I've been a fan of Wilson's for years now - particularly of her dog-centric books like this one. And I really and truly loved this one!! So much that when I realized that this is actually a spin-off of Wilson's 2003 novel, The Fortune Teller's Daughter, I immediately found a way to get a copy of this out-of-print title into my hands. Main character, Ruby Heartwood is a genuine psychic and on a stormy spring evening in Harmony Falls, Massachusetts, she crosses paths with a very unique King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. Her abilities suddenly expand to allow Ruby remarkably clear communication with the small dog. What she doesn't expect is that this new relationship will open Ruby up more than she ever expected and leads her to be able to get all that she ever wanted. It's such a fun read! Absolutely magically entertaining! I am so excited to read the book that focuses more on Sabine, too! And I am looking forward to seeing what Wilson writes next! But I do think that this is probably my very favorite of all of her books so far! It's an uplifting and sweet read - with some sad parts, too, but still an overwhelmingly positive book and one that I quite thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish! Wilson is a talented author who certainly seems to really "get" dogs and loves them. This would be right up just about any dog lover's alley, if you are looking for a good book to give as a gift!

Wouldn't it be wonderful and amazing if your pets could talk to you? To tell you how they feel? To tell you they love you? This is an amazingly wonderful book with fun loving characters that will take you to a place where animals communicate and assist Ruby with her chosen profession of psychic "runaway". Very enjoyable read.

I received an ebook ARC from Netgalley and this is my voluntary, honest review.

What a Dog Knows by Susan Wilson is such a sweet yet emotional book.

I was never much of a dog person until we got a puppy and now I get why so many people go crazy over their pups. Though we got our puppy for our daughter, I think he is partially mine, too. I adore this guy so much and am quite attached to him. When my daughter does on sleepovers at her friends’ houses, I sleep in her bed with him so he doesn’t have to be alone! Weird? Yes. Do I care? Nope. Until my daughter tells me not to do it anymore (forget about my husband who does not understand at all).

Anyway, the reason I went into all of this is because I was so intrigued when reading this book and I couldn’t help but look at our pup sometimes while reading and wonder what he was thinking or was trying to say. How fun would that be? I just KNOW that he is telling me how much he loves me sometimes, or is whining because no one has played with him for hours. I was thinking it would be entertaining to go see Ruby and see what she could tell me.

Ruby is such an eccentric character, and no wonder. She has led quite the interesting life and come across some flavorful people and situations over the years. I just love her personality and relationship with the other characters. She can be quite feisty, yet a softy at the same time. This book has quite a few things going on and they all blend together seamlessly, creating an enjoyable and comfortable book too read.

What a wonderful story! What a Dog Knows by Susan Wilson is a story of a woman, a dog, and a search of belonging. At the most unexpected time and at the most unexpected place Ruby Heartwood finds a companion and a new calling that changes her nomadic lifestyle. I found myself enchanted by Hitchhiker, in awe of Ruby’s survival ability and found myself wondering what my dog would have said of it all.

The writing is excellent in the way that there is foreshadowing, mystery with a simple turn in the plot along the way. Especially well done is how Ruby’s past is revealed in tidbits along the way. There are realistic supporting characters, four legged and two legged that are intriguing but not so many to be confusing. I came to care for these characters, their concerns, their needs, and the outcomes they faced. No matter what I was doing I was constantly thinking about how much I wanted to get back to Ruby, her dog and her new found friends.

