The Dog Share caught my eye on NetGalley since it looked like the perfect heartwarming rom-com.

I wanted to love this book, but I had a really hard time getting into it. I didn’t hate it, but it didn’t grab my attention the way I hoped it would and I thought it was just okay. The premise was adorable, but the two main characters don’t meet until three-quarters of the way through the book!

I loved the parts about Scout, and how the love a dog gives can completely change your outlook on life. I agree, and I think everyone should have a pet!

3.5* but closer to a 4 than a 3.
I enjoyed this book, the characters were likeable and it was an interesting set up for the relationship. It was interesting to see Suzie’s and Ricky’s lives in the city beforehand as well as once they were on the island and made it easy to understand where the characters were coming from emotionally. My only criticism on the characters was that I felt the inclusion of Meg was unnecessary for Ricky’s story as I didn’t really feel like she impacted the story or the relationships he goes onto have with Suzie.

Cara was one of the characters I really enjoyed her presence and I love to see characters have relationships outside of their romantic ones. The dynamic of ScouT being shared between Cara, Suzie, Ricky and Arthur was quite cute but I wish the original owner hadn’t been included as I didn’t really feel like I needed an explanation. I really enjoyed the set up of how Suzie came became the owner of the whiskey distillery and how her relationships with all the characters bloomed. Ricky and Suzie seemed well suited and I liked them together I just wish we’d been able to see more chemistry between them and see their relationship blossom more throughout the book rather than just towards the end. Mostly, I enjoyed this read but I think it would’ve been a solid 4* had I gone into it realising it was less rom-com and more fiction but I would still whole-heartedly recommend as long as you don’t expect to see too much romance.

Adored this read...real happy escapism. Lovely characters, easy to read... happy ever after tale. Just what's needed in the present climate. Started off by thinking it would be Suzy and Paul's story....but enter Ricky and Arthur and grumpy grandpa Harry ..and of course the delightful Scout...perfect ingredients for a feel good read. I really enjoyed it Will be looking out for more by Fiona Gibson. Highly recommend.

While I was expecting this to be a fluffy ditzy romance, I was pleasantly surprised to see this book was more about the wonderful Scout and how he helps Suzy and him both heal. Now this was a friendship I 100% support and can relate to how Suzy feels about Scout. He opens her up to new people. Her kids want to see her more so they can see Scout.

In case you don't know....Scout is a dog. :) that is what makes this book so entertaining and fun to read!

The Dog Share was a wonderful book that explored the impact that dogs can have on humans. The book was about what it means be a friend and to love unconditionally and I think that the author did a great job of tying those themes together. I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading the other books that Fiona has written. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the e-book copy.

I love dogs and fell in love with the concept of dog-fueled romance as soon as I read The Happily Ever After Playlist which is one of my all-time favourite books. As soon as I saw the cover of The Dog Share, I knew I had to read this as well.

Well, I liked it. It was quite enjoyable and you just can't help but love Scout and the happy bubbly way a dog can turn lives upside down (in a good way)! The only thing that prevents me from giving this a higher rating is the fact that I think I was expecting more of a romance and less of a general adult fiction vibe. If I was in the mood for a women's fiction, I think I would have rated this higher, but I just wasn't in the right headspace to love it and that's totally a me problem and not the fault of the book.

I found this to be a lovely, heartwarming read, perfect for these difficult times. I read it quickly as I enjoyed it so much! The novel is set on a Scottish island and the scenery is described beautifully. I wanted to go there! Suzy courageously changes her life when her boyfriend deserts her and the distillery that he insisted that they buy together. Meeting Scout the dog is a turning point as he helps her to make friends and settle in. The characters are appealing and I enjoyed the feel good story. I’ll be buying this well-written and entertaining book for friends. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Love this author she always makes me laugh. This was a great book, great characters and of course the dogs.

Thankyou to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for providing me with an e-arc for an honest review, all opinions are my own

Before i start, i want to make it clear that i like this book. I didn't love it, but i didn't hate it, it was just okay for me. That being said, i have some thoughts.

The Dog Share is about a woman who, after being left with a shipwreck-sized mess of a distillery by her ex, moves to a small Scottish island, tries to resurrect the company and rescues a stray dog, making many friends along the way.

I think the cover and tagline definitely betray the content of this book. It give off romance vibes but this is definitely NOT a romance. I went into it expecting a light hearted romantic comedy centred around 2 people sharing a dog, but what we get is not that. The two MC's don't even meet until more than halfway in the book.

Maybe it's because i'm 20+ years younger than our main characters, and therefore couldn't connect with them personally, but i just didn't /care/ about them. I didn't care about her family/children and i didn't care about his relationship with his exes. And given that they don't meet until over halfway in the book, what little romance there is between them felt rushed.

