What a cute idea. I enjoyed this book. I loved the characters. I enjoyed the narrator. She did an excellent job. My puppy wants to meet Skippy.

I had a difficult time getting through this book but Net Galley provided the audiobook and I couldn’t review it without getting through the whole thing.

I wonder what age of reader the author is targeting with this book. In many ways, this would be a fun book for a first or second grader, due to the antics of the dogs, explaining of concepts and recipes for dog treats. But then why include the politics, alcoholism smoking, cancer, death and miscarriage? So is this written as a satire/entertainment for adults? Then why include definitions of such simple concepts?

All in all, I am left baffled to understand how this book found a publisher.

Thank you to NetGalley, and the author and publisher of this book for an ALC of this audiobook in exchange for an unbiased review. Please Write, written by J. Wynn Rousuck, is a novel in letters, exchanged between two dogs Winslow and Zippy, and their Grandma Vivienne. The letters take place over the course of a few years, and as the letters continue you can see the development of the characters, and the growth of the puppy Zippy. I loved how different hard situations were explained to the dogs, and how the family was able to work together and help each other. I definitely recommend this book for any animal lover. Thank you for reading!

3 Stars
Super cute book that actually deals with some pretty deep issues. It was different than anything I have read before. It is all letters from the dog to their Grandma. I have to say I loved the Boston Terrier part. I have a Boston Terrier and my name is Pamela the same as the Dog's Owner. So I was a little biased on that part. The narrator did a good job with the dog voices. It was very cute.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bancroft Audiobooks for the opportunity to listen to this audio book.

Absolutely loved this audiobook. I hated for it to end. I laughed and I cried listening to it.
The narrator did an amazing job giving everyone a voice.
I highly recommend this audiobook.

Thank you Bancroft Press and NetGalley for an arc of Please Write by J.. Wynn Rousuck in exchange for my honest review. I got this arc as an audiobook and the voices were fun to listen to. Grandma Vivienne is writing letters with Zippy, her granddog and he writes her back. It is cute.

loved listening to this book. As an animal lover this was great listening in the car and my kids enjoyed it too.

Please Write is a cute, charming series of letters between two dogs in one household and their "grandma" dog in their owner's mother's house. The caring and mentorship comes through as the focus on the aptly named Zippy gets adopted into a household and painstakingly civilized by and older, mellower dog.
There are several humorous moments around things like treats and training that any dog owner can easily picture, but it goes on a bit long outlasting the conceit and without much development.
It is cute to think about how our doggos try to interpret what's going on in our lives from what they hear and observe, and how they see their role.

I want to thank Netgalley for an advanced ARC (Audiobook) of this novel and all opinions are my own.

First I want to say I am a animal lover and I found this novel adorable 😍, it had me laughing afew times and u see myself as a zippy sometimes haha 😄.

For anyone who is looking for a fun quick read about talking dogs and seeing how their owners lives are from a dog prospective then this book is for u, its full of fun... I would even read this ( with voices for the characters) to my mates daughter because I think she would love it.

If dogs are your jam, this novel is for you. On the surface, it appears to be a whimsical tale of two dogs, one proper and educated, and the other goofy as the day is long. Dig, get it, ha, a little deeper, and you will find a tale about family and all the emotions family evokes, lots of love, but also heartbreak and disappointment. Winslow was my favorite character, but I am partial as I have my own Boston Terrier.

This one was a little confusing for me. Although the narrator did a great job, some of the voices (mainly Zippy) and conversations felt very child-like, to where I almost thought it’d be a great listen for my grade-school-aged daughter. The humor was definitely more on that level. But then at the same time, the book covers many traumatic, very adult topics such as addiction and miscarriage that are not appropriate for children. Obviously, that’s fine because it is marketed as adult fiction. But the confusion is in that it sounds and reads like children’s fiction. So I’m not sure how to rate it, or who I’d recommend as the target audience. Overall, it was not a terrible read, and the idea was good, but the style of writing was not for me. Thank you to NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Letters between Grandma and her grand-dogs is such a great premise for a book! The story is so cute, but I wish I read the book rather than listen to it. The choice of voice for the puppy almost made me DNF a few times. I would recommend the book, but not the audiobook.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Grandma Vivian writes letters to two dogs, Winslow is a distinguished gentle"dog" (Boston Terrier) and Zippy is a young pup. (Evidently without the knowledge of the dogs owners.)

The author makes it clear in the book that Democrats are the party of choice, so if you are a Republican ... you've been warned.

Not every book is for every person; this one just wasn't for me.

"Dear Grandma Vivian. Zippy's birthday cake is scrumptious. Winslow helped Zippy with that word. Winslow also helped Zippy eat the cake. Zippy did not need that help. Frank is excited about the new ballpark. Went to new ballpark. Did not take Zippy. Zippy loves balls. Zippy loves parks. Frank said Cleveland beat Baltimore. Why did Cleveland and Baltimore fight? Zippy likes Cleveland and Baltimore. ... "
" ... my dear Zippy ... let me begin by assuring you that Baltimore did not fight Cleveland. Each city has sports teams and the teams of one city plays games against the teams of another. Baltimores teams and Clevelands team were playing a baseball game. ... " Grandma Vivian goes on to explain the game of baseball.

