London's Number One Dog-Walking Agency: A Memoir
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- Create Date：2021-07-24 11:31:05
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Kate MacDougall
- ISBN：1665099062
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Ann Green
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For those who acquired dogs during the pandemic or those who just love all things "dog"， this book is a quirky British delight！ The stories are told through the dogs that Kate walks from her newly created company， "London's Number One Dog-Walking Agency"。 Learning from her own rocky relationships and the companionship of the dogs， Kate goes beyond the boundaries of her twenty-something years through her marvelous canine adventures！ For those who acquired dogs during the pandemic or those who just love all things "dog"， this book is a quirky British delight！ The stories are told through the dogs that Kate walks from her newly created company， "London's Number One Dog-Walking Agency"。 Learning from her own rocky relationships and the companionship of the dogs， Kate goes beyond the boundaries of her twenty-something years through her marvelous canine adventures！ 。。。more
Sheryl
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I loved this book。 Although set in London， I could relate to so many of the author’s life experiences: as a daughter， mother， soon-to-be grandmother， wife， home improver， dissatisfied employee， entrepreneur， small business owner， dog owner， and pitiful gravy maker， all with anxiety and occasional panic。 Her descriptions of pets and people are so honest and absolutely hilarious。 I had a rough， stressful week while reading this book and couldn’t wait to find time to get back to it because it felt I loved this book。 Although set in London， I could relate to so many of the author’s life experiences: as a daughter， mother， soon-to-be grandmother， wife， home improver， dissatisfied employee， entrepreneur， small business owner， dog owner， and pitiful gravy maker， all with anxiety and occasional panic。 Her descriptions of pets and people are so honest and absolutely hilarious。 I had a rough， stressful week while reading this book and couldn’t wait to find time to get back to it because it felt like an old familiar comfortable friend who knows me well， loves me anyway， and makes me laugh to forget my troubles。 。。。more
Nelda Brangwin
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With a title like this I was expecting an Alexander McCall Smith type of story and in a way it was， but it just wasn’t as interesting and I couldn’t connect with the characters。 The stories about the dog-walking agency are amusing。 Its an easy and quick book to read for dog-lovers。
Charla Wilson
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What a wonderful book！ The story is a about Kate Macdougal’s efforts toward becoming an adult。 It is about her path to self discovery and happiness。 She describes the steps involved In growing her dog walking business by introducing the reader to some of the many dogs she met along the way and she does so with a wonderful sense of humor。 She learned a lot about herself from the dogs and describes some of the difficulties with the dog owners。 I loved getting to know the dogs and since I too am se What a wonderful book！ The story is a about Kate Macdougal’s efforts toward becoming an adult。 It is about her path to self discovery and happiness。 She describes the steps involved In growing her dog walking business by introducing the reader to some of the many dogs she met along the way and she does so with a wonderful sense of humor。 She learned a lot about herself from the dogs and describes some of the difficulties with the dog owners。 I loved getting to know the dogs and since I too am self employed， I enjoyed reading about her business struggles and how she dealt with them。 But， mostly I just loved getting to know the dogs 。。。more
Stuart Jennings
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If you want to learn about life， READ this book！ ;）Kate MacDougall is a very good writer。。。as this memoir notes！From a dull job she quits。。。to a dazzlingly straight-forward romp thru London， you get to know Kate and the dogs。。。and along theway， quite a few of life's lessons。。。Just a very charming and entertaining story！ And a FUN read！Highly Recommended！ If you want to learn about life， READ this book！ ;）Kate MacDougall is a very good writer。。。as this memoir notes！From a dull job she quits。。。to a dazzlingly straight-forward romp thru London， you get to know Kate and the dogs。。。and along theway， quite a few of life's lessons。。。Just a very charming and entertaining story！ And a FUN read！Highly Recommended！ 。。。more
Alyssa
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I was fortunate to be sent this book at no cost as part of a giveaway。 I found this to be a cute read。 I would have been interested to learn more about the structure and details of the business。 However， I do understand including that information may have not fit quite right with the flow of the book。 This is the perfect book for those who are crazy for canines！
