This is not what I expected- and I suspect others will be surprised as well. George's wife has died and he's falling apart. She left him Poppy the puppy, Betty the neighbor, and letters timed so that he discovers them just when he needs them. Dan is a counselor with OCD who is undone by Ambrose, his latest client who forces him to finally acknowledge that he's gay. His dog is Fitz. Then there's Lizzie, who is living with her son Lenny in a shelter for abused women - she walks Maude. These are well done stories with twists you might not expect - and they aren't all happy. While I liked the portraits of each person, they didn't interact in a coherent way and the dogs were less important than implied by, well, the title. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. While it's not rom-com or even easily categorized, it's a good read.

Had I looked into the original meaning of dog days, I may have been better prepared for this novel. I got an invite from the publisher to read an early edition, indicating that, since I had enjoyed a previous romance that had dogs in it, I might enjoy this story.

It ended up being a vast departure from my typical reading, but this crafty wordsmith somehow manages to mine the magic in the mundane and breathe life into the pedestrian as she takes us into the lives of three canine companions and their very different humans, laying bare every flaw and weakness and each little scar.

Written in a style that's of more an accounting or reporting, a reserved, impartial voice states the facts without embellishment. This only serves to highlight the emotional moments, making them that much more striking and dynamic.

Life is hard but a dog loves unconditionally. Humans fail others and themselves but a dog is always loyal. Some circumstances and choices seem impossible to live with, but a dog will always do its best to soothe a battered soul.

Poignant and heart breaking, yet healing and inspiring, this unvarnished, authentic story is a powerful, extraordinary read and absolutely not to be missed.

4.5 stars

I enjoyed reading this book, and I loved how these three strangers’ lives slowly began to intermingle throughout the story.

I had a lot of mixed feelings while reading this book, especially in regards to George. To be honest, he seemed like a real jerk. Even when people around him just wanted help and show him that they cared, he always found a way to push them away with his nasty attitude. Don’t get me wrong, I know he’d just lost his wife, but it made me wonder what he was like before his wife died. I can’t imagine it was much better. And it broke my heart that he didn’t want to take care of the dog. Thank god Betty showed up when she did! Now her I liked! She too had lost her husband, but she seemed determined to help George get out of his slump and come back to the land of the living.

Dan was an interesting character because even though he was a therapist, he seemed to have a lot of his own problems that needed to be addressed. His patient, Atticus, seemed like he’s be quite a handful, but I think he helped Dan come out of his shell and become more comfortable with being open about his sexuality.

Lizzie was the biggest surprise because she really had me fooled (as well as everyone else around her. I wasn’t surprised when those who found out the truth were so upset with her because it was a pretty shitty thing twist around and make it seem as though she were the victim.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, even though at times it was pretty depressing. But I absolutely loved the end and how it showed that dogs can help teach us a lot about ourselves and help bring people together. Definitely recommending this one!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3955376324

Dog Days was one of those books that seemed to be all over the place trying to find itself. It was a little like Dan, I guess. A counselor with no boundaries, no social life, a tinge of self-hatred, and very little self awareness. Who couldn't see Atticus coming a mile away? Who doesn't know what a semicolon tattoo means? Maybe a lot of people, but certainly not s trained professional. I mostly just felt sorry for him. I liked his dog, Finch, though.

Then there was Lizzie. She sits with her son in a battered women's shelter but refuses to engage with most people. Something about her actions, especially with her autism, don't ring true and you find out that whole messed up tale. Then you kind of get it. I mostly didn't like her and her manipulation of everyone around her. I guess I also felt sorry for her, too.

There's a cranky old couple who use their spouses deaths to be mean to each other. They have cute dogs, too.
There's a completely unprofessional teacher who decides to pursue the parent of one of his students, even more so when he finds out she just recently left an abusive marriage. I mean some of her wounds are still fresh enough to bleed!

Parts of this work did make me feel for the characters. In the end, I only liked one of them. I was disappointed by the ending as it pertained to the beginning, but that is something I can't really discuss without giving away...stuff. Overall, it was a quick read that kept me page turning. It is possible to read a book full of unlikable people and like the book. I thought this one hit in a lot of places, Dan's journey into becoming honest with himself and the world. Atticus just being himself. Women in a shelter supporting each other. All great parts. The tone was a little unbalanced, as were the characters, and occasionally let me fall out of the narrative so that I had to climb back in.

