First of all let me say, if you are picking this up for Gabby's story alone then you will be disappointed. This book is about so much more than Gabby, and while Gabby is a big part of this book, there is so much more to it. I personally adored this non-fiction read which covered the real ins and outs of running a rescue centre. It both warmed my heart and also broke my heart to hear about the situations that Barby would come across and the animals that went her way.

This book also features Barby's own health journey, which Gabby is there every step of the way for. I had a massive lump in my throat several times while reading this and it isn't something that I will easily forget. One star knocked off due to the strong focus of Barby's health journey in this rather than being just animal rescue based. I have no issue with the topics covered in this book in the sense of I think it benefited the overall reading experience. However, I do think that to make this book appear as though it's just a look into Gabby and her foster story is doing this wonderful non-fiction book a disservice. And I do think this is a wonderful read, and a must read for all dog lovers.

I so badly wanted to like this, I really did.

Only, I couldn't really get the feel for Gabby. I felt that I was only depicted Gabby through Barby's eyes, rather than writing about Gabby in her own merit and allowing me to become emotionally invested in her journey. There were continuous descriptions of how Barby felt about her, instead of portraying Gabby's personality, triumphs and losses, and allowing the reader to fall for Gabby. By doing this, I found the novel more of a monotone memoir than a rewarding story.

I found that by the end I was mutinously bored and hauling myself through the book just to finish it. I feel like it should have ended earlier than it did, the last past about Barby dealing with breast cancer - (now this will sound mean) - I think was a little irrelevant. I wasn't emotionally invested in Barby. I wanted to be emotionally invested in Gabby, but I honestly didn't feel as though she was the centre of the story.

However; I found that this book was great for animal abuse awareness; full of knowledge, and love for all kinds of animals. Barby's affection towards animals definitely relays through her words, and her indignation at animal mistreatment or malnourishment is echoed by myself, making the story personable and relatable.

Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me.

Thank you to Net Galley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Who could resist that cover image? Between the title and the synopsis you pretty much know the story before you start. The passion that the author has for rescuing animals comes across loud and clear. Having run the sanctuary for over 50 years it is obviously a lifestyle choice rather than a job for her. Animal lovers, particularly dog lovers, will love the story of Gabby and the book sales raise funds for the animal sanctuary so it’s a win win situation.