This book made me laugh, cry and remember how much love I felt when I got my own dog 11 years ago. The joy of dog ownership has been eloquently captured by Amanda, as well as the heartbreak and sadness of grief. A truly lovely book on the positive changes that come through dog ownership.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review. It was a pleasure.

For the Love of a Dog is Amanda Brookfield's memoir about getting a dog for companionship after the breakdown of her relationship and the loss of her mother.

Thank you to NetGalley, Head of Zeus and Amanda Brookfield for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The depth of love and companionship shared by Amanda and her dog will come as no surprise to dog “owners”. What is particularly heartwarming is the deep level of healing which can arise. Amanda has suffered major loss and fears sinking into depression. Against the advice of others, she adopts Mabel. This book outlines the emotional healing Amanda experiences raising her puppy and the strong bond that strengthens her. I truly enjoyed reading this book.

My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Anyone that knows me, knows that my dogs are everything to me. They are true members of the family, not just pets. I wanted to love this book but it fell really flat for me. It dragged, especially in the beginning.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from Anima through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are completely my own.

For the Love of a Dog is Amanda Brookfield's memoir about getting a dog for companionship after the breakdown of her relationship and the loss of her mother.

A fun memoir of a woman's experience getting a dog for companionship after having lost her mother and her husband leaving her.
Amanda is an author, who found her life crumbling as things around her were changing. Going into a depression, she thinks about maybe getting a dog, which no family or friend think is a good idea, knowing her lifestyle.
While checking out possible dogs, she falls in love with a golden doodle puppy, almost ready to be put up for adoption.
This story takes us through Amanda and Mable's (dog) first year together. The author describes very well what it is like to become a pet owner, all of the ups and downs of getting to know each other and the challenges of training such a rambunctious dog breed.
We see how these two compliment each other and grow to be a team, which brings Amanda into a better place in her life.
Well written and a fun read for me.
I would like to thank NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Heartwarming and so comforting...Our pets really are parts of our hearts and souls walking around on four feet.~
Amanda Brookfield should be proud of a great book, absolutely, but even more proud of the realistic, funny and positive way she handled herself and her story.

What a fabulous book! Impossible to put down. I adored Mabel and Amanda too. Reading this I laughed out loud and cried (a lot). The author has such a warm and engaging style and it was wonderful to make her journey of joy and of recovery with her. There were also recommendations for other good reads in it - Somerset Maugham’s Mrs Craddock and EN Forster’s Howard’s End, which I noted down to read myself. I would recommend this to anyone who loves dogs, people and wants to understand how precious our peace of mind actually is. (Or any of the aforementioned. ) thank you to Amanda Brookfield for allowing us the joy of Mabel and the insight into her life.

I am not sure what drew me to this book - I picked it up on a rainy December afternoon and that was me, entirely engrossed. The funny thing about it is that I would call myself a 'cat' person rather than a 'dog' person and my husband would confirm that frequently, when reading the book, I could be heard to mutter 'we're never getting a puppy'!

'For the Love of a Dog' tells Amanda Brookfield's experience of getting a Golden Doodle puppy, which turns out, through her slight lack of research to be a 'high maintenance dog'. But the story is so much more than that. The author is very open and honest about the personal breakdown which led her to get a dog and her gradual recovery. (Yes, at the point she couldn't look after herself, she decided to take on a puppy...)

This book is open and totally candid and thus is a total pleasure to read. I think we can all try to maintain a façade in life to show that we are coping and all is 'fine, thank you'. But the reality is that we all have struggles and days that just go completely wrong. Amanda Brookfield is very generous in sharing with us the lows, including the very low points, as well as the highs of her first year with Mabel the dog.

There is something incredibly warming about this story. Mabel - as the author writes - is just a dog, but she has changed a life. She has helped bring back purpose, joy and love to the author's life. Some scenes are hilarious; some are heart-breaking; much relates to the antics of a puppy and a new dog owner, but overall it is much more than that. It is a wonderful story of turning a life back round.

Amanda Brookfield delivers a powerful and emotional account of her battle with mental health and the joy which was brought back into her life by a Goldendoodle puppy called Mabel.

This isn't a sugar-coated story of how a dog instantly changed Amanda's life but an honest account of the highs and lows of owning a new puppy, especially at a difficult time of life.

Becoming a puppy owner wasn't a quick decision for Amanda, she battled her need for a dog in her life, travelled hundreds of miles. read all the right books and listened to advice from friends and family. However, the pull towards a little Goldendoodle puppy in Wales was just too strong and Mabel was welcomed into her home.

For anyone who has suffered from depression, the act of getting out of bed in the morning can be the hardest part of the day. Now Amanda had no choice but to get up and see to her puppy's needs. Out walking people stopped and asked about the little bundle of white fluff and Amanda found herself enjoying the conversations with like-minded dog lovers.

I related with the sheer joy of watching a dog watch David Attenborough documentaries and the comfort from crying into a dog's fur. I nodded my head firmly in agreement as Amanda tried desperately to keep a large white dog with a penchant for puddles, clean and groomed.

The book is filled with humour and lovely anecdotes of her lovely late mum. She is achingly honest about the greyness that can descend after heartbreak and grief. The reader goes on a journey with Amanda which shows how Mabel gave her the strength to start writing again, socialising, even dating.

What a lovely story, thought provoking and both moving and entertaining.
I loved the mix of personal growing and healing and the experience of getting a pet in your life.
I'm the owner of a rescue cat and I was able to recognise some of my thought and experience.
I look forward to reading other book by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Head of Zeus and Netgalley for this ARC

As a proud owner of two delicious rescues I loved Amanda Brookfields story her falling in love with her rescueMabel the healing he brought her from the heartaches she was suffering i her mother’s death.the end of a romance.An intimate look at Amanda’s journey with her golden doodle Mable and the love& healing she surprisingly finds #netgalley#anima #headofzeus

Having worked in animal rescue for many years, For the Love of a Dog piqued my interest. I am pleased to say this is a delightful story. Each person who acts on the feelings of longing for some unknown something more In their life and chooses a dog, has their life changed forever. Amanda Brookfield has written a great memoir about her journey with Mabel.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from Anima through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are completely my own.
#FortheLoveofaDog #NetGalley

Amanda's life has been turned upside down with the death of her mother and the end of a love affair. He was just done with their affair and Amanda is now alone. She is not able to get herself back together again. She decides to get a dog. Her family & friends think she is not suited to having a dog but she makes the arrangements and when the pups are ready she goes to Wales to get Mable. The book follows their first year together. She tells us the story of the changes she makes and Mable as well. You will recognize some of their trials if you have ever raised a dog from puppy to adulthood.