Mia and her young son, Ollie, have lost a husband and a father. Mia’s loss was before Brad’s untimely death though and dealing with the pain of betrayal while keeping it together for her son is tough. If it weren’t for Ben, Brad’s long-time friend and Oliver’s godfather, things would be impossible at times.
Ben has a secret, though, one that could change so much. It’s a matter of waiting, caring, and being patient. Like the shelter pets that Mia, Ollie, and Ben become involved with, everyone has to take the risk to see where a new life can lead.
This is a wonderfully informative book about the people who devote their time and efforts to help the abandoned animals in our midst. It’s a story of truth and risk taking and where it may lead. There’s nothing like a cozy romance with not so perfect characters who make the story real and passionate.

I have had such an emotional, joyful time with the Rescue Me series by Debbie Burns, and the fourth title, LOVE AT FIRST BARK was no exception to that ongoing rule of awesome stories, people and animals.

Mia and Ben have had a connection for nearly a decade. Ben was captivated by a speech she gave in college and his best friend, Brad was to set up a meeting between them. Unfortunately, Ben’s dad became ill and he had to miss that meeting – leaving the way open for Brad to step into his place. They dated, married, had a child, now seven-year-old Ollie, and throughout it all, Ben was still part of the picture in the background as Brad’s best friend, Mia’s friend, and little Ollie’s godfather. He never stopped caring for Mia yet has learned to hide those deeper feelings over the years.

In the midst of divorcing her cheating husband, Brad suddenly died leaving behind unresolved anger and hurt, as well as the devastation of losing his father that Ollie is experiencing now. Ben is there throughout it all offering support, friendship, and a shoulder to lean on for both Mia and Ollie. He’s hesitant to make any changes to their relationship believing it’s just too soon. But coming to the rescue of some furry pups changes everything.

Someone has dumped a dozen Border Collie pups and their mom in the local park and the volunteers of the High Grove Animal Shelter step up to round up puppies and foster them among themselves. In the middle of chaos, Mia finds herself with a momma dog and a pup to tend to, and confusing feelings for Ben that she’s always ignored in the past. Maybe the future has been right there alongside her all along.

LOVE AT FIRST BARK is full of emotions, revelations, lots and lots of adorable puppies, and two people finally realizing that they have a second chance at finding a love that can survive a lifetime with each other. But first, they have to get past the craziness that is their lives right now with former in-law troubles, discovering how to help a young child through the loss of a parent, and learning that the friend who has always been there is really the man of Mia’s dreams. Watching them navigate through it all is an emotional, enjoyable journey – one that I’d not hesitate to recommend to any Romance reader. I had fun back in this world again — and that’s the whole point.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

LOVE AT FIRST BARK releases on July 30, 2019.

This is the fourth book in the Rescue Me series. I have read the first book but I haven't read the second or third (yet) and don't think that it is necessary to read them in order. You'd miss a bit of backstory, but nothing serious. Like the other book in the series that I did read, I love that there is a lot of on screen time for the animals and time is spent exploring both the fun, as well as the work involved in adopting a rescue animal. Also like the first book in the series, the book explored the themes of love and loss. Mia, the heroine has just lost her estranged husband and is trying to keep her son and her life on a even keel while she deals with the fallout. Helping her is her husband's best friend, Ben, who is her son's godfather and who has secretly been in love with her for years. With her ex's death, Ben finally sees a chance with Mia and is determined to let her know how he feels.

I enjoyed this book, but I felt like there was something missing. Maybe it was that necessary spark between Ben and Mia. I felt like we were told about their feelings but I never felt the connection. I also felt like they didn't have enough actual conversation or interaction until much later in the book. The rescue dogs and supporting characters were adorable though and I liked both Ben and Mia separately, I just didn't fully buy their romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book from Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Love at First Bark is the fourth book in Debbie Burns's Rescue Me series. We met both main characters briefly in previous books in the series.

Mia Chambers, a volunteer at the shelter, and Ben Thomas, an architect, have known each other for over 8 years. Mia was previously married to Ben's best friend, Brad. Ben is also Mia's son's godfather. We find out quickly that Brad passed away unexpectedly during divorce proceedings. This story follows Mia and Ben and how they both deal with their feelings toward each other and the guilt and complications that brings up.

