I have read many of Catherine Ryan Hyde books and have enjoyed each and every one of them. Up until now Allie & Bea was my very favorite but now that I’ve read Seven Perfect Things, I can honestly say that this book is. It was good right from the start and all the way through. Of course, being a dog lover like I am didn’t help. But the author covered many different topics in this story that made it very compelling. There was losing a spouse and the grief a person goes through after that, domestic abuse or feeling as though you’re trapped and not feeling safe or happy, and learning to start over and accept change. One thing I like about reading this authors work is that she always includes some type of life lesson in her writing. This was such a pleasant and enjoyable read and I’m sure everyone else who reads it will agree. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the e-arc that I received off their Read Now section and Catherine Ryan Hyde for writing such a wonderful story for me to read, review and enjoy. I believe this deserves a 5 star rating!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.
I can always count on Catherine Ryan Hyde for a good story. Often, it's a good animal story. This delightful book is no exception. Elliot is a grieving new widower who is desperately looking for solace and peace of mind. Abby comes from an unhappy home in which her father is a bully at worst and indifferent at best. On her way home from a difficult day of middle school, 13-year-old Abby witnesses a person throw a bag full of puppies in a river to drown. She rescues them, and fearing for their chances of finding good homes at the county animal shelter, she stashes them in a tool shed on a property up in the foothills. Abby believes the property to be abandoned, but this is where she crosses paths with Elliot. Elliot takes pity on Abby and the puppies and, begrudgingly at first, helps them out. Abby and her brood are irresistible, however, and they begin to strike up a friendship. What follows is a touching story of friendship and finding oneself, because of seven perfect puppies.
A story that has animals at its center is the literary equivalent of comfort food. It’s like reading meatloaf or chicken soup. This is one of the many reasons I love reading Ms. Hyde’s work. Her choice of words and tender writing tells me how much she agrees with me. The puppies are a pleasure to read about. They are instrumental in bringing all the characters together and improving each of their lives. Each pup is described in adorable detail. The pup that was all black except for the tip of her tail, named Tippy for her white tail tip, was my favorite. She preferred quiet and peace to rowdy and noisy play. She reminded me of myself. She would be a good dog for me. The human characters were colorful and likable, with the exception of one. Elliot was a quiet, intelligent man who became a father figure for Abby. Abby is an intelligent and VERY caring teen. Her father is a mean man and Elliot is a blessing for her. They form a friendship over the care of the puppies. Their relationship also leads to a tentative friendship between Elliot and Abby’s mother, Mary. Elliot ends up saving Mary and Abby from an abusive home.
There is a strong theme of love and family throughout this novel. It’s an uplifting and comforting book. I don’t usually say this but I wish it were longer. I highly recommend this book.

I have yet to read a book by Catherine Ryan Hyde that I have not thoroughly enjoyed. Her books have a theme of touching a person's heart and soul in their sincerity. The cover on this book will definitely catch a lot of eyes and draw readers into the lives of 13-year old Abby, who rescues those adorable puppies, Elliott who helps her, and her mother Mary. All three of these main characters need something...and the puppies bring them together to be able to help each other get to a better place in their lives. Abby will definitely tug on heartstrings and make the reader smile as she learns how important it is to take care of the puppies and all the work involved! The way her character grows up along the way, the importance of her friendship with Elliott, and the love between Abby and her mother, makes for a very good, quick read. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. #NetGalley #SevenPerfectThings

Seven Perfect Things by Catherine Ryan Hyde
I’ve read many of her books and I’m pretty sure I’ve never been disappointed. This one was no different. Loved it, started this a couple days ago and just reared through it anxious for more. Great book about love, loss, and new beginnings! Be sure and grab your copy in a couple months at a book store near you or grab a ebook book edition. Releases on May 4th!!!!

I’ve never read a book by Catherine Ryan Hyde. But I just couldn’t resist that book cover with those beautiful puppies.
This is a sweet story about a 13 year old from an unhappy family that rescues 7 puppies that someone throws into a river. She can’t take them home, so she finds other living arrangements for them. Those living arrangements happen to be a vacant shed on the vacation property of a man who has just lost his wife.
“Well, it turns out it’s impossible to be unhappy when you’re lying on your back with a bunch of puppies all around you, doing what puppies do.” Were truer words ever spoken?
These are characters it’s easy to care about - Abby, Elliot and Mary. They’re all good people and I wanted things to work out for all of them. I applauded all the minor characters that went out of their way to help. It’s a heartwarming story and a lovely, easy read.
My thanks to netgalley and Lake Union for an advance copy of this read.

