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The Dogfather #8

Old Dog New Tricks

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Book Nine in a Complete Series (all stand-alone titles) for Romance Readers Who Love Dogs! Daniel Kilcannon, the veterinarian known as the Dogfather, has been widowed for four years. He's spent the time running the largest canine rescue and training facility in North Carolina and pulling some strings to make sure each of his six grown children find a love like the one he lost when his beloved Annie died. But as the years slip by, Daniel's vow to never love again is starting to make him restless. When a woman who was pivotal to his past arrives in Bitter Bark, he wonders if her appearance is coincidence or the guiding had of his dearly departed wife...but the truth is neither. She's about to change his life in ways he could never have imagined. And Daniel isn't sure if his heart -- or his family -- will ever recover from the impact. The Dogfather Series Every love story in this complete nine-book series begins and ends with a dog. And a little help from The Dogfather. **Every cover features a rescue dog and "local hero" from Alaqua Animal Refuge in Florida, and a portion of book sales has been donated to this amazing shelter!** Daniel Kilcannon is known as "The Dogfather" for a reason. It's not just his renowned skills as a veterinarian, his tremendous love of dogs, or the fact that he turned his homestead in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains into a world-class canine training and rescue facility. Ask his six grown children who run Waterford Farm for him, and they'll tell you that their father's nickname is due to his uncanny ability to pull a few strings to get what he wants. And what he wants is for his four sons and two daughters to find the kind of life-changing love he had with his dearly departed wife, Annie. This old dog has a few new tricks...and he'll use them all to see his pack all settled into their happily ever afters! THE COMPLETE DOGFATHER SERIES Sit...Stay...Beg - Book One New Leash on Live - Book Two Leader of the Pack - Book Three Santa Paws is Coming to Town - Book Four (holiday novella) Bad to the Bone - Book Five Ruff Around the Edges - Book Six Double Dog Dare - Book Seven Bark! The Herald Angels Sing - Book Eight Old Dog New Tricks - Book Nine
About the Author Published since 2003, Roxanne St. Claire is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty novels of romance and suspense. In addition to being a ten-time nominee and one-time winner of the prestigious RITA TM Award for the best in romance writing, Roxanne's novels have won the National Readers' Choice Award four times and have been translated into dozens of languages. A recent empty-nester, Roxanne lives in Florida with her husband and two dogs.

394 pages, Paperback

First published February 11, 2019

423 people are currently reading
162 people want to read

About the author

Roxanne St. Claire

265 books1,834 followers
I don’t know about you, but when I check out an author's bio, it’s usually because I’ve read a book I liked and wondered about the person behind it. Let's skip the formal bio and I'll give you the inside scoop on who Roxanne St. Claire really is.

First of all, call me Rocki. Everyone does. Evidently, when my mother brought me home from the hospital I seemed too scrawny and small to pull off “Roxanne” (she’d read Cyrano de Bergerac while pregnant or I would have been Judy) so they called me Rocki.

I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, the youngest of five (overachievers, every one), and fell in love with words and stories the summer I read Gone With The Wind. That year, for my twelfth birthday, my parents gave me a typewriter (with italic font – it was the coolest thing) and from that day on, I’ve had my fingers on a keyboard, pounding out love stories for fun. My AP English teacher taught me the two most important lessons an aspiring author ever needs: 1) verbs are the key to life and 2) a writer should get a real job. After attending UCLA and graduating with a degree in communications, I tried acting and television broadcasting. Oh, they aren’t real jobs? I learned that the hard way. I changed my last name from Zink to St. Claire because a news producer told me Roxanne Zink had too many harsh consonants for a TV personality – apparently Katie Couric didn’t get the memo. I got some fun gigs, and even met Tom Hanks when I did a guest appearance on Bosom Buddies. I liked on camera work, but wasn’t too crazy about starvation, so I moved to Boston and got that “real” job. In fact, I placed my foot on the bottom rung of the corporate ladder and didn’t look down until I’d climbed all the way up to the level of Senior Vice President at the world’s largest public relations firm. On the way up, I met the man of my dreams in an elevator. Two years later – in the same elevator! – he asked me to marry him and I wisely said yes.