I requested this because dogs. Also because it was on some anticipated upcoming release lists, but mostly because dogs.

I never had dogs as a kid, and in fact was a little scared of them, so I never completely understood the emotion that other kids had surrounding dog books. Now, as a devoted dog mom of a spoiled, super-chill chihuahua mix, I’m a lot more susceptible to the allure of a book with a dog (if somewhat allergic to the sickening level of sweetness that can sometimes accompany them.)

Dog Days is sweet, but I’m happy to report that it’s not overwhelmingly so. In fact, it gets quite dark in places. It follows three interconnected storylines – the lives of George, Dan, and Lizzie, all of whom have dogs in their lives, sometimes reluctantly, and find their lives enriched by the comfort, emotional support, and healing that a dog in your life can bring. The book also gets very real about dark themes like grief and depression. It has extremely dark moments, and some twists and turns I didn’t see coming that add depth and complexity to the story and the characters.

In addition to exploring different forms of depression, the book has OCD and autism representation, as well as gay representation.

I’m giving this one three stars, mostly because I found one of the darker turns very jarring and upsetting. I felt like although the author did foreshadow the character’s struggles, at the exact time in which it happened in the book, I felt like it came out of nowhere. Which, granted, that kind of tragedy often seems like it does. But it just didn’t feel like it fit with the rest of the book, somehow. It felt like it was just there to be tragic, which plays into trends and tropes that I could frankly do without.

TW: Homophobia, domestic abuse, self harm, suicide

This is a beautifully written, emotional story of how some people deal with life situations that are beyond their control. It is a story that held my attention, feeling emotional at times and sad. But as the story went on, we see how each person deals with their situation and have one common thread. A dog....and, as we know, dogs will love you unconditionally and be by your side to help you through even the toughest of times.
Interesting characters and story line held my attention and kept me turning the pages to see how everything would turn out for them.

This is an excellent, soul-touching book about the way that dogs help us through our lives, specifically during the worst situations that we encounter. The story is very character-driven and you will find yourself rooting for your favorites as they navigate their way through some of the toughest experiences life has to offer.

This book may be triggering to some readers because it deals with depression, abuse, and homosexuality.

Dog Days by Ericka Waller is a book about dogs and their humans. As a dog owner and lover, I really related to Ericka's words, to the scenes at the dog park that she so vividly describes. Dog Days is based around 3 characters, George, Dan and Lizzie, each with a dog in their life and each going through their own personal struggle., and Ericka's prose really pulls the reader in, making them feel like part of the story.
All of the characters in Ericka Waller's Dog Days are connected in some way or another, meeting each other through the course of the book. It's such a well thought out story that the events read like nonfiction.
This book was a beautiful and lighthearted read. I finished it in two days. While reading, I felt myself holding my own dog closer. Reminded again of all he gives me, expecting nothing in return. Finally, Dog Days reminded me of the power that dogs have in bringing different kinds of people together, people from all kinds of background that would otherwise never meet. It's pretty cool to think about.

The colorful cover of this novel makes it seem like what’s contained within its pages will be cheery. Instead, it’s a well-written book that deals with darker topics like domestic violence, OCD, and going through old age alone.

What ties Lizzie, Dan, and George together are dogs. Lizzie doesn’t want to take care of dog Maud, but she’s assigned the task as part of living at a woman’s shelter. Dan feels like a fraud to everyone but his dog, Fritz, who doesn’t mind Dan’s strange tics. George is furious his wife for dying on him—leaving him a dog named Poppy that he doesn’t want—he doesn’t know how to take care of himself, let alone a loving and happy dachshund puppy.

I teared up several times. The writing is just exceptional.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES MAY 11, 2021.

An amazing story of dogs helping out people. I'm a sucker for dog books and it was a delight to read this one! I can't recommend it enough! There's dogs, there's love, there's dogs helping people out... DOGS. Absolutely loved it

Dog Days is a lyrical tale of a variety of people who live in a quaint community of Brighton. They each have a pet dog, but this isn’t the main crux of the story. We meet George, newly widowed and very angry at Ellen for leaving so quickly. And to find out she shared her prognosis with others, even wrote them letters, but never told George.
There’s Dan, an OCD counselor who is attracted to one of his patients but feels it’s very important to hide the fact that he may be gay, no matter what the cost.
There’s Lizzie, a battered wife, living in a shelter and trying to give her dear son some semblance of a normal life after the nightmare they’ve escaped.
As these lives weave and intertwine, we’re lulled into a sense that all ends well, it’s just such a picturesque setting and we can almost write the ending ourselves. But Ericka Waller keeps both feet on the ground when she completes this tale, and reminds us that life, after all, isn’t always kind.
This is a quick and endearing read with some good life lessons insinuated throughout.
Sincere thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is May 11, 2021.

