cover image Rescue You

Rescue You

Elysia Whisler. Mira, $16.99 trade paper (384p) ISBN 978-0-7783-1008-2

In Whisler’s heartfelt debut, two sisters who rescue neglected pit bulls find new loves and righteous causes. Headstrong Sunny Skye Morrigan owns pit bull rescue operation A Pittie Place, and her sister, Constance, looks for mistreated dogs and rehabilitates them with massage therapy, then matches them with war veterans to help them cope with PTSD. After Constance is questioned by police detective Sean Callahan about some dogs that have gone missing from breeder Janice Matteri, who the sisters suspect is running a puppy mill, she warns Sunny to lay low, knowing Sunny has been doing more than rescuing dogs. Meanwhile, still grieving over the death of their father a year earlier, Constance joins a gym and swiftly connects with its owner, Rhett Santos, a former Marine who served in the Iraq War. Constance and Rhett have their own scars that need healing, hers emotional and his physical, and Whisler keeps the fire crackling slow and steady between the pair. Meanwhile, Sunny pursues a casual fling with Callahan, whom she persuades to help her take down Janice’s alleged puppy mill. The beauty of this book is in the down-to-earth characters. Whisler’s intimate look at the bighearted women’s lives makes for a worthy, stirring tale. Agent: Sara Megibow, KT Literary LLC. (Oct.)