Another powerful story from one of my favorite authors! I was drawn in from the very beginning and read it in two sittings because ... well, I just had to make sure that Abby and Mary and those beautiful perfect puppies were okay!

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

The best part of any Catherine Ryan Hyde book is how it makes you FEEL the story. She slowly builds the characters into people you'd love to meet and talk to, even if only to discuss the book. She does not shy away from hard topics, her characters learn to handle life head on.

A young girl of 13 is learning that life is not so rosy. She will risk her life to save a bag of puppies thrown into the river to drown. Then she finds that no one else is willing to save the puppies so decides to herself. This is a much larger task than you would think.
A man who has just buried his wife returns to an old hunting cabin seeking peace. He does not find peace, he finds puppies! And so these two people who each needed a friend will learn to trust and care for each other. Along the way, the two of them will change the lives of everyone they touch, making you feel that good feeling again. Thank you, CRH.

I loved this book. It was completely enthralling. I didn’t put it down. I resented bathroom breaks, hunger and the need to sleep. I feel in love with all of the characters and was terribly sad when the book ended. Please tell me that there will be a sequel!

I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher but the opinion was my own.

I am very glad that Elliot kind of "came out" and found happiness after his wife died, so did Abigail and her mother. But i was feeling very sad til 60% of the book and it kind of affected the reading experience i think, but i also found it boring and meh.

I have read several of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books in the past and have never been disappointed. This book opens your eyes to see that no matter what the age of a child, they do see and observe more than you can imagine. Children can sense unhappiness and although they may not say anything, they are aware. I love that 13-year old Abby sensed this about her parent’s relationship and wanted to help and improve her and her mother’s lives. Add seven puppies to any story and you can never go wrong – I love the story of the puppies and how they helped heal “real life” situations.

I was drawn into this book immediately. My heart ached for the recent widower, who has no direction, but is trying to adapt and heal. Add to that a defeated wife/mother and courageous daughter, and a fantastic plot has begun to unfold.

As in all the books by Catherine Ryan Hyde, that I have read, she has deep understanding of the feelings of her characters and has the amazing ability to transfer that to pages to form a fabulous, heartbreaking and uplifting story. Her books are not easy, light reads. She deals with some of life’s most difficult situations. This book deals with abuse in a marriage and all that results from that situation. Also, the loss of a loving spouse and trying to find a way to keep living without them.

I loved this book and I definitely recommend it! I want to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for giving me the pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is done freely as a hobby of mine, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

A grieving widower, an abused wife, and a young girl who would do anything to protect seven tiny puppies are flung together in a haphazard series of events. Each one must decide how far they will go to make changes in their lives, and in the lives of others.
If you’re a dog lover, I highly recommend this book. I guarantee you will be making lists of “perfect things” in your head when you finish!
**Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy. All opinions are strictly my own.**

Sweet story about a young girl, her mom and a stranger. Add 7 puppies and your sure to love this book. Catherine Ryan Hyde is one of my favorite authors and I fall in love with everything she writes.

This was such a good story, a feel good novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. This book happened along at just the right time when everywhere you turn you are anxious and upset. For me the book ended much too fast, as I sat down and read it all in one day...wanting more!!! My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Catherine Ryan Hyde writes a book, I read it. Seven Perfect Things was as lovely as I had hoped it would be. This author writes wholesome books that address difficult topics in such a way that lessons are learned without being too heavy. I learned a lot from the points of view of Abby, Mary, and Elliott. There were a couple of passages that will stay with me. Not all problems were wrapped up at the end but the story was more than entertaining enough to keep my interest. Pick this one up - I think you will enjoy it.

This is my first time reading a Catherine Ryan Hyde book and I'm so glad I fell upon it on netgalley. The main character says it's impossibly to be sad surrounded by puppies. I say it's impossible to be sad reading this book.

Synopsis

Abby is a 13 year old girl who rescues a sack of puppies from the river near her home. She tries to take them to the pound but is told they will just be put to sleep so she keeps them.

Elliot has just lost his wife and wants to take some time out at his cabin in the woods. He is none too pleased when he arrives and discovers 7 puppies living in his shed.

Mary is unhappily married to Abby's dad Stan. He is mentally and emotionally abusive and she longs for a better life for her and her daughter.

The puppies unite the three of them in a beautiful story of human kindness.

Review

I adored this book. Such a joy to read. Are all Catherine Ryan Hyde's book so wonderful? Feel like I've been missing out. She touches on the very difficult issues of grief and domestic violence in a sensitive way and leaves you feeling uplifted.

