About a Dog by Jenn McKinlay

June 12th, 2017 Kimberly Review 47 Comments

12th Jun
About a Dog by Jenn McKinlay
About a Dog
by Jenn McKinlay
Series: A Bluff Point Romance #1
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
Goodreads
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarHalf a Star
Heat Level: One FlameOne FlameHalf a Flame

Fall in love with a little help from man's best friend in New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay's contemporary romance debut.
Mackenzie "Mac" Harris fled her hometown of Bluff Point, Maine, after being left at the altar--and seeking solace in the arms of her best friend's off-limits brother. Now, seven years later, she's back to attend her best friend's wedding--safe, or so she thinks, from the mistakes of her youth.
But Gavin Tolliver has never forgotten the woman who has always held his heart. And when Mac rescues a stray puppy named Tulip, only Gavin, the town's veterinarian, can help. With a little assistance from Tulip, Gavin vows to make Mac realize that their feelings are more than just puppy love...

Small-town ROMANCE friends Speedy Read

ABOUT A DOG by Jenn McKinlay takes us to the seaside town of Bluff Point and delivered a second chance romance with humor, heart and a pup in need of saving. Come meet Mackenzie “Mac” Harris as she heads home to Maine for her best friend’s wedding and renews a complicated relationship with Gavin Tolliver, her best friends brother. With a dash of suspense, an adorable puppy and character growth, ABOUT A DOG offered a sweet start to the Bluff Point Romance series.

Coffee Dates with About a Dog

  • First Date: Mac left Bluff Point after her fiance ditched her at the altar. In her grief, she slept with her best friend’s younger brother. She fled Point Bluff and never looked back. She has never told anyone about that night. She now lives in the city and is in a relationship of sorts with a man who has asked that they take a break. Her best friend is getting married and as the maid of honor, she heads back home. With two weeks of activity will she be able to resist Gavin?
  • Second Date: Gavin is now the local veterinarian and all grown up.  Soft spoken, sexy and loves animals who could resist? I loved their first interaction after so many years. While Mac is pretending nothing happened Gavin is declaring his intentions. Oh boy!  Poor Mac is out of sorts between her attraction to Gavin and his declaration that he wants a repeat of their night together. Mac is damaged and as McKinlay peels back her layers we see the cracks brought on by her jilted fiance and the odd relationship she is currently in. We get to know several secondary characters and lordy but Mac’s aunts are a hoot. When Mac finds an abandoned puppy she turns to Gavin for help. A suspenseful thread appears when a man claiming to be the dog owner shows up. Gavin and Mac soon find themselves tangled in the sheets and I felt their connection was genuine. Now if only Mac can accept it and find her happy.  I struggled a little in the middle of the book and wanted Mac to be less indecisive, confess to her bestie and tell her on a “sabbatical” boyfriend to beat it.
  • Third Date: A wedding, a jerk, and secrets revealed kept me flipping the pages during the last date. We see growth in Mac and witness her open up her heart and form attachments again. It was fun seeing Mac figure it all out. Threads regarding her previous fiance proved interesting and allowed Mac to make peace with it. Gavin was patient, delightful and determined. It was nice having a hero who is inherently good and loves animals. The pacing was off a little for me, and as much as I loved the setup one needs to take a break from reality to accept two weeks of pre-wedding activity. I will say that I ended my dates with a smile.

ABOUT A DOG was a delightful start to the Point Bluff series and I look forward to getting to know more about the residents who reside there.

A cute pup in need of rescue and a second chance romance can be found in About A Dog Share on X
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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47 Responses to “About a Dog by Jenn McKinlay”

  2. Angie

    I thought this was a really sweet read, and I can’t wait to read more!

    I’m glad you enjoyed it, too. Great review. 🙂

  3. Lorna

    Yes, I am not crazy about books that use a indecisive heroine to flesh the book out. And two weeks of wedding events is really too much. As in 9 or 10 days too much. As always, I love your coffee dates!

  4. Katherine

    I love Jenn McKinlay’s cozy mysteries and this sounds like such a fun series! Plus I can’t resist a dog and a veterinarian!

  7. Michele

    Well, you know I’m all about rescuing animals. Aside from the pacing issue, I think this sounds great and like one I would enjoy. Thanks for the great review, Kim 🙂

  8. Rita

    I know you like more “steam” in your stories Kim, but it sounds really cute and worthwhile for a reader such as myself. I love stories is small towns, in Maine, with dogs, and rediscovered love trope. Only thing that could make it not work for me would be if the dialogue was off-key.

    Thanks so much for this review. It’s going on my list!

  9. Sophia Rose

    Good summation. I adored Gaven and Tulip, but wanted to give Mac a good shove to get off the fence. I loved the group of friends, too.

  11. Heidi

    A quick, light read with a small town setting is perfect for this time of year. Sounds delightful.

  16. Stephanie

    Definitely going to need to give this one a read. I just finished One Week to the Wedding by Olivia Miles which also features a small Maine town and a jilted bride heroine. I really enjoyed it!

    Two weeks of wedding activities is an awful lot! Glad this one ended up being a good way to pass the time for you! Even if you had to suspend reality a time or two.

  18. Northwoman

    It was warm and fluffy. I had more trouble suspending reality on the 2 weeks of pre wedding it IS fiction and I grew up on a town of 1500. I do love Maine. Anne

  19. Nick

    Love that cover! This sounds like a warm and fuzzy type of read perfect for Jill Shalvis fans! So that means I will most definitely need to try it. 🙂
    Lovely review, Kim! Glad your dates with the book went well.

  21. Cindy

    I truly enjoyed this one and I loved the dog! The ex fiance was a jerk! Great review Kimberly.