With Christmas and a family wedding fast approaching, there’s happy chaos in the air at Waterford Farm. However, not everyone in the Kilcannon clan is caught up in the magic of the moment. Matriarch, octogenarian, and beloved blogger Gramma Finnie hears the clock of her long life ticking far too fast, while her great-granddaughter, teenager Pru, feels squeezed out of planning her mother’s … nuptials.
But when this unlikely duo is tasked with the project of producing the “Somethings” for the wedding – and only have Christmas Eve to get the job done – Gramma Finnie and Pru have a purpose and a plan. They set off to find the perfect old, new, borrowed, and blue treasures, but it doesn’t take long for things to spin out of control faster than Gramma’s Toyota in a snowstorm. Detoured by a stray border collie, thwarted by nature and an elf parade, and trapped by a rifle-toting mountain man, it will take more than the power of the Kilcannon clan to save these two from a Christmas catastrophe. It will take the luck of the Irish, a love story from long ago, and a whole lot of help from the angels to make this holiday merry and bright.
The Dogfather Series
The Dogfather isn’t just one man…it’s a brand new contemporary romance series from New York Times bestselling author Roxanne St. Claire celebrating what she loves most: hot guys, great dogs, big families…and true love. And a portion of the proceeds from every book in the series will be donated to the Alaqua Animal Refuge in the author’s home state of Florida!
Daniel Kilcannon is known as “The Dogfather” for a reason. It’s not just his renowned skills as a veterinarian, his tremendous love of dogs, or the fact that he has turned his homestead in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains into a world class dog training and rescue facility. Ask his six grown children who run Waterford Farm for him, and they’ll tell you that their father’s nickname is due to his uncanny ability to pull a few strings to get what he wants. And what he wants is for his four sons and two daughters to find the kind of life-changing love he had with his dearly departed wife, Annie. This old dog has a few new tricks…and he’ll use them all to see his pack all settled into their happily ever afters!
The Book List — Each Title is a Stand Alone!
Sit…Stay…Beg – Book One
New Leash on Life – Book Two
Leader of the Pack – Book Three
Santa Paws is Coming to Town – Book Four
Bad to the Bone – Book Five
Ruff Around the Edges – Book Six
Double Dog Dare – Book Seven
Bark! The Herald Angels Sing – Book Eight
Old Dog New Tricks – Book Nine
And there will be more!
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 an ten-time nominee and one-time winner of the prestigious RITA™ Award for the best in romance writing, Roxanne’s novels have won the National Readers’ Choice Award for best romantic suspense four times, as well as the Maggie, the Daphne du Maurier Award, the HOLT Medallion, Booksellers’ Best, Book Buyers Best, the Award of Excellence, and many others.
A recent empty-nester, Roxanne lives in Florida with her husband, and still attempts to run the lives of her young adult children. She loves dogs, books, chocolate, and wine, especially all at the same time!
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How could one not love following Pru and Grandma Finnie on an unusual adventure in Bark! The Herald Angels Sing by Roxanne St. Claire, book 6.5 in her Dogfather series. Poor Grandma Finnie is having writer’s block regarding her blog posts, feeling her age, and not quite feeling the Christmas spirit. Then there’s super organizer Pru who is feeling left out of all the planning for her mom’s wedding to her father, Trace. When Molly accidently overhears these two talking, she assigns them to find all of the “somethings” for her. Off these two go on an adventure to get the perfect pin repaired; knowing that Grandma Finnie is not supposed to be driving and Pru too young to drive. Not to be deterred, Pru and Grandma Finnie find a lost, pregnant dog on the side of the road, encounter a town in the midst of celebrating Christmas, learns who owns the dog, and tries to return the dog before a sudden snowstorm keeps them from completing their mission. Nothing seems to go right for these two adventurous ladies. These two loving angels do everything in their power to save Christmas, the pregnant dog, its owner and be rescued by the Kilcannon family.
I loved the stories Grandma Finnie told about her life in Ireland, her sister, and meeting of her husband. I was amazed by how hard these worked together taking care of Queenie, the pregnant dog, as she delivered her puppies. They also did a surprising job handling Queenie’s owner, an agoraphobic veteran suffering from PTSD.
Ms. St. Claire wrote an emotional and moving story filled with lots of feelings, wonderful dialogue, and endearing characters that should not to be missed. I highly recommend Bark! The Herald Angels Sing to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Not only a great Christmas Story but the adventure of a Great Grandmother and her Granddaughter. Such fun and excitement as well as a little nail biting too. But G Finnie would never let anything happen to her wonderful Pru. The Family wouldn’t be complete without a little excitement and a Wedding. Roxanne St Claire knows how to keep us all reading and I can’t wait for the next installment.