Onceinabluemoon
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I put off reading this thinking chick lit， but I love dogs and had just finished taking my puppy to dog school and thought what the heck！ I was lol very quickly and adored all the dog chatter！ I had planned on giving it 4 stars half way through until I noticed it was a memoir， no wonder it read so well！ Charming book if you're a dog lover。 I put off reading this thinking chick lit， but I love dogs and had just finished taking my puppy to dog school and thought what the heck！ I was lol very quickly and adored all the dog chatter！ I had planned on giving it 4 stars half way through until I noticed it was a memoir， no wonder it read so well！ Charming book if you're a dog lover。 。。。more
Karenna
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Charming book that does a good job of connecting interesting anecdotes and eccentric characters to more universal concepts。 Great gift for dog lovers。
Luanne Ollivier
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At first glance， the cover of Kate MacDougall's new book - London's Number One Dog Walking Agency hints at a fun rom-com read。 Well， there is romance， there is comedy。。。BUT！ This is a memoir - a wonderful recounting of an idea and a life and so much more。 Oh， and dogs。 Lots of dogs。 :o）In 2006 Kate was putting her degree to use at Sotheby’s in London。 But she wasn't happy。 And so， London's Number One Dog Walking Agency was born。 Kate grew up with dogs and quite liked them， but had no special exp At first glance， the cover of Kate MacDougall's new book - London's Number One Dog Walking Agency hints at a fun rom-com read。 Well， there is romance， there is comedy。。。BUT！ This is a memoir - a wonderful recounting of an idea and a life and so much more。 Oh， and dogs。 Lots of dogs。 :o）In 2006 Kate was putting her degree to use at Sotheby’s in London。 But she wasn't happy。 And so， London's Number One Dog Walking Agency was born。 Kate grew up with dogs and quite liked them， but had no special expertise with either dogs or running a business。 And at this point in time， professional dog-walking was in it's infancy。There's so much to enjoy in this memoir。 I loved Kate's 'voice' - her take on life， her honesty， her sense of humor and more， making me wish I could sit down for a cuppa with her。 I'd also like to visit many of the neighborhoods and parks that are the setting for the dog walks。 The book is told in twenty four chapters。 Each chapter begins with how many dogs are being walked in total and the name of the dog featured。 We meet the dogs and their owners， hear about their issues （dog and owner！） and meet their agency walker。I must admit， I am a dog lover。 My favorite dog in the book？ Stanley - a mutt of mixed lineage with his own opinions。 We catch up with many of the dogs as time moves on with additional entries。 Stanley has five or six。 Fair warning - he and his walker， Tom had me reaching for the tissue box。 The walkers are a mixed bag as well， with some working out and some not。 The owners run the gamut - from kind and caring to unbelievably rude and arrogant。 And wound into every chapter is Kate's life as she grows and changes and moves forward。"But， as Kate says， “It’s all down to the dogs” and what they taught her about London - and life。"It's difficult to 'rate' someone's life or experiences。 Thank you Kate for sharing！ I really， really enjoyed your memoir。I chose to listen to London's Number One Dog-Walking Agency。 The reader was Anna Popplewell。 Her voice is very pleasant to listen to - rich and full。 She has a lovely British accent that is easy to understand。 She has lots of movement in her voice and easily captures the emotions and events in the book。 Her reading kept me engaged from first chapter to last。 And she did justice to MacDougall's work。 A great performance 。。。more
Janice Dimock
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Great memoir！ Kate MacDougall had no idea what she was getting into when she started her dog walking business。 She ended up learning a lot- and becoming a therapist for many of her clients！！ Much fun。
Gary Anderson
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Kate McDougall is tired of her low-level job in the corporate world and decides that the best thing to do is launch a dog-walking business。 Although she has no entrepreneurial experience， doesn’t own a dog herself， and her boyfriend doesn’t like dogs， she uses bravado， a few shadings of the truth， and her personal charm to lure her first customers。 From there， London’s Number One Dog-Walking Agency shows Kate’s growing dog-walking company alongside her journey from restless young adulthood to a Kate McDougall is tired of her low-level job in the corporate world and decides that the best thing to do is launch a dog-walking business。 Although she has no entrepreneurial experience， doesn’t own a dog herself， and her boyfriend doesn’t like dogs， she uses bravado， a few shadings of the truth， and her personal charm to lure her first customers。 From there， London’s Number One Dog-Walking Agency shows Kate’s growing dog-walking company alongside her journey from restless young adulthood to a satisfied married-with-children life in rural England。 Kate MacDougall is funny and insightful， and her memoir is full of memorable clients， employees， and of course， the dogs that make it all worthwhile。 Thanks to Goodreads Giveaways for providing an early copy of this enjoyable title。 。。。more
