You Lucky Dog

Julia London

Berkley Pub.

August 25^th, 2020

You Lucky Dog delves into the bond between dogs and humans. The hero and heroine are an unlikely pair and would never have found each other if their dogs hadn’t been mixed up in a dog-walking situation and wanted to be together. It is reminiscent of the beginning of 101 Dalmatians, when the two main characters are brought together by two dogs who fall for each other and bring their people on doggie dates until they fall in love as well.

“Carly is ambitious, goal-oriented, driven, and an over-achiever. While Matt is laid-back, a thinker, very smart, and loyal. I consider this a romantic-comedy.”

The story begins with a dog switch. Two Bassett Hounds, happy-go-lucky Hazel, who belongs to Max, and depressed Baxter, who belongs to Carly, find themselves with the wrong owner. Through a series of unfortunate events, their dog walker is put in jail for selling weed, and the dogs get mixed up with the wrong owner because they look so much alike. Carly ends up figuring out that her dog is the wrong one and goes to find Max to swap the dogs. Baxter is smitten with Hazel, and Carly realizes she may have found the key to her puppy’s happiness. For his sake, she starts to spend more time with Hazel and Max, until she begins to understand the appeal of falling for your polar opposite.

“I had many dogs in my life including this breed.  As I was writing this book, my brother got a Bassett Hound puppy.  I forgot how much I love them. They are goofy, adorable, stubborn and funny.  My brother’s other dog will chase rabbits, but the Bassett Hound will do the barking and will never leave the porch.  As a child my dog did something similar where it would only chase to a point.”  

One of the heart-warming parts of the book is a character with autism.  Max’s brother, Jamie, who is on the autism spectrum is currently dependent upon their father’s care. Max is a professor, and he uses dogs to study how brains work through people with autism. Because Max’s dad needs a break from being a full-time caregiver to Jamie, Max decides to take Jamie on a trip to a dog show so that his dad can go on a much-needed fishing trip. The problem with this, however, is that he doesn’t have anyone who can take care of Hazel. He asks Carly who agrees. What happens next is pure chaos, and hilarity ensues with the two mischievous pets. 

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