I love The Dogfather series. Great warm family series that always leaves me wanting more. Bark! The Herald Angels Sing is about Grandma Finny and her granddaughter, Pru going on their own special adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed sharing in their very special relationship. I loved learning more about Grandma Finny’s past and how she met and fell in love with Seamus Kilcannon. A great adventure all around!
BARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING is a standalone read with a HEA. This series is about a big Irish family, the Kilcannon’s. Dad Daniel has set out to get all his kids married. He wants them to be happy. Daniel’s wife died a few years ago and he has set out to bring all his kids back home. They have opened and operate the largest dog rescue and training facility in the state.
This story is about Granny, 87, and Pru 14, her great granddaughter. Granny is starting to feel her age. She is restless and bored. So they set out on an adventure with Granny driving. They are going to a jewelry store in a near-by town. On the way they see a dog on the side of the road so they stop and pick it up. It is a collie with one blue eye and one brown eye and obviously very pregnant.
They wind up stuck in the snow on the mountain road and no one in the family know where they are. The dog goes into labor. This is a great story made even greater by Granny telling Pru the story of how she met and married Seamus. The story just holds your attention throughout. I loved it and definitely recommend it.
I was not paid for this review. I am not a writer nor do I know one. I am not kin to this author. I am a reader and this is my opinion, nothing more, nothing less. 11/10/18
Once a Kilcannon, always a Kilcannon. With the holidays, fast approaching and a wedding on the horizon this resilient family proves that love never gets old. Bark the Herald Angels sing is a celebration of a life well lived. Despite a few hiccups along the way, St.Claire and her adorable four legged friends remind what it means to love with a whole heart and unconditionally. It all started with a father’s love, a mother’s heart and a grandmother’s strong will. I adore this family.
I absolutely loved this novella. Pru and Gramma Finnie shine in this story. I love how close these two people are. One is in their 80’s and the other is 14 but they have a bond like no other. This story sends them on a journey that tugs at your heart and makes you want to be there with them. It was a perfect blend of past, present and a bright future.
Everyone needs a Gramma Finnie! Bark! The Herald Angels Sing is a delightful heartwarming story where we learn how Gramma Finnie met a young and courageous Seamus Kilcannon and Pru finds out about a relative she had never known about. Pru and Gramma Finnie go on an adventure and get more then they bargained for. This story keeps you turning the pages to see what happens next and I was sad when I reached the end. The Dogfather series is one of my absolute favorites and this was an excellent holiday read!
This one continues to show the strong bonds of a family through four generation. It is a wonderfully heartwarming Christmas story. You will have a better understanding of this family of you read them in order, but not a requirement.
Pru is feeling left out of the planning of her parents’ wedding and Grandma Finnie can’t come up with anything to write in you blog. They are both feeling their ages, one too young and one too old. As they head off to find the “somethings” for Molly’s upcoming wedding to Trace, Pru and Grandma Finnie find themselves in a spot of trouble. How will they get the pregnant “Blue” to somewhere warm before she has her puppies? Hearing the story of Grandma Finnie’s youth was a delight. Ms. St. Claire has the ability to bring you in and make you part of the Kilcannon family, with all the laughter and the tears that go along with it. This is a lovely way to get into the holiday spirit. The Kilcannons always come through for one another, and any dogs that cross their paths. Give yourself a calorie-free treat and indulge in another wonderful installment in the Dogfather series.
I was provided with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
‘Tis the night before the night before Christmas and all through Waterford Farm, all creatures were stirring, preparing for the holiday and wedding fun! Yet Gramma Finnie and her favorite sidekick, great-granddaughter Pru are feeling different stirrings. Finnie is feeling bored and very mortal while Pru is feeling the stirrings of jealousy and anger at being excluded from her mom Molly’s wedding preparations. How dare they replace “General Pru” with a wedding planner!!! So when a spur of the moment mission created to get Finnie and Pru’s mojo going takes a turn (literally) towards danger, the Kilcannons mobilize into action!