Grandma Vivian only seems to celebrate Zippy's birthdays and no longer Winslows birthday. Seems odd.

This book is classified as "General Fiction (Adult), Humor & Satire, Self-Help". Grandma Vivian's explanation of events to Zippy made me feel like I was being "talked down to" ... I know she was writing to a "young pup", it just came across wrong (condescending). I kept thinking that maybe this would be better as a children's book; but I would sincerely caution against giving this book to children (especially in regards to the ending).

When I requested the advance read of Please Write, I was a little hesitant. I knew it would either be cute or dumb. Unfortunately, I did not find it cute. I considered not finishing, but it is only 5 1/4 hours.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Bancroft Press for approving my request for the advance listen copy of the audiobook Please Write in exchange for an honest review. Honestly ... I do not recommend this one. IF the publisher sends me an email, I'll delete my review.

The book blurb compares this book to the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, not one that I could fathom.

Okay, I'm always down for cute books about dogs. And the narrator on the audiobook was great. But I don't think this kind of supposedly lighthearted book should have so many trigger warnings. Seriously, miscarriage, alcoholism, and the death of a loved one, and that's not counting the blatant politics. It doesn't matter whether I agree with politics if they're in a place where they don't really belong.
If you want to read amazing books from the point of view of the dog, read anything by Spencer Quinn.

Once I read the description, I was eager to read this story. People writing letters with their dogs? I love dogs, so much so that I work with them for a living. I thought for sure I was the target audience. After listening to this audiobook, I’m honestly not sure who the intended audience actually is. Aside from the poignant and adult story found in between the lines in the letters, there were too many political references for this to have been a children’s story, but then there’s Zippy. Oh, my dog, Zippy. The way Zippy was written, and then further how she was narrated, oh my. A little of that went a long way. Unfortunately, there was far more than just a little Zippy in this story. I kept waiting for that to get better, or at least to get used to it, but it was nails on a chalkboard the whole way through for me.

If you’re an adult who really likes children's story hour, this might be perfect for you.

Thank you J. Wynn Rousuck, Bancroft Audiobooks, and NetGalley and for providing this ALC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

This audio book is presented in letters being written back and forth between two dogs and their human grandmother, Vivienne. Winslow is a very proper Boston Terrier and Zippy is the wild thing (Jack Russell Terrier Cross) that has suddenly appeared in his life in order to turn it upside down. Frank and Pamela are Winslow's and Zippy's humans and are going through some tough times in their marriage. Winslow is much more introspective and understands the trouble Pamela and Frank are having, where as Zippy is a crazy busy yippy fiery fur ball who is all puppy and doesn't quite get what's going on. Grandma Vivianne is always admonishing Zippy to listen to Winslow saying she could learn something from this intelligent older dog. But Zippy has a hard time listening, she is set on high vibration. It's a sweet story and I loved how the author let us see the humans through a dogs eyes and how funny their interpretation of what they saw could sometimes be. There is also some serious stuff that all the human characters go through. The dogs are always there to help their humans, just like in real life. You don't have to be a dog lover to enjoy this touching story. Recommended.

Please Write is the first novel by American theatre critic and author, J. Wynn Rousuck, and is presented in letters. The audio version is narrated by Nancy Dhulipala, Initially, it’s Winslow, a very proper Boston terrier who lives in Baltimore with Pamela, a theatre critic, and Frank, a landscape architect, who writes to inform Grandma Vivienne of an interloper in their happy one-dog household. Grandma Vivienne, it gradually becomes clear, is the alter-ego of Pamela’s mother, a recently widowed teacher living in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

The interloper, a stray brought home by Frank, possibly a West Highland Terrier/Jack Russell Terrier mix, is eventually (and appropriately) named Zippy. Grandma Vivienne begins writing to Zippy, over the three years that follow, encouraging her to learn to read and type (with help from an ever-patient Winslow), sending treats, toys, reassurance and helpful advice on how not to annoy Pamela or Winston, whose footnotes to Zippy’s replies usually detail Zippy’s transgressions, and bemoan his poor success in mentoring the new pup.

To begin with, the letters deal with incidents in and around the household, with Zippy expressing joy, confusion, indignance, fear and annoyance, depending on the subject: treats, time-outs in her crate, perceived unfair punishment, misunderstood expressions, or baths, to name but a few. With two rounds of Puppy Kindergarten, Zippy’s correspondence improves markedly, although her behaviour, less so: chewing of electrical cords, designer boots, and Winslow’s favourite jumper takes some effort to correct.

