Review: Gone to the Dogs by Mary Guterson

Title: Gone to the Dogs
Author: Mary Guterson
Published: July 07, 2009
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 278
Source: Public Library
Characters: Rena, Chuck
My Rating:

Synopsis

Rena never meant to steal her ex-boyfriend's dog. She was just casually driving by his new house, taking stock of his new life, when the dog invited himself into her car... Okay, so she stole the dog.

But how could Brian, her boyfriend of seven years (not to mention “unofficial” fiancé), have done this to her? Fallen off the face of the earth, only to resurface with a gorgeous, live-in girlfriend and live-in dog? Honestly, a girl can only take so much. Besides, how could a yellow lab as great as this one be happy living with those two very bad people?

Unfortunately, being a dog-napper is the least of Rena's problems. Her mother’s dating a “potential” serial killer, her sister’s having an identity crisis and she’s the target of one hopeless fix-up after another — most recently, the highly moral Chuck, who just happens to know all about Rena's dog-napping escapades.

If Rena wants to straighten things out, she'll have to face up to the choices she's made, the dreams she's put on hold, and the man who broke her heart.

This book is somewhat funny and Rena is very believable and likable. Rena came across as being just like any other women and not some super beauty who has everything going for her. Rena is so believable that Mary must have formed her after someone she truly knows. I've never read this author before, but I liked the cover and the blurb on the back cover seemed interesting. Although Rena seemed believable, her relationship with Chuck seemed to be lacking. I just didn't feel a connection there and there didn't seem to be any kind of definite closure about what was happening with the two of them.  I also would have liked to see what happened with Rena's sister as well as what happened with her ex, Brian. The whole dog situation did seem to drag on a little to long, but I guess with the title that should be expected.