As soon as I saw that this book was told from Doug's (the pug) point of view, I was intrigued. It was such as cute and fun story as he tried to help his owner and best friend find her direction and steer her in the right direction. Doug's feelings towards Julie were in all of his actions, no matter how frustrating her actions may have been. The writing style of this book was also super easy to read and fast paced, which made it a quick and enjoyable read - perfect for summer reading!

Meet Doug the Pug! His owner Julie rescued him and now he is determined to rescue her from a very bad relationship.

Julie is dating Luke who is not only Julie’s boss, but he’s married. Doug knows he’s bad news; dogs can sense bad characters a mile away, but so do all the people in Julie’s life.

When Julie’s sweet widowed dad and the cafe owner, Dot, get together to try and set up Julie with Tom, Dot’s son, Doug wants in on the plan. Doug even looks past the fact that Tom is a V-E-T. While it becomes obvious that Tom is perfect for Julie, Julie continues pining after the lying, cheating Luke. Doug is going to have to show Julie just how slimy this guy really is (almost cat-like).

This is an adorable read! I loved seeing things through the eyes of a dog. Matt Dunn hit it on the head, or should I say “patted it on the head.” Everyone addresses Doug when they walk in the room and don’t we do that as dog lovers? I also love the scene where Luke has an issue with Doug staring at him as he’s trying to make his moves on Julie. 𝐏𝐮𝐠 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 is a rom-com you don’t want to miss.

Thank you to @harpercollins @_mira_books_ and @htpbooks for an invitation to this tour and a digital copy.

Doug the Pug is determined to find his human, Julie, the love of her life. Julie is attracting the wrong sort. She fell for a guy who is married and just a bald-faced liar. So, Doug is going to play cupid and maneuver Julie toward someone else. Someone that Doug likes!

I love that most of this story is told through Doug’s eyes…and mouth. It truly makes it absolutely adorable. Now, it is a simple read. But I found myself laughing and rooting for Doug!

This a such a cute and charming story! I absolutely fell in love with this dog and this story! (I am a pug mom and they are the funniest little dogs!)

Need a quick, adorable love story, THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Doug the pug loves his owner, Julie. She's funny, smart, kind, and sometimes drops food on the floor for him to snack on. He DOESN'T love Luke, Julie's kind-of boyfriend. He won't take Julie on dates, locks Doug out of the bedroom for alone time with Julie, only pretends to throw the ball, and-worst of all-is already married! He keeps telling Julie that he will , it's just "not the right time", but it's been over two years. It's clear to Doug, Julie's friend Priya, and Julie's dad that Luke is lying and manipulative, but Julie just won't believe it. So Doug decides to take matters into his own paws and find Julie someone better. When newly divorced Tom comes into their lives, everyone tries their hand at matchmaking, but disaster strikes at every turn. Can Doug find a way to show Julie Luke's true colors and that Tom is perfect for her, even if he is a V-E-T?

I'm not a huge romance reader, especially not harlequin romances. in fact, I really only picked this book up because it matched a reading challenge prompt for "animal narrator". I was pleasantly surprised by the humor and fun the author was able to bring to this story. It was a light, easy read, and I'd for sure recommend it to anyone wanting who likes romance, or is looking for something entertaining but not necessarily cerebral.

I received this ARC courtesy of NetGalley, in return for my honest and unbiased review.

I read this one because of its interesting slant, and I really ended up liking Pug Actually!

Doug a playful and loving pug is determined to play cupid to fix his owner’s love life because no one else will. He wants his rescuer, Julie, to be happy. He is loyal and loves her unconditionally—two characteristics the married boss and lover, Luke can]t provide her. Yet Julie is reluctant to break up, fearing she can't get better though Doug knows better. Newly divorced Tom is perfect for Julie. Doug is confident that with his help they will get over their initial animosity toward each other. He will travel through the city, nips some pants legs, and more to help the one he loves most feel loved and respected.

I'm not huge in romances, but this read like one of Sophie Kinsella's stories: things happen that split them up and they have to figure out what actually got in the way. In fact, I found myself questioning the ending that I had once thought was certain. They were a couple of twists that were well written and keep the story from falling into a cliche romance story.