Ms. Wilson has written several stories with dogs but this one is my favorite for sure.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Susan Wilson stole my heart with her deeply endearing novel, “One Good Dog”. If you want to read a few of her books, I recommend you start with that one. She maintains that deep connection between humans and dogs in her new novel, “What a Dog Knows”. I could easily see my dog thinking the thoughts and reacting as the dogs in this beautifully written story.
One of the best healers for a tortured human soul is a tortured dog soul. Susan teaches this life lesson with the help of Ruby and a stray dog she calls The Hitchhiker. During an angry rainstorm one night, Ruby Heartwood hears whining and scratching at the door to her home on wheels, which she’s lived and traveled in all her life. The wet little bundle of fur is able to “talk” with Ruby when she rubs the puppy’s head and listens closely. Ruby has always had the gift of clairvoyance so she’s not too startled by this revelation. She quickly learns that she can also communicate with horses.
Her Volkswagon Westie needs extensive work, so Ruby is reluctantly stuck in the little town of Harmony Farms strapped for cash. She uses her fortune-telling skills along with her new dog and horse reading skills to assist people and raise funds for needed repairs, and it seems that she just can’t get out of this little town soon enough.
But Hitch, her newly adopted puppy, has other plans. He knows the cure to her heartache is very close to this area and he doesn’t want her to leave until she pays attention to her own heart.
If you love dogs and/or horses, lost souls, and beautifully written words; if you love living in a well-written book so much that you dread reaching the end, then please do your soul some good and read this book. You will simply love it.
Sincere thanks to NetGalley and St, Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is June 22, 2021.

A Psychic Communicates with Animals

Ruby Heartwood has been running for most of her life. She was left at a Catholic orphanage by her mother as an infant. Growing up, she felt could know things about a person by touching them. When she tells a nun what her life holds, the Mother Superior calls her evil and puts her in solitary confinement. Ruby escapes and hits the road as a fourteen-year-old.

Ruby’s had a difficult life. She earns her living going from carnival to medieval fair and on to another carnival, but her powers seem to be waning. One night during a wild rainstorm, she falls asleep in her van. In the morning she opens the door to a King Charles spaniel. She calls him Hitchhiker and they team up. She seems to be able to know what he’s thinking.

The town where she’s landed is Harmony Farms. She signs up for the Farmers’ Market and Makers Faire to use her psychic talents. She now adds the ability to communicate with animals. Although she usually moves on, Ruby finds she wants to stay in Harmony Farms. Perhaps she will find why she has been running away from everything for so long.

This is a wonderful story, particularly if you love animals. The story is about friendship, struggle and overcoming obstacles. I loved the animals not just Hitchhiker, but the other animals Rudy worked with. I thought Rudy’s character was great. Her life was a struggle, but she didn’t give up. If you enjoy a well written story, with a good ending, you’ll enjoy this one.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

3.5 STARS
Ruby grew up in a convent orphanage never knowing who dropped her off there or who her mother was. Unfortunately, her memories of the orphanage aren’t the best, especially after it became known that she had some psychic abilities. So at an early age she escapes from the orphanage and finds herself trying to survive any way she can.

This is a hard book for me to review. It is original, well written, and has the elements that should have attracted me. Yet for some reason I had a hard time feeling engaged in the story.

Susan Wilson is my go-to author when I’m in the mood for a story that includes dogs. In my opinion she’s the best. But in the case of What a Dog Knows, I felt no real compassion for Ruby or Hitchhiker, the dog that attached herself to Ruby. Why didn’t this story work for me? I’m still trying to figure that out, since other reviewers seem to be rating this very high.

As I rethink the story, there was a section that had more tension than other parts of the book, but it just took too long to get there.

My Concerns
I had trouble feeling emotionally invested in this story, even though it was well written and very original. Neither Ruby nor Hitchhiker caused me to want to keep turning pages.

My Final Thoughts
This is a book with such high reviews that it would be a mistake for you not to read it and form your own conclusion. The odds are in favor of you loving it.

I received an ARC from #NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. This is only my opinion.

Ruby Heartwood is a gypsy in that she doesn't lay down roots anywhere and prides herself in her ability to move from place to place with ease until one small town gets into her system and a dog finds her and needs her. Ruby has that ability to see into people's future, but a new skill comes her way when the dog comes into her life and she can communicate with animals and tell their owners what they need and want.

While I don't tend to love the art of psychics and mediums, I did love reading as Ruby communicated with the animals and helping their owners know what the animals wanted and needed. I may have talked to my dogs a little differently both while and after reading this book!