As often as my friend keeps recommending her, I’ve never read a book by this author until now. I chose this one based on the books description.

Seven Great Things centers around Abby, a 13 yr old who rescues 7 puppies from an intentional drowning, her mother who perpetually lives in fear of upsetting her husband, and Elliot, a recent widow whose barn Abby keeps her pups in.

Overall this was an enjoyable read, with cute puppy scenes and an important plot about domestic abuse. I truly enjoyed each character and felt they were well rounded and deep. The story line was great, an evolution of a mother wanting more for her daughter and their attempt to break free, but it felt very rushed and therefore fell short for me. The whole story took place in under a week or two. To be more believable, I think the same story written in a longer timeline would have made me enjoy it more.

I’m not sure if my disconnect with this book was that it was unbelievable in that quick timeline, or if it just wasn’t my typical type of read, but sadly this was was just good for me, not great.

I’ve barely had any 5 star books this year (out of the 25 I’ve read in 2021), so maybe it’s just me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this free arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much! It was the first book I have read by this author and I can't wait to read more! The characters and their story stick with you long after you finish the book.

Seven Perfect Things’ theme is rescue. Abby rescues seven puppies. Elliott rescues her and the puppies. Abby and her mom needs rescuing from an abusive man. I liked the characters in the book except for Stan. I really liked Abby. Although only 13, she is wise behind her years and has gumption and determination. There are some nail biting moments when I wondered if it would work out. Hands down the 7 that steal the story are the adorable puppies. I wanted to squeeze and hug each one of them.

One look at the puppy-pile on the cover of this book and I knew I had to read it!

Thirteen-year-old Abby Hubble witnesses a man throw a sack into the river. When the sack starts moving, Abby feels that she has no choice but to dive into the river and save whatever is in the sack. Imagine her surprise when seven puppies wriggle out of the sack. Abby's not quite sure what she should DO with them so she temporarily hides them in a cabin that appears to be abandoned.

This heartwarming book deals with love, loss, abusive relationships, and happiness. I felt so much empathy for Abby that I wished she and her seven puppies could step out of the book and come live at my house. As it turned out, she didn't need me at all! Seven Perfect Things is an uplifting book about Karma, the joy of new beginnings, and courage found in unexpected places. I recommend it!!

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Heartbreaking, heartwarming, heroic, suspenseful, silly and serious are all words I'd use to describe this book at one point or another. Catherine Ryan Hyde did a wonderful job of tying together the experiences of the three main characters. This book addresses a sensitive topic of emotional domestic abuse, so be aware that there could be some ideas that are triggering.
Abby is a fierce, strong young lady that would make any mother proud. Her journey to encourage, assist and support her mother is developed beautifully. She seems so very wise for someone so young and that could be do to the pain she has experienced over her lifetime. Finally, there is someone who makes her feel heard, worthy, and capable of doing things. The trust she gives to someone she just met shows that she's longing to be seen and heard, and this stranger was able to see and hear her clearly after the pain and suffering he experienced.

I felt like I was on the edge of my seat by the end of the book.
This book shows young girls NEVER to settle for a man and to all women, it's never too late to start over and reinvent yourself.

If you're in the market for a read about a strong woman (or girl) - think Independence Day by Martina McBride esque - then you are in for a treat.

Reading this book I was shock holding my breath also in tears. When abby sees a man throw a sack into the river she unsure what will happen or what it be.

Ms. Hyde, you had me at “a new book from Catherine Ryan Hyde.” You double had me with that cover--PUPPIES! Seven perfect puppies! I didn’t even read the blurb. Gosh, this lady gets me every time—she has never let me down. This is my 5th book of hers and all are 5-star reads IMHO.

This author is a bit like another favorite of mine Sonja Yoerg. They both have a clear style, but you never know how either one is going to package it. In the case of CRH, you can always count on a great story containing several key ingredients—true to life characters with strong dialogue, lovely (yes, really) plot, young people, older people who usually dispense life lessons, hardship, suspense, friendship, and love (usually not romantic love). You will also get realistic situations that end positively, if not always wrapped up in a bow (I repeat—realistic). Her novels are consistently heartfelt and tend to wrench out a tear or two. Or three.

This book is no exception. Thirteen-year-old Abby finds herself in sudden possession of 7 puppies. Abby’s mom, Mary, is stuck in a very bad marriage. Elliott has just lost his beloved wife. Oh, and there’s an old abandoned cabin. Throw them together, mix in the CRH touch, and you get Seven Perfect Things.

