Stay by Allie Larkin

I bought this book on recommendation from my sister, and started it one night after putting my sick five year old to bed. I read for a couple of hours, fell asleep for a few more, and then was awoken at 2 am by said child getting even sicker. After some medicine and a cool washcloth I lay down next to him and proceeded to read until dawn. So yes, I stayed up all night reading this book, something I haven’t done in a long time. (Motherhood exhaustion has made it easy for me to fall asleep most nights no matter how great the book is.)

While I can’t say it was the most original plot idea (Savannah ‘Van’ is in love with her best friend’s boyfriend and her life is stalled out, funnily enough a side plot in my previous read The Husband’s Secret), Allie Larkin writes in a clear and fast-paced way and makes you want to find out how Van breaks out of her rut to find true canine and human love.

One night, while drunk and in despair that her best friend and secret love are on their honeymoon, Van orders a $6000 dollar German Sheppard ‘puppy’ off the internet. Hello! Who knew a dog could cost that much? Much hilarity ensues when the puppy arrives fully grown and extremely large. Van’s never owned a dog before and ends up taking him (frequently) to the local hot single vet guy. You can guess the rest.

Parts of the plot are predictable (Van “breaks up” with bestie and new hubby, they make up. The hottie vet breaks up with Van, and they make up as well), I still wanted to keep reading to see how all the pieces would fit together. There is also a touching backstory about the loss of her mother and the sacrifices she had made for her Van.

This book is a great example of ‘chick-lit’ at its best: Funny characters, fast-paced and easy reading. I’m surprised it hasn't been turned into a rom-com, yet. I’ll definitely be adding her second release, Why Can’t I Be You, to my reading pile.