I was hooked by the cover and the dogs in this story, and I wanted to love it.

Unfortunately, I didn't love it. I did like it, however I did not feel this one at all.

I didn't really feel any emotion from either Max or Carly. And for most of the time I felt like Carly was just phoning it in and was a doormat for everyone around her.

Baxter and Hazel saved this one for me. I couldn't help but smile every time they were on the page.

I also felt, from my experience, the topic of autism was dealt with quite well.

I thoroughly enjoyed "You Lucky Dog". Carly's life is a whirlwind ~ her clients are driving her crazy ~ her landlord wants to raise her rent ~ her parents are divorced and finding "love" in all the wrong places ~ her sister's kids are out of control so she talks Carly in to fostering her depressed bassett hound, Baxter. There is a mixup with the dog walker and she ends up with Hazel ~ a very happy bassett hound. Max's life is just as crazy as Carly's. He is up for tenure at the school where he teaches, he is taking care of his brother who has autism. Baxter ends up at Max's house. Max and Carly meet when they figure out the dog walker mix up. I found Max's studies with support dogs interesting. Their careers and families create problems as they get to know one another and fall in love. The book has humor and romance.

You Lucky Dog by Julia London is a standalone novel that is a romantic comedy. I have read a number of books by London, and this one was a bit different. Carly Kennedy, our heroine, is a publicist for a fashion designer and other cliets. Carly has a basset hound dog named Baxter, who always seems depressed, and when she comes home late one evening, she notices that Baxter was acting strange. She realizes that the dog walker brought in the wrong dog, and now Carly has to find who has Baxter.

Max Sheffington, our hero, is a scientist, who owns a basset hound dog named Hazel, and when he comes home, he sees his dog is not acting like her rambunctious self. With the dog walker in jail, Carly manages to find Max’s address and goes to get her dog. What she didn’t expect was a handsome hunk opening the door, and Baxter running out to greet Hazel, his beloved. Now we know why Baxter was always depressed, as Hazel was his love.

In a short period, Max and Carly become friends sharing time with the dogs being together, and a slow build romance starts. But each has their own issues, with Carly’s clients being disasters, and her career in jeopardy, she is desperate to find a job that pays well. Carly also has issues with her divorced parents, and her mom claiming she has met a wonderful man.

Max is worried as he is up for tenure at the university, and feels his chances are slim, since another woman seems to have a better shot. At the same time, Max’s autistic brother, Jaime depends on his father, with both knowing he will need to eventually find a group home for him.
Things totally change when both families are brought together, as Max’s dad and Carly’s mom are in love. The family part of story becomes a bit crazy, and funny at times, but also a bit annoying, as it was kind of a hit miss with them. I did love Max and Carly together, as they made a great couple, and most of all I loved loved Hazel and Baxter together. That was the best part of this story. lol

As cute and adorable this was at times, I wasn’t crazy about the designer, especially when he continued to ruin all of Carly’s plans. The chemistry between Carly and Max was great, and I enjoyed their time with the dogs, as we rooted hard for them to stay together. A lot happened in the last ¼ of the book, that changes things for Max, Carly and their family. Will Max and Carly find a way to stay together? You will need to read the book to find out. You Lucky Dog was a cute lighthearted read.

You Lucky Dog is exactly the right anecdote to brighten your day and make you smile. This rom com begins when two unlikely opposites get united when their dogs are returned to their wrong owners. Publicist Carly Kennedy can’t seem to get anything going right with her job and her personal life, and she has the wrong dog. To retrieve her basset hound Baxter, she meets neuroscientist Max Sheffington, and she finds herself oddly attracted to him. For Max, Carly was an unexpected breath of fresh air in his academia life and makes playdates for their dogs in order to see her again. But like everything else in life, it hurts when you meet the right person at the wrong time.

Julia London has become such a diverse writer and one of my favorite authors. She’s written historical, western and contemporary romance stories each with likeable and diverse characters and entertaining storylines. You Lucky Dog is no exception and I found myself devouring this story because it was lighthearted fun, highlighted with tender moments. You will fall in love with Carly struggling to make it all work, the dogs Hazel and Baxter who bring these two together, and Max for never letting go

This is a sweet romance with some laugh-out loud funny moments. Carly is a publicist for a fashion designer, and she has to wear his outfits as a part of her promotion--outfits that get her into some truly hilarious trouble when she has to do, well, anything.