This was a great addition to the Rescue Me series. I love how every book in the series has a great leading couple and also sheds a significant spotlight on the shelter's animals and the issues shelters face. If you are looking for a warm, quick read, I definitely recommend Love at First Bark and the entire Rescue Me series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I have not read the previous books in this series but I really enjoyed this story because I love dogs, rescues and love. This is a new to me author and I will definitely read her again. This is a fast read with a sweet story that even though at times was emotional, all ended well. Mia and Ben are attracted to each other and have known each other for a long time. The problem, she was married to his best friend who died and now he is in turmoil with his emotions because he has always had a thing for her. Mia is trying to focus on her son and their life and wasn't planning on anything more than that for a while. But as we know, life has a way of presenting what's next to us even when we don't plan on it. Great story about friendship and love and of course rescue doggies!

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley. for this ARC.

This is the fourth book in the Rescue Me series. Very enjoyable read! I've been liking this series and look forward to reading more. This one is a quick, easy read that I didn't want to put down. Recommended!

After reading the previous book in this series, I was eager to get a chance to read this book early. Once again, Burns delivers a heartfelt, poignant read full of emotion. When the four-legged characters are done well, they have a way of stealing the scene, and these rescue pups definitely hold their own. Mia's son, Ollie, is adorable, and his playful, sweet interactions with the hero, Ben, are what really steal the show.

Everyone is still reeling from Brad’s death. Although he and Mia were in the process of getting a divorce, her son Ollie still lost his father and Ben lost his best friend. None of this changes the fact that Ben has been in love with Mia since he first laid eyes on her, but it certainly makes things more complicated, as do the shocking revelations Mia has in store.

While this story has its strong points, some things were a little disappointing to me. There is far more telling than showing, and while it would take some time to edit, it’s not a difficult fix, and it’s far more likely to engage the reader. I also got slowed down by long narratives that, for me, didn’t add anything or help to move the story forward. Sometimes, less is more. My other issue is with incorrect names. Megan for Mia, Monica for Ava and a random Lilly tossed in with no mention elsewhere. It seems like a simple enough thing to keep a list of name changes and do a search/replace on the final copy.

In my opinion, these are all far more editing issues than author issues, which is the reason I didn’t leave a lower rating. The storyline is strong, the characters are compelling and there are plenty of tugs to the heartstrings. Hopefully you can focus less on the editorial issues and far more on these winning characters and heart-stealing pups.

*I read an early edition of this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide feedback and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source.

Love at First Bark is the fourth book in Rescue Me series and a delightful addition. Thanks goes to the publisher, via Net-Galley, for a chance to read and review an advance reader copy of this book. My opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story from start to finish. The plot is about a woman who, while in the midst of divorcing her husband, never makes it to divorce court because he dies. He leaves her with a ton of debt and a grieving seven-year-old son. Of course, she also has a lot of guilt since she’s realized she didn’t love him. Enters, the best friend. The romance is between them.

Love at First Bark is an emotionally-charged love story. The writing flows smoothly, and the pacing is excellent, moving the story along without any sagging parts. There are also many engaging moments between the MCs and Mia’s young son, adding a great deal to the story. Then, one must add in the adorable dogs!

Mia’s character gained my empathy form the beginning. She has so many issues she’s dealing with, beyond the romance between her and Ben. No wonder that at times, it took second place. She is a fantastic mother, a loyal daughter and loves her volunteer work at the animal shelter. Her confused feelings regarding Ben, are very understandable. I could identify with her mixed-up emotions. After all, Ben was her late husband’s best friend and her son’s godfather. Then add in the guilt her mother-in-law heaps on her head, no wonder she is so torn.

Ben Thomas is a great hero. His only flaw¬¬–he’s almost too perfect. He saw Mia first, but due to an unfortunate circumstance, his best friend makes the first move on her, and he steps away. He never tells his friend how he feels and even becomes godfather to their child. He’s never gotten over Mia, and at last, she’s free, but now, she’s a new widow with too much on her slim shoulders. I admired his patience with Mia as she works through her difficulties.

I truly wanted Mia and Ben to find their happy ending. They are so good together as a couple and clearly love one another. While there isn’t a lot of heat between them, the love grows steadily and is very satisfying. I’m not saying the attraction is weak, it’s just not a blazing passion.

If you enjoy a romance with conflicting emotions, endearing character and several loveable dogs, then you will like Love at First Bark as much as I did. While this is part of a series, it’s a stand-alone, and it’s not necessary to read the other books in order. Happy reading!

This story draws you in and takes you on a romantic journey with two amazing characters. A cute and fun read, perfect for a lazy afternoon read. Happy reading!!

Love at First Bark is the fourth book in the Rescue Me series by Debbie Burns. It is currently scheduled for release on July 30 2019. You do not have to have read all the books, or the books in order, to enjoy them. They can each stand up well on their own.