I loved reading about Ruby's pursuit for the details of her past and trying to find out really where she came from beyond the convent where she was surrendered. Watching this part of the book unfold was so entertaining and I enjoyed Ruby and her sleuthing as she gathered clues and got some answers. The one part of the plot that made me shake my head or roll my eyes was the continual things that kept Ruby in the small town, some seemed ridiculous and I wish she had come to her senses earlier in the book and admitted that she was finding joy in staying.

This was my first Susan Wilson read and while I have coveted her covers with all the dogs for a long time, I was ready to try her out and experience her writing and characters. I am hopeful to read more of her books with these great dogs on the cover and finding out how she incorporates the dog into each book.

Ruby, a traveling psychic and animal communicator, has been on the road trying to "find herself" since she was 14. Now an adult, with a grown daughter and grandkids, Ruby is trying to get answers on how she grew up in an orphanage and who placed her there. In her travels, Ruby comes across a stray dog she names hitchhiker, and realizes she can hear the dog's thoughts. I loved reading about Ruby's journey with her new found pet as she tries to find answers about her mom. Is she alive? Why was Ruby left at an orphanage, etc?
Such a great read! I wish I had the ability to know what animals were thinking! I was grateful to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book. I can't wait to read more titles by this author!]

I fell deeply, happily in love with Susan Wilson's WHAT A DOG KNOWS. In a story about a woman having cobbled together a vagabond life only to be seemingly stuck in a town she does not know, but which exerts a powerful force upon her, the intuitive fortuneteller Ruby Heartwood discovers a new ability to read the minds of animals, partners with an intrepid, noble dog called Hitchhiker, makes friends, and falls in love. Shifts between Ruby's human perspective and Hitch's canine one enrich and deepen the story and kept me turning the pages long after bedtime. I loved the dog, the woman, the people around her and what happens when long-buried secrets and evasions are brought to light and examined. No one writes a dog like Susan Wilson -- so believably, honest, clear, and true. When you need a powerful escape, this is the book to seek out. I received an advance reader copy of this novel in exchange for my unbiased review.

I really enjoyed my time with Ruby and Hitch! This was a fun book, and now I want a little of Ruby's animal communicating ability so that I can know what my pets are thinking. I found this to be one of those books that got off to a slow start, but then began to pull me into the story. This is one I will think about often - possibly every time I look in my dog's or cat's sweet little faces.
Lots of cute dogs and other animals. All the paws up!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Any novel that has dogs in it, is definitely one of my liking. This was no exception with its mystery and truly touching story of Ruby and her journey.
This is not be missed by dog lovers or even if you are not a dog lover, you will fall in love.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for fair and honest review.

What a lovely book this is! Ruby has been on the run since she left an orphanage in Canada at the age of 14. She raised her daughter Sabine by using her psychic abilities in carnivals and other venues but now Sabine is married, a mom, and settled down and Ruby's still out there in her camper van. Then one rainy night she stops ar a park and is found by a dog-a cavalier King Charles she names Hitchhiker and her world expands in a way she doesn't really understand. Not only can she sudden ly communicate with animals, she's found friends and has an odd desire to stay in one place for a while. And she wants to find her mother. Ruby's back story is not a pretty one and you've got to admire her grit. Her telepathic and psychic abilities are wows- the small stories of the dogs (and a couple of horses) will make you both sad and happy. Harmony Farms turns out to be much more than Ruby expected. I loved this for the characters- not just Ruby and Hitch but also Polly, Bull, Boy the dog, and so on. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Great storytelling snd a big heart made this an excellent read.

