19 member(s) found this review helpful.
Ok, so I found this book by it's cover. I'm a sap for any story with an animal, especially a dog, in it. As always, my love of dogs didn't let me down. Wonderful story - I'm so sorry it had to end. While this amazing dog, Lloyd-Cooper, wasn't the main character in the book, he certainly took the front and center roll and ran with it. I think that this book is a "must read" for anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one and even for those that haven't. The coming together and sharing of the other characters in the book is well done and very believable. I truly loved this book and will recommend it to anyone who will listen to me.
That being said,if you see it come around, order it or better yet, Wish List it so you can be sure to get it. Sorry to say, my copy is a keeper.
12 member(s) found this review helpful.
I picked this book up on a whim at a big box bookstore (a friend of the family has a dog just like the one on the cover whom I adore) and just sped through it. Fantastic book about how pets can help heal our hearts and become major parts of our life. Great read that I suggest to all dog lovers and even some cat lovers.

Cara (
cheddy) wrote on 9/28/2008...
7 member(s) found this review helpful.
Anyone who is going through a loss can identify with this book. Rocky finds her husband dead on the floor of her house due to a heart attack. She reacts by making a radical change, changing her career, moving to Maine and becoming an animal control warden. She meets a community of people who live on the small island. One of the main characters, Lloyd, is an injured labrador retriever who needs a place to stay. The secret that Lloyd brings with him will change Rocky's life. The book includes a mystery of Lloyd's injury.
The characters are well-drawn, not one dimensional, and the plot makes this a fast-paced exciting book to read. Although Lloyd is a character in the story, this book is not for animal lovers only.
6 member(s) found this review helpful.
The photo of the dog on the cover is the best part of this book. The first half of the book was good and then it became very predictable. I finished it but I felt cheated, like the author had to churn out the story to meet her deadline. The poor editing job detracted from the storyline. There were many missing words and singular nouns in place of the correct plural nouns.

Jennifer P. (
jsprince) wrote on 6/12/2007...
6 member(s) found this review helpful.
It's about loss and our fine furry friends who are faithful and perhaps very insightful into the human psyche
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
I was really looking forward to this book. Just from the reviews I read on here I was waiting for a WOW! Just an Okay is all I can give it.Sorry!
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
This book was not what I expected -- but I liked it anyway. I found Rocky interesting and her friend Tess REALLY interesting, and I couldn't help but love the black Lab. I was thrown when I read one of the chapters from his point of view (yes, the dog actually shares with the reader what he thinks -- a little weird for me...) Nevertheless, I was pulling for Rocky and loved the little mystery/thrill at the end. A good book -- I would have loved for it to continue for several more chapters.

Deb K. (
debkay) wrote on 5/18/2009...
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
The character of the grieving widow escaping to an island off Maine to resort her life, is well done. Her inability to move on, her fixation on the details of her husband's death, and the frozen 'stuck' mode she portrays are both sad,real, and humorous. Her new found relationship with this injured retriever, and a couple of people on the island are believable and heartwarming. Easy to read, makes you smile, and helps one to understand the emotional complexity one may go through in dealing with a unexpected death of a family member. I shared this book with 3 women I work with, and they all loved it also.

Lisa M. (
LisaMag) wrote on 3/26/2009...
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
While the subject matter of this book is sobering - the loss of a loved one and the subsequent struggles to cope - the characters created are vivid and compelling. Each of the main and supporting characters are unique, with quirks and foibles that call out for more inspection. I could have happily read about these characters for many more pages. The insertion of the mystery and intrigue was invigorating and fun. This is a quick and engaging read, and I highly recommend it.
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Great book!