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 … 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…
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Will there be another book??? Seems Zack is the next likely to fall in love with the veterinary receptionist.
When life doesn’t turn out like you planned, a feeling of unease and uncertainty plagues your thoughts. For Carly DeCusati – part of the plan to get back on her feet includes moving back home to Bluff Point, Maine. Dread fills Carly as she gives up the feeling of independence by headed home. There is a ‘bright’ spot that Carly might not see yet. She is gaining two new family members. An elderly golden retriever and a not-so-polite parrot.
With her ‘inheritance’ in tow, Carly moves back into her old home as her parents head out the door to warmer weather. A shock in itself when returning to your childhood home. Carly is surrounded by the friends that she left behind. A source of strength when she needs it the most. In her quest to get life on track once more, Carly knows the last thing she needs is the long arms of a relationship pulling her down. Quite the feat when you are currently in a ‘dry spell’.
They always say that you find someone that interest you when you least expect it. Carly seems to be no exception to the rule. Upon meeting the hunky physical therapist in town, Carly begins to rethink what a little dip into water might mean. With a ‘no relationships’ rule set in place, Carly is determined to keep James Sinclair at arm length…if that is even possible.
Now that Carly has indulged in a one night stand with James, she finds herself struggling to keep him at bay. James is determined to show Carly what she is missing out on by excluding herself from dating. With both stepping out from the shadows, love seems to be inevitable. The only question remains…..what happens when secrets from the past rear their head in a huge way?
Barking Up The Wrong Tree is a funny, sexy, and engaging addition to the Bluff Point Romance series!! Carly is down on her luck, and finds herself headed to her childhood home to regroup. James is the sexy physical therapist that is everything that Carly tries to avoid. Adding to the mayhem are a golden retriever, a dog on ‘wheels’ and a parrot that has a colorful and extensive vocabulary. All of it combines to leave you following this trail of chaos while laughing hysterically!!
This series has captivated me with such realistic characters, Bluff Point town life, and daily happenings that are so real you can just imagine it! As a new fan of Jenn McKinley – all I can say is you NEED to read this series!! Looking for a laugh, sexy hunks, and really hot sex?? This series has it all!! Make sure it’s on your reading carousel!!
Love this book. Really looking forward to reading more from this author.
Very cute romance. I have the same problem with this book as I had with the first one. The female protagonists were neurotic, and their love interests were saints. Carly had a bad relationship in college and for the past 11years has only had one night stands, no relationships. James is gorgeous, smart, loves animals, and fell in love at first sight with Carly 11 years prior. They meet again 11 years later, and James is determined to not let her go again. Bottom line, great fun read.
I am a new reader of Jenn McKinlay’s books. I have to admit that the dogs on the covers of both books in her Bluff Point series attracted my attention. I picked up book #1, About A Dog and the love affair began. Barking Up the Wrong Tree cemented the relationship. I really loved this book! I smiled, I laughed, I cried, and then I laughed a lot more. The dog owned by hero, James Sinclair was cute and I greatly appreciated that James rescued “Hot Wheels” who has an underdeveloped back leg and is working on rehabilitating the leg. The dog owned by heroine, Carly DeCusati was cute too. I love Golden Retrievers and this one, Saul is special. But it was the parrot, Ike who really stole the show and made the story so much fun. Carly inherited Saul and Ike from an elderly neighbor and friend who passed away just before Carly loses her job in New York and has to pack up her apartment and move back home to Bluff Point, Maine.
Carly no sooner gets back to Bluff Point with her friend, Mac and the dog and parrot when they see Mac’s feisty and newly adventuresome septuagenarian Aunts Sarah and Charlotte with new red and purple highlights in their hair exercising in the park with hero, James Sinclair. Mac gets Carly to stop to see what trouble her aunts have gotten into this time and the fun begins. There’s a jailbreak and Ike the parrot flies off into the park where “Hot Wheels” sees Ike and starts to chase him. Carly, Mac and James take off to try to catch the two. Next thing you know here comes Mac’s Aunt Sarah singing “Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’,” and Aunt Charlotte singing “keep them doggies movin’,” as “Hot Wheels” comes busting out from under the bushes with Ike perched on his harness whistling the tune to “Rawhide.” Then there’s Ike’s salty language, such as outbursts of “Shut your stupid cake hole”, “Butthead” and the best is his imitation of a phrase he heard during James and Carly’s “one-night stand”, “James, oh James.”
Besides the fun of the parrot and dogs the book tells the story of how commitment-phobe Carly falls for James whose motto seems to be “Never Give Up” when it comes to Carly. I enjoyed the role reversal with the female being the commitment-phobe as in so many romance stories it is the male portrayed in that role.
There’s lots of friends and family interaction here who contribute to the HEA which is something I like to have in the romance stories I read. This was a “stay up way past my bedtime” to finish this delightful story type of book. I highly recommend it!