Must Love Wieners
A Rescue Dog Romance, #1
By: Casey Griffin
ISBN# 9781250084675
Author’s Website: http://www.caseygriffin.com

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Synopsis:

LOVE—UNLEASHED. . .

First in a wickedly funny new series brimming with mystery and romance!

Piper Summers works like a dog juggling three jobs to put herself through veterinary school—driving taxis, delivering pizzas, and singing telegrams. Thankfully, Piper has her devoted dachshund Colin to help her keep things in line. That is, until she gets fired…and someone throws her a bone that is too good to resist.

Aiden Caldwell is an Armani ad come to life—a billionaire CEO who’s just adopted a dachshund from the rescue center where Piper volunteers. He’s hot on Piper’s tail to be his personal dog walker…but he may be after more than a walker for his wiener. The gorgeous, spirited Piper is everything he’s ever wanted from a woman—and more. But can Piper ever love, and trust, a man who has never learned to open his heart—or has she bitten off more than she can chew?

Review:

Must Love Wieners is the first book in Casey Griffin’s Rescue Dog Romance series. An auspicious beginning I must say. I was torn as to what I enjoyed more – the mystery or the romance? Oh, who am I kidding, in this instance, the romantic aspect of the story  🙂

Piper is a fiercely independent woman. She is working three jobs (driving taxi, pizza delivery person and delivers and performs singing telegrams) and finishing up her education to be a veterinarian. She is also an animal lover, who will protect them as needed and volunteers for the Dachshund Rescue Center.

After the delivery of a singing telegram to Aiden Caldwell, things go horribly wrong for Piper. Aiden Caldwell had followed Piper out of his office and while talking, he places his briefcase in the cab and then while occupied talking to each other…..the cab gets stolen. Her employer fires her as a result of this fiasco and then she gets fired from her pizza delivery job. Needless to say….this day was not going well for Piper, with only one job remaining and rent due! Surprisingly, Piper holds it together. This is the strong, resilient Piper I came to know and appreciate as I continued on with the story. Mind you, her “I can do it myself” attitude does at times wear a bit thin. We all need help sometimes and it is not a shame to ask for help, but Piper is dead set against that! That too shall be revealed as the story continues.

Aiden Caldwell is a perplexing character. He is all business and then, as he gets to know Piper, we see an emotional side of him. Piper’s musings on Aiden:

“Aiden Caldwell had to be the most confusing, stupefying man that Pipe had ever met. There was something between them. She was sure of it. it felt almost tangible. But then like a guillotine dropping, he would cut the emotion off like an unwanted head. And not just in front of Tamara, but in front of the cops after the taxi incident and when he left the center with Sophie.”

As the relationship between Piper and Aiden progress, so does the relationship between their dogs – Colin and Sophie.

To make life even more challenging, while the manager of the Dachshund Rescue Center is on vacation, Piper is looking after the center; and things do not go smoothly (no surprise there). Seems someone wants the center to close as numerous threats are received. Threats are also received at Piper’s home and after a break in at her apartment, she is evicted. Can we say…wow! Enough already, how much is one gal supposed to endure.

Through it all, we see the grit that Piper is made of. The relationship heats up and then cools down between Piper and Aiden….and then heats up again. It is a roller coaster ride which at times left me a tad confused and really wanting to get off the ride. Then the story would continue and I would be right in the thick of it and not wanting to put the book down (either entrenched in the mystery or cracking up as a result of something Piper said). Especially with some of the one-liners that Piper would come up with: “I will take great care of your wiener” – a comment as a result of getting hired as a dog walker for Aiden’s dog.

The cast of supporting characters throughout the book definitely kept the momentum going and added spice…and opportunities for much laughter.

All in all Must Love Wieners was an enjoyable romance and mystery. And who doesn’t love a story about cute dachshunds?

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*