felt differently with more dialog.
So, while there were things I enjoyed about this story (Hambone is adorable!), there were other things that just felt a little flat. Still, I felt it was an enjoyable enough short story that was a nice break from the longer, more involved books I’ve read recently.
Overall Impression: I liked it
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.*
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