Long and Short Reviews
Reggie Scottsdale is following his mother’s example and helping those that are extremely down on their luck and sleeping on the streets. He noticed a young man with a sign that stated, “I ask not for me, but for them.” On the sign there was a well-drawn picture of a dog’s head and a cat’s head. When he pulled over, he saw a young man with a child’s sleeping bag that was covering a terrier named Roscoe and a little kitten named Cinders. Reggie left, knowing that he had done all that he could do, yet on his way back home he heard his mother’s voice in the back of his head telling him to turn around and take Cretin to a hotel even though he already gave him money. Yet, when he did go back, he found Cretin laying on the ground with a large bleeding gash on his head, his stuff torn apart and gone, and poor Roscoe and Cinders curled up around him. Reggie knew that there was only one thing that he could do, he gathered all three of them into his car and brought them to a cottage that was on his estate. He made sure that there were vets and doctors were waiting for them. During the cleanup process they learned his true name was Calvin Chadwick. Calvin is a strong man with a heart of gold who only thought of his pets–or as he calls them that his ‘babies’. The author did a wonderful job of showing how far our army veterans can fall through the cracks as Calvin had been a quartermaster in the Gulf War. He had been able to hold down a few jobs, enough to keep an apartment. Reggie is a man that you can’t help but admire for his self-sacrifice and the ability and want to help those in need. What brought tears to my eyes is when Reggie finds Calvin’s family. As it turns out his sister Eloise and their mother were living above a bar where she worked along with his brother, Caleb. Reggie was worried about Calvin’s mother’s health as Eloise was vague about it. Poor Calvin was brought to tears and things became intimate when he blurted out how he felt for Reggie. It was sweet when they both opened their scarred hearts and allowed their love and lust overcome them. As it had been a long time for both, it was extra hot. Beware, you might want a fire extinguisher ready! Then a bit of levity when Roscoe and Cinders entered the room and joined them on the bed, and Cinders got to enjoy some caviar. Then a dose of cold water was thrown on the lovely scene. One of my other favorite moments was while Virginia was yelling at Calvin, Roscoe and Cinders came to his rescue. They ended up jumping on the table making a mess as they slid across the tablecloth and knocking everything over. Roscoe was barking and Cinders was hissing at her, this caused Peabody to pee all over her and making her run from the room. I absolutely loved this book as it shows how humans can see beyond themselves to help others. Love and devotion given is often repaid twice over. This is a wonderful plot that again shows how our veterans are slipping through the cracks and not getting the support they deserve. We learn that if someone’s given a second chance, they can turn their lives around. I also really enjoyed the connection between Roscoe and Cinders with Calvin, drawing strength from each other. The reader also gets to see how one heart can heal the other after both have been injured from those that they trusted.
