This book did not turn out to be exactly what I was expecting initially – but I still enjoyed it and it was a fun, fast read for me. It brings up the question of genre again for sure – I know some felt it did not fit the ‘romance’ genre they thought it would. It was definitely a romance, but more of a contemporary UK romance that touched into what I would probably classify as Women’s Fiction with some of the themes rather than the romcom side of things. The book is one that reminds me of the writing styles of Jill Mansell and Jenny Colgan, so I believe fans of those two authors would definitely enjoy this read as well.

I found the story to be very interesting and heartwarming, I really liked each of the main characters and was rooting for them to find their way and a happier ending. I appreciated that the storyline covered starting over (and how that can happen at any age), friendship, tradition and family. I also adored how the little pup, Scout, brings everyone together.

The description made me long to visit Sgadansay – and I loved the whole distillery, small town story line. I think it’s important to realize and know going in that the book is not primarily focused on the pup or even a love story. Rather it is a story of having to start over and make the best of things later in life (for once the story wasn’t just a twenty something trying to figure it out), trying to save a local business and honor area traditions.
I found each of the characters to be well formed and relatable and I definitely recommend for fans of UK Romances and those who love stories of dogs and they’re people. Also a win for fans of the small town type story. I look forward to reading more by Fiona Gibson in the near future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the opportunity to read this fun tale!

This is a sweet and gentle story. Suzy’s life has become complicated. Her boyfriend had used an inheritance to buy a small whisky distillery on Sgadansay, a Hebridean island, and he made her a director of the company although she put no money into the venture. Within two years he had destroyed it, and run away, refusing to take responsibility. Suzy travels from her home in York to the island to see if there is anything she can do, and is met with extreme hostility by the angry employees, who think they will lose their livelihoods. She has rented a tiny cottage for her short stay, and that evening she is disturbed by a dog scratching at the door. She assumes someone is out looking for him, but as there is nobody around she takes him in for the night, deciding she will take him to the police station the next morning before catching the ferry. The police station is closed all day, so she takes the newly named Scout to the vet, but he has not been chipped - they have no idea who owns him, and it seems he was abandoned. They arrange for Suzy to drop him off at a rescue centre in Oban, on her way home.

Suzy takes him to the centre, but Scout has grown on her, and in a last minute change of plan she takes him home with her.. Life starts to look up for her, Suzy, with the help of a financial expert who went to university with her sister, thinks of a way she can resolve the situation and save the distillery. It is time to return to Sgadansay and put things right with the workforce. She goes for lunch with Cara, an artist she met at the vet’s, where Cara’s dog sadly had to be put to sleep. Cara is very lonely, and Suzy agrees that she can look after Scout while she is busy at the distillery. So Scout now has two doting fans.

Ricky is a peripatetic music teacher in Glasgow, with an eleven year old son, Arthur. Arthur’s mother ran away six years earlier, and Ricky has not been able to find her. Ricky was born on Sgadansay, and returns there regularly to see his father. On this trip his girlfriend goes with them, but he finds out something very upsetting about her, and she leaves. Ricky and Arthur go for a walk at the beach and meet Suzy and Scout. Arthur has always wanted a dog and asks if he can take him for walks and Suzy eventually agrees as long as his dad goes with them. Scout is now cheering up three lives, and he loves them all!

As the story progresses we see all their lives improve, in some unexpected ways. There are a few dramas to go through before they all live happily ever after. The characters are well written. It is quite a realistic story, you see small town life where everyone knows everyone else and news flies round in no time. Very much a feel-good story, and all because of a little abandoned dog! I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, and am delighted to write an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

There is definitely not enough dog in this book, I felt the title was a little misleading. The story didn't really start until about halfway in and for me this was just a little too long to wait. It was such a shame as it had great potential but just didn't hit the mark for me.

I’ve read and enjoyed all Fiona Gibson’s books,

The story, set on a Scottish island, is about Suzy and Ricky, and a stray dog called Scout. I know from personal experience how a dog can support and love you through a bad time, and bring so much happiness into people’s lives.

