From Publishers Weekly
Carmichael's latest pet-themed romance takes an affectionate look at the unglamorous, itinerant life of the dog-show circuit. Jane Connor is a successful trainer and handler until an Arizona wildfire strikes her property, on which she had let her insurance lapse. Left without home or income, she's forced to accept a producer's offer to feature in a documentary film about canine agility competitions. Demi-celebrity jars self-effacing Jane, as does the prospect of sharing an RV for months with her bubbly blonde producer. Her handsome trainer/handler competitor, widower Cole Forest, unsettles her still further, especially after Cole and his ornery daughter, Teri, have a vehicle breakdown and begin to travel in the same RV as Jane. Many of the plot twists feel artificial, as does the almost pathological level of self-deprecation that keeps Jane blind to Cole's attraction. Though this book is less strong than Carmichael's earlier efforts (
Gone to the Dogs, etc.), her lively prose, sensitivity to Teri's inner battles and insight into all things canine still make this an appealing tale.
(Nov.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Jane Connor's life is going to the dogs, and she likes it that way. As the owner of the Bark Park in her small Arizona town, she prefers dogs and cats to people. Jane and her young golden retriever, Shadow, are scoring high marks at an obedience competition when she's approached by a reality TV producer who wants her to star in a show about the dog competition circuit. Jane wants no part of it and returns home, but a wildfire soon destroys everything she owns. In an effort to give herself some breathing room, and to make some money, Jane agrees to be filmed. As she and the producer travel from trial to trial, she becomes friends with Cole Forrest, his dog, Dobby, and his young daughter, Teri. Regardless of how much she believes she's not a people person, Cole creeps under her defenses. Carmichael has created yet another wonderfully written romance featuring charming animal characters, this time around offering a truly enjoyable on-the-road adventure.
Maria HattonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved