What a lovely read. Really loved the main character and the way she tried to do what she thought was the right thing but people aren’t always as they appear. Would recommend

Such a lovely fun read! Lighthearted and warm book, especially love anything featuring dogs! Definitely recommend.

This was a cute book by author Zara Stoneley where Becky was the dog sitter who was given an important job – not to allow anyone to touch the dog. But entered Ash who claimed it was his dog.

The story had charming, sometimes exasperating characters, but it was Bella who stole the show she made me smile. There was something whimsical about this book which had the pitter patter of paws along with human interactions.

Humor was weaved initially, but down the pages, it was more of romance. Overall it wasn’t my most favorite book by this author, but nevertheless it was a fun read

In Zara Stoneley's The Dog Sitter, this delightful contemporary romance/romantic comedy novel will leave you stitches. If you love dogs featured in love stories, you'll adore this one. Becky Havers needed to escape from a toxic relationship with her boyfriend who was also her boss. She's an artist and loves to paint pictures. But when she planned her escape, she found a dog-sitting/house-sitting job in Cumbria with an Instagram post. When she made the arrangement with Georgina, her life had ever been transformed by a lovable black cockapoo named Bella. Little did she know that Bella was in the middle of a custody fight between Georgia and her ex Ashley (Ash) James. Under strict rules, Becky mustn't let Ash take Bella or her home. But when Bella escapes from Becky, she runs into Ash, a handsome piece of eye-candy and a former Marine, who adores Bella. While she tried to sort out the mess between them, she becomes closer to Ash and learn more about each other every time they meet. During this time she house-sat, Bella helps inspire her to be her best and to stand up for what she wants in life as an artist. And all she ever wanted was to please her parents and siblings and to make them happy. Before her house-sitting period ran out, she falls in love with Ash and figures out a plan to stay with him and Bella in Cumbria where she's the happiest when Bella had brought them together.

This checked off everything I look for in a book. Was not disappointed. Really enjoyed this book. I will read more from this author. Plus you have dogs. Oh yeah

Who doesn't love a good story based around adventures whilst house sitting? With its idyllic setting and likeable characters, The Dog Sitter delivers exactly that.

Becky is in desperate need of a change of scenery, and looking after Bella brings her that and much more in the form of ex marine Ash.

This is a cosy read that will leave you craving outdoor adventures and considering rescuing a dog! I enjoyed Becky and Ash's journeys which had them both needing to free themselves from relationships that weren't working. Bella with her zoomies is the star of the show and the glue that binds them together.

I would have like a tiny but more at the end on what happened next for Becky but was still satisfied with how the story came together.

Thank you to One More Chapter and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I seriously thought I had reviewed this a while ago. Omg what have I done.
I was moving so I have an excuse and not just out of one but a few moves.
I loved this read, a typical single girl goes to a job she's not fully understood the perimeters with the ex who won't stop calling to see the cute pooch. However this ex happens to be the sexy local man.. does love prevail? Does the sexy man take our lady to the tops of the hills to get fit? Of course what else is there to do in the lakes.
I really enjoyed this book as I can relate to the dog as I have a naughty ish cockapoo. Brillaint fun y read especially the poo 💩 scene on arrival. Lol.

The Dog Sitter by Zara Stoneley is a wonderful contemporary novel set in the heart of the Lake District.
The area comes alive under the author’s descriptive pen. The reader ‘experiences’ the richness of the open countryside. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty but with elements of danger as the weather can turn in an instant.
At the heart of the novel is Bella, a black cockerpoo who stole my heart. Zara Stoneley has brought her to life as she captures the essence of the bouncy, lovable. Loyal dog.
There is the theme of finding one’s true self. London and an old flame have squashed the life out of a character. Another character lost himself several years earlier during a traumatic tour of duty. The open air of the countryside, the love of Bella and the opportunity to relax means personalities can heal and become who they were created to be.
The characters were all well drawn. I instantly warmed to the two lead characters and Bella. Interestingly when I was introduced to the Instagram blogger, Zara Stoneley had drawn her so well that I instantly found myself reading her lines in an accent in my head whilst I decided I did not particularly like her. Zara Stonely perfectly manipulated my emotional response to her characters.
The Dog Sitter was a delightfully fun read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I look forward to reading much more by Zara Stoneley.
A word of caution: There are a couple of bedroom scenes with more detail than I felt comfortable with but it did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.
I received a free copy of the book from OMC blogger community FB group via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