I stayed in PR, moved to Miami, had a few babies, lost my home in a hurricane, built another one a few hours north and all along, I kept writing my “stories” for fun. One night, I read a particularly fabulous romance novel that changed my life for good. That night, I decided I wanted to make someone else feel as whole and happy as that author made me feel. (Everyone asks! It was Nobody’s Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.) With two small children and one big “real” job, writing my first novel wasn’t easy, but I did finish a manuscript that managed to get the attention of a literary agent. She told me to do one thing and one thing fast: write another book. (The first one is usually a “learner” book, honestly.) That second manuscript sold to Simon & Schuster’s Pocket Books and was released in 2003 as Tropical Getaway. Since then, I’ve written almost thirty more, in multiple genres, and long ago replaced the corporate ladder with the rollercoaster of publishing as a full-time novelist. Finally, writing is my real job.

Today, I live in a small beach community in Florida with my husband and two dogs. Our kids are off to college and law school, which means my nest is empty! I spend my time writing, working with the kids at my church, enjoying my husband's gourmet cooking, and hanging with my many writer friends. Of course, I love to read. I’m still crazy about words and stories and hope to write at least a hundred books in my lifetime. And, yes, verbs are the key to life. My favorites? Love. Work. Believe.

xoxo
Rocki

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
Profile Image for Madison Warner Fairbanks.
3,444 reviews495 followers
February 14, 2019
Old Dogs, New Tricks by Roxanne St Claire

Heartfelt contemporary romance of an older couple that have had their “one true love” and now find their “last true love”.
The matchmaker is matched.
I like how the “next” great love was handled. It didn’t take away from their prior loves.
Delightful and engaging.

8th book in the series. It can be read as a standalone but better if you’ve read any of prior Dogfather series as most all of the family members featured in the prior books are included in several scenes in this book.

A very close family that expands exponentially with cousins and now the in-laws. I expect this series to go on for quite some time.
Profile Image for Wendy'sThoughts.
2,670 reviews3,289 followers
December 11, 2020
4.5 The Title Says It All Stars
* * * * 1/2 Spoiler Free
Roxanne St. Claire has been part of the Romance community for quite some time and deserves all the respect she has been given. She has numerous successful series available and recently I took the time to dip into her latest one, The Dogfather. These books center around an amazing Irish family who run canine rescue and training. The main couple was Daniel and Annie. They had six children and as they are now grown, the focus was their father playing matchmaker.

He lost his "one true love, Annie", four years ago and it was his devotion to his children and dogs which has got him through this immense grief. As the years past, he grew stronger and he is now in a place unfamiliar.

He has lost Annie's voice talking to him.
Oh, he has all the memories which he can pull up in a heartbeat...but it is her talking to him which seems to be missing. It was a comfort...a question of what was he doing or giving advice when needed when the kids weren't following his matchmaking plan...No, he hasn't heard Annie's voice lately.

And his kids trying to fix him up with every available woman in town has not helped at all. Each date was silly. Who would want to sit across a man who would end up talking about his beloved wife...Talk about a buzzkill. Besides, Daniel made a vow to Annie on the day she died and Daniel always kept his vows.

Katie Santorini knows what heartbreaking grief feels like. She was married to "her one" and loved him through all the untimely hardships they experienced. Their love was an uphill battle from the start with both of their parents not wanting Katie and Nico to be together. They found a way and had a big family, too. But fate cut their happiness shorter than necessary when Nico was stricken with cancer. Katie devoted herself to her family and nursed Nico until his last breath. It has been two years and Katie was doing the best she could with her kids' support.

So how is it these two cross paths...Well, back during their college time, they met, had major chemistry and shared time together as young college kids did in the '70s. It was Katie's friendship with a young girl who seemed to need a friend which was life-changing for both of them.

You see, Katie arranged a blind date for this girl and because Katie was running late, she and the fella she was introducing to the girl to were late. This left Daniel and this girl chatting while the others showed up...When Katie arrived she saw something which touched her heart...The look and interest Daniel was showing to this woman was the same look her boyfriend from back home gave her. She was only at this college and spreading her wings a bit because her mother hated Nico and didn't think he was "good enough" for her and the family. As a child of the times, she did as she was told, went to college and tried to date others.

Yet as the night progressed, Katie saw how Daniel was such a perfect match for Annie. They both would get caught up in talking about dogs and their traits. Daniel wasn't ignoring Katie, being the sweet guy he was...but it was clear to Katie, Daniel belonged with this woman and she belonged with Nico. Daniel and Kate both agreed later that night, no anger or sadness...a friendship and caring to the point that Daniel drove Katie to Nico that night.

