Norah's Ark: Love Me, Love My Dog #2 (Life, Faith & Getting It Right #14)

by Judy Baer

Hi, my name is Bentley.

I'm a mutt with a dash of pit bull in the soup, and I have issues. I'm not likely to win any beauty pageants, and I'm afraid of cats. But my human, Norah Kent, thinks I'm the greatest despite all my shortcomings.

The problem is Norah won't go out with anyone who doesn't like me. Norah says she's perfectly happy being single, and that in God's time she'll marry Mr. Right. But I think God's time may be right now, and Mr. Right may be Officer Nick Haley—the one guy who's afraid of a kitten-fearing basket case of a dog like me! I'll do just about anything to bring Norah and Nick together, even if I have to…gulp…woof!

Genres: Christian Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Christian Romance, Animals

361 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2006

About the author

aka Judy Kaye

Judy Baer was born and grew up on a farm on the prairies of North Dakota, USA. An only child, she spent most of her days with imaginary people-either those she read about or those she made up in her head. Her most ambitious conjuring did not succeed, however. She kept a clean stall with hay and oats for the horse she imagined would come but unfortunately, it never did. As an adult, however, she managed to make that dream come true and raised foundation quarter horses and buffalo for some years. A voracious reader, Judy learned to read with comic books, anything from Little Lulu and Superman to the Rawhide Kid. She sold her first story for $10.00 to a farm magazine. She still has the $10.00.

She graduated from Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota with a major in English and education and a minor in religion. At the time, she was simply studying what interested her, but now realizes that she was educating herself for her future career as an inspirational christian romance writer.

Judy wanted to write for Harlequin even in high school but it wasn't until her youngest child learned to say "No" that she realized that she'd better consider a second career to fall back on when mothering was done. Her first book was written with her little girl on her lap. Judy would type a few words, say "Now, Jennifer," at which time her daughter would hit the space bar before Judy continued typing. It wasn't the fastest way to work, but it offered a lot of mother-daughter time together. An over-achiever, she's written 71 books for various publishers. The mother of two and step-mother of three, she now has lots of family to enjoy.

In 2001, she went back to school and became a certified professional life coach. Currently she is working on her Master's in Human Development in the areas of writing, coaching and spirituality and writing inspirational Chick Lit which, she says, is the most fun she's ever had writing.

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

About this book:

“Hi, my name is Bentley.
I'm a mutt with a dash of pit bull in the soup, and I have issues. I'm not likely to win any beauty pageants, and I'm afraid of cats. But my human, Norah Kent, thinks I'm the greatest despite all my shortcomings.
The problem is Norah won't go out with anyone who doesn't like me. Norah says she's perfectly happy being single, and that in God's time she'll marry Mr. Right. But I think God's time may be right now, and Mr. Right may be Officer Nick Haley--the one guy who's afraid of a kitten-fearing basket case of a dog like me! I'll do just about anything to bring Norah and Nick together, even if I have to...gulp...woof!”


Series: A few mentions of characters from “Million Dollar Dilemma” and “The Whitney Chronicles”.


Spiritual Content- Many Scriptures are mentioned, read, remembered, quoted, & discussed; Bible reading; Prayers; Church going & a sermon; Witnessing; Many talks about God, His blessings, praying, forgiveness, & being a Christian; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Norah’s pet shop is called Norah’s Ark (based on Noah’s ark in the Bible); Norah has been a Christian since she was ten and loves Scriptures that refer to God’s creatures; Many mentions of God, His blessing, & forgiveness; Mentions of Scriptures & events and those in the Bible; Mentions of Christians, accepting Christ, & witnessing; Mentions of prayers, praying, & prayer lists; Mentions of churches, church going, a pastor, & sermons; A couple mentions of being a God-sent; A couple mentions of blessings; A couple mentions of miracles; A couple mentions of angels; A mention of Heaven; A mention of praising God;
*Note: A few mentions of Cupid; A mention of Adonis.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘biddy’, a ‘crummy’, a ‘duh’, a ‘shut up’, a ‘sucker’, two forms of ‘sissy’, three ‘idiot’s, five ‘dumb’s, and nine ‘stupid’s; Mentions of someone who was attacked by a dog, injured severely, & very afraid of dogs now (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of crimes, criminals, thieves, stealing, vandals, & trouble-maker teens; Mentions of accidents, injuries, & scars (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of hurt & injured animals (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of lies & lying; A few mentions of a drug raid & nearly bleeding out; A few mentions of nightmares; A few mentions of a bully & his gang of teenage thugs; A few mentions of gossip; A few mentions of gas (jokes); A couple mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of throwing up; A mention of drinking wine; A mention of blood; A mention of parents arguing;
*Note: Mentions of celebrities, actors/actresses, singers, movies, TV shows, books, & characters; Mentions of toy & technology brands; A few mentions of car brands; A couple mentions of designers; A couple mentions of Ben & Jerry’s; A mention of Target.


