A Walk in the Park
Interior designer, Julia Galvins (Jana Kramer - Christmas in Mississippi) is striking out on her own having got her own Portland apartment to work from. And she has also gone and got herself a dog for the first time, having wanted one as a child but was never allowed one. Julia quickly discovers that she could do with some advice when it comes to owning a dog as her approach isn't working as she doesn't have control, leading to the handsome dog trainer, Owen Michaels (Kevin McGarry - A Song for Christmas), helping her. When Julia gets a contract which involves designing amongst other things a room for a dog Julia decides to as Owen to help, and he not only helps Julia with the job and to gain some confidence but romantic sparks fly between them.
If Hallmark Channel movies were a food I would say they were Marmite because it seems you either love them or hate them. And I am sure that will be the case for many who watch "Love at First Bark" because it is unsurprisingly a stereotypical Hallmark Channel romantic comedy. As such for some it will be the expected easy to follow, light hearted fun they enjoy whilst for others it will be slow, obvious and at times a little too cheesy.
Now as with many of these Hallmark movies a big part of the appeal of "Love at First Bark" is the likeable cast with both Jana Kramer and Kevin McGarry having that cutesy, sweet charm whilst there are also various cute and talented dogs. But there is also the storyline which yes has that obvious girl meets boy romantic side but also has this fun side as Julia's dog almost seems to be forcing her to take control and leading her to various places where good things happen. And that leads to also Owen's advice on being the boss of the dog which ends up helping Julia when it comes to her work and winning contracts.
What this all boils down to is that "Love at First Bark" is a routine Hallmark Channel movie which, as is pretty much always the case, I enjoyed. But whilst the cast is appealing and the dogs are cute there is nothing going on in "Love at First Bark" to make this one stand out from the crowd.
