Member Reviews
Seven Perfect Things is another perfect novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Abby rescues seven puppies and hides then in Elliott's cabin. This is a book about friendship and finding happiness. I enjoyed the book and highly recommend it. Thanks to the author Catherine Ryan Hyde, publisher Lake Union Publishing, and to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
Ahhhh... what a great book to end the year.
This book was very engaging, I was drawn in right away. The characters are nicely drawn - none of them are perfect, they are feel "real", and are dealing with their own issues throughout the book. The story line is somewhat predictable, but there is enough suspense to keep it interesting. I found it hard to put the book down - it's been awhile since I've been able to do that.
Very nice, fun read. I have read others by this author and found them to be good books as well, this author needs to find a more regular place on my bookshelf.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the free advanced reader copy in exchange for my unbiased review.
#SevenPerfectThings
Seven Perfect Things by Catherine Ryan Hyde Is a look into how much emotional abuse one can take before finally taking steps to end it. Abby is a 13 year old girl who sees someone throw a bag into a river. It looks like something is alive in the bag, so she jumps in to retrieve it and discovers 7 wiggling puppies. When the pound tells her they are overcrowded and the puppies will be put down, she takes them to an abandoned cabin and locks them in the shed, for she knows she can't take them home to her mother who has enough to handle with her emotionally abusive father.
The owner of the cabin, Elliott, who has just lost his wife, turns up at the cabin and is confused to find the cabin has been burglarized and there is a shed full of puppies. After a rough start, he and Abby becomes friends and Abby comes to wonder why her mother couldn't have married someone kind and nice like Elliott. The fantasies of children!
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I'm sure you will too! Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book is not my usual type of read but I choose it to bring a bit of light relief during these difficult times. If you like animals (and children) then you will enjoy this bright and heart warming tale. The ending is somewhat predictable and the story rather unrealistic, but hey we all need this warm glow sometime. This will make a good film, even one for the younger generation with a few tweeks to the script. Indeed it feels somewhat as if it was written with that in mind as the scenes told will transfer well to the screen.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: May 4, 2021
After the year we have all had, what better way to brighten up your reading life than with seven playful puppies? Catherine Ryan Hyde’s uplifting, light-hearted writing style is back in full swing with “Seven Perfect Things”.
Thirteen year old Abby Hubble is on her way home from swim practice when she sees a man throw a moving, squirming bag over a bridge. Without thinking, Abby jumps into the water below and recovers the bag, only to find seven living puppies inside. When she takes them to the pound, only to discover the pound is full and the puppies’ will only be euthanized, Abby takes the litter to an abandoned house, knowing if she brings them home, her controlling and emotionally abusive father will definitely get rid of them.
Recently widowed Elliot Colvin leaves his home in the city for a brief reprieve at his hunting cabin, hoping to get a bit of space from the memory of his deceased wife. When he discovers seven puppies at his hunting cabin, Elliot is beyond surprised. Even more surprising is the fast friendship he forges with the young owner of the puppies, and the two of them work to formulate a plan that will not only give the rescued puppies a home, but will help bring two lost souls together.
Ryan Hyde’s writing reminds me quite a bit of Nicholas Sparks in that the writing is uplifting and unpretentious, and there is always some kind of tragic and ill-fated love story. Keeping in mind I am a huge fan of Sparks, this is not at all a bad thing.
Abby and her mother are endearing, living on eggshells to avoid upsetting Abby’s quick-to-anger father. I immediately felt sympathy for them, and rooted for them throughout. Obviously, the puppies add an adorable factor that is both cheesy and saccharine but also completely lovable. Who doesn’t like puppies?
Catherine Ryan Hyde definitely doesn’t disappoint with her newest novel. Not only will long time readers and fans find solace in the uplifting and emotionally-charged “Seven Perfect Things”, but new readers will quickly take to her positivity and charm. Ryan Hyde is everything this battered and broken world needs.
I have read several books by Catherine Ryan Hyde and her story-telling is always enjoyable. In Seven Perfect Things, Hyde introduces us to Abby and you quickly learn of her unhappy home life with her father. Abby spends as much time as she can away from the house and the father that terrorizes her and her mother. One afternoon, Abby witnesses a man throwing a bag into the river and it is there she finds seven perfect things. Seven puppies moments away from drowning. Hiding these puppies proves harder than she expects. This is where Elliot enters the story. A grieving man who just lost his wife. Elliot and Abby make quite the pair, raising these puppies.
The story continues on and I don't want to give away anymore.
