A book about dogs, count me in!

*ARC provided by @netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!*

Cutesy romances have been my jam lately. 2020 has been so crazy that all I've wanted to read were fun stories full of love, laughter, and personal growth. You Lucky Dog was a book where I found all 3.

After their dog walker was arrested and their identical basset hounds were switched, Carly and Max are forced to meet. From this point on, a friendship is born and both of them are forced to rely on each other since they no longer have dog walker.

Both characters are struggling IRL- Carly is looking to find herself in a new career and Max is trying to earn tenure. Not only are they struggling personally, their families are pretty dysfunctional (Carly's more than Max).

This story is all about learning lessons, chasing dreams, falling in love, and growing up.

If you need a good book to take your mind off of the crazy reality of 2020, this book is for you.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I love Julia London's books so was intrigued to be able to read this contemporary except - a total departure for me and my expectations of the author - have always read her historical romances

I thought the concept was totally original - it took me a little time to get my head round it - mostly due to my own expectations I must admit - but found this a cute read

I would certainly be up for reading the full book

Thank you to the publisher for providing with an eARC.

The story starts off with two dogs being mistaken for each other thus leading their owners, Carly and Max to meet. It’s a weird Parent Trap situation, but not planned. Of course there are situations that cause the couple to separate, because ~ drama ~.

Overall this book was nice. Nothing overwhelming but an easy read. I don’t feel as though I truly connected with the couple and didn’t completely buy into their romance. This definitely had an impact on my enjoyment of the book.

A contemporary novel by a favorite author, Julia London.

This was an adorable read, I can easily see myself curling up with it on a spring afternoon. It played out like a hallmark movie with a little more spark. This is one I'll be grabbing over and over.

Carly is dealing with a lot right now, least of all a foster dog that her sister foists on her. And Max, also dealing with a lot in his professional life, has a dog in his life as well. In classic meet-cute fashion, their surprisingly shared crazy-as-can-be dog walker takes the dogs home to the wrong houses!

When feisty Carly ends up on Max's doorstep, things take off at a gallop in this adorable read. While there's nothing overly steamy, there's a ton of soft yet strong romance that keeps you engaged to the very end.

This opinions are my own and freely given.

Julia London writes animals and men SO well! The concept and story of this book was so cute! It was original and entertaining … we’re all so glad that Brandt had his little … mix-up! Max is beyond adorable and couldn’t have been more supportive and sweet! This was such a fun little summer read … it gave me a smile during a very crazy time!

Trust Julia London to bring a smile to my face. I hadn’t even started reading the story and I was grinning like a loon—this book is dedicated to the dogs that have shaped Julia’s life and being a dog lover I felt warm and fuzzy as I read their names. This delightfully light and entertaining romantic comedy is set in Austin, Texas. The dogs in the story, Baxter and Hazel, came very close to stealing the show more than once but the snarky conversation between their owners is also laugh-out-loud funny.
As I chuckled my way through this book I couldn’t help but admire Julia London for her superb observational skills. This is a lady who clearly knows her dogs and her portrayal of their antics is one of the things that made the story so special for me. I chuckled when Max was forced to take Baxter, whom he called Dog at this point in the story, into a lecture he was delivering. “Dog had wandered around as Max tried to instruct the students on the nervous system, plunging his nose into backpacks and crotches at will.”
Laugh-out-loud humour aside, this story also has plenty of emotional pull as Max, a combination of horny, oversexed male and scientist nerd feels his way around his relationship with Carly. I loved his inner thoughts, always scientifically phrased, “Max looked into her eyes. He wanted to speak, but words drifted out of his mind, almost as if he had frontotemporal degeneration. Which he did not.”
This is a book to keep and to read over and over whenever you want something to smile about or need a hearty laugh. I absolutely loved it.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated are my own. Thank you for the opportunity to read this work!

I usually love Julia London's books, but this was the first one I seriously considered putting a DNF on. I slogged through it, but I just couldn't get into these characters.

Carly is the female love interest, and I think she was supposed to come off as quirky, trendy, and frazzled, but to me she came across as simply annoying and hapless.

Max is the male love interest, and I think he was supposed to be a combination of straight-laced academian and hip professor, but my take was he's very, very, boring.

The plot seemed to meander here, there, and everywhere without contributing much to the overall story arc and I found myself skimming over quite a bit, which is extremely rare for me.

I wanted to love this book, I really did, because DOGS, but I think I would have rather had the Bassets as the main characters!

