Rescue Me

This slight contemporary from Grey (Borrowed Heart) sees veterinarian Mitchell Brannigan meeting his handsome new neighbor, Beau Pfister, with kindness and cookies after Beau complains about the all-hours barking coming from Mitchell’s farm turned dog shelter. Beau is overtired from caring for infant Jessica, of whom he assumed guardianship following his best friend’s death, but he’s charmed by Mitchell. As the men share dinner and get to know one another, they discuss their abusive exes, Luke and Gerome, who continue to exert more influence over them than either would like. While both find it “hard to trust after being hurt,” they hope that by taking it slow they can forge a healthy new relationship with each other. But their fledgling romance is tested by episodes of Beau’s dog being poisoned and someone trespassing on Mitchell’s property and interfering with his kennel. The love story is sweet, but the threats to the couple’s happiness and a half-baked subplot about Jessica’s grandparents feel underdeveloped. Grey certainly captures the “spark when a dog and person click,” as well as the attraction between Mitchell and Beau, but mostly this romance is for the dogs. [em](July) [/em]