Matt Dunn

A bit convoluted (so much miscommunication and so many assumptions!) at times, this was ultimately a fun Valentine's Day rom-com about five people who work for an internet start-up in London. Sophie loves Nathan, who organizes the office's annual Anti-Valentine's Day outing. She works for Julie, who loves Mark, who loves her back, only neither is sure of the others' feelings. And Calum is getting ready to meet the woman he's been matched with on a dating site for the first time. As the day unfolds, we see how these five people approach the quandaries of modern-day love and dating. It's not great literature, but it was an often-funny, sweet but not treacle-y read.

4 stars… (mer)

This is deliciously cheesy and clichéd but great fun. A pug called Doug (well, the clue's in the title) becomes the matchmaker between Julie, who's in a not-going-anywhere relationship with a married man, Luke, ("it's complicated"), and the much-better-suited Tom the vet (or rather, Vee E Tee, so Doug doesn't freak out).

It's told from Doug's point of view (endorsing the fact that dogs are frightfully perceptive and intelligent!). It's funny, it's endearing and delightfully feel-good.

My only niggles are that, from what I can make out, Dunn is British…so why the very annoying Americanisms, spelling and punctuation...'gotten', 'color', 'honor', etc.? That and that the characters never seem to be able to finish a sentence and Julie, quite frankly, needed a damned good shake over her infatuation with the unctuous toad that is Luke. The present-tense narrative, never my favourite, was just unnecessary.

However, my enjoyment far, far outweighed those little bugs, and I'm delighted to find that the author has penned a dozen or so other books, which I shall certainly seek out when I need some humorous, witty and light-hearted entertainment.… (mer)

This is a fun little book about a Pug named Doug. Although I don't usually like stories where the animal thinks and act like a human, little Doug was a treasure. I received this book from SweetReads, and although it would not be a book that I would normally buy, I enjoyed reading it. Doug's owner Julie is a bit much to take though. For a woman of 35 years old, Julie is very immature, and can't seem to think for herself. Good thing she has her Dad, her friend Priya and her husband Sanj, and of course, Doug. This is a fun little book that sets Julie on an adventure to find a new beau, to replace her married, self-absorbed jerk of a lover. Doug is the driver in this book, and it is through his tenacity that Julie finds someone who can love and appreciate her the way Doug thinks she deserves to be treated.… (mer)