Donna
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I received an early copy of this book in a giveaway and I finished it a couple of days ago but have been debating how to review it。 First， I very much enjoyed the stories of the different dogs and their personalities and thought arranging the chapters by dog was an interesting and fresh idea。 But that was also what threw me off about this book。 It is described as a memoir but I hardly knew the author at all by the end。 The book seemed to be chronological recounting of different clients and the e I received an early copy of this book in a giveaway and I finished it a couple of days ago but have been debating how to review it。 First， I very much enjoyed the stories of the different dogs and their personalities and thought arranging the chapters by dog was an interesting and fresh idea。 But that was also what threw me off about this book。 It is described as a memoir but I hardly knew the author at all by the end。 The book seemed to be chronological recounting of different clients and the extents people go to for their animals， the sadness we visit upon our pets。 I could not find a clear underlying theme about who the author is though， they were nice stories but not connected。 It’s hard to explain but this did not read like a memoir to me and I did take a break from it about halfway through because I just tired of hearing about the neuroses of the dogs’ various owners。 Every dog owner has problems apparently。I did return to it and finished it and found the second half a bit more enjoyable and a faster read。 I’m glad the author wrote this book。 She has a unique take on dogs and owners because of her experience but it’s not a memoir in the classic sense and， though it has some funny moments， it by and large leaves me with a sadness。 。。。more
Molly Sullivan Donnelly
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Happy publishing week to this new memoir that just came out on last Tuesday！ Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review。 In 2006， Kate MacDougall was bored at her job and ready for something new， so she started her own dog walking company。 Due to her hard work and dedication， she grew her business over the years and this memoir tells the stories about Kate getting more clients and hiring many other dog walker Happy publishing week to this new memoir that just came out on last Tuesday！ Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review。 In 2006， Kate MacDougall was bored at her job and ready for something new， so she started her own dog walking company。 Due to her hard work and dedication， she grew her business over the years and this memoir tells the stories about Kate getting more clients and hiring many other dog walkers。 The story takes place in London and is laugh out loud funny as Kate recalls some of her eccentric clients and their dogs， tells stories about some of her employees and the goes over the highs and lows of being the CEO of your own small business。 The story of Kate’s life is told parallel to the journey of her growing her company， which is just as heartwarming as her stories about dogs。 This is definitely a must read for any dog lovers， anyone interested in London （and learning more about all the parks in London that Kate’s business populated） and anyone interested in a light and sweet coming of age story。 。。。more
Kerri
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Kate’s wonderful memoir charts the highs and lows of setting up her dog walking business in London， at the same time as trying to figure out how to be a proper ‘grown up’ whom she assumes is someone with a cheeseboard and a mortgage 😂This beautifully written book is laugh out loud funny， there are so many hilarious anecdotes about the dogs， their owners and their walkers and how the owners were usually more trouble than the dogs！But aside from the humour there is a sensitive side to this book as Kate’s wonderful memoir charts the highs and lows of setting up her dog walking business in London， at the same time as trying to figure out how to be a proper ‘grown up’ whom she assumes is someone with a cheeseboard and a mortgage 😂This beautifully written book is laugh out loud funny， there are so many hilarious anecdotes about the dogs， their owners and their walkers and how the owners were usually more trouble than the dogs！But aside from the humour there is a sensitive side to this book as Kate writes with enormous emotional intelligence about family， anxiety， infertility and grief and there were many touching moments。I fell in love with so many characters; there was Tom the dog walker and his accidental protest against the wealthy。 Naughty but loyal Jack Russell Mabel who was battling with her weight and my favourite， the hilarious dog trainer Dave - they were all fantastically written。 I absolutely loved this charming book， it is brilliantly observed， funny， honest， heartwarming and all about dogs - what’s not to love？ 。。。more
