The Goode Girls of Maple Lane by Jacqueline Firkins

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Publish date: September 16, 2025

Rating: 5/5

Spice: 1.5/5

Plot: 5/5

Primary Genre: Adult contemporary romance

Blurb:

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A struggling vet student and a rescue golden retriever save each other in this heartwarming, Fall-themed rom-com about second chances, found family, and the wholesome side of the internet.

Cameron Goode is on the verge of giving up her dream of becoming a vet. Buried under debt and juggling two jobs with a full course load, she’s utterly overwhelmed. Then a local rescue organization reaches out about a neglected golden retriever in desperate need of help. 

The last thing Cameron needs is another responsibility. But something inside her shifts when she looks into the eyes of the dog, who is so obese that she can barely move. Cameron is Aggie’s last chance. And she’s not going to let her go. 

Cameron brings Aggie home, where the promise of Autumn is in the air. As the leaves begin to change, so do both Cameron and her rescue, whose recovery she chronicles on a TikTok account. Aggie’s resilience inspires Cameron to open up to the neighbors in her building, including Everett, the guy next door who dropped everything to help Cameron save Aggie. He also happens to look really good in sweaters. 

When the account goes viral, Cameron finds herself faced with a choice between monetizing the best thing in her life or struggling to make rent and care for Aggie. Will Cameron be able to accept the help of a newfound family, including the first guy she’s fully given her heart to?

My Thoughts:
Ok so first off, the blurb says that this is fall themed. And while some of the book does take place during the fall season, I don’t really get that “fall vibe” from it. That being said, like who cares? This book doesn’t need it. This book is about loving a pet, rescuing a dog from being put to sleep because it has been deemed hopeless due to health issues brought on by severe neglect, and the chain of events this causes that completely alter the main character’s life for the better.

The cover makes you think that this is a fluffy fall romance with a dog as a secondary storyline but that is definitely not it. The book has a deeper meaning that you will feel in your bones about the power that a dog has to change you life. It’s about the struggle of caring for a pet with health issues and how this dog brings together a whole apartment building full of people who have never met, even though they’ve been living in the same building for over a year.

The main character works on conquering her social anxiety because it truly takes a community to care for Aggie. She slowly starts allowing people in to her life and overcoming her solitary lifestyle, thereby her loneliness. She starts to gain confidence in herself that has been stripped away by family issues and past relationships. There is a cute romance story in here as well with 2 spice scenes. Not overly explicit but they are open door.

This is truly one of the best books I’ve read all year. I’m going to follow that up with the fact that I am a crazy dog lady so I love a story about the magic of pets, just so I am being fully transparent here. This is just a great read in my opinion and I think if you like animals or pets, if you’ve ever been a broke college student, or if you’ve ever felt completely alone you’ll be able to connect with this story. Mark this as “Want to Read” so you’ll get a reminder when it publishes later this month!

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