Book One (all stand-alone titles) of a Series for Dog Loving Romance Readers!
Firefighter Braden Mahoney is devastated when his beloved Weimarener, Jelly Bean, fails the canine arson investigator test. Faced with the challenge of raising the money for advanced training, it’s Braden’s sweet grandmother and her best friend who suggest he use the services of the new event planner in town. Not that … planner in town. Not that he needs a push in Cassie Santorini’s direction. Ever since she arrived in town, Braden has had his eye on the sassy Greek goddess…and can’t stop thinking about getting the rest of him on her, too.
Cassie has spent years putting family first, even moving to Bitter Bark when her mother falls in love with the local veterinarian. Having a huge new extended “family” is fun, especially when one smokeshow of a firefighter attends the gatherings, but Cassie has no plans to remain in the small town. She’s ready to pursue her big city dreams. But when Braden asks for an assist for his precious pup, Cassie agrees to help him set up a town-wide scavenger hunt. It isn’t exactly a hardship to be around those blue eyes and brawny shoulders, especially since they both agree everything — even the undeniable sparks that crackle between them — is temporary.
But when temporary gets complicated by feelings that might lead to forever, Braden and Cassie start to question the direction they’re headed. Should they follow their dreams…or their hearts? It’ll take a dog with a bad nose and a good heart, two meddlesome grandmas, and some help from the clan that loves them to make sure Cassie and Braden follow the clues and find their way to each other’s arms.
The Dogmothers – a new spinoff series from the popular “Dogfather” books
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Just like The Dogfather books, the covers of The Dogmothers were all photographed at Alaqua Animal Refuge in Florida using rescue dogs from the shelter, and “local heroes” as models. A portion of book sales is donated to that amazing organization!
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 a ten-time nominee and one-time winner of the prestigious RITATM Award for the best in romance writing, Roxanne’s books have won the National Readers’ Choice Award four times and have been translated into more than a dozen languages. A recent empty-nester, Roxanne lives in Florida with her husband and two dogs.
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I loved this introduction to The Dogmothers! So much fun, and great writing.
Loved it! Hooked me from page one. Enjoyed each page thereafter.
HOT UNDER THE COLLAR (The Dogmothers Book #1) by Roxanne St. Claire is the first contemporary romance in this enchanting series and matchmaking effort by the Dogmothers. A sexy and smart firefighter, Braden Mahoney with his best friend and beloved Weimaraner are immediately taken with a sassy Greek goddess, Cassandra Santorini who wants to leave small town life behind for her big city dreams. This book is easily read as a standalone with a complete HEA, but it does have characters carried over from the previous Dogfather series.
Cassie and Braden come together so naturally. The dialogue is flirty, fun and realistic. Braden has not only relationship difficulties, but heartbreaking decisions to make about his best friend and beloved dog, Jellybean. Cassie’s decisions started out with some difficulties because of her love of her family, but as the romance relationship grew, so did the amount of emotional angst leading to an ultimate conclusion that satisfied without feeling like it was a loss or sacrifice on Cassie’s part. The sex happens towards the last part of the book and is a natural progression of the relationship and not gratuitous.
This series has wonderful secondary characters, mainly extended families and dogs that you fall in love with immediately. The grandmas are the perfect Dogmothers and I cannot wait to see who they work to bring together next.
I highly recommend this first book in this contemporary romance series and I cannot wait to get to the next Dogmothers adventure!
6 stars. Awesome book
Now that the Dogfather has found love, it’s the Dogmothers turn! Gramma Finnie teams up with Cassie’s grandmother, Agnes (also known as Yiayia). Cassie has always put her family and the Santorini Deli first, but her dream is to live in a high-rise in a big city. While Bitter Bark is nice, it’s not a big city and her apartment is on the second floor.
Braden is one of three firefighting brothers. Nephew of the famous Dogfather. He is working with his dog, Jelly Bean, to get him certified as an arson investigation dog. The only problem is that Jelly Bean’s nose isn’t working right. The Dogmothers convince him his only hope of raising money to get extra training for Jelly Bean is to ask Cassie for help.
