I picked up Sariah Wilson’s THE SEAT FILLER, and within a few pages I cared about its main character, Juliet Nolan. It’s a light read that's cute and engaging. And if that’s not enough, there are dogs --- plenty of them.

Juliet is afraid to date because she has an irrational fear of kissing. All her life, she's had a huge crush on Noah Douglas, a child actor who has grown up to be handsome and ridiculously kind. But when she meets him at an awards show, she's a seat filler--- sitting in empty seats so that the audience looks complete. There are many rules about carrying out this particular strategy, and her best friend's boyfriend's mother is in charge, so Juliet doesn't want to mess it up.

"If you enjoy cute romances that have snappy dialogue, a well-thought-out plot and realistic characters, you certainly will want to read this one."

But when Noah sits next to her and mutters that she must be a stalker, Juliet pretends she doesn't even know who he is. He's intrigued. Through a series of missteps, they finally end up friends after she grooms his dog, Magnus. Noah rescued Magnus and loves the huge, mischievous brute. Juliet has just started her own dog grooming business, and she loves canines in general.

When Douglas proposes that he might help her get over her fear of kissing, she agrees. After all, he's doing it for research, right? He's an experienced actor, right? What could go wrong? Right?

Well, the one thing that Douglas hates is a liar, and Juliet hasn't admitted to him that she really knew who he was that first night. And the longer she waits to tell him, the harder it's going to be. Wilson keeps the romance and the intrigue going, and we almost fall in love with Juliet and Douglas as well.

While this is not a book that will keep you up nights thinking about it and reflecting on its deeper meaning, it will leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling. If you enjoy cute romances that have snappy dialogue, a well-thought-out plot and realistic characters, you certainly will want to read this one.