No blurb for this story can truly capture just how amazing this story is. As always, Ms. St. Claire’s writing is perfection, alternating smoothly between the characters’ different points of view and locations. But is the back and forth between present day North Carolina and WWII Ireland that makes this book a standout. Finola Kilcannon is not just an important character in every Dogfather book, she is its soul. Here, we the reader get to meet the young Finola Brennan and view her teen years back on “the old sod” from her point of view. Her story enraptured not just Pru, not just a stranger but this reader as well – I read Bark! in one sitting, unable to to close the book until that final pawprint signalled the end. Oh the “feels!” This book is a glittering star on top of the Kilcannon “Dogfather” series tree!
A heartwarming Christmas tail when taking an adventure with Gramma Finni and Pru. Pru is given a task for her mother’s upcoming wedding, find the special somethings. With the help of Pru’s Gramma they go on a road trip, soon they are lost in the mountains and have a lost pregnant dog that they found that is soon to deliver.
Bring on the holiday season with this perfect story, with will warm you up just perfect. There is so many things that I loved in this story. Loved the closeness of of Pru and her gramma. Loved Blue/Queenie the rescued dog. I must admit I did shed a few tears through out this wonderful story. I highly recommend this story along with the rest of the stories in this season. This can be read as a stand alone. Merry Christmas!
If you have been reading the other books in The Dogfather series, you will just adore this novella.
Gramma Finnie has been feeling a little down lately. As Gramma Finnie is getting older, she is reflecting back on her life and feels that she is missing some excitement. At the same time, Pru is feeling left out of all the wedding planning between her parents. Molly realizing what is happening to Pru and tells her she is in charge of getting together Molly’s “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue” for the wedding. Of course in true Gramma Finnie and Pru style, they take this task to the next level and turn it into an adventure.
Their little adventure includes a lot of fun, some danger, a romantic love story and of course dogs! Just when the danger is looking like more than they can handle, the entire Kilcannon clan comes charging to their rescue.
Oh my gosh, I just LOVED this story. I laughed and cried. It was so fun hearing some of Gramma Finnie’s old stories. I just adore Gramma Finnie and Pru. They make such a great pair and I’m glad they were able to find their little moment of excitement!
What can possibly go wrong when 87 year old Gramma Finnie and 14 year old Pru set off to find the “Somethings” for Molly’s wedding? Never mind that Gramma Finnie shouldn’t really be driving. Or that snow is expected. The relationship between Gramma Finnie is certainly a special one and it was entertaining reading this story – from the obstacles they faced to the story of how Gramma Finnie and Grandpa Seamus met to the new dogs and their owner. I felt as if I was right their with them.
Sweet, heartwarming and engaging holiday adventure filled with friends, family and love… This is a quick yet highly entertaining journey that hits all the right heart lifting emotions and leaves you feeling great. Loved visiting with all my favorite charters for the holidays.
A fun adventure with Pru and Gramma Finnie.
I love this series and this holiday snowy themed novella with the Kilcannon family was just what I needed to brighten my day. It’s a quick adventures read that once you start you won’t want to put down. The Christmas season is all about family and sharing it with the ones you love.
So sweet and heartwarming, and a little heartbreaking…yes you will shed some tears. Happy and sad tears. Ms. St. Claire shows us love, loss, Christmas miracles and so much more. When Molly is preparing for her wedding she overhears her daughter telling Gramma Finnie she feels left out of the wedding preparations. So not to give herself away. Molly tells Pru she needs something special done. The somethings old, new, borrowed, and blue.
What happens next will keep you turning the pages.
The love in the pages while you read this book just made me look forward to Christmas and spending time with my family. So pick this book up and See what happens.
There is an adventure about to take place. You will see.
I didn’t want this book to end! It’s a wonderful Christmas novella that will especially be enjoyed by fans of the Dogfather series. Pru and Grandma Finnie go on an adventure and we delightfully learn Grandma Finnie’s love story, and of course there’s a dog story too! Roxanne St. Claire writes such poignant stories you always need a box of tissues on hand at some point. The emotional impact of her stories is significant and she lets the readers feel and experience the emotions of the characters in the story. This is such a sweet tale of the love between a great grandmother and granddaughter and how they support and cherish one another. The story is full of both love and adventure and was such a fun read. Without giving away spoilers, I really wanted the story to go on to learn what happened as the family gathered on Christmas Eve. It really put me in the mood for the holidays! You can’t go wrong with this book! I’m so happy that I discovered Roxanne St. Claire’s amazing books.
