Most importantly, a big thank you to NetGalley, Steven J. Carino, Alex Tresniowski and Nelson Books for providing me with a copy of this publication in exchange for an honest review.
Full transparency, I did not finish this title. I just couldn't. I understand Carino's main role is not 'author' by any means but this book was too redundant to get through. He lost his dog. He's angry. He's sad. Someone is nice to him. Rinse. Repeat. The story itself has a lot of potential but I give it 2 stars on execution.

I enjoyed this non fiction story. It was written well and I find sometimes stories that are written by authors who what never written before could use a bit of work. Oliver was a sweet boy and I felt a connection to him as I have my own little Oliver.

Oliver is a heartwarming memoir about a man whose beloved dog Oliver is stolen from him and the community of family, friends and strangers who join forces to aid him in his search.

The narrator (Steve) is a man of faith who has had hardships throughout his life that he has previously confronted with the support of beloved dogs and his strong belief system. In this case, though, when his dog is stolen leaving him without his best friend, Steve's questions his faith. The book details how many people love Steve and come to his aid after Oliver is taken. As he sees how much he is loved, Steve's faith is restored and he relies on scriptural guidance as he searches for Oliver.

This book focuses on a man's love for his missing dog, so Oliver is mostly a character in the book through flashbacks. This could be a hard story to tell, but the authors do a great job with the pacing, and I could not wait to find out if there would be a happy ending. This book reminds me of "It's a Wonderful Life" as Steve finds out at his lowest point how much he means to people he has met throughout his life.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley the opportunity to read and review this book, all comments are my own. This has to be the best book I have read in a long time - I could not put this down! The reader could feel the love and connection between the author Steven and his dog Oliver, I cried when Oliver was taken, the reader was there in the Denali when they searched for Oliver. What a great story - everyone should read this book. What a fantastic read!

Oliver was stolen from Steven Carino’s SUV when he ran into the store for a minute. He tiredly searched for Oliver relentlessly. During this heartbreaking time, he discovered that one community and social media treated him with such overwhelming empathy. He realized how much we all need each other in life.

A poignant and well written story that made me smile and root for the characters.
A must read for any dog lover.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

i have read this book twice.
What is not to love when the book is about a dog.
Such a heartwarming and fast read.

abolutely adorable. This book was simply beautifully well written and lovely. The story of Oliver and his owner was so relatable and gives the reader all the emotions.

You can't help but getting pulled into Steven's recollection of his missing dog, Oliver.
I mean just look at the cover, you have to admit Oliver is adorable. A twelve pound Yorkie Shih Tzu , black and brown fur,big eyes,timid yet wanting to please anyone would be pleased to call Oliver their own.
Steven is unmarried,working as a long time driver and his best friend is Oliver. Oliver's best friend is also Steven they just have that close connection.
After going to purchase food at a Chinese takeout restaurant after a hard days work and being gone for ten minutes in the restaurant he returns to find his beloved Oliver GONE!
What follows is Steven's story in his own words,the sleepless nights,the devastation,the crying because it wasn't just a missing dog, it was his whole life that dog.
His dog was featured on the evening news,plenty of fliers were put up and so,so many people were involved in looking for his missing dog from the many facebook page shares ,phone calls,going door to door and so many people offering their support and sharing their personal stories with him.
The book brought me to tears, so emotional. Very highly recommended!!!

Pub Date 26 Jan 2021
I was given a complimentary copy. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

I listened to the audiobook version of the story.
This is a well told narrative about the author's search for his dog and self-introspection in the process. The narrator adds a voice to the story that makes it come alive in my mind as I can envision the action as the story is told. I recommend this audiobook to all animals lovers.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this audiobook to listen to. The opinions expressed here are my own honest opinions written voluntarily.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for providing an advanced review copy (ARC) of the book. Given that I received it after the book was released, I had expected the ARC to be in better condition. It was still in need of significant editing and design work. But such is the nature of ARCs. So, no points were taken off my rating for that.

As for the book itself... It's always heart-warming to see the strong bonds that develop between a human and their pets. And this one is no different. Steve and Oliver are both wounded in different ways and are sensitive to each other's needs. So, when Oliver is stolen, Steve's life goes into a tailspin.

We're given a lot of insight into why Steve is the way he is and why he's wrestling the way he is. Some of that is certainly necessary to illustrate why Oliver is so significant to him. Yet, some of the information just seems incomplete. And some of it is more than we really needed to know.

What we're given here, though, is a unique insight into how one man learned to face his problems and shift his perspective so he could see the potential good to come out of it. Steve made a conscious decision to be open to what this experience could teach him, and that touched the lives of those around him.

Knowing that the pair are reunited in the end was the icing on the cake. But the real story here is less about Oliver's journey (it was left a bit unclear as to what exactly had happened), as it is about Steve's emotional maturing. At one point in the story, he is likened to George Bailey from "It's a Wonderful Life," except here it's not what the world would be like without Steve Carino, but what Steve's life would be like without Oliver. (Actually, making Oliver the equivalent of George Bailey, not Steve.)

In the end, Steve gains a deeper appreciation for the people in his life and those he meets along the way. And that's always a positive thing.

