I'm not a big non-fiction reader but the title appealed to me and I'm so glad I picked this book to read. 20 year old Taylorr decides to get Her soon to be husband a special birthday gift. She drives to the country and finds Harlow, a Vizla puppy with a very specific set of instructions from owner, Carl.It's the best decision she ever made. I loved the book, my only negative was how the timeline jumped back and forth. I think I would have enjoyed it slightly more if it had gone from puppy hood to adulthood. Every dog owner and animal lover will adore this book. It would make a perfect gift. Enjoy. I couldn't lay it down.

It's SO so so cool when someone you follow on the internet gets to do something as cool as write their own story in book form! Loved this for Taylor as a huge fan and follower!

I’ve followed Taylor on Instagram for a while, and I enjoyed her book. Her humor and tenderness really makes for a book that I think a lot of people would be touched by or could relate to. It was a great portrayal of the ways we can carry so much joy and grief all at once. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book is a sweet story of dog love and baby love, but it didn't hold much more for me. I found myself wondering why the author would do certain things at times, (started right off at the beginning with buying a puppy instead of adopting). It is both funny and sad, but not memorable. I thank NetGalley andHarper One for the advance read.

It is a cute memoir/biography/real-life story of the author acquiring a rambunctious dog and said dog growing up with her child and what she learns from observing them, worrying about them, and constantly thinking about them. To be honest, I liked where this book was going up until the introduction of the child, I just felt that the baby didn't give as much to the story as the dog, especially in terms of holding my attention. Cute book, just not for me once an infant shows up and ruins things.

I absolutely loved this book, and I’m not at all surprised because Taylor Wolfe makes me giggle every single time she posts on Instagram. I discovered Taylor’s page, @thedailytay a few years ago when one of her hilarious reels popped up in my feed. She was poking fun at influencers, and I could not stop laughing. She was SPOT ON. When I saw that she had a book coming out, I requested it on netgalley immediately.

This memoir is primarily a tribute/memorial/love letter to her beloved dog, Harlow. Dog lovers will eat this book up, but you don’t have to be a dog person to appreciate it. Heck, I’m a cat person through and through, and this book still touched my heart and soul. If you ever had a strong bond with an animal before, you will get it. You will absolutely get it. Trust me. I must say that I was a little thrown off at first when she started talking to her dog, and then THE DOG ANSWERED! Yup, full on conversations with her dog. I scratched my head and thought, “Oh boy. What am I getting myself into?” Well, color me impressed because Taylor pulled it off, and made the human/doggie tête-à-têtes work like you would not believe!

This memoir is on the shorter side, but Taylor still manages to cover SO much. I appreciated her reflections on pregnancy, new motherhood, marriage, her search for the ideal career, moving during the pandemic, having a baby during the pandemic, and my very favorite—hiking in Colorado. Taylor’s story will warm your heart, and then break it. It will make you laugh out loud multiple times. I can’t even tell you how many times I snorted. Truly. Certain parts even brought tears to my eyes. Please don’t miss out on this gem! 5/5 glorious stars for Birdie & Harlow!

This book made me sob. Which I knew it was going to before I read it. But still.

Taylor is in her 30’s and is technically an Influencer since she makes a living through Instagram. However, she does so more with making little comedy skits rather than brand sponsorships, though she does those too. She used to live in Chicago, which is when I started following her. She is married and this story is about her relationship with her best friend and first dog, Harlow, and learning whether or not she wanted to have children.

I have a very close relationship with my cat and also am very unsure about whether or not I want to have children. I’ve always related to Taylor in this way, and even though I knew a lot of what was going to happen since I followed her as it was happening, she shared more details than she had on her Instagram stories.

I enjoy her style of storytelling because it’s very straightforward. She’s a little weird and anxious and doesn’t hesitate to speak openly and bluntly about these traits. I think one of the reasons I loved this book was that it made me feel seen. I related to a lot of what she had to say and especially her relationship with her pet. I haven’t read a memoir similar to this one either. I could definitely see myself re-reading this when it comes out in audio to hear her tell the story.

So, spoiler alter, the loss is her dog Harlow. I knew this was coming. I was following her when he died about two years ago. And yet, the way she wrote it ripped my heart out. It felt fresh and I had to pause halfway through this part of the book to go find my cat and give him a hug. Losing a pet sucks. My favorite quote was when she said “Your grief is a lot because your love is a lot. You don’t get one without the other, and grief does not care who or what you loved. It simply knows that you did.”

This book is amazing. If you are someone who has ever loved a pet like you birthed it or if you’re unsure about having a baby and nervous about how that will change your life I would recommend this book. Even if you’re a new mom and just need some laughs and someone to relate to, read this book. Highly recommend and if you enjoy, follow her on Instagram. She’s just as fun there too.

