The Right Side: A Novel

This book is an extremely revealing look at the mind of an individual dealing with PTSD. As such, it is well-written and illuminating for those of us without much experience in that area. The reason I gave it only three starts is because if you are looking for the delightful and warm characters in all of Spencer Quinn's other books, you won't find them here. I finished reading this book with the hope that if there is a sequel it will develop the relationship between the characters, which did not have room in a single book to mature. Recommended as a book about PTSD, not recommended for a fun, summer read.

Not impressed at all with this book. I love Spencer Quinn's Chet and Bernie series and while I knew this book was not going to be anything like those books, I have to admit that I expected much more. To me, the characters are not very well-developed and LeAnne is not likeable or sympathetic, although I did feel sorry for what she had experienced in the war. As lackluster and pointless as Goody's role was, I feel that she could have been totally left out of the story and it would not have made a difference. I also found the story to be very improbable, with parts of it actually bordering on far-fetched. Because of my experience with other Spencer Quinn books, I tried very hard to like this book -- and just did not.

Very disappointed. Wanted to read a good book not a lot of filthy language. Only read couple of chapters. Looks like couldnt think of a good story and just filled it in with 4 letter words. I expected much, much more from this author. Do not recommend this book.

I enjoyed this story about LeAnne Hogan. A small part of the story is about the large dog that adopts her and a even smaller part of the story is about a young missing girl.

LeAnne has always been strong and athletic. Her father had a military background - Sergeant in the Green Berets - and pushed her. LeAnne was in gymnastics and then pole vaulting and all roads were leading to West Point until a personal tragedy has her enlisting in the Army.

Sergeant LeAnne Hogan has three tours in overseas and is looking to get out of the Army and has her future planned out when she is talked into another tour in Afghanistan, one that ends disastrously for her.

I like that LeAnne, the protagonist of this gritty story, is not perfect. In fact, she is far from perfect. She is damaged physically and emotionally, suffers terribly with PTSD, and is just trying to make sense of her life and her future.

She is not an easy character to like but I liked her. I enjoyed being included on her journey of discovery. I liked the dog too. Both LeAnne and the dog aren't touchy-feely nice but they feel real.

"She could feel a daydream about that waiting in the wings. Actually more of a night dream: it lurked behind her right eye socket, where night prevailed. That hit her pretty hard: now she had night inside her, twenty-four seven."

I received this book from Atria Books through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.

I received an e-ARC of this novel through NetGalley and Atria Books. Thank you.

The main focus of this riveting novel is the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder suffered by the main character, Sergeant LeAnne Hogan, after she receives a traumatic injury during a mission in Afghanistan. Fully the first half of the novel is focused on her past family history and on this tragic aspect of LeAnne's life as she tries to grapple with the consequences both physical and psychological coming out of her last military mission. The loss of her right eye, the scarring left from that wounding, the headaches, blackouts, and memory loss seem overwhelming obstacles to move on from.

This story is told with flashbacks which slowly reveal to the reader, as well as to LeAnne, what the true circumstances were in that mission which failed so tragically. The paradox of this story was that LeAnne had been such a strong woman in her military service and yet that same strength was keeping the military and her doctors from helping her reconstruct the failed mission for intelligence analysis and her learning how to cope with the stress she was living through. Progress is made for LeAnne slowly, made because she does what she knows will help her cope best, by setting a mission for herself. This mission involves the fellow soldier she shared a room with at Walter Reed Hospital and LeAnne's struggle to get to Marci's home town. Her arrival sends LeAnne to the next part of her mission, finding Marci's missing daughter.

I've read all the Chet and Bernie novels written by Spencer Quinn. This novel is completely different. Everything is much more serious here, the main character; the adult stray dog who appears from nowhere with some kind of previous training which helps LeAnne handle her missions; the psychology and physical wounding of Sergeant LeAnne Hogan. I think this is the first book in a new series for Quinn, at least I certainly hope there will be more written about these characters. It seems that LeAnne is working her way to learning how to deal with her problems - almost on a minute-by-minute basis. But what about Goody, the stray dog with such unusual abilities to be such a help to LeAnne and yet be completely lacking in basic obedience training? I need to know more about these two and I'm counting on Spencer Quinn to continue their story.

If it had been physically possible , I would have read this book in one sitting . It was next to impossible to put down . I was totally drawn in by the characters and the superb story telling . Spencer Quinn has become one of my favorite authors .

