In Dog We Trust (Black Dog Bay #5) by Beth Kendrick @BerkleyPub #bookreview #contemporary #romance

Title: In Dog We Trust

Author: Beth Kendrick

Publisher: Berkley

Publication Date: January 8, 2019

Page Count: 336

My rating:  5 stars

About the book:

From the author of Once Upon a Wine, a new novel set in the charming seashore town of Black Dog Bay, Delaware.

When everything has gone to the dogs . . .

When Jocelyn Hillier is named legal guardian for the late Mr. Allardyce’s pack of pedigreed Labrador retrievers, her world is flipped upside down. She’s spent her entire life toiling in the tourism industry in Black Dog Bay and never expected to be living the pampered life of a seasonal resident in an ocean side mansion, complete with a generous stipend. But her new role isn’t without its challenges: The dogs (although lovable) are more high-maintenance than any Hollywood diva, the man she wants to marry breaks her heart, and she’s confronted at every turn by her late benefactor’s estranged son, Liam, who thinks he’s entitled to the inheritance left to the dogs.

Jocelyn has worked too hard to back down without a fight, and she’s determined to keep her new fur family together. As she strives to uphold the “Best in Show” standards her pack requires, Jocelyn finds love, family, and forgiveness in the most unexpected places.

In Dog We Trust by Beth Kendrick is the fifth book in the contemporary romance Black Dog Bay series. Each book in the series has a different lead couple so they seem to be fine to read as standalone novels if choosing to do.With this being my first of the series I did a little lookup and ran across an earlier description of Black Dog Bay…

“Welcome to Black Dog Bay, a tiny seaside town in Delaware known as “the best place in America to bounce back from your breakup.” Home to Better Off Bed-and-Breakfast, the Eat Your Heart Out bakery, and the Whinery bar, Black Dog Bay offers a haven for the suddenly single.” 

As one might guess from that description there’s a bit of humor in these stories and after reading this installment I definitely would like to make it back to the earlier books. In Dog We Trust didn’t take long at all to settle in and begin enjoying the story and the characters so I can imagine each read would be just as fun.

This one centers around Jocelyn Hillier who is a Black Dog Bay native who happens to be in the right place/right time to save a millionaire’s pedigree pup from being ran over. The encounter lands Jocelyn the job of doggy sitter to the spoiled pooches and when the owner passes away she finds herself the trustee of the dogs who inherited the wealth. This leads Jocelyn to a battle with the disinherited son which turns into so much more between the pair.

Jocelyn was quickly established as a strong independent lead and I liked her from the start. The story is definitely one for animal/dog lovers as they play a huge part of the story and the romance takes a while to build with plenty of other things going on in the meantime. Just a fun story from start to finish that I’d definitely recommend whether you’ve read the others in the series or not.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Find this book online: 

Goodreads  /   Amazon

About the author:

Beth Kendrick is the author of Once Upon a Wine, Put a Ring On It, New Uses for Old Boyfriends, Cure for the Common Breakup, The Week Before the Wedding, The Lucky Dog Matchmaking Service, and Nearlyweds, which was turned into a Hallmark Channel original movie.