The Sweetest Hours Love Stories...Of a Kind, by Laura Pedersen, is a collection of short stories about different kinds of love. No two tales follow the same pattern, and each is rich in description and detail.

In "Gus Hunts for a Job," readers are introduced to the main character in this way:

"Gus was a lumbering 142-pound yellow English mastiff with a charcoal mask around his dark copper-colored eyes and a melancholy expression that disguised his high spirits. The only danger Gus posed to small children was that they might drown in a deluge of his steady and abundant slobber. The only thing burglars had to fear was that they might stumble over his hulking frame, which could most often be found obstructing a doorway or other major thoroughfare. Over the years the family had fallen into the habit of gingerly scouting ahead with a big toe before taking a step in the dark to avoid a plunge that could leave one unconscious, not to mention submerged in drool."

What a great opening paragraph! If I knew nothing about mastiffs, I would immediately understand Gus is big, friendly, and in critical need of a towel. As the story continues, the family that Gus calls his own slowly gets smaller in number as the three children grow up. Time goes by, and Gus is left on his own with few responsibilities beyond a doorstop. Soon, though, he finds out he still has work to do.

"True to Her Word" is the tale of a woman who tries to go on after the death of her sister. Although she is hardly the same person her sister was, the opportunity of running a much beloved bookstore works highly in her favor.

"The Twilight Home" was perhaps the tale that spoke to me the most. It talks about a young man who has been a professional student for so long he has little, if any, idea of what it means to live in the world most people do. When he heads for his grandmother's nursing home after his parents insist he find a life for himself, he discovers his niche.

There are not a lot of stories in this collection, but each one is well worth the read.