That being said, i think this has more of a 'found family' trope ingrained in it, which i love! I think it embodies the fact that dogs bring people together and it was very believable that a dog like Scout could cause all these people's lives to entwine. I liked a lot of side characters in the book and i think that's what saved it for me. And there was even a sneaky wlw relationship thrown in there, bonus points if you can spot it.

Ultimately this book is about friendship and all the wonderful ways things can change when a dog enters our lives.

3 Stars ☆☆☆

Another wonderful Fiona Gibson novel.I was immediately drawn in to the story the characters came alive felt like they were friends.Who can resist a story with a little terrier as a main character.Highly recommend sit back and enjoy.#netgalley #avonbooksuk

I will probably not think about this book again. It was uplifting and cute but definitely went in thinking this was more of a romance so the fact that the dog played such a big role didn’t really do it for me. But great setting ☺️

Special thanks to the author for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Such a great read. I really enjoyed the plot of the story. I felt like I was a character interacting within the story. I couldn't put the book down.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC provided.

This book is not a Romance novel, I would categorize it as Women's Fiction with some elements of Romance. It is definitely about new beginnings and second chances but was not at all the swoony story I was expecting. Although it had funny and sweet moments, it unfortunately felt too slow for my taste and hard to get into. The characters were sweet but wasn't able to connect with them in a deeper level..

I would recommend this book to a person who's never read a Romance before and wants some little escape, but not an avid Romance reader like myself.

The Dog Share is one of my favourite reads this year. This wonderful new story from Fiona Gibson is set up in the Outer Hebrides north of Scotland on the Island of Sgadansay, most well known for its wildlife and whisky distillery.

This is an interesting and heartwarming story of new beginnings, where one little abandoned dog brings several people together just because they all fall in love with him. You’ll probably fall in love with him too.

I’ve read several books by Fiona Gibson and have enjoyed them all. Her portrayal of parenting at all ages is covered with humour and accuracy, as are the relationships between dogs and humans. Great characters in a beautiful setting. I really loved this and it left me with a lovely warm feeling. I’d love to read more about these characters.

A warm and engaging read where we see the power of a dog to bring people together, to heal hurt and give unconditional love. This book is about starting again, facing lives challenges and letting people in. There is friendship, there is a little bit of romance, but more important than that - there is hope.

The Dog Share is not a romance novel. The cover alone might make the reader assume that's what they're about to read. At least that's what I thought I was getting into. However, this book is more categorized as women's literature. This is a feel good book with a slow start. I loved Scout and how he brought so many people together. I did not feel a connection to the characters though, which is what I usually enjoy in a story.

A bittersweet story of Suzy getting stuck in the middle of a mishandled distillery in the Hebrides. When her ex-boyfriend left her in the lurch she tries to repair the problems. At her lowest point she meets Scout, a stray dog who becomes her best friend. Through Scout she meets Cara, a friendly artist, and Ricky and his 11 year old son Arthur. Scout helps all of them in some way or another, and while they have issues and need time, eventually a romance between Suzy and Ricky. I did like this one a lot, and enjoyed the story overall. Was a bit slow in the beginning though, and I was lost on the discussion about the whiskey process. Otherwise, highly enjoyed this one and highly recommend this book and author.

A holiday with a hidden agenda leads to Suzy owning a part share in a distillery in a Scottish Isle. An abandoned dog, new friendships instigated by the dog.
Triumph over circumstances. Follow Suzys decisions as life challenges her.
I kept my fingers crossed for Suzy and hope you will too.

This book was one of my first ventures into romance books about more mature characters. The real star of this book is the dog, Scout. In the wake of her break-up with her ex and being left sole owner of a failing distillery, Scout, a stray terrier, shows up at Suzy's doorstep and it's the start of a beautiful friendship. The romance was definitely not a major part of the plot, more of Suzy's journey of self-discovery and saving her distillery after ending her relationship with the help of Scout. There's nothing like the healing power of dogs! I like how the romance didn't really pick up until around the half way mark even though we met the love interest, Ricky, much sooner. I think it was really vital to Suzy's character to define herself as a person before having a new romance introduced. It was a really mature take and I like that this is the route the author took. If you're reading just for romance, it will feel like it's dragging to get to the romance part.

All in all, it was a cute read about second chances, a cute dog with lots of love to give and the people he brings together. Perhaps I will be more open to middle-aged romance in the future.

The Dog Share is the perfect uplifting story for animal lovers with the focus on friendship and the healing power of our relationship with our furry best friend. The romantic tale between our protagonists becomes a side story as the relationships between the humans and adorable Scout take centre stage.

Fiona Gibson’s latest tale is a highly enjoyable read, full of laugh out loud moments where the reader will find themselves going “Oh” at the sweet antics of Scout and how Suzy slowly learns to cope with her misfortunes and take control back in her life.

Push aside your cynicism, curl up on the couch and enjoy this heart-warming and uplifting tale of how a new furry friend can help put life to rights.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.