Sexual Content- a hand kiss, two forehead kisses, four barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and semi-detailed kiss; Touches, Embraces, & Hand holding; A bit of Blushing; Noticing & Smelling; three forms of ‘hunk (one is towards a horse)’ and seven ‘baby’s (from birds); Mentions of kissing & kisses; Mentions of dating, dates, boyfriends, & girlfriends; Mentions of birds that wolf whistles (that would put a construction worker to shame), comments on people’s bottoms/legs, flirts/makes other comments, & makes kissy noises; A few mentions of flirting; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of a married couple kissing; A couple mentions of reputations & not being in a compromising situation; A mention of a married couple possibly giving a mother figure a grandchild; A mention of a girl walking with a little more wiggle to her hips for a guy’s benefit; A mention of a crush; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: A couple mentions of a bikini; A mention of lingerie; A mention of feeling Cupid’s arrow on a backside; A mention of being hoisted onto a horse & feeling the handprints on a backside (not-detailed); A mention of a little girl acting like she’s riding a horse by smacking her butt; A mention of a dog sitting on its butt.

-Norah Kent
1st person P.O.V. of Norah
361 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Four Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars (and a half)
For some reason, some people might not like this book. I’ll be honest and say I won’t understand how you cannot like “Norah’s Ark” or “Million Dollar Dilemma”, but I’ll leave you with your opinion as long as you respect mine for a case when I don’t enjoy one of your favorite books. Deal? ;)
This book is a favorite of mine purely because of two things:
1. Norah’s love for her dog. The cover says, “Love Me, Love My Dog” and that is something I completely agree with. Norah is a huge (understatement) animal lover and it shows in her peacemaking heart.
2. Norah’s faith is like Cassia’s in “Million Dollar Dilemma” and it truly inspires me to be a better Christian in my knowledge of Scriptures and also how I show my faith towards others. I love the thought Norah has at one point in this novel, “My grandmother said I might be the only sermon someone like Lilly ever hears. That should keep me on my toes.”
The “romance” side of this book (putting in “ ” as it really is light and while Norah would love to hear bells when she meets the right man God has for her, her faith and love for animals is the main plot, I would say) might seem strange to some due to the three eligible bachelors in Norah’s life, but, trust me when I say, it all works out and I never thought anything was cheesy or forced feeling.
I cannot share in words how much “Million Dollar Dilemma” and “Norah’s Ark” have encouraged me in my personal life, but also just the giddiness I feel when I read these two books reminds me why I enjoy reading.


Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Kendall · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like I've been reading a cream puff (which is not always a bad thing!) However, in this case, I was expecting something a little more... substantial--actually I was expecting to read a book in the dog's perspective, which I was led to expect from the [very] misleading back cover. Needless to say, it was in Norah Kent's POV--which wouldn't have been so bad if Norah weren't quite so annoying. (and CLUELESS)

2 random new hunky guys move into Norah's vicinity, one a sea captain dude Conner and the other a hunky police officer Nick. Strangely enough, they are both (as well as the coffee shop owner Joe across the street) interested in Norah--who is a self-professed dumpy dresser--instead of her beautiful, alluring, attractive, beautiful, well-dressed (etc. etc. etc.) friend, Lilly. Rather than decide she keeps hanging out with all 3 guys, stringing them along and messing up her friendships with them (as well as Lilly) Oh and I didn't even mention my favorite parts:

"His eyes looked as raw and painful as two holes burned in a blanket." (Yes, that sounds very painful.)

