While watching the Westminster dog show this week, I was reminded of some of my favorite romance novels that feature unusual canines. One that comes to mind is Dark Symphony, by Christine Feehan. Byron, a Carpathian vampire, gives his blind lover a borzoi to watch over her while he is "indisposed." This dog is as fierce and loyal as the hero, and the symbolic gesture adds greatly to this dark, romantic story. Although I am not a big fan of contemporary romance, I adored the book Take A Chance On Me by Susan Donovan. One of the main characters is a Chinese Crested, which is seriously one of the funkiest looking dogs on the planet. The juxtaposition of a big, hunky rugby player, an earthy veterinarian, and a bizarre pooch wearing a sailor suit and entering dance competitions, makes for a hilarious and touching book. Of course, all shape-shifter romance novels take advantage of our preoccupation with the animal kingdom. It's hard to resist a romance that highlights the loyalty, courage and intensity of a wild animal. Watching the Westminster dog show really captures the personality of each breed...some are elegant and deliberate in their gait, some peppy and filled with joie de vivre. What a great source of creative inspiration!
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