Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wonderful and sweet read! I have read a few books where a lost dog brought people together and I'm really hoping that becomes a new subgenre. Gibson is a talented author and she knows exactly how to build her story, and characters. I didn't love them at every point of the book but that is usually a sign of solid writing for me! If you are looking for a relaxing summer book, The Dog Share is perfect for you.

The Dog Share is just the right kind of novel for when a reader wants to spend time in an idyllic location with an engaging group of characters. The author makes Sgadansky feel so real that I actually googled it; sadly the island is fictional and no real ferry can take the reader there. Its small town ambience, along with the distillery and the beach, are places that readers will enjoy visiting.

Ms. Gibson tells the story of Suzy who takes over the management of a whisky distillery after her partner abandons it to a messy fate. Readers will hope that things work out for Suzy both at the distillery and in life. They will also enjoy getting to know Scout, the stray whom Suzy adopts and the dog in the title. He seems like the perfect pet.

Ricky is the foil to Suzy. He is a music teacher and single dad to son Arthur who loves Scout. Something happened to Arthur’s mother but Ricky is in no hurry to reveal what. Will he and Suzy find love together?

Ricky’s dad is part of the bridge between these characters. He had worked at the distillery but quit in a huff. Can Suzy get him to come back? Will the distillery succeed?

There is enough plot to keep the reader engaged in what is a pleasant light read. I recommend this one if this is a reader’s cup of tea (or whisky).

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

this was such a cute and funny romance story! Love how it's about second changes and it made me want a dog even more than I already did haha all of the main character (including the dog!) won my heart! Totally recommend

(3.5 stars)
While this book was super cute, it fell a little flat for me and my tastes, but it’s a very personal thing! I thought this would be a RomCom, but it felt more like chick lit, which is not a bad thing, just not what I had been looking for! The pacing was also a little slow for my taste. Overall though, it was a cute, easy, light read that I think lots of people will enjoy.

3.5 Stars

The Dog Share by Fiona Gibson is a cute contemporary that gives the reader a feel-good vibe. The characters are enjoyable and the setting is ideal. While the plot takes a little while to get rolling, the book is sweet and perfect for your beach bag.

To sum this book up neatly, it is a lovely story. However, it just was not exactly what I was expecting based on the cover and the synopsis. It really seems that it is going to be a rom-com that involves sharing a dog, but it is not quite how this book plays out.

❀ SLOW-PACED

The story is told in alternating perspectives and both characters are enjoyable to read about. Suzy is a divorced mother with adult children and she is just coming out of a bad break-up. Ricky, on the other hand, is a single father navigating life with his young son. The connection between these two characters takes a long time to develop. More than halfway through the story Suzy and Ricky meet and their stories slowly begin to intertwine. While there is nothing specifically dislikable about the plot, it just seems to be really drawn out and it would have been more enjoyable if more time had been spent on Suzy and Ricky’s relationship.

❀ ENJOYABLE ASPECTS

There are some other aspects of the novel that I really loved. Scout, the rescue dog, brings some fun and lighthearted moments to the story. He is quite charming and really brings people together. Also the Scotland setting is wonderful, and I loved the descriptions of the landscape and its people.

❀ CUTE, FEEL-GOOD STORY

The Dog Share by Fiona Gibson is a perfect book if you are in the mood for a cute, feel-good story. The characters and the setting are enjoyable to read about. It is a bit slow-paced, but overall a sweet story.

The dog share is a cute book about family, traditions, friendship and dogs. Scout, the dog, was not a huge character in the book. He's there and it's awesome how they sort of share him so everyone gets to feel the love a dog gives, but the story is not solely focused on the dog.

Suzy's boyfriend left her with a failing distillery. She had no hand in the business and knows nothing about running a distillery. On a whim she decides to attempt to learn and get the business back on track.

I thought this was a cute book, a bit confusing at first to keep up with what was going on. The setting was amazing. I want to plan a trip to Scotland now.

An outstanding book! One to remember!
The characters felt real with their back stories fully explored. There were many twists and turns to the plot which kept the reader invested.
Suzy finds Scout the dog, she needs a friend, and he needs a home. Together they go on adventures bringing people together and trying to save a distillery on a remote Hebridean island .
Sheer Escapism, a feel good and uplifting read, I would recommend this book to anyone.
Thank you to Netgalley, Avon Books and Fiona Gibson for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

This was a fun, light and easy read for me. I would put this more so in the chick lit category but hey they got me with the dog. I can't say no to a dog on the cover. I definitely did struggle getting through the first parts of this book due to the amount of characters that were described. Afterwards, the story really flowed and I was about to learn more about these two wonderful characters, their struggles, and their duties.

Another great book by Fiona Gibson
A light hearted read especially in these times.
Likeable characters.
And a great story.
Thanks NetGalley

Really enjoyable story throughout. Easy to read, light hearted and quite comforting. The characters are all likeable and the story has a definite direction which is slightly predictable (however there’s no harm in predictability!). Scout pulls it all together nicely by being the constant in the story. The setting is just divine and adds to the beauty of the book.