So here it is in the present, both widowed and entering another part of their lives. Fate decides to make it necessary for them to communicate again and the message fate has given Katie to deliver is a big one.

This tale is one where the strength of family is tested. It is also a lovely way to examine how to bridge life after one chapter ends and the potential of another meaningful one is there. We baby boomers have broken all of the rules during our lives. We stayed healthier, more vital than past generations. Life expectancy has increased and hell, they say 60 is the new 40!

This is a beautiful story of how it is possible to have loved your spouse and if it was solid and good, it is not wrong to love again. It will not diminish the first love and only allow the remaining spouse to continue to live fully. Also as with all of these stories, dogs are front and center.

Roxanne St. Claire has promised fans much more to enjoy...hints of new matchmaking prospects come.



Sit...Stay...Beg (The Dogfather, #1) by Roxanne St. Claire Sit...Stay...Beg (The Dogfather, #1)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
New Leash on Life (The Dogfather, #2) by Roxanne St. Claire New Leash on Life (The Dogfather, #2)
Leader of the Pack (The Dogfather, #3) by Roxanne St. Claire Leader of the Pack (The Dogfather, #3)
Bad to the Bone (The Dogfather, #4) by Roxanne St. Claire Bad to the Bone (The Dogfatehr, #4)
Ruff Around the Edges (The Dogfather, #5) by Roxanne St. Claire Rough Around the Edges, #5)
Double Dog Dare (The Dogfather, #6) by Roxanne St. Claire Double Dog Dare (The Dogfather, #6)
Bark! The Herald Angels Sing (The Dogfather, #7) by Roxanne St. ClaireBark! The Herald Angels Sing, #7)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Old Dog New Tricks (The Dogfather, #8) by Roxanne St. Claire Old Dog New Tricks (#8)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~
Oh, how I love a story about a mature couple...
And then it has Dogs as a part of it...

Well, sign me up.


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Profile Image for Isha Coleman.
8,982 reviews173 followers
February 10, 2019
Old Dog New Tricks (The Dogfather Book 9) by Roxanne St. Claire  
 
Life has a way of mending a broken heart in the most ironic of ways. Old Dog New Tricks gives a second chance to two grieving hearts. Daniel and Katie had their chance to fall in love, but the timing wasn't quite right. When their paths cross years later, will their hearts be ready this time? Roxanne St. Claire has crafted a romance that's a timeless work of art. Emotions run deep in the Kilcannon family and It's a pleasure to be invited along for the ride.
Profile Image for Darcy.
14.4k reviews543 followers
February 24, 2019
This one is not your normal romance book and that is what I really liked about it. For the whole series we have been told time and time again of the magical romance that was Annie and Daniel, how when they met the skies clear, sun shown on them, the angels played their harps and how Annie's death devastated Daniel. So now here we are 4 years later, the Dogfather has matchmaked for all of his kids and they want him to be happy again.

Then Katie shows up, the woman Daniel was dating when he met Annie. Now you should feel bad for Katie, that she got dumped, but you don't. Turns out she had her own Annie (ie Nico) who her parents didn't approve and she was trying to do as they asked (remember late 70's kids listened more to their parents then) and dated in college (as she no longer dated Nico). Katie and Daniel seemed to have a good relationship, nothing like each found with their ONE, but a good friendship and a startling amount of chemistry. I thought it telling that neither seemed mad, sad, annoyed with how the night when they broke up went. Heck, Daniel even helped Katie get back to Nico so that they could renew their relationship faster.

Katie had a good reason for seeking out Daniel these 40 some odd years later. She brings a lot of drama, which drives a lot of this book. But what I liked about Katie's return was how the friendship these 2 had seemed to start up again. I really, really loved how Daniel encouraged both of them to talk about their lost loves, because really they understood what was missing and how much it helped to talk about things. Even as they started to build something new, they past spouses were a big part of things and in a good way. There was a line in the book about being able to grab a new hand even has you held the hand of another that was very fitting.

