Very heartwarming and wholesome. Great story for any dog lovers. Offers something a little unique too with the robotic dogs. Chance was also my favoriVery heartwarming and wholesome. Great story for any dog lovers. Offers something a little unique too with the robotic dogs. Chance was also my favorite. Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!...more
McCall Hoyle's novels about dogs are just pure serotonin and absolutely wholesome. Just Gus is a spin off from Hoyle's previous book Stella that came McCall Hoyle's novels about dogs are just pure serotonin and absolutely wholesome. Just Gus is a spin off from Hoyle's previous book Stella that came out last year and was just as amazing. They can be read separately or together but I recommend together to meet all the characters. I loved Gus, he was such a good dog and I wanted to give him a big hug through the story. I recommend reading this asap for any dog lovers and this is also great for all ages!
Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy and can't wait to see if there will be another book!...more
Okay oh my god I cried through like the first 30% maybe. Two years ago (3 DAYS AGO) I lost my first dog and listen if you hAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Okay oh my god I cried through like the first 30% maybe. Two years ago (3 DAYS AGO) I lost my first dog and listen if you have ever put down an animal/dog that you loved this book is going to be extremely triggering. However, this resonated with me so much I was a literal mess wow. What Is a Dog is about Chloe Shaw losing her family dog Booker, causing her to look back in a linear timeline of each dog that was in her life that she loved and lost. It touches on a dogs love, losing a dog, grief, and getting a new dog. So many of her words just resonated with my heart.
I got a new dog after my dog died about 8 months later and it talks about being ready or not for getting a new dog and I feel like no one really discuses that? I REALLY appreciated this because when I went through this a lot of people thought I was so dramatic when I was going through my grief. Chloe Shaw, were were you when I needed you then?
My only issue with this was that I was expecting wholesome dog stories but it touched on sex, sexual assault, motherhood, birth, and marriage that it kind of made it into a different book in the middle. I felt like Shaw was going off on a tangent about her life. I understand this is a memoir but I don’t know if it should have been marketed focusing on dogs. At the same time, these aspect of her life are extremely important and I’m glad she had an outlet to share her story. It always goes back to her dogs and her love for them. Okay I wouldn’t say this was my issue but I think for me personally, it went from extremely relatable to not relatable at all which is fine so I don’t know how to explain what I’m trying to say. Overall, I really did enjoy this book and I felt less alone in my grief all these years later.
“There’s no imagining a life or a me without her.”
Thanks very much to Netgalley and to the publisher for the advanced copy of this book....more
Oliver is a heartbreaking story that slowly puts your heart back together as you read on. Steven’s dog Oliver is stolen from hiHAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!!
Oliver is a heartbreaking story that slowly puts your heart back together as you read on. Steven’s dog Oliver is stolen from his car when he was out picking up food. He thinks his best friend is gone forever but his sisters and friends help him begin the search. Soon, the whole town helps out with making sure Oliver is found. The community joins together, making Steve realize a lot about himself and others.
The community coming together for Oliver was so wholesome and Oliver himself is a wonderful dog. He sounds like SUCH a good boy. I’m so glad that he was reunited with Steven. (Not a spoiler, it says so in the synopsis that they find him). I also think that if knowing he wasn’t found, I’m not sure I would be able to read this because I was STRESSED waiting for them to find each other.
I can’t imagine losing your dog that way, for a whole week, and not knowing what happened to them. This is a lovely book for all ages, perfect for any dog lover. I love how much our author loved dogs and the passion he feels for them because I could relate. Your heart breaks for him and in my case, a tear may be shed. Plus, look how adorable he is....more
Stella suffers from ptsd and the loss of her human after missing the scent of an explosive at an airport. The book is told from her point of view and Stella suffers from ptsd and the loss of her human after missing the scent of an explosive at an airport. The book is told from her point of view and I think Hoyle did a wonderful job in portraying her. She felt so real and I absolutely loved her. I even cried about five times.
The story is very wholesome, full of love and hope. There’s an underlying message that every dog deserves another chance but I think it can also be taken into a context where everyone and anyone deserves a second chance as well. This is perfect for any readers of all age and I do think the underlying message is lovely. I plan on buying a copy of this for my shelf when it is published.
Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Happy publication day! I used to follow Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary on Facebook before I deactivated it but now I stalk their page every once in Happy publication day! I used to follow Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary on Facebook before I deactivated it but now I stalk their page every once in awhile because how can you not? Homecoming Tales is about 15 different stories of real senior dogs who find a second chance at finding their permanent home. We learn about the senior center in Nashville, Tennessee and I would totally love to visit it one day. Maybe one day I will adopt an older dog! Very heart warming and cute. Each dog has their own distinct personality and I absolutely loved that. These stories are so wholesome and sweet, overall a great collection of stories with a lot of information on senior dogs.
Thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book!...more
Love of my life is what I would call my first dog. I still strongly believe and know that she was so clearly I had to read this one just because of thLove of my life is what I would call my first dog. I still strongly believe and know that she was so clearly I had to read this one just because of that. I was ready to be moved to tears and highlight all the poems but it's not what I expected. This reads more like a short story rather than poetry. Of course, poetry is subjective but that is just my own honest opinion. It follows the tale of the authors dog and how it was a struggle to find her another dog to get along with. It's still a sweet read for any dog lover but again, not what I had expected.
Here are some of my favorite lines pulled from the book that I found relatable:
"She is loyal, obedient, stunningly pretty, and makes me laugh every single day."
"Just looking at her lifts my spirits, thinking about her makes my face break into a smile. She loves like I love with abandon."
Thank you to the publisher and to netgalley for the digital copy!...more