Well, I ugly cried so much during this that I had to ice roll my face afterwards. For the record, I’ve been following @thedailytay for years so I knew the outcome of this one and it still destroyed me. Wolfe shows her wit, honesty and general “life is a series of mishaps” attitude which made this a bingeable read. She has such an easy writing style that makes her very relatable and many readers will find parallels to their own lives. This is a must read for all my fellow dog people.

I get a cry ball even thinking about writing this review. Taylor showed how harrowing but also beautiful, motherhood can be--whether it's to an animal or a colicky human. Will read again in the future.

I have followed Taylor on her Instagram, The Daily Tay, for over 3 years. It's a hilarious comedy account but also a realistic journey through life and motherhood and that's exactly what she put into her book.

I've followed her from dog mom to child mom. Was there through pregnancy struggles and heartbreak. I watched as she lost Harlow, her furry best friend. And then watched as their family grew and then grew again.

And yet somehow, even knowing how the story plays out, I was still laughing out loud and sobbing through this entire book.

It follows Taylor on the journey of meeting her husband, buying a puppy together, moving all over the country, doing stand-up, starting a family, and all of the fun and sometimes sadness that comes with that.

Taylor does an exceptional job of voicing her story and putting all of her emotions into words. It was truly a touching and hilarious book.

I highly recommend this book for The Daily Tay fans, dog moms, kiddo moms, or anyone who enjoys a good laugh and a good cry.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperOne for my advanced reader copy! My signed physical copy is already pre-ordered and I'm so excited to get it!

Wow, I liked this so much more then I expected to! I follow Taylor on IG so I already knew I liked her humor but the way she wrote this book was creative, charming, heart warming, and funny without being annoying.

Taylor Wolfe has this ability to always make me laugh and put a smile on my face. I was so excited to read her story and was captivated by her writing. Her stories of motherhood, having a pet that is so much like your child and loss had me in all my feels. I related to so much of this story, I laughed, I cried, I loved it.

BOOK: Birdie & Harlow: Life, Loss, and Loving My Dog So Much I didn’t Want Kids (…Until I Did)
AUTHOR: Taylor Wolfe @thedailytay on IG
PUB DATE: 9/19/23 by HarperOne
PAGES: 272
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
GENRE: Nonfiction/Memoir

“I saw Chris as a young boy playing in the woods by his cabin, and I realized it felt like we’d found the place we’d always been searching for as children, and I guess as adults too. ‘How did you know this is what we were looking for, Har?’, I asked. He jumped from the boulder and came back to my side. ‘How did you not?’.”

AUTHOR RECOGNITIONS: Taylor Wolfe is a writer and has kept a long-standing online blog at www.thedailytay.com. She has a large IG following and is known for her outrageously comedic skits and heartwarming feed & story posts of her beloved family. She’s married to husband, Chris, is the proud mom to her two daughters, Birdie and Goldie, and is a loving pup mom to their two vizslas, Gunny and Vinny. They live in their beautiful new home up in the PNC.

REVIEW: I’ve been following Taylor since 2019 on IG, and she’s one of my Top 5 whose page I check at least once a day. If you don’t presently, do yourself a favor & give her a follow! She and I had DM’d a few times last year about this book she was writing. When I learned it was soon to be published in a few months, I reached out to HarperOne directly and asked if I might be given an advanced copy to read in exchange for my review. Needless to say, it felt like Christmas when I heard back in a few hours, granting me a copy. I had followed her journey the last few years with her beloved vizsla, Harlow (aka, Har, aka Carl) along with her moves from Chicago to Denver (through COVID) and on to the PNW. I especially looked forward to the videos of Har, being the dog-loving pet-sitter that I am. This book brought so much more to life for me! The conversations she & Harlow would have (yes, he talked to her – every day) had me barreling over laughing. This book is incredibly heartwarming AND heart-wrenching. You WILL need tissues! They both endured the highs & lows of life, side by side, & their relationship was so special & such a gift, there really is no word to describe its beauty. I will cherish this story always and will be gifting everyone in my family a copy for the holidays!

Happy Reading!

Love the cover. birdie is the author’s daughter and Harlow is the author’s dog! She talks about both throughout and as a mom to two dogs and one child I just laughed a lot at how she described parenthood! Four stars. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is pretty hilarious but there are some sad parts that made me choke up. I can relate to the author's close bond with her dog as I am extremely close to my 10 year old dog, whom ice had since she was 5 months old. I dread the day when she passes away.
I can honestly say Harlow's parents gave him his best life.