Now to talk about the drama that Katie brings spoils things greatly. To say that the topic was fitting to today's world is no lie, but what makes the book is how everyone, including the kids react that is at the heart of this book. They all could have pitched a fit (some did for a bit), but when the facts were laid out, people looked at what was built in the aftermath things happened the way they were supposed to. And I look forward to seeing how things go from here.
Profile Image for Pj Ausdenmore.
931 reviews32 followers
February 8, 2019
Widower, Daniel Kilcannon a/k/a The Dogfather spent the first seven books in this series helping his children find their happily ever afters. Now, it's his turn. Get ready for a beautifully written, deeply emotional, often humorous, and always heartwarming story of two characters who, after devastating loss, relearn the joy of opening hearts to life, to love, and to the possibility of a second happily ever after.

I devoured this book in one sitting. Now I'll go back and read it slowly, savoring all the delicious nuances of this heart-tugging, life-affirming, deeply romantic journey between two characters who may have snow on the roof, but still hold plenty of fire in their souls. Lots of happy tears, especially in the final chapters. Keep the tissues handy. :)

ARC review. Copy provided by the author. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Aly.
2,932 reviews86 followers
February 27, 2019
January 17, 1976.

That's the day fate was sealed for Daniel Kilcannon and he met the woman of his life. Together, they had 6 kids and 36 years of happiness. But for the last four years, Daniel has been a widower. Even if he's been pretty busy, playing matchmaker for his grown children and running with them the canine rescue and training facility at home, he's not a man who should be alone. He's a family man and he's got too much love, affection and kindness to give. And lately, he's been missing companionship. Now that all his brood found their significant other, it might be his time to find love again. But he's not done with meddling yet. After all, there's still his nephews and niece. But this time, he'll have a taste of his own medicine with the teasing and meddling of his sons and daughters.

Since the beginning of the series, Daniel was an important character and such an amazing father figure and I was curious to see if he could fall in love again and with whom. It was not an easy thing for him to do, so it was a slow progress, but I don't think I would have found it believable if it happened any other way. I love this series of course for the dogs and the big loving family but also because these characters are like real life people and it's easy to relate to them. There's something so comforting in the author's writing and storytelling.

It's the last book in the series but I'm so happy it's not the end for the Dogfather because the Mahoney cousins are next.
Profile Image for Michelle the Romance Witch.
2,535 reviews74 followers
February 16, 2019
The old saying certainly holds true with this story, old dogs can be taught new tricks, but only if Roxanne St. Claire is the one doing the teaching in my opinion. Daniel and Katie have both lived full and loving lives, but now that fate has left them without a mate it is time to give themselves a second chance to have a love that will last a lifetime. Daniel seeks to spend more time with Katie so that he can reconnect with his Annie, but soon he sees that Katie is her own woman and the feelings he has for her are completely separate from his feelings for Annie. Despite his fears, he cannot seem to keep away from her and, with the shared secret between them, and trying to figure out how to share their secret with their families, leads him to wonder if maybe he is ready to move forward with his life and find love again. Katie knows that Daniel is the kind of man that can make her love him easily, despite having loved another man most of her adult life, but she is terrified that their secret and the way he clings to Annie’s memory will keep them from ever truly being whole together. Once their secret is out, it will take the love of two clans to make sure that these two people, finally having found love again, give themselves the chance to embrace it and make a life together. I loved every single second of this story, even at moments when I was crying my eyes out, and couldn’t put the book down until I finished. For Dogfather fans, this story brings the main family’s story to an end with a magic that brought us full circle and shows us that love can truly heal a family and leaves us dying for what comes next for the extended family. For those that are just coming to the story, I hope you get a glimpse of the magic of the Kilcannon’s and circle back around to the very beginning and experience all the magic that the rest of us have enjoyed. Roxanne St. Claire is the kind of author that will leave you breathless with tears, laughter, and longing as she brings two people together, whether it is their first true love or a second love to last for all time. Another stunning success Rocki!
see full review at:
https://romancewitchreviews.blogspot....
Profile Image for Bette Hansen.
5,073 reviews40 followers
February 12, 2019
Absolutely loved this story!! Fans of this series will be thrilled to know that after helping all the Kilcannon siblings find love it's time for the Dogfather, Daniel Kilcannon, to find some happiness of his own. Of course it won't be easy and there is a huge surprise in store for him along the way but in the end there is a whole lot of happy.