As a dog lover, I was a bit disappointed that dogs weren't more front and center in this unexpectedly deep and emotional book. It does show how different individuals deal with struggles and grow from them, always with our dogs by our side. Waller has created a heart warming, sensitive novel that will make you chuckle but will also tug at your heart strings.

Perhaps I should caveat my review by noting: while I certainly appreciate dogs, I am not a dog owner (and don't think I could be one). But for the current dog owners and lovers, this is definitely a book for you.

Dog Days tells the stories of 3 characters: George, a senior who has lost his wife; Dan, a man struggling with OCD while trying to be a therapist for others; and Lizzie, a woman who has been physically abused in her past and is trying to care for her son Lennie while living in a shelter. Their lives all come together thanks to the dogs in their lives, and is a touching story of how these three learn to support one another, and how their pets are an integral part of that process. The writing in this novel flows well, and I appreciated how well the author handled both humor and sorrow side-by-side. The characters were so lovable as well, and I felt invested in each of their stories and their character growth throughout the novel. Even if you aren't a current dog owner or lover, I think you'll be able to take away something from this story.

I’m a sucker for books that involve dogs, so there was no way I’d skip this one. This debut novel encompasses the lives of three very different people, each of whom is rescued by a dog.
“Ellen came home with the dachshund puppy three weeks ago. She didn’t tell George she was getting a dog. Didn’t ask him first...it was the first thing she had even done without consulting him. And then she died, which was the second.” If you take the F word out of George’s vocabulary, he’d be hard pressed to complete a sentence. He refuses to take care of himself or the dog. George reminds me of Ove, from A Man Called Ove. Another grumpy man with a heart of gold that shows his love by doing, not words.
Then we have Dan, who has OCD, he’s also got Fitz, his yellow lab. He’s a man coming to terms with his sexuality, finding himself in his first romance.
And finally, Lizzie, who is tasked with walking Maud, an overweight Jack Russell owned by the women’s center where she is staying.
These three all have significant issues. But all three are also being given the opportunity to heal, to find love.
This was a heartwarming story. It’s definitely not fast moving and at times, the writing struck me as a little too verbose. But it drew me in and I just wanted to see how things would work out for each of them. The secondary characters, the love interests, if you will, were all wonderful people. If anything, I think I cared for Luke and Betty more than any of the main characters. And OMG, can you imagine the presence of mind that Ellen had to have to put so many things in place for George while she was dying? That is true love!
This book was so much more than I expected. It’s got twists I never saw coming. It’s not a happily ever after fairytale. In fact, I recommend this for fans of Frederick Backman. It’s that perfect mix of humor, pathos, love and just good old humanity.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for an advance copy of this book.

While this story does have dogs, three, included in the story, it isn’t really about the dogs. It’s more about the people who they share their life with.

George’s wife has just died, and George’s response is repeated bursts of inappropriate anger, most of which are directed at either the dachshund puppy, Poppy, that his wife brought home without even asking his opinion on the matter. To add insult to injury, his neighbor, Betty, seems intent on stopping by to make sure he isn’t just sitting around in the same underpants he’s been wearing, not showering or taking care of or feeding Poppy - which is exactly how he’s been spending his days. He doesn’t know that his wife had set these visits in motion to keep him from wallowing and wasting away alone in the house. George is not really a “people person,” he has no manners, he seems chronically cranky, which can’t completely be explained away because his wife has just died, he’s just a crotchety old man. He wasn’t exactly prince charming to his wife, either, expecting her to wait on his every need, but underneath it all, apparently, there was love.

Then there is Dan, a mental health counselor who has OCD, himself. He is also struggling with accepting his feelings about his sexuality. His dog is a labrador named Fitz, who seems to be his substitute best friend, and one of his excuses, for not having a partner, or a life, really. He’s a bit awkward with people, and struggles even more once a patient appears at his door early on, and finds himself attracted to this patient who seems to be subtly flirting with him, that is if he’s not just imagining it.