Matt Dunn's gamble on a canine perceptive pays off. I enjoyed reading the perspective of Doug the pug and how he saw life in a way we humans don't. The attention of the characters' love the love of Fraiser is icing on the cake. Doug pulling an Eddy with the boyfriend he didn't like was priceless. It was humorous and a great call back to a fabulous show.

The only thing I didn't like about the novel is it fell back on one big cliche: cats and their owners. Dunn continues the cats are evil and their owners are annoying archetypes that I just didn't care for. (I tried not to take this personally but it did annoy me).

Pug Actually is the perfect summer book. Kick back with a glass of wine (or your personal poison) and enjoy a fun romp in the life of a pug.

Thank you to the publisher's and NetGalley for this advance copy. The only thing that I enjoyed about this story is the dog talking.

A book with a dog pun in the title? Sign me up, please! Written by Matt Dunn, Pug Actually is a little bit of everything: romance, humor, chick lit, and some good old-fashioned adorable pug-induced chaos. Oh! Did I mention that the novel is from the perspective of the pug, Doug? Yeah, that's a thing!

Julie is Doug's favorite person in the whole world. So naturally, he wants her to be happy. In his mind, that means he needs to help her find the perfect person to spend the rest of her life with. Time to play doggy matchmaker!

All Doug wants is to entice Julie away from her current partner (a married man who also happens to be her boss) and in the direction of a guy that he knows would be perfect for her. It's so obvious, even to his little pug eyes.

Oh man! Pug Actually had me crying laughing at times. It's so cute and so adorably silly at the same time. I love animals, but I don't think I've ever read a love story from the perspective of a pug before! It made for such a unique experience.

Admittedly, I don't think I would have loved this story nearly as much had it been from Julie's perspective. She's a fine person and all (after all, she rescued Doug), but her decision making sometimes made me want to smack her upside the head.

Thankfully, Doug wasn't like that. He was adorable, loyal, and odd from the first page right up to the final page. It was a perfect read, one that is light and funny, making it ideal for a rainy day or pick-me-up read.

Title: Pug Actually
Author: Matt Dunn
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Doug’s human, Julie, has been adrift since she lost her mom (which is strange, because she’s usually pretty good with directions). Doug just wants Julie to be happy, and he doesn’t think she’s going to get there while she’s seeing her married boss, Luke. What’s worse, she’s saying if things don’t work out with Luke, she might end up like her lonely cat-lady neighbor. Horrified by the prospect of a sad Julie and untrustworthy feline companion, Doug decides it’s time for an intervention.

Despite his short legs and some communication roadblocks, Doug sets out on a quirky, sweet, and hilarious mission to find his rescuer the love she deserves. Though he doesn’t totally understand the strangeness of human relationships, he knows he can’t give up on Julie - after all, being a rescue dog works both ways…

The voice of this novel—Doug’s—was quite funny, as the author did an excellent job of writing from the dog’s point-of-view. Honestly, the fact that Julie was dating a married man made me dislike her, and I never totally got over that or her almost willful blindness when it came to Luke, but eventually my annoyance faded into the background a bit. This was a quick, fun read with a unique viewpoint, and is good for an entertaining couple of hours.

Matt Dunn lives in London. Pug Actually is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/MIRA in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 7/5.)

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was lighthearted and sweet. It held my interest and I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