This story is wonderfully written and with the introduction of several amazing new characters I see some great stories coming our way in the future. I for one can't wait! If you're new to the series you can still read this book and appreciate Daniel's story. Do yourself a favor though, read the whole series. I definitely recommend it.
Profile Image for Gale.
1,970 reviews22 followers
March 6, 2019
Always enjoy a Kilcannon story and this one is no different. I have to say, though, the jury is still out on whether or not I like the Santorinis... I guess if you compare the two families, the K's are more open and encompassing while the S's might be considered closed and suspicious. But that's what makes for a great story! It certainly was fun seeing Daniel get his due.
Profile Image for Michele.
2,263 reviews
February 15, 2019
See the full review at HarlequinJunkie.com -- An HJ Top Pick!!

Oh, my heart! In what I think was the hardest-won HEA of the series aside from Molly and Trace in Bad to the Bone, the Dogfather himself was on the receiving end of some matchmaking, as well as a huge change to his family life in Old Dog New Tricks.

Daniel’s heartfelt story was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. I’ll admit to being nervous about how Rocki would handle the Dogfather receiving his own HEA. I mean, we’ve heard about his beloved late wife Annie since the opening pages of book one. How does a widower move on from such a terrific marriage that ended so suddenly with his sweetheart’s death? Read More
Profile Image for Denise.
36 reviews
February 15, 2019
Change in all of its many forms - life, love and family - takes center stage as one of the major themes of “Old Dog New Tricks”, in the ninth installment of the contemporary romance, Dogfather Series!

The main character finds himself struggling with changes from minor to massive due in no small part to the loss of his first love of nearly four decades. Is it possible to find a true and lasting love again?

St. Claire masterfully writes a captivating, plot twisting, life-altering and love-affirming novel of changes into the fabric and family of our beloved Dogfather and “matchmaker extraordinaire”, Daniel Kilcannon, while introducing the reader to a surprising and enchanting, old and new flame, Katie Santorini.

The author has truly outdone herself with this brilliantly written love story full of surprises that will have you cheering and crying, laughing and loving all of the characters - both of the two-legged and four legged, furry variety - as she brings them to life in Old Dog New Tricks!

All of the Kilcannon Clan are present in this book along with their Irish cousins, the Mahoneys, and an exciting, vibrant and very Greek family, the Santorinis! What an exciting mix of passionate personalities that makes each chapter more enjoyable than the last before finally reaching Daniel’s long awaited HEA!

“Old Dog New Tricks” can easily be read as a stand alone. However, this reader found it much more enjoyable to have the full back story with all of the Kilcannons found through reading previous novels in the Dogfather series. I savoured every chapter of this book and recommend it highly as a “must read” for all romance lovers!

A portion of book sales with be donated to the Alaqua Animal Refuge in Florida to save animals and help them find forever homes. I was honored to be provided an advanced readers copy by the author. Honest opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Terri.
2,371 reviews52 followers
February 12, 2019
We've all been waiting for the time when Daniel, aka "The Dogfather", would get a second chance as love after matching all of his children with their loves. Yea, the time has come!
The Kilcannon's are great people with deep, deep love for each other and for their four legged friends. Daniel promised himself as his wife lay dying that he would never, ever love another woman. The appearance of a woman from his past challenges that promise. He must struggle with himself to see if he should have sworn that to start with. Is it what his beloved Annie would have wanted for him? What of his children? Would he be doing a disservice to them to get involved with another woman? His old friend, Katie, is not making it easy on him. Will his desire to love and to make love to her win the day? Katie sure hopes so! They share a secret that must come out. Will it destroy both of their families?
This book is filled with family issues, good and bad. There is drama galore, love, forgiveness and the eventual acceptance of circumstances that can't be changed. This is a wonderful addition to the series!
Profile Image for Liza.
1,403 reviews149 followers
February 15, 2019
Old Dog New Tricks is the latest release in the Dogfather series from Roxanne St. Claire and all I can say is it was totally worth the wait! I've wanted Daniel Kilcannon's book from the moment we met him in the very first book and I adored it from start to finish. While I feel like the woman who is Daniel’s second chance at love after the death of his beloved Annie shouldn’t have surprised me; I found myself completely shocked.

This story was full of surprises, pulled out every single emotion, and gave me hope for finding love again. I absolutely couldn't put this book down once I started reading it, and loved every single minute of this story. Roxanne St. Claire gives her readers another story filled with laughter and tears, both happy and sad, along with many happy sighs. I highly recommend having a box of tissues handy while reading this beautiful story.