Spencer Quinn is justly celebrated for his Chet and Bernie stories, which are light and amusing. The Right Side is dark and serious. About halfway through the book, however, a wonderful dog appears, although the dog isn’t Chet, who narrates the Chet and Bernie books. This dog, like the novel, is dark and serious. But she’s still a dog.

Readers who want a favorite author to write the same book over and over might dislike The Right Side. Readers who admire the ability and courage of a good writer who departs from a successful formula might like The Right Side even more than the Chet and Bernie novels.

Raised by a former Green Beret, LeAnne Hogan knows how to shoot. But she lost her shooting eye on a mission in Afghanistan and she has shrapnel embedded in her brain. Her memory is fuzzy as she recovers in Walter Reed, although she remembers the childhood that shaped her. As she recuperates, she has repeat visits from a psychiatrist and an Army intelligence officer, neither of whom she trusts.

LeAnne was in Afghanistan at the request of a female colonel who wanted her to join a team that would gather intelligence from Afghan women (on the dubious theory that women are more likely to talk to women). During the first third of the novel, LeAnne’s backstory alternates with her present, as she tries to cope with her injuries and memory loss, and with unexpected death, at Walter Reed and in her post-hospitalized life.

LeAnne’s experiences have changed her. Her injury has made it difficult for her to focus and to keep track of time. She’s become something of a bigot with regard to Americans of Middle Eastern ancestry. She’s gruff and short-tempered. She’s developed a sense of entitlement because of her military service and a sense of worthlessness because of her injury. In other words, she’s imperfect. That makes her interesting and realistic.

What happened on the mission that took her eye? LeAnne isn’t sure. The Captain from Army intelligence drops some hints, suggesting that there’s more to the story than LeAnne remembers. He keeps track of LeAnne as the story moves along, leaving the reader to wonder why he’s taking such an interest in her. And since LeAnne’s brain injury makes her a less than reliable narrator, part of the reader’s challenge is deciding whether LeAnne’s perceptions of reality are entirely accurate.

After this set-up, a dog appears. I’ll leave it to the reader to discover how that happens and the almost mythical role that the dog plays in LeAnne’s life, despite her general antipathy to dogs. Suffice it to say, it would be hard for a dog lover not to love this book.

A brief friendship at Walter Reed with a woman named Marci animates the rest of the novel, as LeAnne becomes embroiled in Marci’s past while trying to make sense of her own past and present. Other characters help or hinder Marci, but she would be largely directionless if it weren’t for the dog, who leads her in the directions that only make sense to dogs, but as dog lovers know, those directions often turn out to be the right ones.

Quinn honed his storytelling skills in the Chet and Bernie books, all of which I’ve enjoyed. He knows how to keep the story moving at a good pace without sacrificing characterizations or setting. As LeAnne moves around the country (and Afghanistan), Quinn always establishes a convincing sense of place. His supporting characters are convincing and, given the serious nature of the novel, LeAnne has more depth than Bernie (or Chet, for that matter).

A couple scenes in the book would be difficult to believe if not for the dog’s mythical quality. This is the sort of story that a reader believes because the reader wants to believe it, not because it’s particularly plausible. That Quinn made me believe the unlikely is one reason I loved The Right Side. LeAnne’s character development and the dog story are the other reasons. The twin mysteries (what happened in Afghanistan? what happened to a kid who goes missing midway through the story?) are entertaining enough, but this is a novel I admire for reasons other than the plot.

LeAnne Hogan, who had plans for her life, by going to a military school on a full scholarship, instead decides after her fathers sudden death to enlist in the military. Once in Afghanistan and with a promising career ahead of her, all changes when she is sent home after a mission left her missing an eye and with half her face badly scarred and not remembering all that happened to leave her that way. While in a military hospital recovering in Maryland, LeAnne meets Marci her roommate who has also been injured overseas, missing a leg due to a improvised explosive device while on a mission. They develop a strong connection, Marci has told LeAnne about where she was from in Washington State and about her ex husbands and little girl. Marci all of a sudden dies from a complication and LeAnne has a hard time dealing with it. LeAnne decides to leave the hospital before she has clearance, not telling anyone or taking any of her medicines with her, She buys a used car and starts driving towards her hometown and eventually to Marci's hometown, where she finds that Marci's little girl has gone missing, after her funeral. Here in Washington State, LeAnne is adopted by a large stray dog who becomes very protective of her, and also quite therapeutic for her and the two of them go one the search for the missing girl.
The book was interesting, but I could never quite connect with the main character as I found her to be too hardened by her life. I did love the inclusion of the dog, who like LeAnne had many issues.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC of this book.

Seriously injured soldier LeAnne Hogan wakes up in Walter Reed hospital upon her return from Afghanistan with physical and emotional problems in addition to pain and severe memory loss. She trusts no one, including herself, but finds a kindred soul in her amputee roommate Marci. Together, they start to make a bit of progress until tragedy strikes again. LeAnne bolts from the hospital, trying desperately to figure out where she belongs now. Her road trip is a pretty big disaster until she decides to head to Marci's home in Washington state, even though she has no real idea of what she can accomplish there. She soon finds out.

Spencer Quinn has always been a great story teller. In his previous Chet and Bernie mystery series, he combined lots of action with pithy dialogue and wise-guy narration from the dog's point of view. This new book is much more serious, and lets Quinn stretch his literary skill set. He does a solid job. Not a lot of male authors could nail down the greatly conflicted female character of LeAnne as well as Quinn does here. He shows great empathy and understanding for LeAnne's unique leadership skills as a female soldier, and the damage that war does to any soldier's body and mind. His masterful use of flashbacks and internal dialogue helps us see and feel the agony of what she has experienced, without it feeling fake or maudlin. And, of course, no Quinn novel would be complete without a dog serving an important role, although this dog is a whole lot different from Chet.

This is a quick, page-turner of a novel. Although there are a few too many coincidences, and a couple of the cops and military folks are a little too stereotypical, most of this novel rings true. It is a good read. As a reader and a fan, I hope we haven't seen the last of the Chet and Bernie stories, but the ending of this book makes you think we haven't heard the last from LeAnne either.

LeAnne's life revolved around the Military. As the end of HighSchool approached she was headed for West Point. Her father's death changed that and instead of going the Officer route she joined up as just an ordinary soldier. But cream rises to the top and she was hailed as a rising star- until a mission in Afghanistan goes horribly wrong.

When she finds herself in hospital, minus an eye; horribly scarred both mentally and physically the thing that keeps her going is her feisty room-mate Marcie. Following Marcie's sudden & unexpected death, LeAnne leaves hospital and goes on the road- not sure where she is going or why.

She eventually finds herself in Marcie's home State with a large stray dog as a companion and finds purpose in trying to discover the whereabouts of Marcie's daughter, who disappeared after her mother's funeral.

LeAnne is not the easiest of heroines to like! Abrasive, often rude and locked in a world of pain she attempts to lock everyone out. The dog is not exactly an adorable puppy! Odd looking with some dubious habits, she sticks to LeAnne's blind/right side like glue. They do make an amazing team.

At times I struggled with this book. Le Anne's pain seemed almost too much to cope with. However it was worth persevering. It was worthwhile read and this odd couple will stay with me for a while. Thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for giving me the chance to read & review this book.

The Right Side by Spencer Quinn is intense, yet brings to light a certain dose of lightness that is very much reality. That cover says a lot, and is what intrigued me to pick up this book. As we read, we embark on this journey with a very personal perspective of the narrator, LeAnne. We come away having a glimpse into a mind of one suffering from PTSD, bitter from the traumatic events that led to a physical disability for a tough female.

Through it all, the author's choice to have our main character, LeAnne also be the narrator makes the experience more understandable, though not necessarily likable. The almost fidgety narration of LeAnne is insight into her mind, yet still hard to grasp for those not familiar. For readers who can't relate, I wish it delved a little more on the process of treatment. The highlight of The Right Side is truly the bond between LeAnne and the equally tough and vexatious dog. The quiet, supportive nature and unconditional love of a dog is so well written, one just can't help but fall in love with this unlikely, yet very similar duo, even if you're not a dog lover. Unfortunately, we don't see this until the latter half of the book, which made sense for us to really get to know LeAnne. Overall, a story that gives readers a very distinct character and a journey of healing.

For my clean readers, this book contains some foul language.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the author/publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, and have not been compensated for this. This is my honest opinion.

The Right Side is an engrossing book about LeAnne Hogan, who has just returned from Afghanistan after being wounded. At the hospital where she is staying as she tries to come to terms with what happens does she get to know Marci, who has lost a leg. They become friends and bond over their military life. Then, Marci suddenly dies and LeAnne after leaving the hospital decides to drive to see Marci's daughter. But, she learns when she arrives that Marci's daughter has disappeared, did she run away or has anyone taken her?

Writing this short outline of the book is truly like giving away very little of what is going on in this book. I mean it takes over half the book before she even is close to seeing Marci's daughter and getting acquainted with a very special dog. But, that's also the thing I really like about the book, it seems like a straightforward story, but there is so much going one in LeAnne's life, both what happened in the past when she was growing up, her life in the military and what happened when she was wounded. And, then we have the presents events with her trouble remembering things, and her road-trip to see Marci's daughter and not to mention the dog that suddenly appears in her life.

It's such a rich story, and I came to like LeAnne quite a lot and of course dog too (yes she gets a name, but you have to read it to find out since it's part of the story) and I wouldn't mind reading more books with them. I mean they are a fabulous team and I really want to know what will happen next!

LeAnne has returned from Afghanistan mentally and physically scarred. Her rehabilitation will be long and slow but she is an impatient girl LeAnne also knows that her memory is shaky and faulty and that chunks of what she should remember as being imperative to her well being are missing.

Losing her room mate suddenly whilst in hospital triggers LeAnne into going back to the same town from which Marci came. Arriving there the distressing news that Marci's little girl has gone missing adds to the trauma. Adopted by a dog who is determined not to leave her side and who becomes more a guardian angel than a pet LeAnne now embarks on a dangerous mission, almost as dangerous as the Afghan one which she came back from. Will this finally help her to fill in the gaps in her memory and make her more at peace with not just the military but herself.

A very descriptive thriller combing the combat scene of Afghanistan alongside the peaceful little village in Washington State the contrasts in the two scenes could not have been more apparent. From the people inhabiting the two scenarios Americans in a village and Americans in the military the contrast was huge and added to the heightened tensions in the story.

The story moves in fits and starts, very much like the character of LeAnne who has moods of her own. It did not deter from the flow of the story at all.

One star is generous. Long anticipated book by Spencer Quinn is a complete waste of time. The description of this book is misleading. I thought it was about a woman back from war and a dog on a quest. There are few books I don't finish but was not worth my time.The book alternates between flashbacks and current circumstances with no flow. There was no connection and felt as though pieces of her past were simply stuck in between the present. The book is overflowing with the 'f' word and cursing. The characters were stiff and not engaging. If you, like myself, love Quinn's Chet and Bernie series know this is nothing like it. Such a huge drop for a great author. I felt as if I were reading a different author. What happened Mr. Quinn?

"The Right Side" by Spencer Quinn is a compelling read. You might know the author from his "Chet and Bernie" mystery series and I have read all those books.
But "The Right Side" is an entirely different and much more serious book. Leanne is the protagonist and is in the army. She was seriously injured while on duty in Iraq, losing her right eye and having a piece of shrapnel embedded in her brain that's inoperable. This, of course, leaves her very flawed and the effects of her deformity and brain injury are palpable. But she is strong willed and impelling and makes for a very riveting character. She leaves Walter Reed hospital before being healed enough and what occurs will leave you discomfited but intrigued. There is a mysterious dog that joins her halfway through the story. I found Leanne entirely plausible having dealt with a person with brain trauma for several years. I highly recommend this book.

Despite the cover image and many descriptions of this book, it is not about a woman and her dog. It is about a woman trying to find herself and a purpose in life after a devastating incident in Afghanistan which caused her to lose her eye and resulted in the deaths of several of her colleagues. Disappointingly, the dog does not appear until 50% of the way through the story.

Brief Summary: Army Sergeant LeAnne Hogan is in Walter Reed Medical Center following a failed mission in Afghanistan where most of her command died and where she lost her right eye and suffered gruesome injuries to her face. LeAnne protests psychiatric treatment and a prosthetic eye, struggles to remember what happened in Afghanistan and in the weeks after. She forms a close bond with her hospital roommate Marci, who has had her leg amputated. The two women try to cope with life after the Army and with PTSD. Marci dues suddenly due to a blood clot, and LeAnne leaves Walter Reed against medical advice. She heads west - towards her former home, and Marci's. Eventually she finds a dog - or the dog finds her - and the healing process begins.