Lizzie is a former teacher, a woman who has escaped her husband, with her son, and they live in a women’s shelter. She doesn’t talk much about it, trying to protect her young son Lenny, and her, from the past, but her emotional and physical scars tell part of her story. It’s her secret, to share or not, but Maude, the resident dog at the shelter, a terrier, seems to be aware of her overly protective nature, her wanting to hide from someone or something.

This is Waller’s debut novel, and in some ways it feels like an attempt at a small dose of 'A Man Called Ove' along with a dash of 'The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper' adding an assortment of dogs to appeal to dog lovers. The first half of this I was pretty sure I was not going to finish it, but it did pick up a bit in the second half.

Trigger Warnings - Self-Injury Disorder, suicide


Pub Date: 11 May 2021

Many thanks for the ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press / St. Martin’s Griffin

I may be going against the grain on this one, but I had to stop midway. I had such high hopes based upon the description and the promise of the storyline portraying the relationship between the owners and their dogs. My sunshine is my dachshund, “Charlie” and I adore him, so this book called to me. The story started out pretty good, George was an unhappy old widower that was needing some TLC. Dan’s OCD was hilarious and Lizzie and Lenny were a story in the making.
But unfortunately, I did not expect one of the characters’ lives to turn into a soap opera of a gay relationship. I am a mother/grandmother and I don’t understand why in the past 6 months I have encountered more books feeling the need to bring in a gay relationship than I have read in the past 4 years. I respect everyone’s decisions and lifestyles, but romantic intentions/attractions between same sex relationships is something I have made the decision that I don’t have to nor want to read about. End of book.
If the story could have stayed on the storyline of George and his feelings of loss and adjustment missing his wife, him learning to love Poppy, all would have been good. Or if we could have stayed with Dan and Fitz and covered his challenges of dealing with OCD and his lack of confidence in counseling or Lizzie and getting her life back on track. It would have been great….
But I do want to thank St. Martin’s Press along with NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC. Coming in with 3 stars.

Dog Days ended up being so much more than I expected it to be. I expected it to be a story about our dogs meaning so much to us, which it was, but not in the way I expected. And spoiler alert: no dogs die!
The author weaves together 3 stories: George, who recently lost his wife and did not want to take care of the dog she left him; Dan, a therapist who finds himself attracted to a patient; and Lizzy, who is living with a women's shelter with her son and doesn't tell us a lot about what brought her there.
I thought this book was a good slice of life, showing how we deal with struggles and grow from them, always with our dogs by our side. However, I don't think this book focuses on the dog as much as the title would have you think.
In the beginning, I almost wrote this book off as being a knockoff of A Man Called Ove, but it was not. However, I do think it is parallel and people who like Bachman will probably like this book as well.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have never read a book like this- it is actually 3 or 4 stories in one. The author does an excellent job of weaving it all together. The characters are real and lovable and unlikable at the same time! the emotions are very real.

I went into this expecting a light-hearted story where dogs create a warm and fuzzy feeling. That is not the case. Instead, they are more akin to background cast in a play. The real focus here is on the humans and all of their flaws. There were lines scattered throughout the book that I think Waller really hit the nail on the head in describing what it means to be human, and I love finding those like buried treasure. However, I do like an unlikeable character every now and then.. but George was too much and I found his chapters hard to read. Character growth did feel a little too concentrated to the last 10% of the book, but that's just me being picky.

Overall, a story that tackles loss with brutal honesty and reminds us that our canine friends are always there to remind us to be human.

Dog Days was a far heavier book than I anticipated it being. I started the book expecting it to be a more light-hearted read, focused on the power a dog can have to make a difference. While the dogs do play a role in the story, the book is much more than that. The characters are flawed. Their lives are difficult, and their dogs are only part of the solution. The book does not shy away from difficult and tough topics. The characters are raw and sometimes very unlikeable, but ultimately redeemable. Despite the title, the dogs are only minor characters

If you read this book--don't go in expecting a more lighthearted tale about dogs. Expect to be sad, expect to need to sit with this one. Expect it to take some time. I would have loved to see the dogs shine more in this story, but overall this was a solid read.