This was a hugely enjoyable romp of ridiculousness and romance. I am embarrassed to say that along with Becky I too fell for the charms and hot bod of Ash James. I can only put it down to middle age and the menopause! Although funny, it was also quite predictable and in places had me cringing. Yet, why should I try and pretend that this chick lit did not light up something within me? Highbrow it ain't, but The Dog Sitter is hilarious, feel-good, welcome escapism. Throw in the canine element and the will they-wont' they tussle, and you end up with a loveable bundle of joy in the form of exuberant Bella, lacking in confidence Becky and SAS Ash!
As I read on, I really warmed to the characters and events, especially where Becky starts believing in her own artistic talents and makes independent decisions about her career. It sounded so idyllic, walking Bella, illustrating back at the house and trying and failing at not falling in love with Ash, that you would have to be in a super grumpy mood not to crack a smile over the antics that play out in the Lake District. I have very fond memories of the area and so the book transported me back to happier, fitter, more tranquil days and for that I thank the author immensely.

Becky takes on a job dog sitting for a neurotic instagram ifluencer. The problem is that the dog Bella does not belong to the very glamorous woman Georgie who has hired her, she does in fact belong to Ash, a very masculine man who Becky starts to fancy quite a bit.

Its essentially a bit of a tug of war between the 2 owners and Becky being caught in the middle, set against a very lovely backdrop in the Lake District.

Whilst the story was fun and funny, i fell more in love with the setting than anything, really made me want to run away, buy a house up there and never leave.

The Dog Sitter by Zara Stoneley
Publisher: HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Romance | Women's Fiction
Release Date: February 11, 2021

The Dog Sitter by Zara Stoneley is a standalone romantic comedy and the first book I've read by the author. What a delightful treat!

This funny adventure follows Becky who applies to housesit a cottage in the Lake District and gets to dog-sit Bella, the adorable dog on the cover! We all know dogs bring adventure and comedy!

I really liked the characters and the chemistry between Becky and Ash is wonderful! Overall, this has a fun storyline and was very enjoyable to read! This book has it all: humor, a hot guy, tons of chemistry, and a puppy!

I'm so grateful to Zara Stoneley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

*Thank you to Harper Collins UK, Zara Stoneley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Becky Havers is having a terrible month. She has just been dumped by her boyfriend, Teddy, and been sacked from her job by her boss, also Teddy. She has lost her Mojo and needs to find it, quickly. What Becky needs is a change of scenery. She goes on a house exchange app and finds a house in Cumbria, a seaside town in England with mountains, water and beautiful scenery. The only caveat is that she must care for Instagram famous Bella, a cockapoo. Georgina, Bella's owner, seems a bit high maintenance but Becky only realizes how high when she is late to meet her at the house. Once she arrives, she finds a booklet of strict instructions. The main and most important, Bella is not to have contact with Georgina's ex, Ash. And so the drama begins, as Ash has already shown up at the house to get the dog, claiming Bella belongs to him.

The Dog Sitter starts off a little slow. Becky is not relatable in the first half of the book. She is filled with self-pity, anger, and no confidence. Once she gets her groove back, the book becomes much more fun. There is a lot of drama with Ash and Georgina that seems to follow Becky wherever she goes. Her paranoia that Ash is going to steal the dog is somewhat hilarious, because of the lengths she goes to keep Bella safe. Some of the best parts of the book are Ash's attempts to see the dog and Becky thwarting him at every turn. Even funnier is the dog birthday party that Georgina arranged for Bella, and the party dogs that show up ready to ...party.

