Review: Poe and the Terrible Two - does it get any better??
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 15, 2013
Hounded by Zoe Dawson(Book #3: Going to the Dogs series)Source: PurchaseRating: 5/5 starsPOE!!!  Poe Madigan and her Terrible Two (the terriers known as Edgar and Allan) are the focus of Hounded, book three of Zoe Dawson's Going to the Dogs series.  Of the dog park group of girls, Poe is by far the weirdest of the bunch.  Poe is a strange mix Goth girl and nerd with a passion for animals and bacon and a true belief in a Zombie Apocalypse.  Does it really get any better than this?  Yes, it does.  When Poe gets nervous, she has a tendency to ramble super-intelligent veterinary type stuff.Poe's story begins with a nasty mugging that leaves her in the hospital and the Terrible Two temporarily missing.  As always, the dog park girls rally around their own and come running to Poe's bedside; one which is carrying the Terrible Two.  But, Harper goes a bit further than a hug and an offer of a night or two stay at the penthouse.  Harper, totally unbeknownst to Poe, enlists the help of her friend and security expert Jared to watch over Poe and ensure her safety.  How does Harper pull this off?  Cleverly!  She pays off Poe's dance partner for the Fur Ball dance competition and inserts Jared as the replacement.  The only two problems?  Jared can't dance and the competition requires canine competitors.  So, Jared borrows a dog from his brother and prepares himself to be humiliated in front of a large audience.  What could possibly go wrong?As Jared and Poe get to know one another they both discover a ginormously inconvenient attraction to one another.  Poe is hot, a little naughty, a little nerdy and all kinds of right as far as Jared is concerned.  Jared is a smokin' hot man with an interest in half Goth/half nerd veterinarians who fits so nicely and comfortably into her life as far as Poe is concerned.  To seal the deal, Jared runs through the streets and gets all kinds of banged up in order to save on of the Terrible Two.  But, Poe can't afford to get distracted; she has to finish her residency, find a real job and win the Fur Ball dance competition so she pay off her mother's mortgage.  Oh, and the mugging has turned out not to be an isolated incident but an ongoing threat to both Poe and her dogs.  Crapsicles!!!Slowly but surely, Jared and Poe come together as a couple but there is always the threat to Poe and the dogs hanging over them as well as the real reason Jared has come into her life.  For a variety of reasons, Poe has a hard time relying on others so it is a particular betrayal when the truth of the situation finally comes to light.  Poe has to come to terms with everything and accept both Jared and Harper back into her life or continue on as she always has, self-reliant and alone.  For a girl like Poe, this is a hard decision to make especially when she single-handedly resolves the threat to her safety.The Bottom Line: I am totally and completely in love with this series!!  Even with the same characters, Dawson manages to keep everything fresh and new.  Poe is a gem, Jared is a doll and the Terrible Two are simply fantastic!! Seriously, the scene with the TT's and the classical music is priceless!!  Dawson delivers yet another fine read in the Going to the Dogs series and I will truly, truly be sad to see this series come to an end with book four.  The writing style is smooth and easy, the plot is filled with light suspense, humor, excellent dialogue and, some yummy naughty bits.  Well done Zoe Dawson; you have created a super-fan who will sing the praises of your work far and wide.  Woof!!