Catherine Ryan Hyde's writing is easy to follow and is well written. The book is written is present time and follows a natural time lapse. No bouncing between time periods or anything like that. I really enjoyed this story and will continue to look for more work by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Special thanks to NetGalley, Catherine Ryan Hyde, and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 4 stars
#SevenPerfectThings #NetGalley
Seven Perfect Things by New York Times Bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde does not disappoint. Her novels have the perfect mix of amazing storylines, relatable characters, and insightful wisdom that inspires readers long after you finish her books. In this novel, we are introduced to an unlikely cast of characters - a recent widower, an abused wife, a 13 year old girl, and seven stray puppies. They form bonds that have you cheering them on as they face the tragedies that life has dealt them with unflagging courage and humor. As always from Hyde, we are given the rich gift of advice that is easily transferable to our own life circumstances. In Seven Perfect Things we are blessed with the knowledge that we should not only have empathy for those who remind us of ourselves but instead to imagine “what the world would be like if our empathy muscle were a bit more developed.” Great advice is also shared for those suffering from abusive situations, “we’ll let people abuse us as much as we’re willing to abuse ourselves. But once they start treating us worse than we treat ourselves, then we know it’s time to go.” Hyde tells this story with grace and true empathy. Her methods will relate to all readers whether they have experienced such circumstances directly or merely were a witness to the abuse of others. This book deals with a heavy topic of domestic abuse, but it also has a richness and a joy that leaps off of the pages. It may also have you looking to find a puppy or two of your own.
I was provided a free advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review from Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.
Another great book by one of my favorite authors, who tells you like it is.
The story about a young girl, Abby, who saves seven puppies from disaster, and then has to figure out how to keep them safe until she can figure out to do with them. She finds a cabin that has been unused for quite a few years, and decides the shed, would be a great place to keep the pups safe. Meanwhile she and her mother, Mary, have a hard time with their, husband and father as he is very controlling and not at all nice to them.
We also follow Elliot, who has just lost his wife to an illness, and decides to revisit the cabin he hasn't been to in many years.
Here Abbey and Elliot become friends and she sees that not all men are mean and controlling, but actually helpful and full of good advice.
The story takes us on an adventure to stand up for oneself, to learn to trust and to open ones heart to new possibilities.
An excellent read. This book releases in May 2021.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this book.
A thirteen year old girl rescues a sack with seven puppies that has been thrown into the river. She can’t take them home so she keeps them in a shed next to a cabin that hasn’t been used for a number of years.
This is the first book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed this story and I will be looking out for more of her work.
There were quite a few memorable characters in this book and the story really lifted my spirits.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
You know a story is good when you (1) don't realize it's about to end and (2) wish it weren't ending when it does! As usual, Catherine Ryan Hyde has crafted a poignant tale that draws the reader in and doesn't let go. I'm sincerely yearning for more yet, at the same time, quite satisfied with what was given. Seven Perfect Things may be one of the top seven perfect tales from Hyde so far.
A young teenage girl in an unhappy home saves some puppies, hides them in what she thought was a empty shed. Good storyline and I loved the main characters, one book that I read in one sitting, I haven't done that for a while!
I enjoy reading Catharine Ryan Hyde books.
Thank you netgalley
This was a warm hearted story of a young thirteen year old girl, Abby. She has a warm outgoing personality that hasn’t been jaded by her difficult home life. Abby and her mom need to get out but how? One day she sees a man throw a bag in the river. She sees it wiggle and jumps in and saves seven young puppies from certain death. Now what does she do with these seven pups? There is no way she can bring them home with her angry controlling father. The rest of the story is how she helps the puppies and they help her find courage and love in their innocence and exuberance for life. Although the story line is pretty predictable it keeps your interest with how resourceful young Abby finds ways to be happy. I believe this would be an especially nice book for teens and anyone looking for a feel good book. Thank you Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read this charming story.
I enjoyed reading about 13-year-old Abby who rescues seven abandoned puppies and finds refuge for them on the lonely cabin of widower Elliott Colvin. I thought it was a beautiful and heartwarming story about one girl’s bravery, determination and resilience! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.
“I mean . . . you just make the best of happy while you’ve got it, right?”
For Elliot the loss of his wife is overwhelming and he retreats to his cabin, only to find someone broken and stole his stuff. But he is very surprised to find 7 puppies in his shed.
Abby is 13 years old and rescued the puppies after they were thrown in the river. Abby found a shed at a cabin that looked deserted to keep them.
Abby and her seven puppies manage to seep into Elliots heart.
Will Abby get to keep the puppies? What will happen when her mother finds out about the puppies?
