A New Leash on Life
Carmichael's latest pet-themed romance takes an affectionate look at the unglamorous, itinerant life of the dog-show circuit. Jane Connor is a successful trainer and handler until an Arizona wildfire strikes her property, on which she had let her insurance lapse. Left without home or income, she's forced to accept a producer's offer to feature in a documentary film about canine agility competitions. Demi-celebrity jars self-effacing Jane, as does the prospect of sharing an RV for months with her bubbly blonde producer. Her handsome trainer/handler competitor, widower Cole Forest, unsettles her still further, especially after Cole and his ornery daughter, Teri, have a vehicle breakdown and begin to travel in the same RV as Jane. Many of the plot twists feel artificial, as does the almost pathological level of self-deprecation that keeps Jane blind to Cole's attraction. Though this book is less strong than Carmichael's earlier efforts (Gone to the Dogs, etc.), her lively prose, sensitivity to Teri's inner battles and insight into all things canine still make this an appealing tale.(Nov.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.