4.5 ⭐
Genre ~ animal fiction
Setting ~ Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California (AKA Route 66)
Publication date ~ December 27, 2016
Page Count ~ 289 (p+ 32 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 7 hours 38 minutes
Narrator ~ Cassandra Campbell
POV ~ multiple 3rd
Featuring ~ dying dog

Jennifer has been Boomer’s mom for 5 years. Now she’s just learned he’s sick and only has one month left to live. She decides to take a leave of absence from work and take him on one last journey along Route 66 because cars are his favorite thing.

Nathan is a journalist, who is doing a favor for his brother by driving a car he purchased from Chicago to California. I’ll give you one guess who he meets along the way.

Stacey works with Jennifer and has a brilliant idea to honor Boomer’s life by creating a website for all to join Boomer on his end of life journey.

I was bawling before I even started reading this one just by the blurb and the adorable cover. If you’re a dog lover, or maybe an animal lover in general, then there are no two ways about it, you’ll probably need a plethora of tissues to get you through this one. Just because you know death is coming doesn’t make it any less difficult…even if it’s a fictional dog.

I was silently sobbing, so I didn't wake my husband at 4:50am when I was finishing it up. We know what it's like to care for a dog at the end of its life and it’s heartbreaking, but there’s also comfort in knowing you gave that dog the best life you could. We had 14 wonderful years with Bear. We currently have almost 7 years with Arnie, who is probably about 8. He doesn't let a day go by without getting excited when we come home and I don’t let a day go by that I don’t give him a kiss and tell him know how much I love him, even though he broke 3 of my husband's ribs last year. BTW ~ don’t recommend broken ribs one bit, for the injured or the caretaker 😉. I can only hope we have plenty of years left with him to enjoy

Overall, a lovely heartbreaking and heartwarming book that gives a reminder that "a dog might only be there for part of your life, but to them you are their whole life."

A moving relationship fiction novel about the close bonds people forge with their canine friends and how hard it is letting go.

As a dog lover and someone who has been through the loss of a much loved dog this story had me sobbing so much that I could not see through my tears. A new dog never replaces a old dog but just makes more room in your heart to love another. I absolutely loved this book and read it in one quick sitting. I will now be buying this authors first book and be on the lookout for more!

I fell in love with Boomer and thought this was such an adorable story. I liked the characters and the plot but did indeed need some tissues.
Many thanks to Kensington and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a cute book and a great option for any kids who love dogs. It's fun, interactive, and accessible for a variety of students!

This book is a *Must Read* for dog lovers! It's a beautifully written story that is full of emotions. I loved it and highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy from Kensington Books, Zebra via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was an entertaining book. It was sweet, fun and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

Oh Boomer! Jennifer loves Boomer- so much so that when he's diagnosed with a heart condition, she improbably decides to take him on a road trip. And then she meets Nate. a reporter who becomes - wait for it- her love interest. It's a read where you know what's going to happen (in both good and bad ways) but that doesn't make it any less a good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

A wonderful story about Boomer and owner, Boomer has a heart condition so they decide to take a trip. Friendship develops, but you need to read this to see what happens. Every dog lover should read this but even if you aren't keen on dogs this will give you a good read. 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

I love books about dogs, I truly do and while this one lost me for a hot minute at about 60% of the way through, it reeled me back in almost immediately.
Jennifer Westbrook is an Advertising Executive at a busy PR firm in Chicago and her life revolves solely around work and her 5 year old Golden Lab mix Boomer. When she learns Boomer is dying from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and has only about a month to live she takes a leave of absence from work to take Boomer on a road trip down Route 66 so they can make the most of the time he has left. Along the way she joins forces with Nate, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, who helps find exciting things for Boomer to do. Unbeknownst to them, someone back home has created a website called Boomer’s Bucket List and encourages people to send in pictures and videos of Boomer living his best life in the time he has left. Because of this, Boomer ends up being a pseudo celebrity and his last days are spent on the biggest adventure any dog can have.
While I was super excited to read this, I was a little ambivalent because books about dogs nearly always leave me in tears. This was no exception. I sat in my parked car sobbing for a good 5 minutes towards the end of the book, but that’s the sign of a good book, right?
While I adored Boomer and I really liked Jennifer and Nate, there were 2 side characters I couldn’t stand. Jennifer’s assistant very nearly ruined the book for me with her lack of confidence and mooching ways. I especially enjoyed the tour down Route 66. Sue Pethick made sure to mention a couple of the spots Jennifer, Nate, and Boomer stopped at were from her imagination, but she included enough real ones in the book to make me want to take a road trip down this iconic road one day. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this advance copy. This hits the shelves on May 23rd.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This book is perfect for dog lovers and cue the t-shirts. The book tells the story of dog owner Jennifer whose sweet dog Boomer gets diagnosed with a heart condition. Because boomer is her favorite person she decides to go on a road trip. It is the cutest story ever and it's not only a trip of two friends but a romance blossoms between Jennifer and the journalist that is onto them (Nathan). This story will bring out the tears. I loved it.