"He's definitely an enigma, cool and warm, aloof and friendly--a little like that stuff my dad uses on his aching muscles, Icy Hot."

And the best for last: "It's like this, Norah. I've begun to realize these days that life is like a roll of toilet paper...At first the roll goes down very slowly, but the nearer you get to the end, the faster it goes. I'm afraid I may be getting near the end of my roll, Norah."

ANYways... everybody gets somebody in the end and it ends very happily. Lilly gets Java Joe. Norah gets...you guessed it, NICK! (Their names are NICK and NORAH in case you hadn't noticed!!!) The only one who gets the bum end of the deal is Conner, who gets Winky, a bad-mouthed parrot.

Even though I am a Christian I can't stand "pushy" Christian fiction (which this was to a slight degree) but it was wholesome and Norah at least sort of tried to do the right thing. All that said, it was an easy, clean read, and good "fluff" (which it never hurts to indulge in every once in awhile.) Norah is painfully clueless and naive, but an enjoyable enough heroine.

[Loraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Unusual characters, great story line, fantastic humor and a Christian theme running throughout. What more could you ask? Norah, the owner of the small lake town pet store, is not really ready to settle down. But her steady boyfriend, Joe, is ready for a commitment, the new cop in town, Nick, is chasing her; and the owner of the ships on the lake, Charlie, has come back to town and he's interested too. Along with her best friend Lily and her neighbor antique shop owner Auntie Lou, Norah's problems just get piled deeper and higher. Then throw in the new toy shop owners' teenage son, Bryce, and craziness is the focus of the day. Oh and did I say there's also 2 mynah birds, lots of cats, kittens, dogs, some horses and Norah's dog Bentley that add to the fun.

[Jennifer Fluegge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy most of Judy Baer's books--they are nice, light-hearted reads. Nothing deep or heavy, but yet, you don't feel like you are totally indulging in brain candy (like Lori Wick's books, for example). This was a cute story, that even though it involved animals, etc. I was able to enjoy. :-) (I am not an animals person..)

[Kelsi Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a funny book about a Christian girl who owns a pet shop. She isn't searching for love, but all these men start to come after her. OH I HATE WHEN THAT HAPPENS!! jk. It's very light reading.

[CaliNativeBalboa · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an animal lover, I actually enjoyed this novel despite my middling rating. It was a bit heavier on the religion than the other Inspirational titles I've tried which wasn't a plus as I prefer the lighter touch but it was fun nonetheless.
Baer manages to combine rom-com, inspirational and realistic fiction in the story of small town, animal rescuer Norah. As a single woman in a small Minnesota town, Norah is used to slim pickings in the romance department until the arrival of dashing Captain Trevain and hunky cop Nick. Norah is drawn to Nick until he asks the unthinkable of her, get rid of her beloved rescue Bentley due to his fear of dogs.
Norah's Ark won't ever find a place in the annals of epic fiction and some may find it a bit twinkie and Pollyanna but I find the Inspirational genre including "Norah's Ark" a nice break from heavier fare.

[Marseydoats · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just picked this up because of the dog on the cover. If I had realized it was a religious book I wouldn't have started reading it. The plot was pretty predictable, I figured most of it out before it happened. the characters are interesting and well developed. I just could have done without the religious aspect.

[Catlin G · Rating 2 out of 5]

Someone picked this book for me and while the synopsis had me interested… I know what was going to happen within the first page. It was kind of boring, very dragged on and when does Norah actually work or make money? It had potential but didn’t live up to it.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. No muss, no complicated fuss, just a lovely story of someone staying true to themselves and their beliefs. Refreshing on a hot summers day.

[Brianna Poore · Rating 3 out of 5]

13 year old me thought this book was magical and fun and all the dogs! 26 year old me still thinks that but also thinks it’s very very very cheesy. But still fun!

