I love Catherine Ryan Hydes books and this one is no exception. Her books are always feel good, good outweighs the bad, everything ends well kinds of books and this one of no exception.

There are always lessons to be learned in her books, and kindness seems to be a concurrent theme in all of her books that I've read. The characters are people just like you and me, no one special, with problems in their ordinary lives and how they solve their problems is where her lessons are most usually found.

I love puppies and little kids with puppies and this book definitely has a major helping of both.

I am a fan of CRH, her books always have a feel good factor, and often involve a young person overcoming a difficult background, partly with the healing help of an animal. This is no exception, the animals being a litter of pups, hard not to love. The main characters are Elliott recently bereaved, Abby a young girl who saves seven pups and has to work out how to care for them in secret and then there is her lovely mum Mary who is married to a bully, has little confidence in herself and very few options to change her life for the better. The story revolves around Elliott meeting up with Mary and Abby and the affect they have on each other's circumstances, the common denominator being the pups. However to me there is something missing in this story, the first two thirds is quite slow, then it gets a bit more interesting and then it slows down again and finishes. I do like the main characters, but there are parts of the story that are too convenient and parts that don't ring true, like the lack of mobile phones, Abby's lack of friends and the amount of attention seven puppies need - I do know about this, having helped rear several litters.

This is still a heartwarming story though with a satisfactory ending so I would recommend it but personally I was a little disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another great novel by CRH. This book has the usual themes: a young teen who seeks the help of an older person, the love of animals and the wisdom of youth. This book also has another theme that I have seen in recent CRH works-domestic violence. CRH does a good job of showing how women and children are dominated by men who control them with psychological and physical abuse. My favorite line in the book is when the offended husband is penned to the ground and cuffed by a burly sheriff's deputy. The husband protests "You can't arrest me for that. She's my wife. The deputy responds "Sure. And I'm your arresting officer. But that doesn't mean you own me."
I am a fan of CRH. Her books are hopeful and uplifting. They always bring a tear to my eyes at least once. I am looking forward to the next book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Seven Perfect Things by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a book that tugs at your heart, stirs up your anger, and lets you breathe a sigh of relief at the end.

I enjoyed yet another easy read from Catherine. The characters felt real even if the plot seemed a little unlikely in places. There was nothing too dislike. As the cover states, the plot centres around the rescued puppies and has a lesson to learn for all involved.

A book cover with dogs that actually features dogs as a main plotline? A sweet, heartwarming book with substance? Yes please! I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

I love me some Catherine Ryan Hyde and this book is so Catherine. It's a sweet book about a girl and some dogs, 7 of them to be precise, and what happens when people around her fall in love with those dogs. This book is so like her other books insofar a there are lessons in her stories, you don't realize it when you are reading it and it may take you a while after you finish to figure out what those lessons are. It is also heartwarming to see the world in this little girls eyes.

The love of a little girl and the love of the 7 sweet puppies is enough to make people who would rather be alone want to be with others, enough to make people face up to their own reality and do something to change it, and enough to make my world just a little bit better.

In this time with all the problems in the world, it is nice to read a book that makes you smile, feel hopeful and is just plain fun and this was all three of those and more. You can never go wrong with a book written by this author.

I enjoyed the characters in this book immensely. I felt she portrayed the grief felt by a spouse left behind was very accurate and I fell into his pain. The disfunctional family dynamic was a little bit harder to get into. The daughter did not seem traumatized so much as just really tired and fed up with her father's attitude. Mom was defeated completely until she wasn't. I felt like the daughter would have been a little more negatively impacted and had some personality issues because of the lack of control she had over her life. Mom just wasn't functioning at first so she was my least favorite character. It was easy to be annoyed with her.
Using the puppies that the daughter saved as the vehicle to rescue the older man missing his wife was really great. I read it all at once and did not put it down for a break at all. Lovely story.

A very heartfelt story by a great author. I truly enjoyed this book and it was just what I needed in this current season. I love this author's writing style and highly recommend checking her out.

4★
“In that split second, Abby saw the sack move. But not move the way the current moved it. Something jerky, from inside. It sliced into her belly like a cold knife.”

If you’ve read the promotional blurb, you already know that young Abby is going to rescue a litter of pups who have been flung into the river. They are just lucky that she happens to be a strong swimmer on her school swim team.

