Stay

Author: Allie Larkin
ISBN: 978-0-525-95171-1
Publisher: Dutton/Penguin Publishing
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Savannah or “Van” for short has been madly in love with her best friend Peter since college. Fast forward six years and you arrive in Van’s current life. Peter has married Van’s best friend, since childhood, Janie. Van discovers it is very hard being Maid of Honor when you’re in love with the groom. After the wedding Van grieves with stiff drinks and a movie, shedding tears. While in her drunken state, Van orders a puppy off the internet certain that he will help her heart broken shell of a woman. Unfortunately for Van things do not happen quite as the way she thinks they will and she ends up with a large dog she is not prepared for, a cute vet she is falling for and a heart that desperately needs healing and understanding.

Allie Larkin’s novel is hilarious! I laughed out loud multiple times while reading this novel. I was completely hooked within the first couple pages and did not want to put this book down. Her writing is smart, funny, insightful and understanding of her audience. The story is about friendship, relationships, trust and healing. Upon completion of this book I could not wait to read more from Allie. I highly anticipate her next novel. Readers who enjoy Sarah Pekkanen, Julie Buxbaum, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jennifer Weiner and Sophie Kinsella will most likely enjoy Allie Larkin’s writing. She is a fresh and charming debut author.

This book was an example of why you should not judge a book by its cover, but also why covers grab the reader’s attention. I had passed over this book a few times when looking for my next read. Between the title “Stay” and only a dog on the cover, I figured the book was about a dog and wasn’t up for it. I was given the chance to review this book so I read the synopsis in order to decide if I thought I would be able to review it. The synopsis grabbed my attention and I agreed to review the book. I am SO glad I did! This book is far more than the story of a dog. The story is Savannah’s and the dog is just part of her story. I really wish the cover helped reflect this a little better. The title “Stay” has many different meaning in reference to the books content, however when it is paired with just a dog the readers mind instantly puts the word and picture together and it is harder to think there is much more to it than the dog.

I really enjoyed this book and I am so glad I gave it a chance. It would have taken me much longer to find this gem if I was not given the chance to review it. With so many book choices each reader has their own method of narrowing the field and choosing their next read. For me this is the cover and title as it attracts me and catches my eye. One or both of these can urge me to then read the synopsis to make a more informed decision. I urge the reader to do that for this book and bypass the cover. If the cover does not initially attract you, you will be glad you did.



This book was provided to me for review by PUMP UP YOUR BOOK VIRTUAL BOOK TOURS.