Noah's Bark

by Christine Bush

Dedicated veterinarian Hope Highfield is always rescuing creatures in need, whether they be abandoned or sick animals, lost teenagers, or lonely senior citizens who wear hightop sneakers. She will go to any length for a cause. But self-made and assertive Noah Brandywine has no intention of being rescued. In fact, he would like to throttle the adorable little woman who has practically brought his multi-million dollar corporation to a screeching halt by implying that Brandywine Beauty Products may be engaging in unethical animal testing. Nothing in his life has ever mattered more than building his corporate empire—until he has to match wits with Hope Highfield. Is he falling in love with this pint-sized instigator? What will she think when he has to admit that he is petrified of animals—from baby kittens and a mammoth dog, to an errant goat who seems to have a hankering for him? To protect animals from pain and suffering, Hope is willing to risk danger and destruction. What is Noah willing to risk to earn her love and faith?

192 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2002

About the author

Let me tell you a story! I love to write. My books are filled with characters that are near and dear to my heart, and my supreme wish is that you will feel the same way after you read about them.

My romantic mysteries contain an exciting array of love stories, different ages, different locations, even a few taking place in a different time. They are sweet romances, which means that even though those great feelings of attraction and passion as love builds between two people flow through my stories, you will not find any graphic descriptions of sexual interludes (and no graphic violence either, for that matter)on the page.

The list here includes short stories as well, a fun way to enjoy a romance when time is short.

New to the list are my new novels for middle grade students (grade 4-5-6), a series of touching and fun stories beginning with "Isabel the Invisible" in the series called "The Kids of Room 6A", and a soon to appear mystery and adventure series set in 1890 Montana. Stay tuned!

I'm a teacher and family therapist as well as a writer. I truly believe that love, in all its forms, is what makes life worthwhile, and that is a lot of the motivation that keeps me writing. I hope you enjoy what you find here! I love to hear from readers. Contact me at ChristineABush@aol.com

Reviews

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected this to be a fluffy romance, beautiful female veterinarian accuses handsome CEO of animal cruelty, but when they meet face to face, they are utterly smitten and forget all reason for conflict. Essentially, that is what happens here, but Bush does not lose track of the fact that there is still a mystery at hand and does a pretty good job fleshing out who is responsible for the lab animals found floating in the river between Dr. Hope's sprawling animal rescue and the factories owned by Noah and his peers in the industrial sector. For a change, I figured out who/what was behind it all before the author revealed the 'bad guy', but to be fair, she provided a pretty narrow list of suspects.
Overall, I would read another book by this author, though I don't think I would go out of my way to seek it out, provided it involved dogs or doctors like this one did.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a fairly slow reader, but this was a quick, easy read for me. I enjoyed the animal characters sprinkled throughout the story. The pace of the romance between the main characters felt rushed to me though. It's a cute story--perfect for a weekend read.

I won this book in a Facebook giveaway. My review is my own opinion.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Noah does not like animals. So when the local vet accuses him of using animal testing at his company, he is quite taken aback by all the animals he encounters. The book is full of humorous scenes as animals encounter Noah. Then a dog adopts him. The minute he and Hope meet, they feel an attraction. But how can two enemies be attracted to each other?

Because I met this author through an inspirational read, I'm reviewing this book from that perspective.

Language: A few curse words. But they were used conservatively.

Religion: No mention

Sexual content: Some pretty steamy kisses and a hint that sex will happen very soon, but that's it.