Animal portrait painter Mia Chambers and architect Ben Thomas have volunteered at the High Grove Animal Shelter for years, and they share a complicated history. Ben has secretly loved Mia all this time, but she was married to his best friend. Now she's newly widowed, with a young son, and Ben doesn't know how to tell her what's in his heart. All he can do is stay close, help her as much as she'll let him, and watch for the right moment to bare his soul. When a dozen adorable border collies get dumped in St. Louis' biggest park, everyone at the shelter mobilizes for a large-scale rescue. Rushing to the park to round up the frisky collies, Ben and Mia unexpectedly plunge into a new phase of their entangled lives. Who knew that opening their hearts and homes—to animals in need and to each other—would lead to so many upheavals and new beginnings?

Love at First Bark is a sweet story about two great people in a hard situation, having trouble admitting their feelings. Mia was in then middle of divorcing her husband when he died. There are secrets and a lack of closure swirling around her and she is struggling to do the right thing and help her young son deal with all the changes in his life. Ben has been a good friend, but was always her husband's friend first, so Mia is not sure what to do with the still growing attraction for him as she deals with the chaos left behind. I like that Ben is honestly a good guy, and willing to stand back and care for Mia and Ollie in what ever way he can. The addition of adorable pups and great secondary characters make the story even more engaging and fun to read. I did enjoy the characters, and getting to know them. I liked the story, but I have to admit that it did not wow me. There were a couple moments when I expected something bigger to happen, and it just did not. There was nothing wrong with the book, it was well written and solid, it just fell a little short of my expectations.

Love at First Bark is a lovely contemporary romance about second chances. I enjoyed the read.

Mia's coping and helping her 7 year old son Ollie cope with the sudden death of Brad, her husband and Ollie's dad. Ben, Brad's best friend, has always been a little in love with her. He's also carrying the weight of Brad's death so he's doing his best to help her out. Both of them volunteer at the animal shelter and it's there that they both begin to heal. The need to rescue 12 border collie pups and get them fostered brings these two together in a different way. You know, don't you, that both (and Ollie) deserve a happy ending. Burns has done a nice job with this second chance HEA. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. One to buoy you.

Lots and lots of puppies, need I say more?

Mia is recently widowed, with a young son. She is in a transition position in life and not quite sure what to make of the unexpected changes. Focusing on her son and working at the local shelter have given her the stability she needs to keep her footing in life.

Ben was her husband’s best friend but has secretly held a torch for Mia. He is there for Mia and her son but feels extremely conflicted about his roles in both their lives.

The best way to describe both Ben and Mia is conflicted, but in the end they find their way to happiness despite their conflicted feelings.

In the end, it’s a story about love, friendship and family with lots of puppies. Although it has its times of melancholy it was well balanced with quite a bit of angst.

I received this ARC copy of Love at First Bark from SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca. This is my honest and voluntary review. Love at First Bark is set for publication July 30, 2019.

My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: Debbie Burns
Series: Rescue Me (Book 4)
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: July 30, 2019
ISBN-10: 149267284X
ISBN-13: 978-1492672845
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Love-First-Bar...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love...
Itunes: https://books.apple.com/mt/book/love-...
5 likes

Another fun book in this series by Burns. Such a fun story line that keeps you turning the pages. Easy, light fun reading.

I loved this book!! This is the first book I've read in this series, now I'm hooked. What's not to love, dogs, kids and romance! I love how the author made shelter dogs the star of the book. Thank you SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this wonderful book! All opinions expressed are my own.

4 Review of Love At First Bark (Rescue Me #4) by Debbie Burns

Debbie Burns is a new author to me so I haven’t read any previous books in the series based around the High Grove Animal Shelter.
This is Mia Chambers and Ben Thomas’s story.

Ben has been in love with Mia for years even though she married his best friend; in fact he is her son’s godfather.

When her estranged husband dies, Ben steps in to help out. This is a story of love, romance and friendship. Throw in some cute animals and you are in for an entertaining story. It is a story of hope, of healing and moving on.

Well written, I loved how important a part the dogs from the shelter played. Although angsty at times I found myself smiling and cheering Mia and Ben on to their happily ever after

I received an ARC of this book through the publisher via Netgalley

Mia Chambers has taken her son Ollie and left her husband Brad after he cheated on her. While in the process of divorcing him he dies. Their friend Ben Thomas, who was not only Brad's best friend but also Ollie's godfather, has been instrumental in helping Mia get through Brad's funeral. He continues to be her hero by still being there to help her where he can and also help with Ollie. Mia volunteers at High Grove Animal Shelter as does Ben. They both participate in the rescue mission when twelve border collies get dumped in a nearby park. This nets Mia and Ollie a mama dog and her pup. Ben was more than happy to assist. Mia feels a little guilty about being attracted to Ben. Ben, on the other hand, has been in love with Mia since before they officially met. He stopped in a lecture hall on her campus and heard Mia give a speech which really resonated with him. Ben asked his friend Brad to arrange a meeting with Mia but missed it when his father became ill. Both Brad and Mia assumed Ben was not interested so they ended up getting together and then getting married.