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I so enjoyed reading Norah's Ark by Judy Baer! I loved Norah and was inspired by her. I loved her passion for animals. I loved her protectiveness over Auntie Lou. Norah put her faith first and wanted to show people Jesus. I enjoyed watching Norah deal with three suitors. There were challenges and there were comical moments, especially relating to her birds. Each part of the story wrapped up in a way that made my heart happy. If you like Christian fiction, I highly recommend this book!

[Carol Stanley-Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love dogs? Read this fabulous book!

Love me, love my dog.....I think that says it all!!

Really loved this read!!

[Sandy Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was honestly sad that I finished this book. I would have loved for the story to have continued on forever. Once again, Judy Baer delivered an amazing, heart-warming/touching story of God's love, grace and mercy. If you're an animal lover (dogs especially) you'll absolutely adore this book. As cliche as relationships can be in most novels, this one throws unexpected twists and turns which had me anxious to read the next page. If you've ever felt like your world was falling apart around you, this book is for you. If your heart has ever been touched by the selfless and unconditional love of an animal, this book is a "must read". Once again, Judy Baer has delivered a contemporary story filled with scripture and a character unashamed of her faith in Jesus Christ.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pet store owner Norah Kent loves the Lord and animals; she dreams of one day having a family with Mr. Right, a person who must accept that she is prime caretaker of her beloved elderly Auntie Lou, is owned by Bentley the mutt, and must share her two passions especially her Christian faith.

Three bachelors show interest in Norah. US Navy Commander Connor Trevain seems to care for Norah, but she fears stepping out with him because her best friend Lilly wants him. The townsfolk push Joe Collier, who asks Norah for dates, but she knows he is not the one so has ruled him out. Finally there is police officer Nick Haley, who has three things going for him. Bentley has chosen him though he seems to fear the mutt and she keeps hearing the bells. Still Connor is nice if only Lilly wanted someone else like Nick for instance.

NORAH'S ARK is a pleasant optimistic Christian romance starring an upbeat somewhat innocent (too naive around men) protagonist and a cast of eccentrics starting with her matchmaking canine and a horde of other two legged, four legged, and no legged animals). The fast-paced breezy story line will provide fans of Judy Baer with plenty of entertainment from start to finish as the audience will wonder just who will win the Norah sweepstakes. The novel lives up to its classic second line "HAVE YOU HUGGED YOUR IGUANA TODAY?" as a fun filled tale.

[Melissa Roberts]

Although I literally just started reading this book (only about 15pages in)I have to vent. The reason I decided to read this book was because the blurb on the back was written in the perspective of a dog. So I assumed that's how the book would be written. Wrong! It's written in the perspective of the main character, a woman. I will continue to read the book and give it a shot, but VERY misleading and disappointing!!

.........

Had to stop reading this one. I like chick lit, but this was like reading something written by a 13year old girl. It's hard to get into a book with no substance! Cheesy is an understatement. Glad I only paid $1 for it at the thrift store. Although I would have rather bought a can of soda at work....

[Serena Lawson (nthepages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. I felt it did take a bit to really get started but once it did, I was hooked!

The story follows Norah who has a pet shop on Pond Street called Norah's Ark. She has a God given passion for animals and wants to take care of them and find owners for all that she can! There are also several other shops on Pond Street and all the owners of these shops are like a family. Norah has three gentlemen that have become interested in her and with that comes the drama! Is she ready to settle down, will she hear bells and most importantly, will the one for her also love her pets at home and the work she lives for which is serving God's creatures?

This is a fun read and I highly recommend. Again, it starts off a bit slow but it does take off!!

[Deborah Bausmith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Hallmark movie; luckily, it wasn’t as insipid as many of those shows I’ve watched. In fact, I think this would be a good one for a screenplay for them. It’s a fluffy read, & I’m OK with that. Norah owns a pet shop (thus, the book title) & her friends are nearby shop owners.

I connected with a subplot of an older antiques store owner. She’s had health issues and Norah becomes her advocate & tries to help her maintain her life style & the work she loves (a very creative solution was made).

