Two Good Dogs: A Novel

I loved the story, especially since it portrayed pit bulls as the wonderful and complex dogs they are. The fact that these two dogs had been fought and had won but were the farthest from the killers they're too often portrayed in the media was heartwarming to me.

I've had two pitties--one was a therapy dog for 11 years; the other is a shelter rescue who is currently my service dog.
That said, Ms. Wilson's confusing explanations of therapy dogs and service dogs further contributes to the public's confusion. Chance, as described, should be labeled an emotional support dog who also did therapy work. And he did his jobs SO well!

My thanks to Susan Wilson, whose books about how dogs can heal human souls are beautifully written.

This was a fine, sweet read. It held my attention and I enjoyed the characters, but I didn’t love it.
Two Good Dogs is actually a sequel to the book, One Good Dog, in which we first meet the pit bull named Chance, and Adam March, a human who seemingly has it all and then ends up striking an employee, and he loses everything. One does not need to have read One Good Dog in order to appreciate Two Good Dogs. I’ve read One Good Dog, it was a book club selection, and while I read it, I don’t remember a lot of it, and this didn’t affect my reading of Two Good Dogs at all.
The synopsis above is slightly misleading, as it makes the book seem more mystery based, and it is not. This is definitely a character-based novel, and while some readers may dislike the slow pace, I liked the pace and the relaxation the book provided.
Told from various points of view (we even are treated to Chance’s POV!), Two Good Dogs was great at telling the different stories from all the viewpoints. We hear from Cody, a young gal who is struggling to fit in at school, and is distancing herself from her mother to help protect her. We hear from Cody’s mother, Skye, who has recently moved and purchased an inn that she is struggling to update. We also hear from Adam, who stays at the inn and forges a friendship with Skye and also Cody. The relationships were interesting, and moved at a realistic pace. I appreciated the conflict between Skye and Cody, who used to be so close, but then Cody witnesses a murder and has to act distant to protect her mother. I really felt for Cody, who is dealing with the trauma of witnessing a murder, along with moving to a new town and starting a new school where she doesn’t have any friends, except for the outcast Black Molly, who deals drugs and is a bad influence. Along the way Cody meets a boy named Mingo, and Mingo’s dog, Dawg, is the second dog talked about in the title. I liked Mingo and his story. Mingo is a recovering drug addict, and he tries to get his life back on track after overdosing one evening.
One problem I had with the book is that the POVs were not clearly defined, so sometimes it did take a paragraph or two to know whose head I was in (ie, no name at the top of the chapter or section to identify whose POV I was in). However, this may have just been a formatting issue with the ARC I was reading, I don’t know. It was a minor quibble.
This is a great book for dog lovers! I never thought I’d love a pit bull, but Chance stole my heart in One Good Dog, and he steals it again here in Two Good Dogs. It’s great fun to read sections from Chance’s perspective, which gives a unique feel to this book.
One big problem I had with the book was that at the very end, I was extremely unhappy to see the words “Epilogue” come across my screen. The last chapter just ends in a very dramatic fashion, and the epilogue, while tying things up, didn’t give me enough resolution to the buildup that was the entire book. So this was frustrating, and since it was the end, that is what I remember most!
All in all, this is a good read, and one that I think readers who enjoy character studies and books about dogs will really love. It does have a slower pace, but I found the pace relaxing and readable, and it didn’t bother me. Recommended to those who love animals and taking a chance (ha!) on people.
**I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of the book, and this review first posted on my blog, luvtoread.**

Title is misleading , it's more a story about a teenager and a love story . The dogs had a very small role in the story .

It took me a bit into the book to realize who the dog was that I was reading about. But I thought this book was an exceptional sequel to One Good Dog. I have read all of Susan Wilson's books with characters that are dogs and I think she is one of the best at this style of writing. I will say that One Good Dog does grab your emotions like no other book I have read, but this one also tells a good story and keeps you reading until you finish.

This book was an okay read. I enjoyed the narrative from the dog's perspective. I was disappointed that Adam's storyline was not properly developed; however, I believe this is book 2 and Adam's story was explained in book 1 One Good Dog. I did not like the teenager Cody. I don't believe her actions were justified to the "secret" she was keeping. I could not relate to her mother, Skye. I felt she was too naive and should have been a better parent. I guess my biggest complaints were poor character development and characters I felt were mediocre (except for Chance and Dawg). The ending was rushed and left me with some unanswered questions. I also thought this book was lacking strong and meaningful dialogue. This book had the potential to be great, but fell short for me.

Cody hates the Berkshire Inn her mother bought. She hates her new school. She’s angry, has no friends, and only relates to the artists in the local art colony. Skye, Cody’s mother, is at her wits end. After Cody’s father’s murder, she turned into a troubled child rather than the happy loving person she had been.

