Sometimes it take a little nudge from our furry friends to get love moving in the right direction, and for Lacy Lancaster that shove came in the form of a combined effort from her beautiful purebred Abyssian cat Cleo and a ragtag cat named Dog. In Debbie Macomber's latest book, FAMILY AFFAIR, it takes a couple of felines to light the spark of love between their owners in a charming story that only Debbie Macomber can write so well.

Lacey was devastated by a particularly nasty divorce and had sworn off having anything to do with men, maybe forever. Even if men included her incredibly handsome and suave next-door neighbor Jack Walker. But Lacey is forced to communicate with Jack after Jack's cat, a cat named Dog, begins pitching woo and Lacey's cat Cleo ends up becoming a momma-to-be.

Jack has admired his neighbor for nearly an entire year from afar, and uses this new situation to insist on being partially responsible for Cleo's welfare. He also uses this excuse to visit and flirt with Lacey, but Lacey is determined not to fall for his charms, especially since she can hear him fighting with his girlfriend through the thin apartment walls. But when that girlfriend turns out to be Jack's sister Sarah, the doors to the romance department swing wide open and Jack becomes even more determined to win Lacey's affections.

As the couple gets to know each other and grow closer, outside influences from work, Jack's flaky sister, and well- meaning friends threaten to divide them, but with a little luck, a lot of hopes and dreams, and batch of new kitties will encourage love to prevail.

Originally released as a magazine story in 1994, FAMILY AFFAIR is a classically sweet, enchanting tale of romance that is consistent for the Queen of Contemporary Romance, Debbie Macomber. This short, but "purrfectly" pleasing story will delight Macomber's fans as well as pet admirers everywhere.

Book Summary

Rediscover the joy of #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber's delightful tale of unexpected love, second chances, and a cat named Dog.

Lacey Lancaster has always longed to be a wife and mother. However, after a painful divorce, she decides it's time to lay low for a while in her charming San Francisco apartment with her beautiful Abyssinian cat, Cleo.

Everything would be wonderful, except for her utterly impossible neighbor Jack Walker. When he's not arguing day and night with his girlfriend, begging her to move in with him, he's chasing down his cat named Dog, who seems determined to get Cleo to succumb to his feline advances.

Then Lacey discovers the awful truth - Cleo is in the family way and Dog's to blame. She's furious that neither Jack nor his amorous animal seem too upset about the situation.

But Lacey learns that things are not quite as they seem. Jack's "girlfriend" is really his sister - and his intentions toward Lacey are very honorable. And though she's not quite sure about Dog, Lacey begins to discover the tender joy of falling in love all over again.

Read an Excerpt