The Dogfather series of books is one of my favorite series ever from Roxanne St. Claire and I can't recommend the entire series of books enough. I've loved watching each of Daniel's children find their happily ever after. I loved we were introduced to so many new characters in Old Dog New Tricks, and will hopefully get many more books featuring the Kilcannon family and friends. I read Old Dog New Tricks as fast as I could the first time, and now plan to re-read it and savor each and every moment.


Rating: 5 Stars (A+)
Review copy provided by publisher
Profile Image for Julia David.
2,505 reviews27 followers
February 10, 2019
I just love this series and I am so glad that Daniel got his story. Daniel has helped his children get their HEA and now they want to help him. He thinks there can only be one love and he had that with Annie. But, there is someone who makes him question that. Katie is an old friend and she had a wonderful marriage to a wonderful man and isn't sure she will love again. But seeing Daniel after all these years, she thinks she might be ready after all. The problem is, she has a secret that could tear apart both of their families.
3,559 reviews40 followers
February 11, 2019
I have come to enjoy and love this enchanting series of a father who wants his children to be happy, and being instrumental in helping them, either with their knowledge or without it, in finding their HEA. He wants them to have what he experienced with his deceased wife, Annie.
Little does he know that this time it’s his turn to once again find love.
A new chapter in Daniel’s life begins when long time friend Katie, the woman that was instrumental in getting him and Annie together, returns to town.
This is a story about second chances for Daniel and Katie, two individuals that deserve their chance to love again.
Another well written story by this talented author.
I was entrusted a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
8 reviews1 follower
February 12, 2019
WOW! Your gonna need time and a box of tissues. Second chance at love stories are one of my favorites. Every book in the Dogfather series is better then the last. This one is the best by far. I don’t usually ungly cry at the end of books but this one had me so happy that I ran out of tissues. What amazing families. Every character has their own wonderful personalities and you fall in love with the vivid description of the settings. I love that the dogs are interwoven through the whole story and are an integral part of the storyline. Bravo!
Profile Image for MK.
1,631 reviews22 followers
February 11, 2019
Another winner in the DogFather series. Ms. St. Claire made me laugh and cry like
she always does in her books. To say this was an emotional book is putting it mildly.
The DogFathers kids think it’s time they match him off like he’s done for them. When he
runs into Katie in Bitter Bark he’s taken back to his college days. They both have loved and lost. Have a wonderful family.

Hang on tight because there’s things coming that both surprise and will warm your heart. An Irish family and Greek family.

A must read as is the series if you have not begun it.
Profile Image for Bobbie.
1,203 reviews10 followers
February 23, 2019
OMG

I don’t know how she does it, but each and every one of these books has tugged at my heartstrings. I LOVE the story of Daniel and Katie. I love visiting this family and now there are more stories to tell. Thank you Roxanne St. Claire!
Profile Image for Lindsay.
695 reviews3 followers
February 17, 2019
In Old Dog New Tricks we finally get Daniel’s story. The Dogfather has found the soul mates for all of his children. Now they want to return the favor, but how can they when his soul mate was their mother and she is gone? Although their attempts have fallen short, fate has other plans in the form a someone who was a big part of his past. I love the way this story was done because it was never forgotten that Daniel, or his heroine, had loved and lost. Another great book in this series, although this time it is Daniel who may end up Dogfathered…….
Profile Image for Patricia Barber.
204 reviews7 followers
March 5, 2019
Loved it

From page one to the last page i loved it. I laughed and cried. Can't wait for the next book.
Profile Image for Kristen.
1,186 reviews
February 12, 2019
Wow! This book is full of emotion, the very best kind. Laughter, tears, swooning, sighing, hoping, loving. The story of Daniel and Katie, is a story of second chances, moving forward, family, hope, and love. When all of the Kilcannons and Santorinis come together, great things happen. And the greatest of those is new love for Daniel and Katie. I love all of the books by Roxanne St. Claire that I have read (and I’ve read most of them!), but this one is definitely my favorite! A great read that I highly recommend!
2,074 reviews25 followers
February 15, 2019
I love this series. Daniel Kilcannon aka The Dogfather, has played matchmaker for his children, now it’s his turn. But there is an unexpected complication.