Winston’s (and Zippy’s, as she becomes more adept) comments also reveal a potential problem in Frank and Pamela’s marriage. Reported absences turn out to be due to Frank’s unfortunate addiction, and mean that Pamela needs a lot of comfort: fortunately, both Winslow and Zippy gladly step up. This family does suffer its share of trauma…

Lots of topics provide humour: a mouse in the kitchen; camp; agility trials tryouts; and a letter to the new President suggesting a presidential dog, among other things. Pamela tries her hand at children’s fiction, a book starring Zippy, the first chapter of which gets very positive reviews from both the star and Winslow, while Pamela’s mother delights them both with seasonal treats, and the suggested cookbook catches the interest of a publisher.

Zippy, by this time quite articulate, has suggestions for recipe names:
“Zippy even thinks you should name a recipe for Winslow.
Something Zippy doesn’t like.
Something with broccoli.”
Dog owners will be delighted with the many recipes included in the letters.

Any reader familiar with Richard Glover’s book, Love, Clancy, will enjoy the style and format, and while there is plenty of humour, the problems the humans face are relatable and not unrealistically solved for a happy ever after ending. In fact the most hard-hearted reader may shed a tear at the last line.
This unbiased review is from an audio copy provided by NetGalley and Bancroft Audiobooks.

*Listened to an advanced audiobook copy, provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story told through correspondence between 2 dogs, Winslow and Zippy, and their human Grandma Vivienne.

Not only was this enjoyable (I found myself laughing out loud several times), but this was also a creative take on a story told through the perspective of a dog but done well enough mixing anthropomorphized traits and realistic breed tendencies. As a professional dog trainer (mostly human trainer ;), I found the character traits of Winslow and Zippy to be fitting and fairly accurate. I have clients just like these two! 💜

The narrator did a great job differentiating the 3 distinct voices for the characters. Some reviewers point out a high-pitched voice for a hyper puppy, which can be annoying but is characteristically apt. I also felt the narrator did a great job describing posters and greeting cards included in the physical copy that are visually unavailable for listeners.

Dog owners frequently wish they could communicate verbally with their pups, and I feel this story does a great job describing what that could look like while still maintaining the integrity of what actual pet dog ownership looks like. I truly appreciated the details that went into the expectations when: adding a new dog into the home and with an older dog already present, addressing puppy training, overcoming holidays with dogs, traveling with dogs, needing boarding and day camps, utilizing how dogs help humans cope with very heavy human issues, and finding the right jobs for each dog's genetic makeup and skill set so they can live a fulfilled life alongside us.

Political issues ARE present in the story, but so are many other human/adult issues. They are told from Grandma's perspective, not the dogs (which is where most dog perspective writing fails for me). They are contextually relevant to the time frame and current affairs (1990-1993) and tied into how the dogs are currently behaving. I think the author handled this really well with the flow of the story.

I can't wait to recommend this as a fun but relatable read to clients and friends alike. Dogs are truly an extension of our lives, and this story shows that throughout!

Please Write: A Novel in Letters
by J. Wynn Rousuck, narrated by Nancy Dhulipala

I love Zippy, the Westie/Jack Russel Terrier mix and Winslow, the purebred Boston Terrier (always in a tuxedo). Zippy is high octane excitement all the time, Winslow is dignity dogified. Winslow has been writing to Vivienne for a long time when his person, Frank, brings home a wet and ragged Zippy. Frank's wife Pamela isn't impressed but Zippy quickly wins her over.

That doesn't mean that Zippy isn't a holy terror (terrier...Zippy pun). Winslow does his best to rein her in and he also teaches Zippy to type to Vivienne, too. Through these letters between Winslow, Zippy, and Vivienne, we get to learn of the life of Winslow, Zippy, Frank and Pamela. This life is not running smoothly, there are serious problems in the marriage and Pamela's mom has health problems.

Also there is the saga of Zippy and her various training sessions. And her evictions from various events. And her time outs due to chewing, chasing, barking, and other Zippy fun times.

The narration took me a bit to get used to because of Zippy's extremely energetic voice. But it allows us to know Zippy and all her super powered energy. At first Winslow seemed way too staid but he's a great counterpoint to Zippy and I came to appreciate his calm voice in this story. I will say this story is way too heavy with the politics. I could handle a little bit of politics but it's slathered way too thickly throughout the book. What I do love are the doggie treat recipes, with plenty of complete recipes.

There is a lot of tension in the household and I'd call this a life goes on even when it doesn't kind of book. There is no resolution to some issues and for others, Zippy is just going to have to learn that things change and those things are not always to her liking. Actually a lot of things aren't to her liking but I understand because this is a stressed out and stressful household. Thank goodness for Zippy and Winslow in the life of their loved ones. 3.5 stars rounded to 4

Thank you to Bancroft Audiobooks and NetGalley for this ARC.

This audiobook was so clever - - a story told between letters to/from Winslow, a Boston Terrier and Zippy, a rescued terrier mix puppy and their beloved Grandma Vivienne. The dogs’ personalities were off the charts adorable and the narrator portrayed their two unique personalities perfectly. The story was entertaining, heartwarming and also heartbreaking at times. It dealt with some serious issues (loss of pregnancy, addiction, illness) in a thoughtful way. I’ve never read/listened to anything quite like this and absolutely loved it. I think any pet lover would appreciate this unique audiobook.