A romantic comedy but also the story of a woman who’s afraid of living and how life is going to be changed by a dog.
I expect to be a lot of fun but I found some parts quite heartbreaking and, even we know there’s going to be a happy ending, some parts deals with some serious issues like grief, the fear of moving on and how we can hurt ourselves for fear of being alone.
The story is told by the point of view of Doug, a rescue pug, and his parts are absolutely funny and I loved him. He’s clever, witty and wants the best for Julie, his owner.
I felt for Julie and, even if she’s often a bit unlikable, I appreciated how she changed during the book and realized how she deserved something better and more satisfying.
My favorite characters were Julie’s dad and Pryia, her best friend. Luke is obnoxious, one of those man that makes wonder how can someone feel in love with them.
The plot flows and it doesn’t drag. The best part are those featuring Doug and he’s a great dog and a great friend.
I recommend this story if you are a fan of Bridget Jones.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I like the idea of a story from an animal's POV, particularly, when dogs play cupid for their humans. Doug the Pug loves his human, Julie a.k.a the Female Lead. Unfortunately, Julie is "dating" her boss...her married boss. It irked me to no end how willfully blind Julie was to the reality of her relationship with Luke. It's a story as old as time. Both Doug and Priya, Julie's bestie, see the situation for what it is. Luke is literally having his cake and eat it too. Everyone in Julie's life, from her bestie to her father to Dot, the coffee lady, tried their best to dissuade Julie from staying with Luke, but their words go unheeded for a good chunk of the book. I do not like the FL. Julie is whiny, stubborn, and willfully blind. I found the other characters, i.e. Dot, Julie's Dad, Priya, and Doug, more likable than the FL. Tom, the Male Lead (ML) and Dot's son, is a decent guy, but I didn't really feel the chemistry between Tom and Julie. For one thing, their interactions have been one-sided. Julie's behavior and treatment of Tom, in the beginning, was rude and unpleasant. As for character development, there was little to be found. Julie spends a good chunk of the book as Luke's sidechick. Let's call a spade a spade here. Julie is Luke's sidechick, and possibly not the only one. Now, before you come for my throat, I understand that toxic relationships can warp one's perspectives and do a number on the human psyche, but Julie has her rose-colored glasses on tight. There's only so much naivety I can handle in an FL. Granted, Luke is a POS of the highest order and manipulative to boot. I would have been happier with this book if Luke's wife kicks his cheating butt to the curb, rather than her underwhelming response to her husband's cheating. Pug Actually is billed as a rom-com and there are some of both present, but it was generally underwhelming.

This was a really funny and delightful rom-com. The characters were great and I loved how the story was told through the point-of-view of Doug.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

Pug Actually is such a fun, easy read. It's fast-paced and Doug the Pug is just adorable. Cute and quirky pets in books are always fun, but Matt Dunn takes it a step further and gives us the story from Doug's point of view. Doug's human, Julie, doesn't make the best decisions, so it's no wonder this lovable pooch has to take matters into his own hands, er, paws. To be honest, I wasn't sure about this one, but once I started reading, it was just so easy to fall into the story and escape the everyday stresses for a little while. The whole thing is thoroughly amusing and if you're looking for a bit of escapism, this charming tale is a good way to go.

In this delighfully unusual story, Doug plans on Julie finding love. The thing is, Doug is a pug and Julie is his rescuer. Doug will do whatever possible to direct Julie to true love. In this story that is entirely told from Doug's point of view, he decides that her current relationship is doomed and Doug is about to change that.
Enter Tom. Newly divorced, and as far as Doug is concerned, absolutely perfect for Julie.

I am a diehard cat person, but the cover for this book was completely irresistible. I am so glad that I did read it because I fell in love with Doug. What is more is I loved the concept behind this story. Also, I love reading romance but generally read them from women. To read such a wonderful story written by a man really made my heart sing.

With Doug being our primary protoganist how could I not fall in love - with Doug and with this story? Doug was happy that Julie rescued him and he is determined to return the favor. What a fun journey that made me smile and warmed my heart.

Many thanks to MIRA and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Doug the pug is right about Luke, even if Julie didn't see how bad it was to stay with a married man who is actually her boss. And he's right about Tom, too, even though Tom is- horrors- a vet. This is a sweet story about two people (and a dog) who find a way to one another. Tom is skeptical of Julie- she, was, after all, involved with a married man- but Doug, through his pug ways, manages to convince him that they are meant to be. This has nice characters (including Julie's dad and Tom's mom) and a good spirit. Sometimes talking animals can be twee but Dunn has avoided that- Doug has just the right amount of attitude. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A good read.

Doug the pug is fiercely loyal to Julie, his human. That's why he hates Luke, Julie's "boyfriend," aka her married boss, who always leaves her in tears. Doug is determined to split them up, but that's tough to do when you weigh 15 lbs (okay, maybe 20 lbs) and don't speak human. But Doug will find a way.

