I received a copy of this book through the LT Early Reviewers program.

This story is a real page-turner. From the relatable protagonist to the all too realistic and scary (albeit still partly paranormal) threat, everything about this book worked for me. Possibly the highest praise I can give is that after posting this review, I'm going to look up and read more about the real-world myths and cultures featured in the story. I liked the fact that the dog breed in the centre of it all was an unusual choice and that some time was spent allowing the protagonist to figure out how to accept the fantastical into her thoughts and beliefs. Also, although the book seems to be categorised as a romance, that aspect is thankfully only a small part of the story and the main characters have other motives for interacting as well. Highly recommend for lovers of fantasy, legends and dogs! ( )

I finished reading this half an hour ago and still feel that I am coming down from the high. This book has everything - good writing (first and foremost!); great characters that you can empathise with, flaws and all; ambivalent characters whose motivation is only gradually revealed; hovering menace that is at first all the more threatening because it is unidentifiable; supernatural elements that meld credibly with the real world; moments of deep tragedy (reading the final one, I heard myself squeak "No!"); and a thoroughly satisfying conclusion.

Highly recommended. ( )

Weird. I would have sworn I'd read this before, but nothing was familiar - so I guess I merely admired the cover? I like Durgin, I've read a good many of hers, somehow I must have missed this one. A very rich story, more or less in her usual vein - magic invading a relatively normal life, with an animal (a Welsh Cardigan dog, almost well-portrayed on the cover) as the initial vector. But while the magic is the driving force, the more interesting part of the story to me is Brenna's philosophical insights, into the world and into herself. She's been walked all over by her family all her life - under this new impetus, she finds ways of applying her usual stubbornness and standing up for the right (mostly of animals, occasionally of herself) to her family. She's also trying to balance a Presbyterian upbringing with having apparently summoned a Roman/Celtic god...some fascinating concepts being dealt with there. Great characters - Brenna, Iban, most definitely Druid; the secondary characters, too, have depth and roundness (Emily, Elizabeth, many more). Great story, glad I read it. I'm going to check her oeuvre and make sure I haven't missed any others... Oh yay, there's a (short story) sequel! Hair of the Dog - got it in the anthology The Heart of Dog. ( )

I picked this one up on the recommendation from a friend. There were no expectations on my part, and the first chapter had me really confused. There was a lot of jumping around in time and I wasn't sure who I was supposed to be focused on. I almost stopped reading, but I'm glad I didn't.

Once the background info was set down through those 3 (?) short (thank goodness they were short!) scenes the story settled down to one timeline and one character. That's when I was able to find my footing and enjoy the story. I enjoyed the things I learned about dog grooming. Perhaps this is because I've been trying to groom my own dog for the last year. However, the story really come alive with the creep factor and the supernatural elements. Even the romance felt barely there compared to the dark force haunting Brenna, her land, and ultimately all of humanity. ( )

I picked this one up on the recommendation from a friend. There were no expectations on my part, and the first chapter had me really confused. There was a lot of jumping around in time and I wasn't sure who I was supposed to be focused on. I almost stopped reading, but I'm glad I didn't.

Once the background info was set down through those 3 (?) short (thank goodness they were short!) scenes the story settled down to one timeline and one character. That's when I was able to find my footing and enjoy the story. I enjoyed the things I learned about dog grooming. Perhaps this is because I've been trying to groom my own dog for the last year. However, the story really come alive with the creep factor and the supernatural elements. Even the romance felt barely there compared to the dark force haunting Brenna, her land, and ultimately all of humanity. ( )