In Dog We Trust by Beth Kendrick | Review

Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: January 8, 2019 (out now!)
Source of my copy: publisher
Series: Black Dog Bay #5
My rating:

Synopsis
When Jocelyn Hilliard finds herself named legal guardian for the late Mr. Allardyce's pack of prized Labrador retriever show dogs, her world is flipped upside down. She's spent her entire life in Black Dog Bay, Delaware, but never expected to be living the pampered life of a seasonal resident in an oceanside mansion with a generous stipend. But her new role isn't without its challenges: the dogs (although cute) are difficult to manage, her boyfriend leaves her, and suddenly she's contending with her late benefactor's estranged son, Liam, who thinks he's entitled to the inheritance that was left to the dogs.

But Jocelyn has worked too hard, and her mother has sacrificed too much, for her to back down without a fight. She uncovers Mr. Allardyce's secrets, connects with her mother on new levels, and learns more about her own father's legacy while trying to find common ground with Liam.

As Jocelyn fights to keep her new fur-family together, she is faced with a new rival who threatens to take everything.

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!