Barking Up The Wrong Tree (Bluff Point Romance, #2)

by Jenn McKinlay

New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay returns to Bluff Point, Maine, where one woman finds love with the help of an adorable golden retriever.

LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD.

Carly DeCusati returned home to Bluff Point, Maine, with her tail between her legs. But she’s determined to get her life back on track—and that means finding new homes for the elderly golden retriever and overly talkative parrot she inherited before her old life fell apart.

Enter physical therapist and hot one-night stand James Sinclair. James doesn’t care that Carly doesn’t do relationships. He is determined to win her heart, promising to help her with the pets if she’ll just give him the time of day. 

Carly agrees to date the irresistible James, and, for the first time in years, she’s dreaming of a happily ever after. But James has secrets, and if he can’t open up to Carly, their future could go to the dogs...

• ISBN10: 1683247035
• ISBN13: 9781683247036
• Publish Date: 28 April 2018 (first published 26 September 2017)
• Publish Status: Withdrawn
• Out of Print: 24 August 2022
• Imprint: Center Point
• Edition: Large type / large print edition
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 500
• Language: English

Reviews

[kimbacaffeinate]

Coffee Dates with Barking Up the Wrong Tree

• First Date: Our date begins in New York as Carly DeCusati learns her next-door neighbor bequeathed her a menagerie of pets that include a saucy parrot named Ike and an older golden retriever named Saul.  After losing her job and with no prospects on the horizon she is heading home to Bluffs Point. To say, Carly has reached a low point would be an understatement. When she gets home, her parents jump in their car destined for sunny Florida, shouting take care of your sister and the house. The sisters are like oil and vinegar. Between the pets and Carly's snark, I am quickly pulled in. McKinlay had me laughing aloud during scenes where the bird gets loose.  At the local pub, she meets James Sinclair, the sexy personal trainer she encountered early that day. Their chemistry is off the charts, and it looks like Carly will get lucky.


• Second Date: Carly doesn't do relationships, and never sleeps with the same man twice. An arrangement she is quite happy with. It was fun seeing this reversal of roles, as typically it is the hero who has hang-ups. The morning after scene choking as I snorted coffee through my nose laughing. There is a story behind James, and it was interesting seeing this thread develop. To her the night was lovely, and they are over, but James wants more, and this bright, smexy man is making Carly feel all kinds of things. I loved the banter, snarky comments, and sizzling hot chemistry as Carly tries to deny it even as she wishes he'd kiss her. Time spent with friends, trying to get the pets adopted into good homes and securing a new job are all weaved into the tale. The animals are all adorable and at times stole the show. I want to adopt them all. Ike made me laugh until I had tears. I enjoyed all the secondary characters and seeing the developments between Carly and her little sister. A scene at the veterinarian's office has me dying to get my hands on book three.

• Third Date: I am in love with James and if Carly doesn't jump him I will! I was sold before I saw his home and then I melted into goo. The Sinclair family, whoopie pies, and folks from the past cause some hiccups. The drama was minimal and the big issue didn't seem like much to me, but I had to look at it through Carly's eyes. I am confident and know my worth, but Carly has had some serious hits lately to her psyche. That along with her relationship history is enough to make someone skittish. Thankfully, communication, swoon-worthy romantic gestures and following one's heart ruled the day.

Copy provided by the publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer