Reviews

About a Dog by Jenn McKinlay

iffer's review against another edition

2.0

I honestly only borrowed this because I needed some fun fluff to listen to in the background, and it is not unusual for me to borrow books just because there is a dog on the cover. This was a serviceable contemporary romance, but it felt long to me. In addition, even going into it knowing that it was going to be a fluff romance, it was hard for me to suspend my disbelief at parts of the dog storyline. It also started to bug me that the main character kept thinking, "This is my moment. I can tell (person) the truth right now," and then not doing it. It happened enough times that the main character seemed like a bad friend, and the author like someone who couldn't come up with better narrative obstacles.

aspygirlsmom_1995's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

thunderbolt_kid's review against another edition

I'm just not going to be recommending this book: it's fine, but the author through an incredibly fat-phobic portrayal in another book that I had started to try to read (specifically, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9745415-books-can-be-deceiving).

cservat129's review against another edition

4.0

The opening chapter of this book had me laughing! I knew then that I was going to enjoy Mac and her friends. Mac is going home for the first time since she was left at the altar and is still embarrassed by it. I also like this small Maine town that was very nicely described in this book. mac is the type of character that I always enjoy reading about , funny , tough but lovable.  Gavin is a veterinarian and seems quite interested in Mac , he also sounds very dreamy and I found myself wondering why Mac was not dating him in High School.....  Then to make this book an even more enjoyable experience , enter Tulip a runaway/stray puppy who just steals my heart! Mac takes a bit longer to fall in love with Tulip but eventually the bond is formed. I appreciated the author writing about animal cruelty in this story and how it is intolerable, I know that it is a tough subject to introduce in this type of book but kudos to Jenn McKinlay for doing an excellent job! There were quite a few scrapes and scuffles involving Mac that were hilarious, I found myself laughing out loud a few times! All in all a very enjoyable, heartwarming book. I am happy that this is the first book in the series and there will be more to follow.This review was originally posted on Cindy's Book Binge

0nefeli's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.0

sarahfett's review against another edition

3.0

I'm a huge fan of Jenn McKinlay's cozy mystery novels and I like a good love story, so I had to check out her new romance novel. I like the cast of characters and the small New England town setting. I think there is a difference between liking a love story and a true romance novel, and I don't think I'm a true romance fan. I would have preferred more plot, less crass humor, and fewer descriptive sex scenes, but it was an enjoyable read.

I received an ARC from NetGalley.

jenncamp's review against another edition

3.0

Typical romance. Lots of buildup for what felt like a short tied up ending. Wasn't amazing, wasn't terrible. Just a serious meh from me.

sailormarymoon's review

3.0

It was okay.







Honestly it probably would have been better without Trevor. It felt that he was there just to create drama and be the antagonist.

ncrabb's review against another edition

3.0

Mackenzie Harris hasn’t been back in Bluff Point, Maine in seven years. She booked it out of town in a hurry not long after her almost-husband left her at the altar for another woman in a red convertible. Before she left town, she sought sexual comfort from Gavin, the younger brother of her best friend, Emma. Now seven years later, Mac is back in town helping with preparations for Emma’s wedding.

Mac’s on-again off-again boyfriend, Trevor, is in London, and the two called it mostly quits before Mac went to Maine. When she got off the train, it wasn’t Emma who greeted her, but Gavin, a relatively newly minted veterinarian who changed for the better in Mac’s absence. He had never forgotten their one sheet-rumpling experience, comparing Mac to every other woman he had associated with since, and the others all fell short. Naturally, she’s terrified that his big sister will learn of their long-ago lust moment, and she wants to just keep it friendly while she’s in town—well, the logical her wants it that way. The hopeless romantic behind the accountant facade hopes he still remembers and wants to rekindle something long dormant.

Mac first encountered the stray dog on her first day back in Maine. She saw it in a field where she and Gavin stopped to examine a horse patient of his. The two encountered one another again in an alley a few days later, and this time, she can’t help but determine to foster the dog—a dog she names Tulip because she rediscovered it in the alley surrounded by broken flowerpots and wilted tulips.

I’ve largely sworn off romances, and if I have a choice, I’m going to read a McKinlay mystery first. But the book is filled with memorable characters and a romance that wasn’t quite as formulaic and tiresome as most of them. The sex scenes were rather ho-hum in terms of cliché descriptions, but there aren’t many, and they’re short.

jbrooxd's review against another edition

4.0

Fun, beach-y sort of read. Great characters! A little more mature content than the author's cozy mysteries.