Having never been to the UK, the descriptions of Cumbria and the lake district are breathtaking. The author's love of the outdoors shines clearly as I could see the lake district in my mind as Becky, Ash and Bella hiked and cliff dived.

"The Dog Sitter “is a light read. There is hardly any angst, and it is filled with dog love. Becky is fun, witty and smart once she gets her life back. Ash is a handsome hero who loves his dog and only wants the best for Bella. While the book starts off slowly, it picks up immensely around the 50% mark.

Dogs, romance the lake district. A perfect recipe for romance. A great for curling up with book. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

112 The Dog Sitter

Hey folks, daddy Steve! Been posting a few doggiebook reviews lately but get this, I have four more that I finished reading/listening to and have yet to report on. 😱 Let’s get going with another one, this time it’s The Dog Sitter by Zara Stoneley.

This one falls in the romantic comedy subgenre, or rom-com for short. I’d say it does pretty well on both accounts, (light) romance and comedy. It was an especially hilarious read. And, well, with some racy moments, if you know what I mean. Definitely not a book for the young kiddos. 😉

I didn’t realize when I started reading it that the author was british. Then all the british colloquialisms started appearing. Made for a different and entertaining read. I imagined myself on a UK countryside while I was reading it.

I also liked that the book is very contemporary, with one of the side character being very much into Instagram and her online image.

I’d say it’s another recommended read, with the tiny caveat that it’s more for adults than kiddos, as I said earlier.

Huge thanks to NetGalley who provided a free eBook advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. This is as honest as it gets...

The book is currently available to purchase, and the Kindle version is priced super cheap on the US, Canadian and UK Amazon websites.

#Malcolmstories #doggiebooks
#TheDogSitter #NetGalley

Really enjoyed this book. A nice quick heart warming feel good read. I would recommend this to anyone.

I wanted to love this one but it just wasn't for me, the characters lacked depth and we're relatable. Storyline was slow and predictable.

I feel it’s unfair for me to really rate this as I didn’t finish it but I just couldn’t read it anymore! I was so disappointed as I’ve loved some of this authors other books.

I just found it so cringey and awkward to read. Becky quite unlikeable and was completely obsessed with Ash so much that it was borderline weird. Page after page of her drooling over him and it was just too much.

Obviously, the character and storyline may have improved by the end of the book but I just couldn’t bring myself to keep going with it.

I’d still recommend giving it a go if you’re into incredibly cheesy, cringeworthy romcoms but for me it was just way to much!

I do really recommend The First Date and The Wedding Date by Zara Stonely and this book won’t put me off reading her next one!

Thank you to the author, publishers and netgalley for allowing me to read this for an honest review.

Lovely read. Heartwarming and romantic in a beautiful setting. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters. Easy to read and engaging throughout. Great read.

Than you Netgalley.

This was so much more than I was expecting, I absolutely loved it. The writing is so good , the descriptions alone made me feel like I was in the Lakes with the characters. It’s an uplifting read , so much fun, who wouldn’t fall in love with Ash (and Bella) Becky is such a great lead character, bit crazy at times but just sweet and fun. Absolutely loved this and would love to know more of their relationship.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Only after choosing to read this book did I discover that Zara Stoneley is such a prolific author. I have chosen this because it is not the sort of book I usually read.

My first thought, after just a few pages: I like the humourous dialogue.
Mother and daughter conversation, along the lines of "I wonder what would have happened if": Dog or Dad, Dog or boyfriend.

I persevered, merely to see if it came to an enjoyable ending. I enjoyed the descriptions of the Lake District scenery and found myself visualising places with which I am familiar.

Some of the characters are well crafted, which is a merit.

This was a book which I like a bit. I give my thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for a copy in exchange for this review.