Strength, courage, resiliency, to rise above and help one another no matter what you yourself are going through. That is the tone of Seven Perfect Things!
A book and a message we all can you at any time in our life.
Catherine Ryan Hyde always makes me strive to be a better person than I was the book before!
A huge thank you to Netgalley, Lake Union Publisher and Catherine Ryan Hyde for a chance to read and review thIS ARC

This is a nice story that felt like a middle grade novel to me. The main character is a strong, and independent preteen/teen. It wasn’t quite what I expected and some parts seemed unrealistic to me. Of course the best part was the puppies!

Oh how I loved Seven Perfect Things! I have read many Catherine Ryan Hyde books, but this might be my all time favorite. It will give you every emotion possible and tears will be shed. Such a beautifully written book that is a must read!
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Abby is a thirteen year old girl who excels at swimming. On her way home from school one day, she observes a man tossing a sack into the river. From the movement of the sack, it is obvious that whatever is inside is alive and not happy. When the man drives off, Abby jumps into the swift river and retrieved the rapidly sinking sack. Once onshore, she hesitates to open it lest it be something dangerous. Imagine her surprise when a puppy sticks it’s head out of the sack. That puppy is rapidly followed by six more. Knowing her verbally and emotionally abusive father will be most unhappy if she brings them home. So, she takes them to the pound only to be told they are overrun and the puppies will be euthanized. Unwilling to allow that to happen, she takes the puppies to a supposedly abandoned shed at a hunting cabin in the foothills. She soon learns what hard work it is to take care of a litter of puppies. But she also learns what joy they can bring into one’s life. When the owner of the cabin arrives unexpectedly and finds the puppies a most unusual series of events unfold.

You will want to have a full box of tissues at hand before you start this book. It will definitely jerk your heart strings, and it will make you laugh until you cry. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a a great novel and who loves puppies. There are a few curse words in the story, but it is free of sex scenes.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Seven Perfect Things is another well written Catherine Ryan Hyde book! This story is a mix of romance, suspense and good-heartedness. The characters are well developed from the very beginning, and you'll be attached to their unique stories in no time. While this was a quick read for me, my emotions were involved and I was left wanting more. If you have been a fan over this author's other books, you'll be sure to love this one.

An uplifting, heartwarming story, “Seven Perfect Things”, by Catherine Ryan Hyde (Lake Union Publishing), is more a book about a very brave, honest teenager, and how her selflessness positively affects those around her, than a romance.
I really liked Abby’s odyssey and seeing the world through her perspective. The story revolves around the young heroine and the seven puppies and the author writes their adventures showing the enjoyment and healing power the animals can provide.
There are also serious issues being tackled: Elliot’s grief is very palpable, the domestic abuse in Abby’s family a dire reality.
Elliot is a great character, too. The rapport he establishes with Abby is so fragile and sweet.
I felt the relationship with Mary progressed too quickly though, I had to suspend disbelief there.

I haven’t read all of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books but I have read a lot of them. She is definitely one of my favorite authors. This story is about 13 year old Abby and the good and bad things that are going on in her life. Ms. Hyde can make you feel like you are right in the middle of her stories. She is a true story teller. I am 70+ years old and was captivated by the storyline and the characters. I hated to get to the end of the story. I have already been recommending this book to friends and family. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Catherine Ryan Hyde for the ARC of this bookI I have read many Catherine Ryan Hyde books and have loved them all. Some I love more than others and this is one of them. Abby is a teenager with a loving mother and a distant, mean father. One day she sees a stranger throw a bag into the river. The bag is moving. She dives in and is able to get it out of the river. What follows is a beautiful story of love, growth, and strength. The characters are well-written. I loved Abby and Elliot and the relationship between Mary and Viv felt very realistic. The writing is great, once I started this book I had a hard time putting it down, and when I wasn’t reading it I was thinking about it. When I read Have You Seen Luis Velez by the same author I read it again when I finished it. This book is the same way - I already want to read it again! This is a book I will recommend to everyone. If you’re feeling down in the dumps, have lost your faith in humanity, or just want an easy, engaging book read this book. You won’t be disappointed.

WOW! How I love this Author's writing. Her books deal with pretty common issues. This one deals with loss (Elliot), a strong, loving 13 year old girl (Abby) and a woman who has lived in an unhappy marriage for many years (Mary). The characters portrayed and the story made me "feel" which I admit this Author's books do have that effect on me. I highly recommend this book. It has now become another favourite of mine written by Catherine Ryan Hyde. Many thinks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the Author for allowing me to read and review this fabulous book.