michellesantiago's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted on Undeniably Book Nerdy book blog.
As soon as I saw the most adorable cover, I just had to read In Dog We Trust. It was my first read by Beth Kendrick, but it certainly won't be my last!
In Dog We Trust was set in a small, touristy seaside town in Delaware. Our heroine, townie Jocelyn Hilliard works with her mom running their small laundry business, when on a fateful morning run she rescues a black Labrador retriever from getting nearly run over. The owner of the Lab, rich but crotchety Mr. Allardyce, hires her on the spot to help take care of his dogs--three prized show dogs. When Mr. Allardyce unexpectedly dies, he leaves his fortune to his dogs making Jocelyn their guardian and turning her life upside down...
Reminiscent of Kristan Higgin's earlier books, In Dog We Trust was fun and filled with humor, cute dogs, characters to love, a dash of romance, and lots of heart. I loved Jocelyn from the start! She was hardworking and down-to-earth and I took to her right away. Besides Jocelyn, I also enjoyed all the other secondary characters like her best friend Bree (love the whole palm reading bit, especially that scene at the bachelorette party--basically, Bree needs her own book!), her mom, Liam (once he warmed up), and Nora. The small-town beach setting just warmed my heart--I wanted to stay in Black Dog Bay longer and I have my eye on the previous books in the series so I can explore it some more.
And of course THE DOGS!! Carmen, Hester, Curtis, and the puppies were the stars of the novel! They were adorable and every time they were part of a scene I melted from the cuteness. I also found the little glimpse we got of the dog show world--which I knew nothing about--very fascinating and I now am interested in watching an actual dog show on TV to see what it's all about.
I highly recommend In Dog We Trust to fans of rom-coms for prefer the steam level on the sweet side. Since this novel is my first visit to Black Dog Bay, it didn't register for me but longtime fans of the series will get a kick out of seeing some familiar characters. But, first time readers like myself can jump into In Dog We Trust without reading the previous books in the series--it's very much a standalone. In Dog We Trust is the perfect weekend or beach read and even for book clubs (the paperback edition comes with reading discussion questions). Check it out!
As soon as I saw the most adorable cover, I just had to read In Dog We Trust. It was my first read by Beth Kendrick, but it certainly won't be my last!
In Dog We Trust was set in a small, touristy seaside town in Delaware. Our heroine, townie Jocelyn Hilliard works with her mom running their small laundry business, when on a fateful morning run she rescues a black Labrador retriever from getting nearly run over. The owner of the Lab, rich but crotchety Mr. Allardyce, hires her on the spot to help take care of his dogs--three prized show dogs. When Mr. Allardyce unexpectedly dies, he leaves his fortune to his dogs making Jocelyn their guardian and turning her life upside down...
Reminiscent of Kristan Higgin's earlier books, In Dog We Trust was fun and filled with humor, cute dogs, characters to love, a dash of romance, and lots of heart. I loved Jocelyn from the start! She was hardworking and down-to-earth and I took to her right away. Besides Jocelyn, I also enjoyed all the other secondary characters like her best friend Bree (love the whole palm reading bit, especially that scene at the bachelorette party--basically, Bree needs her own book!), her mom, Liam (once he warmed up), and Nora. The small-town beach setting just warmed my heart--I wanted to stay in Black Dog Bay longer and I have my eye on the previous books in the series so I can explore it some more.
And of course THE DOGS!! Carmen, Hester, Curtis, and the puppies were the stars of the novel! They were adorable and every time they were part of a scene I melted from the cuteness. I also found the little glimpse we got of the dog show world--which I knew nothing about--very fascinating and I now am interested in watching an actual dog show on TV to see what it's all about.