I somehow stumbled across this one and decided to give it a try. It's my first read from this author, but I can guarantee, it certainly won’t be my last. Its wide appeal to animal lovers, women's fiction fans and romance junkies will please most any reader.

When Jennifer Westbrook learns her precious pup, Boomer, has a heart condition and his days are numbered, she decides to take him on a road trip and complete a bucket list for Boomer. With everything a canine could love, from fire hydrants to squeaky toys and race cars, Jennifer takes Boomer from site to site across the country.

Along the way, they pick up a second traveling partner, journalist Nathan Koslow, and then somehow, Boomer’s Bucket List goes viral. Now everyone is looking for Boomer without letting Jennifer in on the secret. But Boomer? It seems his big interest, by far, is getting Jennifer and Nathan together.

Sweet, charming, and full of heart, this is the perfect reading escape for the animal lover in all of us. Don’t miss a minute of Boomer's adventures in this wonderful, emotional story!

Awesome book, who would have ever thought to give a dog a bucket list, and help him cross things off. This was a sweet but sad read. Have tissues handy when reading this one.

Have a box of tissues ready! Boomer’s Bucket List is categorized as a romance novel. But it is so much more than that. And if you’re a sucker for pet stories like me, this book is a must read.

Jennifer Westbrook is a career driven account executive at a prestigous PR firm. Jennifer’s job took up a lot of her time leaving very little left for her dog Boomer. So when Jennifer learns that Boomer has a rare and fatal heart condition, she vows to spend as much quality time as possible with Boomer. And that meant taking Booker on an epic road trip from Chicago to California — following the famous Route 66.

Along the way, Jennifer meets columnist Nathan Koslow who then joins Jennifer and Boomer on their cross country adventure. On the road with Boomer, Jennifer and Nathan develop a close friendship that blossoms into something more than expected.

I just loved Boomer’s Bucket List! The story flows smoothly from beginning to end. And even though I knew the outcome, the narrative resonated and moved me in so many ways.

The characters in the novel felt so real. I didn’t care for them at first. But as the story progressed, I became attached to them, rooting for that happily ever after.

Overall, Boomer’s Bucket List is an excellent and heartfelt read that is perfect for fans of W. Bruce Cameron. Though I seem to think Pethick’s works are better. Five outstanding stars.

I received a digital ARC from Kensington Books through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions

Jenifer Westbrock is told she is going to lose her dog bloomer to a heart condition she is determined to give him the best month of his life. As he is her best friend.

She takes a leave of abbstance from her job. But Stacy from her office forces her know she safe by sending her pictures from wherever she is. The only problem is jenifer only send photos with Bloomer in them.

As jenifer travel starts the photos come through and Stacy has a idea to make a website so jenifer has something to look back on, remembering or even celebrating Bloomer life.
Unfortunately she shows her boss one of the photos and sends it to be edited and creates a website for her. But it goes out of control with loads of advertisements for their company's details splashed all over it.

Jenifer decides to travel on route 66.
On her travel she bumps into Nathan a Cople of times, so in the end they decide to travel together, in separate cars.

Stacy is given key 🔑 to water Jennifer plants and keep an eye on her place.
When she goes their several bunches of flowers were left at her doorstep, the neighbour tells her they'd been arriving for a few days now.

Stacy takes her best friend back to Jennifer's place as she has 'practcallly moved in' there now!

Jenifer and Nathan's relationship grows.

Jenifer believes. that 'your [nathan's] column was always so nasty. It didn't seem like you' she goes on to say he should writer a book

Later on in the novel Nathan's boss believes jenifer story is a hoax, Nathan 'told himself it would serve her right to be humiliated, that Boomer's Bucket List was nothing but a cheap ploy to gain market share, and that was talking advantage of people, Playing on their sympathy'

Website has now got over a million hits.

Stacy confronts her agency's managed team, to find out whats been going on. They say as soon as they get Boomer's vet records they will put a full page advisement in the Trib- Nathan's newspaper 📰 telling them that it was not a hoax.

She 'was curious. She'd even been tempted to check it out on her iPhone, but had soo far refused.
Eventually she takes a look and admits the website is a good.

When they meet again Jenifer calls herself and Nathan 'The ice queen and Mr poisoned pen. Nathan says Those 'were just our disguises'

I enjoyed this book as I liked the different POV, it add depth to the story but makes the chaper length very small.
However there is very little description of where they are, as the characters move around so much it would be great if you got a vivid picture of where they were.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a complementary digital copy of this ebook in exchange for a full, frank, and honest review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

I found Boomer's Bucket List to be an engaging and fun read. Be warned that it's also a bit of a tear-jerker for dog lovers. When high-powered PR exec Jen discovers that her beloved pet Boomer has a fatal condition that numbers is remaining days, she is determined to take him on a trip that will make the most of their last days together. They plot a route from Chicago with the goal of traveling to California by Route 66. Along the way they pick up Nathan, a disgruntled journalist who lost his newspaper column and he proves to be very good at finding cool things for Boomer to experience. Boomer takes an immediate liking to Nathan and you can almost believe Boomer wants these two humans to stay together after he is gone. This is a sweet story and I highly recommend it.

Thank you Sue Pethick, NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC in exchange for a review.