On Valentine's day 2019 The author's dog Oliver was stolen from his car when he went into a store for 5 minutes.
Steven Carino and his small dog Oliver were everything to one another. Steven was no longer married, had no children and led a fairly lonely life besides his job Driving people to their destinations.
Having no idea what happened to Oliver, Steven looked extensively around the area, and then called his sister who lived near by as he knew she would know what to do.
Taking action right away they make the usual plans to put out fliers with a reward, scanned areas when any possible sighting was reported.
Steven had been down on his life for quite awhile, not feeling worthy due to things told to him in his childhood.
As the search went on, for days Steven starts to see how people are really out to help him and are so kind to him, really wanting to be there, regardless of what was in it for them. seeing this outpouring of love from strangers made him see life in a whole different way and started to wonder if this was the purpose of his beloved animal being taken.
This was a heart warming story of not only searching for Oliver, but of opening up his eyes to the good around him.
Definitely a worthy read.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Nelson Books for a copy of this story.

If you are a true dog person, you know that dogs can think and try to communicate as best they know how. Seeing what happened to Oliver in little snips through his eyes brought tears to my own, and the end of the story made me sob out loud and hug my own pup. A beautiful story.

A Dog and His Human
This is the story of a man who loses his dog. The dog is his emotional support animal and his entire reason for living. The author goes through the expected stages of grief. He starts out blaming God and throwing a major pity party. He ends up acknowledging God's lessons in his loss, knowing the love being poured on him by strangers, and feeling all of the blessings God has bestowed on him. The author carries along his spiritual journey and it is an emotional one. This is a very good book that will help all of its readers grow in spirit.

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read Oliver. I picked the book due the many great reviews but I’m wondering if I was reading the same book!! How many times can I hear how amazed he is about people’s empathy and help. How we misjudge people and the biblical references got tedious. I am sure dog lovers may enjoy this and I felt it was written for an audience of children !! Sorry wanted to love it. Nearly became a DNF bit I persevered. Thank got it is just a small book!!!

This book would appeal to anyone who has ever owned and loved a dog!

Steven Carino was down on his luck. His childhood had been very difficult but despite that, he had built a multimillion dollar company and had married a long time girlfriend. After his business declined and his marriage failed, his life drastically changed. The only bright spot in Steven’s life was his little terrier, Oliver. Steven doted on Oliver and Oliver returned his love tenfold.

Their lives settled into a calm routine until Valentine’s Day 2019 when Oliver was stolen! That one event seemed to cause Steven to completely break down. He was heartbroken and devastated. He felt that his life was in a tailspin. He could hardly function. He became obsessed with finding Oliver.

At times I felt that this book could have been shortened. But after awhile, I began to realize that this feeling reflected just how Steven must have felt as the days passed without any news of Oliver. Thankfully, Steven’s two sisters jumped in and helped tremendously by putting up flyers and posting the account of Oliver and Steven online. They even arranged a television news report about Oliver and Steven!

However, this is not just a story about a lost dog, but it’s also a story of strong faith, trust, love, compassion, kindness and perseverance as Steven slowly realized that he was never alone and that his faith, his family, his friends, and complete strangers were there to provide encouragement, support and help. It's a story of community.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Steven Carino, and publisher Nelson Books for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this inspirational book.

Oliver by Steven J Carino and Alex Tresniowski – Published 26 Jan 21

I would like to thank Netgalley, the author and the publisher for giving me an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

He was searching for a lost dog. He found more than he had ever hoped for. On Valentine’s Day 2019, someone stole Steven Carino’s dog, Oliver, from his car. Having lost his mother at 13 and grown up with an alcoholic father, he could always count on his dogs for comfort and company. But now, with his beloved Oliver missing, Steven felt utterly alone.

I absolutely loved this book! A cute dog on the cover of the book got me straight away. This is a beautifully written and heartwarming story from the outset. In my opinion the story focuses on lost connections in Steven’s life; how people and family are not a fundamental part of his life. Most importantly it is about how the heart of a little dog, Oliver, heals them all and brings people together that would not ordinarily have the opportunity. Conversely, I had no idea why the religion part started in the middle of the book and served no purpose. I understand people’s beliefs are different but there was no mention of it in the earlier parts of the book. I loved the story and I loved Oliver and if I could give reviews just for Oliver it would be a 5 but I feel that a lot of the book did not make sense.

4 stars

I loved this book! This book is well written and holds your attention. This is a heartwarming story that you don't want to miss. It is full of hope and you will fall in love Oliver. Thank you Nelson Books via NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I received a copy of this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book. Being a dog lover, I can relate to how Steven felt after his dog, Oliver was stolen from his car. Steven is so lost and asks his sister's for help. They rally around him along with several other friends. They give him a plan and hope. With the help of random strangers, Steven finally gets Oliver back but not after a lot of soul searching on his part and the help of a lot of strangers who were looking out for him.

The only part that seemed a bit awkward was about 3/4 of the way through when Steve starts talking about the bible and God. While it is not overly religious, it just seemed odd that this was the first mention of his religious beliefs this far into the book.

This is definitely a cute, uplifting, hopeful story! As a HUGE animal lover, I actually tend to shy away from animal stories because my heart CANNOT take it when something bad happens. I was really nervous with this and so glad with how it ended. I loved reading about the different connections the author had with all his previous dogs! I also loved how he found God and the love of those around him in such a dark time.

One note, I didn't love the way the flashbacks were written. There were a couple times when it took me a moment or two to figure out if this was in the past or a current scene. Perhaps my formatting of the ebook was messed up?