Cassie is also trying to figure out her “new and improved” grandmother and she figures the best way to do that is date Braden, who is really smoking hot, but not Greek, the number one condition of Yiayia’s.
This was a wonderful romance filled with heartwarming moments, funny grandmas, lots of lovable dogs and realizing that love, real love, is the most important thing.
WOW!! How could one not love Hot Under the Collar by Roxanne St. Claire, book one in her Dogmother series. This wonderful and amazing story pairs Gramma Finnie, the beloved character from the Dogfather series, and Yiayia, the Santorini’s grandmother, as matchmakers in this series. They are a hysterical as the Dogmothers!! They have decided to work their magic on Cassie and Braden. This shouldn’t be difficult as the attraction between tem has been obvious since they first met. However, event planner Cassie has always desired to live in a larger city and firefighter Braden has his own reasons for not ever wanting to get married. Add in the “little” issue of Braden’s dog Jelly Bean not liking Cassie and you have the making of a very entertaining story.
Ms. St. Claire wrote an amazing story that was moving and filled with love, wonderful dialogue, and endearing characters that should definitely not be missed. This book is a standalone but includes characters from the previous books in this series. I highly recommend Hot Under the Collar to other readers and I am anxious for the next book in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Cousins by association, firefighter Braden Mahoney and event planner Cassie Santorini have been attracted to each other from the moment they laid eyes on each other. But, rather than taking action, they take the safe way out by being friends who flirt, but nothing more.
When fate, and their grandmothers, push them into spending more time together, their attraction becomes harder to fight, even though neither is looking for permanent. Braden’s terrified that his dangerous job will tear him away from those he loves, as it did his father, and Cassie wants to make her own way in the big city rather than stay in their small town. So, when they agree to temporary, they know it isn’t smart . . . but they also can’t stay apart any longer.
But temporary gets complicated real fast. And, with Braden also having some tough personal decisions regarding the dog he adores and his career and Cassie being offered what seems to be the job of her dreams in Chicago, temporary could go to finished sooner than expected. Will the baggage from their pasts and their fears for the future tear them apart, or will they find themselves chasing dreams they didn’t even know they had?
I absolutely loved Hot Under the Collar! This is such a fun extended clan full of large personalities, that I know this series is going to be extremely entertaining book after book.
I enjoyed that much of the story was about charity events involving dogs and that Braden’s dream career was training an arson detection dog, that may or may not be his beloved Jelly Bean. Cassie is a take action type of girl and doesn’t do well sitting on the sidelines and she and Braden just truly seem to click.
Watching them both work through their issues as they come closer together made for an awesome slow burn of a romance. and, watching the meddling and matchmaking grandmother’s was comedic genius at it’s best.
This was a fantastic start to a new series, and I’m already in love with the Santorini and Mahoney clans and can’t wait for more. 4.5 stars.
4.5 Stars for Hot Under the Collar book 1 in The Dogmothers Series which is a spinoff from The Dogfather Series, I haven’t read that series but I still really enjoyed everything about this book.
This story ticked so many boxes for me its second chance love at its best, it’s funny, it’s about family loyalty and deep and meaningful friendships and what can I say about Grandma YaiYai apart from she is the best especially when she decides to matchmake !!!
Cassie Santorini and Braden Mahoney have an instant attraction and sizzling chemistry but it takes The Dogmothers to step in and give them both a push in the right direction…..
This is a tale of love and it’s full of emotion but it also has the perfect mix of humour, it has characters you will fall in love with as they realise their hopes and dreams. Looking forward to book 2 in what looks like a hit series for this very talented author.
Hot Under The Collar is a wonderful start to the Dogmothers series which is a spin-off from the Dogfather series. This story has it all…..humor, drama, suspenseful moments, romance, and a wonderful, wonderful cast of characters! Braden and Cassie’s story will put you under its spell and capture your heart at page one. There’s nothing better than a story with wonderful characters and throw in delightful and heroic dogs and it’s perfect!