What I Liked: I liked the dog, whom is eventually called Goody. Unfortunately she does not appear until the halfway point. Until then, the reader gets to know LeAnne in the present as a woman who is hurting emotionally and physically, and in the past as a great athlete and girl with ambition and a scholarship to West Point. Goody and LeAnne have a lot/hate relationship at first, but Goody comes to serve as LeAnne's protector and confidant. I enjoyed seeing this relationship grow. In the last 1/3 of the book, LeAnne helps Marci's daughter and in some way completes a final mission; this did seem meaningful and wrapped up the story nicely.

What I Didn't Like: I didn't really like LeAnne! I didn't connect with her, although I definitely had empathy for everything she has been through. She seemed pretty unlikeable to me, and I never found any of her choices or behaviors redeeming.

Final Thoughts: the narrative seemed disjointed to me and I wasn't sure where the author was headed with LeAnne's story. I feel misled that the story would be about a veteran and her service-type dog.

* I was able to read this book courtesy of the publisher. I thank them for giving me the opportunity to read the book and write an honest review.

Favorite Quotes:

My high school coach always said morons make the same mistake twice and smart people make new ones.

LeAnne shouldered her duffel, kicked her boots to the back of the closet, left the uniforms on the rail. She closed the closet door, trapping Afghanistan in there, like a tiny battlefield.

The leash, still connected to the dog’s collar, lay on the ground. The dog snapped it up between her teeth and came closer, swinging her head back and forth, brandishing the leash, giving orders. There was no other interpretation possible. ‘I had a drill sergeant a lot like you,’ LeAnne said. She took the leash, and they continued on the long straightaway. ‘Except not nearly so good looking.’

Facts stirred down deep in LeAnne’s mind, like they were digging themselves up from under the ground.

My Review:

The Right Side was an extremely clever title as the phrase applied on several levels of this nuanced and well-crafted tale. Never judge a book by the cover – the storyline was next to nothing of what I had expected, much to my unending delight. I was totally engrossed in the writing and fascinated by the complexity and development of the characters and storyline, both were unpredictable and indefatigably entertaining. I savored this wily writer’s main character of LeAnne, she was smart and snarky, and had been reared by her Green Beret father to be a tough cookie. However, a failed mission left her with life-long consequences and struggling with crippling pain, PTSD, and multiple medical issues including a head injury and a scrambled brain. LeAnne’s memory sparked on and off, as did her attention span, frustration tolerance, impulse control, and the filter between her brain and tongue. Her mind was a bit of a quagmire and would drift at inopportune times and wander into comical visuals of doing or saying outlandish things, although unfortunately, she was also prone to occasionally voicing these errant or cartoonish thoughts aloud without realizing. However, I cannot imagine anything more disheartening than to be on the cusp of solving a puzzle only to totally lose the train of thought in a dead end or fragmented jumble.

Midway through the book LeAnne had made a cross-country road trip and was deeply embroiled in a mystery and the family issues of her last hospital roommate. Finding an abandoned stray dog led to her deliverance and assisted in her recovery, although the dog had initially presented a vexing problem, as LeAnne had never cared to have a pet, yet couldn’t bring herself to leave the oddly behaving dog at a kill shelter. I am a complete sucker for animals and I totally adored this ingenious dog. The storyline was relevant, well-paced, intriguing, and thoughtfully constructed, while the writing was creative, well detailed, emotive, highly engaging, and cleverly executed. The Right Side was my first Spencer Quinn experience and one I plan to repeat again and again.

this book is very different. I picked it up because there is a dog in it. I love books with dogs. this one sounded good, a returning vet, a woman, and a wayward dog.

But this book was more, I started reading it, and the writing suck me in. LeAnne, is injured and damaged, more than losing her eye. PTSD, showing it from her point of view, the disjointed thinking and actions,

I started to stop reading - but the echo of the story make me return and finish it. This review really does not tell you anything about the story - but it is profound - IMO
I read a lot and this was very different
I am so glad she found Goody, the dog, or he found LeAnne.

A book about an injured veteran with PTSD... she finds her way, partially by finding a dog. But it's not that simple. Sure, I'm a huge dog lover, who believes dogs save us. I'm also married to a vet with PTSD. So for me this book rang true in every way. But it also has depth, and compassion, and irony, and sorrow. I wanted it to never end. I don't often enjoy books that seem sad, but ultimately this book wasn't sad. But it was real. I guess that's bottom line, it felt real. I loved it. Would read more if this were a series. I really, really loved it.

