This was a delightful story. almost manic at times, I felt i was on an express train.. Great characters especially the dogs. Captivating story line with a lovely conclusion.

I found Becky's embarrassingly mucky car journey and arrival, and the instant lusting over Ash, a bit off-putting at first, but this soon grew into a good house-sitting story about a girl escaping a bad relationship, rediscovering her artistic talent and falling in love with a dog, the Lakes and, of course, a man. An easy read rom-com with a mix of characters, both good and bad, and a few serious moments, especially when poor Bella gets lost overnight on the fells. There's nothing quite like an adorable dog to show us who really has a heart.

Overview
After a messy breakup with her ex/boss Teddy, Becky is in need of a distraction and answers an ad for a house sitter in the idyllic Lake District. There is just one catch... the house comes with Bella, an extremely energetic Cockerpoo and a potential dog thief! However protecting Bella may be easier said than done when the dog thief turns out to be the very hot, ex military man Ash.

My Thoughts
I absolutely love Zara Stoneley books and The Dog Sitter definitely didn’t disappoint! As a dog owner to 2 Springer Spaniels I couldn’t wait to get to know Bella and the Lake District setting was an added bonus.

As a lead character, Becky is hilarious and such a sweetheart. Getting over a breakup is hard and I really enjoyed the development of Becky rediscovering her own self worth and belief. The relationship that blossomed between her and Bella was so authentic, with a lot of scenes between the two often feeling very relatable. There’s nothing quite like a reassuring dog cuddle.

Ash, the main heartthrob and resident dog thief was such a gent (he’s not really a wrong un - promise). You know you’re fond of a character when you wouldn’t mind meeting them in real life! The chemistry between Ash and Becky felt authentic. It was interesting to see how they both lent on each other to both grow as individuals. They were a believable couple who I was routing for from the start!

A special mention has to go to Bella, I laughed out loud several times at her mischievous ways! What a character! I loved her and her little buddy Sam made me really smile.

A solid 4 star read for this funny, romantic comedy!

A solid 4 ⭐️ read.
Becky’s boyfriend has ended their relationship and he’s her boss so has sacked her too! She needs to get away to clear her head and has done house-sitting in the past. She’s not allowed pets in her property so decides to filter to look for a property with a dog. She finds “Lake House Cottage” in the Lake District and so the story begins...

I thought this was going to be an easy read rom-com. And yes, it is those things but it was much more. I adored Bella (the cockapoo) and Sam (another dog featured in the book) and anything with dogs in gets bonus points from me. But this story had more than the surface level rom-com story, there’s discussion of mental health, PTSD, grieving/loss of a loved one, losing oneself, breakdown of relationships and a sprinkling of drama thrown in.

I cried twice. At two different events/parts of the book and it was nothing to do with the main romance storyline. This book made me feel the feels, especially from Ash’s perspective and the revelation towards the end made me sob (it may also be because I couldn’t stop reading and it was 3am but shush!).

Overall, this is a lovely heart warming romance, with a wonderful dog at the heart of it but doesn’t shy away from the realities of life.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

In need of some inspiration and a break from her hum drum and mundane situation she finds herself in, Becky decides to take on a dog/house sitting gig in the Lake District. She hopes the beautiful scenery, a cute dog and a break will help reinspire her creativity. She also thinks it will help get over her nasty ex.

She arrives, after a somewhat comedic journey, to find gorgeous Bella. Georgie (who had employed Becky to dog sit) has built quite an Instagram following from Bella and is desperate to stop her ex, Ash from dognapping him. Becky has got more than she bargained for with this house-sitting job – can she ensure Georgie’s precious Bella is safe? She’s under strict orders not to engage with Ash at all, he is the enemy she must avoid; ignore but be prepared at all times!

Ash, easy on the eye swoon worthy Ash, soon shows Becky the lengths he will go to get HIS dog back. The more they meet, the more Becky starts to see his true colours, but does she need to watch out for sneaky moves on his part.

This book is so much fun, a cheerful little pick me up. I enjoyed getting to know Becky and I adored Bella. She is by far the standout little character for me. I could picture her zooming around the place, creating havoc for all. I liked Becky a lot, she seemed like she had been through it and could do with some luck, her ex sounds just awful and had stifled her creativity. I was happy seeing her rediscover her passions and push herself a little. There are some very sweet and quite moving moments. The relationship Becky has with “enemy” Ash is entertaining, he really does wind her up and keep her on her toes.

