Thank you Netgalley for letting me review this book for my honest review.

This was a cute book about dogs and people who write back and forth to each other. I was laughing out loud at parts of the book. I really enjoyed the dialogue betwen human and dogs.

Zippy was probably my favorite character. She was so quirky and funny.

#Pleasewrite #netgalley

This book was funny, raw, honest, and heartbreaking. I have a friend who recently brought home a new puppy so I could not help but imagining them writing these letters and it brought me even more joy. I listened to the audio and different voices given to everyone was so accurate and sweet. It was unique to hear the humans story through their eyes.. I found myself wanting to know more about what was happening with them. The ending was not a HEA, just fair warning. It certainly had me in tears.

Please Write is a touching family story told through the POV of dogs. It gently touches on several tough life challenges (such as addiction, loss, cancer, grief and miscarriage) through the eyes of a dog. In a teaching setting this would allow an opportunity to encourage. ask and explore conversations on these sensitive topics The author has nicely woven humor into to the story throughout the book which lightens some of the heavier parts of the story line. The narrator was great! 5 stars for her! I enjoyed the different voices-especially Winslow! It's a great audiobook for all dog lovers!

Thank you Netgalley and Bancroft Audiobooks for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I must preface this review with this confession: I have small dogs and sometimes like to imagine their human voices. I realize that people without dogs probably don't find this as charming as I do, but for those who live with dogs mimicking their dogs as humans isn't unusual.

I listened to Please Write in the audiobook format. It is a sweet story told in letters written by Zippy, a small terrier, and his owner's mom, Vivian. Zippy's letters are high pitched with frenetic energy, just as I'd imagine a small Terrier would speak, and full of innocence and sweet observations. Vivian responds to Zippy's letters explaining what Zippy's owner, Pamela, is experiencing and compliments about Zippy's evolving and ever-improving writing style. As Pamela's life becomes more complicated, the tone of Vivian's letters becomes more serious. Zippy's yearning to understand his humans' lives was moving and reminiscent of how our dogs seek to understand our troubles and strive to comfort us.

Please Write is delightful and highly recommended to people who love dogs.

This was a great listen! The narrator was great and the story was catchy and it was also easy to follow.

Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this book. Written in a unique style and relating to pets.

This novel in letters was very engaging and cute. It was different from other books I've read or listened to. I loved every minute of this book and the narrator was good. The book kept my attention! Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

To be honest this is the first audiobook I have listened to in the epistolary style format. I felt the book lost me a few times between the characters grandma Vivienne and Pamela's mother, especially at the end. I felt I needed to revisit some sections of the audiobook for more clarity. For me it felt a little convoluted.
I am a dog lover and enjoyed the dogs point of view in their letters and the antics of the young puppy. I did feel some of the subject matter the human was trying to convey to the dogs a little cumbersome. I felt the narrator did a good job differentiating the characters in the book, using distinct voices for the main characters. The pace was good too. The overall story was cute and heartbreaking. There is defiantly humor and heartache and hope in the book. I felt my heartstrings pulled often.

This audio book had a very cute premise but was maybe a little too cute for me. I am a dog lover and I enjoyed the doggie’s silly letters for a while but around mid book I started to realize that nothing was really going to happen other than the normal happenings of life. Possibly something does happen but I couldn’t stick with it to find out. Although the reader did a great job reading, it think this book would have been better for me in print. There are cute typing errors that the reader does convey but they would have been better in a book rather than a recording and also possibly I would have kept reading a short book when a 5 hour audio book was just too long. I would recommend the book as a cute gift for a dog lover in your life (in print).

I would imagine myself as the target demographic for this title, as an avid dog lover and fan of correspondence-based literature. With many redeeming qualities, the work as a whole is enjoyable and often charmingly humorous. However, I found the narrator's interpretation of Zippy to be rather off-putting. Perhaps this would work better in print format, as I would assume that there are formatting cues that would warrant such exuberant narration. Or perhaps it was the intention of the narrator to be as annoyingly perky as possible, to capture the overwhelming puppy energy of the character-- in which case, they excelled in doing so! It was just a bit over the top for my taste, but I suppose puppies CAN be that way in real life.

With regard to the plot, I found some of the contextual details and plot points of the human characters to be awkwardly dropped in, and potentially off-putting to certain readers. There were far more politically targeted moments than I anticipated for a typical "dog read," along with some heavier topics such as child loss/pregnancy loss. While I understand the necessity to incorporate the human life element into the plot, I did not expect these heavier themes to repeatedly occur within the book based off of the description, cover, and my previous experiences with this genre. Overall, the book is entertaining and heart-warming, it is just a little off the path of why I personally enjoy reading stories from the perspective of dogs.

This novel in letters was very engaging.. In audiobook form, it is well read. I loved every minute of this book. I think the timing was great. I listen to audiobooks to help me as a reader at the library. I often doze off while listening. I didn't doze off during this one!! And, I finished it in 2 sittings.

As Zippy would say "Noo noo nooo noooo nnnooo ooooowwwwww". No, this book did not cut it for me.

Pros:
Adorable cover
Narration was cute, considering a majority was from the dogs POV

Cons:
The cover did not mix with the contents.
I accepted this audiobook with the expectation of a cute epistolary style book between dogs and their "grandmother". Granted it was far fetched for this to even occur, I went into it accepting that.
However, it soon became apparent the author was overextending themself by adding in some serious and sometimes volatile topics ~ Cancer, War, Politics, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Marital issues, Death. ?!?! What? I thought this was a cute doggy book.
No, this did not mix with the cute format of 2 dogs writing letters to Vivienne. Which I will note, I was not even sure who Vivienne was, Because it seemed she was Pamela's mother yet she was talking about her in second person, like it was a female acquaintance that she was living with. So weird and confusing. ( also, How were these dogs mailing their letters ? )

I give this audiobook 2 stars because the cover was adorable and the narration was actually pretty good. Otherwise, ugh... way to much to smush into one short book.

