Gone to the Dogs Dog Days of Summer: Book 2 - Gone to the Dogs, (Paperback)

I am over the moon in love with this series. I highly recommend getting comfy, grab a snack and get ready to laugh, cry and be entertained by this lovely look at a small Texas town. I am a Texan and this series represents the state perfectly. Yes we are known for our sweet iced tea, family gatherings and barbecue. Trina has just gotten back from her trip to see family in Brenham, Texas when an unexpected phone call sends her right back home. Now her mama is always getting into something whether it be making delicious pies, spending time with family or having trouble find her. I had to laugh at Trina as she has no idea what to expect when she sees her mama in the hospital. Maybe now is a good time to think about purchasing a home and land in Brenham so she has a place of her own when she comes home? Hector the cat once again steals the show with a call to get Mama help. Oh I laughed so hard I spilled my tea when I read what the cat did. Be prepared for more antics from Hector. There is always that one person who acts nice and makes you believe she is trying to help, but Bitsy is up to no good. She definitely is jealous of Trina and her pushy way about hinting that Trina should use her as a realtor is starting to get on my nerves. We will need to keep our eyes on Bitsy. Will she cause trouble for Trina? With strange things going on close to the opening of Second Chance Ranch, Trina is trying to help her niece Mari while juggling the idea of perhaps making a purchase on land and a home. Who is out to stop the grand opening of a much needed place for dogs to go until they are adopted? Clues start piling up along with suspects which gives readers a chance to play detective along with Trina. With the book now read, I must confess something. I loved everything about it from the rescue dogs, the setting of the story, delicious pies, suspense and an added bonus of romance. The author delivers a great story that will have you laughing, falling in love with the characters and becoming more familiar with how important it is to put family first. I am excited to read the next installment in this series. I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Kathleen Y'Barbo's “Dog Days of Summer” picks up shortly after the first installment of the Gone to the Dogs series, with Mari Evans continuing her dog rescue organization. When a bomb is found near the rescue, her country singer aunt Trina Potter comes home to Brenham, Texas, to help out her niece as well as check on her pie-making mama. As her heart strings keep getting pulled to return home to Brenham, more and more questionable events occur around the rescue and Trina herself. With the help of high school friend and now attorney Wyatt, can Trina figure out just what's going on in her small hometown, and how to make a more permanent move from Nashville back to Texas? “Dog Days of Summer” is a fun, cozy mystery that will appeal to fans of mysteries and dog stories. Y'Barbo puts just enough of an intrigue as well as a little romance to make this an enjoyable read. She creates, along with the author of the series' first novel Janice Thompson, great characters that readers will fall in love with, including several plucky dogs and a cat that can make video calls and open doors. Y'Barbo manages to seamlessly continue the story started by Thompson, while also including a few good themes like holding on to dreams; the impossible just takes a little longer sometimes; and don't diminish your gifts and contributions in life. Told with an almost Mitford-like tone, readers of small town stories, cozy mysteries and animal stories will love “Dog Days of Summer,” which is due out Oct. 1. You could read this as a standalone, but I'd recommend checking out the first novel, “Off the Chain.” The third novel, “Barking Up the Wrong Tree” by Thompson is set to be released in January. Five stars out of five. Barbour Publishing, Inc. provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.