Love at First Bark by Debbie Burns is the fourth book in her Rescue Me series. This story is filled with fun and entertaining doggy adventures. The interaction between the characters is fun also. The journey to a HEA for Mia and Ben should be an easy one considering how well they know each other, but life usually doesn't work out that way. It didn't for Mia and Ben. I enjoyed reading about the ups and downs of this journey. Ben's patience with Mia was admirable. I also enjoyed seeing characters from the earlier books in the series and getting updates for them. This is always a plus for me when reading a series.

Debbie Burns has written a fun, heartwarming story of love, family and trust. As usual the dogs from the shelter add great enjoyment to the book.

This author has quite the following so I thought I would give this book a try. The blurb sounded pretty good and the cover looks nice...
I felt it was a bit too cutesy for me though. I couldn’t get into it. The plot itself sounded good, it was maybe just too tame (is that the word???) for me.
Others might enjoy this one... It just wasn’t for me.

I love the High Grove Animal Shelter and all those who work there. They're such a wonderful eclectic group of people who love love love their pups. This is number 4 in a series I hope will never end. I am already eagerly awaiting number 5.
Ben is a great guy who experienced love at first sight when he saw Mia. Then his best friend Brad went to suss her out for him and not surprisingly fell for her. Some friend. Brad and Mia date, get pregnant, get married, have a baby and are poised for divorce when tragedy strike. Ben, the most loyal friend ever is the Godfather to a smart sweet little boy, big brother to a teenager, a successful businessman, kind care taker of all he knows and loves and the keeper of some very serious secrets. He is still desperately in love with Mia and he that his departed best friend left behind a trail of women and a child. Though the story is not about the shelter specifically it revolves around a large group of dogs abandoned at a local park that the shelter staff and its wonderful volunteers work to rescue. It is through the rescue of these adorable pups that Ben and Mia each start to acknowledge their real feelings and try to figure each other out. Even with some seriously annoying interference from Brads mother who never liked Mia at all, a surprise visit from Mias mom their friendship and feelings grow, they experience some emotional highs and lows they finally figure it all out. This is a sweet lovely easy read that will make you smile while reading and leave you looking forward to the next in the series.

"Love At First Bark" was a cute romance that could easily tug at anyone's heart strings. The story focus on the lead heroine who suddenly has to deal with her estranged husband unexpected death while dealing with her bubbling feelings towards his best friend Brad, whom is the Godfather of her child. During the process of grieving and dealing with the sudden shake up in their lives, new discoveries are unraveled and relationships are put to the test. This was definitely a heartwarming, puptastic romance I really enjoyed.

Title: Love at First Bark
Series: Rescue Me Book #4
Stand Alone Title: yes
Author: Debbie Burns
Genre: Romance
Blurb: Animal portrait painter Mia Chambers and architect Ben Thomas have volunteered at the High Grove Animal Shelter for years, and they share a complicated history. Ben has secretly loved Mia all this time, but she was married to his best friend. Now she's newly widowed, with a young son, and Ben doesn't know how to tell her what's in his heart. All he can do is stay close, help her as much as she'll let him, and watch for the right moment to bare his soul.
When a dozen adorable border collies get dumped in St. Louis' biggest park, everyone at the shelter mobilizes for a large-scale rescue. Rushing to the park to round up the frisky collies, Ben and Mia unexpectedly plunge into a new phase of their entangled lives. Who knew that opening their hearts and homes—to animals in need and to each other—would lead to so many upheavals...and new beginnings...?
Thoughts: I really love books in which one of the characters has been in love with the other for years. Ben loved Mia long before she got married, long before she became a mother, and had resigned himself to loving her always even though she was married to his best friend. He doesn’t leave the circle of friendship though, staying and becoming godfather to their son. Then he has the tough task of trying to win over her battered heart. Stuff I just LOVE to read! One of my critiques though, is that I just didn’t feel the love and angst quite as much as I felt I should have. The writing was great, but I wanted it to pull me in just a little bit more, to feel what the characters are feeling.
It’s a really sweet romance…with a lot of cuteness overload! Puppies and dogs galore! Who wants to miss out on that! It’s a bit of a slow build chemistry wise for our characters, and at times it seems to drag a bit. All in all, I wanted a bit more intensity, but a great read nevertheless.
Rating: B