Dog Gone, Back Soon

by Nick Trout

[Leah]

When I received an email from a publicist at Hyperion books offering me the chance to feature Nick Trout’s new novel Dog Gone, Back Soon, I thought it sounded fantastic. I am the world’s biggest dog fan – we’ve got two dogs, and I loved them to pieces and I always think a book is just that little bit better when there’s animals involved, and dogs in particular. Dog Gone, Back Soon is Trout’s second fiction novel and follows on from his first The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs. I haven’t read the first book in the series, and the publicist at Hyperion promised you didn’t need to to be able to read Dog Gone, Back Soon, and she was correct. I didn’t feel like I’d missed out on anything crucial having not read the first book, although I would like to go back and read it just to see what events happened in the first book.

Dog Gone, Back Soon is a wonderful novel, set in a small-town in Vermont, and it very much has that cosy feel of a small-town novel. Everyone knows everyone, which makes Dr. Cyrus Mills’ life that little bit harder – he’s only recently come back to town after his father’s death, and everyone is aware that he’s now at the (sometimes uncomfortable) helm of Bedside Manor, the veterinary practice his father started some years ago. He has to prove to the patients that he’s going to carry on his father’s legacy, something that’s proving a bit tougher to do than normal as there’s a new practice in town, Happy Paws, desperately trying to put Bedside Manor out of business. He’s also trying to start a relationship with sweet, but tough-talking waitress Amy, which is proving just as difficult as his work at the practice, because she’s keeping secrets and not being as forthcoming as Cyrus would like, especially when a man pops up onto the scene…

Dog Gone, Back Soon is SUCH a cute read! It only spans the course of about a week, but I thoroughly enjoyed meeting everyone! Cyrus himself, who is a fantastic narrator, and an even better vet! I was literally swooning over him caring for all those poor pets. Clearly, there is just something about a vet that I like, although the same could not have been sent for the lot over at Healthy Paws, the company trying to put Bedside Manor out of business. For me, I could see EXACTLY where I would take my pet if it was ill, and it isn’t the big fancy business! Like Doc Honey said, I want personal care for my pet, to feel like I’m being listened to, not a robotic machine where pets are rotated on a 17-minute basis. I enjoyed meeting all of the pets, and I enjoyed the air of mystery as Doc Cyrus tried to figure out what was wrong with the various pets that came through Bedside Manor’s doors. He was rather like a sleuth, figuring out the ailments the way he did! The addition of Stash the dog was amazing, I think my dogs are pretty cool, especially Duna who knows commands like sit, and stay, and paw, but Stash was something special, and I just love that dogs are capable of doing what Stash does, they’re such immensely clever creatures.

I really, thoroughly enjoyed reading Dog Gone, Back Soon, it was such a charming, witty read and Dr Cyrus Mills is such a loveable lead character, although I’m going to be VERY controversial and say I think I would like to see him with Dr Honey. Amy’s a bit too abrasive for me. I loved all the interactions with the pets, and I loved trying to solve what was wrong with the pets, although I only guessed one out of three, mostly because I am not a vet, I am a normal human being. Nick Trout definitely knows his stuff (and so he should, being a vet himself) and he writes with such warmth and sensitivity. I really hope there’s going to be a third novel, because these are such charming, lovely books! I know I’ve only read one of them, but I really got to know the characters, and I really fell in love with the animals (STASH! STASH! STASH!) and I just want to go back there right away and follow more of Dr Cyrus’s life! I loved this book, I adore the book cover (JUST LOOK AT IT!) how in the world can you say no to those eyes when it’s asking you to buy this book? Such a delightful novel, I can’t recommend it more, pet lovers will eat it up the way I did!