From the TBR Pile: Blog Tour: Dog Crazy by Meg Donahue

Author Meg Donahue
Publisher: William Morrow
Date of publication: March 2015

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.

I love when I read a book and it gives me a warm and fuzzy (or should I say furry) feeling in the end. Dog Crazy did just that to me. It's a well written and sweet story about love and loss with some lovable four legged friends thrown in. Maggie is a recent transplant to San Francisco. She is a pet grief counselor who is harboring a few issues of her own. The recent loss of her beloved dog Toby has caused her anxiety to escalate into agoraphobia. She hasn't left her yard in 100 days. Helping her newest patient Anya find her dog Billy maybe the answer to helping her get out of the house.

The thing that I liked about the book was the author's look at anxiety disorders and the way pets can help people manage them. Using her friend's dog Giselle, Maggie is able to slowly allow herself to leave the confines of her yard and start exploring the city. I thought the subject was handled realistically. Maggie is never really "cured" but she is able to make great progress and learn some coping skills.

For many, pets become a part of the family and the grief that one feels when they die can be overwhelming. Once Maggie ventures outside, she realizes that there is a whole world of possibility for new love and friendship. I was really rooting for her to find a way to open her heart up again to be able to fall in love, not only with Henry, but with a new dog.

Does the mystery of what happened to Billy ever get solved? I'm not telling! You'll have to pick up this wonderful story and find out for yourself!

About the author:

Meg Donohue is the author of How to Eat a Cupcake. 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, their two young daughters, and their dog.

Find out more about Meg at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Purchase Links

Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Meg’s Tour Stops

Tuesday, March 10th: Walking With Nora

Wednesday, March 11th: 100 Pages a Day … Stephanie’s Book Reviews

Thursday, March 12th: A Chick Who Reads

Friday, March 13th: Kritters Ramblings