The Dog Walker's Diary

t is very rare that I immediately write a review after finishing a book -- in fact it might be the second or third time I do so, which means that The Dog Walker's Diary left such an impression on me that I'm still trying to figure it out.

But I know I loved it. I haven't laughed out loud at a book a while, and I flat out panicked when my table battery DIED in the middle of a climactic chapter.

Daniel, a 40-something literary agent is stuck in life. Unable to fall in love, be successful in his job, or cook a decent meal, hires a red-headed Irish dog walker who changes his life completely. Unable to overcome his fear of red-heads, Daniel and Annie correspond via a Dog Diary where Annie creates stories about the dogs she walks.

Annie Doherty shows up at just the right time. Daniel Ashe spends more time than he might like at his office as a literary agent where his job consists of gently crushing other people’s dreams when he has to refuse their screenplays. So much time, that he isn’t able to care for his dogs the way he should. Annie magically appears, a red-headed Irish dogwalker, ready to help Daniel out. The two communicate through a diary that Annie leaves at Daniel’s house, where she weaves magical stories about his dogs lives, both past and present (one elderly wiener was once a great lion). He in turn leaves her notes, trying to explain away his clumsiness around her (he has a thing for redheads) and other bits an pieces about his life. I didn’t know what to expect when I started this book. Little did I know I would be swept up into one of the most magical and lovely stories I’ve ever read. From the dogs and their lives in circuses and aboard pirate ships to the relationship between Annie and Daniel to Donahue’s incredible ability to romance the English language, this is a book to savor, pass on, and keep in your heart

I loved this unusual romance. The book is well written with a great plot. I enjoyed the author's writing and hope to read more of her books.

Ms. Donahue has created the most intriguing, unique story I've come across this year. This is not your cookie-cutter romance, folks. In fact, it's not even close. I'm struggling to even find a way to describe this book. It's told from the hero's (Daniel's) point of view, but much of it comes straight from the mind of the heroine (Annie) through stories she has written in the Dog Diary and emails to Daniel. I fell in love with both of these characters and the critters that surrounded them. I laughed out loud one minute and wanted to throw my Kindle across the room the next. Rarely does a book illicit this range of emotion from me. I love (nay, REQUIRE) an HEA in a romance to feel satisfied, and I began to worry at one point that an HEA wouldn't be found. I was wrong. And thank goodness for that, particularly since the HEA is delightful. I suspect this book will be snatched up and turned into a movie at some point.

I recently started a book challenge list that asked me to read a book with the word "dog" in the title and to my delight when searching the NetGalley list The Dog Walker's Diary came up first.

Daniel Ashe is a literary agent who has never fell in love and is looking for an awesome story to get his career moving. Oh, and unbeknownst to him, he is looking for a dog walker for his dog's Sparks and Eddie.

Annie Doherty is a beguiling, red-headed, Irish dog walker/witty short story writer who is Daniel's unexpected nemesis.

Daniel and Annie's story is enjoyable with the lure of attraction and intrigue. The witty repertoire between the two is refreshing and Annie's stories written on behalf of the dogs are hilarious. The mystery thrown into the story was a surprise, and I really thought the other characters worked well. Overall, I read it in one session and thought the humor was energizing. I actually laughed out loud several times!

Thank you to Ms. Donahue and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review the book.

It started out a little bizarre, but I kept reading. This was a very interesting, twisting story and not what I expected at all. I really enjoyed reading this author's work and will look for more.

After reading this well written book, I considered that there were too many sub stories provided by the character Annie, at the start. In fact, I skipped a few pages of these as I found them too distracting. As the plot developed, I realised that I needed to read these stories to assist my knowledge of the main storyline.
I thought that I had worked out this 'boy meets girl' plot but I was soon to be surprised by a clever plot twist that sees the protagonist going to jail.
This turn of events came at the right time in the story and it re-lighted my interest and curiosity!
This is an entertaining read that is lighthearted and keeps you guessing 'what next?'.

This is such an unusual book and it sucked me in! Daniel hires a dogwalker (Annie) and every day when he returns at home in the evening, she has written amazing stories in the diary they use to communicate. The stories are about his dogs ofcourse but in a magical way, with pirates, mermaids et all. I totally loved this story with all its turns and twists and (phew!) a HEA! No, it is not your ordinary romance but I highly recommend.

I will look for another book by this author again.

This book was amazing. It had so many unexpected twists in it. This author blew my mind. I honestly thought it was gonna be some boring book but it was the exact opposite. I highly recommend everyone reads this book! This got me out of my reading slump.

The first half of this novel was written in a fairy tale style with childlike stories of the dog that acted as the impetus to Daniel and Annie’s love story. As with most love stories there were quite a few bumps in the road, the biggest in this one being Daniel’s aversion to love. Although slow moving, I did find the stories sweet and Annie charming. Daniel, on the other hand didn’t have any self confidence, although he had an abundance of good looks, so it took me a little longer to warm up to him.

The second half of the novel was like a different book. The pace was quicker because the story abruptly changed from a sweet clever romance to a romantic thriller. The change was a little jarring, but the Daniel in the second half of the novel was everything that had been missing in the first; take charge, confident, and driven to succeed. Without giving away the story, I’ll just say that due to circumstance, Annie was mostly absent until the end which was also a little out of character for a romance.

How did I feel about this abrupt shift in pace and yes, even genre? Well, I still enjoyed the book. Although, in my head, they were two separate novels with the same characters that ultimately reached a happy ending. When I finished the book, I was happy that those two found their HEA but a little confused at the plot shifts that got them there. This author has a ton of talent because she made my emotions spike from one end of the spectrum to the other that’s for sure!

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review, and it was honest!

The Dog Walker’s Diary by Kathryn Donahue was a great read. I enjoyed the characters, the storyline, and the funny twists and turns. The book was much more entertaining than I expected and there were some twists that were totally unexpected as well.

Annie Doherty is an Irish dog walker. Daniel Ashe hires her to walk his dogs, although he did freak out when he discovered she had red hair. There are various plots afloat: a best selling book that needs publishing, a story telling dog walker, and some job related controversies, but Daniel’s obsession with Annie is what makes the book so much fun. It was fun watching someone who feels he can not love fall in love only to have several unexpected twists cause severe problems. Annie has some secrets of her own and when everything comes to light - well - it’s unexpected.

The Dog Walker’s Diary is a bit of whimsey, tall tale and fantasy with a love story and a mystery all rolled into one book. It was a great read.