Thursday, September 17, 2026

Blue Dog by Karen Hulene Bartell

 . . . Locals whisper of the bayou’s thin places, where boundaries blur, and the right distorts between fact and folklore. . .

About Blue Dog:  Dierdre “Dare” Doyle has been promised three months to complete and defend her PhD dissertation while at the same time caring for her beloved aunt after rotator cuff surgery. What initially looks like a piece of cake turns into the summer from hell…and two months to complete/defend the dissertation in order to keep her job as an adjunct professor and care for her aunt.

          All that while a toxic ex isn’t sabotaging her, a Louisiana hurricane rages and a bayou shapeshifter threatens her very life. If that isn’t enough for any woman—a seductive park ranger enters the picture, competing for the little time Dare is able to eke out.

Our Review: This book strikes home on several levels, speaking first to anyone, especially a woman, as she makes her way in the super-competitive world of academia. Complicate that with the allure of the bayou and all that it has to offer. The infusion of folklore—especially for this Yankee—is an especially nice touch.

Now add a toxic ex, blend in a mysterious shape-shifter, stir in a raging hurricane and this is a whale of a story.

An accomplished story teller, this book is guaranteed to keep any reader turning the pages to uncover the secrets of the bayou and its denizens.

Based on a scale of 1-5, Blue Dog merits a 7.

Kat Henry Doran, a Wild Women Review