GRR Reviews Rescue Me, Maybe by Jackie Bouchard

More of a dog story than a romance, Rescue Me, Maybe, is about recovering from loss and how to live life to its fullest.

Jane left Philadelphia after losing both her husband AND her dog to cancer within a few days of each other. With no job in the city, she can't stay, and her (former) in-laws are riding roughshod over everything her husband had wanted for the funeral. When her in-laws demand the ashes of her husband's remains to be buried whole, Jane had had enough and secretly took three scoopfuls so when she ever get to Hawaii she'll scatter his ashes there as she promised him. Jane's ashamed that she felt more for loss of her dog than her husband as the marriage had not been going well. Needing to get away, Jane left for Prescott, Arizona to help with her uncle and aunt's B&B as they need to be somewhere else for an operation for her aunt. On the way, she picked up a stray dog, but Jane decided she can't keep the dog, as she's not ready for another dog. She also does not want to deal with the B&B's guests and esp. not the handsome handyman Kai (not Ky!) who lived on the next property over the fence. But her uncle and aunt adopted the dog back from the shelter for her, and soon, the dog, now named Maybe, worked her charm on her... and soon, even Jane must admit, they actually rescued each other... But is she ready for love with Kai?

One part of the problem is how Jane always blabbed about going to San Diego, which I guess was also a part of her "growing up", as she wanted a job in San Diego and her friends were in San Diego. But upon getting there, it wasn't what she was expecting... But perhaps the author should have dropped some hints ahead of time that perhaps San Diego wasn't quite going to be what she expected... Because this whole thing just reads like an extended climax and resolution that unfold at a glacial pace, because the "darkest hour" was basically her leaving Prescott AZ. The deadline seems just really artificial. While I like the polish, it didn't hook me THAT well.

Category: Contemporary

Primary Plot: grieving widow had to temporary take over a B&B in Arizona, fell for a stray dog and the hunky neighbor, but she really really wanted to go to San Diego...

Tropes:  pets, fish out of water, grief, family secrets, widow, different worlds

Overall Rating:  4/5