A lovely book to curl up with on a winter evening, a great book

This was a sweet read that was perfect when stuck in bed for a couple of days and in need of a lighter read. Despite the fact the book talks about difficult topics such as the ending of relationship and parental abandonment, it was still an easy book to read with many light moments.

I found it hard to connect to Sizy as a 48 year old woman as I felt a lot of her expression and the way she acted was a lot younger, closer to my 30 year old self. It also made it hard to picture some of what she was going through as I haven't had many of the experiences she's had (adult children, divorce, etc). However, it did feel refreshing having a character who was older than me yet with the same approach to life as me. Like there is hope for me yet!

I really liked Ricky, Arthur, Harry and everyone else on the island. Having a Scottish grandad, so many little details in the book made me smile and think how much it reminded me of him. It reminded me of my love for Scotland and I now can't wait to return someday.

Hands down my favourite character was Scout. From bedraggled stray to adored and loved by a group of people, he added so much to the story and it was incredible to see how one little dog could bring together a whole community. It's definitely what made this a lovely story and more than once I had a big smile on my face.

I had a few issues with the pace feeling a bit laggy, as well as the sudden time skips towards the end of the novel that did throw off the flow of the book a little bit. I also felt some of the characters were a little one dimensional, or included purely as a device to moving the plot along (looking at you, Meg!), but I still definitely enjoyed this and would recommend it.

All in all this was a story about returning to your roots, and discovering who you've always meant to be. It weaved so many lives together without becoming a tangled mess, and reminded me that no matter where you end up in life, there really is no place like home.

I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful women's fiction story, my first book by this author.

First of all, I love to read mature characters. I also love stories set in the UK. And this was a great combination of the two. (I should also note that my trip to Scotland this year was cancelled, and we'd been planning a tour or two of distilleries. So it was quote lovely to have a bit of that trip in story form.)

I loved how Suzy was determined to save the distillery. She had a real way of nurturing her children and greenery, it was only logical to turn those skills to nurturing the ages old business back to success. (And the scene with the puffin paraphernalia was hysterical!) And she even had some nurturing to do for Cara, whose friendship was great to watch develop and flourish.

Ricky was a lovely character, too, though I would have liked him to demonstrative with his feelings regarding Meg. She really treated him horribly, so a little self-reflection on why he accepted that behaviour for so long would have been nice. But I loved his relationships with Arthur and his dad. (Kudos to the author for getting the characterisation spot on for a child that age!)

My biggest complaints would be the ease with which Paul's storyline was concluded, and the letter that Arthur receives towards the end of the story. A little too neat and tidy, and lacking an honest apology/assurance that the issue had been adequately dealt with and wouldn't return.

Overall, however, I felt this book hit the right marks and was highly satisfying. I look forward to reading more by this author in future.

Suzy Medley is going through a hard time, her ex has just left her in charge of a business that's in a financial mess, when a shaggy terrier turns up at her door, abandoned. Suzy adopts him, and her life changes in unexpected ways. Some chance encounters at the beach make her raise she's not the only one in need of a friend. Scout has plenty of love to go round… but does Suzy?

This a sweet and feel-good story about middle aged Suzy, who's divorced, has an empty nest, and is just looking for some joy in her life. Scout finds her at the perfect time, as most pets do, and she changes, and so do her relationships. I feel like there is something sooo special about the unconditional love of a dog, and this book shows that wonderfully.

I recommend this book to anyone who would enjoy a feel good story about life in general, and especially to anyone who likes dogs. That being said, even if you don't, there is so much more to the story!

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for the eGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Going in to this I (incorrectly) expected a romance with a dog share. This is much closer to women’s fiction than romance; the two main characters don’t even meet until half way through the book. I still enjoyed the book but it would have been a better reading experience if I’d known.