Thank you to Bancroft Audiobooks and NetGalley for a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story written in letters between two dogs and their human grandmother. It covers some quite deep subjects including miscarriage, grief and alcoholism. It's beautifully written and the letters give the canine characters such lovely personalities.
Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book.

A fun way to listen to a story about the dogs' family. I think I may have liked it better as a physical book but as an audiobook, it was still very cute. It took me a while to really get into it but by the end, it had me hooked and caring about the characters. My Boston Terrier's are far from "distinguished" but that was my own hill to get over. It's an interesting way to think about how our dogs may see us and what is going on in our lives :).

In "Please Write," J. Wynn Rousuck delivers a powerful and emotionally resonant exploration of the transformative power of the written word. Through the lens of a unique pen-pal relationship, the novel navigates themes of loneliness, redemption, and the enduring quest for human connection.

Rousuck's writing is poignant and evocative, drawing readers into the lives of her characters with empathy and sensitivity. From the poignant letters exchanged between the protagonists to the vivid descriptions of their respective worlds, the author creates a narrative that is both intimate and immersive, inviting readers to journey alongside the characters as they navigate the complexities of their lives.

At the heart of the story are the two protagonists, Emily and William, whose lives intersect through a chance encounter and a shared love of literature. As they exchange letters, a bond forms between them, transcending the boundaries of time and distance to forge a connection that is both profound and enduring.

What sets "Please Write" apart is its exploration of the power of storytelling to heal old wounds and mend broken hearts. Through Emily and William's correspondence, Rousuck delves into themes of forgiveness, redemption, and the capacity for growth and change. As the characters grapple with their own personal demons, they discover that sometimes, the most profound transformations come from the simple act of sharing one's story.

While the plot may follow familiar tropes of the epistolary genre, Rousuck infuses it with enough depth and nuance to keep readers engaged until the very end. From unexpected plot twists to moments of heartwarming revelation, the novel is filled with emotional resonance and genuine authenticity.

What ultimately makes "Please Write" such a compelling read is its celebration of the power of human connection to transcend the barriers of time and distance. Rousuck reminds readers that no matter how far apart we may be, the written word has the ability to bridge the gap between us, offering solace, companionship, and hope in even the darkest of times.

In conclusion, "Please Write" is a captivating and emotionally resonant novel that celebrates the enduring power of storytelling and the transformative nature of human connection. J. Wynn Rousuck's exquisite prose, heartfelt characters, and poignant storytelling make this novel a must-read for anyone who believes in the healing power of words.

It was really difficult to do a review for this audiobook. I was hoping I was going to absolutely love it being a dog lover, but it was funny, sad and strange.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bancroft Audiobooks for an advanced audio.

I was not expecting to like this book. It took a minute for me to get locked in due to the writing style, the letters. I am so glad that I stuck with it!
I enjoyed the interaction between Zippy, Winslow, and Grandma Vivian, the way that they interacted as if they were all humans. The way they attacked life issues, miscarriage, marital problems, growing pains, the entrance of a younger sibling. An added plus is that I am actually from Cleveland, Ohio so I felt like I was vested in the story...lol.

This book was super sweet and the narrator was spot on!

Please Write is a really rather charming epistolary novel in which two dogs with opposing personalities engage in letter correspondence with their (human) grandmother. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a really great job - I really appreciated all the different voices and I think had I read a physical/digital copy I wouldn’t have enjoyed nearly it as much.

That being said, I liked this. As a dog owner and lover, I would say it’s a perfect listen for dog lovers. It definitely made me wish I could have letter correspondences from my own dogs to find out what is going on in their minds and how they are perceiving the world.

I will say that I was left confused by what the intended audience exactly was for this book. Its playfulness and silliness would indicate a child audience. However, the themes that it addresses, namely miscarriage, grief, and alcoholism lend it to an adult audience. I went into this blind, and it wasn’t as uplifting as I thought it would be, but I enjoyed it nonetheless and the way it tackled these heavier themes.

I came across this under the “Read Now” category and it really piqued my interest. Dogs and letters? What’s not to love? Thank you NetGalley and Bancroft Audiobooks.

On the surface, this is a cute concept: two dogs, very different in temperament, write letters to their grandmother and hear back in return, filling in the gaps between their perceptions and what is really happening. Some of the topics the letters touch on range from politics to obedience, which are adorable. However, others, such as alcoholism, miscarriage, and marital issues, leave me (and others based on reviews) who the intended audience is for this book. It misses the mark for adults in its silliness but it’s much to grown up for kids who would appreciate the quirkiness of getting letters from dogs.

Please Write is a charming epistolary debut novel by American theatre critic and author, J. Wynn Rousuck. The audio version is narrated by Nancy Dhulipala, she does a fabulous job differentiating the three distinct voices of the characters. Winslow (a Boston Terrier) Zippy (a West Highland/Jack Russell Terrier Mix), and Grandma Vivienne. Set in the early 1990s in Maryland and Ohio, it covers family issues, politics, and dog antics.

It is a cute story; it almost did its job of taking me away from life’s realities and helping me escape for a few hours while I walked my dog. I thought it would be totally uplifting and fluff and poof I was wrong – the sad elements brought me back to what I was trying to escape from 
I must mention that I found the voice of Zippy to be very much like Elmo and annoying.

3.5 stars for the story
5 stars for the narrator

Thank you #netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.