TLC Book Tours Book Review: Every Wild Heart

About Every Wild Heart

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (March 14, 2017)

From USA Today bestselling author Meg Donohue comes a mystery, a love story, and a mother-daughter tale about two women on a precarious journey to uncover their true selves.

Passionate and funny, radio personality Gail Gideon is a true original. Nine years ago when Gail’s husband announced that he wanted a divorce, her ensuing on-air rant propelled her local radio show into the national spotlight. Now, “The Gail Gideon Show” is beloved by millions of single women who tune-in for her advice on the power of self-reinvention. But fame comes at a price. After all, what does a woman who has staked her career on being single do when she finds herself falling in love? And is the person who is harassing her in increasingly troubling ways a misguided fan or a true danger to Gail and her daughter, Nic?

Fourteen-year-old Nic has always felt that she pales in comparison to her vibrant, outgoing mother. Plagued by a fear of social situations, she is most comfortable at the stable where she spends her afternoons. But when a riding accident lands Nic in the hospital, she awakens from her coma changed. Suddenly, she has no fear at all and her disconcerting behavior lands her in one risky situation after another. And no one, least of all her mother, can guess what she will do next…

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Review: I read Meg's Dog Crazy awhile back and really enjoyed it.  Every Wild Heart is just as enjoyable, especially if you like mother/daughter relationships.

I really identified with Gina (the mom's) taste in music. Gotta love anyone,fictional or otherwise that loves Siouxsie Sioux and Patti Smith and The Pretenders.  However, personality-wise, I am more like Nic.

The first, almost half of the novel is really a getting to know the characters. When Nic has an accident that's when things start to change. Nic really changes when she comes out of her coma. She's more like her mother. She's ready to take chances and in some ways she's becoming fearless.

Truth be told. I worried about Nic and I kept my fingers crossed that nothing bad would happen to her at the end of the story. I was really glad that my instincts were wrong. I loved Nic so much that I didn't want anything to happen to her. She is truly a good hearted kid, especially since she was only 14.

What really stuck me about Nic was her total devotion to the horses, especially Peach. The only thing she did that bugged me was the thought of selling her horse to buy Peach.

There's also a little mystery to the story involving a stalker. There's a point in the story when we learn something about another character...and your eyes open to who it is.  This is a person that in some ways you should dislike, but there really was no way to do it, because this person was so screwed up.

I also loved the relationship that finally budded for Gina and Denny. They definitely belonged together.

I really enjoyed this book, as I did Dog Crazy, if not more, because I really liked the characters so much more in this book.

Rating: 5 flowers

About Meg Donohue

Meg Donohue is the USA Today bestselling author of How to Eat a Cupcake, All the Summer Girls, and Dog Crazy. She has an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University and a BA in comparative literature from Dartmouth College. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she now lives in San Francisco with her husband, three children, and dog.

Find out more about Meg at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

TLC Book Tours Book Review: Dog Crazy

About Dog Crazy

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (March 10, 2015)
• Book Blurb: 
 The USA Today bestselling author of How to Eat a Cupcake and All the Summer Girls returns with an unforgettably poignant and funny tale of love and loss, confronting our fears, and moving on . . . with the help of a poodle, a mutt, and a Basset retriever named Seymour. As a pet bereavement counselor, Maggie Brennan uses a combination of empathy, insight, and humor to help patients cope with the anguish of losing their beloved four-legged friends. Though she has a gift for guiding others through difficult situations, Maggie has major troubles of her own that threaten the success of her counseling practice and her volunteer work with a dog rescue organization. Everything changes when a distraught woman shows up at Maggie’s office and claims that her dog has been stolen. Searching the streets of San Francisco for the missing pooch, Maggie finds herself entangled in a mystery that forces her to finally face her biggest fear-and to open her heart to new love. Packed with deep emotion and charming surprises, Dog Crazy is a bighearted and entertaining story that skillfully captures the bonds of love, the pain of separation, and the power of our dogs to heal us.

 

Purchase Links

Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Review: I don't know what I was expecting when it came to Dog Crazy, but it sure wasn't what I got. Before you get scared and step away, what I got was a wonderful read that really made me laugh and cry and generally feel wonderful while turning the pages.

This is definitely a novel for dog lovers or animal lovers. Anyone that doesn't know the love a dog/cat etc definitely would not "get" this book.  

Maggie is a pet bereavement counselor who could stand some counseling. Anya lost her dog, Billy who either ran away or was stolen. The cast of characters in this novel can best be described as quirky.

I loved Maggie's bff, Lourdes and her unique way of dealing with her friend's neurosis. I loved her play on Les Miz's "Master Of The House." I nearly fell out of my chair laughing when I read that.

But there are more than people that are characters here and they are just as important as the humans. I loved Gissele and Seymour. Oh how I loved Seymour. I would have adopted that neurotic doggie in a heartbeat if I had the chance.

This book played on your emotions, but in a good way. It tugged at the heartstrings but it made you feel good at the same time.

Its a novel about pet ownership, but it also about friendship and fears. Some may say the ending tied everything up too neatly, but I was happy for a HEA for everyone involvled.

If you love animals, this is a must read.  And when you finish reading, go hug a puppy!

Rating: 5 flowers

About Meg Donohue

Meg Donohue is the author of How to Eat a Cupcake. She has an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University and a BA in comparative literature from Dartmouth College. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she now lives in San Francisco with her husband, their two young daughters, and their dog. Find out more about Meg at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.