The Must Love Dogs series: Must Love Dogs (#1) Must Love Dogs: New Leash on Life (#2) Must Love Dogs: Fetch You Later (#3) Must Love Dogs: Bark & Roll Forever (#4)
Sarah Hurlihy knows how to move on to the next guy. But she really, really doesn't want to do that anymore. What she wants to figure out is how to stick around and make things work with John Anderson. But John's suggestion for a romantic trip to canine camp before Sarah's job as a preschool teacher gears up again is sounding anything but romantic, and Sarah and her sisters are worried about their father's new girlfriend, Sweepstakes Sally. And there's a hot new male teacher at Bayberry Preschool. Could it be that what Sarah wants and what she needs are two entirely different things?
CLAIRE COOK wrote her first book in her minivan at 45. At 50, she walked the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of the adaptation of her novel Must Love Dogs, starring Diane Lane and John Cusack, which is now an 8-book series. Claire is the New York Times, USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author of 25 books for 40-to-forever women, including her latest series, Bonus Time.
If you have a buried dream, take it from Claire, It's Never Too Late to Shine On!
Stay in the loop for new releases, giveaways, inspiration and insider extras at ClaireCook.com.
Must Love Dogs: Fetch You Later By Claire Cook Marshbury Beach Books December 19, 2014 1942671105 978-1942671107 328 pages Contemporary Women's Fiction
"Funny and heartwarming, Fetch You Later reflects Cook’s ability to inject comedy into everyday circumstances, supplying a remarkable and compelling read.”
With book three of Ms. Cook's "Must Love Dogs" series the reader is again reunited with Sarah Hurlihy and her down-to-earth yet humorous family. The story commences when Sarah along with her sisters, Carol and Christine rush to their childhood home to meet their dad's fourth, or is it fifth girlfriend? After their mother's passing, their father's choice of women escalates from the goofy to the downright wacky. They stumble into the house filled with boxes, and upon questioning their father, they learn his new love "Sweepstakes Sally" introduced him to entering and winning sweepstakes and contests. Of course, Sally doesn't show, giving the girls more cause to consider this woman's plans. Sarah soon leaves to meet her colleagues, Lorna and Gloria at the Bayberry Preschool where they are teachers. Summer is almost over and they want to prepare their classrooms for a new year. Sarah brings some of the loot from her dad's winnings, such as disinfectant wipes along with other items she can put to good use. Though Sarah loves her job, neither she nor her friends care the founding owner, Kate Stone, their boss and principal, whom they lovingly refer to as the "bitch", but not to her face, of course. Lorna is livid upon discovering she is assigned a different room from the one she's had and loved for years. It is now the province of a handsome new teacher, Ethan Buchanan. Sarah becomes suspicious of him and Kate's agenda when Sarah's assistant is assigned to him as well. They believe Kate and he are lovers, only to later learn Ethan is Kate's godchild. So much for nepotism. Next comes Sarah's boyfriend--is that a term used for mature women? She and John Anderson have been seeing each other for a while, though without a firm commitment. He works and lives in Boston, and Sarah, who loves her coastal town of Marshbury would never consider moving to the city or expect John to relocate to the beach. Therefore, they make do with occasional sleepovers and seem agreeable with the arrangement. The many multi-dimensional characters offer charm and humor in this novel depicting an ordinary family. With their quirks and nuances they bring laugher and worry, drawing the reader in to become more than a bystander. Billy, Sarah's dad is charming with his wit and loony yet affectionate commentary, such as: "What's cookin' good lookin?" and "Now where in tarnation did they put the thingamahoosie that keeps things private around here?" Though the third book in Ms. Cook's series, one does not need read the previous two, but most assuredly will want to. Funny and heartwarming, Fetch You Later reflects Ms. Cook's to inject comedy into every day circumstances, supplying a remarkable and compelling read.
THIS REVIEW IS ALSO POSTED AT THE NEW YORK JOURNAL OF BOOKS WEBSITE
I also want to add that I'm hoping Ms. Cook is writing another book(s) in this series. I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to more!
Claire Cook has done it again. In Must Love Dogs: Fetch You Later I got back in touch with the Hurlihys. They are a family I have come to believe are an extended branch of my own family. Sarah is a wonderful character wading through the murky waters of romance while at the same time trying to head a normal life, despite the interferences of a loving, but quirky family. Besides carrying on their own lives, Sarah and her sisters Carol and Christine, spend a lot of time trying to save their outrageous father from the pitfalls of senior citizen romance. Just when they thought they were safe because Dad and "Sugar Butt" were no longer an item, along comes Sweepstakes Sally. Once again the girls must make a plan ad intervene to save Dad from certain doom. I seem to spend a lot of the time I'm reading this series with a smile on my face. Other times I just laugh at the pictures Claire has planted in my mind. I highly recommend this book if you want to have some fun with your next read. I'd also advise that if you haven't read the first two installments, start at the beginning and enjoy the ride!
