Review: Every Dog Has His Day by Jenn McKinlay

☆☆➹⁀☆3.5 stars☆➹⁀☆☆

What it’s about:

Bluff Point brewery owner Zachary Caine wants nothing to do with commitment. His wild bachelor lifestyle suits him perfectly—until a foster kitten named Chaos makes him a reluctant hero. Now he’s BFFs with the kitten’s two little girls and finds himself falling for their gorgeous mother, who couldn’t think less of him.

Divorced mother Jessie Connelly wants nothing to do with men like Zach. He’s sexy and charismatic and bad news, just like her ex. But her girls adore him, and he’s doing a good job filling in for their deadbeat dad. Then a snowstorm brings out the best in both neighbors, who, it turns out, have more in common than their mutual attraction…

So when Jessie’s past threatens her and her girls, Zach is determined to do whatever it takes to protect them—and live happily ever after with this family he has made his own.

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My Thoughts:

Every Dog Has His Day is the third book in Jenn McKinlay’s Bluff Point series. Although the characters and relationships have been fully established in the prior two books, I had no probably getting into the story or the characters without having read them.

Neighbors Jessie Connelly and Zachary Caine don’t have the best reputations. One is known as a player and the other as a relationship-wrecker. It takes Jessie’s adorable daughters and a stranded kitten to throw these two together. Their budding relationship progresses pretty quickly. Both Zach and Jessie profess their desire to remain unattached, but it only takes a snowstorm and a couple days without power for the two of them to hook up and fall into coupledom. As they get to know one another, so does the reader, and their individual backgrounds make it clear why they make the perfect couple.

For me, the highlight of the book was not the romance, but Jessie’s adorable daughters. They hooked Zach just as quickly as me!  Jessie’s prior lack of sexual satisfaction didn’t add anything to the story for me, and her instant bond with Zach’s female friends felt unrealistic.  Jessie’s ex-father-in-law is a horrible man who wields threats to mask his disappointment and sadness. The angst and conflict he creates could have been further developed for meatier drama, but it is fairly easily resolved.

For fans of sweet, light romances, Every Dog Has His Day will be a hit. The plot is simple and straightforward, the characters are well developed, and the story flows nicely. Refreshingly, Ms. McKinlay has created truly normal characters—no dominating alpha males, no subordinate, pin-up girl bombshells. Who could resist adorable animals, cute-incarnate kids, a little humor, and a heart-felt romance?