The dilapidated inn is trying Skye’s resources. She has a policy of no pets, but one rainy night, Adam Marsh, a grieving widower, and his rescue dog, Chance, arrive. Reluctantly, she agrees to let them stay; after all the extra money will be welcome. One night turns into several more visits.

Although standoffish at first, Cody gradually warms up to Chance. When she and Chance help rescue another pit bull, she begins to relate to the dogs, but she still has a secret that drives her away from her mother. Perhaps the dogs can help her they way they helped Adam get over his grief.

The best character in this book is Chance. He opens the story with his discussion of how he studies human emotions. Throughout the book, Chance gives his take on what’s happening. It’s interesting to see how animals view their human friends.

The plot raises issues of bullying, love, fear, grief and loss. The issues are well addressed by the characters and commented on by Chance. However, I found the technique of shifting back and forth between Skye and Cody difficult to get used to. Cody’s action is told in the third person, for Skye the author uses first person. While that technique does separate the point of view of each character, it seems strained.

If you enjoy stories where animals have a major role, this is a good one.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

At some point and time in my life, I listened to Susan Wilson's One Good Dog on audiobook. I think.
See.
This is why I have a love hate relationship with audiobooks.
I can't remember anything.
I know I enjoyed it, and I know that the dog's voice was one of my favorite parts of the book...but when I don't have the book book...I remember just enough to drive me bonkers.

One Good Dog is a story of redemption.
Adam March should be happy with all the trappings of life that he's set in motion for himself.
Yet, as life goes...he's not.
One day he flips out and loses everything.
Through community service and the love and need of a dog, he begins to find himself and set a much better life in motion.

Two Good Dogs is Wilson's continuation of that story.
Adam's life is much changed, and he and Chance the pit bull have gone through a lot together and are still actively in recovery with Chance being trained as a therapy dog to assist Adam when he needs it most.
Adam meets Skye Mitchell and her 14 year old daughter through his new work with start ups.
Skye is herself a survivor of an abusive relationship and husband (Cody's father) who was involved with drugs.

As is suggested by the title, there is, of course, another dog as well.
And a young street kid named Mingo who is in desperate need of guidance (although he doesn't know it and wouldn't admit it anyway).
Skye's daughter is a survivor of a crime. She's witnessed a murder, but her mom doesn't know it.

There's a lot going on in this book.
Maybe too much.

Now, overall, I loved it...because I love the dogs...and I love the advocacy parts.
But gracious, the story had so many offshoots that I really felt could have been developed more.
Any one of them could have made a novel.

bullying
child endangerment
drug use and abuse in rural areas
young adult focus
murder mystery
hiding in plain site
revenge
rekindling an old inn
dog fighting
2nd chances
teenage daughters
single parenting
street kids

I couldn't help but feel that Wilson had a lot of ideas for this book but maybe couldn't decide which one she wanted to stick to so she threw in a smattering of all of them?

The chapters are interspersed with the narrative and Chance's voice.
Chance's voice is the one I liked best.
No surprise there.
I couldn't help but wonder if Wilson has ever thought about writing a novel from the dog's perspective...something akin to Rita Mae Brown's Sneaky Pie series?

I would read for sure!

Here's just a smattering of Chance's voice:

The unhappy girl seems tense to me as she takes my seat. I'm happy to sit in the back, give her the priority seating even I am rarely afforded. Even though Adam keeps up a stream of tongue language, she does little more than give him back one word at a time. Words I know. Yeah. Fine. Good. I can sense Adam's growing regret that he's allowed this creature in our space. Although I have only limited experience, I find teenage girls to be mysterious, more like cats. 73

My friend has no permanent name, so he's called by a number of things: Buddy, Pal, Bub. I get a little confused sometimes because I've been called all of those endearments at one time or another, although Adam maintains Bud exclusively for me. A distinction, I know, but one that is important to me. I want to always be his Bud. We've seen a lot together. My new friend respects that, and that's why he's such a joy. This guy, Buddy-Pal-Bub, has breached my natural reserve. It's like we were once littermates, now reunited. 105-106

Dawg should have gone with us. I fear that he will spend most of his time in the pen that they built, not a cage, exactly, certainly not a chain, but not a home. I worried myself into squeezing my head over the edge of the half-lowered car window, barking like some undisciplined cur, calling to Lucky to keep the faith. We'll be back! 234

I'd left Adam sitting on the couch, holding an object in front of his face and touching it gently every few minutes. I think it's called a book, but don't quote me. 315

Final Words: You do need to be a dog lover for this one...without that perspective, I'm afraid this story will leave you short.

Very enjoyable. Definitely will keep in my collection.

Great book

Great continuation of the story from One Good Dog. Our (Doggie) book club read it and it got high marks. Do wish a couple loose ends at the end had been tied.