Finola Brennan-Kilcannon, Gramma Finnie to her family and community, is the family’s blogging matriarch. She suffers from boredom and writer’s block. Gramma Finnie and her great-granddaughter Prudence embark on a secret yet special adventure: to fix a precious family heirloom. The duo finds a lost pregnant border collie on their trip only to get stranded in a snowstorm. Gramma Finnie distracts Prudence and their crotchety savior with the story of how the heirloom introduced her to her late, beloved husband while the dog births her pups. Will Gramma Finnie overcome her writer’s block? What Christmas miracle will she and Prudence deliver to an alienated veteran?
Prudence Kilcannon is the teenage daughter of a veterinarian and ex-con. She feels left out of her parents’ wedding preparations. Her mother tasks Prudence in finding “something new, something old, something borrowed, and something blue” for the wedding. Prudence enlists her great-grandmother to help in hopes it’ll liven up her life. The project ends up stranding the duo in a snowstorm on Christmas Eve with a laboring dog. Can Prudence and Gramma Finnie help the dog return to her owner?
Gramma Finnie is a hoot. In some ways, her personality reminds me of my late grandmother. Gramma Finnie is the type of woman I want to be when I turn eighty-seven minus the Irish proverbs. I love the insight into Gramma Finnie’s life in Ireland before immigrating to America. Her love of Irish proverbs makes sense now. I like the fact that age has not changed her much, especially her spontaneous reckless streak. But what I adore the most about Gramma Finnie is how she’s caught up in the times, technology wise. She is a wiz with blogs and cell phones, proving age is no hindrance in learning new things.
I love Prudence’s close bond with Grammie Finnie. Usually, teenagers that age do not like spending time with their elderly family members. Prudence does and often comes to her great-grandmother with any problems she cannot discuss with her mother. I like her selflessness by including Grammie Finnie in her task of finding the “weddings’ somethings”.
BARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING is book eight in Roxanne St. Claire’s dog-themed contemporary series, THE DOGFATHER. I generally do not read Christmas-themed stories; however, I did not mind it very much in this book. I adore how the author went about giving readers Gramma Finnie ’s love story without it being a prequel. Sure, I would have loved getting to know about Seamus’s side of the tail a bit more.
BARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING is a charming holiday read. This novella is a nice filler until the most anticipated Daniel Kilcannon’s book. I cannot wait to read about the Dogfather’s story.
What a wonderful Christmas gift from Roxanne St. Claire! She delivered it in Bark! The Herald Angels Sing, her latest novella in her The Dogfather series. I received an ARC of Bark! The Herald Angels Sing, for an honest review. It was such a wonderful story, filled with such bittersweet and poignant moments. All of the Kilcannon family members are getting ready for their traditional Christmas Eve festivities. They are also putting on the finishing touches for Molly and Trace’s wedding. Gramma Finnie and Pru are feeling left out of the wedding festivities, since Molly has chosen a wedding planner to help with her wedding planning. Gramma Finnie is feeling old and Pru feels over looked. Molly gives them a special assignment, to find special “somethings”, new, old, borrowed, and blue for her wedding to Trace. Gramma Finnie knows just what to use as the something old, a pin that belonged to her sister Mary Violet. Gramma Finnie tells Pru all about her sister “Vi” and how she met her husband, Seamus Kilcannon. The telling of the story is heartbreaking and heartwarming. Along the way to Holly HIlls find the “somethings” and get the stick pin repaired, they find a lost, pregnant border collie along the side of the road and name her “Blue”, the only letters that they can make out on her ID tag. While getting Blue groomed, the owner of the grooming salon, identifies Blue as “Queenie”, whose owner is Bill Cutter. As is starts to snow, they set out to return Blue to Bill, on Christmas Eve, and they get stuck along the road to Bill’s home and Blue goes into labor in the back seat of Gramma Finnie’s car. All that happens after is truly magical and heaven sent. It is such a heartwarming tale, that unites all the Kilcannons in their search for Gramma Finnie and Pru. I loved the story and the characters, it was so enjoyable. It was so wonderful reading Gramma Finnie’s back story and how she met Grandpa Seamus. I love Gramma Finnie even more. Thank you for the wonderful early Christmas gift.
This book was not what I expected because it was so much more than that. Pru and Gramma Finnie go on an adventure on Christmas Eve, and so many things go wrong—and right. It is especially poignant for anyone with an older family member to worry about it and a beloved dog who temporarily lost her way. I was on the edge of my seat through the entire book, frequently with tears streaming, as I lived the story right along with them. The love of family and dogs is more evident in this book than in any other. Who knew a romance writer could write such a great book without people falling in love? This book is a 5-star book for sure.