This is a warm, feel-good story about a young girl, her lovely mum, Mary, and her dreadful father Stan. His abuse is only controlling, sarcastic non-violence, no bloodshed or bruises. Mum has a close friend, Viv, in whom she confides, and Dad has just discovered that’s where she goes when she says she’s off to a community do every week. He follows her. He’s that kind of creep.

He’s also discovered her small cache of cash, in a sock in her drawer. She says it’s for his birthday present. (Yeah, right.)

“He closed the drawer with a bang that made her jump. And he was watching her reactions, too. Purposely watching.

‘Why act so nervous if everything is all aboveboard?’

‘Truthfully? Because you scare me sometimes when you’re mad.’

‘If you’ve got nothing to hide, you’ve got nothing to be afraid of.’

‘That’s not necessarily true. Sometimes I tell you the truth and you don’t believe me.’

It was a brave thing for a person to say to Stan, and she knew it. But in this case, honesty felt like her safest bet.

Meanwhile, the puppies! Abby and her friend Jamie discovered a hunting cabin up in the hills that they like to hike to. The owner is seldom there, and it’s a good destination. But now the locks have been broken, things have been stolen, and there’s a handy, almost empty, puppy-sized shed. What luck.

But the book opens with Elliott Colvin, whose wife is dying. He gets out for fresh air when a hospice volunteer visits. He’s shocked to see how young she looks.

“Then he was struck by the disturbing thought that he’d gotten old. Or at least old enough that grown adult human beings looked bizarrely young to him.”

They say you’re getting old when the cops look young. That goes for doctors, too, in my experience. So I assumed Elliott was elderly. No. Turns out he is only 52, which means he has a long, lonely life ahead when she goes.

Needless to say, Elliott finally retreats to his cabin (yes, of course it's his), only to discover Abby’s secret. She is 13 and one of those irrepressible kids for whom life is something to be enthusiastic about. She has learned one of the world’s great truths already.

“’I just figured something out,’ she said. ‘It’s impossible to not be happy with seven puppies climbing all over you. It literally can’t be done.’ Amazingly, they held still and held her gaze.”

She’s right, of course, as all dog lovers will know. This is a book for you. I’ve not read this author before, but Goodreads friends swear by her, and I can see why they turn to her for something positive. She writes well, and while it was obvious, of course, where the story was going, there were many nervous moments as she got us there safely.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted several months before publication (May 2021)

I really enjoy Catherine Ryan Hyde's stories. Although this story has great moments, parts of the story felt lacking in details and believability. I wanted more from this story. There will be plenty who will love this feel-good book, it just wasn't the best for me.

I absolutely loved this book. Catherine Ryan Hyde is one of my favorite authors and she did not disappoint with this book. Such a sweet story.

I really loved this little gem. 7 puppies rescued by 13 year old Abby, who is going through a really rough time in her life, bring joy and laughter to everyone they meet. This is a heart warming, thought provoking read, that you won’t want to end, but know you feel so much better having read it. Here’s hoping there’ll be a follow on to update us all on how everyone is doing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is outstanding! Catherine Ryan Hyde did it again! I
absolutely love her books and the lessons that seem to go along with them.
It's so good that all of her books tell such a different story, yet she can
keep every one of them so interesting. I think anyone can enjoy this one.


Thank you so much, NetGalley, the writer, and the publisher for giving me
the chance to read and review this wonderful book!

I love Catherine Ryan Hyde's books.
I never look before I read one of Catherine's stories. I open it up, sit, read, and read!
Her novels never disappoint and always have a life lesson, happiness and care.
"Seven Perfect Things" are all of these things!
The world today needs these wonderful characters now!

Seven Perfect Things is a heartfelt, life challenge for a thirteen year old girl who learns what love and responsibilities are through hard work, caring and a litter of pups.
There is suspense, fear, strength and hope in this book. The emotions come through as you take the journey with Abby, her friend Elliot and Abby's mom, Mary.
Ten stars!

A very touching and heartfelt story by Catherine Ryan Hyde. I loved the characters in this book and teenager Abby was a very brave teenager who really made the story "come alive". Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

When Abby see's a man, heaving a squirming sack into a river, she doesn't even hesitate and jumps straight in after it. Inside are seven perfect pups, and they are about to change her whole life.
Elliot, having just lost his wife, decides to head to his cabin, where he hopes to hide from his grief, instead he finds that his cabin has been broken into, and the robbers seem to have left behind seven little pups.
Mary, is tired of her life, and of having to sneak around and lie, just to meet her friend. When her daughter Guides her to Elliot, she realises something needs to change, but just when she is getting ready to make that change, Stan, her emotionally and verbally abusive husbands steps in and messes everything up.