Oh my heart is full with all the goodness now with this spin-off of the DogFather series since Daniel Kilcannon found his second chance at love and now Gramma Finnie and YaiYai Santorini have stepped up as the Dogmothers and have decided it is their duty to make sure their offspring find their happily ever afters. First up are Cassie Santorinin and Braden Mahoney. There have been sparks between these two since they first met and they are happy to fan the attraction but they are clear on there can be nothing long lasting since Cassie is not staying in town as the lights of the Big City are calling to her and Braden doesn’t think firefighting and love match. It takes all three big families throwing these two together at every turn and add in, of course, a dog “Jelly Bean” along with all the sparks of chemistry for these two to find their way. This story is the perfect start to this spin-off and even if you haven’t read The Dogfather series you will not be lost. I recommend this one and it will go to the top of the re-read list.
After having read (and loved) the Dogfather series, I wasn’t sure how the author was going to be able to top that but somehow she found a way. This new series pairs Gramma Finnie (a beloved character from the Dogfather series) and Yiayia (the Santorini’s grandmother) as the matchmakers in this series. They are a hoot!
In this book, the Dogmothers are doing their best to bring Cassie and Braden together. It wouldn’t seem like much of a task since the attraction between them has been obvious since they first met. However, Cassie has always wanted to move to a bigger city and Braden has reasons for not wanting to ever get married. Add in the fact that Braden’s dog Jelly Bean doesn’t like Cassie and you have the premise for a very entertaining story.
I love how the stories have well developed characters and the storylines feel realistic. You get drawn into the story as if you are actually there and will feel a range of emotions. I’m looking forward to reading the next book.
I received an ARC of Hot Under the Collar by Roxanne St. Claire for an honest review. Rocki is such an amazing story teller once again. I loved the book, and could hardly put it down. Hot Under the Collar is the story of Braden Mahoney and Cassie Santorini, who were introduced at the end of Old Dog New Tricks, the final book in the Dogfather Series. Hot Under the Collar is the first book in the new Dogmother Series, Gramma Finnie and Yiaya (Agnes Santorini) take over for Daniel Kilcannon’s the Dogfather as the Dogmothers along with Yiayia’s dachshunds, Pygmalion and Galatea (Pygggie and Gala). As sweet and loving as Gramma Finnie is, Yiayia is not. Yiayia recently had a health scare and has to decided to move to Bitter Bark from Florida to be closer to her family, but to not tell her family about it. Gramma Finnie and Yiayia hit it off immediately, and decide to move in together. They decide to make Braden and Cassie their first matchmaking experiment. Cassie catches wind of this and decides to be Braden’s pretend boyfriend to find out what is Yiayia’s ulterior motive. Yiayia is being too nice, and Cassie wants to figure out what is going on with her.
She was always so set on Cassie only dating and marrying someone Greek, so Cassie does not understand why she is encouraging a relationship with Braden. Cassie and Braden agree on a “temporary” relationship, since Braden needs Cassie’s expertise in event planning so that he can raise money for extra training for Jelly Bean, his Weimaraner, to pass the canine arson investigator test. Cassie has dreams of living and working in a big city, and Bitter Bark does not fulfill that dream. Braden has ghosts from his past that prevent him from committing to anyone long term. The more Cassie and Braden work together, the closer they get. A new dog, Jasmine (Jazzy), enters the story and Braden uses her for the canine arson investigator test. Cassie gets a job offer for her dream job in Chicago. There are so many surprises and plot twists in the story, that I wasn’t sure if Cassie and Braden would get their happily ever after. This book is filled with bittersweet moments and poignant memories, and of course lots of dogs! I love the unlikely hero in the story, who saves the day and a couple of lives. It was an amazing story. So glad the Dogmothers first try at matchmaking was a success. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series, Alex’s story and the matchmaking skills of Gramma Finnie and Yiayia.
This spin-off series from the Dogfather Series may be twice as much fun due to the duo of grandmothers who are taking on the matchmaking for their families. Only St. Claire could have paired an Irish matriarch and a Greek matriarch to come up with two hilarious characters that are willing to work together to find love for their off spring! Both are formidable alone, but in the pairing you’ve got a backbone of steel and a super strength girdle holding the families together. There’s a lot of love in there, but I would not want to cross either of them!