A really funny read that will keep you entertained with a smile on your face!

Favorite Quotes:

There can only be one thing that can beat a buff man in uniform, and that’s one who’s taken half of it off. Oh my giddy aunt, as Mum would say. Or just cor! Okay, call me shallow, sexist and guilty of stereotyping. I don’t care. I’m allowed. He looked like he was in the SAS, but with a better haircut.

I kidded myself that Teddy and I could make a go of it, even though he was a reptilian control freak who should be cast in a weird episode of Dr Who where he will be zapped and get his just rewards.

I think my lady parts have become turbocharged. That hasn’t happened before either. They’ve been pulsating like strobe lights at a rave and I feel totally drained. In a very nice way.


My Review:

This was a fun and enjoyable read, but then Zara Stoneley is a sure bet for entertaining, wryly amusing, and highly engaging tales which she generally casts with realistically flawed and quirky characters. The storylines were crisply written in the first-person POV of Becky, an original and authentic character who was well-intentioned and had a good heart but she was also a bungler, a screw-up, inattentive, impulsive, and easily distracted. She didn’t think things through and made irresponsible errors in judgment but thankfully, she was also endearingly kind and creatively gifted. While I wanted to smack her a few times as she was more than a bit heedless and exasperating, she was also totally knowable, and I adored her.

This is the story of Becky, Ash and Bella the dog, these three characters really give an readers a great story to dive into. Their story is told over 27 Chapters that will surely fly by. It is intriguing from the start. It gets the readers interested and curious about Becky's life and where this story is going to take her.
The descriptions in this book are truly on point, they really go into so much detail that the reader is able to imagine the scenery. Not only that the descriptions somehow make the giggle worthy content even better. Now a warning these giggle worthy moments will make you the reader giggle out loud. There is no little giggle's in this book.
Overall this book is so easy to get involved in, to the point that this reader spent some time reading and didn't realize that they had read 22 Chapters in one sitting. This story keeps the readers on there toes wondering what Becky will do. Also this is a unique story in the way that this reader has never read a story like it

We meet Becky who has been dumped by her boyfriend and now lost her job too. So she decides to get away from it all by taking a house sitting job in the lake district for a woman called Georgie who by the looks of Instagram her life looks perfect. Perfect house, boyfriend and gorgeous dog called Bella but is life really this perfect.

After a terrible smelly journey to the house she does not arrive in time before anxious Georgie leaves but have no fear she has left her plenty of lists for everything what to do in the house how to look after Bella and what is in the dogs busy social diary. Comes to something when a dog has a busier social life than you lol.

While Becky is trying to get to grips with things Bella starts acting crazy when she spots a man in the garden who is called ash and from what he says is Georgia's very gorgeous ex boyfriend.
She contacts Georgie to let her know that ash has arrived and would like to see Bella but she is adamant that he will not be allowed to see the dog ad he is a horrible person.

But Becky finds ash very friendly and unhelpfully very sexy what harm could it do to spend some time with him so he can see Bella.
After spending time with him at a doggie birthday party lol she decides he's not what Georgie described but can she stay away from him to keep Georgie happy by following her rules??
Can Becky not fall for ash???

Is everything as Georgie made out or not quite as Insta perfect as she would like people to believe.

📚🐶

I loved this book and loved the characters or Becky Bella and ash. And I love how the friendship develops between them all this book will give you lots of romance and laughter. I read this book in just over one sitting and will definetley be reading more by this author.

Would definetley recommend this book for a bit of light entertainment.

I was unable to finish this book and thus will not be posting a full review to my blog. I loved the cover for this one and the premise seemed like a slam dunk. Unfortunately, it was too discombobulated. I had a hard time even following the follies and one misstep after another. I found myself not caring and could not make myself keep reading. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review.

The bright and beautiful cover immediately draws attention to the fun, romantic, uplifting nature of this book. I quickly identified with Bella and her desire, or more accurately, her need, to escape from her old reality and her ex-partner, who comes across as a very narcissistic, rude and condescending man. I was immediately on her side and hoped that Becky would get the peace and self-care she deserves during her trip to Cumbria…

I loved the description of the natural, idyllic and secluded setting. At times, I felt I had been whisked away and escaped to Cumbria with Becky (oh how I wish!). The descriptions in the early chapters created some tension and also provided light relief, and the romantic plot-line was set up from quite early on.

