When Abby see's a man, heaving a squirming sack into a river, she doesn't even hesitate and jumps straight in after it. Inside are seven perfect pups, and they are about to change her whole life.
Elliot, having just lost his wife, decides to head to his cabin, where he hopes to hide from his grief, instead he finds that his cabin has been broken into, and the robbers seem to have left behind seven little pups.
Mary, is tired of her life, and of having to sneak around and lie, just to meet her friend. When her daughter Guides her to Elliot, she realises something needs to change, but just when she is getting ready to make that change, Stan, her emotionally and verbally abusive husbands steps in and messes everything up.

This heartwarming tale, deals with love, loss, abusive relationships and happiness in a well written and thoughtful way. I grew attached to Abby, Elliot and Mary very quickly as well as all the puppies, of course and found the dialogue to be well written and believable

It's a book that gets you thinking too and has you longing to read more.

Elliot was my favourite character, he was so thoughtful and well rounded. And I could see why both Abby and Mary found him easy to talk to. I really enjoyed it when he sat talking with Abby, or Mary, he just had such a wonderful way of looking at things and explaining them.

This is one of those books that makes you think about life, about people and personalities as well as the choices we make, and I really developed a strong attachment to the main characters and wanted things to work out for them.

The only thing I disliked about the book, was that it ended. I would have loved to have been able to follow the characters throughout the rest of their lives and their families lives and well you get the picture.

This book was a pleasure to read and I am so grateful to NetGalley, Catherine Ryan Hyde and her publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book "Seven Perfect Things" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. A touching story with likable characters. A heartwarming story but not one of my favorites from this author.

Pat's wife is dying and he gives away everything he owns that has to do with hunting as he doesn't want to do with anything pertaining to death..

Several months later he goes to his hunting cabin and spots 7 puppies living in his barn.. They were rescued by Abby a teenage girl who rescued them when they were thrown into a river to drown. Abby tries to get the shelter to take them and find homes for them but they tell her no one is adopting puppies.

She takes them to Pat's cabin , thinking its abandoned and no one will care if the dogs live there.

Abby's mother ;earns about the puppies, and agrees to keep them a secret from Abby's father who wouldn't approve , he is cruel man who doesn't trust Abby's mother. She is secretly stashing money away for her & Abby to escape.

When Pat goes back to his cabin he finds the dogs and takes them to the shelter where he learns about Abby's father discovers this he orders them to quickly pack telling them they are leaving town and going to live with his brother in another state.

Abby and her mother escape one night and travel back to their home and try to find the information Pat gave them with his address in town where he lives.

They are reunited and become a family of sorts with the dogs

He meets Abby and her mother at the cabin and a fondness grows between them. When Abb

When 13-year-old Abby sees a man throw a sack into the river, she can’t imagine the path that her choice to go retrieve that sack will lead to. Inside the sack she finds seven puppies and, determined to save them all and hide them from her cruel and neglectful father, houses them in a shed that’s on the property of what appears to be an abandoned cabin up in the foothills, a safe distance from her home. In a separate chain of events, we have Elliot, who’s wife has just died and decides to get away to his long unvisited cabin for some peace and solitude. In a convergence of events, he’s surprised to find Abby’s seven puppies being housed in his shed, but instantly impressed with her character and efforts to help the puppies. After initial resistance, he agrees to continue to house them and helps her with their care, and in the process meets her mother, Mary, who he quickly develops protective feelings toward, when he finds out how badly her husband Stan treats she and Abby. These feelings are put to the test when Stan discovers the budding friendship between Mary and Elliot, which leads Stan to take menacing actions to control his family.

Although that last sentence doesn’t lend itself to what I’m about to say, my overall feeling of the book is “Awww … how sweet.” I mean it has puppies for goodness sake. That alone gives all the warm and fuzzy feels. The puppies are definitely just a plot device to examine the dynamics of three people: Abby, Mary and Elliot, each experiencing crises and traumatic situations they’re trying to find their way out of, and the puppies are the excuse to bring them all together in a common pursuit. The puppies are like the balm to these bad situations they’re all in.

If you’ve seen a feel-good, slightly cheesy movie, with an occasionally unrealistic plot that somehow still manages to make you feel all happy and content inside, then this one is a lovely, little read. All the major characters, other than the contemptible Stan, were genuinely likable and I wanted to see all the good things come to them. I appreciate that Elliot’s situation as a widow befriending Mary was handled sensitively and the book stayed within the lanes of reality on it, rather than going all romance novel on me.

I give it 4 p”awwww”s 🐾 … I mean ★★★★

Thank you to NetGalley who provided this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Another powerful story from one of my favorite authors! I was drawn in from the very beginning and read it in two sittings because ... well, I just had to make sure that Abby and Mary and those beautiful perfect puppies were okay!

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

The best part of any Catherine Ryan Hyde book is how it makes you FEEL the story. She slowly builds the characters into people you'd love to meet and talk to, even if only to discuss the book. She does not shy away from hard topics, her characters learn to handle life head on.

A young girl of 13 is learning that life is not so rosy. She will risk her life to save a bag of puppies thrown into the river to drown. Then she finds that no one else is willing to save the puppies so decides to herself. This is a much larger task than you would think.
A man who has just buried his wife returns to an old hunting cabin seeking peace. He does not find peace, he finds puppies! And so these two people who each needed a friend will learn to trust and care for each other. Along the way, the two of them will change the lives of everyone they touch, making you feel that good feeling again. Thank you, CRH.

