This book was a delight to read! It tugged my emotions several different ways, and parts made me want to read faster to see what was going to happen. I adore Catherine Ryan Hyde's novels, and this one is no exception.

This was my first read by this author and it wont be my last, the way she writes pulls you into the story and makes you fall in love with the characters.

What I took away from this book was remembering to stop and live today for today, laying on the ground with 7 puppies giving you love what about that doesn't scream love and tenderness.

The story of Abby and her mom and their struggle for freedom from her father and the the challenge that Abby takes on when she rescues the seven puppies from the river, this was a great read

This is a must read

Another wonderful heartwarming story by this Author. A woman in a mentally abusive marriage and her teenage daughter hope for a better life.
A review by Fantastic Fiction:

Thirteen-year-old Abby Hubble lives in an unhappy home in the Sierra Nevada foothills where her father makes life miserable for her and her mother, Mary. One day Abby witnesses a man dump a litter of puppies into the nearby river. Diving in to rescue all seven, she knows she won’t be able to bring them home. Afraid for their fate at the pound, she takes them to an abandoned cabin, where all she can offer is a promise that she’ll be back the next day.

To grieving widower Elliot Colvin, life has lost meaning. Looking for solace, he retreats to the hunting cabin he last visited years ago, before his wife’s illness. What he discovers is not at all what he expected: seven puppies and one determined girl with an indomitable heart.

As Abby and Elliot’s friendship deepens, Abby imagines how much better her life—and the puppies’ lives—would be if her mother were married to Elliot instead of her father. But when Abby’s father moves the family hundreds of miles away, Abby and her mother must decide how long they’re willing to defer happiness.

Seven Perfect Things is a story about joy, where to find it, how to know it when you see it, and the courage it takes to hang on to it once you have it.

This book was such an enjoyable book, but it tugged at the heart strings for me, I cried, I laughed . But I needed to read to the end and that put a small on my face. Loved it!

I love Catherine Ryan Hydes books and this one is no exception. Her books are always feel good, good outweighs the bad, everything ends well kinds of books and this one of no exception.

There are always lessons to be learned in her books, and kindness seems to be a concurrent theme in all of her books that I've read. The characters are people just like you and me, no one special, with problems in their ordinary lives and how they solve their problems is where her lessons are most usually found.

I love puppies and little kids with puppies and this book definitely has a major helping of both.

I am a fan of CRH, her books always have a feel good factor, and often involve a young person overcoming a difficult background, partly with the healing help of an animal. This is no exception, the animals being a litter of pups, hard not to love. The main characters are Elliott recently bereaved, Abby a young girl who saves seven pups and has to work out how to care for them in secret and then there is her lovely mum Mary who is married to a bully, has little confidence in herself and very few options to change her life for the better. The story revolves around Elliott meeting up with Mary and Abby and the affect they have on each other's circumstances, the common denominator being the pups. However to me there is something missing in this story, the first two thirds is quite slow, then it gets a bit more interesting and then it slows down again and finishes. I do like the main characters, but there are parts of the story that are too convenient and parts that don't ring true, like the lack of mobile phones, Abby's lack of friends and the amount of attention seven puppies need - I do know about this, having helped rear several litters.

This is still a heartwarming story though with a satisfactory ending so I would recommend it but personally I was a little disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another great novel by CRH. This book has the usual themes: a young teen who seeks the help of an older person, the love of animals and the wisdom of youth. This book also has another theme that I have seen in recent CRH works-domestic violence. CRH does a good job of showing how women and children are dominated by men who control them with psychological and physical abuse. My favorite line in the book is when the offended husband is penned to the ground and cuffed by a burly sheriff's deputy. The husband protests "You can't arrest me for that. She's my wife. The deputy responds "Sure. And I'm your arresting officer. But that doesn't mean you own me."
I am a fan of CRH. Her books are hopeful and uplifting. They always bring a tear to my eyes at least once. I am looking forward to the next book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Seven Perfect Things by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a book that tugs at your heart, stirs up your anger, and lets you breathe a sigh of relief at the end.

I enjoyed yet another easy read from Catherine. The characters felt real even if the plot seemed a little unlikely in places. There was nothing too dislike. As the cover states, the plot centres around the rescued puppies and has a lesson to learn for all involved.

A book cover with dogs that actually features dogs as a main plotline? A sweet, heartwarming book with substance? Yes please! I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

I love me some Catherine Ryan Hyde and this book is so Catherine. It's a sweet book about a girl and some dogs, 7 of them to be precise, and what happens when people around her fall in love with those dogs. This book is so like her other books insofar a there are lessons in her stories, you don't realize it when you are reading it and it may take you a while after you finish to figure out what those lessons are. It is also heartwarming to see the world in this little girls eyes.

The love of a little girl and the love of the 7 sweet puppies is enough to make people who would rather be alone want to be with others, enough to make people face up to their own reality and do something to change it, and enough to make my world just a little bit better.

In this time with all the problems in the world, it is nice to read a book that makes you smile, feel hopeful and is just plain fun and this was all three of those and more. You can never go wrong with a book written by this author.

