Must Love Dogs...And Magic

by Jenn Burke

When Roland Gray reaches out to a podcast to vent about his latest coven kicking him out because his magic just doesn't fit, the last thing he expects is to stumble across a "roommate wanted" ad that sounds too perfect to be true. He doesn't want to get his hopes up—he's been burned too many times to believe he'll finally find a home. But his potential roommates seem nice enough, even if the landlord is the gruffest, tersest man he's ever met. 

 

Miller Moore never intended to be a landlord, let alone a roommate to a bunch of magical people. But after a divorce and a lay-off in quick succession, it was the only way he could keep his dream home. Over the past few years, they've made a family of a sort, with dogs and cats and their people. He kind of loves all of them—even though he'd never tell his roommates that. Dogs are so much easier to deal with. At least until he gets to know Roland and discovers Ro fills a space Miller hadn't realized was empty. 

 

Ro's wonky magic has always kept him from finding a place to belong. To find a home with Miller, he'll have to be braver than he's ever been…and believe. 

Genres: Paranormal, M M Romance, Magic, Fantasy, LGBT, Short Stories

50 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 2, 2020

About the author

Jenn Burke has loved out-of-this-world romance since she was a preteen reading about heroes and heroines kicking butt and falling in love. Now that she’s an author, she couldn’t be happier to bring adventure, romance, and sexy times to her readers.

Jenn is the author of a number of paranormal and science fiction romance titles, including the critically acclaimed Chaos Station science fiction romance series (authored with Kelly Jensen) and her newest series, Ashes & Dust, a spin-off of her fan-favorite Not Dead Yet series.

She’s been called a pocket-sized and puntastic Canadian on social media, and she’ll happily own that label. Jenn lives just outside of Ottawa, Ontario, with her husband and two kids, plus two dogs named after video game characters…because her geekiness knows no bounds.

Jenn is represented by Deidre Knight of the Knight Agency.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must love dogs and Magic was like a warm hug. Since the first page, I was already having fun and loving Roland.

Roland, or just Ro, is a witch who never fit in any coven because of his magic. He and his dog BB were looking for somewhere to live until they finally found a place, pet, magic and queer friendly. Ro decided to give it a try.

There he met Miller, a grumpy landlord who was actually very gentle with a great heart, always quick to protect his friends. I was waiting for him and Ro to get together too soon for my own sake.
Especially because Miller offered Ro what he had been searching for his whole life, understanding and acceptance, and of course a family! I love found families so much!

Let's not forget the dogs! I loved BB and Hogan right away.

This was such a sweet story, Ro and Miller are my sons now and I wish I could read more about them.

[Ariana (mostly offline) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 stars

I really like Jenn Burke. Her “Not Dead Yet” and “Chaos Station” series are absolutely fabulous.

This novella grabbed me because of the quirky title. (not so much for the rather scary, if not lecherous guy on the front cover – just look at the poor doggie next to him, looking really worried – that’s basically me…) and the mention of magic always ‘makes my ears prick up’.
And the blurb is enticing and the scenario great.

Unfortunately, nothing here really grabbed me, emotionally or plot-wise. This feels like a tasty starter with a promise of a really good meal to come. (but it didn't)

I wanted to know more about…pretty much everything.
I liked the characters but couldn’t feel the connection leading them to have sex and become boyfriends. It all happened in the blink of an eye, with me by-standing with a silent WTH? on my lips.

Darn shame. That’s all I can say.

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars rounded up

The title attracted me immediately -- DOGS AND MAGIC!! I didn't own the anthology in which this short first appeared, but I liked the author. So bought this one separately.

The story was cute -- it had abundant of animals! Yes, dogs! I loved Ro - and I thought his magic, hearth witch was an INTERESTING concept. I don't think I've discovered this kine of witch in any story before, so kudos on that. I liked the bunch of rag-tags roommates that inhabit Miller's house. Miller and Ro were sweet together too.

I wonder which part being expanded though -- was it the additional sex scenes? Because to me it just ruined the whole flow of the story, prefer Miller and Ro connected in other level than physical. But I'm sure that's my problem alone *shrugs*.

Overall, I enjoyed this one though -- and the dogs were worth it!

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.75 stars

Must Love Dogs… and Magic by Jenn Burke is a novella set in contemporary Canada. Set during deep winter and featuring a strong hurt/comfort thread between Ro and Miller, I thought this was a great, cozy, little read. It’s also a quick one; I knocked this out in a single afternoon. The perfect little mid-week escape. Burke does a wonderful job balancing the need to explain how magic fits into this world and affects the characters’ lives without bogging the story down with mountains of minutiae. I also thought the depth of the characters matched the shorter story format well; we get more than mere avatars for a stock character, but not so nuanced I couldn’t read them. Ro clearly has trust issues and closes himself off emotionally from others, always expecting the worst. Miller discovers the depth of his love for all of his found family, despite difficulties communicating with other humans. Each man had distinct idiosyncrasies that, for me at least, made it compelling to watch them come together. At the same time, Ro finally begins to cope with his magic.

Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.