I thought this was a great RomCom! Hazel and Baxter are Bassett Hounds that accidentally get returned to the wrong owners due to a mistake by their mutual dog walker. It takes a few days for them to track down each other and exchange dogs. Turns out Carly’s sort of depressed dog, Baxter, really enjoys spending time with Hazel, Max’s dog, so they end up spending more time together for the dogs’ sake (nothing to do with a mutual attraction, wink wink, nudge nudge). Along with some great dog scenes, I enjoyed both Carly and Max’s individual storylines. Carly was laid off from her publicist job and is working with a couple clients on her own. Max is a brain scientist and is hoping to get tenure. They also both have lively extended families.

I really enjoyed the light-hearted feel of this book despite the multiple storylines. It definitely kept me engaged. I also liked the witty banter. There is a low steam level which worked for me. Overall it’s a slower burn, friends to lover kind of romance. And they were brought together by their dogs which is awesome! A great lazy weekend read!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Berkley Publishing Group for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fun, contemporary romance with a twist of dog(s)! Full of quirky characters (starting with the dog walker), I enjoyed this story of two people who start with a cute meet and end up being more. Not steamy but certainly sweet. Thoroughly enjoyed!

This book starts with an accidental dog swap. Carly Kennedy comes home from work and finds out that dog walker accidentally switched out the basset, Baxter, she was watching for her sister with another basset named Hazel. Added into everything else going out of control in her life, this is the last straw. Max Sheffington finds a depressed basset in the place of his cheerful Hazel and is confused as to what is going on. But when Carly shows up on his doorstep, he wants to know more about her. Neither was expecting the other, but they may have found exactly what they each needed.

Ok so the blurb for this one had me intrigued when I read it. However, I had a really hard time getting into it. Carly and Max just didn't seem to have a connection, or at least I couldn't see it. The plot seemed to go along slowly, which I found a bit strange. And I'm not really sure why we needed to know so much about what was happening with her parents, it almost made me feel like their relationship involved their daughter more than it should have. The interactions with the dogs were cute and funny though. I just had a really hard time with this one. And that isn't to say that someone else wouldn't love it, it just wasn't to my tastes.

If you are a dog lover, this book is definitely for you.

I loved this book and I am super thankful to both NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for giving me the chance to review this book.

You Lucky Dog is a hilarious book with the cutest Meet Cute.

Carly is used to living life at 100 mph, between two very different and demanding clients, she doesn't have the time to walk her dog Baxter, but after coming home and finding the wrong dog in her house, she wishes she never hired her dog walker. When Baxter is replaced by Hazel, a couch sitting, pillow destroying dog, Carly must FIND her dog.

Come to find out Baxter is now relaxing on couches and eating Mac and Cheese and watching DogTv with the handsome Dr. Tobias Max Sheffington. Carly like any dog mom is freaking out to find her dog when she finally tracks him down. In the process of finding Baxter, she finds Max who she ends up falling in love with, but when it comes out that their parents are dating, they do not see how they can continue to be together.

While Carly and Max face many challenges they ultimately end up together. But the real romance in my eyes is between Hazel and Baxter because come on who doesn't look, puppy love!

This is a book you would not be disappointed in reading. It's the perfect end of summer read!

3.75,/5 stars. <3

YOU LUCKY DOG WAS SUCH AN ADORABLE BOOK OMG ! The story was cute and enjoyable, just like the book cover promised. A smile was literally plastered on my face while I was reading the book (except some parts with the family drama though, hehe) The book had such an exciting plot - I mean, the main characters, Carly and Max met each other because their dogs got accidentally swapped. Can anything get sweeter than that?

Carly was an interesting character, but it took me a while to warm up to her. Her attitude in the beginning of the story was way too annoying for my liking. I did appreciate her having a strong stand regarding her life though. 

Conveniently, Max made up for my lack of connection towards Carly. He was such a sweet guy! I love nerdy male leads in books, and that made reading You Lucky Dog so much better for me. One of my favorite things about Max was how he cared for his brother Jamie, who is autistic. The autism representation in the book was very well-written as well. 

But guess what ultimately stole the show??? The basset hounds, Hazel and Baxter, ofcourse! They were just the most adorable pets ever. Hazel and Baxter added a charming touch to the storyline, and I loved how they were the reasons that Max and Carly came together.

There were some things in the book which I didn't enjoy though. I felt like Max and Carly's relationship lacked the depth that the story needed. The dynamics surrounding Carly's family was really weird to read about at times as well. 

If you're a fan of cute animals and sweet romances, definitely pick You Lucky Dog up!

Looking for your perfect summer escape read? Take one look at that cover and synopsis, and tell me you’re not intrigued! I read this book a month or two ago because I was in a major slump and needed something funny and light-hearted, and this was the perfect cure! I loved the storyline, the romance, the craziness (trust me – there’s an INSANE plot twist!), and the overall vibe of the story.

The characters are all over the top hilarious and dramatic, and I LIVE for it. Crazy mom telling you all about her boyfriend of the day, sister who cannot handle her kids, really random dog mix-up…..it’s the funniest story and I laughed out loud multiple times when reading.