Claire Cook has once again given us an entertaining look into the world of reinvention through the hilarious struggles of preschool teacher Sarah Hurlihy. Anyone who has a large family will empathize with Sarah as she deals with her father's latest dating mishaps and her intrusive sisters, all the while trying to sort out her own mixed up relationship. Sarah and her sisters feel like close friends. Sarah steals our hearts once more as she deals with the challenges of a long distance relationship and the hilarity of a less than romantic weekend at Doggie Camp. Claire Cook has such an upbeat style, it is always a pleasure to escape into her stories. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down. If you want a fun escape, you will love this book. I can’t wait to see what happens next for Sarah and John.
Claire Cook and the Hurlihy family strike again! The adventures of the Hurlihy family continue with lots of laughter, love, and high jinks. While Sarah and her sisters are trying to keep their father out of the clutches of a senior sweepstakes vixen, Sarah is also trying to save her preschool co-workers from a new, overachieving male teacher, and keep her romance with John (and his puppy, Horatio) on the front burner. Claire Cook, in Fetch You Later - Book 3 of her Must Love Dog series, continues to delight and amuse with the misadventures of the Hurlihy family. You don’t need to read these books as a series, but I highly recommend getting all three, and becoming a part of the amazing and amusing Hurlihy family!
The third installment of the Must Love Dogs series, Fetch You Later, continues with the comical and touching adventures of Sarah Hurlihy, her family and friends. Ms. Cook has a gift for drawing the reader in to her stories. Fetch You Later is a mix of comedy, romance, and a touch of drama. Sarah is struggling over her relationship with John. She and her sisters are trying to reign in their father, who seems to have gotten himself involved in a dubious situation. And, to add to that, Sarah finds herself having to work with the changes that have occurred at work. Ms. Cook has managed to work these different scenarios into a well written and most enjoyable read. This reader looks forward to more adventures with the Hurlihy clan.
How she does it, I don’t know, but Claire Cook has once again crafted a winner. Book 3 of her wildly popular MUST LOVE DOGS series is an addictive read. It’s hilarious and touching on multiple levels, and, besides being thoroughly entertaining, this book digs deep into the tender areas of the human heart where miscommunications and misconceptions whip up a storm of insecurity and doubt. I love Sarah Hurlihy and her delightfully flawed family, and though this book can easily be read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend starting at the beginning and reading the series in order.
I loved this book. It was wonderful to be back in the company of Sarah and her family. I feel like I am friends with Sarah and her sisters. This book felt so real. So many funny and surprising moments. I laughed out loud many times, but also was moved by some poignant moments. I actually was sad when I finished it, because I miss them. I can't wait for the next one!
If you like preschool and self-sabotage in your relationships then this is the book for you. I will admit to skimming. We do get a HEA so all ends well.
This third segment of the Must Love Dogs series brings more tribulations for Sarah Hurlihy as she and gentleman friend John continue to negotiate their long-distance relationship. When John invites Sarah to join him and his pup Horatio at a “doggie camp,” a lot of tensions and misunderstandings ensue and must be straightened out. Sarah also has problems at the preschool where she teaches. Her supervisor (“the Bitch”) has given her classroom to a new handsome guy (who turns out to be the boss’s godson), and Sarah must readjust. But she does so with so much creativity and aplomb. I love reading of all Sarah’s ideas to keep little kids learning and having fun. Then her ex-husband and his wife turn up at the school and want to enroll their twins. Awkward! And as always, Sarah and her close-knit sisters must help their irrepressible widowed dad, who has a propensity to get involved with, well, screwball women, and never seems to learn his lesson, with the ups and downs of his love life.
The story was mildly entertaining but there was no real point to the story. The plot kind of meandered and while it was a feel good story it left the reader frustrated with the main character who is pretty self absorbed. It was a quick read and if you like cats you will appreciate the length the author goes to describe the cat interactions.
I had read the first 2 books in the series and while waiting for the next one to come out, lost track of this author. I recently came across this third book in the series, and it was as good as the first two. A Fun and easy read, I will be going straight into book 4.
As a reader, there’s nothing I love more than finding a set of characters I absolutely adore and learning that I don’t have to say goodbye to them thanks to a sequel. With the release of Must Love Dogs: Fetch You Later, Claire Cook has gone the extra mile, giving us a third installment featuring the beloved Hurlihy clan. I was thrilled to catch up with Sarah and co. again, and while I know the holidays are not the time to be greedy, devouring this book left me wanting more, more, more.
Fetch You Later revisits preschool teacher Sarah Hurlihy, the funny, relatable heroine we first met nine years ago in Must Love Dogs. This time around, Sarah is juggling changes at work, family drama with her forever-dating-the-wrong-woman father, and her still-newish relationship with John Anderson and his Yorkie/Greyhound companion, Horatio. (Hey, they’re a package deal.) Adding to the tension is a new teacher at Sarah’s school, her dad’s recent sweepstakes obsession (maybe getting him that lappertopper wasn’t the best idea), and Sarah and John’s first romantic getaway together—to a canine camp, which could sound hilarious or kind of awesome, depending on who you ask. When life starts pulling her in multiple directions, Sarah must decide what she wants, what she needs, and what she’s willing to compromise for a shot at happiness.
