A lighthearted novel about a recently divorced middle-aged lady trying to pick up her life again.

You sort of pick out who the right guy will eventually be in the middle of the book, but still have to wait for her to make all the mistakes before they end up together.

Quite a nice, tea-time read, light and fluffy, nothing very spectacular, but I guess one will find familiarity with the very affectionate characters in the story. ( )

Cute book- light reading-- kind of fluffy like dog fur. I can see where it would make a good chick flick. I liked the interaction of adult siblings. ( )

my reviews -- www.pdxwoman.wordpress.com

Movie & Book: Forty-year-old divorced pre-school teacher Sarah, pushed by her family to get dating, sifts through men on an internet dating site. Her personal ad, written by her sister, lands her a date with Mr. Anderson and his dog, which isn't his at all, but that's okay because Sarah's dog isn't hers, either. While Sarah is working out her dating dilemmas (or not), her father is dating at least two women he's met on the net, and her brother faces marital problems.

Book: The Hurlihy family is a rambunctious, sprawling Irish-American family with their noses (lovingly) in each other's business. Sarah, the second sister, with the utmost reluctance, begins to date the men who respond to the personal ad her older sister wrote for her. One of the men is John Anderson, a somewhat geeky, sweet, and not bad looking man who, through the course of the book, becomes more and more attractive to Sarah. Even though he's growing on her, Sarah works hard to keep anything from happening; she fails to call him for weeks after several dates. At the same time she's dating and not dating John, she fights with herself about whether or not to date the newly separated father of her most precocious student. She finally does, only to realize his intense interest in her was all about "the chase". Sarah's not the only one with relationship woes. Her father is dating at least two women he's met on the net, one of whom is Dolly, a completely wacko and sometimes dangerous (she rams the Hurliy's rented tour bus with her car) ardent admirer. Sarah's brother, Micheal, seems headed for divorce, and her oldest sister can't seem to relate to her own daughter, who wants to move in with Sarah.

Claire Cook's "Must Love Dogs" is an okay book. Simple, predictable, cutesy. A good airplane or beach read; you won't be too upset if it "accidentally" gets left behind. Three Regular Ol’ Stars: Read once &/or recommend selectively. It would probably appeal to people interested in the genre (brainless romances) or topic (internet dating).

Movie: The Nolan family is a rambunctious Irish-American family with their noses (lovingly) in each other's business. Sarah (Diane Lane), the second sister, with the utmost reluctance, begins to date the men who respond to the personal ad her older sister wrote for her. One of the men is Jake Anderson (John Cusack), a good looking, hopelessly romantic, just today divorced man. Sarah dislikes him immediately; he can't seem to stop saying things that sound like put downs, even though they aren't. He won't give up, though, and continues to call her for more dates, which all seem to end on a bad note. At the same time she's dating and not dating Jake, she fights with herself about whether or not to date the newly separated father of her most precocious student. The father, Bobby (Dermot Mulroney), turns out to be a bit of a womanizer whose presence convinces Jake to quit wooing Sarah. Sarah's not the only one with relationship woes. Her father, Bill (Christopher Plummer) is dating at least three women he's met on the net, one of whom is Dolly (Stockard Channing), an endearing and ardent admirer who is clearly determined to win him through patience and a terrific sense of humor.

Great performances by Stockard Channing and Christopher Plummer. Many other performances, including Diane Lane, Dermot Mulroney, and several secondary characters, were disappointing: bad timing, unconvincing emotions, obviously "acting". Much changed from original book, which actually helps, as it makes John/Jake Anderson a significant character. Unfortunately, like the book, the movie is simple, predictable, and cutesy. Three Regular Ol’ Boxes of Corn: “That was mildly entertaining.” Watch because it's better than sports; it’s your genre/subject of interest (rom-com); it stars a favorite actor (John Cusack); it’s a genuinely average movie and you love movies. ( )

Eh ... watched the movie first and frankly the book wasn't what I was expecting at all. So, frankly, I didn't like it nearly as much as the movie and it just didn't seem that great. ( )

There are many books out that focus on relationships - past and present, failed and successful - and how to remedy them. In fact, many books take a humorous approach to the personal ads. Claire Cook's Must Love Dogs is the best of that group. She has written a sweet yet amusing book that takes a good attitude towards dating, without making it the focus of the story. This is my first Claire Cook novel, and I found she reminds me of Sara Lewis. ( )