You Lucky Dog

June 15, 2020
A canine mix-up leads to unexpected love in this bright, bubbly rom-com from bestseller London (A Royal Kiss & Tell). Freelance publicist Carly Kennedy’s path would likely never have crossed with neuroscientist Max Sheffington were it not for their drug-dealing dog walker getting arrested and their two near-identical basset hounds being returned to the wrong owners. A frazzled Carly spends two days untangling the mystery of the switched hounds, only to finally arrive at Max’s door and discover that her previously well-behaved Baxter is now a bandana-wearing couch potato. Adding insult to injury, Max has the gall to ask her to continue to look after his basset, Hazel, over the weekend while he attends an out-of-town dog show with his autistic brother. Swayed by his desperate situation, Carly reluctantly agrees—with disastrous results. There’s heady chemistry between the optimistic Carly and the slightly nerdy Max as they stumble into coparenting the pooches, with the fabulous, four-legged supporting characters providing both laugh-out-loud hilarity and some touching moments. Readers will be in doggie heaven. Agent: Jenny Bent, the Bent Agency.

Courtney Patterson brings a hint of a Texas twang to her narration of this story. A mix-up by her stoner dog walker leads Carly Kennedy to Professor Max Sheffington when Max's basset hound is returned to Carly and her dog is returned to him. Patterson gives Max a husky yet geeky voice that matches his personality. Max has an autistic brother, and Patterson subtly alters her voice for him. Patterson skillfully narrates the secondary characters--from Carly's ditzy mother to Carly's brilliant but petulant fashion designer client. All in all, Patterson's capable handling of the diverse characters makes for an enjoyable listening experience. S.B. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine