Book Review: Dog Gone, Back Soon by

Dog Gone, Back Soon

By Nick Trout

Publisher: Hyperion

Published: April 8, 2014

ASIN: B00EXTSU3S

Amazon Synopsis:

When Dr. Cyrus Mills returned home after inheriting his estranged father's veterinary practice, The Bedside Manor for Sick Animals, the last thing he wanted was to stay in Eden Falls, Vermont, a moment longer than absolutely necessary. However, the previously reclusive veterinarian pathologist quickly found that he actually enjoyed treating animals and getting to know the eccentric residents of the tiny provincial town-especially an alluring waitress named Amy.

So Cyrus is now determined to make Bedside Manor thrive. Not an easy goal, given that Healthy Paws, the national veterinary chain across town, will stop at nothing to crush its mom-and-pop competitor. And the

rival vet practice isn't Cyrus's only competition; a handsome stranger shows up out of nowhere who clearly has a mysterious past with Amy. To top it off, Cyrus finds himself both the guardian of a very unique orphaned dog and smack in the middle of serious small town drama.

This charming sequel to The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs is a wild and delightful ride through one jam- packed week, where Cyrus must figure out how to outsmart the evil veterinary conglomerate, win back Amy's heart, solve several tricky veterinary cases, find a home for an orphaned dog, and detangle himself from an absurd case of mistaken identity. DOG GONE, BACK SOON brims with Nick Trout's trademark humor, charm, and captivating animal stories, and is proof that all dogs, lost or not, on four feet or two, deserve a second chance.

Book Links

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My Thoughts:

Dog Gone, Back Soon was a wonderful tale about a week in the life of a veterinarian in a small town in Vermont. Dr. Cyrus Mills was a veterinary pathologist who has come back to the small town of Eden Falls, Vermont to take over the veterinary practice of his late estranged father. He finds himself feeling out of his element at the small clinic The Bedside Manor for Sick Animals, and up against a national veterinary chain, Healthy Paws, in the next town.

While Dog Gone, Back Soon is a sequel to The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs, you will certainly enjoy it without having read The Patron Saint first. I did. Dog Gone is full of the strange and quirky goings-on that can only happen in the life of a somewhat reformed reclusive veterinarian pathologist who has developed a romantic interest in a waitress who suddenly has a handsome stranger show up. Add to that the blind date two teenagers set him up with and the emergency visit for the crazy lady and her stuffed dog with the broken tail!

This was a fun book to read. It was a good escape from whatever you need to get away from. It’s not one of those intense books that gets your heart racing. It’s more of a holiday. I think my favourite character was the “crazy” Mavis Peebles and her dog Crispin, who she had stuffed when he died so he could continue to keep her company. She didn’t want to live with her daughter and son-in-law (who swore he was allergic to dogs). I totally loved Cyrus’ solution to Mavis’ problem.

The characters in this book were nicely developed. You couldn’t help but to dislike Guy Dorkin, the office manager of Healthy Paws. Doris, Bedside Manor’s receptionist was the perfect busybody gossip kept pulling amusing little stunts like picking the perfect patients of Dr. Lewis’ for Cyrus to see when Dr. Lewis needs some assistance – like the cat with the extra claws that attacks without warning whenever you get near.

I gave this delightfully funny book 5 stars out of 5. I would recommend it to anyone who loves animals and the eccentricities of small communities.

Thank you to the publishers via NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my own.

About the Author:

Nick Trout graduated from veterinary school at the University of Cambridge in 1989. He is a Diplomate of the American and European Colleges of Veterinary Surgeons and is a staff surgeon at the prestigious Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. He is the author of three non-fiction books, the New York Times bestseller, Tell Me Where It Hurts, Love is the Best Medicine, and Ever By My Side.  His first novel, The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs became a Boston Globe bestseller and a bestseller in Australia.  He writes the Second Opinion column for The Bark magazine and his latest book, Dog Gone, Back Soon, the second in the Bedside Manor series, will be published by Hyperion, April 8th, 2014. Nick’s writing has been translated into over a dozen languages and his books sell in more than thirty different countries around the world. He considers himself a runner (though his marathon days are behind him), an avid reader and a passionate advocate for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Kathy, and their adopted Labradoodle, Thai.

Author Links

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