Thank you Netgalley

the dog was what sold me. it's not the most groundbreaking book, but it was such a fun read. well paced, so it reads quite fast, i liked the narrator and characters and overall really enjoyed it.

I totally loved When Life Gives you Lemons by Fiona Gibson so I really, really wanted to love this book. I mean this book has cute rom com written all over it. The cover is adorable and what's not to like about dogs and love?

However, I struggled to connect to the characters and storyline. I suppose I was looking for more of the wit and humor from When Life Gives You Lemons. I will be honest and say I did not completely finish this one. All that said, I definitely still encourage others to give this book a try!!

Actual rating: 3.75/5

The Dog Share has two point-of-view for the two main characters: Suzy and Ricky. Suzy is on a business trip on a Scottish island and finds a lost dog: Scout. She then decides to bring him home with her.
First, the story is original and I really liked the setting of the island as well as the lost dog. Moreover, the main characters have their own stories and they are explored in the book with the help of the other characters. However, the plot was a bit too slow for me and the romance only takes place in the last hundred pages.
Secondly, the storyline felt very natural and as something that could actually happen to someone. I also felt connected with both characters and Scout obviously...
Overall, it was a good book but the beginning is long...

This is what I needed!!!! Loved Scout liked Suzy but did i mention i loved Scout?? Every person at least once (or maybe 6) times needs a companion that has total confidence in you even if you have none yourself.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
 
One I know I am very late to the party on this as the book published at the beginning of March, I had aims to finish it much sooner but this book put me in one of the worst reading slumps I’ve ever been in.
 
Firstly, the premise of this book is lovely – a woman finds a dog on one of the Scottish Isles and then shares the walking and loving nature of this dog with people who need it most. However, the set up for this was over half the book, and it felt incredibly unnecessary. I felt the writing was ok but could have done with a little bit more editing (I’m aware this was an arc so changes could have been made before the final copy) to make it more seamless and also probably shorter.
 
I liked the idea of a woman taking back control of something her partner had ruined, who doesn't love a strong independent woman? However again the execution just wasn’t there, I never really saw a realistic moment when she explained to the people whose lives were almost ruined what went wrong, just how she was going to fix it. Everything just fell in her lap and I can’t say there was any actual evidence of her working hard to undo her mistakes or hold herself accountable.
 
Don’t get me started on the polyamorous representation in this book. The male m/c was in a relationship with a woman who it appeared he had nothing in common with and found out after a year of dating that she’d previously been in polyamorous relationships. This had huge potential. How was it dealt with? His partner cheated on him because she ‘couldn’t be tied down’ despite never actually having the conversation with her partner that it was something she might need. It dropped a star straight away for this outdated and bigoted portrayal alone. Polyamory is a valid choice in relationships when done correctly with consent and communication but this fell massively short of this.
 
Overall this was fine, maybe I’m not the target audience and that’s why this didn’t resonate with me but due to the poor representation, poorly executed plot and the fact it put me in a reading slump I can’t justify giving it more than 2 stars.
 
I really liked Harry though, something about grumpy old men coming around to new ideas makes me happy! That little twist at the end made me gasp.

The Dog Share is a light-hearted easy read that follows the lives of two characters - Suzy and Ricky - and how their separate lives come together in unexpected ways. It was not what I was expecting based on the cover or the title, but the description sets the scene well. The book is mostly character driven, with the growth of the two characters center stage, but I did find myself wanting to know more about secondary characters and I really wish there were more of Scout in the book because I simply love dogs. I did enjoy this book however, it did feel quite superficial in parts. I would recommend it if you are looking for a light-hearted, uplifting read.

When I saw that there was a book about a dog, I couldn’t resist it. What more could you want than a dog and some good old romance?!

The Dog Share follows Suzy, a middle aged woman who finds herself single, with adult children who have moved out of home, and is in a huge mess. She is the part owner of a distillery on the island of Sgadansay, a small, tight knit community, and recent events have left the locals despising the owners of the distillery.

On a trip to Sgadansay, Suzy discovers Scout on her doorstep - a seemingly abandoned and gorgeous dog. She decides to keep Scout, who provides her with companionship and a way to meet new people.

I really enjoyed the fact that this book was about middle aged people - a refreshing departure from young twenty-year olds. It explores starting again and having to make friendships when you are older and have experienced many different set backs. Whilst this novel appears to be about romance, I think it is much more.

I definitely recommend this if you are after a light and easy read!

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

Not great, did not finish. I thought it would be a cute story about a dog but it was mainly about a whisky distillery & broken relationships

Disappointing

It was a really nice easy read. I wanted to read this book because I love dogs and I’ve known people with dog sharing set ups. Unfortunately the dog seemed a bit like a plot device to get the characters together, which was a shame. But overall it was a good engaging story.