Emily
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Never has a more perfect book been written for me。 I loved everything about this。 It is so niche and cute and lovely， with so many valuable lessons tucked in between the stories of adorable and quirky dogs。 Also， London。
Nidhi Jolly
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Utterly heartwarming， whether or not you like dogs this memoir is so full of charm and warmth that you will love it！ Its not just a memoir about running a business， but about dogs， people， life and all the other bits & bobs。 4。5 stars for making me smile
Jenn
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I won a copy of this book。I knew I was going to like it when I read the blurb for it。 I was very happy to find I was correct in my assessment。 Kate MacDougall took a chance at a new business and found her calling。 Just a really good read。
Emily Bush
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London’s Number One Dog-Walking Agency was a fun look at the ins and outs of a dog walking business。 Kate tells her story of starting the agency （against her mother’s wishes） when she could no longer handle having an inside desk job。 She tells many interesting stories of dogs， walkers， and clients - some hilarious and others cringe-worthy。 Also woven through the stories are Kate’s own stories of family， growing up， and her fears as the business and her family grow。 Thank you to NetGalley and the London’s Number One Dog-Walking Agency was a fun look at the ins and outs of a dog walking business。 Kate tells her story of starting the agency （against her mother’s wishes） when she could no longer handle having an inside desk job。 She tells many interesting stories of dogs， walkers， and clients - some hilarious and others cringe-worthy。 Also woven through the stories are Kate’s own stories of family， growing up， and her fears as the business and her family grow。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy。 。。。more
Ani
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Kate MacDougall quit her boring， but steady job at an auction house in London to start her own dog-walking agency。 Despite the protests and comments from friends and family Kate went ahead with her aspirations and set up a company "London's Number One Dog-Walking Agency"。 Filled with anecdotes of her personal life and stories of dogs and clients alike， this memoir comes across as authentic， funny， and relatable。 The memoir is organized by the different dogs she or her employees walked， which is Kate MacDougall quit her boring， but steady job at an auction house in London to start her own dog-walking agency。 Despite the protests and comments from friends and family Kate went ahead with her aspirations and set up a company "London's Number One Dog-Walking Agency"。 Filled with anecdotes of her personal life and stories of dogs and clients alike， this memoir comes across as authentic， funny， and relatable。 The memoir is organized by the different dogs she or her employees walked， which is unconventional， but very effective。 Stories of the walks， the disasters， the miscommunications， and the complaints presented in a witty and delightful way。 This was a truly fun read that also incorporated Kate's coming of age story allowing readers to witness the company grow from a young women with couple dog walkers and clients to something much bigger。 The lessons from people and dogs and London life offer a fresh， playful， vibrancy。 I highly recommend this book to animal lovers and those looking for refreshingly down to earth memoir that is sure to make you laugh。 。。。more
Elizabeth Fean
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This book tells the story of how Kate MacDougall took the very big step of setting up a dog walking agency。After university she had a number of admin jobs and finally a post at Sotheby's where she became known as Clumsy Kate。 A chance meeting with an old actor friend gave her the idea of dog walking despite her lack of knowledge about setting up a business。 The book tells of her experiences with the dogs， their owners and the dog walkers she employed。 Her partner， Finley was not a dog lover but This book tells the story of how Kate MacDougall took the very big step of setting up a dog walking agency。After university she had a number of admin jobs and finally a post at Sotheby's where she became known as Clumsy Kate。 A chance meeting with an old actor friend gave her the idea of dog walking despite her lack of knowledge about setting up a business。 The book tells of her experiences with the dogs， their owners and the dog walkers she employed。 Her partner， Finley was not a dog lover but was very supportive and even walked a dog occasionally。 Her mother could not understand why she had given up her job to walk dogs。 Kate often asked herself what life was about and despite the difficulties she met such as dogs who didn't want to walk， or were not allowed to get dirty she found the answer in her agency。 This is an easy read and a must for dog lovers 。。。more
Teri
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London's Number One Dog Walking Agency is a light hearted， fun， summertime read that delves into the high stress， customer focused world of dog walkers！ The shenanigans and issues that come up are hilarious， real world concerns that border on ridiculous。 I recommend that you enjoy this read at the beach， on the couch， or on the bus！**I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book。 London's Number One Dog Walking Agency is a light hearted， fun， summertime read that delves into the high stress， customer focused world of dog walkers！ The shenanigans and issues that come up are hilarious， real world concerns that border on ridiculous。 I recommend that you enjoy this read at the beach， on the couch， or on the bus！**I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book。 。。。more
Darla
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This is a memoir you can share with the dog-lovers in your life。 Kate is suddenly without a job in 2006 and decides to start walking dogs。 How hard could it be？ Get some clients， put the dogs on the leash to the park and back home and Bob's your uncle， you are making a living。 Chapter by chapter we see the business evolve。 What I loved was the focus on one dog per chapter with amusing anecdotes and dry humor sprinkled throughout。 Kate is not afraid to poke fun at her own naive assumptions or giv This is a memoir you can share with the dog-lovers in your life。 Kate is suddenly without a job in 2006 and decides to start walking dogs。 How hard could it be？ Get some clients， put the dogs on the leash to the park and back home and Bob's your uncle， you are making a living。 Chapter by chapter we see the business evolve。 What I loved was the focus on one dog per chapter with amusing anecdotes and dry humor sprinkled throughout。 Kate is not afraid to poke fun at her own naive assumptions or give us the straight scoop on an embarrassing situation or two。 I especially enjoyed the bits of a "where they are now" as a part of the Afterword。 This might make you appreciate the dog in your life more。Thank you to William Morrow and Custom House and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Gail O'Connor
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Just couldn't keep my interest。 I needed something warm and fuzzy with that title。 I'm sure everyone else will love it。 Just couldn't keep my interest。 I needed something warm and fuzzy with that title。 I'm sure everyone else will love it。 。。。more
Lori Tatar
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This is a charming story of a woman who launches her own business and finds herself becoming busier and more in demand。 With celebrities and wealthy clients， her agency is highly sought after， and the staff sometimes hard to come by。 Others are perfect for the job， including both the dogs and the human customers。 This is a light， fun read that just feels good。
Marian
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After 4 years in a job that left her bored and restless， Kate MacDougall takes the leap into a new and completely foreign venture for her -- dog walking。 Through sheer determination， MacDougall takes what seems to be a temporary lark and transforms it into a thriving business。Throughout the book， MacDougall introduces her readers to a host of interesting dogs and their even more interesting owners with a fair amount of laugh out loud moments。 But even more important than the dogs and their owner After 4 years in a job that left her bored and restless， Kate MacDougall takes the leap into a new and completely foreign venture for her -- dog walking。 Through sheer determination， MacDougall takes what seems to be a temporary lark and transforms it into a thriving business。Throughout the book， MacDougall introduces her readers to a host of interesting dogs and their even more interesting owners with a fair amount of laugh out loud moments。 But even more important than the dogs and their owners is the transformation of MacDougall herself -- from a not-so-confident business owner who tends to doubt her abilities to a savvy businesswoman with a working force of employees。。 And as the book progresses， we also watch MacDougall as she grows in her relationship with boyfriend， Finlay。A fun and delightful read holding forth the adage that dogs truly are man's best friend。I would like to thank #NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for this ARC in exchange for my review of #LondonsNumberOneDogWalkingAgency。 。。。more
Beccs Eglin
