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hemagas's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
nicolemhewitt's review
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Stepdog is a cute, fun summer read with a unique Irish protagonist. The book is told from Rory’s POV. He is an Irish immigrant who has the chance at stardom in an American television show, but he has to get his green card first. He had plans to marry his cousin’s widow, but when he tells his ex-boss, who he’s gone on one date with, she convinces him to marry her instead. They just have to prove that they’re happily married – which they almost would be. If it weren’t for the dog.
What I LOVED:
The fake marriage.
I loved the idea of the fake marriage and thought that this was an interesting twist on the couple who has no interest in each other and gets married. In this case, Rory and Sara do really like each other – and they’re falling for each other before they ever end up getting married. But this actually adds complication to the story rather than making it simpler. Marrying a person you just started a relationship with and then trying to work through living together and everything so soon after getting together would be really tough. Rory and Sara vow to keep the marriage “fake,” but it starts to feel real to both of them soon enough – maybe too soon. I thought that the dynamics of this was really interesting.
Cody.
Cody the dog was utterly adorable! I’m a dog lover myself (which is why I picked this book up) and pretty much every scene with Cody in it melted my heart – if only my dogs were so utterly well-behaved!!
The kidnapping.
I actually didn’t reread the synopsis right before reading the book, so I had forgotten about the fact that there was a kidnapping involved. It came as a complete surprise to me, and I was really shocked at the circumstances. The book took a kind of strange turn at that point, and I have to confess that at first I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. But the whole kidnapping plot (especially the second half of it) was actually the most entertaining part of the book!
The negatives:
Complaining.
Sometimes Rory’s complaints about the dog started to wear on my nerves a little bit. I mean I understand that being a dog owner is difficult and that it wasn’t something he’d really signed on for, and there were definitely times when Sara’s attitude and behavior when it came to Cody were frustrating – so Rory’s aggravation in those moments was understandable. But even when Cody was doing nothing but being cute and sweet (admittedly from Rory’s perspective), he still complained about him. And then there were times that he got aggravated at the dog for just looking at him a lot – I wanted to tell him to get over it!
Maybe not my style?
I picked this book up because of the dog angle, but maybe I should have realized that this book just wasn’t exactly my style – it’s still kind of romcom with a male MC. I just didn’t find Rory as funny and charming as I think I was supposed to. I certainly didn’t dislike him – and if I’d met him in real life I’d probably be charmed to the nth degree – but I just didn’t connect with him all that much as the MC until the last quarter or so of the book (when the kidnapping stuff all got really underway). Oh, and then there was a whole tangent during the kidnapping where Sara’s cousin lectured Rory (and us) on how the Civil War wasn’t about slavery – what was that? Rory was rolling his eyes at it and wondering why he had to sit and listen to it, and so was I!
So, this book was cute and fun – especially the second half. If you like dogs and are a reader of romcom or chick lit, I’d definitely give this book a read. For me, it was 3/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
Stepdog is a cute, fun summer read with a unique Irish protagonist. The book is told from Rory’s POV. He is an Irish immigrant who has the chance at stardom in an American television show, but he has to get his green card first. He had plans to marry his cousin’s widow, but when he tells his ex-boss, who he’s gone on one date with, she convinces him to marry her instead. They just have to prove that they’re happily married – which they almost would be. If it weren’t for the dog.
What I LOVED:
The fake marriage.
I loved the idea of the fake marriage and thought that this was an interesting twist on the couple who has no interest in each other and gets married. In this case, Rory and Sara do really like each other – and they’re falling for each other before they ever end up getting married. But this actually adds complication to the story rather than making it simpler. Marrying a person you just started a relationship with and then trying to work through living together and everything so soon after getting together would be really tough. Rory and Sara vow to keep the marriage “fake,” but it starts to feel real to both of them soon enough – maybe too soon. I thought that the dynamics of this was really interesting.
Cody.
