Heartwarming story. George’s wife has died, he’s left with a dachshund puppy called Poppy, he doesn’t want a dog. Dan’s has OCD, and works as a counsellor, he loves his Labrador, Fitz. Lizzie’s living in a refuge with her son Lenny, and walks the refuge’s terrier dog, Maud. You learn about each of them through grief, love and healing, with some laugh out loud moments on the way. I would highly recommend this book.

This was an interesting book to read, Dog Days by Ericka Waller. It is about different peoples lives who all take their dogs for walks. They each have individual stories to tell. One is a recent widower, another is gay and has never been in a relationship, another person is living in a shelter for abused women with her son and they all meet other people and form new relationships.
I enjoyed reading how different people cope with new relationships. Whether it is friendship or the start of a new sexual relationship. It is a funny, sad and well observed of how people behave.
Highly recommended.

What a great book! A real story of how dogs can be your best friend, help you find love and heal family rifts. Not too schmaltzy, just the right balance of ‘awwwww’ and ‘oh no!’.
Thank you to Netgalley and Erika Waller for the opportunity to review this book.

Absolutely loved this book! As a dog mama I know the way pups enrich your life and wow this book really did that justice. My favourite character was George a grumpy and simple man doing with grief in a way he only knows how. Wonderful

What a beautiful heartwarming book. Filled with joy, and tiny bit of heartbreak. Great character portrayal, very believable. Recommend.

What a beautiful book.
There are many hard parts to this book, it is a tale of life after all but it is handled in such a lovely way.
A warm hug of a book.

A more apt title for Ericka Waller’s adult debut would probably be Black Dog Days given its focus on topics ranging from anxiety and grief to self-harm and suicide. Inside the cutesy cover are the stories of three very different characters all living in the Brighton village of Rottingdean and struggling with their emotions in myriad ways. Whilst one has a dog and the other two characters acquire them along the way the commonality is that they each take comfort, find support or are kept going by their four-legged friends. The stories of George, Dan and Lizzie all narrated in the third-person alternate throughout the book with plenty of lighter dog moments along the way. Their stories unfold, with varying degrees of success and happiness, but the dogs are a permanent feature.

Irascible and foul-mouthed pensioner, George, has suddenly lost his wife to cancer after she kept her diagnosis a secret from him. Ellen cooked George’s dinner, washed his clothes, sorted his medications and he doesn’t know, or want to learn, how to do any of it; he just wants her back and rid of Poppy, the dachshund puppy that she had recently brought into their home. Enter church volunteer and widow Betty, who can give as good as she gets, match George’s sarcasm and comes with a rescue dog of her own. Dan is a counsellor with OCD, the owner of loyal Labrador Fitz and deeply unhappy that he is gay in a world where it is far easier to be straight. So when he finds himself fixated with his flirtatious new client, Atticus, it puts him in a difficult position. Finally Lizzie and her seven-year-old son, Lenny, are staying in a women’s refuge and whilst Lizzie’s scars are visible she is unable to break her silence about the situation she left behind. A former primary school teacher who reels off facts but is unable to connect with the other women in the shelter, Lizzie is tasked with walking Maud, the refuge’s dog. Lizzie doesn’t trust dogs anymore that she seems to trust those around her but when she meets her son’s teacher, incidentally the cousin of counsellor Dan, she starts to have a rethink.

George’s voice is by far the most authentic and despite his bluster I warmed to him immediately and found his banter with Betty a tonic that did more for me than the doggy moments. Dan is the least likeliest counsellor I have ever encountered in fiction, pretty colourless and even as the book unfolds seems ashamed of being gay. Lizzie obviously has baggage right from the off but because it takes so long for her story to be revealed, keeping her closed off to the reader until the final chapters, I found I never quite knew enough to care about her situation. I was impressed by Waller’s writing style which elevated the book for me despite having reservations about two of the three stories. Laced with humour throughout and warmly witty, the book is both well-observed and sensitively written with Waller showing real compassion towards her characters. My dismay was that two of the three central characters didn’t feel in the slightest bit real, making it difficult to invest in their particular situations, and not helped by both crossing professional boundaries.

Overall a mixed bag and definitely not the light escapism that the cover would suggest.

Dog Days, Ericka Waller

The title and blurb honestly do not do this book justice.

