Previously falsely debunked lawyer Kendra Ballantyne has jumped through all the hoops to regain her law license except one -- the ethics exam. A full-time pet-sitting job has helped keep her from financial rough spots, while continuously landing her in suspicious legal hot water through no fault of her own.

All Kendra wants to do at this point is to study for her exam and ponder what she's going to do when she gets her license. She's certainly not going back to her original high-powered job in the office that turned its back on her when she was set-up and wrongly accused of ethical misconduct. However, focusing on studying is not so easy with vehicles driving through her house -- the beautiful house of which she acts as landlady for two movers and partiers in the reality television community. This distraction is compounded when she realizes she's also been landlady to ferrets...illegal in the state. Between the commotion of the damage, the drama of her renters, constant requests for legal advice from friends of pet-sitting clients, as well as a random dead body thrown in for good measure, studying is just a dream.

As excellent as Johnston's debut novel (SIT, STAY, SLAY, 1/05), NOTHING TO FEAR BUT FERRETS is a fantastic escape into the mind of a woman who wants to do the right thing, loves animals and continues to become embroiled in crazy situations. Kendra is a likable protagonist, and the descriptions of the animals being pet-sat contributes to the integrity of the work. This is the perfect book to read in the blazing sun by a pool or in the chill of the air- conditioner with an animal on your lap.