Having found love is just the start… keeping it is something different…

Synopsis

How can life be too busy for love?

Phoebe Dashwood is living the dream. She’s running her own successful vet practice, Puddleduck Vets, alongside her grandmother’s animal sanctuary.

She’s also dating the gorgeous, yet slightly broken Rufus Holt, the most eligible bachelor in the New Forest.
So why isn’t she blissfully happy?

Both Phoebe and Rufus are consumed 24/7 by their own commitments. Their relationship is always last on the list.
Phoebe juggles quirky, yet demanding clients and their pets whilst widowed Rufus is consumed by his anxieties, responsibilities of fatherhood and the unenviable tasks of being a Lord in waiting with a huge estate to manage.

Phoebe knows that when you’re a vet, there isn’t always a happy ending. But will there be a happy ending for Phoebe, Rufus and everyone else at Puddleduck Farm?
Is it ever really possible to have it all?

My review

Phoebe Dashwood is finally in a happy place. She is running her own vet practice, has a loyal team and also managed to date the elusive Rufus Holt, Lord – to – be and still scarred by his past.
But no matter how wonderful things may seem, Phoebe and Rufus are so packed by their own commitments, that they can barely spend any quality – time together. And Rufus’ anxieties aren’t making things easier.
With being a vet, there is never a peaceful moment, but will Phoebe manage to have her
well – deserved happy ending anyway? 

First of all, I need to say that I found it so lovely to return to Puddleduck Farm! I was very curious to see how Phoebe was doing, and all her friends and family too! 

Only to be left disappointed… now, not that I didn’t like the story, no worries! But it saddened me that even if some time has passed, there hasn’t been a real evolution in Phoebe’s relationship with Rufus.
Yes, Rufus has a serious baggage, and being a vert isn’t easy, as you can be called up any time.
But somehow I had hoped that some demons would have been chased away, that a balance somehow would have been found… 

And we see the toll It has taken on Phoebe. While on paper she has it all, the reality is very different. Being a vet is a calling, and you know that helping the animals is always the main priority. Phoebe still has a great passion, and the way she is heart – broken when there are animals in need show that more than often.
We also see a kind – hearted Phoebe, that finds it difficult to be strict. Any kind of sad story is enough for her to give reduction, to do exams without charging the patients’ owners. And while that is truly admirable, that is however not how a business is run… 

Phoebe’s life as a vet is hectic, so I had so much my fingers crossed that at least in her free time he could cuddle up and relax with her boyfriend. Too bad she didn’t…
That relationship hasn’t evolved like a relationship should. In my opinion, it seemed more that Phoebe and Rufus were ‘just’ friends and the sparkle I saw in the previous books was somehow just missing. 

Yes, I know that Rufus is still struggling, and demons aren’t chased away just overnight. And yes, obviously Rufus still loves his late wife and his priority is looking after his son. The baggage he is carrying around is a heavy one, and I completely understand that.
But Rufus’ character seemed to be standing still, while all the other characters have grown.
And Emilia’s presence for sure didn’t help in the evolution of the relationship. 

In this book, we see the struggles of being in a relationship. Whether it’s finding no time to spend together, or an unexpected surprise, or being not ‘good enough’ for your partner’s parents, how wonderful it may seem to be having found love, it isn’t always a walk in the park. Getting together is just the start, not the finish. 

Don’t worry, this isn’t a depressing book, as the ending tied all the knots perfectly. Perhaps not like we expected it to end, but different isn’t always bad. Because for sure I had several laughs too! Saddam the cat for sure lives up to his name, and his antics had me laughing all over the place. And let’s not forget about sweet, wonderful Archie, Rufus’ son. His innocence and curiosity is a force to be reckoned with.
Della Galton wrote an amazing third part of a wonderful series. She shows us that love is always a work in progress, and we keep learning from it. And sometimes love is enough, and sometimes it just isn’t… 

But that doesn’t mean that we should give up on our search for our own happy ending. Because perhaps the journey we have taken will show us that what we truly need, has always been there and we just have to understand what our heart is trying to tell us.