I highly recommend In Dog We Trust to fans of rom-coms for prefer the steam level on the sweet side. Since this novel is my first visit to Black Dog Bay, it didn't register for me but longtime fans of the series will get a kick out of seeing some familiar characters. But, first time readers like myself can jump into In Dog We Trust without reading the previous books in the series--it's very much a standalone. In Dog We Trust is the perfect weekend or beach read and even for book clubs (the paperback edition comes with reading discussion questions). Check it out!
pnelson384's review against another edition
3.0
After the last book I read, I needed something light to read. This book fit the bill perfectly! It is a quick read with romance, small vacation town residents vs. vacationers, and of course dogs! It's a fun read that has you rooting for the main character as she navigates friendships, men, family, and jobs.
mcipher's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book. The whole series is so much fun, but this one is one of my favorites so far. It was really funny, with snappy dialogue, and I found myself smiling as I read a few times. The characters are entertaining and believable, and the story itself wad interesting and quirky and a little insane, in a good escapist lottery winner kind of way. It’s always great to see old favorite characters, too. I really hope she writes more and keeps trying them together.
octygon's review against another edition
4.0
I truly enjoyed this book—it was very light, with interesting characters, great dialogue and a believable romance. The book is set in the same fictional seaside town where the author has set several other books, but it works perfectly as a stand-alone. In fact, I have not read any of those other books, and that did not interfere with my enjoyment of the story at all. The book begins with the main character, Jocelyn, saving a dog from being hit by a car. Before she knows it, Jocelyn is romantically involved with the driver of the car that almost hit the dog, and also is roped into becoming a paid dog-walker for the dog’s curmudgeon owner, Mr. Allardyce. Things get even more interesting when Mr. Allardyce dies and leaves his estate in trust for his dogs, with Jocelyn as the trustee and guardian. It sounds like a made for TV movie when I describe it, but it was undeniably fun.
suzannefine's review against another edition
5.0
I have loved every Black Dog Bay book Beth Kendrick has put out and In Dog We Trust, is no different.
Beth has a way of writing beautiful stories about love, friendship, and life in the Bay. I love how characters from previous novels are woven into this story - because they are all so great!
I would recommend to all my friends!!! Beth Kendrick - please keep writing novels about the Bay!!
Beth has a way of writing beautiful stories about love, friendship, and life in the Bay. I love how characters from previous novels are woven into this story - because they are all so great!
I would recommend to all my friends!!! Beth Kendrick - please keep writing novels about the Bay!!
bookmarklit's review against another edition
3.0
So this wasn’t exactly what I was looking for in my unexpected return to Black Dog Bay, my literal favorite book setting of all time. First, the romance was...bizarre. Without getting too far into spoilers, the MC and love interest were essentially in a legal battle throughout the book, which led to a weird version of the “hate to love” romance trope. Second, I definitely wish for more Black Dog Bay in general. It was great to see some returning characters and locations, but I just didn’t FEEL it as much as I have in the past. Overall though, I ADORED Jocelyn and Bree. They were such solid and hilarious friends! I am praying for another novel about Bree; she is the best. The premise was interesting and unique but just not as romancey as I would have liked? Very much a friendship story for me.
robinlovesreading's review against another edition
4.0
In this fifth book in the Black Dog Bay series, Jocelyn Hillier's life has just turned topsy turvy, and more than once in relatively short order. For starters, Jocelyn is jogging one day on "Rich Person Road", which is actually Shoreline Drive. Jocelyn runs a linen service along with her mother, so she is definitely glancing at the other side of things. During her run, Jocelyn manages to save a couple of dogs from being run over. She so impresses their owner, Mr. Allardyce, that he insists on hiring her to care for all of his dogs, three Labrador Retrievers.
Suddenly, Allardyce dies, and Jocelyn is named legal guardian to the dogs, as well as a huge inheritance that comes along with their care. This includes her living in his incredible mansion - correction - her mansion. When she learns this while at the reading of the will, she isn't the only one shocked. After all, she was a glorified dogsitter. Among the people outraged is Liam, who claims that Allardyce was his father and that he was robbed of his inheritance.
Jocelyn has been fighting her entire life. Raised without a father, she is blessed with a very strong mother and has learned quite a lot in her life. One thing for certain is that she is not going to back down easily. If Liam wants a fight, he's got one. Meanwhile, Jocelyn has been dating Chris, who happens to be the same man that almost ran her and the dogs over. More than once, Jocelyn wonders if she is good enough for a rich man like Chris. What social faux pas does she chance making?
