TopKnotch: Adventures With Our Clueless Human

by Cj Thomas

Overview

In TopKnotch, three Shih Tzu girls-Ginger, Hapi, and Missy, scheme to extricate their late 20's-something owner, Robin, from a series of foibles. Robin is an engineer who works for her uber-successful, but domineering dad, Fritz. She's engaged to marry Sean, who works as the intellectual properties attorney for their firm, Rosencratz & Dessein. Determined to connect Robin with the man of her dreams, they are always on the prowl for a new boyfriend to replace Sean.

Luck is with them when Robin meets Luke at a backyard pool party. Luke is a world-renowned engineer and inventor, and unlike Sean, he's a really nice guy. Much to the dogs' delight, Luke has super powers and can hear them talk! Hi-jinx ensues as the dogs scheme and conspire with Luke to connect with Robin. As Robin becomes increasingly torn between Luke and the "papa-approved" Sean, she discovers a few secrets of her own and learns life is lived from the inside out by being brave and following your heart.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798985893809
Publisher:	Sourceon Press
Publication date:	11/16/2022
Series:	Topknotch Tales , #1
Pages:	310
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.65(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

CJ began writing when she was about 10 years old and as a kid produced plays for the long-suffering neighborhood. This mad, creative thought process continued into her college years where she wrote and produced after dinner shows for a touring concert band. Her first work was a screenplay, TopKnotch - the story of a feisty venture capitalist, a strong character, who confronts industrial sabotage and betrayal, stands up to her domineering dad and connects with her truelove. With the intervention of three fearless but chatty, scheming shih tzu dogs she rediscovers her childhood ability to hear them speak.Next, she wrote the book version of the screenplay, TopKnotch: Adventures with Our Clueless Human;-the first book in a three-part series.The shenanigans of the three pooches and their pals continues in the book, Permanent Play Date-soon to be released-where they develop their superpowers and lend a paw to help their human and four-legged friends.CJ is currently working on Knot Again!

Editorial Reviews

04/03/2023

Thomas debuts her TopKnotch Tales series with this sweet romance perfect for animal lovers—and lovers of talking animal comedy. Robin, who’s struggled with self-confidence since she was a young girl, seems to have it all on the surface: handsome attorney boyfriend Sean, a venture capitalist, and three high-end show dogs—who she just happens to be able to communicate with. But underneath that veneer, Robin’s barely hanging on. Her doubts about Sean are escalating, her business-partner father won’t take her ideas seriously, and even her assistant, and when Robin runs into Luke—a friend from childhood who, unbeknownst to Robin, can also communicate with animals—she’s at her breaking point.

The plot turns on surprising inventions and chatty critters, giving a playful edge to the story that will appeal to readers who don’t mind a touch of fantasy. The emotions are serious, however, as those fanciful elements share the stage with romantic human drama, with Thomas balancing comedy (some “repugnant” ravens) with pathos, such as a scene in an animal shelter, where Luke “sometimes understand the woeful utterances of fear and sadness.” Inevitably, when Luke helps Robin solve one of her dog’s mysterious illnesses, the two start to wonder if there’s something more simmering under the surface.

Thomas relies heavily on dog dialogue throughout this charming tale, and Robin’s three Shih Tzus (Ginger, Hapi, and Missy) often steal the show (when Mary Ann and Sean are making fun of Robin behind her back, Missy threatens “She’d better snap the trap, or she’ll need a nurse”). Some of the doggy dialogue can be intentionally childish (“He’s such a poop bag, and I mean a big poop bag!”) and not to all readers’ tastes, but ultimately the three pooches play an important role in helping Robin kick Sean to the curb—and pursue a relationship with Luke, who seems to be a perfect fit. There’s some action mixed in with the romance, setting the stage for more fun in the next of the series.

Takeaway: A sweet romance with talking animals and many surprises.

Great for fans of: Jill Shalvis’s Stray Hearts, Julia London’s It Started With a Dog.

Production grades Cover: A- Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: B- Marketing copy: A

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