Sometimes love happens in the most re-bark-able way.

Cassie Raebourn’s love life has gone to the dogs—literally. A childhood trauma inspired her career as a veterinarian, where she indulges her special fondness for dogs.

Then, Aiden Riley unexpectedly walks into her clinic and steals her heart. The reckless rodeo star was at the center of the trauma all those years ago. Cassie knows Aiden feels the attraction, too.

Can they bury the past and find the courage to let each other in?

Titles in the Crimson, Colorado series include: A Kiss on Crimson Ranch ~ A Second Chance at Crimson Ranch ~ Suddenly a Father ~ A Very Crimson Christmas ~ A Baby and A Betrothal ~ Always the Best Man ~ Christmas on Crimson Mountain ~ Romancing the Wallflower ~ Sleigh Bells in Crimson ~ Coming Home to Crimson ~ Anything for His Baby ~ Love at First Bark ~

This is an adult 18+ story that contains language, possible violence, and/or sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Title:  Love at First Bark
Series:  Crimson, Colorado #12
Author:  Michelle Major
Published:  September 26, 2023
Publisher:  Harlequin Special Edition
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Love at First Bark is the twelfth (and perhaps, final) title in the Crimson, Colorado series.  We’ll meet Cassie and Aiden, who met under such cruel circumstances when they were younger, and are now reconnecting, in a way, when Aiden returns to Crimson to be with his sister and nephew, George, after Lila’s husband passed away, and when Cassie returns to work, temporarily, at her mentor’s vet practice with the hopes of making partner.

Once again, a dog (puppy) in danger will bring Cassie and Aiden into each other’s paths, and while the circumstances are similar, they are far different people from that first traumatic meeting.  Aiden had to give up his rodeo career after an injury.  He’s a loner, a man who will never let anything, human or animal, tie him down again, for loving someone only brings pain.  Watching Aiden slowly heal, champion Cassie, open his heart to another dog, his gentle touch with a traumatized horse, and start to emerge from his self-inflicted isolation was an emotional and at times painful journey.

We have one piece of nastiness vet who was the cause of Aiden’s younger trauma, and is still just as ugly and uncompassionate a man as he was years ago.  He’ll try to sabotage Cassie, and watching the town rally around her against him was completely satisfying.  (I might have done an emotional fist pump)

If you love a well-written, emotional, engaging romance that’s both painful and beautiful, and so satisfying as this couple works through their issues to find their future happiness, then you’d love Love at First Bark by Michelle Major.  I’m sorry to see the series end, but what a ride it was!

I have loved this entire series, and I’m grateful that the author/publishing house put this series in Kindle Unlimited because my book budget only goes so far, and I could easily binge-read them all back-to-back.  My only disappointment was in not seeing any of the couples we met previously in this series in the final book, beyond a quick mention of Sara knowing another secondary character.  I would have loved a bit of an update on their lives now, years after their stories originally appeared.  It’s not a criticism, but a wish… and who knows, maybe one day we’ll return to Crimson, Colorado, for the now grown-up children’s romances.

I own a Kindle edition of this title.

If you love this author’s work, please visit our Michelle Major page for other titles that you may have missed over time.

This title is available at Amazon (affiliate link)