What a Fantastic Story!
I absolutely love this book. I hated to put it down to go to sleep. This is mostly Women's Fiction with a touch of 6th sense added in. It is the life story of a young orphan. The characters are believable and quite phenomenal. Summer fairs and Ren Fests are presented so well that you can smell the aromas and hear the noise. The desires pushing this woman are very well presented by dreams. I want to read this book again to be sure I captured all of the subtle detail. I will certainly be watching for more books by this author. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

The story of Ruby and Hitch is one you'll remember for a long time. I honestly loved this book and was already recommending it to others before I was even half way through the book. I loved the characters, they really seemed to come alive on the page. The story itself, though predictable at times, keeps you hooked and reading until the very end. A solid 4 stars for What a Dog Knows!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a heartwarming story that hooks you on the first page. What would it be like to be able to read a dog's mind? Come join Ruby on her adventure and find out. Loved it! Thank you St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

The title of this novel doesn't do it justice. This is one unusual, emotional, interesting journey of taking chances and discovery. Everything from the Dew Drop Inn & it's proprietor Ravi to Buck & Boy and Ruby, Doug and Hitch are characters who come alive in every page. When I began reading I thought the 'talk to a dog' was going to be -- well-- stupid but it is smart and involving
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

I’m a pushover, for a dog story, and this one pulled me right in. A stray dog wanders into Ruby’s life, and “ Hitchhiker” brings joy to her life, as well as a special ability to communicate and hear what this dog has to say. Consequently she discovers that she has the ability to communicate with other animals, so she add “animal communicator” to her other gifts, tarot cards, reading tea leaves and palms, at local fairs and events. Soon people are reaching out to her to help them find out what ails their pets.
Ruby has always been a wanderer, traveling the road to circuses and fairs, hoping someday to find the mother that left her at a Catholic orphanage, where she remained until she was 14, and ran away.
This book by Susan Wilson has it all, humor, friendship, struggle and the search for roots and love. She has developed wonderful characters that you will like and a couple that are very unlikable,
I thank NetGalley, Susan Wilson and St Martin’s Press for the ARC. It’s one of the best I’ve read this year and I’m looking to check out her previous works.

I'm always attracted to books with dogs on the cover and this one turned out to be a winner. I was completely wrapped up in the story of Ruby Heartswood, a traveling psychic. With the exception of the years while she was raising her daughter (now grown and settled happily in one place w/ a spouse and 2 kids), Ruby has always made sure that nothing and no one could pin her down in one place. The open road calls strongly to her and she rejects the idea of "settling down" anywhere. Ruby has a true psychic gift, one that apparently runs in her family since her daughter and now her granddaughter both seem to have inherited it, but Ruby herself was raised in a convent orphanage and has no idea of her actual family background.

One stormy night, while staying in a lakeside campground in her trusty van, Ruby connects with a little stray dog whom she nicknames "the Hitchhiker". Much to her surprise, she discovers that she can hear the dog's thoughts, then discovers that this new ability isn't limited just to HH, but seems to work with other dogs as well as other animals. She has no intention of actually adopting HH, nor of staying in the small town near the lake, yet somehow, she inexplicably finds herself creating connections to others in town and whenever she tries to leave various coincidental events conspire to keep her in town. Ruby slowly comes to realize that the answer to the most important question in her life, who her mother is, will somehow be connected to this small town where she has begun, no matter how unwillingly, to put down roots.

This book was charming and gentle. Ruby was a lovely character, strong willed, smart, and independent. She'd spent so many years alone, suppressing a caring nature that was crying out for deeper connections to others. I believe in the possibility of psychic abilities so that aspect of the story was a plus, and I loved the little hitchhiker's thoughts. If we could hear what dogs were thinking, I imagine their thoughts would be very much as depicted in this book - all surface, living for and in the moment, not looking forward, and wanting their humans to be happy and content. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story, not just dog lovers.

What a Dog Knows is the second book I've read by Susan Wilson, and also my favorite so far!
It is the story of Ruby, a psychic who is losing her ability when she finds a dog that makes her realize that she now can read animals. The dog won't leave her, so she names the dog Hitch, short for Hitchhiker, and starts advertising her services as an animal communicator while also trying to figure out her past. She was raised in an orphanage and desperately wants to find her birth mother.
What a Dog Knows is the story of love: both of the animal and family kind. I was interested through the entire book, and as someone who has often considered hiring a dog medium, the entire novel was intriguing to me. Great job, Susan Wilson! Looking forward to your next book!