I loved seeing how the story progressed. The character development was great. Although a little cliched at points, I think it was totally right for the style and tone of the book, and I really was rooting for Becky throughout. I also found Ash to be rather intriguing and irresistible!

Overall, this has been an entertaining, escapist and enjoyable read by one of my favourite authors! I would recommend this book to fans of Lisa Swift, Portia Macintosh and Paige Toon.

“ ‘I came to pick Bella up.’ He kisses the top of her head and she goes back to wriggling and trying to stick her tongue down his throat, which (let’s face it) is what I’d probably do, to be fair, if he was clutching me to his chest. Except I’d melt against him, not wriggle.”

Becky, a British book cover illustrator, finds herself single, unhappy, and without a source of income due to said ex. She decides to house/dog sit in the Lake District for an Instagram famous woman and her adorable dog Bella (bonus points for the sexy man that makes some cameos on the Instagram posts).

Dogs make everything better‼️ Thank you for coming to my TED talk 😜.

This book was absolutely adorable! If I didn’t think I would like living in the British countryside before, I certainly do now! Becky is a hoot and I was laughing out loud from page one. And Bella, although mischievous, is just what Becky needed to get her outside, appreciating nature, and get back in tune with her art. Ash, the one person she is instructed to keep Bella way from, sounds like a real life Liam Hemsworth 🤤. And, I mean, you can’t tell a dog that cute no when she’s clearly smitten with Ash...right?! Right. *allows hot stranger in house because dog approves*

If you love dogs, and who doesn’t love dogs, read this adorable story. It’s a light, feel good winter pick me up and it was just released yesterday!

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins UK and One More Chapter for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Dogsitter was just the sweetheart type of read I needed this January, it reminded me how much I need a dog to add to the den and befriend my monsters. It was also the right type of pick me up I needed the week I read it.

The book follows a broken artist, Becky who turns to the internet in search for a solution to rebuild her shredded heart and respect. She finds a house swap in the Lake District; somewhere that holds happy memories to her youth and feels like the perfect location to help her rediscover her artistic style, something she let love get in the way of. But the swap has a teeny piece of small print. The house comes with a dog and that dog needs a sitter. Easy right?

Well, it turns out, its not as easy as you think. Bella needs a special type of sitter. Bella is just the reason needed to read this book, she is an absolute sweetheart and brings another
level life to the pages of this heart-warming read. Bella is an absolutely adorable doggo who has the
spirit of a toddler complete with their curiosity for fun. She is fearless, a whirlwind of energy and provides a great comedic level to this story. Plus, let’s not forget that this pooch is Instagram famous. I am not talking a few furry selfies at best in show, no, this lovable hound is a brand ambassador, and her owner is not keen on her giant fur-baby going of brand. I do not just mean going for a supermarket brand treat, Georgie would absolutely flip if a single hair is out of place or Bella was not photo ready. To her, Bella is her business and is above all the mud and fun a dog should be doing. I hated Georgie, the whole way through I wanted to scream at her to shut up and
let me read about someone else. But she’s a character that you really really hate, maybe because you know someone in real life like it or just a party pooper. But with Georgie comes her ex. And Ash brings with him a slightly different sort of crazy.

As the story develops, Becky has the job of trying to prevent Ash from dog-napping Bella (yep, I am serious), deal with a dog that likes an adventure off lead and an ex-boyfriend who is trying to prevent her doing her own thing as a designer. Throw in some falls in the lake, a doggy birthday party complete with photographer and cake, and a landscape to fall in love with, the story will have you craving some gingerbread and a vacation to a lake. I really enjoyed my escape away from home with this one and loved seeing the story arcs for Becky and Ash progressing, a reminder that things are not always what they seem especially when there are two sides to every story. I found it an easy
read, though one of my little niggles that would not allow me to mark it as a 4.5 stars was the fact at times I found the language a little garish and a bit too much. But that is mainly personal preference. You might have a completely different experience to me.