The book follows the lives of three very different people - George, Dan and Lizzie - as well as their friends and family.

George is an elderly gentleman who is struggling with the loss of his wife. Dan is a counsellor and doesn’t think he will ever overcome his own personal anxieties. Lizzie is living in a women’s shelter with her son Lenny, hiding the scars on her wrists.

This isn’t necessarily a book about dogs which is what I had thought. It’s so much more.

I liked some of the cleverly running threads - eg the scarf that Lizzie was wearing had been knitted by Betty and somehow had turned up in the shelter.

Full of emotion and humour, I found myself devouring this book. The author has a great writing style and I look forward to reading more of hers.

I rate this book 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I really enjoyed this. The 3 main characters were well-written (as were their dogs!). The challenges they faced were well described and I loved the story. Highly recommended.

What a fantastic read this was. The story revolves around George, Daniel and Lizzie and of course their dogs or dogs they care for. Each of them are going through something - mental health issues, loss, sexuality, abuse. Between these 3 characters, their dogs and the supporting family and friends they each go through a journey to acceptance and understanding of themselves, others, and what their place is meant to be in the world. With the love of a good dog they can begin to heal and move forward.
The writing was brilliant, a truly heartwarming book.

'People don't always present the truth, Daniel. Sometimes they project something entirely different. The lies we tell others are nothing compared to the lies we tell ourselves.'
Dog Days - Ericka Waller
I have just finished reading Dog Days and it touches on some pretty weighty mental health issues. Issues which I'd say the majority of us come across in our lifetime and it is so important for us to talk and read about them.
We meet a number of different dogs in this book (my favourite was George's dog Poppy), they all have their own unique character and they are always there for their owners. Their loyal support props up the human characters in Dog Days; I think my favourite character was Dan, I loved his vulnerability.
I enjoyed this book immensely and as with many books, got quite attached to the characters and genuinely wanted everything to work out for them.

George is a curmudgeon and his tendency to complain, swear and shout increases after the completely unexpected and frankly inconsiderate death of his wife. Dan is a counsellor who does not find himself very successful at his job, on top of which he is falling in love with his bipolar depressive client Atticus. Lizzie is in a women's shelter with her son, a crush on her son'e teacher and a secret. The only other thing they have in common is dogs.

This is a very readable book, with some links to mental illness and LGBT society that provokes thought. I liked George. I loved the letters that he received and the development of his life after MarriageIt is a charming read but not one of my top reads

Sorry not for me. It was kind of slow paced and somehow I was not enjoying it. May be coz I am not a dog lover.

Dog Days
By Ericka Walker
Pub Date 11 March 2021

Absolutely loved this anything to do with dogs I’m in I love reading these books. It full of humour and makes you smile while reading such a great read. The cover so pretty and the writing style I love. I loved all the characters in the book and the plot of the story was overwhelming with joy you enjoy this fluffy read I loved George character as well he was funny witty and caring.

Dog Days by Ericka Waller – published 11 March 21

I would like to extend my thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for sending me this book in exchange for a fair, frank and honest review.

This book jumped all over the place so leaving it so difficult to get to know the characters. There were so many descriptions about nature and the seaside that it seemed like a travel guide to me. Just could not get into it at all.

2 stars

I'm so pleased that this book caught my eye and I was delighted to be given the opportunity to read an advanced review copy.

This début is a truly marvellous story. George, Dan and Lizzie are three strangers whose lives are unravelling though they have their dogs by their sides through their respective traumatic journeys. Angry George Dempsey doesn’t want Poppy the Dachshund puppy in his life, nor Betty to rescue him. He only wants Ellen, his adored and deeply loved wife back. Dan James, a counsellor with OCD loves Fitz his golden Labrador and desperately doesn’t want to be attracted to Atticus Finch, his patient. Lizzie is hiding away from life along with her son Lenny in a women’s shelter and has Maud, an overweight Jack Russell, as a companion.