Besides lots of family, there is of course love, romance and dogs everywhere. Cassie and Braden were terrific characters sometimes resisting falling in love, and sometimes embracing it head on. Braden’s dog, Jelly Bean was intended to be an arson investigation dog, but his sniffer wasn’t all it should have been. One of my favorite parts of the book is when he alerts on Cassie for something that is non-incendiary and then develops a distrust of her because of that. It’s so funny!
This is a great start to a new series. I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own!
Hot Under the Collar, The Dogmothers Book 1, is a spin off of Roxanne’s amazing Dogfather series. In the Dogfather series Daniel Kilcannon, nicknamed the dogfather, orchestrated marring off his six unmarried children. He was planning on doing the same for his nieces and nephews but the love bug hit him as well and he’s become preoccupied with the new love of his life. Enter Irish blogger gramma Finnie, Daniels mother, and the new arrival of his oldest sons Greek grandma Yiayia, throw in a couple of cute lovable dogs and a teenage girl and you have the makings of the newest series The Dogmothers.
Gramma Finnie and grandma Yiayia couldn’t be any different from each other if they tired. Yet they end up coming together to orchestrate marring off anyone with the last name Mahoney, Santorini, or Kilcannon. A very large Irish/Greek family who won’t see it coming till it’s too late.
Their first victims are event planner Cassie Santorini, who has dreams of living in the big city, working in a high-rise building overlooking the world and Firefighter Braden Mahoney, who wants to make his dog, Jellybean, the next arson dog handler of Bitter Bark.
Cassie and Braden’s story is a fun loving story filled with everything a good book needs to pull you in and not let you go till the end. I can’t wait to see what the Gramms have in store for the rest of the unattached, unbeknownst and probably unwilling family members as well.
Loved, loved, loved this book and to think it’s only the beginning! It was so much fun watching Daniel Kilcannon match up all his offspring but now that Gramma Finnie and YaiYai Santorini are teaming up to try their hand at matchmaking there is sure to be fun and hilarious stories in the future. Nobody is safe from their matchmaking ways especially the Santorini kids! Their first target is Cassie Santorini and local firefighter Braden Mahoney. I have to agree with the grandmothers, these two seem perfect for each other. Their story touched all the emotions and I hated to see the story end. Even if you haven’t read the Dogfather series of books you can jump right in with this one and enjoy all the fun loving times. I definitely recommend it.
Wow! What a fun, perfect start to a new spinoff series of The Dogfather. Now that Daniel Kilcannon has found love again, someone else has to step up to be the family matchmaker. Who better than Gramma Finnie? Except she is being joined by Agnes “Yiayia” Santorini….mother-in-law to Daniel’s new fiance, Kate….the woman who despises anything that is not Greek. While Yiayia is usually not the nicest person to be around, because of something that happened she is trying to turn over a new leaf and be a nicer person. The Santorini’s don’t believe for a minute that Yiayia has changed, especially her granddaughter, Cassie Santorini. Too bad The Dogmother’s have their sights on matchmaking Cassie and Gramma Finnie’s grandson, Braden Mahoney, the hot firefighter. Cassie and Braden have been attracted to each other since the first time they met but they have never acted on their feelings. When The Dogmother’s find a way to get Cassie and Braden to spend more time together, they don’t mind. In fact they enjoy spending a lot of time together and come to the understanding that it will be only temporary since Cassie has plans to leave and move to a big city. As these two spend more time together, they both start to realize that they want more than just temporary but both of them are afraid to follow through. It will take 3 large families, Kilcannon-Mahoney-Santorini and one adorable Weimaraner, named Jelly Bean to get these two to their happy ending.
I just adored Cassie and Braden. Cassie is an event planner with dreams of working in a big city. Braden is a firefighter just like his brothers with dreams of getting his dog Jelly Bean to be an arson dog….too bad the dog is having problems smelling. These two had such great banter together…both of them a little sassy….but both of them perfect! Their chemistry was off the charts because they both just got each other. This was a wonderful story that will make you laugh, make you cry and make you love these two characters.