[Lola · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up Must Love Dogs and Magic because I've read and enjoyed Jenn Burke's books. Must Love Dogs and Magic is a short and fun read, but was a bit too short to fully pull me in. I liked the set up with Ro trying to find a home and the way he's reluctant to trust people because he's been burned before. Then he finally finds a home and falls in love. Due to the short read it just felt everything progressed very quickly and there isn't as much time to really delve into the plot points.

I liked the set up with the found family and the group of people al living in the same house. I also liked Ro finally figuring out why his magic was wonky. Even the romance set up was interesting. I just felt like it there wasn't enough time to really delve into all of these topics. The romance quite suddenly heats up while I didn't really feel like they got to know each much as that's brushed over/ skipped forward a few weeks. Ro finds out what his magic is and he does some spells we get to see the result of in Miller's point of view and then that's that. There is the weird first and last chapter about the podcast that I felt didn't really connect to the rest of the story. There's are some nice scenes between Ro and Miller, but as we miss the main gettign to know eahc other part I didn't really feel the romance.

To summarize: This is a cute and fun short read, but was too short to really make me feel the romance and get pulled into the story. I liked the set up and plot points, but it all developed or got resolved too quickly for my taste due to the short length of this story. I liked the dogs and magic, I just wanted more of all of it.

[Lori S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet

A short and sweet story about finding home and a family. I wish there were a lot more stories like this.

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

All the sweetness. I really enjoyed this little story. Poor Roland has had it rough but gruff Miller sees right to the core of him. Together these two and their dogs were just adorable. I loved Roland finally finding his true home.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ro is a witch with wonky magic who can’t seem to find a place that fits. He gives off massive need a hug vibes.

Miller a slightly grumpy writer who has opened his home to a ragtag of people and pets but is protective even if he doesn’t show it very openly.

Miller in a conversation is adorably awkward which is fun as his character gives a larger than life presence. You can feel Ro’s pain at not fitting in and as the book goes on you see him open up as he comes into his own. This is such a cute book I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, okay let's see. Magic in current reality, check. Sympathetic characters, check. Pets everywhere? Check. Conflicts, misunderstandings, but no drawn-out angst? Check. This is short, not insta-love but not slow time-wise either, and for me a delight from beginning to end. It's as long as it needs to be and no longer. *chef kiss*

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a charming novella! I could read 100k+ more about Miller and Ro and their dogs. The story does make use of my absolutely least-favourite trope, but the length of the story means I wasn't left on read for ages because of it and it was resolved quickly.

[Epeeblade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute quick read!

[Jeanine Beaulieu St Pierre · Rating 4 out of 5]

right magic

Loved this book,,, it about a man trying to to find a home and finally finding the right one at the right time

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Felt a bit like I was dumped into the middle of a story/world. But I enjoyed the characters and the story.

Freebie from author.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and cute fluff from an author I enjoy.

[Christopher Denton · Rating 5 out of 5]

More Dogs Please, Jenn!

I would describe Must Love Dogs and Magic as a sweet LGBTQ+ romance if it were not so steamy toward the end. It is a very short novella—more of a long short story—but it is entertaining and has a wonderful HEA ending.

The Opening

The opening is a sort of prologue, though it isn’t described as such. It successfully introduces the protagonist and his main problem to be resolved. More importantly, it is written in an engaging narrative voice that captures the reader’s attention.

The second chapter provides a great hook along with a fact about subzero temperatures I didn’t know and must admit that I Googled to check.

The Characters

Roland is the main protagonist of this tale, and he’s a witch with “wonky” magic. The fact that he has just been kicked out of his latest coven establishes him as a sympathetic character. He has a cute dog, too, which is a huge plus in my eyes.

Miller is the other main character. At first, he comes across a little cold. He’s aloof and quite the introvert. I especially disliked his objectification of everyone, refusing to use names and instead referring to other characters in terms of their relationship to their pets. However, I warmed to him as the book progressed. He has a nice character arc.

The pets are all important to this story, especially BB, who is Roland’s part-husky dog. However, I felt they could have been better developed. After all, dogs are in the book title. I would have liked more subplots and sketches of the animals, especially the cats. They sounded cool.

The minor characters are not adequately developed for my tastes, especially Miller’s sister. She seems pretty cool, and I would have liked to actually meet her. Rather than having her “heard” via a telephone conversation, it might have been stronger for her to actually appear at the house for that final key conversation.

The Plot

This is quite a short novella, so there’s not much room for a complex plot. Basically, it follows a variation of the victim trope, where the conflict is Roland’s insecurity. He is accustomed to rejection and so is liable to see it even when it isn’t actually there.

A secondary conflict is Miller’s insular tendancies, though this obstacle has been significantly weakened prior to the events of this story.

I found the final pinch interesting and the end resolution very satisfying.

The Setting

The setting was fabulous. I loved the opening scene in Roland’s car, which was extremely immersive. Miller’s house and the setup there are very interesting, though I didn’t feel it was made clear enough in the opening that this was Miller’s house and he owned it. The way it was introduced, it seemed more like a cooperative or commune.

