I don't want to give too much away with this review, because I found the ending to be so rewarding. The writing style was crisp and engaging, while the story pulled me along, dying to know how it all would end. I'm a huge fan of NYC / Hamptons set novels having lived there for nearly two decades. This did not disappoint.

Fragmented Novel


Unfortunately, this is a disjointed novel. The first short chapter captured my attention and then it went to an extreme, without much proof, to the background of the main character and her present situation. El, the main character, had a sad personal history with little improvement to her lifestyle until she met Bryce. This is an old plot, man of her dreams, who really is not who he says he is.

Ideas were hard to follow and the title relating to the antics of the dogs at the climax of the story was not reliable and consistent.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Putnam for this pre-published novel. All opinions expressed are my own.

MAN'S BEST FRIEND by Alana Lytle is the story of a young woman aspiring to a life she cannot seem to achieve for herself on her own merits and efforts. While El has given her all to fit into the ultra rich cliques and class, she was a scholarship student forever on the outside, face pressed up against the window of ease and a comfortable life. Meeting a man who is her perfect candidate to make her dreams come true, the story takes dark and twisty turns in the life of a young woman who will do anything to get what she wants. I did not like El, did not feel sorry for her nor relate to her struggles in achieving what she was so sure was the life she was meant to live. I felt sorry for the people who had to live with and encounter her. Not a very enjoyable read, although it had its moments. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

Man's Best Friend
By Alana Biden Lytle

This story begins and ends with dogs. I'm not quite sure why. El – short for Heloise – is the protagonist here. Her story is one of a girl deserted by her father when she was twelve, in favor of his second family and her half-sister.
El thus has spent her whole life never feeling good enough, never having the riches and social status she thinks she should be entitled to. Initially the author portrays El as a victim. Always just a hanger-on, never on a par with her peers, never attracting the cool guy. But then she meets Bryce accidentally at a party. While she isn't really attracted to him, she IS attracted to his devotion and his wealth. As their relationship rapidly deepens, she begins to understand that there are two sides to Bryce. But in truth there are two sides to El herself. She must make choices as to how she wants to live her life.

As the story goes on, El becomes a less and less sympathetic character. She is envious and selfish. She makes her choices based solely on what she wants, abandoning her friends and terrifying her boyfriend. In short, she has become a different person.

The ending circles back around to the dogs. I wasn't clear on what the author intended here. Maybe that El – like a loyal dog – may turn on its master in the end. I found this a very strange book.

Here is my feedback for the book man’s best friend! Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book in advance on exchanged of an honest review. The review is linked below!

This young woman, El, displays the typical behavior of many young women these days. She has a job, but hates it. She has two sets of friends, one from her high school days and one from her college days when she attended an upper class school with her wealthy friends. El only feels confident when she's in a group, where she borrows that confidence from the other women. While I enjoyed the book, I'm not quite sure what is accomplished at the end of the story. I don't think I'm the target audience.

Listless and inferior, El is a failed actress and painfully motivated by the shame of not being as wealthy as her old school friends. She falls into a relationship with a slightly underwhelming, but wealthy man, forgoing genuine connection for the comfortable life she feels she has always deserved. This was an entertaining if not slightly frustrating read. The characters felt real, whilst also deeply unlikable, and the main character was without charm, but self aware. The writing was strong and the human interactions relatable enough to keep me engaged.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

MANS BEST FRIEND
Alana B. Lytle

He is everything she wants to be. And instead of becoming more like him, she will marry him if it’s the last thing she does.

They just met, it’s their first date but El has plans for him (name not important) that go beyond what appetizers to order and the quickest route to the restrooms. It’s no time before they’re engaged but as soon as she gets a ring on her finger the façade of his carefully constructed character starts to look less shiny than her new diamond.

The only things he must do to keep El happy are the things he seems to have trouble doing. The only thing he seems to be good at is not being exactly what she needs him to be.

Does El know what she signed up for when she set her sights on him?

Will she make it down the aisle before she becomes the next to-do item on his list of problems to solve?

Either the character or the author has trouble expressing negative emotions. It comes across in the literature in many places. Instead of expressing anger, it is communicated through hostility, rage, and hatred towards self and others.

There are references to being invisible when not being chosen by one individual. That seemed like an overall concept and not an attributed fault of logic of the character.

The male character only exists to prove as a dumping ground and blaming place for El. The book has an overall quality of not being ripe. Perhaps the concepts would be further developed with a little time to reflect or simmer on the themes.

Thanks to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for the advanced copy!

MAN’S BEST FRIEND…⭐⭐

Alan B. Lytle's "Man's Best Friend" tells a gripping, slow-burning story of the main character, El, as she thinks on her past and struggles with the deep desire to be chosen, loved, and respected by her affluent pals. Her thoughts of inadequacy stem from her father's leaving, providing a devastating element of depth to her character. Despite setbacks in her acting career and a job at a bakery, a key night at a Hamptons party hosted by her affluent friend Julia serves as a spark for profound personal development. Here, the author effectively navigates El's reaction to her circumstances, including her reluctant relationship with a man she hardly likes, which leads to the discovery of disturbing facts.

El's character, whose I thought unlikable, is depicted with an engrossing combination of agitation and depth. Her need for acceptance from her wealthy pals is contrasted with her neglect of the deep connections she has already made. Her transforming deeds near the end of the story represent a key turning point. Rather than surrendering to fear, she takes control, confronts the truth about her fiance, and eventually earns not only wealth, but also autonomy.