Over the last year it has taken me much longer to read a book. Two books ago, it took me 3 weeks to finish. Seven Perfect Things took me less than two days. I even skipped two nights of Rachel Maddow to read it. That says a lot, believe me.

Criticism? Not really, but if pressed, I would say I knew where the story was going. But that’s OK. Hey, this is CRH. Who cares.

Obviously, I strongly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a warm, non-sappy, uplifting read. It will make you smile and make you cry. It will make you feel great.

I’d like to thank Net Galley, Catherine Ryan Hyde, and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this book. Opinions stated are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

I am a huge fan of Catherine Ryan Hyde. Although my preferred genres are Christian fiction and mysteries, Catherine Ryan Hyde is my favorite author outside of those genres. She's one of few authors for whom I will read a book they have written without reading the blurb. Such was the case with her latest release "Seven Perfect Things".

"Seven Perfect Things" is a story about the relationship that develops between Elliot, a recent widower who is in his fifties (if memory serves me correctly), and 13-year-old Abby. Elliot eventually befriends the girl's mother, Mary, as well. All of them fall in love with seven rambunctious puppies along the way.

To be very honest, had I read the blurb first (or even looked at the cover!), I might not have read this book. As I mentioned, the author was Catherine Ryan Hyde, and that was ALL I needed to know. The blurb is interesting, but I generally do not like books with dogs in them. That's because I'm a lover of dogs and they are so often hurt in books. My heart can't take it. That said, I enjoyed getting to know the puppies in this one.

I found the book to be engaging and entertaining. The characters are relatable and the plot credible.. The plot is not as "heavy" as some of CRH's other books, in my opinion. While there is certainly character development, this story lacks that final, overarching PUNCH -- that impactful lifelong lesson -- I have come to expect from Hyde. I found this book to be more interesting than impactful. It kept my attention, and I wanted to know what would happen to each of the main characters (as well as the puppies).

That said, I would still recommend this book. And will I read further CRH books without checking the blurb? ABSOLUTELY!

What's not to love about a book about puppies ? Such a great story from beginning to end. Yes parts of it are a little sad but it is so sweet and full of love. And did I mention............. puppes ? Catherin Ryan Hyde writes books that always touch your soul. I always feel good after reading one of her books Enjoy !

Whoa!! I was beyond thrilled to get an advance copy of Catherine Ryan Hyde book, Seven perfect Things. With her excellent, always touching books ... make that Eight Perfect Things. I love every book she has written. I smiled, and yes, had a few tears. You MUST read this brilliant book.

As an avid animal lover, I thoroughly enjoyed the inclusion of seven puppies to infuse pure joy and love throughout the course of this novel. Not only is it a story about love and unconditional acceptance, it is also a story about learning to place your trust in people and their support throughout difficult times. Catherine Ryan Hyde once again crafts a story tackling difficult topics with grace, weaving hope and human strength into the narrative.

I love Catherine Ryan Hyde's books! This one did not disappoint! it pulled at my heart strings and I think I fellin love with Elliot. I rate it a 3.4

This book was such a wonderful heat-warming read. I stayed up well past my bedtime because I simply couldn't go to bed without finding our what happens to these characters.
The main characters are Abby and Elliot. They are at two very different places in their life journey, but when their paths cross they change each others lives in remarkable ways. This story has heart, adventure and a touch of suspense! I could say so much more about this tale, but I don't want to reveal any spoilers. I must read!!
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy, all thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

If you ever want an uplifting book, make sure you order this one when it is released on May 4, 2021. I received an ARC from Netgalley and when I started this book, well, I didnt put it down until I finished it. (two day read)

Seven Perfect Things are 7 puppies. Now who doesnt love puppies. 13 year old Abby sees someone dumping them into the river, she jumps in and rescues all of them and realizes she cant bring them home. While dealing with a controlling father and a frightened mother, Abby takes it on herself to keep the puppies at an abandoned cabin.

This is a story of happiness and what we can overcome if we just put our minds to it. It uplifts your faith in humanity and shows that the world can be kind. I had such a good feeling inside me when I finished this book. This author didnt disappoint. #fivestars #Netgalley #sevenperfectthings

Abby lives in an unhappy home in the Sierra Nevadas. As she is going home one day, she sees someone dump a bag; which has something moving; in to the lake. She is determined to find out what is in the bag and to rescue it from the water. This begins a tale of friendship with a lonely widower and the puppies. I loved this book and have recommended it to many friends. Catherine Ryan Hyde book will have space on my bookshelf!