5 Star review Hot Under The Collar (The Dogmothers #1) by Roxanne St Claire
Not having read Roxanne St Claire before I had no idea what to expect. What a fun and entertaining read this book was. The story was well written and captivating. The characters were extremely likeable and easy to relate to and overall it left me with a smile on my face when I was finished.
I fell hard and fast for Braden Mahoney, a firefighter who is heartbroken when his dog Jelly Bean (I just love the name) fails to pass is the canine arson investigator test.
When his grandmother suggests he use the services of the new event planner in town Cassie Santorini to help him raise much needed funds for more advanced training for Jelly Bean, Braden jumps on board.
Cassie has no intention of staying in Bitter Bark but as she gets to know Braden, she finds herself torn. The chemistry between them is intense but is this blossoming romance worth her throwing her dreams and plans away?
I really loved the secondary characters, particularly the grandmothers, who had me in stitches with their meddling.
Will Braden and Cassie take a leap of faith and in turn find the happily ever after that they deserve? One click and find out.
I loved everything about Hot Under The Collar and cannot wait to read more in the series.
Hot Under The Collar continues the Dogfather series. Daniel Kilcannon has found love once again with widow Katie Santorini. He has also successfully found soul mates for all six of his children. Now Daniel, called the Dogfather because of his matchmaking, feels his job is done. But what about his Mahoney nephews and his new Santorini extended family? Since moving with her family to Bitter Bark, Cassie Santorini already has eyes for smoking hot fireman Braden Mahoney. She is happy to help her brothers in the newest Santorini restaurant but this is not her long term plan. With a natural talent for event planning and a dream of living in a highrise in a big city, Cassie sees her attraction to Braden and her stay in Bitter Bark as only temporary. Braden has a life dream too of training his dog Jelly Bean to be an arson sniffing dog for the Bitter Bark Fire Department. He thinks this leaves no room for a permanent relationship even though his feelings for Cassie continue to grow. Everyone is surprised when Cassie’s Greek grandmother, YiaYia, arrives in Bitter Bark. YiaYia seems to be a changed person from her formerly mean-spirited, judgmental self. An instant friendship is formed between YiaYia and Gramma Finnie when they decide they need to take over Daniel’s role as matchmakers for their grandchildren and dub themselves the Dogmothers. Their first assignment is to bring Cassie and Braden together. Cassie is suspicious of this new and reformed YiaYia and talks Braden into pretending they are a couple. Braden goes along with it because he believes this romance can only be temporary. He is much too involved with Jelly Bean’s training, which is not going as planned, to commit to anything permanent. Besides, Cassie is not staying in Bitter Bark anyway. Roxanne St. Clair has written another wonderful story full of charm, wit, love, adventure and romance. The characters are so well written and real and the dialog is fast paced and believable. We loved all the Kilcannons from the Dogfather series and we get to see them all again in this book, plus we are getting to know the Santorinis and Mahoneys. Two meddling grannies and a great dog drive this story and it will keep you captivated from beginning to end.
I laughed, I cried, I cheered for this couple. Page 1 pulled me in and didn’t let go, as this was such a wonderful story of family, laughter, teasing, finding love, and revisiting old friends from previous stories. Our hero is a fireman dripping with sexy and the heroine is a strong, giving woman who has met her match. We also have two grandmothers who have taken on the task of seeing that their grandchildren get their happily ever after; and the humor from these two ladies will have you laughing out loud. I highly recommended Hot Under The Collar as well as the Dogfather Series, which will introduce you to the wonderful KilCannon family, and all the ups and downs they go through individually and as a family. Hot Under The Collar is a great start to the new series of Dogmothers.
I love Roxanne’s books. They always allow you to feel like you’re part of the story. This is a continuation of her “dogfather” books. Except that the dogfather is replaced by his mother and mother-in-law. The story still involves the beloved dogs and humans.