I loved the magic system and how it contributed to the final solution. I especially liked Miller’s unusual gift, though it might have been better to foreshadow it rather than spring it on the reader out of the blue.

The Prose

This whole story has a unique and interesting author’s voice. It is always clear what’s happening and I was never confused.

My Opinion

My overall feeling is that this is a fabulous story but it could be improved. I would have liked to see the minor characters developed a little more and the various pets a lot more. When a book has “loves dogs” in the title, I want to see the dogs play a bigger part.

Despite that, I did really enjoy this story, and it has a great ending. For that reason, I’m going to rate it 9 out of 10, which will translate to 5 out of 5 on Goodreads and Amazon.

Notice:

I received an advance review copy for free, but this review is my honest opinion of the book.

[Kelly (Maybedog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was a short little story but most of it was original. The idea of a hearthwitch is so cool. I originally thought I’d never be able to live there though I want to because there’s Eucalyptus throughout the whole house and I’m allergic to it. But then I realized, he would know and choose something else because that’s what they do—anticipate needs. That’s awesome.

I want a place that feels like home like that. I mean, I like where I live and the people I live with it’s just that the house in the book feels extra special and homey to me.

The melodramatic ending was right up my alley. Others might find it contrived and predictable but I love that stuff and it makes a book really work for me.

I’m not familiar with this author but I’m curious about her other books so I’ll be perusing her backlist and forward list and everything in between. :D

[Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenn Burke is a wonderful author, and this novella is no exception to that. I'm not going to recap the plot of the novella, because the published description does that just fine. What I will tell you is that the characters are really likeable, and there are dogs and cats, which you already know, but, you know, pets are cute. All of the characters have magical abilities, but the only two that we really get details on are Ro and Miller. Given the length of the novella it's understandable. We do see enough of the other characters to get a feel for their personalities, which is nice. Ro is a sweetie who has had a hard time, and you just want to give him a hug. Miller isn't as gruff as he first seems and really comes out of his shell quickly. The MCs work well together, with fairly low angst (of course there's the requisite hurdle they must overcome, but it isn't dramatic nor does it last too long.)

This was a really quick and sweet read. It was originally part of the 2020 Heart2Heart Anthology, but the author has released it with some added content. I'm glad she did, I enjoyed this story the first time I read it in the anthology, and really enjoyed it this time around! I actually would have preferred it to be longer, as I think there's potential here for more of a story, but given the original intent of the story, it makes sense that it's novella length. So if you like feel-good magical stories, grab this one! **Note: I was provided a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Kylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must Love Dogs ... And Magic is a super cute short story from Jenn Burke. If you read the latest Heart 2 Heart anthology, this was one of the stories but has since been updated and expanded. The story centers around Roland Gray, a witch, who has been struggling to find his place in a coven. He replies to an ad about queer friendly, magic accepting home looking for renters. There he meets the somewhat grumpy homeowner, Miller, and they fall in love.

The story is heartfelt and heartwarming and centers around found family and finding acceptance of oneself. Miller helps Roland find contentment and his place in his family as well as in the magical world. Miller and Roland are so cute together, but they also have two adorable dogs, BB and Hogan, who up the cuteness factor of the whole story.

I loved the different take on witches and I thought that Roland's witch powers, once he discovers what they are, were really interesting. I would love to read more about Roland and Miller, and I enjoyed this cute, quick, and fluffy read.

[Sharon Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very rarely read short stories but Jenn Burke offered an ARC so I decided to jump on the bandwagon.
As I said, I rarely read short stories as I loved to get immersed in a very long book or even a series but this story proved to be a nice distraction. I love delving into the characters and their uniqueness but I got enough from Must Love Dogs to satisfy me. Both Roland and Miller are misfits but they fit together so well and their dogs are delightful.
From the start of the book you have to accept the universe that Jenn has created. Magic does exist and people have their roles in life. I felt so sorry for Roland - he has not had an easy life and he is used to being rejected. It is the sign of a good writer that I could feel Roland's pain and I really wanted him to get his HEA. I was cheering both Roland and Miller on in the end.
Although the short story will not be a must read for me, I am willing to give another one a go.
Recommended.

[Susan Robey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book by Jenn Burke; I'll definitely read more of her work. It was a light, happy read with its emphasis on characters, finding your own family and believing in others and yourself. And its funny. Ro, a young witch, cannot find a coven where he fits. Instead he moves into a house owned by Miller, who has to have roommates to keep his house. Ro finds a real home for himself and his dog and Miller learns that life still holds surprises. A definite keeper.

[Teeny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this one when it was released in the Heart2Heart Anthology and I quite liked it and gave it 4 stars.

Maybe because I was familiar with the story this time, Ro's predicament didn't tag at my heartstrings as acutely as before. Still though cute and lovely with an abundance of pets.

I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest review.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet, easy, and quick read. Though “the big misunderstanding “ is a pet peeve of mine, it wasn’t left to fester and was resolved quickly. The magic aspect is subtle but I liked the idea of hearthwitches.

[gimmethosebooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awww a slightly expanded story that was one of my faves in the heart2heart anthology 💚

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but complete. Great story and characters!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet book with great characters and endings.