this is the type of book that feels beautiful. the type you go back and read parts so you can soak them into your bones and take them with you. and that when you come back to the book you want to re read a few pages so you can get right back into the feel of it before you begin to read again.
i just wanted to be cuddled up with this book and felt cuddled by it.
i mean how can i talk about this with some of the subjects covered? because they werent easy. and i smiled but also had a few unshed tears too. but this book had me in their hold as i was told this story. i wanted to know more but also didnt want it to end.
i will also say this book has a dog. you are already making me cry when you have that. add to that this gorgeous dog in this book and bam youve got me forever. everyone needs a dog to love them. and everyone needs a dog to love. they are the best. having the role of the dog front and center and also completely part of this book made it swell with such compassion, kindness and love.
i cant wait for others to read this book so they too can feel good from it too.
Melissa has such a powerful and yet tender way with her words.
i hope this isnt her first or last book because i need to go find more from this author if this is anything to go by.
scrumptious!

This is a story about a family tragedy which leads to the unexpected knitting together of the remnants of a largely estranged set of family members.

It centres around their attempts to console a boy after the loss of his father, and how his uncle tries delivering on the promise of his father's dream of retraining a dog considered impossible to train.

The book offers a lot to those who are interested in issues surrounding the training of hunting dogs in the US - including in this case, the story of an underdog - and it has an interesting cast of supporting characters, but some judicious editing would have gone a long way to highlighting the genuinely dramatic points and making the reading experience flow more smoothly overall.

River was fun in getting to know. Big goofy dog. He is the best in my opinion lol.
I loved the other characters too.
I really liked the cover too. It was what drew me to read it. One of the best stories ever so far this year.
It was fast paced from beginning until end. I couldn't put it down until Lucas and River told me their story.
It was a satisfying read. I recommend tissues though.
Some sad spots in it but happy ones too. I loved the happy ones best lol.
5 stars for a job well done. I recommend this beautiful story.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

I enjoyed this book. Any book with a dog in is great! It was sad but I loved the bond that grew between Lucas & charm. And I'm so glad Lucas got to train river in honor of his dad.

A book with a dog is the best! I enjoyed reading about finding and pursuing your dreams and the goals of the characters to train the dog was inspiring and so much fun filled laughter. It's hard not to have a good time reading this book.