Valen's Reviews > Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts

I L.O.V.E. this book!!! It's cute, it's quirky, it's funny, it's real; it's the kind of book that tugs at your heartstrings and with all the D.O.G.S. involve, it's just plain amazing!

First character we meet is Rachel. She just inherited her Aunt Dot's estate where a kennel is included along with rescued dogs. She just got out from a bad relationship and lost her job at the same time.

Rachel had a 10-year relationship with her married boss, Oliver, who in my opinion tricked her into having a relationship with him. At first, I was a bit put off with her because I can't help but think that she's a bad person being in a relationship with a married guy. But then I realize, reading more, that maybe she was a "victim" here. Being lied at by her boss-lover that he was no longer sleeping with his wife and that he feels unloved. But then I also have this argument with myself that she should've known better to saddle off with a married man. Anyway, it took her a while to realize that she didn't deserve that kind of treatment and that it wasn't right what she was doing. And am happy for her that she's the one who broke it off.

There was this heartbreaking scene where the wife, Kath, visited her at the kennels and she made it seem like Rachel was just a distraction to her husband nothing more nothing less. I can't say that Rachel deserve that but I guess that was punishment enough for her. I felt sorry for Rachel and it felt as if she got the bad end of the whole situation. Here, I came to the conclusion that people make bad choices and some way or the other we have to face the consequences of the choices we make, move one, and hope that you could forget and try to continue with your life provided that you won't make the same mistake again. Which in this story was what Rachel was trying to do. And there was Gem,the collie, I think somehow he helped Rachel figure out everything in the end being her companion and a loyal friend.

There's also this situation in the end involving George the vet. How glad I was that Rachel chose him and not that no-good boss of hers. She wavered a bit in the end but she realized what she really wanted and that's not with Oliver. And I got this feeling that even if she did go back with Oliver, she would have realized sooner or later that it's not going to work out and that she'll eventually go back to Longhampton.

We also met Natalie and Johnny who were trying to have a baby. They've been trying for years but nothing has come of it and at some point Natalie became desperate. Always checking her temperatures, doing all sorts of tests for herself. At some point, Natalie and Johnny came to an agreement that they're going have to have tests to see if they both were capable of having a baby. Something went wrong with Johnny's test and it all seemed to fall apart from that moment on.

I can't even imagine how sad it must've been for the both of them after the doctor told them the test results, especially Johnny's. It's not anybody's fault but there was a point in the story that they both don't know how to cope with the fact that maybe they can never have a baby. And maybe, they didn't communicate well enough to tell each other what they want and what they're feeling. It's not until the end that they realize that whatever happens, as long as they have each other, everything will be okay. And it's not like they really can't have a baby. They are options out there to choose from. (view spoiler)[I like the scene where Johnny wouldn't agree of a donor's sperm. (hide spoiler)] I think it was cute of him to not want that and be all possessive of Natalie. I like that scene and until the end, he was still thinking of Nat. And then there's Bertie, the basset hound, who I think gave them that extra push to hold on to each other and not give up. How glad I am that they all worked it out in the end.

Next one is Zoe, single mother of two adorable little boys, Spencer and Leo. Her story definitely tugged at my heartstrings. Left by her husband to be with his colleague from work, she's been raising her sons for a year now. Can't help but think that this kind of situation happens a lot nowadays and it's nothing new. But the way that she handles everything and being a strong mother for her two children is just admirable. And with everything that's happened especially with the way Spencer is reacting with the whole situation. I guess that's a normal reaction from a seven-year-old.

She faltered a bit and there was that time that she got a little hysterical after having Toffee, the labrador pup, but she never gave up. She got through with all of it, no thanks to her self-centered husband. And she had help too of course, which shows that nobody gets through life without a little help. And how could I forget the blooming romance between her and Dr. Bill. It was sweet and I'm glad that she came to an understanding with her children in the end.

There was also a secret involving Rachel's Aunt Dot and what a shock it was for me actually; it was totally unexpected. But this little bit of information was maybe one of the reason that Rachel realized that there's something more from taking care of abandoned dogs. She learned acceptance and how to move one with her life despite the fact of having a bad past. I guess you could say that there's some similarities with Rachel's situation to the dogs'. In the end, they're given a chance to start over and be happy.

I hoped that Megan had a bit of romance going on for her. I like her and let's face it, Rachel couldn't do it without Megan. There's also Freda and Ted who helped work the kennels as well. They all came together made this book as animated as it can be. I actually thought that with all the characters involve, it was hard to keep track of the story. How wrong was I in that front. The friendship formed between this characters was what made the story believable and real.

In the end, I was very happy to have read this book. This was the first Lucy Dillon that I've read and I'm happy to say that I'll be reading more from her in the future. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ :D