Customer Reviews

Bedtime for Bonsai

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In Baltimore divorcee Penelope Porter has vowed off men ever since philandering Glenn dumped her and she acted foolishly afterward feeling like a deranged stalker trying to get him back in spite of his cheating. She turns for affection to Mr. Darcy, her mischievous pup, who keeps running across street to the business owned by Dylan Mersey.

He proves kind as he brings Mr. Darcy back to her. She is stunned that she is attracted to him and when Penny learns he is an ex-con she realizes that does not matter. Dylan seeks a fresh start, but owes a favor that could destroy his hopes for the future. He is attracted to the canine and the cute dog's pet Penny, but he refuses to act on his feelings as his past makes him feel he is an undesirable for someone at Penny's social level.

Elaine Fox's latest canine matchmaking romance (see BEWARE OF DOUG and HELLO DOGGY) is an engaging contemporary romance with the twist that Penny is the pursuer and Dylan the reluctant target. The characters are fully developed as Penny is confused about her feelings and Dylan is not. Mr. Darcy adds matchmaking and humor to the kibble mix while characters from the previous canine capers add a sense of homecoming.

Harriet Klausner

Realizing that there are probably no children on the horizon, lonely divorcee Penelope adopts a precocious Havanese dog with a penchant for escaping to a neighboring store. Longing to start a family, she considers wooing her philandering ex-husband Glenn back. After all he did father a child while they were married, so he might be interested in a child with her, right? She feels an attraction to neighboring store owner/pottery artist Dylan, and is surprised that after discovering that he has a shady past, it doesn't matter. As she and Dylan get closer thanks to Mr. Darcy (whom Dylan calls Bonsai), and Dylan spends time with Glenn and discovers his connection to Pen. But Dylan's past associations threaten their future.

Fox's fourth canine novel set in Fredericksburg is the weakest, relying too heavily on the previous books to move the story along. Many of the other characters have prominent roles, leaving less time to concentrate on the primary story line. It just felt too overpopulated. And while Bonsai is in the title and ultimately responsible for the couple's pairing, the personality she usually gives her four legged characters is sorely missing.

© Tracy Vest, January 2009

This book was very easy to read, and it made me laugh. I would buy more books from the author.

It's been four years since Penelope Porter's bitter divorce and she's trying to accept that she may never have the happy marriage and baby that she's always dreamed of. What she does have are good friends, her own small business and an adorable puppy that she's nick-named `Mr. Darcy'.

Dylan Mersey has moved to Fredericksburg looking for a fresh start. After a rough childhood and some time spent in jail as a young adult he's determined to get his act together and make a go of his fledgling pottery business. This is not the right time to start a relationship - especially with the beautiful woman who owns the shop across the street from him. But that little puppy of hers (Dylan calls him `Bonsai') seems determined to bring the two together.

This was a lovely surprise! The characters are well-written and steer clear of stereotypes. Penelope does not come across as desperate and any woman who has ever felt like they may never meet "Mr. Right" will probably relate to her. Dylan also has more depth than you might expect. This "ex-con" is not all macho Alpha male just oozing `bad boy' appeal. He's a good looking guy who's trying to overcome a tough past and is not sure what he can offer a woman at this point in his life. There's some nice chemistry between the couple and a little suspense sub-plot involving characters from Dylan's past adds to the tension.

This is the fourth book in a series; Penelope's friends each have their own books. I've only read one of the other books and I feel that this one works fine as a stand-alone.

Occasional swearing and some mild sexual content

This book is now my all-time favorite! I can't say one negative thing about it. Penelope and Dylan were perfect as the H/h. Penelope's friends were great as was Mr. Darcy/Bonsai! The ending threw me; totally unexpected but just perfect! The only bad thing was....it ended.

I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone! A definite must read.

Penelope Porter thinks she wants to get back together with her ex. It would be comfortable and this time, it might work. But when Penelope's puppy escapes and brings Dylan Mersey into her life, her feelings surprise her. She's not usually the kind of person to have an instant, white-hot attraction with someone, especially someone with a dark past, but something about Dylan speaks to her.

Dylan is trying to make a fresh start in life. He's in a new town, with a new business and he wants to keep his life clean. But an old friend asks a favor of him, and he can't say no. He feels like he can't get away from his past, and when the beautiful and put together Penelope comes into his life, he can't help but think that nothing good can come of it. He wants her, but how can he even think of letting someone so innocent into his not-so-innocent life?

Bedtime for Bonsai is a sweet story with just enough edge and sex to keep it from being sentimental. The characters are all well-drawn and are the kind of people you want to be friends with. Penelope's feelings about her ex and Dylan ring true. Dylan's past doesn't get whitewashed and his struggle to turn his life around is handled with honesty. There is a particularly well written dinner party scene told from both Pen's and Dylan's perspective that shows the differences in their backgrounds, while still showing how well they work together. A great book for any romance lover.

