I've never written a book. Putting a few sentences down for these book reflections is hard enough, so I have nothing but respect for authors who manage to publish an entire novel.

Since I've been bailing out on several books this year I decided to stick with this one to the end. On the plus side, the book's plot highlights the deeply meaningful role animals can have as therapeutic healers for those who have experienced trauma or disease. I'll share my constructive criticisms directly with the publisher and simply note that this book will probably best be enjoyed by those who love "Lifetime" moves (note: I don't).

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When I requested this book, I figured any book about dogs had to be good. I am a real dog lover. However, this book, though good in many ways, just dragged for me. I realize the author had to drag it out a bit because figuring out what is going on with Skye’s daughter Cody would take time to illustrate (unless you want to just outright ID the problem). This book gave it time—almost too much. I also did not really like Cody as portrayed in the book.

Skye has bought a dilapidated bed & breakfast in the Berkshires, in a last-ditch effort to fulfill her dream of owning an inn and to provide a safe environment for her young daughter Cody. Unfortunately, though Skye had experience working in hotels and inns, owning and running an inn is a bit more difficult and complicated, and she is having some problems, mostly financial, getting things going. Cody also seems more withdrawn and falls in with the wrong crowd. Then, Adam March arrives with his rescued dog Chance, who bonds with Cody almost from the start. What Skye does not realize is that Cody has a secret she is keeping, a secret that may just destroy her and her family, if it does not destroy her first. Nevertheless, as Adam and Skye begin a tentative relationship, and, as Cody and Chance grow to trust one another, an outside force, who can destroy everything they had, emerges and begins closing in on the newly established family-type unit.

I enjoyed reading about the Berkshires, as I originally came from that area. The descriptions of the scenes were spot on. I also enjoyed watching the budding relationship between Adam and Skye. As I said, I did not take to Cody well, but I like the way the author used Chance to bring out her best and to help her through this difficult time. There was some mystery with the inclusion of the outside person who threatened everything, but the book moved too slowly to hold my interest. I enjoyed reading the “personification thoughts” of Chance most, as they provided good insight about what was going on. The characters were fairly well done and interesting. The plot just needed some oomph to get it going. Not sure whether I will read more by the author. Since I really enjoy dog related stories, I probably will. However, this one will probably never be my favorite. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

I really disliked this book. One thing that makes a book enjoyable for me is the characters. I have to like them. I liked the dogs and maybe Adam. The know that each person was dealing with their own set of problems and stressors, but I really couldn't feel sorry for most of them. This was a dark book, and even the ending is what I would consider happy. There were also what appeared to be typos or grammatical errors. I would not recommend this book.

This was a fine, sweet read. It held my attention and I enjoyed the characters, but I didn’t love it.
Two Good Dogs is actually a sequel to the book, One Good Dog, in which we first meet the pit bull named Chance, and Adam March, a human who seemingly has it all and then ends up striking an employee, and he loses everything. One does not need to have read One Good Dog in order to appreciate Two Good Dogs. I’ve read One Good Dog, it was a book club selection, and while I read it, I don’t remember a lot of it, and this didn’t affect my reading of Two Good Dogs at all.
The official synopsis is slightly misleading, as it makes the book seem more mystery based, and it is not. This is definitely a character-based novel, and while some readers may dislike the slow pace, I liked the pace and the relaxation the book provided.
Told from various points of view (we even are treated to Chance’s POV!), Two Good Dogs was great at telling the different stories from all the viewpoints. We get hear from Cody, a young gal who is struggling to fit in at school, and is distancing herself from her mother to help protect her. We hear from Cody’s mother, Skye, who has recently moved and purchased an inn that she is struggling to update. We also hear from Adam, who stays at the inn and forges a friendship with Skye and also Cody. The relationships were interesting, and moved at a realistic pace. I appreciated the conflict between Skye and Cody, who used to be so close, but then Cody witnesses a murder and has to act distant to protect her mother. I really felt for Cody, who is dealing with the trauma of witnessing a murder, along with moving to a new town and starting a new school where she doesn’t have any friends, except for the outcast Black Molly, who deals drugs and is a bad influence. Along the way Cody meets a boy named Mingo, and Mingo’s dog, Dawg, is the second dog talked about in the title. I liked Mingo and his story. Mingo is a recovering drug addict, and he tries to get his life back on track after overdosing one evening.
One problem I had with the book is that the POVs were not clearly defined, so sometimes it did take a paragraph or two to know whose head I was in (ie, no name at the top of the chapter or section to identify whose POV I was in). However, this may have just been a formatting issue with the ARC I was reading, I don’t know. It was a minor quibble.
This is a great book for dog lovers! I never thought I’d love a pit bull, but Chance stole my heart in One Good Dog, and he steals it again here in Two Good Dogs. It’s great fun to read sections from Chance’s perspective, which gives a unique feel to this book.
One big problem I had with the book was that at the very end, I was extremely unhappy to see the words “Epilogue” come across my screen. The last chapter just ends in a very dramatic fashion, and the epilogue, while tying things up, didn’t give me enough resolution to the buildup that was the entire book. So this was frustrating, and since it was the end, that is what I remember most!
All in all, this is a good read, and one that I think readers who enjoy character studies and books about dogs will really love. It does have a slower pace, but I found the pace relaxing and readable, and it didn’t bother me. Recommended to those who love animals and taking a chance (ha!) on people.

Bottom Line: Enjoyable and good. Slow paced character study.

This is the first book I've read by Susan Wilson, but it will not be the last! In this beautifully drawn women's fiction novel, the lives of four individuals come together in a rundown hotel in the Berkshire Hills, in which the rural New England setting almost becomes another character. Adam and his rescue/service pit bull, Chance, come upon Skye's hotel by accident but keep returning, thereby getting involved in the lives of Skye and her teenage daughter, Cody. When a street kid named Mingo, with another possibly abused pit bull, enters the picture, complications ensue. This story develops slowly but surely, and readers will find themselves caring about all of these characters, including the well drawn dogs.