It is always great to connect with this family. The books are light, fun reads with a happy ending. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.
290 reviews9 followers
June 26, 2019
"Old Dog, New Tricks" is the newest book in the Dogfather Series, by Roxanne St. Claire. This book brings us Daniel Kilcannon’s story and how he met his beloved wife, Annie who passed away four years earlier. Daniel has devoted the last four years to his children and the family business at Waterford Farm.

Katie Rogers Santorini loved her husband, Nico Santorini more than anything but has been widowed for the past two years. Katie and Daniel dated briefly when they were both in college. Circumstances brought Katie to Bitter Bark, NC with her daughter, Cassie to “conveniently” run into Daniel. The secret they share will change the lives of both families forever.

Intertwined in the book is a beautiful love story between two dogs, Rusty and Goldie. Will the dogs' devotion to each other, along with the health issues of Rusty, bring the families together? This is another heartwarming story about love, forgiveness, honesty, family, and of course, dogs. As I read this book, it quickly became my favorite of all the books I have read by Roxanne St. Clair. I highly recommend it!
Profile Image for Chessela Helm.
Author 7 books26 followers
December 11, 2021
I was definitely looking forward to Daniel getting a second chance at love, and this book was full of good surprises. It pulled all the heartstrings. Nothing like widows and widowers coming to terms with grief, and it's always good to read about older couples. We've seen so much of Daniel from his children's eyes that it's nice to finally get a chance to climb into his perspective and see what it's like to be the Dogfather. I thought Katie was well developed and I loved her younger kids, and I think if Nick gets a book I will learn to love him (but I don't think the French chick is right for him). Can't wait to see how this series continues.
Profile Image for Vi MacDonald.
82 reviews2 followers
March 31, 2019
We both loved the Dogfather books 1-8. We recently read Daniels story (book 9)
FYI, the whole story was contained in the first 1/3 of the book. Unfortunately the rest of the book was way too repetitive/fillers to the point of boring and difficult to finish. It felt like the rest of the book was just thrown together. Rusty & Goldie was the only interesting part glad they made it.
As author is writing her next novel about the Mahoneys we hope she makes it as interesting as Books 1-5 with minimal repetition and little filler
1,673 reviews43 followers
February 27, 2019
Old Dog New Tricks is Roxanne St. Claire’s latest book in her Dogfather series. This one focuses on the Dogfather himself Daniel Kilcannon. First let me say it was a pleasure to read a modern romance story that involved people my age with children my children’s age. Shocking I’m sure for some of the younger generation, but even after your hair begins to turn gray you still have emotional and physical needs. I give this book a solid 4.5 stars and it would have been an easy 5 but Daniel drove me to distraction with his waffling. I get that Daniel’s devotion to his late wife Annie’s memory was so great that four years after her shocking death, he still hasn’t wanted to date anyone. I guess that’s sort of romantic. And I get that in the depths of despair after her death he pledged to never love another. But as Kate tells him, the vows you took on your wedding day included “until death do us part.” And just like Kate’s late husband Nico you would have thought that at some point Daniel would have realized that Annie would have wanted him to find love again and live a full life. His whole “Let’s get together and talk about how great our dead spouses and our marriages were” was almost sick. At any rate Kate had to have the patience of a saint to put up with his indecision while I wanted to hit him upside the head and scream “Wake Up Man!” The woman literally throws herself at him a couple of times only to be rejected. Most women would have given up and just walked away at that point.
I’ve loved this series from the start and have read all the books, but this book can easily be read as a standalone as Ms. St. Claire manages to give readers a brief synopsis of all of the Dogfather’s children and their romances detailed in the previous six books. Regular readers of the series also get to catch up on their lives, the weddings, pregnancies and births. And each of the Kilcannon kids, Pru and of course Gramma Finnie as well as the Santorini kids gets more than a cameo appearance in this story. Of course the Santorini kids will be featured in future stories as Daniel and Kate try to play matchmaker for them along with his sister’s kids, the Mahoney siblings. So I anticipate there are several more books in the works.
Along with the growing romance between Daniel and Kate, Rusty and Goldie’s stories were great secondary stories as was the building tension over the upcoming big reveal of a secret that will rock both families to their core. One thing that sort of annoyed me was Daniel’s seeming lack of perspective of just how this revelation would impact Nick, no matter how many times Kate tried to spell it out for him. The poor guy was going to find out at 42 that things he believed about himself, about who he was, were a lie while Daniel seemed to just dismiss her legitimate concerns. Not to excuse Nick’s inexcusable behavior when the truth is revealed. And did anybody else wonder why Daniel bought a box of condoms for their first time? I mean Kate is in her late fifties so I’m sure she’s post menopausal. It’s not like she’s going to get pregnant again and since neither of them had been sexually active for years and only with their spouses when they were, STDS weren’t an issue. What was he thinking? Something else that bothered me was the implication that what Daniel did towards the end of the story was wrong. He was right in his thinking and he really didn’t take the decision out of Kate’s hands as he confessed he had to Kate. After he’d explained why he told her to go with Nick she could have chosen to stay, rather than walk away. But I almost feel like I’m looking for things to find wrong with what was a really nice heartwarming romantic story. I’m already looking forward to the next book to watch toe romance between Braden and Cassie and of course catch up with the wonderful Kilcannon clan.
15 reviews
February 27, 2019
Am I the only person who makes a deal with herself when it’s time to read a book that I’ve been anxiously waiting to be released? You know, the type of deal that says I can read 2 more chapters as soon as I clean out the refrigerator. Fold a load of laundry – reward of 1 more chapter. Cook dinner – read while things are cooking. Pay bills – that surely deserves 4 or 5 chapters! When you find a gem of a book like “Old Dog New Tricks” I found myself wanting to ignore life and its responsibilities so I could read this family and animal love story in one sitting.