Niki Lee
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Really enjoyable read about a woman who has given up on romance since her divorce. Penelope Porter decides to woo her ex-husband since she thinks that maybe her ex might not be so bad after all. Enter the ex-con next door in Dylan Mersey and all bets are off. Soon, Penelope's new puppy, Mr. Darcy a/k/a Bonsai, has introduced Penelope and Dylan since the puppy keeps running to Dylan's new pottery shop. Tons of fun ensues as Penelope tries to decide between her ex and the ex-con. Penelope's girlfriends provide many laughs, in particular, her girlfriend Georgia. A fun and humorous read!

STORY BRIEF:
Penelope is divorced and has a store selling expensive pens. She wanted a baby but her ex-husband Glenn didn't. He married someone else and got divorced again. Penelope asks Glenn if they can start seeing each other. He agrees. Meanwhile Dylan has just moved to town. His store is across the street from Penelope's. Penelope and Dylan are drawn to each other, but Dylan is resisting the attraction. Penelope's puppy frequently runs over to Dylan's shop which keeps bringing them together. Pinky is a criminal/acquaintance from Dylan's past. Pinky claims Dylan owes him a favor and wants Dylan to hold and deliver some stolen property. Dylan doesn't want to but is being forced to. He wanted a fresh start in life, and this could send him back to jail.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
When I finished the book I thought that was nice, it was pleasant. It didn't surprise or delight me as much as other romance novels have, but it was ok. Think of it as a typical contemporary romance novel. I loved Dylan's story and was deeply sympathetic to his plight. He grew up taking care of his naïve, childlike mother, first a drug addict and later an alcoholic. Dylan's life was full of hard knocks, but he makes it through and ends up with a great girl.

To avoid a spoiler, I won't give details, but I did not like a certain plot twist. At the end of the book, we learn something unexpected about what Pinky was doing with Dylan. Pinky was keeping a secret which could have put Dylan in jail again. The secret was not necessary. Pinky and Dylan could have done something needed without the risk of jail. I think the author was trying to create interesting conflict, but I wish she would have used something different.

DATA:
Story length: 359 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 2. Total number of sex scene pages: 12. Setting: current day Fredericksburg, Virginia. Copyright: 2008. Genre: contemporary romance.

Warning - spoiler
"Bedtime for Bonsai" by the great Elaine Fox is one of my personal must reads this year.
I started reading her books at the beginning of the year and loved all of them. If you are new to books by Elaine Fox I would recommend to read "Guys & Dogs" and "Beware of Doug" before reading this one.
"Bedtime for Bonsai" is about Penelope Carter, her new cute little dog Mr.Darcy (aka Bonsai) and a new citizen of town, Dylan Mersey. Dylan, an ex-con, opens a pottery across the street from Pen's store. He is selling his and his mothers pottery and just hopes for a chance to start fresh and to live his life the way he wants to.
He is a laid back, casual kind of guy who's enjoying a very simple life. Penelope in contrast is always perfectly made up, very organized and loves to entertain and visit the opera.
At the beginning of the book Penelope is thinking about going back to her cheating ex-husband Glenn (OMG, nooooo) because she longs for a family and especially children and thinks that Glenn is worth a second chance (absolutly not).
But after meeting Dylan they both feel a strong attraction for each other and even though Pen is told that Dylan was in prison and Dylan feels that Pen is just too perfect for him they still develop feelings for one another.
They even spend a beautiful night with each other but Dylan's past threatens to destroy their relationship. Because when Dylan is contacted by an old "friend" and forced to help him with some shady deal he decides to break up with Pen to make sure that she stays safe. He also feels that they are too different to make a relationship work.
But when Pen finds some stolen jewelery and the bad guys are at Dylan's to get them back it turns out that not everything is the way it seems. For the first time Pen gets a clear glimpse at Dylan's past and that leaves her feeling very uncertain, because she finally understands how different his life is compared to hers. She also begins to realize that maybe she is the one that has to move on from being a pampered and protected woman to one who can stand up for herself and her man.
To make it short I really love this book. Penelope and Dylan are a great pair, like all heroines and heros that Elaine Fox creates they are real persons with flaws and that really makes them likeable. The way their relationship develops is really sweet and shows that not only your past matters but also how you act in the present. The rest of the characters are also great, you met Megan & Sutter and Lily & Brady again and it's so nice to see how their relationships develop. One of the biggest suprises and delights of the books is Georgia who finally finds a guy worthy of her. And of course I like the dog of the book, Mr.Darcy (who only reacts to Bonsai). He is a real cutie that does his best to make sure that Dylan and Pen stay in contact.
If you are looking for a funny and sweet romance with characters that have flaws just like you and me you will love this book.
So get yourself a copy and enjoy.
S.M.

I enjoy Elaine Fox a lot being a dog lover myself. It is a real good story I highly recommend.