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Cooper's Charm by Lori Foster
2.0

There is definitely a very cute dog, but the dog is not named Cooper (one of the hero's is), and there is a fun summer RV Park/Campground/Summer camp setting, but overall I wasn't entirely charmed by what is apparently the first in a series by Lori Foster.

There is some content to this cute-cover book that may bother some readers.

Phoenix Rose was robbed at her business by gun point, assaulted, almost raped, and left so traumatized by the ordeal she had to leave her fiancee, her livelihood, and her home. She's hoping to find a fresh start as a groundskeeper at Cooper's Charm, a quaint RV Park, Campground, and Cabins. She's immediately attracted to the titular Cooper, a man ten years her senior, a widower, and someone who she most definitely should not be having feelings for.

Eventually her sister Ridley follows her to the resort, also starting a job there, and starts a romance with a sexy scuba instructor named Baxter. Ridley has her own trauma from a terrible divorce and thinks all she wants from womanizing Baxter is sex, but he surprises her at every turn.

What follows is a standard "women's fic" tale of two sisters finding love despite their issues, two very sexy, very charming men who turn out to be absolutely perfect for our heroines, and a very cute puppy who is the lynch-pin to the lame "mystery" part of the story.

I'd be fine with all of this and it was a pleasant enough read, there were just too many things that irked me, especially in 2018. Content warning (and spoilers) ahead!

Phoenix is described as 'pudgy' and 'curvy in all the right places' and constantly thinks about her weight, especially in comparison to her sister who is "sexy all the time no matter what because she's thin" and the far thinner dead wife of her love interest. I'm cool with a fat heroine, but her constant inner monologue about her weight made me weary, especially since she insists she doesn't have hang-ups like "other girls." Side-eyed that statement a little bit.

Baxter's reason for being a non-committal womanizer is because he had major feelings for a woman who, dun dun dun, turned out to be a LESBIAN! Gasp! She used him for sex to figure out she was gay, and it made him completely not trust women. I just, why? Why is this the reason?

The dog is in peril on page, but no worries, doesn't die.

Pregnancy is discussed in various ways, some of which may be upsetting to readers.

There is kind of a lot of violence. Cooper's wife was murdered, Phoenix is under threat by an unknown person or person trying to hurt her. Phoenix's anxiety and PTSD surrounding her attack(s) are relatable, but also seem to be conveniently resolved or not resolved depending on where you are in the story.