Book Review: Love at First Bark by Debbie Burns

Love at First Bark
by Debbie Burns

This is a pleasant, but light-weight, winter seasonal romance novel, the fourth in the “Rescue Me” series by Debbie Burns, which are all connected by the fictional High Grove Animal Shelter in St. Louis, MO.

Mia Chambers is an artist, volunteering her time at the shelter, and the mother of an 8-year-old son. Ben Thomas is an architect and mountain climber, who also volunteers at the shelter. Ben has been in love with Mia for over eight years, but due to a quirk in timing, his attempt to connect with her at her college graduation ended up leading her to fall for his best friend and get married after she became pregnant. Ben has been the rock in her life, godfather to her son, and a source of stability when her relationship with her husband fell apart — she was preparing to divorce her husband when he died unexpectedly. Will Ben now have the opportunity to show Mia how much he cares for her? Will a group of border collies, abandoned to roam a city park, all get rescued? (and will both Ben and Mia end up adopting their own dogs from that group of border collies?). Will the unexpected appearance of Mia’s headstrong but normally absent mother, and her bitter and judgemental former parents-in-law complicate matters? And will a trip to a rental cabin in Minnesota provide an opportunity for Mia and Ben to connect, emotionally? It’s a romance…you already know the answers to these questions!

But, the detailed information about pet rescues, descriptions about the kind of work that goes on in a pet rescue shelter (including an amusing “Puppy Bowl” event), and a handful of quirky but interesting supporting characters, make this a fast, fun read. It’s sort of a “Christmas romance,” as some of the events take place during the holiday season, but the plot carries on beyond the holidays, so that’s only a minor focus.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try the rest of the “Rescue Me” series by Burns, including the first three volumes (a fifth is scheduled for 2020): A New Leash on Love, Sit, Stay, Love, and My Forever Home.]

[ official Debbie Burns web site ]

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library

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