An absolutely charming yet meaningful novel about a 79 year old lonely woman and how she comes into her own and finds community in the unlikeliest of places. For dog lovers, wives, mothers, friends, and dog lovers everywhere!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 
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This was such a wonderful story! It reminded me a lot of A Man Called Ove with the way these complete strangers (and a dog) forced their way into Missy’s life and showed her how much of her life she was still missing. It’s not easy when the love of your life has passed and your children either live halfway around the world or are estranged. These characters were so funny and down to earth, I felt  like they could have been my own friends. And while there were moments of sorrow and regret, there were so many more of happiness, love, and forgiveness.

Highly recommend!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3225131432

Not the book for me. I can’t handle books with animals dying, and this one was just too much. I was drawn in by the comparison to “Eleanor Oliphant” and “Man Called Ove,” but they don’t have dead pets. Nope, not worth it.

If you love the transformative power of dogs, this book is for you.  

Missy Carmichael is lonely widow who always expects the worst and over analyzes every social interaction to her detriment.  A chance faint in the park brings her into contact with a set of likeable -- but definitely not  average -- characters including a lovely mutt who you can't help but fall in love with.

I might be one of the few who has not yet read Eleanor Oliphant, but I absolutely adored A Man Called Ove, so I was compelled to give Beth Morrey’s new book a go. The Love Story of Missy Carmichael is about an elderly, lonesome woman enduring her hardships and struggles on her own, without purpose or direction, but then finds that friends and companionship help fill her life with meaning again.

I had such high hopes for this book, but I must say, I felt underwhelmed by the story of Missy Carmichael. The first third of the book was about Missy ignoring her issues and generally isolating herself from society, while feeling sorry for herself. The second-third of the book was about her kind of making friends, but still boo-hooing about her lot in life. The last third of the book was the best part. Missy finally became a dynamic character, instead of the dull, flat one we got for the first two-thirds, and I genuinely enjoyed the end.

In general, I found it very difficult to relate to Missy as a character. I understand loneliness and depression can create a life that does not seem worth living, but it was extremely difficult for me to garner any sympathy for Missy Carmichael. Her personality came across as adolescent, rather than that of an 80-year-old woman. It felt almost forced sometimes, as if it were a chore to act so abysmal toward life, and that made it a chore for me to keep reading.

Things I did like: other characters that Missy eventually befriended were dynamic and had so much growth and impact on the story. Like, the story literally could not exist if these characters disappeared. I wouldn’t want to even touch the book if these characters didn’t exist. They were relatable and fun, and they pulled me along through the story and Missy’s struggles. I also liked Missy’s animal companion; I think animal therapy is underrated and so beneficial toward mental health – the author thoughtfully portrayed the relationship between Missy and her furry friend and I really enjoyed watching it play out.

I mentioned that I really enjoyed A Man Called Ove, so why didn’t I like this book as much? I think much of it had to do with the writing style. It was a quick read, but the style in which the story played out felt cumbersome; I couldn’t relate or sympathize with the main character, and I didn’t really care what happened next. Perhaps I’m just not at that point in my life yet, and a reread down the road will present a different opinion. However, if you are also someone who enjoyed Backman’s book or Eleanor Oliphant, definitely give this book a go! Maybe you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

This is the story of Missy Carmichael in her twilight years. It tells how she came out of her shell and became more social. The story also gives glimpses into her past which show how she became who she is today. There were some surprises along the way. I'm not a big fan of the character Missy and I found that everyone accepted her into their circle rather quickly. Seems all you need is a dog. It was a quick read with a little more to it than others in this genre. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Missy Carmichael spends her entire life subjugating her personal ambitions and personality in favor of molding herself into the woman she feels will capture and keep the man of her desire. While she is successful in maintaining a very long-term marriage, her anger and resentment build throughout the decades but her love and desire for her one and only Leo remains strong.
What cost the sacrifice? She is distant by both geography and matters of the heart to both her now adult children. She holds dear a secret that she feels will destroy her marriage even so many years after the fact. She is isolated and now old without any prospects of changes in her life.
Enter a whole slew of characters that worm their way into Missy's ordered, sad and lonely life and her heart. But none so much as Bob. Bob the dog. Bob the dog that Missy doesn't want but somehow ends up watching for a woman in need.
This is not a dog book. This is a book about how it's never too late to find friends and love and peace within. It might not be what you were looking for or wanted but the kind you needed all the same.
Lovely book with a less than lovely protagonist and cast of characters that will ultimately lift your spirits.

An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a pleasure to read!  It is a coming-of-age story of sorts, except the person coming-of-age is an elderly woman named Missy Carmichael!  It is the story of a lonely woman who journeys to find a reason to go on- to make friends and laugh and love again.  It is about embracing the pain that life gives you and turning it into something beautiful.  This beautiful story will resonate with anyone, no matter what his or her age, who has had to “start over” with life.  Missy will inspire readers not to give up on life because something amazing might be waiting just around the corner.  This is a brilliantly written debut novel, and I look forward to more from Beth Morrey.  As the kids say, “it gave me all the feels!”  Thank you so much NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and Beth Morrey for the privilege of reading and reviewing an digital advanced copy this marvelous book.  Five stars, hands down!