This is a well written story that will make you laugh and cry. You just have to make the best of happy while you have it.
Thank you to Netgalley for complimentary copy. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
Seven Perfect Things – Catherine Ryan Hyde
Elliott Colvin is a middle-aged man, caught in a nightmare, as he cares for his beloved wife Pat, who is dying of a disease that has slowly stripped away the essence of who she is. Some days she is conscious, most days not, Elliott realizes it is just a matter of time before his beloved Pat dies. Experiencing this loss, day by day, has changed who he is as well as his beliefs, as he struggles with who he is becoming.
Abigail “Abby” Hubble is a small town girl, barely a teenager - the daughter of a very overbearing and difficult father and an equally docile mother - who desperately tries to stay out of her father’s way. Abby spends much of her time wandering the woods and trails of her hometown with her friend Jamie. While exploring, they’d discovered an abandoned cabin that had been ransacked, and that is where she finds Jamie at the start of this novel, after Jamie runs away from home. The girls leave the cabin separately, and as Abby heads home, she happens to see a man toss a sack into the river along the path, which to her horror, wiggles. She dives in to rescue what she is certain is a living creature and manages to get the bag to shore. As she tentatively opens, she discovers puppies…7 of them. The abandoned cabin and it’s shed seems a perfect place to keep them safe as she works out a plan to care for them.
After Pat’s death, Elliott realizes he needs to get away for a bit, and he chooses to head up to his old cabin in the woods. It’s been three years or so since he’d been, and he’s astonished to find his property ransacked and a litter of puppies living in his shed. Shortly thereafter he’s confronted by a very distraught young girl and learns how the pups in his shed came to be.
As Elliott and Abby get to know one another, a bond is forged between the grieving widower and the teen, and Abby finds herself wondering what it would be like if she could have a father like Elliott. Meanwhile Abby’s mother catches on to the relationship, fearing the worst, before meeting Elliott for herself and learning of the special bond between widower, teen & puppies. She also begins to catch a glimpse of how different her life could be….
But an angry and bitter husband has his own ideas, as he forces his family to abruptly move out of state with little more than the clothes on their backs, and no way to reach out to Elliott. But with a glimpse of a different life just out of reach, can Abby and her mother find their way back to happiness??
Set in the days before computers and cell phones, this is a sweet, satisfying story of love, triumph, hope, determination and, of course, puppies!! A heartwarming read on a cold afternoon!
I enjoy Hyde’s books! I always find the beginnings a little slow or hard to get into, but once I’m into it, I’m obsessed!
Seven Perfect Things
This story really tugged on the heart strings. Little did Abby know that saving the puppies would sure change her life and the life of her Family. Abby's Mother was dealing with her own drama, her abusive husband. And then there was Elliott dealing with his own loss their wolds seem to mesh together and new love was found. I truely loved this book and the HEA. Love lost and loved found a must read.
This book was a delight to read! It tugged my emotions several different ways, and parts made me want to read faster to see what was going to happen. I adore Catherine Ryan Hyde's novels, and this one is no exception.
This was my first read by this author and it wont be my last, the way she writes pulls you into the story and makes you fall in love with the characters.
What I took away from this book was remembering to stop and live today for today, laying on the ground with 7 puppies giving you love what about that doesn't scream love and tenderness.
The story of Abby and her mom and their struggle for freedom from her father and the the challenge that Abby takes on when she rescues the seven puppies from the river, this was a great read
This is a must read
Another wonderful heartwarming story by this Author. A woman in a mentally abusive marriage and her teenage daughter hope for a better life.
A review by Fantastic Fiction:
Thirteen-year-old Abby Hubble lives in an unhappy home in the Sierra Nevada foothills where her father makes life miserable for her and her mother, Mary. One day Abby witnesses a man dump a litter of puppies into the nearby river. Diving in to rescue all seven, she knows she won’t be able to bring them home. Afraid for their fate at the pound, she takes them to an abandoned cabin, where all she can offer is a promise that she’ll be back the next day.
To grieving widower Elliot Colvin, life has lost meaning. Looking for solace, he retreats to the hunting cabin he last visited years ago, before his wife’s illness. What he discovers is not at all what he expected: seven puppies and one determined girl with an indomitable heart.
As Abby and Elliot’s friendship deepens, Abby imagines how much better her life—and the puppies’ lives—would be if her mother were married to Elliot instead of her father. But when Abby’s father moves the family hundreds of miles away, Abby and her mother must decide how long they’re willing to defer happiness.
Seven Perfect Things is a story about joy, where to find it, how to know it when you see it, and the courage it takes to hang on to it once you have it.