The theme of dogs carries throughout the story, and it is a definite strength of the novel. Max and Carly are brought together because of their nearly identical dogs, who are seemingly smitten with one another.  Max's research at the university deals with the neuroscience of the brain and he uses dogs in his research. His younger brother has autism, and he loves dogs.

This book also has strong family themes, as both Carly and Max have complicated personal lives.  Max's love for his younger brother makes him a sweet and caring character, despite the fact that he may come across as aloof and overly "scientist-y" to others.

While the tone of the novel itself is sweet, it has a bit of a gloomy feel to it. It's hard to explain. Maybe it's because of their personal lives, but I felt quite sad while reading it, even during the funny bits.  Both Max and Carly are under a lot of pressure--Carly with losing her job, her parent's divorce, the ever-increasing rent of her home, and Max with going up for tenure against the department's star researcher.  The one highlight in their lives seems to be each other, and of course, their relationship isn't easy. There's a major twist about halfway through the book that really puts a wrench in what they have found together, and while it seemed like it was intended to be funny, it did fall flat to me a little.

I recommend this book to lovers of romance novels that have a strong dog-lovers theme.

Thank You Berkley for Sending me an ARC!

I thought this book was super cute! I think a lot of people who love dogs and love would really be drawn to this book like I was. I also really liked that the author brought Autism into the story. I think it's always interesting to read and learn about it since that is what my profession is. I really loved that Max cared so much for his autistic brother's life, and that's what made him pursue a career in neurological science. I also liked that this book had a lot to do with family. What I wish the book had more of was the actual dog. The swap scenario took place so quickly, And the ROMANCE. Unfortunately the romance/chemistry wasn't there for me in this book. They were lacking some spark. Overall I don't feel like this book was entirely about romance, I felt it was more about personal growth maybe?

Thank you so much @BerkleyPub & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 25 August 2020)

SYNOPSIS | Carly comes home from work one day to discover that her dog walker has dropped off the wrong Basset Hound. After some investigation, she discovers that her dog (Hazel) has accidentally been switched with Max's Basset Hound (Baxter). Once both dogs are with their rightful owners again, both Carly & Max begin to spend more time together.

WHAT I LIKED:
- that Max cared so much for his autistic brother's wellbeing that it shaped his career in neurological science
- generally that familial relationships are a key element of this story

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- the actual dog swap scenario was only the first 20ish pages. I could have read half a book on them each learning about the new imposter dog and searching for each other.
- I sadly didn't root for the romance. I felt it developed too quickly & i wasn't invested in them overcoming the many obstacles that they faced.
- many of the familial challenges just seemed unnecessary & purposefully there to create drama

Cute storyline and great characters. Love the dogs! Started off a little bit odd, but after a few pages made sense. Trying to launch a new career after being fired, Carly comes home to find a imposter dog on her couch chewing up a very expensive pillow! Her dog is missing! Baxter is a depress dog and this dog is definitely not her dog....plus it’s a girl. She tries to get a hold of the dog walker and no response. Things go downhill for Carly, crazy clients, crazy family and the list goes on. In the meanwhile Max, a professor who happens to be a brain scientist, wakes up to a similar situation. Trying to figure out what happen, how he winds up with this sad dog. He has a lot on his mind, trying to get his tenure at the university he works at, Trying to give his widowed dad a break from caring for his autistic brother. I don’t want to giveaway to much, but a very enjoyable, light hearted read.

Carly’s life is not going the way she wants. Her parents are divorcing, her sister is acting crazy and has foisted the dog she’s supposed to be fostering onto Carly. Her career is not going the way she envisioned either. She’s struggling to form her own PR firm with two strange clients. She really wants to move to New York and start over.
Max is a professor looking for tenure. He’s trying to get his father to let his autistic brother move into a group home that would be helpful for him but is meeting resistance. The bright spot in his life is his Basset hound Hazel.
When the dog walker switches the dogs, Carly goes ballistic. How could this happen? She finally tracks down the other owner and promptly rips into him for not having his dog chipped and feeding her dog macaroni and cheese. The two dogs immediately bond and Carly and Max decide to meet for play dates for the dogs. She realizes she’s falling for Max but doesn’t want to give up on her dream of New York.
Well written and interesting. Max and Carly are great characters and their story is a great rom-com.