Charming and sweet but very predictable. Still an enjoyable read. Thank you publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

I always think I'm going to enjoy these cute and slightly corny books, but unfortunately I never do. I wish the storyline was a little more quirky. The whole plot was so predictable. You can tell early on how this book is going to end. My expectations were way too high for this one. The writing was decent though, but the characters were a little flat and too straight-forward for my taste. I like characters that are more multi-dimensional. Everyone was either grumpy or cookie-cutter. Thank you, G.P. Putnam for the digital ARC.

Release date: April 7, 2020

The love story here is basically just Missy learning to love herself and let others love her. I wouldn't have gone with this title really but here we are. Predictable and a bit meh.

Was enjoying this mostly until the "reveal" which wasn't much of a reveal and kind of threw a spoke into Missy's whole story. Definitely made me like her much less. The highlight of the story was that of Bobby the dog. Angela seemed a right mess, poor Otis. Sylvie seemed more lonely than Missy but acted nonplussed. Denzil was interesting but a side character. 

Would have preferred more of the story behind Leo and Missy instead of all of the other drama. I'd say the first 75% of this book was an enjoyable Sunday afternoon read. The last 25% was a big let down.

Sweet, albeit predictable,  story of a lonely 79year-old. 
It takes a while to get into the book, or to feel for Missy Carmichael at first.  She starts off a bit irascible and crotchety. 
But she grows on you.
The narrative arc is pretty predictable but a breezy read for a Sunday afternoon. 
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Delightful, sad, insightful, surprising.....beautiful. This book is full of so many insightful statements about life including its simple pleasures, relationships  with friends, family, and the ever important companionship of a dog, as well as, the ups and downs of life that confront each of us.  It spoke to me on so many levels. Plus, it all starts at a pond where they are shocking fish to move them....original indeed!

I tried very hard to like this book. Especially since it was compared to A Man Called Ove. Missy Carmichael is now a widow whose sone and daughter live abroad. She is trying to navigate the world and find herself as an independent elderly woman throughout the book. She gains friendships, companionship in an unlikely place, and even new work. However, I only read  just past page 200 and couldn’t not find the motivation to continue to pick it up to finish it. I loved the dog aspect as I own six puppies myself, but Missy did not connect to me at all as a mother, grandmother, or friend. This was a DNF for me. Thanks @Netgalley for the chance to review.

4 Oikos Stars!

Another charming story of an elderly woman, Missy, and her travels through life. The loneliness, her life growing smaller, shutting people out, regrets and secrets. Until she finds her purpose again, expands her heart and her life. She finds herself a reluctant substitute caregiver to a female dog named Bob. They become fast friends and faithful companions. Missy's world has grown. She's gained friends. She is interacting. She is finding small slices of joy again. Ahhhh, but bad times always come again. None of us are immune. Then we have the choice to either retreat or boldly stand there and claim our place in the world and remain vibrant and steadfast against that which chooses to try to break us. What will Missy choose? What would you choose?

Boy meets girl. Girl meets boy. Woman meets dog...
 The story begins when we first meet Missy. She is 79 years old, her husband is gone, her son and family live in Australia and she has fallen out with her daughter. She is sad and lonely and not really coping. 
A chance encounter and the kindness of strangers at the park suddenly turn Missy’s life around. Missy finds herself with the most unlikely of friendships that gives her life a whole new meaning and purpose.  
The story jumps form present to past and back again, as we get glimpses into her marriage and childhood memories. After all, we are all products of our past and delving into Missy’s definitely gives context to the person she is today. 

 Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and A Man Called Ove

This story was quirky and cute. A great coming of age contemporary read that will keep you wanting to know more about Missy Carmicheal. The dog was a great touch to the story. Who doesn't love an animal companion in stories? The novel was filled with discovery yourself.

This is such a sweet and heartfelt book about love, loss, friendship, and the joy that only a canine companion can bring. At times light and funny as new dog owner Milly adjusts to life with a dog and makes new friends. And at times deeper and heavier than I expected, as Milly is newly alone and navigating life without her beloved Leo, children, and only grandson. It was so uplifting to see how true friendship can affect a person's life. I loved the British humor and as a dog lover, am totally here for a dog saving the day!

I received an electronic ARC from Penguin Group Putnam through NetGalley.
Though this book begins slowly and the main character is not very likeable, stay with it. Morrey reveals insights to Missy's life throughout the book. No spoilers as part of the joy of this book is seeing how past events shaped the main character's life and interactions with her family and friends. I will say that Missy grows and learns to celebrate herself in the year or so of her life we see. 
The book begins with her 79th year and takes us through her 80th birthday and beyond. The last few chapters do reveal a surprise character that continues to shape her life and provide the final pieces of why she behaves as she does. Missy's outlook did a complete reverse as she began to see joy, find friends and community and forgive herself for past actions.
Morrey has created a community that readers will relate to as we all have people like them in our lives.

This is a heartwarming story about Missy, an elderly woman who at what she had perceived as the end portion of her life, is actually the start of a wonderful new one. Through friends, family, and especially a sweet pup named Bobby she learned to open up her heart and banished her lonely lifestyle. This is a cute book that is well written.