Cody the dog was utterly adorable! I’m a dog lover myself (which is why I picked this book up) and pretty much every scene with Cody in it melted my heart – if only my dogs were so utterly well-behaved!!
The kidnapping.
I actually didn’t reread the synopsis right before reading the book, so I had forgotten about the fact that there was a kidnapping involved. It came as a complete surprise to me, and I was really shocked at the circumstances. The book took a kind of strange turn at that point, and I have to confess that at first I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. But the whole kidnapping plot (especially the second half of it) was actually the most entertaining part of the book!
The negatives:
Complaining.
Sometimes Rory’s complaints about the dog started to wear on my nerves a little bit. I mean I understand that being a dog owner is difficult and that it wasn’t something he’d really signed on for, and there were definitely times when Sara’s attitude and behavior when it came to Cody were frustrating – so Rory’s aggravation in those moments was understandable. But even when Cody was doing nothing but being cute and sweet (admittedly from Rory’s perspective), he still complained about him. And then there were times that he got aggravated at the dog for just looking at him a lot – I wanted to tell him to get over it!
Maybe not my style?
I picked this book up because of the dog angle, but maybe I should have realized that this book just wasn’t exactly my style – it’s still kind of romcom with a male MC. I just didn’t find Rory as funny and charming as I think I was supposed to. I certainly didn’t dislike him – and if I’d met him in real life I’d probably be charmed to the nth degree – but I just didn’t connect with him all that much as the MC until the last quarter or so of the book (when the kidnapping stuff all got really underway). Oh, and then there was a whole tangent during the kidnapping where Sara’s cousin lectured Rory (and us) on how the Civil War wasn’t about slavery – what was that? Rory was rolling his eyes at it and wondering why he had to sit and listen to it, and so was I!
So, this book was cute and fun – especially the second half. If you like dogs and are a reader of romcom or chick lit, I’d definitely give this book a read. For me, it was 3/5 stars.
***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
lamom77's review
2.0
This is one of those stories that I really wanted to like, but it rarely grabbed me and the few times it did, it would turn and I would be sort of bored and disliking the characters.
livres_de_bloss's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book!
The first half held my interest a bit better than the latter half. Once Alex was introduced, I really had to suspend disbelief and the story went of the rails a bit.
I really liked Rory (I totally pictured him as Roy from The IT Crowd). I adored Cody. Sara was a bit dog-loopy for me and her character never felt totally developed.
At times, as much as I like dogs, I felt rather sorry for Rory. Sara was unreasonable and extremist with the dog, usually at the expense of Rory. After all he’d been through, she needed to cut him some slack. Between the two extremes of Rory and Sara, I reckon there’s a very reasonable middle ground if both of them grow up a bit.
The first half held my interest a bit better than the latter half. Once Alex was introduced, I really had to suspend disbelief and the story went of the rails a bit.
I really liked Rory (I totally pictured him as Roy from The IT Crowd). I adored Cody. Sara was a bit dog-loopy for me and her character never felt totally developed.
At times, as much as I like dogs, I felt rather sorry for Rory. Sara was unreasonable and extremist with the dog, usually at the expense of Rory. After all he’d been through, she needed to cut him some slack. Between the two extremes of Rory and Sara, I reckon there’s a very reasonable middle ground if both of them grow up a bit.
100pagesaday's review
3.0
Everything changes for Rory O’Connor the day his funding is pulled for his position as guest lecturer at the Boston Art Museum. To begin with, he immediately starts dating his boss, Sara. Their whirlwind romance develops into something serious pretty quickly, even if Rory doesn’t understand Sara’s American obsession with her dog, Cody. Rory’s work visa is also expiring; he has set up a sham marriage to his cousin’s widow to receive his green card. However, when he hatches his plan to Sara, Sara simply insists that they get married instead. Now with a marriage and a green card, Rory also lands a role in a new TV series- in L.A. A move across country is in the works, but is made a lot more difficult with a neurotic dog mom. When Rory gives Cody to a new friend to watch while they clean out their old apartment, Sara quickly realizes that he has made a huge mistake. Cody has been dog-napped. Now, Rory must get Cody back and mend bridges with Sara on their way across the country.
Stepdog is a humorous and fun book not only about how dogs can change your life, but how a new relationship can change and grow. The concept of a stepdog was cute; Rory would continuously say "it's not my dog, it's my wife's dog." his stepdog. A full, lively and diverse set of characters made this book entertaining throughout. Rory was awesome, an Irishman who played the fiddle, quoted Shakespeare and gave everyone a personal playlist in his head. As an avid dog lover myself, I was a little confused about his aversion to dogs, but I guess I never knew there was such a difference between the way American's treat dogs and the Irish. Sara seemed like someone who was perfect in every way and had her life together, but when it came to her dog, she would stop the world. Many of the side characters made the story for me, Alto, Marie, Danny and especially Alex made the story very real and charming. My only complaint was that it seemed like the story could have ended after part two; however part three was entertaining as well, if not a little ridiculous. Overall, a rollicking story fit for any dog lover or contemporary romantic comedy crowd.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Stepdog is a humorous and fun book not only about how dogs can change your life, but how a new relationship can change and grow. The concept of a stepdog was cute; Rory would continuously say "it's not my dog, it's my wife's dog." his stepdog. A full, lively and diverse set of characters made this book entertaining throughout. Rory was awesome, an Irishman who played the fiddle, quoted Shakespeare and gave everyone a personal playlist in his head. As an avid dog lover myself, I was a little confused about his aversion to dogs, but I guess I never knew there was such a difference between the way American's treat dogs and the Irish. Sara seemed like someone who was perfect in every way and had her life together, but when it came to her dog, she would stop the world. Many of the side characters made the story for me, Alto, Marie, Danny and especially Alex made the story very real and charming. My only complaint was that it seemed like the story could have ended after part two; however part three was entertaining as well, if not a little ridiculous. Overall, a rollicking story fit for any dog lover or contemporary romantic comedy crowd.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
strawberryhill's review
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
boy this book is a rollercoaster. It starts out as a hallmark movie, no depth but kind of cutesy I guess, then it quickly devolves into a lifetime movie that you can’t help but hate watch. the main character is the least likable protagonist since Lolita, and spends the entire book bitching about how his wife loves her dog and cares about the dog’s well being, and completely ignoring the fact that she was emotionally abused in her previous relationship. he rants the whole book about how everything is affecting HIM and how the sacrifices HE makes when Sara does nothing but give and give, and asks only that he respect her dog. the most concerning thing is that the author noted she based the relationship of Rory and Sara off her own marriage in which case…. NICOLE BLINK TWICE IF YOU NEED HELP. on a more serious note I really hope Rory is nothing like her husband because Sara deserves so much better. as a pet parent myself who is more dog crazy than my boyfriend, I would be appalled if he behaved the way Rory did.
tl;dr: Rory is nothing but an egomaniac who has no understanding of what a healthy relationship looks like and prefers yelling at his traumatized wife the whole book
tl;dr: Rory is nothing but an egomaniac who has no understanding of what a healthy relationship looks like and prefers yelling at his traumatized wife the whole book
phua_jieying's review against another edition
Couldn't deal with spending an entire book reading about a guy seeing a dog as a rival for attention
beckylej's review
4.0
When Rory gets fired, it should be a bad thing. But instead it turns out to be quite a pleasant ordeal. It is, after all, the reason he gets to kiss Sara, his boss. And it's also the reason they start dating. But when Rory is offered a shot at a series lead, his immigration status presents some problematic issues. In other words: no green card, no job!
Rory has a marriage offer already on the table courtesy of his cousin's widow. It would be a paper marriage, but it would definitely hinder his burgeoning relationship with Sara. So Sara offers to marry him instead. And Rory finds that being married to Sara isn't all that bad except for the fact that a relationship with Sara comes with one big, hairy, attention-hogging dog. It's not that Rory doesn't get along with Cody, but living life around the dog grates on the former bachelor. And when Cody is kidnapped, thanks to Rory, it's all he can do to get her back and save his relationship with Sara.
Sooo, first off this is a very cute book and, I might add, a successful change of pace for Galland. I should actually point out that it's a change in setting only, though. Rory, Sara, and Cody might all be in the here and now but Galland's wit, charm, and poetic prose are all present regardless of the fact that this isn't an historical novel. Rory even has a penchant for picking Shakespearean roles, as a little nod to Galland's backlist!
I felt for Rory. I've never quite experienced the feeling of being second to my husband's dog (yes, I have a stepdog and she did treat me as such for the first few years! We get along perfectly now.) but I've certainly known people who seemed just a bit... hm... Sara like. I've also been accused of loving my cats more than a boyfriend (I didn't, until he said it. Being with a person who's jealous of your pet is not pleasant.) So you can see, I sympathize with Sara, too!
There's a bit more to the story but Stepdog is basically about a new couple trying to figure out their relationship under atypical circumstances. And of course every new relationship comes with hurdles, which is why Rory and Sara are so relatable and likable. It probably helps to some degree that this was a bit of a personal story for Galland as she herself did go through SOME of the same things Rory and Sara did.
Stepdog is great fun, readers. Seriously, great fun! Galland, as always, is a pro and I think Cody and her humans are going to win over even the most anti dog readers out there!
Rory has a marriage offer already on the table courtesy of his cousin's widow. It would be a paper marriage, but it would definitely hinder his burgeoning relationship with Sara. So Sara offers to marry him instead. And Rory finds that being married to Sara isn't all that bad except for the fact that a relationship with Sara comes with one big, hairy, attention-hogging dog. It's not that Rory doesn't get along with Cody, but living life around the dog grates on the former bachelor. And when Cody is kidnapped, thanks to Rory, it's all he can do to get her back and save his relationship with Sara.
Sooo, first off this is a very cute book and, I might add, a successful change of pace for Galland. I should actually point out that it's a change in setting only, though. Rory, Sara, and Cody might all be in the here and now but Galland's wit, charm, and poetic prose are all present regardless of the fact that this isn't an historical novel. Rory even has a penchant for picking Shakespearean roles, as a little nod to Galland's backlist!
I felt for Rory. I've never quite experienced the feeling of being second to my husband's dog (yes, I have a stepdog and she did treat me as such for the first few years! We get along perfectly now.) but I've certainly known people who seemed just a bit... hm... Sara like. I've also been accused of loving my cats more than a boyfriend (I didn't, until he said it. Being with a person who's jealous of your pet is not pleasant.) So you can see, I sympathize with Sara, too!
There's a bit more to the story but Stepdog is basically about a new couple trying to figure out their relationship under atypical circumstances. And of course every new relationship comes with hurdles, which is why Rory and Sara are so relatable and likable. It probably helps to some degree that this was a bit of a personal story for Galland as she herself did go through SOME of the same things Rory and Sara did.
Stepdog is great fun, readers. Seriously, great fun! Galland, as always, is a pro and I think Cody and her humans are going to win over even the most anti dog readers out there!
krismcd59's review
3.0
The plot is highly implausible and the characters paper-thin, but the narrator's voice is charming and the intricate, ever-growing tower of misfortunes that Galland builds for him is just amusing enough to keep you going.
kathijo63's review
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Generally any book about a dog is a sure thing for me. But this book wasn't really about the dog and we really didn't get to know Cody. It's all about Rory and for 70% of the book, I found him to be a whiny baby who is jealous of a dog and wants nothing more than to get rid of the dog because it inconveniences his life. I would have kicked his ass to the curb long before he manages to get Cody kidnapped. But he does go above and beyond to get the dog back so he semi redeems himself.