Home Is Where Your Bark Is

A spirited border collie brings two people together in this heart-tugging contemporary from Burns (the Rescue Me series). When Jenna Dunning’s sister, Monica, realizes she’s not the right person to care for the rambunctious border collie she adopted, Jenna agrees to drive the dog back to the shelter. Then she and another driver, Jake Stiles, are hit by a drunk driver. Jake, who is less banged up than Jenna, stays with her until the EMTs arrive and agrees to take the border collie to her sister’s while Jenna recovers in the hospital. But after learning that Monica was going to surrender the dog, Jake agrees to foster him instead, quickly growing attached and naming the pooch Seven after the number of times he’s been returned to the shelter. Though Seven is high-energy, Jake senses wariness in him and patiently works to gain the pup’s trust. After Jenna gets out of the hospital, she helps too, offering her backyard for Jake to train Seven, and the humans soon entering into a tentative romance. Burns trusts the emotional arcs of her nuanced characters to propel the plot, creating a love story that is sweet and memorable. Chapters narrated by the adorable Seven add to the charm. Pet-loving romance fans will find this a treat. Agent: Jessica Watterson, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (Nov.)