Very entertaining story filled with a touch of eccentricity and and lot of romance. I really enjoyed Carly and her life crisis drama. Her family was also quite crazy pants fun. Max was a wonderful character and when they meet due to an accidental dog exchange sparks fly. More than a nod to living with someone on the spectrum in adulthood and it was very well done.
I absolutely loved this story. I will definitely be reading this again.

I never thought a book about dogs would disappoint me so greatly. At first glance, You Lucky Dog seems like everything I could ask for in a book: an accidental dog switch leading to a romantic match between their owners? Sign me up. However, between the lukewarm romance and the writing, I was pretty indifferent towards the story.

I am never a fan of long passages of text and exposition, and unfortunately You Lucky Dog was full of them. I can’t tell you how many chapters were dedicated to painstakingly describing every minute of Carly’s day in detail. I don’t care and it lends absolutely nothing to the story. I also wasn’t a fan of Max’s internal dialogue. Max is a neuroscientist, yes, but I found it super pretentious and annoying whenever he would think something like, “the norepinephrine levels were increasing throughout my body at the thought” instead of simply, “the thought was exciting me.”

The book does shine a light on autism awareness which was really appreciated. The author did a great job showing some of the challenges of living with someone/having a family member with autism. Max’s brother, Jamie, plays an important role in this book and it felt honest and realistic.

As a dog lover, I was really looking forward to You Lucky Dog. Who could resist that cover or the synopsis? But when it came down to it, I did not enjoy the writing style and the story itself was mediocre.

I am totally not the type of person that enjoys a romance book. I was attracted by the cover and when I saw it was with dogs in the story, I really wanted to read it.
Sadly enough, this wasn’t for me.
I did like the writing style, and the dogs were fun. Reading the story in multiple point of views, is something I always enjoy in a book. Sadly enough, that’s where what I liked about the book stops.
I couldn’t stand Carly, she had the type of personality I really dislike in people.. Max was alright but I wasn’t crazy about him either. A lot of the time, I felt parts were unnecessary or not well developed.
It was not for me. But maybe it will be for you, so I’d say give it a try! It sure could be a nice summer read if it’s your genre of stories.

You Luck Dog by Julia London was a nice read 🐶 Max and Carly meet when Carly decides to find her dog Baxter who has been mixed up by her dog walker. Carly found her basset hound had been switched with Max Sheffington's basset hound! So cute. They are immediately drawn to each other. I will admit that I picked this book because of the super cute cover and the pupperinos on it!! 🐶🐕🦮🐕‍🦺

I thought this was a cute rom-comish read! They initially don't like each other but then gradually fall for each other. They keep hanging out even after they switch back because their dogs actually like each other. All throughout this we get to see Carly's work in fashion PR and Max as a neuroscientist at a University. They develop a friendship from meeting up for their dogs and cross the line when Carly feels as though everyone is happy in a relationship and she isn't. Of course there is something, which I thought was a bit random, that throws a damper on their relationship, but they get through it!

What I did like about the book was that it shines a light on autism as Max's brother has it. You can tell that the author wants to educate readers about it. Max's research focused on quantitative methods to determine if dogs were an effective social intervention and how it compared to other techniques used to help adults on the spectrum.

I also did like the writing style.

While I did enjoy their meet-cute and the autism awareness aspect of this book, I feel like I didn't connect with the characters as much as I wanted to and I'm not sure why. BUT it was still an enjoyable read 😊

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Romance for an ARC for my honest review.

Pub Date 25 August 2020

Sweet & funny! A stress free read that will make you happy. This is first time I’ve read one of this author’s contemporary novels- I do love her historical novels as well.

I loved the concept of this book. It was different from anything I have read before so it made it an interesting read. The story is about Carly Kennedy and she feels her life is in a spiral, she is drowning in work and her parents are getting divorced. Her sister talked her into fostering a basset hound named Baxter. One night when she gets home from work she discovers that her dog got switched with someone else. Max Sheffington figures out the same thing about his dog Hazel. Carly shows up at his door step. Both dogs like each other so what are these to dog owners to do. They let the dogs spend time together which means that they have to spend time together too. I really enjoyed the twist of this story. Maybe the next book will be about cats.

