Animal lovers will be delighted with this romance between a dog trainer and an animal centre manager. In the first few paragraphs we meet sheep, a llama, a peacock, a cat and chickens. Hard behind them comes a cougar and pygmy goats. We've almost forgotten that the new girl in town is hoping to train hearing dogs for the deaf! In THE HEART'S REWARD Rani has come for an interview, having previously trained police dogs. Scott, sizing her up, feels that they have a lot in common.

Scott supplies trained animals to act in movies, commercials and TV shows. The Dogs for the Deaf programme is a sideline which he hopes will return help to the community. The dogs required are donated from a shelter - small, non-pedigree, active and friendly. A dog can tell its owner that the phone or doorbell is ringing, warn them of a smoke alarm or a child crying. Dedication will be required and Rani is prepared to give it.

Rani has a three-year-old son and a recent divorce. Little Dean requires regular medication and she decides to bring him to work. Scott's teenage son is a good counterpoint, full of bounce and sass, but responsible. Scott groans that there is more red tape in running a non-profit than a conglomerate. With everyone working full tilt, fund- raising and travelling, it's hard for the two adults to be in one place long enough for romance. But that doesn't stop them thinking about each other, and gradually they fall in love. Rani's ex reappears, wanting to see his son, but Rani can't handle the situation.

Vella Munn is the pen name of Vonna Harper and this book was previously published in 1985, which makes it nicely retro; before the internet and mobile phones started running everyone's lives. Her characters have responsibilities and issues which prevent them from jumping into bed with the first attractive person to come along, and this gives romance time to develop. An added dilemma today would be whether it was right to cage endangered orangutans and use them for advertising. But the world was less environment-conscious in the 1980s, and there was more rainforest habitat left for primates. Vella Munn writes well about the outdoors and self-reliant people, and THE HEART'S REWARD is a good solid romance for any reader, especially animal lovers.