Still reeling from the death of her
elderly friend and landlord, Walter Stoddard, Maddy Cartwright has no idea that
her world is about to be turned upside down. When Walter’s lawyer arrives to
discuss the will, Maddy is caught unaware by not only the instant attraction
she feels but the news that he delivers. Expecting to be told she has to move
out, Maddy is stunned to learn that Walter, who she assumed was penniless, had
left his estate to his beloved dog, Brutus, and to her as his caretaker…A
multimillion dollar estate at that.
Tom O’Brien arrived at the house, fully
prepared to meet a gold digging woman who had used sex to gain access to Walter
Stoddard’s money. Tohis surprise, a
cute girl next door type greeted him, covered with the evidence of baking she
was doing. Then he begins to seriously wonder about her as she tells him of Brutus’
mourning for Walter and that he needs a new Alpha male or he will die from a
broken heart. But as he gets to know Brutus, he begins to wonder if, indeed,
she is correct. Still uncertain that she wasn’t after Walter’s money coupled
with her not fitting in with his five year plan, Tom tries to hold her at arm’s
length but as he spends more time with Maddy, the walls around his heart begin
to crumble.
Trouble arrives on the day of the
funeral, in the form of Jerome Stoddard, Walter’s nephew from England. At first
he turns on the charm around Maddy but soon begins to show his true colors.
Suddenly Maddy and Brutus are coming under attack, both physical and media, and
they end up hiding out at Tom’s apartment. A quick trip to her friend’s house
leads to major peril in the form of Jerome and the couple barely escape his
wrath.
Jerome contests the will but even with
the contrived evidence his lawyer presents, his case falls apart when Tom
presents a video tape of Walter about the will and blows Jerome’s case out of
the water.
LOVE IS A FOUR-LEGGED WORD is a really cute
story with lots of twists and turns that the reader won’t see coming. Brutus is
adorable even as he frustrates Tom and Maddy and the author clearly shows the
pain a dog goes through when losing his master. The couple is adorable with the
push-pull chemistry they have and Jerome is a very sneaky villain.