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Premise sounds really cute but it just seems slow but I didn't feel engaged！ Premise sounds really cute but it just seems slow but I didn't feel engaged！ 。。。more
Hannah
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A decent audio book upped this to 3*。 As much of this book was about children than dogs which wasn't what I wanted， personally。 A decent audio book upped this to 3*。 As much of this book was about children than dogs which wasn't what I wanted， personally。 。。。more
Barb
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Heheh， I didn't even realize this was a memoir until about a third of the way in。 Yes， I know。。。 it's RIGHT THERE in the title！ But it had a comical title and cover and from the minute I started it I found it entertaining and fun。 Memoirs are often much more serious。 A cute and somehow improbable main character coming of age story。。。meaning adulthood。 And then to find out it is all true， makes it that much more lovable and endearing。 This will be a bookseller's dream as the audience could be hug Heheh， I didn't even realize this was a memoir until about a third of the way in。 Yes， I know。。。 it's RIGHT THERE in the title！ But it had a comical title and cover and from the minute I started it I found it entertaining and fun。 Memoirs are often much more serious。 A cute and somehow improbable main character coming of age story。。。meaning adulthood。 And then to find out it is all true， makes it that much more lovable and endearing。 This will be a bookseller's dream as the audience could be huge。 Such an interesting view of the pet and pet owner world combined with a young woman's search to find her place in the world outside of her mother's expectations。 I admire the author's skill of observation， but more so her ability to convey those thoughts to us with an insight of a therapist （she's not， of course） and the delivery of a stand up comic （which I would bet she could be）。 She divided her stories， chapters， and years into dog clients。 So we can see the ups and downs of her life and business。 What is nice about this is that they can be short spurts， and if you are busy （as I often am） you can easily put the book down a quick chapter at a time and pick up where you left off。My only criticism is I would get lost in London。 I don't live there， although I have been three times。 Lots of references to neighborhoods and parks that a Londoner would immediately know， just as if this had been set in Manhattan and I would know the specific streets and neighborhood idiosyncrasies。 I was initially tempted to look it all up on Google Earth， but then decided there was too many， so I just sat back and let her describe the situations her business presented in each area。 Everything is lovingly described as is her extraordinary partner。 He is remarkable and certainly central to her life AND the book。 And don't forget the dogs。 Who doesn't love dogs。。。？ Heheh， there are some。 Don't miss this。 A very good book for summer reading :D。 Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways for my copy of the ARC。 It's a gem。 。。。more
SaraFair
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When you love dogs， you probably love dog books。 Mix that dog book with a dog lover’s dream business and you have a winner。 London’s Number One Dog Walking Agency by Kate Macdougal chronicles a crazy idea for a dog walking business， thought up by someone who is new to the canine world。 She tells the tale of her business through all of the quirkiness and complaints。 Another bonus is the detail on London’s neighborhoods and parks， as well as the attitude of those there who could afford such a serv When you love dogs， you probably love dog books。 Mix that dog book with a dog lover’s dream business and you have a winner。 London’s Number One Dog Walking Agency by Kate Macdougal chronicles a crazy idea for a dog walking business， thought up by someone who is new to the canine world。 She tells the tale of her business through all of the quirkiness and complaints。 Another bonus is the detail on London’s neighborhoods and parks， as well as the attitude of those there who could afford such a service。 I enjoyed her use of each chapter as a chronological update and a spotlight on a dog she was walking。 I could have read twice as many chapters on this author’s clients and their dogs。 At the same time， she paralleled her business success with the maturity in her life。 Toward the end of the book， she realizes of the changes within herself and added motherhood since her entrepreneurship began- “Focusing yourself entirely on another human being means that there simply isn’t space for the superfluous anymore。” Her conclusions on the changes in her life were so well put and hit home for me。 I absolutely loved this memoir and would suggest it to fans of All Creatures Great and Small， however more brief， urban and modern。 Highly recommend。 I received a free copy of this book for an honest review。 。。。more
Sarah
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