In this book we get chapters from the POV of two main characters, Suzy and Ricky, both in their 40s.
Suzy’s ex has deserted her and left her with their failing whiskey distillery in the Outer Hebrides. Whilst visiting the island she meets a stray terrier, Scout. Suzy is divorced, recently separated from her ex, has two grown up children away at Uni and we see her focus on her personal and professional journey.
Ricky has a 10 year old son and has been with his girlfriend for 1 year. He was raised on the Island but lives in Glasgow. Ricky and his son, Arthur (HUGE dog lover), regularly visit the Island to visit Ricky’s dad, Harry. Who happens to have worked at the distillery for 35 years.

Of course there are other characters and Scout is the tread that ties them all together.

For just over 50% of the book, Suzy and Ricky haven’t even met. This meant that we didn’t have enough time with them to become emotionally invested in their relationship. I couldn’t have cared less about whether they got together or not and didn’t feel any chemistry. This is why I feel it’s important readers don’t go into this thinking it’s a romance. The story and character development are great without any romance but if you’re expecting something from page 1, it could change the reading experience.

I loved the setting, reading more about Scotland and an island (that I can’t spell!) in the Outer Hebrides and especially about the whiskey distillery.

3.5 stars rounded up for Scout.

I received an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

I couldn't make any sense of this book. It skips back and forth in time. It's in multiple first-person points of view, without indicating at the beginning of each chapter whose point of view it's in. Reading should not be this hard. DNF.

This was a good story and quite touching in parts but I wouldn’t put it in the romance genre per se

I liked the main characters and the growth they achieved as the story wore on. Boy, were they with a couple of duds prior to meeting each other! I also loved the friendships, the descriptions of island life and how all these people came together because of one little dog.

There were no real shockers (other than a wee bit with Suzy’s sister that isn’t resolved). But that’s ok, as good things happened to the people that deserved them and that’s satisfying for me. Overall, this was a sweet, entertaining story with a very slow romantic relationship build up.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Avon Books UK for a copy in exchange for a review.

While I enjoyed the tone and concept, I would not classify this as a rom-com but squarely in women's fiction. It is dual POV (for most of the book) and while both leads are witty, I initially really struggled with how they both were so blind in their previous relationships. I can buy this from 20-somethings that are still figuring out how to be adults, but in 40+ characters is rings hollow. I love that more romances are featuring 40-50 year old leads (though calling this solidly a romance might be a stretch) but I need them to have a level of maturity to make it believable. The other reason I think this is more women's fiction than rom-com is all the subplots (his father, their exes, his son and the estranged mother). I think they're all handled relatively well, but it's just too much from the main romantic arc to fit most romance readers' expectations.

Despite generally enjoying "The Dog Share", I felt like I didn't quite get what I expected (and wanted tbh).
This is packaged as a romance novel set in Scotland, with a runaway dog helping two perfect strangers find each other. Instead we get the stories of three people struggling through change in their life ("ex-boyfriend left me bankrupt with distillery to run", "single dad woes aren't too bad but I am not good at picking women", "uprooting my life as an artist to life in a tiny village on a small Scottish Island isn't easy" - whoda thunk).
Yes, there is a dog, who all main characters form a kind of bond with, but that's it when it comes to the dog share aspect.
My favorite parts were probably the positive depiction of parent/child relationships and the escapist dream of picking up to start over somewhere completely new.

A really lovely read. Yes a romance but fast paced and really enjoyable. The heroine has to go to a Scottish island to rescue a whiskey distillery that her ex had bought and they were both named partners. Without any training can it be turned around??

Paula and Suzy have a happy go lucky relationship. He seems to be a gadfly, nothing interests him for long, but since Suzy is happy she just goes along with whatever he does. In her mid 40s Suzy maybe should have questioned his motives a bit more, but after investing in a distillery in a remote Scottish island Paul just absconds, Suzy is left literally holding the baby.