Fun entertaining book! The premise of the book is very cute, I mean two basset hounds get switched after a dog walking incident, great set up right? Max is a nerdy sexy scientist who kind and sweet and funny, easy to fall in love with! Carly is high stressed trying to keep her clients on track and the dog mix up wasn't in her schedule nor the sexy owner that got her pulse started. The read has humor, feels and cute dog antics. My only issue was that I wished the banter was wittier, it felt a little stiff but that could be attributed to Carly's slightly high strung personality (not as high strung as the rest of her family!), some of the situations didn't feel as zany as they could have but were still fun! All in all a good read with a colorful cast of characters!

This one wasn't for me. It was okay but it is hard to dislike a romance when dogs are involved. The characters didn't jive well for me and that's totally fine! This might be for you!

You Lucky Dog is a hysterically funny romance. Carly meets Max after their Basset Hounds Baxter and Hazel are swapped when their dog walker is arrested and has a friend get the dogs back to their owners only Carly and Max are given the wrong dog. Max desperate for a dog sitter so he can take his Autistic brother Jamie to a dog show he promised him convinces Carly to dog sit for him. Of course Hazel misbehaves and Carly cannot believe Max is ignoring her texts and. Rushes her off the phone so she accuses him of lying and being with a woman on a weekend fling. Then she gets stuck in a skirt and needs his help getting the zipper down and he skirt off. The comedy goes on and on in this book when Carly’s crazy mother hooks up with Max’s lonely dad and they rush a Vegas wedding. I laughed out loud a lot while reading this book. And it paired up the perfect opposites and then challenges them to make it work. Julia writes the happy ending.

Overall - 3
Heat - 3

You Lucky Dog is the latest romantic comedy from York Times bestselling author Julia London. Carly Kennedy is struggling, her life and career seem to be stifling her. To make matters worse her sister has saddled her with a depressed basset hound. Max Sheffington is on the fast track to tenure, he’s content with his life and his dog. When the two dogs are accidentally swapped he meets Carly and is intrigued. But Carly wants to move and Max is preparing to cement his life as it is. Can these two figure out how they fit into each other’s lives?

This book has gone on a lot of Summer Reading lists, and I was excited to pick it up based on the cover and the blurb. I’m always up for a good rom-com that feels light and easy to read and I’m a sucker for a dog on the cover. I loved Max, the sexy bespectacled professor and his charming dog Hazel. Max is the exactly perfect kind of sweet and nerdy hero that I want to read in a rom-com. I had a harder time connecting with Carly, who felt both too much and not enough for me. She was constantly put upon by her family and felt taken advantage of, and yet she didn’t really ever step up to them and take control of her life.

The author included an excellent story line about Max’s brother and his autism. Her representation of Jamie felt very well developed and a good representation of how families deal with the challenges of raising children with autism. I hated Max's dad and the way he seemed to be able to drop Jamie whenever it was inconvenient for him. Luckily, Max was a wonderful brother and his treatment of Jamie felt honest and real.

Both Carly and Max’s families play a large role in this book which really took me out of their romance. When I read romance I want to be absorbed in the love story and all the extra family drama felt manufactured to create the “black moment” towards the end of the book. This external drama also slows down the plot for me and really made me less interested in the last half of the book. I think if the author had just stuck to the problem of their jobs the midpoint turn wouldn’t have felt so slow and cumbersome.

The lead up to the romance between Carly and Max was super sexy and interesting. I enjoyed their “dates” with the dogs and the chemistry leading up to the sexy times was wonderful. I wanted more time between these two, I liked seeing them fall in love and it’s that chemistry that we need to sustain us through some of the tougher elements of the story.

I personally am not a fan of this trend of adding a lot of drama to rom-coms as it only serves to slow down an otherwise quick and fun read. I enjoyed their banter, the dogs, and the secy times and I could have done without the plot around their families. Overall, this was a decently fun read that was light and fluffy with a decent amount of steam. Fans of Jasmine Guillory, Sally Thorne, or Emily Henry’s latest rom-coms will probably also love this book.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley who provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

First, let me thank netgalley and the publishers for approving my request for an early release of this book. All reviews of my netgalley books can be found on goodreads and youtube. Please be sure to check out the links attached.