I enjoyed the characters in this book immensely. I felt she portrayed the grief felt by a spouse left behind was very accurate and I fell into his pain. The disfunctional family dynamic was a little bit harder to get into. The daughter did not seem traumatized so much as just really tired and fed up with her father's attitude. Mom was defeated completely until she wasn't. I felt like the daughter would have been a little more negatively impacted and had some personality issues because of the lack of control she had over her life. Mom just wasn't functioning at first so she was my least favorite character. It was easy to be annoyed with her.
Using the puppies that the daughter saved as the vehicle to rescue the older man missing his wife was really great. I read it all at once and did not put it down for a break at all. Lovely story.

A very heartfelt story by a great author. I truly enjoyed this book and it was just what I needed in this current season. I love this author's writing style and highly recommend checking her out.

4★
“In that split second, Abby saw the sack move. But not move the way the current moved it. Something jerky, from inside. It sliced into her belly like a cold knife.”

If you’ve read the promotional blurb, you already know that young Abby is going to rescue a litter of pups who have been flung into the river. They are just lucky that she happens to be a strong swimmer on her school swim team.

This is a warm, feel-good story about a young girl, her lovely mum, Mary, and her dreadful father Stan. His abuse is only controlling, sarcastic non-violence, no bloodshed or bruises. Mum has a close friend, Viv, in whom she confides, and Dad has just discovered that’s where she goes when she says she’s off to a community do every week. He follows her. He’s that kind of creep.

He’s also discovered her small cache of cash, in a sock in her drawer. She says it’s for his birthday present. (Yeah, right.)

“He closed the drawer with a bang that made her jump. And he was watching her reactions, too. Purposely watching.

‘Why act so nervous if everything is all aboveboard?’

‘Truthfully? Because you scare me sometimes when you’re mad.’

‘If you’ve got nothing to hide, you’ve got nothing to be afraid of.’

‘That’s not necessarily true. Sometimes I tell you the truth and you don’t believe me.’

It was a brave thing for a person to say to Stan, and she knew it. But in this case, honesty felt like her safest bet.

Meanwhile, the puppies! Abby and her friend Jamie discovered a hunting cabin up in the hills that they like to hike to. The owner is seldom there, and it’s a good destination. But now the locks have been broken, things have been stolen, and there’s a handy, almost empty, puppy-sized shed. What luck.

But the book opens with Elliott Colvin, whose wife is dying. He gets out for fresh air when a hospice volunteer visits. He’s shocked to see how young she looks.

“Then he was struck by the disturbing thought that he’d gotten old. Or at least old enough that grown adult human beings looked bizarrely young to him.”

They say you’re getting old when the cops look young. That goes for doctors, too, in my experience. So I assumed Elliott was elderly. No. Turns out he is only 52, which means he has a long, lonely life ahead when she goes.

Needless to say, Elliott finally retreats to his cabin (yes, of course it's his), only to discover Abby’s secret. She is 13 and one of those irrepressible kids for whom life is something to be enthusiastic about. She has learned one of the world’s great truths already.

“’I just figured something out,’ she said. ‘It’s impossible to not be happy with seven puppies climbing all over you. It literally can’t be done.’ Amazingly, they held still and held her gaze.”

She’s right, of course, as all dog lovers will know. This is a book for you. I’ve not read this author before, but Goodreads friends swear by her, and I can see why they turn to her for something positive. She writes well, and while it was obvious, of course, where the story was going, there were many nervous moments as she got us there safely.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted several months before publication (May 2021)

I really enjoy Catherine Ryan Hyde's stories. Although this story has great moments, parts of the story felt lacking in details and believability. I wanted more from this story. There will be plenty who will love this feel-good book, it just wasn't the best for me.

I absolutely loved this book. Catherine Ryan Hyde is one of my favorite authors and she did not disappoint with this book. Such a sweet story.

I really loved this little gem. 7 puppies rescued by 13 year old Abby, who is going through a really rough time in her life, bring joy and laughter to everyone they meet. This is a heart warming, thought provoking read, that you won’t want to end, but know you feel so much better having read it. Here’s hoping there’ll be a follow on to update us all on how everyone is doing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is outstanding! Catherine Ryan Hyde did it again! I
absolutely love her books and the lessons that seem to go along with them.
It's so good that all of her books tell such a different story, yet she can
keep every one of them so interesting. I think anyone can enjoy this one.


Thank you so much, NetGalley, the writer, and the publisher for giving me
the chance to read and review this wonderful book!

I love Catherine Ryan Hyde's books.
I never look before I read one of Catherine's stories. I open it up, sit, read, and read!
Her novels never disappoint and always have a life lesson, happiness and care.
"Seven Perfect Things" are all of these things!
The world today needs these wonderful characters now!

Seven Perfect Things is a heartfelt, life challenge for a thirteen year old girl who learns what love and responsibilities are through hard work, caring and a litter of pups.
There is suspense, fear, strength and hope in this book. The emotions come through as you take the journey with Abby, her friend Elliot and Abby's mom, Mary.
Ten stars!

A very touching and heartfelt story by Catherine Ryan Hyde. I loved the characters in this book and teenager Abby was a very brave teenager who really made the story "come alive". Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.