This heartwarming tale, deals with love, loss, abusive relationships and happiness in a well written and thoughtful way. I grew attached to Abby, Elliot and Mary very quickly as well as all the puppies, of course and found the dialogue to be well written and believable

It's a book that gets you thinking too and has you longing to read more.

Elliot was my favourite character, he was so thoughtful and well rounded. And I could see why both Abby and Mary found him easy to talk to. I really enjoyed it when he sat talking with Abby, or Mary, he just had such a wonderful way of looking at things and explaining them.

This is one of those books that makes you think about life, about people and personalities as well as the choices we make, and I really developed a strong attachment to the main characters and wanted things to work out for them.

The only thing I disliked about the book, was that it ended. I would have loved to have been able to follow the characters throughout the rest of their lives and their families lives and well you get the picture.

This book was a pleasure to read and I am so grateful to NetGalley, Catherine Ryan Hyde and her publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book "Seven Perfect Things" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. A touching story with likable characters. A heartwarming story but not one of my favorites from this author.

Pat's wife is dying and he gives away everything he owns that has to do with hunting as he doesn't want to do with anything pertaining to death..

Several months later he goes to his hunting cabin and spots 7 puppies living in his barn.. They were rescued by Abby a teenage girl who rescued them when they were thrown into a river to drown. Abby tries to get the shelter to take them and find homes for them but they tell her no one is adopting puppies.

She takes them to Pat's cabin , thinking its abandoned and no one will care if the dogs live there.

Abby's mother ;earns about the puppies, and agrees to keep them a secret from Abby's father who wouldn't approve , he is cruel man who doesn't trust Abby's mother. She is secretly stashing money away for her & Abby to escape.

When Pat goes back to his cabin he finds the dogs and takes them to the shelter where he learns about Abby's father discovers this he orders them to quickly pack telling them they are leaving town and going to live with his brother in another state.

Abby and her mother escape one night and travel back to their home and try to find the information Pat gave them with his address in town where he lives.

They are reunited and become a family of sorts with the dogs

He meets Abby and her mother at the cabin and a fondness grows between them. When Abb

When 13-year-old Abby sees a man throw a sack into the river, she can’t imagine the path that her choice to go retrieve that sack will lead to. Inside the sack she finds seven puppies and, determined to save them all and hide them from her cruel and neglectful father, houses them in a shed that’s on the property of what appears to be an abandoned cabin up in the foothills, a safe distance from her home. In a separate chain of events, we have Elliot, who’s wife has just died and decides to get away to his long unvisited cabin for some peace and solitude. In a convergence of events, he’s surprised to find Abby’s seven puppies being housed in his shed, but instantly impressed with her character and efforts to help the puppies. After initial resistance, he agrees to continue to house them and helps her with their care, and in the process meets her mother, Mary, who he quickly develops protective feelings toward, when he finds out how badly her husband Stan treats she and Abby. These feelings are put to the test when Stan discovers the budding friendship between Mary and Elliot, which leads Stan to take menacing actions to control his family.

Although that last sentence doesn’t lend itself to what I’m about to say, my overall feeling of the book is “Awww … how sweet.” I mean it has puppies for goodness sake. That alone gives all the warm and fuzzy feels. The puppies are definitely just a plot device to examine the dynamics of three people: Abby, Mary and Elliot, each experiencing crises and traumatic situations they’re trying to find their way out of, and the puppies are the excuse to bring them all together in a common pursuit. The puppies are like the balm to these bad situations they’re all in.

If you’ve seen a feel-good, slightly cheesy movie, with an occasionally unrealistic plot that somehow still manages to make you feel all happy and content inside, then this one is a lovely, little read. All the major characters, other than the contemptible Stan, were genuinely likable and I wanted to see all the good things come to them. I appreciate that Elliot’s situation as a widow befriending Mary was handled sensitively and the book stayed within the lanes of reality on it, rather than going all romance novel on me.

I give it 4 p”awwww”s 🐾 … I mean ★★★★

Thank you to NetGalley who provided this ARC in exchange for an honest review