ARC Review: Chasing Tail (The Dogmothers #3)

Chasing Tail (The Dogmothers #3)

by Roxanne St. Claire 

Blurb:

When firefighter Connor Mahoney decides to run for mayor, he's confident of victory because of his brilliant idea to put Frank, a local canine hero who saved a drowning child, on the ticket with him. Then Connor gets some unwanted help from the Dogmothers, who think a pretty new arrival from Washington DC would make the perfect campaign manager for their highly-eligible bachelor grandson. But no matter how much Connor likes the idea of working with the gorgeous Sadie Hartman, she's doing her best to keep him at arm's length.

Disillusioned by politics after working in DC, Sadie doesn’t want the job, no matter how smoking hot the sexy firefighter is or how much his sweet grannies push. But then she learns that the race has another candidate – a man who was instrumental in wrecking Sadie’s family. Uncertain the “dog and firefighter” can win, she launches her own campaign to be mayor of Bitter Bark.

But Connor and Sadie are both in for a big surprise when a two-hundred year old law is unearthed to upend the entire election. Then, the only way for Sadie or Connor to save the town from a terrible mayor is to join forces in a way no one is expecting. As Sadie and Connor discover that the best part of running against each other is literally being against each other, it doesn't take long to figure out that sometimes winning the race means losing your heart.

Themes:  Contemporary

Rating:  4.5 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

The saga of the amazing North Carolina canine royals continues with another story in the Dogmothers series.  I have been wondering for a while now just who would grab Conner’s attention and hold it long enough to steal his heart and Sadie was certainly the perfect woman for the job.  Roxanne St. Claire has an intriguing way of making her couples so disparate that you just can’t imagine how they could ever find a way to their HEA, but in the end she manages to bring it all together in the most perfect ways. If you have been following this series a while you have also been on pins and needles waiting to see Conner’s story and get to know him more, mainly because it has looked like his family underestimated him and we wanted to see his true greatness shining through. Sadie and Conner are both trying to find their places in the world and build new lives, but neither of them think that being part of a couple is part of that future. I am dying for the next story, which I understand might be one of the Santorini cousins, and see the Dogmothers in action again, but in the meantime I might just enjoy Conner and Sadie’s story again for the fun and romance of it.

Conner is stuck in a rut and he knows that its time for some changes in his life, despite his family’s view about him. While he enjoys his life, he is much more serious about his goals and plans than anyone believes and when the opportunity presents itself to prove it to everyone he jumps on it, much like Frank the canine jumping on him. Sadie has returned to her hometown of Bitter Bark to lick her wounds after becoming disillusioned with her life in Washington DC and she is determined to keep Conner at a distance, despite the fact that he draws her like no man before him.  Unexpectedly they are drawn into intrigue and forced into close proximity in order to protect the town they both love so much from being threatened by the bastard that is running against Conner/Frank for mayor. As they work together the heat between them builds and they learn that sometimes the passion that burns is enough to sustain a love of a lifetime, if they let go enough to let it run away with their heart.  But a danger lurks from an unexpected corner and Conner has to find a way to keep Sadie safe in order for them to ever have a chance at a future.

I loved this story and getting to know both Sadie and Conner much better.  While we have gotten glimpses of Conner in past stories, learning his motivations and the depth of his fears made him into a truly rounded man instead of just a sexy one-dimensional character. He was a hero to be sure, but he was also the wounded young man that lost his own hero—his father—way too young and it left him with emotional scars to overcome before he could offer his heart to Sadie. He is devoted to his family and his town and determined to win in order to give his all to making the town he loves into an even better place to live. While there were a few moments I wanted to knock him in the head for being a dummy, overall he gave me a warm and welcome sense of love and sweetness that made me wish for a man just like him for my very own. Sadie has just gone through some serious knocks in both her professional and personal life, but she refuses to let it keep her down, just like she refused to let her past keep her from reaching for her goals. I loved seeing her sparring with Conner, the sparks flying as her serious nature and determination beat against Conner’s sometimes immature and silly actions. Like Conner she is unwilling to allow the town to be broken by the villain that is trying to take over as mayor, but for a much more personal reason, and she uses all her knowledge and experience to prove that she is the woman for the job.  I loved seeing her in action as she proved to everyone, even herself, that her future really was in Bitter Bark, even though she never imagined it until she returned, and her future certainly was going to involve Conner once she allowed herself to trust him.  Once they both gave up on the futile fight to resist their love, the heat between Conner and Sadie was raging and at the same time long-burning, showing us that these two were going to be together and passionately devoted to one another forever.

Readers of the series certainly expected Conner’s story to be filled with laughter and passion, from the glimpses of his playful personality in previous novels, but Chasing Tail was much more than just a fluff story to be sure. The story begins with heat and sparks between two strangers that turn out to be much more than simply that to one another and evolves into a story that truly proves the skill and ability of this author. Conner shows us an entirely different side of his personality as he makes life-changing decisions and begins to show those around him the secrets he has been keeping inside.  While he enjoys life and refuses to lose at anything he tries, he can be as serious and determined as any of the Kilcannon/Mahoney Clan and when he goes after something he won’t fail, especially if what he is going after is the woman of his dreams. Sadie shows of us the meaning of “beaten but not broken” as she returns to her childhood home to find her new path and begin to rebuild her life.  Once she meets Conner there is a whole new dimension in that direction as she tries to resist the sexy fireman and his ridiculously irresistible dog, Frank, but ultimately the pull between them is too much.  Oddly she finds a new direction in local politics as well as she fights back against a bastard that destroyed her family and life when she was a teen, but that fire of anger and heat fuels her passion for kicking butt and finding a way to win. I loved seeing Conner and Sadie working together against a common enemy and as they did they discovered a passion and love that surprises them both—even though it was obvious to the Dogmothers. I am looking forward to the next story in the series and cannot wait for whatever direction the series takes, mainly because I have no clue what type of woman would be perfect for John Santorini, but I know that the Dogmothers will score a win as they always do. Rocki scores again with Chasing Tail and I loved every second of the chase.

*eARC provided by author for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.