I enjoyed this story very much. I liked how the adult (Elliot) helped Abby & Mary save themselves from a crappy situation & at the same time Abby & the puppies helped save him from his grief. They provided him with happiness again while he is dealing with the loss of his wife. It was very heartwarming that people can be good & kind to one another even when they themselves are going through major life events.

I Love CRH style of writing and have enjoyed all her books. This book was a winner. Great storyline and characters. A little sadness, a bit of romance, and the joy of seven little things. Life isn't perfect and it shows up in this story but had a nice ending.. Now just waiting for her next book.
I received a Arc from the publisher and NetGalley and this is my honest review.

I loved this book. It was completely enthralling. I didn’t put it down. I resented bathroom breaks, hunger and the need to sleep. I feel in love with all of the characters and was terribly sad when the book ended. Please tell me that there will be a sequel!

I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher but the opinion was my own.

I am very glad that Elliot kind of "came out" and found happiness after his wife died, so did Abigail and her mother. But i was feeling very sad til 60% of the book and it kind of affected the reading experience i think, but i also found it boring and meh.

I have read several of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books in the past and have never been disappointed. This book opens your eyes to see that no matter what the age of a child, they do see and observe more than you can imagine. Children can sense unhappiness and although they may not say anything, they are aware. I love that 13-year old Abby sensed this about her parent’s relationship and wanted to help and improve her and her mother’s lives. Add seven puppies to any story and you can never go wrong – I love the story of the puppies and how they helped heal “real life” situations.

I was drawn into this book immediately. My heart ached for the recent widower, who has no direction, but is trying to adapt and heal. Add to that a defeated wife/mother and courageous daughter, and a fantastic plot has begun to unfold.

As in all the books by Catherine Ryan Hyde, that I have read, she has deep understanding of the feelings of her characters and has the amazing ability to transfer that to pages to form a fabulous, heartbreaking and uplifting story. Her books are not easy, light reads. She deals with some of life’s most difficult situations. This book deals with abuse in a marriage and all that results from that situation. Also, the loss of a loving spouse and trying to find a way to keep living without them.

I loved this book and I definitely recommend it! I want to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for giving me the pleasure of reading the advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is done freely as a hobby of mine, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

A grieving widower, an abused wife, and a young girl who would do anything to protect seven tiny puppies are flung together in a haphazard series of events. Each one must decide how far they will go to make changes in their lives, and in the lives of others.
If you’re a dog lover, I highly recommend this book. I guarantee you will be making lists of “perfect things” in your head when you finish!
**Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy. All opinions are strictly my own.**

Sweet story about a young girl, her mom and a stranger. Add 7 puppies and your sure to love this book. Catherine Ryan Hyde is one of my favorite authors and I fall in love with everything she writes.

This was such a good story, a feel good novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. This book happened along at just the right time when everywhere you turn you are anxious and upset. For me the book ended much too fast, as I sat down and read it all in one day...wanting more!!! My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Catherine Ryan Hyde writes a book, I read it. Seven Perfect Things was as lovely as I had hoped it would be. This author writes wholesome books that address difficult topics in such a way that lessons are learned without being too heavy. I learned a lot from the points of view of Abby, Mary, and Elliott. There were a couple of passages that will stay with me. Not all problems were wrapped up at the end but the story was more than entertaining enough to keep my interest. Pick this one up - I think you will enjoy it.

This is my first time reading a Catherine Ryan Hyde book and I'm so glad I fell upon it on netgalley. The main character says it's impossibly to be sad surrounded by puppies. I say it's impossible to be sad reading this book.

Synopsis

Abby is a 13 year old girl who rescues a sack of puppies from the river near her home. She tries to take them to the pound but is told they will just be put to sleep so she keeps them.

Elliot has just lost his wife and wants to take some time out at his cabin in the woods. He is none too pleased when he arrives and discovers 7 puppies living in his shed.

Mary is unhappily married to Abby's dad Stan. He is mentally and emotionally abusive and she longs for a better life for her and her daughter.

The puppies unite the three of them in a beautiful story of human kindness.

Review

I adored this book. Such a joy to read. Are all Catherine Ryan Hyde's book so wonderful? Feel like I've been missing out. She touches on the very difficult issues of grief and domestic violence in a sensitive way and leaves you feeling uplifted.

Strength, courage, resiliency, to rise above and help one another no matter what you yourself are going through. That is the tone of Seven Perfect Things!
A book and a message we all can you at any time in our life.
Catherine Ryan Hyde always makes me strive to be a better person than I was the book before!
A huge thank you to Netgalley, Lake Union Publisher and Catherine Ryan Hyde for a chance to read and review thIS ARC

This is a nice story that felt like a middle grade novel to me. The main character is a strong, and independent preteen/teen. It wasn’t quite what I expected and some parts seemed unrealistic to me. Of course the best part was the puppies!

Oh how I loved Seven Perfect Things! I have read many Catherine Ryan Hyde books, but this might be my all time favorite. It will give you every emotion possible and tears will be shed. Such a beautifully written book that is a must read!
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.