As for the characters, as you can guess, I adored Bella, but that’s because I am a dog person, always have been and it reminded me so much of past pets. Particularly Snowy, a Bichon Frise with hatred for being clean. Honestly, you would bath him and blow dry him so he was nice and fluffy for him to shoot out the door as soon as it opened and roll himself into the first muddy puddle he could see. I also loved Becky. Her character spends the book rediscovering herself again and slowly regaining her confidence. Something that she let a previous relationship destroy. She is charismatic and easy
trusting but as protective as they come. She is also fearless, as she proves throughout the pages. Andof course, Ash. Ash is a protective, fun loving and sensitive that would do anything to protect Bella. Someone you can not help but root for.

So, if you enjoy a good romance or Rom-Com film, give this a try. You may be giggling your wine all over your lap, I know I did once or twice. But it is worth it. Plus, there is a dog, need I say more.

ℝ𝕖𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕖 𝕕𝕒𝕪 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Dog Sitter by Zara Stoneley
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After a break-up that ended-up in her getting fired from her main source of income as a book cover illustrator Becky decides to go house-sit in a quaint little town were she used to go when she was younger. However, her relaxing holiday takes another turn when she learn that someone, a very cute someone, is trying to steal the dog she is suppose to keep safe during the month her owner is gone for. Who does Bella really belong to? To the famous Instagrammer who hired her, or her ex, the gorgeous Ash.
🐝
I really had high hopes for this one. The synopsis and the cover had me really excited to read about this cute cockapoos. I loved the baseline of this story, the cover illustrator going dog-siting to find inspiration again, and finding herself in a war between who's the owner of the cute little pooch. However, the writing style was a little hard for me to get into. The women who hired Becky was portrayed as this very shallow, vindictive, and manipulative women who was using poor Bella for Instagram fame. So in addition of alienating "the ex" we also have a lecture on how fake everyone is on social media. I feel like this book had lots of potential but unfortunately it didn't do the trick for me.
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I want to thank Netgalley, Amy Alves, and Harper Collins for the Advanced reader’s copy! As always all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.
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Steam Level | 2.5 | Closed-door romance, with one a little more steamy moment.

Becky, who has recently ended an unhealthy relationship is feeling rather lost. Deciding that she needs a fresh start she accepts a job dog/house sitting in the Lake District.

This almost seems too good to be true. A beautiful house in the countryside, and all she had to do was look after the occupants dog. She couldn’t have been more wrong. It turns out that the dog she will be looking after is Georgina’s – a well known social influencer, and she has every last detail of her dog Bella’s social calendar mapped out for Becky.

This in itself is a shock to Becky, because she was under the impression it was a dog she would be taking care of, not an influencer!. Deciding to take it all in her stride, she takes in the beautiful surroundings and begins to feel inspired. This is something she desperately needed in order to get her artistic juices flowing once more – and finally, when everything seems to be running smoothly and Becky has adapted to her new routine, in walks Ash.

Ash is Georgina’s ex boyfriend, and he arrives claiming that Bella is in fact his. And this is the part of the book where it really takes off for me! As Becky and Ash lock horns and try to work out who is Bella’s rightful owner, they end up spending a lot of time together. So when Becky starts to develop feelings for Ash, nobody is more shocked than her.

This is an incredibly beautiful story full of humour and of course romance. The way in which Zara has written this book really pulls you in and you feel well and truly immersed in the story along with the characters lives.

Becky was such a fun, loveable character. From the start you feel yourself rooting for her and wanting her to find her happiness. I loved following her story as she began to see her own self worth once more, and in turn her confidence returning. And then of course there is Ash, who is equally lovable from the off. The love he shows for his four legged friend is incredible, and the reason in which Bella is still living with his ex at this point. It was impossible to not feel yourself swooning after him a little!.

This book was perfection. The characters were wonderful, the storyline was refreshingly unique, and the world in which Zara creates with her words is truly enchanting. I adored this book and will most definitely be recommending it to others!.

I’ve read all of Zara Stoneleys books and have thoroughly enjoyed each and every one but I think I’ve found a new favourite here! The Dog Sitter is just so wonderfully involving, with some appealing and engaging characters. I loved Becky and Ash but most of all I loved Bella, a furry bundle of energy with a mind of her own and a liking for keeping her human companions on their toes!

Set in the beautiful surroundings of the Lake District, The Dog Sitter is the first in a new series and what a start it has got off to here. All of the positive attractions of the Lake District are touched upon and I was left craving gingerbread and bacon butties eaten in the open air like Becky and Ash did-doesn’t it always taste so much better that way?! Zara’s trademark is having animal characters that are just as important and as large as life as their human counterparts to such an extent that she always reminds me of Jilly Cooper with her humour and eminently readable and stylish romances.

