Love in the Stacks: Romance and furballs, the perfect pair

I grew up with dogs. When I came along, Mom and Dad already had a mutt, whom I later labeled as my "sister." She lived to be 16, and the following summer we got a puppy, a beagle who became my "baby." I house-trained her during the summer. She slept with me in my double bed until I went off to college. The dedicated beagle made it to 15 and then my dog-owning days were over … until this past July, when I took the leap and decided to adopt another furbaby. Brownie (another mutt) and I are still adjusting to each other, but I hope it's the beginning of another great canine/human relationship.

Now that my world has expanded again to include flea/tick treatments, house-training and early morning walks, it makes me think of some great romances I have read that include pets.

The Animal Magnetism series by Jill Shalvis invites readers to Sunshine, Idaho, and its animal-loving inhabitants. In the first book, Animal Magnetism, we meet kennel owner Lilah and Brady, a pilot who is supposed to be just breezing through town.

In following titles, such as Animal Attraction and Rescue My Heart, we're introduced to The Belle Haven Animal Clinic, which is run by a hot — and compassionate — team of brothers who each tango with a strong woman. Each title guarantees a menagerie of furry and funny friends such as Gertrude the Saint Bernard and Peanut the parrot. The series continues with the next installment, Still the One, in 2015.

Nora Roberts' The Search has paws all over it. Fiona Bristow is the local dog-training school manager and volunteer for search-and-rescue missions in a quiet little town off the coast of Seattle. Joy in her works hides the memories of surviving a horrid kidnapping years ago. Her three dogs — Peck, Newman and Bogart — keep her happy and secure … until one of her new canine students, Jaws, comes with moody and handsome human Simon Doyle.

Boomer, the German shepherd police dog, and Daisy, the yellow Labrador retriever, are furbabies to Luke and Emma in the first installment of Jaci Burton's Hope series, Hope Flames. Luke has no time for companionship other than with his police dog. Busy veterinarian Emma is just getting her new practice up and running, along with fostering an abandoned pup and taking care of her own dog. When a series of prescription-drug thefts suddenly include Emma's practice, Luke and Boomer go into protective mode. But can this duo protect the woman with whom they've both suddenly fallen in love? Catch more furry excitement with other titles in the series, including Hope Ignites.

What are some of your favorite romances starring furry friends? Please let me know in the comments below.

Despite being born with a disability, Christyna Hunter has surpassed all perilous predictions. She graduated from college where a friend introduced her to romance novels, started a freelance writing career, self-published two romance novels, and worked at a non-profit organization. Currently she works as a library associate with Loudoun County Public Libraries in Virginia, reads romance novels in her free time, and prays often to her writing muse. Check out her blog at christynahunter.wordpress.com.