Books & Spoons Review for BEAUTY AND THE WIENER by Casey Griffin

6/2/2017

A TAIL AS OLD AS TIME…

Addison Turner has scripted a perfect future for herself, complete with a fairytale ending. She will become the name in doggie fashion design and live happily ever after with the husband of her dreams—and her dachshund, Princess, by her side. Just when her plan is on track and she’s gaining recognition at the local dog show, Addison is hit with some Oscar-worthy drama. A group of prize-winning show dogs are stolen from under her nose, and she’s stuck asking for help from Felix Vaughn, an infuriatingly hot bartender who is the exact opposite of Prince Charming.

When more dogs go missing—and Felix becomes a suspect—the two team up to clear their names. Although Felix and Addison fight like cats and dogs, there’s an undeniable spark between them. And as the trail to the missing dogs heats up, so does their red-hot chemistry. Can Addison be persuaded to throw away her script to find an ending that just might be better than she ever expected?

With the vetting system I have for the books I read for a review, it rarely happens that I completely miss the target, but Beauty and the Wiener happen to be a miss for me. No, I didn't hate it. I read it, all 400 pages of it. It is well written, but the story just wasn't for me.
I love dogs as much as the next person, but the dog show and dog fashion clothing isn't something that I find a great interest in, and they play a center role in the story, more than I expected. There are lots of details in the story from the competitive world of dog shows, as well as about the accessories for the dogs, and about their grooming that I wasn't interested in.
The mystery about the stolen dogs was cute, a little predictable, but it was interesting to see how Addison would nail the dognapper.
Addison turned out to be a character that I had a hard time relating to or even like. She lived in an odd movie-induced delusional alternative reality with her obsession to find 'Mr. Perfect'. She was a bit of a snob when it came to Felix, the bartender, and together they acted in a surprisingly immature way time to time and again.
Felix was sometimes considerate and kind, and other times cocky and flirty. I didn't get the connection between Addison and him, they mostly fought and bickered, never took the time to really get to know each other. But then again, Addison is dating someone else throughout the book, there's even an awkward makeout scene right in front of Felix...
Yes, I know, and believe me, I am not trying to be mean or overly critical, just honestly telling you why I didn't connect with the story. I am actually in awe how I could have bombed so badly with the selection, and I take the blame for this because I do understand, and agree, that the book is well-written, if a little repetitive, there's humor in it, just not my kind, the cozy mystery was dainty, and I am sure there are readers who will love the dog show scenes and Addison's movie references, but unfortunately they missed a mark in me.
~ Two Spoons with a teaspoon on the side