There were plenty of heartwarming moments that I think you would enjoy! Were the characters slightly cheesy? Yes, but honestly, it was just too funny and darn cute! Usually I’m not a fan, but these characters were written with just the right amount of cheesiness to keep me, an overly serious person, happy!

An adopted and depressed basset hound finds love for himself and his owner. A cute storyline that brings love from an unexpected mix up.

I was really looking forward to reading this story. Not only is the cover adorable, but the whole idea of a romance building all because your dog walker returned the wrong dog to you just sounds too cute. However, with that being said, this one just didn't work for me. The main character was a little annoying for my taste and seemed very conceited and full of herself. There was also a lot of inner-dialog that just seemed very choppy and disorienting. So, I never fully connected with the characters or their story because of it. In all honesty, I wish this story focused more on the switched dogs, than everything else. I kind of felt like that whole scenario took a backseat in this story. I don't know about you, but if let's say, I had someone who watched my dog while I was gone and I came home to find that there was a different dog in my house... I would flip out. I wouldn't just shrug it off and go about my day wondering when my crazy dog-sitter will return my calls. No, I would be a panicking mess wondering where my dog was. So, I was a little taken back when Max just sort of seems fine with it all and just brings "his" dog to work like nothing is wrong.

Like I said, I really wanted to like this story. The cover and the sound of it seemed like it would be a sure win for me. However, I had a hard time connecting with the characters and found myself not really wanting to pick up the book because of it.

I truly enjoyed You Lucky Dog! The nerdy-cute brain scientist, the chaos that surrounds Carly, the family drama, and the two lovable dogs, were the makings of a great story of meeting the right person at the wrong time. This would make a wonderful movie, the perfect Rom-Com!

I will admit that the first 25% where the ground work was laid was slower than I would have liked and I had my doubts about it. But from the moment that Carly knocked on Max's door, I was hooked! Carly and Max seem like oil and water at first. But the more they open up to each other, the more that attraction and underlying chemistry sizzled. Max is the perfect mix of 'brain scientist' nerd and awkward that I could not help but fall for him right along with Carly. And Carly was such a boss chaos-coordinator! She was wound so tight and just tried so hard. I did find her stiffness to be a little off-putting in the beginning, but I came to understand that was all part of the 'tough and together' appearance she always felt that she needed to convey.

One thing that I really liked about this book was the honesty in the relationships and how they just faced the hard truths head on. They didn't drag it out, they accepted that sometimes the timing of stuff just sucks. It made the ending so much sweeter when Carly realizes how she can have her cake and eat it too.

I will definitely be recommending this one to everyone that will listen and it was one of my favorite books that I read this month!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, You Lucky Dog was a good book. I loved the idea of the meet cute that happened to Max and Carly. They were super cool about having the wrong person’s dog. I would be having a major freak out if someone returned the wrong pet to me!

I felt like the timeline and the narration to the book were a little confusing. At some points I wasn’t sure whose perspective we were reading from and when. This caused my interest in the book to wane a little bit toward the middle.

I think Jamie was my favorite character. He was such a strong person despite his disability. I would have loved to see his paintings. I think I would have even hired him to try and paid my two cats! They probably wouldn’t sit very still for him though.

The storyline of the book was definitely unique and a little unconventional. It threw me off for a little bit but unfortunately I can’t get too deep into that without giving away some spoilers. Luckily it did get back on track and felt okay again.

The end of the book had me soaring just like it seemed the characters were too. I love a happy ending!

Who knew that an accidental dog swap would be life changing? Carly is struggling with work. She needs her few clients to be successful but that's not happening. They are either needy or crazy or both. She wants to be successful so that she can move to New York and live life in the fast lane. Unfortunately, her family needs her. Her recently divorced parents are out of control and her sister needs help wrangling her children. Her missing beagle is the final straw. When she tracks down Baxter, he's with a sexy, handsome man who's letter her dog break all the rules. Max Sheffington is a professor who's in a rut. He needs someone special in his life. I loved the chemistry between these characters. Sparks fly when they're together. Her unpredictable family might just derail their new relationship. Her mother is planning to marry Max's father. I couldn't believe what Julia London put these characters through. I couldn't stop reading this book. So much drama. I loved it!
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.

This was honestly delightful.

Can we make dog content in novels become the norm please? I’m tickled pink over every scene with Baxter and Hazel.

Anyone who has had a dog as a pet will find this book a fun read.

I have chosen to to finish/review this title. I didn't connect with the characters and while the premise was amusing, it really wasn't enough to carry through the rest of the book when I wasn't drawn to the main couple.

As always, I appreciate the review copy and look forward to the next one!