Doggone it

There was no way I could resist the title Walking in Circles before Lying Down I couldn't resist the cover art, either. I'd never heard of Merrill Markoe before--I never fail to amaze the Boyfriend with my obtuseness! Apparently, she is "a legendary comedy writer" (O: The Oprah Magazine) In any case, this was a fairly amusing chick lit romp. I wish it had concentrated more on Chuck, the main dog. Instead, the story is mainly about Chuck's owner, Dawn.

Dawn is from an jaw-droppingly dysfunctional family, and has two divorces to her credit. I still find it amazing how negatively authors and their characters tend to view divorce--it is still the best thing I ever did. Moving right along, Dawn gets dropped by her current beau, Paxton. She turns to Chuck for comfort, and Chuck starts talking to her. Dawn can also hear the dogs at the doggie day care where she works, which leads to a variety of complications. Dawn's problems and various plot thickeners made me want to walk in a few circles and go to sleep. It's all a little too over the top--Dawn's sister is a life coach whose recent amours include two men who have murdered their wives. But Chuck's voice and views kept me going. All in all, an ok read, if not riotous. I am contemplating reading another book by Markoe, The Psycho Ex Game. Do I get something if I win? Oh right, the very happy divorce!