There is a lot of antagonism amongst the islanders to this newcomer who has run a perfectly run business to the ground in just two years through bad marketing, sheer indifference and horrible management. Suzy now decides to take on the distillery on her own, trying to salvage the business and the jobs for her employees.

This is how Scout the dog comes into the picture. An abandoned dog he wins her heart and mind, and despite never having had a dog (even when her children begged her for one) she now finds herself totally at peace with this dog. How Scout finds friends for Suzy who is right now, bereft of any support is a lovely comforting story.

This is a real feel good story, and though may be a bit cheesy fits the bill for when one is feeling down.

🌅The magical effects of a lovable pooch🐕: warm, hopeful, wonderful escape to the Hebrides🚢

What a 🏁winner of a story! Female lead empty nester Suzy lands in a difficult situation thanks to her former partner but she's inspired to do her utmost to right wrong and turn failure to success. When at her lowest a stray dog enters Suzy's life and her heart and, like magic, things start looking up.

I first gravitated to this book for two reasons: the Scottish setting on a picturesque small island off the western coast of Scotland and the author. The island's beauty and community spirit made me want to be there. And Fiona Gibson has a knack for creating women with spunk and determination. Suzy is one such woman with an unusual profession and a social conscience that refuses to take the easy way out when it could have disastrous effects on so many others.

The strangers drawn into Suzy's orbit by Scout, her scamp of a rescue dog, offer friendship, romance and growing respect. This story was so easy to read and love; I enjoyed it first to last chapter!😊

Thanks to Avon publishers and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book. I liked it so much that I just had to purchase it for my collection. This is my voluntary and honest review of a lovely read.

A chaotic story about love, what to do when your world gets tilted on it's axis, and how your life isn't over.

A fun read for those who enjoy romances about single-moms in their 40s not letting their worlds staying flipped upside down.

When I saw Fiona Gibson had a new book out. I just had to read it as love her other books they are perfect escapism and a joy to read. This one was no exception. I read it in almost one sitting as I couldn't put it down. The author has a way of creating relatable characters that are going through the same life problems as everyone else and bringing them together to create real life stories. This story explores how the joy of owning a dog can be. Peop!e together and create happiness and new friends. However if you were expecting it just to be about dogs then you will be in for a shock as it has so much more too it and delves into relationships past and present and making fresh starts and new beginnings. This was an easy heartwarming read.

Really a 3.5 book :) but i've decided to round-up!

Such a cozy and cute story! The setting was wonderful, and I loved escaping to a sweet, little Scottish island while reading the book. The characters were easy to love and become invested in. If you are a dog lover and dream of a Scottish village, I don't think there could be a better book!

Not the most literary novel, but I had that assumption going into the reading. All in all, the book was a lovely story to read and escape into. Would definitely watch if it were a Hallmark movie!

The Dog Share by Fiona Gibson is a sweet and often heartwarming tale of second chances. I particularly enjoyed the way Scout the dog seemed to be the catalyst for so much change.

The island setting was delightful and I particularly loved the glimpses into all of the islander's lives (there's definitely potential for more stories about the residents of Sgadansay in my opinion! *fingers crossed*)

I also loved all of the central characters, Ricky, Harry and Arthur in particular. This brings me to my only gripe (it's a small one but significant enough that I do feel it should be noted). I LOVED the cover, but I felt the cover blurb was misleading. It gives the impression this story was about just a couple, when in fact they didn't actually meet until the final third of the book! That didn't bother me as I was already totally invested in the story, but for some it may. That said, their meeting didn't feel rushed or forced, more it was just a bit confusing that the cover implied something else.

Ultimately this was a wonderful story full of hope and joy, and even this fully-fledged cat lady recommends it!

Overall Rating: ❤❤❤❤ 1/2
Heat Rating: 🔥
Emotional Rating: 💓💓💓

A real feel good book. Two people struggling with things in their lives. One Heinz57 dog with the ability to bring people together. Sat reading this one with my dog sat on lap. Yes dogs do get to you and change your life.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.