Minor things that bothered me in the book. For example, Jocelyn was very comfortable riding with Chris, a perfect stranger, but not Liam, who she had been around much more. Minor inconsistencies like this offset my rating. Then, I wasn't too keen on certain issues she took her mother.
Despite those concern, I found this to be an enjoyable read, and I loved the storyline. There were quite a few humorous moments in the story, especially when it came to the antics of the dogs. Although women's fiction, I am someone who enjoys happily ever after, and I do love how the author played this out. We got to see Jocelyn's growth throughout this entire process. And, needless to say, all of the dogs were a delight! I definitely want to grab this entire series to-date as well as any future titles.
The series consists of Cure for the Common Breakup, New Uses for Old Boyfriends, Put a Ring On It and Once Upon a Wine. Despite the fact that I haven't yet had the chance to read them, In Dog We Trust did quite well as a standalone.
Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
Please see all of my reviews on my blog at www.robinlovesreading.com.
Suddenly, Allardyce dies, and Jocelyn is named legal guardian to the dogs, as well as a huge inheritance that comes along with their care. This includes her living in his incredible mansion - correction - her mansion. When she learns this while at the reading of the will, she isn't the only one shocked. After all, she was a glorified dogsitter. Among the people outraged is Liam, who claims that Allardyce was his father and that he was robbed of his inheritance.
Jocelyn has been fighting her entire life. Raised without a father, she is blessed with a very strong mother and has learned quite a lot in her life. One thing for certain is that she is not going to back down easily. If Liam wants a fight, he's got one. Meanwhile, Jocelyn has been dating Chris, who happens to be the same man that almost ran her and the dogs over. More than once, Jocelyn wonders if she is good enough for a rich man like Chris. What social faux pas does she chance making?
Minor things that bothered me in the book. For example, Jocelyn was very comfortable riding with Chris, a perfect stranger, but not Liam, who she had been around much more. Minor inconsistencies like this offset my rating. Then, I wasn't too keen on certain issues she took her mother.
Despite those concern, I found this to be an enjoyable read, and I loved the storyline. There were quite a few humorous moments in the story, especially when it came to the antics of the dogs. Although women's fiction, I am someone who enjoys happily ever after, and I do love how the author played this out. We got to see Jocelyn's growth throughout this entire process. And, needless to say, all of the dogs were a delight! I definitely want to grab this entire series to-date as well as any future titles.
The series consists of Cure for the Common Breakup, New Uses for Old Boyfriends, Put a Ring On It and Once Upon a Wine. Despite the fact that I haven't yet had the chance to read them, In Dog We Trust did quite well as a standalone.
Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
Please see all of my reviews on my blog at www.robinlovesreading.com.
jbrooxd's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. Cute story, but no real conflict. A couple law suit scares, but no real stakes. I enjoyed the characters, both human and canine.
paddlefoot55's review against another edition
ARC received via Netgalley for an honest review
Dogs are often the best people, and I would often trust my dog's instincts rather than my own. Plus, they are normally a lot nicer than people!
This is my first Beth Kendrick read, and it was sweet and cute and fluffy. I needed something uplifting after some darker reads, and In Dog We Trust was just the ticket.
It goes to show that one chance encounter can change your life, and that is what happens for Jocelyn.
Is it for the good? Is it for the bad? For that you will need to read for yourself.
Wonderful characters that had me laughing, had my cursing, had me smiling to the end.
I did kind of feel that the end was just... meh. There was all this build up and then... nothing - however this could just be me.
Dogs are often the best people, and I would often trust my dog's instincts rather than my own. Plus, they are normally a lot nicer than people!
This is my first Beth Kendrick read, and it was sweet and cute and fluffy. I needed something uplifting after some darker reads, and In Dog We Trust was just the ticket.
It goes to show that one chance encounter can change your life, and that is what happens for Jocelyn.
Is it for the good? Is it for the bad? For that you will need to read for yourself.
Wonderful characters that had me laughing, had my cursing, had me smiling to the end.
I did kind of feel that the end was just... meh. There was all this build up and then... nothing - however this could just be me.