This novel is adorable. It took me a minute to realize it was told from the dog's POV—as it turned out, that device worked really well. The book is consistently funny throughout, but also full of heart. It's really more women's fiction than romance, because the focus is more on Julie disentangling herself from Luke and finding the courage to love again, than it is on the budding relationship with Tom. Julie and Tom were really cute together—I hope there's a sequel. I'd love to see more of them, maybe with a baby, and Doug adjusting to the new little human in the house.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Julie has a rescue pug named Doug. She is been dating Luke, who is her boss and married. Luke treats her like crap and Doug doesn't like him. So when Luke comes to visit, Doug does all he can to make Luke feels unwelcome.

Dot, the owner of a local coffee shop, has her eye on Jim, Julie's widowed father. He likes her too but he feels guilty because he thinks he would be dishonouring his late wife by dating Dot. Dot has a son named Tom who is a vet and recently divorced. Dot and Jim think he would be perfect for Julie and Doug agrees and is determined to do all he can to get Luke out of the picture so Julie and Tom can be together.

I've read many books by this author and thought this one was okay. It was written in first person (dog?) perspective in Doug's voice, which was cute. As a head's up, there is some swearing.

I didn't find Julie likeable at all and at times she was downright rude. Tom seemed like a nice fella but bland so I don't know what he saw in Julie since she treated him so badly. Luke is a jerk and treated her badly but she was so desperate to have a man in her life that she put up with it.

I received a copy of this book curr review from NetGalley. I found the concept of this book charming. It's not often that you get to read a novel told from the perspective of a pug named Doug, and Doug was definitely the best part of the story. He was a very intelligent and insightful pup, and I enjoyed his viewpoint. The rest of the novel, however, was not as strong.
To be fair, I dislike novels where adultery is a main plot point, so this was always going to be a difficult sell. But the female lead was not someone that I could respond to or even like very much. She spent the first half of the book having an affair with her married boss, drinking too much, and whining that nobody understood how that he was really going to leave his wife and that it was complicated. She was self-righteous, judgmental, and it took her until 96% of the way through the book to get her head straight.
This book had some funny moments, and I enjoyed Doug and Julie's dad quite a bit, but they were not strong enough to carry the book alone.

2.5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Pug Actually sounds like a cute concept, and in some ways it is. It’s weird, but a romance from the dog’s perspective isn’t as odd as you’d think it is. The premise is fun and quirky…it just didn’t stick the landing.

The one plus is that I adored Doug. I love his unwavering loyalty to his owner, Julie, and how he finds ways to interfere in her life to make her life better. His understanding of the world is actually hilarious at times, such as him poking fun at the way humans think he can’t spell “V-E-T.” He really has a mind of his own, and he made the story pretty entertaining, even as other aspects dragged it down.

But beyond the novelty, I just couldn’t care less about anything. Julie spends a good portion of the book in a relationship with a married guy who keeps coming up with excuses as to why he can’t leave his wife. I understand the issue with toxic relationships and how they work on one’s psyche, but I couldn’t help but want to see both Julie and the wife kick him to the curb and run off together, instead of Julie being slow on the uptake and the wife being so accepting of her fate.

It was nice that Doug tried to find someone else for her, but I just didn’t feel any spark with the new guy. I imagine if I were in her head at least some of the time, maybe I might feel something more?

A lot of my disappointment comes down to my expectations. This is a lot funnier than much of what passes as a “rom-com” from major publishers these days. But there’s also some major issues with the execution, and I don’t know if I should have been expecting anything in the realm of romance at all, given how underwhelming it all was, and the easier route being celebrating the bond between a dog and their human.

This is a fun book due to the gimmick of it being written from the dog’s POV, but I just didn’t care for a lot of the relationship dynamics.

There are a lot of books out there that feature dogs or animals within the story. I’ve read a few of them. But this one takes it to the next level with the story written from the dog’s point of view.

This seriously sweet and unique way to write this little romance/women’s fiction is the brain child of a new to me author. I love the fact that it is written by a guy because we get a different spin in perspective on humanity.

Sometimes we don’t see or realize that people can be very sensitive to our actions, feelings, and emotions. But when we read a story written by “a dog”- pug, actually, Dunn drives home the fact that sometimes others us see more than we see ourselves.

The story is a unique, fun, and relaxing book that dives into the human psyche hinged upon loving and believing in ourselves, maybe even as much as a dog would towards his owner. Hard to do? Yes! But Dunn crafts a quirky story that begs to be experienced and enjoyed.