Dog Crazy: A Novel of Love Lost and Found

by Meg Donohue

Overview

The USA Today bestselling author of How to Eat a Cupcake and All the Summer Girls returns with an unforgettably poignant and funny tale of love and loss, confronting our fears, and moving on . . . with the help of a poodle, a mutt, and a Basset retriever named Seymour.

As a pet bereavement counselor, Maggie Brennan uses a combination of empathy, insight, and humor to help patients cope with the anguish of losing their beloved four-legged friends. Though she has a gift for guiding others through difficult situations, Maggie has major troubles of her own that threaten the success of her counseling practice and her volunteer work with a dog rescue organization.

Everything changes when a distraught woman shows up at Maggie’s office and claims that her dog has been stolen. Searching the streets of San Francisco for the missing pooch, Maggie finds herself entangled in a mystery that forces her to finally face her biggest fear-and to open her heart to new love.

Packed with deep emotion and charming surprises, Dog Crazy is a bighearted and entertaining story that skillfully captures the bonds of love, the pain of separation, and the power of our dogs to heal us.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780594067153
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	03/10/2015
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.65(d)

About the Author

Meg Donohue is the USA Today bestselling author of How to Eat a Cupcake, All the Summer Girls, and Dog Crazy. She has an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University and a BA in comparative literature from Dartmouth College. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she now lives in San Francisco with her husband, three children, and dog.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for How To Eat A Cupcake: “Deliciously engaging. Donohue writes with charm and grace. What could be better than friendship and cupcakes?” — Rebecca Rasmussen, author of The Bird Sisters

“Beautifully written and quietly wise, Meg Donohue’s How to Eat a Cupcake is an achingly honest portrayal of the many layers of friendship—a story so vividly told, you can (almost) taste the buttercream.” — Sarah Jio, author of The Violets of March and The Bungalow

Praise for All the Summer Girls: “Donohue has written a sharp little novel featuring the subtle characterizations of two appealingly flawed young women.” — Kirkus Reviews

“A heartwarming and unpredictable tale of friendship, family and frosting.” — Zoe Fishman, author of Balancing Acts

“An irresistible blend of sweet and tart, this book is truly a treat to be savored.” — Beth Kendrick, author of The Bake Off and Second Time Around

“All the Summer Girls is an honest and engaging look at the complicated and powerful bonds of female friendship. Donohue takes us on a weekend reunion full of secrets, resentment, and regret-in other words, once you start this book, you won’t be able to put it down!” — Jennifer Close, bestselling author of Girls in White Dresses

“A fast-paced novel about the enduring friendship of three young women who spent their summers in Avalon on the Jersey shore before dispersing across the country....A good beach read.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Meg Donohue’s All the Summer Girls is an intimate, heartfelt, beautiful exploration of friendship, family and the ties that bind and the secrets that destroy us. Read it first, pass it to your girlfriend later. She’ll be grateful.” — New York Times bestselling author Allison Winn Scotch

“Donohue captures the beauty and frustration of reconnecting with old friends—they know you so well, and they don’t know you at all. Perfect for a staycation for readers who like the beachy drama of Elin Hilderbrand and Susan Wiggs.” — Booklist

“Donohue gives the chick-lit buddy trope an appealing twist and a lot of depth, turning a familiar yarn of regret, trust, and loyalty into an elegant ode to late bloomers.” — Publishers Weekly

“Beach Book Extraordinaire! Donohue’s three protagonists are irresistibly sympathetic as they try to unbury their true selves from the ruinous secrets of their shared past.” — Elin Hilderbrand

“Even if my daughter hadn’t recently rescued a dog, our first, I would have fallen in love with Meg Donohue’s Dog Crazy. On these pages you will find love, healing, forgiveness and pure unbridled joy of the human and canine kind.” — Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Shoemaker's Wife

“Wonderful! Anyone who has ever loved and lost a dog will find wisdom and comfort in this sweet, smart story.” — Allie Larkin, author of STAY

From the Publisher

An irresistible blend of sweet and tart, this book is truly a treat to be savored.

Beth Kendrick

Donohue captures the beauty and frustration of reconnecting with old friends—they know you so well, and they don’t know you at all. Perfect for a staycation for readers who like the beachy drama of Elin Hilderbrand and Susan Wiggs.

Booklist

A heartwarming and unpredictable tale of friendship, family and frosting.

Zoe Fishman

Praise for How To Eat A Cupcake: “Deliciously engaging. Donohue writes with charm and grace. What could be better than friendship and cupcakes?

Rebecca Rasmussen

All the Summer Girls is an honest and engaging look at the complicated and powerful bonds of female friendship. Donohue takes us on a weekend reunion full of secrets, resentment, and regret-in other words, once you start this book, you won’t be able to put it down!

Jennifer Close

Beautifully written and quietly wise, Meg Donohue’s How to Eat a Cupcake is an achingly honest portrayal of the many layers of friendship—a story so vividly told, you can (almost) taste the buttercream.

Sarah Jio

Meg Donohue’s All the Summer Girls is an intimate, heartfelt, beautiful exploration of friendship, family and the ties that bind and the secrets that destroy us. Read it first, pass it to your girlfriend later. She’ll be grateful.

New York Times bestselling author Allison Winn Scotch

Donohue captures the beauty and frustration of reconnecting with old friends—they know you so well, and they don’t know you at all. Perfect for a staycation for readers who like the beachy drama of Elin Hilderbrand and Susan Wiggs.

Booklist

Even if my daughter hadn’t recently rescued a dog, our first, I would have fallen in love with Meg Donohue’s Dog Crazy. On these pages you will find love, healing, forgiveness and pure unbridled joy of the human and canine kind.

Adriana Trigiani

Beach Book Extraordinaire! Donohue’s three protagonists are irresistibly sympathetic as they try to unbury their true selves from the ruinous secrets of their shared past.

Elin Hilderbrand

Wonderful! Anyone who has ever loved and lost a dog will find wisdom and comfort in this sweet, smart story.

Allie Larkin

02/15/2015
Thirtysomething Maggie Brennan moved across the country to San Francisco to start a pet bereavement counseling business—the action of a brave and capable woman. But when she is unable to leave her apartment for three months, she realizes that she desperately needs support. In a great example of comforting storytelling, a growing cast of flawed but sympathetic characters, both canine and human, come into Maggie's life to provide mutual assistance. One is Anya, a desperate and angry young woman who believes her dog is alive despite his being missing for a month. Anya's entire family is damaged by loss but Maggie helps them learn to heal as she heals herself. Dogs are major characters in the book, and their love, loyalty, and presence are important. The growing romance between Maggie and Anya's handsome brother, Henry, is predictable but warm and satisfying. VERDICT Donohue (All the Summer Girls) has created a world in which nothing is so bad that it can't be fixed by the love of friends. An enjoyable read, that while light, explores anxiety, agoraphobia, and the therapeutic effects of pets. A sure bet for dog lovers.—Jan Marry, Williamsburg Regional Lib., VA

Library Journal