A well-written, propulsive debut! Man's Best Friend follows Heloise "El," who's spent her whole life in close proximity to the wealthy and well-connected. She wants that life for herself, too, but having given up on her dreams of becoming a famous actress, and with little other prospects, El is resigning herself to an existence of emptiness with nothing to look forward to. Then, she meets the mysterious Bryce, who isn't exactly her type, but holds the keys to the world she's always longed to be a part of. As El sheds the remnants of her old life in order to perfectly fit into Bryce's, she begins to wonder if Bryce isn't exactly who he seems to be. How much will she give up—and can she face the consequences?

I loved the writing style of this book! None of the characters are necessarily likable, but Lytle does an incredible job of drawing readers into their world. I was on the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen next. The story covers so many thought-provoking themes—it was a quick read, but had me thinking about it long after I finished the book. Overall, Man's Best Friend is a fast-paced book, but one that readers won't soon forget. I'm interested to see what Lytle writes next! Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC.

The first few chapters were so depressing that I couldn't go on. A main character who is totally down on herself usually has one quirky, winsome, or redeeming quality, but I couldn't get deep enough into this book to find it in El. The story line, use of drugs and alcohol are not 'my thing' but that said, the writing is good and I'm sure others with different reading preferences would enjoy this book on that merit.

El is a failed actress with no passion, great love, or even a great future to look forward to. After attending a Manhattan private school on scholarship and being in the company of the ultra-wealthy, she knows what it feels like to rub elbows with the rich, and she wants that feeling back. But with no motivation, she wonders if she’ll ever get that life back.

Out of the blue, a chance meeting after a get-together has her suddenly snuggling up to a wealthy trust fund Cambridge graduate. Definitely not her type; Bryce’s only way to hold on to El is through his money and connections.
But as strange events occur around them, they start to reveal their true selves.

What a strange yet luxurious novel. I loved the rags to riches theme and especially the mysterious events that peppered the book. I was almost sure something sinister was at play, yet I felt duped when the novel took another turn. Did I also mention how infuriating El was? I loved to hate her.

Great story, great characters, great overall experience.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had a hard time getting into this book because the characters all seemed not like their lives and Bryce was a real creep. Interesting debut.

* Special thanks to Penguin Group PUTNAM, NetGalley, and the author, Alana B. Lytle for an ARC of this book. Publication date: May 14, 2024*
The story follows 29 year old El who feels lost, directionless, and lonely. She struggles with a father who abandoned her, a mother who was physically there, but not emotionally, and toxic friendships in her adolescent years. This character is hurt, flawed, and unlikeable; however that is what makes her feel so real. Lytle did an incredible job in conveying how someone with a disorganized attachment would struggle with her relationship with self and others. El then meets another man and begins to sacrifice herself for the chance of feeling wanted and loved. The question then becomes how much is she willing to sacrifice?
This book made me feel slimy, afraid, and satisfied. I would definitely recommend this novel.

I definitely felt for El and I enjoyed shadowing her story, although it could be painful at times due to the relatability. I agree with other reviews that the "woman as dog" metaphor could be a bit clunky at times, but overall, the book worked. Strong debut effort from a young writer; will be looking out for her next book to follow her development.

El is a struggling actress nearing the end of her opportunity to make it big. Living in New York, she works half heartedly at a bakery and spends time with her NYU friends dreaming of what could have been. Back in middle school, El spent a golden year at a private Manhattan academy. The friends she made there seemed to have moved on, but El has never forgotten them. When one of the friends returns her text and invites her to the Hamptons for a night, she jumps at the chance. While she is there she meets a very interesting man who for once, is more interested in her than her friends.

The themes of never being good enough, or just being good enough at times worked well, I do not think the dog metaphors were helpful, and seemed to have detracted from the story. While some of this territory has been covered before, Lytle is a great writer and the ending will absolutely thrill you! #Mansbestfriend #alanablytle #penguin

El was an interesting character and the author has an interesting writing style that, while readable, feels a little different and outside the norm. I wasn't feeling gripped by it so stopped after chapter 3 (9%), but I imagine this book will go over well with the target audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

Man’s Best Friend offers a familiar protagonist who is lost in life, trying to find her way in an environment where comparison is the death of not only joy, but of motivation. When you can’t possibly keep up, why try? While a lot of books that follow these types of female characters are lambasted (she’s not likable, she’s entitled, whiny, etc.), I think Lytle’s book mostly works and is a solid debut. A lot of her reflections are relatable and offer an amusing, honest social commentary. The book seeks to be more Literary by trying to draw a comparison between women and dogs— loyal companions too often taken for granted— and while I appreciate the ambition, I don’t think it was necessary. I almost put the book down during the first chapter, thinking the entire book was going to be written from the POV of a dog. So if you do pick this up, push past that first chapter! :)

The first half of the book had great potential but then towards the middle, the suspense just wasn't there. It had all this promise then died down. I'm sure there's something I'm not getting or picking up on, but the overall story was engaging.

