Pug Hill follows Hope McNeil through the intensely relatable trials and tribulations of her life as a paintings restorer at the Met, as a newly-single singleton, as a girl struggling for confidence in a sometimes all-too-confident world and as the only person to regularly visit Central Park’s Pug Hill without, unfortunately, a pug of her own. Hope declares that Pug Hill, the hotbed of all pug adventures in the city, is to her what Tiffany's is to Holly Golightly. It’s her happy, blissful place where no bad happens and her troubles can’t possibly touch her. And it’s a place infused with the happiness, understanding and charm that encompasses the pug breed. Nothing brings Hope down at Pug Hill – not even the thought of facing her extreme fear of public speaking when she finds herself in the position of preparing a speech for her parents’ anniversary party.

...read my full review, plus a Q&A with the author and giveaway here (ends 12/15/11).