The Dog-walking Club

by Liz Hinds

I am happy to share a book with you that will give you pleasure! Yes, there are doggies, and new characters to get to know with all their stories and good times and bad, but most of all- this is a wonderfully well-written book. I was reminded of the golden Mitford series by Jan Karon. Author Liz Hinds draws you into the dog-walkers world and gives us something to believe in. Enjoy! 

Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to be on this tours and thanks to the Author for the GIVEAWAY featuring darling doggie gifts.

The Dog-walking Club

Every dog walk brings new drama into the lives of these dogs and their people. A supermarket shelf-stacker, a stay-at-home dad, an elderly widow and a freelance photographer sound an unlikely bunch of friends but they have one thing in common: they all walk their dogs in Beauville Park at roughly the same time each morning. 

And that’s enough for Angela, bored organiser without a cause, to get them together to form the Dog-walking Club.For Jock the Scottie, Benji the spaniel, Pixie the boxer, Mitzi the poodle and Bassett the … all sorts, walking each day with their friends is a dream come true. And it changes the lives of widowed Sybil who’s spent a lifetime hiding her secret sorrow, hopeless-with-women Jon who’s wandering almost unwittingly into an affair, freelance photographer Jemma who is at every wedding but her own, and Maggi who is frantically trying to save money to visit her family in Australia.

And for long-suffering Angela a nasty shock turns into a new start in disguise for her and her husband – and their love life.

JENA’S REVIEW

The Dog-walking Club by Liz Hinds
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I highly recommend The Dog-Walking club. This book is a big hug of friendship and a cuddly dog by your side and I want you to love it as much as I did. But it’s a quiet, heartfelt and inspirational book, so I’m concerned I won’t be able to convey to you just how pleasing this book is, in a simple book review.

Yes, it’s a book about people who walk their dogs together. I would describe it as “character-driven” and Liz Hinds the author gifts us with a variety of characters- human and dog. Like most of us, each human character has a full life of hopes and dreams along with some speed bumps and detours. (The dogs all seem perfectly happy, walking, chasing sticks and snatching crumbs of cakes.)

The book gives us a wonderful sense of place. We join the characters, who gradually become friends, on their morning walks and it feels like you are walking and talking with them. The narrative flows easily from one character to another. Jemma is a young woman, creating a career in photography and pondering love. Jon is a young family man at a challenging time in his life. Maggi at first glance seems to be rather ordinary- she works in a store, but she has a special goal. Sybil is 82 years old and ends up being the star of the show. They have all been organized into the dog-walking club by Angela, who is transformed by the end of the story. Each character has everyday worries and concerns, but as we get to know them, we learn that each is looking for love and understanding.

The story takes place in an English town.The warm descriptions of tea and cakes certainly helped to increase my delight! I would describe this book as believable, caring, comforting, uplifting and easy to read. But please don’t take that to mean dull or slow- it was an engaging story, with some humor and light moments, and the book was hard to put down. For me, it was evocative of Jan Karon’s “Mitford series”. And I certainly hope that this book becomes part of a series, too. While the character’s lives had settled by the end of the story- there are still many more sticks to throw to romping dogs, and more dreams and plans for this lovely bunch of new friends.

Thanks to Rachel’s Random Review for a digital review copy. This is my honest review.

View all my reviews

Author Bio – 

I’m a golden-retriever-loving granny, who enjoys walking by the sea or in the woods, who eats too much chocolate and gets over-excited when the Welsh team plays rugby.

Writing-wise, I am an experienced freelance writer – published in The Guardian, Christian Herald and various other magazines and newspapers – with an MA in Creative Writing (Trinity College, University of Wales). My short stories have been published inCambrensis(the now sadly-defunct short story magazine of Wales) as well as in several anthologies including Mama’s Baby, Papa’s Maybe(Parthian) and Catwomen from Hell(Honno). I am also the author of several non-fiction books published by Hodder & Stoughton, Scripture Union and Kevin Mayhew.

I have self-published two novels, This Time Last Year, and The Dog-walking Club.

I enjoy speaking about my writing to various gatherings and the media, and am an active blogger, facebooker and tweeter.

My everyday blog: www.liz-and-harvey.blogspot.com

My writing blog: http://notanotherwannabewriter.blogspot.com/

Social Media Links – 

Facebook  @LizHinds99

Twitter @Liz_Hinds99

Pinterest Not Another Wannabe Writer

Giveaway to Win a set of reusable beeswax wraps, three metal straws with a carrying pouch and cleaner, and a face wipe, all in pretty doggy fabric (Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize. http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494249/?

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