Claire Cook is a master at creating quirky, real characters and putting them in hilarious situations that somehow feel completely zany and totally believable at the same time. Fetch You Later had me in stitches, and never once did I feel like this was something I’d read before. I adore Sarah, her large family, and her co-workers, especially the new, accident-prone teaching assistant, Polly. Even Horatio the dog is a fully realized character—and as any dog lover will tell you, dogs have more personality in their adorable little tails than most people. These characters are so engaging I would probably enjoy reading about them sitting around discussing dish soap, but fortunately, the plot here is fresh, heartfelt, and always moving forward—not to mention laugh-out-loud funny. Even in the hubbub of Christmas shopping and holiday preparations, I found myself sneaking away to devour the next chapter (or five), desperate to find out what was going to happen next.
And maybe a little desperate to find out if there are actually places out there like Camp Winnabone. Campfire howl alongs sound pretty fantastic. Not asking for myself, of course.
If you haven’t read the first two Must Love Dogs books, you should still be able to dive in, because Fetch You Later does stand on its own. However, I recommend reading all three in order, because you will not want to miss one bit of Sarah’s journey. Once you pick up this series, you will not be able to put it down. Whether they’re watching Brady Bunch reruns or trying to wrestle their father away from another kooky girlfriend, I never want to see the Hurlihys’ adventures come to an end. I can’t wait to find out what they—and Claire Cook—have in store for us next.
In the third book in the Must Love Dogs series, we have the great pleasure of visiting the world of Sarah Hurlihy, John Anderson, her family, and friends yet again. We pick up a little after the previous book left off. Sarah and John are developing their relationship and a new school year is around the corner. Everything seems to be going great even though Sarah’s sisters still question when she is going to mess this one up.
As John and Sarah decide to go on a road trip to dog camp, things start to get a bit interesting. On the side, her father is hooked up with the “sweepers”. No, they are not a gang of elderly men trolling the streets, but they are a group dedicated to winning those sweepstakes that you see all over the place. There is a new teacher at the preschool where she works that took her friend's classroom and Sarah’s assistant which forced her to have to find a new one.
As one thing leads to another as Sarah’s relationship with John is tested. They must decide if this is something they both want and what the future will bring for the two. Oh…and Sarah’s ex-husband makes an appearance…you are not going to want to miss that!
To say that I love this series is an understatement. No matter what mood I am in, opening up one of these books just brings a smile to my face. Claire Cook sets the scene and lets her characters grow into who they are supposed to be. She gives them just enough rope to swing in what ever direction that they need to, but never compromising the reality that is dealt with in the story. There are issues. There is hurt. There is a reality to all things within the story. It just so happens that they are all mixed in with funny quips, crazy antics, and laughable moments.
The Must Love Dogs series is probably one of my top five go-to set of books when I hear that a new book is coming out. I have said it once and I will say it again. I love Claire Cook and her books!
Claire Cook's Must Love Dogs books are addictive guilty pleasures. No, they are not serious, or literature but dang, they make me grin. I love the characters - and even when they do stupid things, I see myself doing the same thing. I really did enjoy this one. I loved the preschool scenes- sounds like worksites I have known. I really did laugh, and will be looking to see if she writes another followup.
I didn't think this was as funny and interesting as the first two, but wanted to see what happens in the Hurlihy family. Sarah's dad is into sweepstakes and now a lady wants to marry him. The family has to get him out of it. Also--Sarah is starting up school again. There's a new teacher that seems to have an inroad with the director. John signs Sarah and himself up for a Canine camp and takes Horatio. This last problem causes some friction and problems. Will they get past this?
Enjoyable, humorous read. Always great to catch up with these characters...like your favorite friends. My pet peeve....don't put a golden retriever on the cover if there is not one in the book!!!!!! Hate that...how hard is it to make a cover that features a breed featured in and something applicable to the book???!!! Yes, goldens sell books by being on the cover, but it tends to tick off the golden lover to read the entire book, looking for the golden to make an appearance....and nothing!!!
Another one knocked out of the park! Fantastic romantic comedy light enough to sit on the beach with and in depth enough to not lose interest. As always, the recipe gentle tucked in the pages is something I always try and enjoy. With the story line being so realistic, it is very easy to relate to Sara or her sisters at any given time. When is the next one coming????
I thoroughly enjoyed this latest installment in the Must Love Dogs series! Sarah and her family continue to entertain me with their antics. I'm looking forward to the next one, Claire!!! :o)
Feel-good, funny story featuring the delightful Hurlihy family of characters. I'm so glad Cook decided to extend this into a series and am looking forward to the fourth installment.
I'm really enjoying Must love Dogs series. I wanted to rate this a 5 star like the previous 2 but as I kept waiting for the plot of the book to unveil itself, I was surprised to find I was already at the end. Without giving any spoilers, this installment mirrored too much of what happened in book 2. Hopefully the next book adds something new to the story.
I loved this series. I think I relate to it because of my early chlldhood background. I loved the characters, humor and the family togetherness. I will finish the next 2 books in the series.