Scarred by war both inside and out, our heroine (with the medal to prove it) must fight through severe PTSD, and deal with the loss of her right eye in order to fulfill a promise to a friend. People throw her for a loop and sometimes she isn't sure what is real and what is not, but the dog who saves her life is determined to bring her back.
Unlike the Chet and Bernie series, this is not light reading. However, I sometimes hear a parallel between LeAnne and Chet. My imagination or only the author's strong voice?

I tried to read this book, on the recommendation of a friend. I made it to page 50, but decided that it wasn't interesting enough to go further. Literally nothing happened in the first 50 pages. The PTSD-afflicted main character had once been a promising pole vaulter. I think this is the first time that I've ever encountered a fictional character with this background, but it was enough to keep me reading. Obviously this writer has his fans, but I'm not one of them.

One thing I noticed was that LeAnne's "voice," her way of thinking, was sometimes very much like Chet's. In the desert: "No boulders appeared. What a crazy development!" She does Chet's thing of asking herself questions, then coming up w/an answer, ended w/an exclamation point. It's because of her forgetfulness, which is the same reason Chet does it. It was kind of funny sometimes, but a little annoying. Hey! Don't steal Chet's voice!

I loved this book. LeAnne was a fresh and compelling character. Reading about her experience only increased my respect for those who serve our country, and as she sorted through the physical and mental challenges she faced, I was cheering for her more and more. I found her journey over the course of the novel to feel honest, but also very satisfying. The other aspects of the book were excellent as well. As those of us who are fans of Mr. Quinn’s other books know, he clearly loves dogs and wonderfully captures their spirit once again. But I also have long felt that Mr. Quinn loves humans as well. I do not have his skill with words, so all I can say is that he captures simple, lovely moments in beautiful ways, compelling me to re-read passages for the sheer pleasure of his prose. I deeply appreciate his care for LeAnne (and the extraordinary Goody) and the journey he has given us as readers. I will always look forward to more books from Mr. Quinn!

This book was incredibly powerful. It is a glimpse into how much war can damage the participants. LeAnne's essential goodness is always there, even though at times the damage that she has suffered makes it hard for her to show her goodness. I will carry this story with me for a long time. Extremely well developed character.

Disappointing. The blurb from Stephen King on the cover says "brilliant"? Really? Did he really read the book? The pacing is slow. I really lost it when the main character backhands the dog for no good reason. Note to the author: Most of your readers who pick up the book are going to be animal lovers. It is unforgiveable for anyone to hit an animal. After reading this part, I lost all sympathy for the main character. I don't care if she gets hit by a bus. I would applaud. Since I am so closing to the end, I will finish, but will speed read the rest. I am very glad this is a library book. Don't waste your money.

What a great new character by Spencer Quinn. I was right there with LeAnne on her roller coaster ride of emotions and dealing with other people. I held my breath when she dealt with bullies and deal with them she did - go LeAnne! I think I saw flashes of Chet in her when she had memory problems - kind of an endearing bonus. Really hope we see LeAnne again.

Book was an excellent read. The main character is terrific - honest in her depression, anger and trying to cope after being injured in Afghanistan. The other characters are solid. This is a woman who served her country, severely injured, putting her life back together slowly and putting one foot in front of the other each day.

I loved this book. The reason for four stars instead of five is because I wish the dog had been introduced sooner. I probably would not have been interested in reading this if I had known how much war and military was in the book. But that said I am very glad to have read it and am hoping for more with Leanne and goody

This book gave me clarity concerning some of the psychological impacts from returning to our country after experiencing war and physical and mental injury. It was difficult to read the first half and improved as it moved forward. It really rang true. It was real and did not have the artificial sense that other similar novels that I have read. It also made me want to know what was going to happen to Leann and Goody in the future. I truly hope there is a follow up and to this book and that there is a series coming our way!

I loved this book. From reading reviews I knew it would not resemble the Chet and Bernie series, which is one of my favorites This was very different but excellent. The main character was flawed physically and emotionally but she was believable and I came to love her and her dog, Goody, Goody resembles Chet in only a few ways, such as riding in cars and getting through doors behavior.

The heroine's story was rough, with so many difficult events. Then when things were at their lowest, a dog appears and her life starts to look like there could be some happiness. Very well written, with a touch of mystery, glimpses of lost memories and good character development .