The author did lose a point early in the book. She’d indicated a calico kitten several times as a “he.” A calico cat is almost always a “she;” in fact, only one in 3,000 calicos is a boy-kitty.

Despite the calico issue, it was a very readable book.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy to read, entertaining story that I enjoyed. The main character, Norah, owns a pet store and loves animals, so that made the story interesting to me. She isn't really looking for a relationship, so the possibilities are coming in droves. Most of the plot deals with the relationships among young, twenty or thirty something adults and inter-generational relationships between the elderly and teenagers and/or young adults, and it makes this story work well. This is an excellent choice if you don't really want to have to think about what you're reading and are just in the mood for some feel good fluff.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute, albeit fluffy, book. I didn't like it nearly as much as The Whitney Chronicles, but it was enjoyable enough.

Norah's juggling of the three men in her life was annoying at times, though. Her "relationship" with Joe made no sense at all, and it was obvious from the get-go who she'd end up with.

However, I liked that Norah was able to be a Christian without being judgmental, since that undesirable trait kept popping up in the Christian chick-lit books I've read lately. I liked her as a character, even when I didn't understand her thoughts.

[Keira-- OLD ACCOUNT · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 of 5 stars
I sort of skimmed parts of this book, but not because I didn't enjoy it! I just felt like the answer was pretty clear about what Norah should do, so I kept skimming, hoping to get past the dull parts. It didn't work out for me. However, I'm still glad I read this book, because it was a really cute story. I appreciated that Nick and Norah watched The Thin Man together, and I also love the dog on the cover. I would recommend this to someone who just wanted something to read that's a nice and relaxing book.

[Kim Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't put this book down. Very entertaining

Couldn't put this book down. Very entertaining

you laugh and cry along with Norah and her crew of pets. such a wonderful good feeling read. what a wonderful author. wonderful scriptural readings. a clean Christian oriented book. loved this book and author. such great characters. Will read more of her books.

[Becki]

I know that I read this book before. \n\nIt's cute. Predictable (or maybe that's because I have read it before), but cute.\n\nNorah is a character you can really understand and want to be more like. Her faith and reliance on God is admirable. Although I would have liked to see her struggle more before getting her answers at various parts of the book. However, maybe that's just how my life works because I'm not as continually plugged into God as she is.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this partly because of the blurb on the back and then also as a challenge to expand my reading habits. It was fine. I found the references to God to be intrusive, but for the usual audience of these books it is probably reassuring. I doubt I will read Baer again, but that is because of my choice of materials. She is a good writer.

[Bonnie McHenry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very predictable. I did enjoy the main charaters love and devotion for taking care of all Gods creatures and how that love was a driving force in her life. I enjoyed her ups and downs and questions relating to her life and the many hardships she encountered, however, the end results were very predictable. Not too many surprises.

[Amanda S · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a cute light read. Despite the summary on the back of the book, Bentley the dog is not a major character. It was, however a very Pro-Christian book. Being Roman Catholic, this didn't bother me too much, but even I rolled my eyes every now and again. Think of it as an ideal and noble example of how to live with God in every part of your life, and just enjoy the fluff and fur!!

[Lisse · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story that my mom recommended - I had a hard time with the scripture stuff that was thrown in all the time (it is a Christian book after all), but the storyline was cute and of course I loved the animals in it.

[Alysha Mae : ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

inbetween reading great expectations it took me a whole woppin 5 hours to read this book, it was kindof a long story but i just couldn't put it down!!! it was a really good story and i absolutly loved it

[Donna Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty great book. I wasn't too impressed with the apparent 'pit bull' lookdown. But a story about a God loving, animal crazy girl learning about love mantaining a caring nature when the world calls it craziness. and that NOTHING is impossible for God.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

#29
Borrowed from library.

FS: "I stood back and studied the sign I'd placed in the window. Have you hugged your Iguana today?"

Quotes:
-"The commonplace becomes exceptional when God is involved."

LS:

[Carolyn Vandine West · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story it just fit together just a little too perfect to be a 5 star but a storyline close to my heart with rescue dogs. It was nice to read a just for fun, clean book. This was a library loan on the Libby app.