The use of social media brings this entertaining tale bang up to date. It’s definitely one of Zara Stoneleys most thought provoking books so far-it’s easy to get sweep away in the images of perfect people living in a perfect world when all you can see is what they want you to see! But when you look below the surface things are usually never what they seem even for our four legged media stars.

This was a complete pageturner that kept me up until the early hours of the morning desperate for Becky to get her man…and her dog!! It is definitely my favourite of Zara Stoneleys books so far-funny, captivating and as sweet as that other favourite of mine…Kendall Mint Cake! A sumptuously delicious delight from start to finish!

There is nothing worse when you feel like your world is falling apart. For Becky who just lost her boyfriend, who was also her boss, decides that a change of scenery just might help her figure out her next move and claim a little bit of herself back. Taking on a house sitting/dog sitting job was supposed to be a nice quiet change.

What she found instead was the gorgeous ex boyfriend of her house owner. While he claims the dog is really his, he is determined to steal the dog back.

Lots of shenanigans, an overzealous dog, lots of nature adventures all while Becky finds her creative inspiration and find herself. A light rom com read.

This is a hilarious, laugh out loud, romantic comedy that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face – absolutely brilliant!

Becky is a talented artist but has had her confidence and faith in her ability knocked by her now ex boyfriend who is also her ex boss! Fed up, she decides to escape for a month, house and dog sitting in the Lake District for a well known Instagrammer with millions of followers. The dog is the boisterous, bouncy and extremely cute Bella, featuring regularly on her owner’s posts but it seems that this delightful pooch is also claimed by Ashley James and he wants her back!

Get ready for hilarious shenanigans, building self confidence, beautiful artwork, steamy dreams and watery dips in amongst everything in this fantastic read. It is a story with great characters, lots of laughs and a lovely, heartwarming romance in a beautiful setting. Bella really is the star of the story but it is also about learning to trust yourself and your own abilities, not letting others put you down and finding love. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and have no hesitation in highly recommending it.

Thank you to One More Chapter and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read, giggled my way through with a huge grin on my face and honestly reviewed.

Becky is looking to escape from her life and a dog and house sitting opportunity in the iconic Lake District make her step out of her comfort zone and into Bella, the dog's crazy world. Becky and Bella strike up a great relationship, but she didn't expect to be the referee in a canine custody battle. There are lots of humorous moments in this likeable story. Becky tries to keep Ash away from Bella as instructed by her employer, but she's attracted to him and can see the connection between him and the dog.

The romance moves from physical attraction to emotional commitment in a believable way, as both Ash and Becky are easy to empathise. The dog is a catalyst for the romance and an instigator of much of the humour. Vivid descriptions of the walks and scenery bring the Lake District to life.

I received a copy of this book from One More Chapter via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I will be honest, but I have never been a big fan of dogs, either living or fictional. But fell in love with Bella in this book. Set in the Lake District, it has lovely descriptions of the scenery and the two main characters Becky and Ash make for a beautiful read.

It's always a sign of a good book when you find yourself staying up until 4am to finish it! It's possibly a sign of obsession when you then feel compelled to order @grasmeregingerbread at 4am!

Both are true here.

@zarastoneley's latest is a story about finding yourself again, set among the rolling hills and stunning scenery of The Lake District.

Becky is an illustrator who desperately needs a change of scenery after losing her job and her boyfriend. She takes on house and dog sitting duties for an intense Instagram influencer who herself has recently split from someone. Tasked with the job of keeping the pesky ex (Ash) away from her prized Cockapoo (Bella), Becky finds herself increasingly perplexed by the lengths Ash will go to to get his hands on Bella. What follows is a series of hilarious capers and a heartwarming tale about finding love again, all set to the stunning backdrop of the Lakes. The chemistry is seriously HOT and the banter between Ash and Becky is just brilliant.

It was a wonderful reminder of my own holidays in the Lake District, and another delight from Zara Stoneley.

**Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily**

Rated: ❤❤❤❤❤
Hear Rated: 🔥🔥
Emotional Rated: 😂😂😂😥😥

#Bookstagram #AlisAdventuresInLiterature #OMCReads #ZaraStoneley #TheDogSitter

(I have also shared my review on Amazon but am awaiting moderation)

Many thanks for allowing me to read this gorgeous title!