As soon as I began reading Dog Days I knew it was going to pull at my heartstrings. Told from different viewpoints there wasn't anything in this novel to dislike. As the story progressed I came to care for most of the characters, even the cantankerous George who could be downright unpleasant and rude but whose fondness for cricket and good old fashioned home-cooked food survives the death of his kind, capable and tolerant wife Ellen. Dan copes with life through his obsessive counting rituals, but he is a man clearly uncomfortable in his own skin and Lizzie is probably the most complex of the three. Ericka Waller's writing was truly magical in the way she portrayed all manner of moods and emotional states. The secondary characters brought so much to the storyline, too, and the canine ones all provided a comforting presence, either complimenting their owner's personalities or giving support in times of need.

Dog Days is rich in emotion, a truly outstanding début, and I cannot wait to see what Ericka Waller writes next. A fabulously untypical, whimsical and warm, but also immensely sad and distressing contemporary tale that will melt hearts.

A special thank you to Doubleday, Ericka Waller, NetGalley and Pigeonhole for a complimentary copy of this novel at my request. This review is my unbiased opinion.

This book was not what I expected at all, I thought it would be sweet chicklit with dogs in: in fact it was a wonderfully written, emotional , heart wrenching and beautiful book.
The author is very talented in my view, the exploration of relationships and the psyches of three very damaged grieving people trying to find their way to sanity and peace is brilliantly and beautifully written.
The characters are not all likeable, in fact I really disliked course, unkind and mean George, but I came to rather like the old bugger in the end!
No spoilers but there are a couple of real shockers!
And the dogs, there are dogs of all shapes and sizes, but they all save their humans on some way, as I know so well dogs do.
Golden Retriever Fitz is pure unadulterated joy!
A really wonderful read, exploring the subjects of depression, loss and grief in a unique way, I loved it.
Thank you to Netgalley, Transworld, Random House and Doubleday for the advance copy.

(TRIGGER WARNING: suicide/finding someone who has committed suicide).

This book follows three main characters but it seems that their lives may be about to overlap.

We follow George, a grumpy old man who’s wife Ellen just died, what seems unexpectedly to him but may not have been so sudden in reality. Before passing away, Ellen brought home Poppy, a daschund that she hoped would keep George company once she was gone (but he hates dogs).

Secondly, we follow Dan, a therapist who seems to have many challenges of his own (OCD/anxiety?). He has a loyal furry friend called Fitz who helps him out a lot. Dan deals with imposter syndrome a lot, especially in his job. They he meets his new patient Atticus and that feeling becomes even more apparent alongside more confusing feelings.

Finally we have Liz. Liz was a teacher up until recently and at first her life seems very confusing and dark. She has a young son who she is very protective of and very anxious to let out of her sight. They have just moved in with Tess in a support housing situation. It becomes clear that domestic violence plays a part in her life but things may not be as they seem.

All three of these characters have a lot going on both in their lives and mentally and while they have people around them trying to help them, they need to help themselves too.

I liked this book and enjoyed switching between the three characters who start to become intertwined as the story progressed. There were moments where I was shocked, saddened and even brought a smile to my face a few times. There was a lot of mystery throughout the book and it kept me engaged and intrigued the entire time.

TW grief, homophobia, spousal abuse, miscarriage, infertility, self harm, suicide.

Good read, not what I expected. Definitely a more in depth and deeper read considering its relatively short length. I wouldn't necessarily say that the synopsis hits the spot with this one, especially since the characters don't really interact in the same circles which is what I felt he synopsis illuded to?

I felt early on that there was more to Lizzie than met the eye, but it was interesting to see how it played out. I loved how George changed, and bonded with Poppy. And Dan's story was just fabulously done, I could see it playing out and it was at times, difficult to read, but it was so well written that it still hit me like a ton of bricks.

Huge thanks to the publisher for granting me access to Dog Days.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this book and I had mixed feelings about it. Fortunately it was good enough to finish though it was unusual in the sense that it had three stories that were a little entertwined and I can definitely rate the stories in order of preference.

I loved Lizzie's story complete with a twist which was sad and heartbreaking in parts. There were things that I suspected that the author expanded upon and I'm not going to give away here.

I felt so so about Dan's story though understood the love affair with his client who was no longer a client because of his interest. It was interesting reading the development of the story.

I couldn't stand George's story and felt sorry for his poor departed wife who put up with a lot. The writing was very good though as was the flash back of why his wife chose to be with George.

The strange thing about this book was that even though dogs feature in the book they don't feature enough and could have hero'd the stories more.

I'd recommend this book if you like stories about different people.