When the lumber mill closes, laying off most everyone in Fossett, Oregon, Melanie MacDonald plans to revitalize her beloved but beleaguered homestead by running her border collie Shep in Fossett’s mayoral race . . . Shep wins by a landslide. A lover of democracy and dog treats, Shep is rapidly earning the goodwill of Fossett’s citizens. Tourists are streaming in and everyone wants to glad-paw … wants to glad-paw the new mayor. Suddenly Melanie and Shep are media darlings, with requests for interviews, game shows, and personal appearances through the roof. But there’s trouble in paradise. Determined to win back his former wife, Bryce MacDonald discovers a rival in tabloid reporter Chad Cameron, who’s in Fossett to dig up dirt on Melanie and Shep. He finds a willing co-conspirator in the malcontent who lost the election. Hounded by the press and desperate to head off a potential dog-napping, Melanie unwittingly puts herself in danger. Shep comes to the rescue, proving his mettle to save his faithful human at the risk of his own life . . . and new political career.
Acclaim for Sue Pethick’s Pet Friendly
“Quirky and endearing . . . This is a light, heartwarming read perfect for a wintry afternoon at home or a sunny beach vacation.”
—RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars
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Please Don’t Feed The Mayor
Sue Pethick
5 Stars
Synopsis:
When the lumber mill closes, laying off most everyone in Fossett, Oregon, Melanie MacDonald plans to revitalize her beloved but beleaguered homestead by running her border collie Shep in Fossett’s mayoral race . . .
Shep wins by a landslide.
A lover of democracy and dog treats, Shep is rapidly earning the goodwill of Fossett’s citizens. Tourists are streaming in and everyone wants to glad-paw the new mayor. Suddenly Melanie and Shep are media darlings, with requests for interviews, game shows, and personal appearances through the roof. But there’s trouble in paradise. Determined to win back his former wife, Bryce MacDonald discovers a rival in tabloid reporter Chad Cameron, who’s in Fossett to dig up dirt on Melanie and Shep. He finds a willing co-conspirator in the malcontent who lost the election. Hounded by the press and desperate to head off a potential dog-napping, Melanie unwittingly puts herself in danger. Shep comes to the rescue, proving his mettle to save his faithful human at the risk of his own life . . . and new political career.
Acclaim for Sue Pethick’s Pet Friendly
“Quirky and endearing . . . This is a light, heartwarming read perfect for a wintry afternoon at home or a sunny beach vacation.”
–RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars (Goodreads)
Review:
This book was a pleasant surprise and I really enjoyed it. I am not sure what I was expecting when I started reading this book. Now I know that it has engaging characters, a homey setting, an intriguing storyline, suspense and an adorable dog.
The characters are well rounded and well developed. Melanie has a strong sense of community and she is willing to do anything to help her hometown of Fossett, Oregon, get back on its feet and thrive. When she comes up with the crazy idea of having her dog, Shep, become the mayor, she does not know if it will help, but she is determined to give it her best shot. She needs the help of her ex-husband, Bryce, since he is a lawyer. She is not happy about asking him for help, but the success of her plan may depend on him. And his life may depend on him lying low in Fossett, until an escaped convict is found.
The writing style flows smoothly and it defined the characters very clearly by their actions and words. The author created a warm and cozy setting and Fossett is someplace that I would like to visit. There was suspense and intrigue and towards the end of the book, I was swiping pages as fast as I could. I hope she writes more books like this.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes romance, mystery and great characters in the books that they read. This one had all that and a whole lot more.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
A dog that’s the mayor? And it’s not just a publicity stunt? No way!
I picked up this book because of the dog on the cover. I did. Then I read the blurb and was hooked. A dog that’s the mayor? No way this can be possible. Now I have to admit, when I read Shep, I kept thinking of the dogs in Babe. It’s not a far stretch, really. The writing is interesting and the storyline, while a little implausible, is fun. It really is. Most places don’t have a dog for the mayor. That said, there is a reason and it ends up being cute.
I liked the characters of Bryce and Shep. Melanie left a little to be desired. Bryce never stopped loving Melanie, but his job takes him away from her. I was never sure why he and Melanie split, but I did root for them to get back together. I liked them when they worked together. Shep’s the dog and how can you not like a dog?
One issue I had with this book was the author’s tendency to write a character having a reaction, then on the next line speaking. For the first half of the book, I wasn’t sure who was talking. It required a bit of rereading.
Still, this is a cute book, a fast read and worth looking at. Shep is a fun pup and the mystery storyline adds a bit of flair. Check it out!
It was an easy, humorous, and entertaining read with some information on how to run an election campaign.
It has a cute twist to it . include some danger and romance.
I love Sue Pethick’s books. They are always a fun read and always original!
Please Don’t Feed the Mayor is a light-hearted tale that differs slightly from the book blurb. Melanie loves Fossett and wants to find a way to save the town. Living in Fossett was the bone of contention between Melanie and Bryce which ultimately led to their divorce. Melanie feels that electing Shep as mayor will boost tourism. She contacts Bryce for legal advice and is surprised when he shows up in town. Bryce is now a lawyer at an elite firm in Portland and making good money. He has not stopped loving Melanie and would love to convince her to move to Portland. Please Don’t Feed the Mayor is a cute story filled with off-beat characters. There is the goat farm with the escaping goats, marijuana farmers who use a drone to monitor their property, a man who uses “Horrible Harry”, a rooster, for a truck alarm, a retired chicken farm (I am not kidding), and the woman who manages the B&B has no clue how to run it. The residents are warm, friendly people (except for Ron). I laughed at Shep’s antics (very clever canine). I did find that the story dragged in the middle and there was a lack of action. The activity ramps up for the climacteric scenes at the end. The ending is heartening and will leave readers smiling. There is an excerpt from Boomer’s Bucket List included. Please Don’t Feed the Mayor is a lively, humorous and romantic story.