Roxanne St. Claire’s Dogfather series pulls you in with its show of love for family and dogs. In the latest offering in this series, Daniel fights love because he vowed to never love another woman after losing Annie. As he explores the rationality of a vow made in haste during the despair of losing the love of his life, he seems to be taking one step forward and then two steps backwards. Or should I say for each puzzle piece he places, he realizes how many more need to be fitted before he can see the whole picture. Over the years when I’ve together jigsaw puzzles, I would find myself excited as the picture started to show itself. I’d believe that I knew what the end picture would look like only to be surprised when the real picture revealed itself as the last puzzle piece was set in place. More often than not, the total finished picture showed me more than what I had imagined it would show. That is the story of Daniel: puzzle pieces of hints, clues, set-backs, and successes. Finally they all come together to give us the complete picture as the puzzle gets completed.

I let out my first big sigh and felt it would have been ok to stop reading the book after the first chapter. But why would I quit when I knew I had so many more emotions ahead: tears, belly laughs, deep thoughts, and wondering what I’d do if I was in Daniel’s shoes. I got answers to questions I’ve had from previous books, I was teased with what lies ahead, and one more time Roxanne had me understanding that ‘dog magic’ exists even for those of us who don’t know how much we need it. Until the next story unfolds, I let myself smile as I relived the fitting together of Daniel’s puzzle.
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2,694 reviews
February 24, 2019
WOW!! I LOVE, LOVE, love Daniel’s second chance at love in Old Dog New Tricks by Roxanne St. Claire, part of her Dogfather series. This wonderfully amazing story features widower Daniel Kilcannon, the Dogfather who found love matches for his six children. It is a story of two “seasoned” adults who after losing their one love of their life find that they are capable of loving more than their first love. This is a very emotional story so make sure you have tissues nearby.

Katie was Daniel’s girlfriend in college who introduced him to Annie, the love of his life. Katie was torn about dating Daniel, as she loved Nico, her high school sweetheart from a strong Greek family. How was it that she could be interested in Daniel yet love Nico at the same time? After Daniel met Annie, he had eyes for no one. Each had met life’s puzzle piece that fit them perfectly. Fast forward forty-plus years with Daniel running into Katie, now a widow, in his home town of Bitter Bark, finding himself attracted to her once again; despite a promise he made to himself of never loving another. Katie was there on a mission, needing to let Daniel become aware of a problem that recently been discovered that went back to the time they once dated. Since Daniel wasn’t willing to move forward with Katie he was “Dogfathered” by his and her kids, getting them together and a second chance at having love in their life. There were definite themes in this story; family, ancestry, and puzzle pieces. A secondary love story occurs with Daniel’s dog Rusty and a rescue brought to the farm for fostering.

Ms. St. Claire wrote an amazing story that was moving and filled with love, wonderful dialogue, and endearing characters that should definitely not be missed. This book is a standalone but includes characters from the previous books in this series. I highly recommend Old Dog, New Tricks to other readers and I am anxious for the next book in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
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