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam books for letting me read an eARC of this book. It was quite the manipulating tale of a term subliminally known in all human beings. Prey and Predator, fight or flight - animal instincts. We follow the protagonist, El, as she struggles with knowing who she is and what she wants in life. She becomes prey to predators she couldn’t always see coming. But what occurs when she becomes the predator, well, the whole story flips on its axis. It switches from things happening to her, to her doing things to affect others. This story comes out in May 2024, and I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a thriller that’s theme always goes back to the bare bones of the human race. It begs the question: will you be prey? Or will you be a predator?

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for this ARC of Man’s Best Friend.

“Who was El? Why was El?”
Who was Bryce…?

I requested this book for the title, the social metaphor of dog ownership, and the childhood abandonment leading to the dichotomy of wanting a secure and privileged future as well as wanting it on one’s own terms. Most of all, I love a good Cinderella fairy-tale.

Sharply written in a way only a brilliant but angst-ridden, over-thinking millennial could.

This book about the emotional, mental, political, moral challenges in becoming a modern woman navigating personal relationships was too young for me in concept, as I am older. I nevertheless found myself highlighting passage after passage of El’s astute social commentary.

This book touches on many relatable themes: privilege, entitlement, identity, jealousy, trust, dependence, avarice, class envy, social climbing, friendship politics, and ghosting.

Towards the end of the book, the story shifts into that of a thriller, my favorite genre. We discover that simple Bryce might not be so simple after all.

Four stars for this propulsive read.

First, I would like to start off by thanking Net Galley and Putnam Books for the opportunity to read an ARC of Man’s Best Friend by Alana B. Lytle in exchange for my honest review. It has a publishing date of May 14, 2024 and I am excited for everyone to get the chance to read it.

The story centers around El - a 29 year old woman who has given up on her dream of becoming an actress and is still coming to terms with her dad’s abandonment . Growing up in a home where her mom was often struggling to have enough money just to get them by - El is enchanted by the finer things, always wanting them for herself . Unfortunately they have always seemed just out of reach.

Enter Bryce - a man El meets by chance encounter. She doesn’t really love him, isn’t even sure she likes him ; but he does have the ability to provide her with the life she’s always wanted . As she dives head first into a new life with him she becomes acquainted with his more sinister side - and is forced to ask herself , is it worth it ?

This book is both light and dark. I found myself rooting for El to self actualize and come into who she really is - whether it is who the reader wants her to be or not is pretty irrelevant. The book much like Nightbitch uses the metaphor of dogs to illustrate the ways we can be domesticated into complacency; and the freedom of giving in to our more primal instincts.

It’s a quick, easy read but don’t let that fool you - this story will make you think about the complexities of who you are as an individual. You may even find yourself, like El, reevaluating which ends justify which means.

I don't know if I can do this story justice right now as I've been up all night with it, unable to tear my eyes away until the brutal, beautiful ending. El ( Heloise ) was abandoned by her father at a young age. He had another life, another partner, another daughter, and when he chose them El was forever marked. Never feeling good enough. Her father's rejection taints all her future relationships. With both men and women. This is a tale of desire and jealousy. Obsession, murder, mythology, morals, and the rage of women striving to be themselves , only themselves, no matter who that self may ultimately be. I hated El's callous attitude toward her friendships. I applauded Navya. Bryce just made me want to shower constantly. His character evoked an actual creepiness across my skin. This is a book that will be impossible to define or forget.

Man’s Best Friend is a lot of things- at times light hearted and at other times, very dark, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. El is a 29 year old wannabe actor turned bakery employee, directionless and seeking validation through men. She struggles with feelings of worthlessness and an inability to let go of her high school insecurities and toxic friendships. The characters in this book are familiar- the unlikeable and lost protagonist, the wealthy and vapid friends, the mysterious love interest- but the writing is really good and the social commentary provides a fresh take on a tired archetype.

After a questionable meet-cute with a wealthy Englishman, El steps directly and willingly into the void of an all consuming relationship. She muses over the axiom “do you want to be right or happy,” isolating herself from healthy relationships and blazing a path of self-destruction. There are so many moments of clever writing and biting social criticism. One of my favorite gems is when El confront the righteous rage of a very wealthy ally to the working poor.

El is deeply unlikeable and that is what makes her such a fascinating read. She lives in the dangerous territory of almost good enough. She fails to create or nurture real relationships, in part, because she is afraid of rejection. I wasn’t necessarily rooting for her, but I was invested in her story, nonetheless.

I least enjoyed the dog related harbingers placed throughout the story. I get what the author is trying to say, but I didn’t enjoy the metaphors- they were too obvious and forced, taking away from a more interesting discussion on the absurdity of practicing ethical consumption under capitalism and the tenuous line between romance and abuse. The prologue reads like a completely different story so if you do not enjoy it, keep reading- it gets better.