This HaBO is from Sam, who is hoping to track down this romance:
I am trying to remember a book that feels like it should be easy, but there are so many books that feature these tropes & archetypes in this setting that I can’t get it.
So…contemporary: cis-het; mostly, if not all, white characters; low-to-medium heat level (I think).
Small-ish town, male main character is a first responder (more likely sheriff/deputy, but maybe EMT/firefighter); female main character either returned after being away or new to town. I am *pretty* certain the book opens with him finding her large-ish dog running loose (possibly having a close call with a vehicle?).
As I recall, she drives a smaller car (with a stick shift?), like a VW Beetle or Mini Cooper, and the town is kinda hilly. The dog is important to the FMC and comes up in the story pretty often, but I don’t think she works with animals. Do not remember what the conflict was that they couldn’t just be together right away.
The book has the feel of a Jill Shalvis or early Kristan Higgins, but I’ve looked over their titles pretty carefully. It’s def not KH, and I don’t think it’s a Jill Shallvis (Head Over Heels seems closest, but isn’t it). It’s not Debbie Burns or Lucy Gilmore; don’t think it’s a Lucy Score.
Not sure whether it’s part of a series, or a stand-alone. I read it between 2013 and 2018, but it might be older. I have interrogated the other romance readers at my library, and none of us can figure out what it is—although they all want to read it now too.
Can we HaBO?
Darn it, i thought of Kristan Higgins immediately. What about Shannon Stacey/one of her Kowalski books? Can’t remember if any of those have a dog…
Could be The Witness by Nora Roberts?
In the Bleak Midwinter, Julia Spencer Fleming
Victoria Dahl’s contemporaries? I don’t know them by heart but this sounds like it could come from her.
I don’t think it’s In the Bleak Midwinter, only because there’s not a romance in the first few volumes of the series. (Great book though)
It almost sounds like a Marika Ray I read last year, but that’s too recent and it wasn’t quite right for the plot details you remember.
For some reason, the Kimberly Kincaid Pine Mountain books popped into my head? It’s been way too long since I read them and I don’t remember any dogs, but I feel like they had Jill Shalvis vibes…
Reminds me of a story set in Montana, but I can’t figure out which author to narrow down the book.
Rosalind James JUST ONE LOOK has a similar start, the hero catches the heroine’s huge runaway dog, but he is a rugby player, and she is a neurosurgeon. Available on KU!
I swear I haven’t been uninterested–I appreciate all of you for taking the time to noodle through this with me. It seems like the Akismet either doesn’t like my .org email or doesn’t like when I post replies from my phone, or the combination. So, trying again:
Jessi–the Shannon Stacey Kowalski books are a great fit on era and tone. The 7th book starts with a similar encounter between a sheriff and woman returning to her hometown, but slightly different circumstances and there doesn’t seem to be a dog involved.
Don’t want to make this too long in case it rejects my comment again, so to be continued…
The Witness and Bleak Midwinter have more of a mystery/suspense feel to them; my HaBO had a rom-commy tone.
I binge-read Victoria Dahl’s contemporaries back in the day and am always happy for an excuse to re-read, but from a quick perusal of the descriptions, only Talk Me Down seems close–but again, no dog.
Kimberly Kincaid’s Pine Mountain series looks fun! It seems to mostly feature bakers, no mention of dogs.
The Rosalind James is too recent, but sounds great, so adding them to the TBR pile.
If it helps jog anyone’s memory, part of the storyline is that the dog is getting out even though there is a picket fence around her yard.
You would think, with all the fiddly little details I can recall, I might also remember a title or author, but no….
I think this might be a book in the Hot in Hellcat Canyon series by Julie Anne Long. Either the second or third book.
Thanks Susan! The 2nd book, Wild at Whiskey Creek, has a sheriff’s deputy as the MMC and a frustrated singer/songwriter as the FMC, but she drives an old truck, and there’s no dog in the story.
@Vivi12, I Rosalind James so hard. I am listening to Just One Look rn, and so happy that it is #14, excited to go back and start with #1.
*I heart-eyes Rosalind James…