Man’s Best Friend

Roxanne St. Claire

Sep 2020 · South Street Publishing

About this ebook

Book Six  (all stand-alone titles) of a Series for Dog Loving Romance Readers!

Declan Mahoney and Evie Hewitt are childhood best friends who become young lovers on one summer night in the Carolina mountains. But the next morning, they learn Declan’s firefighter father has been killed while saving Evie’s family and home. Consumed by grief, and determined to take up his responsibility as the oldest Mahoney sibling, Declan turns from Evie. That heartbreak sends her running, halfway across the state, rarely seeing Declan over the next twenty years. But now Evie has come back to Bitter Bark to care for her aging grandfather and the landmark mansion once scarred by fire. As soon as they hear that, a couple of meddling grannies who call themselves the Dogmothers hatch their plan to rekindle this romance by arranging a “chance” meeting at the local bakery and planting a few unexpected surprises along the way.

When she sees Declan, Evie is knocked over by emotions for the firefighter who might just be the reason she’s forty, childless, and dedicated to her career. She’s also nearly knocked over by the Husky-Malamute mix at his side. With unexpected assist from a dog who’d been surrendered at the fire station, Declan decides he can’t miss this chance to reconnect with the woman he’s never forgotten. It doesn’t take long for old feelings to burn hot…and it doesn’t take long for Evie, a veterinary neurologist, to notice something's not quite right with the gorgeous dog Declan’s about to put up for adoption.

As they work together to help Judah, more than one creature is healed. Evie starts to demolish the walls grief had raised around Declan’s heart, and he reawakens her dreams of marriage and motherhood. But as they fall back into each other’s arms, Declan discovers the truth about his father’s death, and that revelation threatens more than their love…it could threaten their lives. Will Evie and Declan’s dreams be destroyed by tragedy? Or can they finally let go of the past so they can take hold of the future…together?

All of the covers of The Dogmothers were photographed at Alaqua Animal Refuge in Florida using rescue dogs from the shelter, and "local heroes" as models. A portion of book sales is donated to that amazing organization!

The Dogmothers – a spinoff series from the popular "Dogfather" books

Daniel Kilcannon, a widower with six unmarried kids, has not only orchestrated wonderfully happy endings for all his offspring...he's found one of his own. That leaves his grown nieces and nephews plus his adult stepkids all in need of their own magical romances. Is the Dogfather too preoccupied with his new lady love to pull the strings and make the matches? Maybe. But never fear, there's a new team in town and these two might be polar opposites in life, but they are lined up in love. Meet Yiayia and Gramma Finnie. One has the steel spine of a Greek warrior, the other has the sweet soul of an Irish poet. Together, along with two darling dachshunds, these Dogmothers won't stop until all nine of their grandchildren are hooked, hitched, and happy.

Ratings and reviews

Dogmothers Book 6 Declan Mahoney and Evie Hewitt were childhood sweethearts. Born and raised in Bitter Bark, they always knew they would marry each other one day. The night they promised their love should have been the happiest moment in their young lives but it turned out to be the worst when Declan’s firefighter father died that night in a fire at Evie’s family’s house. That night changed everything. Devastated by the loss of his father, Declan closed himself off from his family and friends. And from Evie. A firefighter himself now, Declan can’t come to terms with how or why his father, with years of experience, died that night. The facts of the investigation just don’t add up. While Declan became distant, Evie left Bitter Bark to begin her journey in veterinary medicine. Twenty years later, when Dr. Evie Hewitt, now a top veterinary neurologist came back home, she couldn’t help but run into Declan. Enter the Dogmothers. Grandma Finnie and Yiayia, the family matchmakers, have their sights set on getting Evie and Declan back together. Knowing the bond these two had and the promise Declan made to Evie, they knew they were meant to be. They just needed to be reminded. And who better to do the job? This is another winner for Roxanne. I liked that the characters are a bit older now but still have the same love for each other as they did when they were young. Blending the past with the present, combined with the mystery of the fire, was all done flawlessly. Although I would recommend reading the series to get to know the families and who belongs to whom, the reader can read this book as a stand alone. There is a chart included at the end of the book to help identify the characters. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 4.5 stars

I started this book with tears and ended with tears, sad and happy throughout this amazing story. Declan and Evie have friends since childhood and are the most perfect couple until tragedy strikes and they go their separate ways. Fast forward twenty years and Evie has returned to Bitter Bark to help care for her grandpa Max. Neither Declan or Evie have found their true HEA. With the help of Judas, Max and the Dogmothers their romance will be rekindled. This was a book that I could not put down. Loved Declan and Evie, so perfect for each other. Loved the little mystery throughout the story. This story is full of romance, family and the love of dogs. Have tissues ready, they will be needed. This is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone, I highly recommend.

Review Oh my gosh! Have your tissues ready for this one. Love found, tragedy, love lost, and so many wasted years. Evie and Declan had known each other since they were children and fell in love along the way. Then tragedy strikes and they’re torn apart. When they meet again, can they move beyond the pain and find a future together again? A beautiful story with emotion, meddling but loving family members, true love and a bit of suspense. I hope this series never ends.

About the author

Published since 2003, Roxanne St. Claire is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty romance and suspense novels. In addition to being a ten-time nominee and one-time winner of the prestigious RITA (TM) Award for the best in romance writing, Roxanne's books have won the National Readers' Choice Award four times and have been translated into more than a dozen languages. A recent empty-nester, Roxanne lives in Florida with her husband and two dogs.