This thought-provoking story depicts a character's journey from vulnerability to empowerment and delves deeply into the concept of personal agency. It dives into the complexities of human relationships and the tremendous effects of self-realization.

Man's best friend was an ok read. At times I was interested and others I was not. I did hoping for a different ending.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted copy.

Man's Best Friend by Alana B. Lytle was a really good story.
It was well written and very descriptive. An enjoyably tense page turner, this had me up way too late.
This author does an excellent job of creating an atmospheric setting that adds to the tension of the story.
The writing itself is well done, and the pace keeps you turning pages.
The author's ability to create suspenseful settings and well-written characters makes this book worth reading. The setting & descriptions really put the reader in the action.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This book was very different and for the sake of everything that was happening I was intrigued to see where this will take me. And even though it was not my style, I know it will be for someone else.

This book is a little different than I was expecting it to be, which made it a little more challenging to read. The pacing feels inconsistent at times, and some character development could be deeper. While the story is enjoyable overall, it may not leave a lasting impression compared to other similar works in the genre.

Thank you, NetGalley, G.P. Putnam Sons/Penguin Group for the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

This was a weird little book but in the vein of obsessive, bordering on thrilling, literary fiction that generally works me. I found it a bit hard at time to understand El, the narrator and there was this whole other almost supernatural component going on that didn't quite tie in for me ... and still, I read this one was very quickly and was surprised by the ending. I would definitely recommend!

Man's Best Friend comes out next week on May 14, 2024, and you can purchase HERE!

It was fundamentally humiliating to extend yourself to someone who almost liked you. How many times had El encountered this-with friends, fuckbuddies, casting directors-people who nearly liked her, but something held them back. Maybe if she showed her belly, how much she hungered for connection, maybe then she'd manage to convert doubters into lovers. Maybe she would have more friends who challenged her, rather than those who simply accepted her in her limited, emotionally anorexic state (because Navya did this, she knew, Navya enabled her avoidance by always being the one to reach out). Maybe she would have made it in acting after all had she learned to be vulnerable when it counted the most. The fatal ingredient in her personality was spite. Just that one little ounce of it, the part too bitter to show her need, had it kept her from a better life?

**Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Puntam's Sons for the eARC of this title.**

This one just wasn't for me and didn't deliver what I had expected based on the description.

I can't really recommend this to anyone unless you enjoy hating every single charcater in the book. Not a redeeming quality to be found among anyone and I hear enough whining at work - I don't want to have to deal with in books that I'm trying to enjoy.

Sorry this one didn't work for me and I do hope it finds it audience. Cover is cool and neat concept.

I’ve been thinking about this book since I finished it a couple of days ago. It has me baffled! I don’t know quite what to think of it! Which makes me really like it and want to know if others feel the same way.

First off, the main character is El. And she is someone I don’t really like. I found that she seems a bit like me and the women I know but there is a laziness to her that is not relatable for a person pushing 30. I understand her in the way she wants to fit in with those that she grew up with (as a scholarship girl at an expensive NYC private school) but at some point in your adult life- you gotta move past that right?


Ok so then she meets Bryce. I am not of fan of any man with that name. It just is an entitled name. (I am sorry to anyone with this name that does not meet the description). El does not like Bryce from the start. As their relationship goes on, we see that she is building resentment towards him and finds him clingy. So what does she do? Keep the relationship going of course! Why? Well- he rich. Like mega rich. Women have done way more for way less, so for this, I give El a pass.

Throughout the book we get little stories dropped about dogs. Canine's. Not men acting like animals. The book is called Man’s best friend so it makes sense there is a dog component here. The book begins with a story from a dogs perspective and I was real worried I was about to read a book with the dog as the main character.

I don’t think the book needed the dog reference. It was a good story without the dog references BUT I do understand why it was there. It took a few days of thinking about the book to even wonder why it had dogs in it. It may have an even deeper meaning that I totally missed.

I enjoyed the ending thoroughly. I was wondering “shoot I have about 7% left of this book how IN THE WORLD will it end!?” Well I got to that ending quick and it was awesome!

Overall, I think this book will not appeal to everyone. It kind of gave me Carola Lovering vibes!

Man’s Best Friend by Alana Lytle is a very different type of book. It starts out a little slow and light but does pick up and get very dark as the story progresses. I do enjoy a dark book and this one checked that box. The characters are unlikable, toxic, and well developed. I did not like them but found myself wanting to find out more about them. There is a mystery thriller aspect to this story that won’t let you give up reading it. A satisfying book that should do well.

Thank you NetGalley, G.P. Putnam Sons/Penguin Group and Alana Lytle for the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
#netgalley #putnamsons #penguingroup #alanalytle #mansbestfriend

What did I just read? I’m not entirely sure what the author was intending to accomplish here with themes and intended symbolism which I had a hard time finding it due to the lead character El being so vapid and unlikable. There were times where El could have easily broken free from that but she made easy, selfish, and dare I say, eventually diabolical choices. But there was nothing fun or juicy about this book. The villains just kinda sucked. And there was no real character to feel sympathy for, not even the deceased. One thing I did like was the description of NYC nights. The setting was definitely palpable. Otherwise I’m sorry to say this was very forgettable.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for kindly providing this arc in exchange for my honest review.

bad title, bad plot, bad characters. was this a first draft? there was so many little details spelled out to death. the "thriller" is neither suspenseful nor captivating nor fast paced.

A book full of whiny people who complain about everything. That's it. That's the summary.

I think this is a book that isn't sure what it wants to be. A romance? A coming of age story? A mystery? I don't think it fits any of those options because it's not...enough of anything.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.