Very cute. An enjoyable read. The animal rights aspect is something I find very interesting, and I like the way Evans handled it. I saw in another review that the killing of animals in shelters is what started him writing this book, and that is something I care deeply about--I can't go into kill shelters because I will want to take all the animals home with me! ( )

Current favorite. Going to read it again... and buy it and send out as presents... blackmail people into reading it... Thanks Stephen! ( )

I thought this book was magnificently quirky:) I loved the story between the 'three' main characters, Nick and Lena (and Sancho - the hand puppet), but I felt it read more like a play than a novel. I, also, think that in a novel there can be more than just five or six characters, but for Mr. Evans' first foray into novel writing , he did an excellent job creating a great story about love lost, love re-earned and love fulfilled! ( )

This is the second book I've read in the last two weeks that takes place in Minneapolis, and specifically in the Uptown area. Like the neighborhood, this book is a bit quirky. Nick Ward is delusional - or is he just a man with a lot of imagination and a true dedication to animal rights? Probably all three, and this makes him a very hard man to live with - just ask his ex-wife and ex-law partner Lena Grant. The slightly wacky animal-rights theme is Hiaasen-esque and downright implausible, which detracts from the wistful partly sad/partly giddy tone of the book. Nick and Lena's relationship is frustrating and absolutely on target - Nick's responses to Lena and to life are always skewed. When it comes to doing the impossible because it needs to be done, a person like Nick is either called crazy or a hero, but trying to love him is bound to make a person go insane herself.The two moods - contemplative, sweet/sad whimsy and ballsy take-charge action - didn't mesh for me. However, a fairly great dog puppet named Sancho redeemed much of the book. Worth a try - it's a quick and breezy book, with a unique tone. ( )

I enjoyed the two main characters in this story and found the premise and plot interesting. As an attorney, it's nice to read fiction about lawyers that isn't centered on courtroom melodrama. I also give props to the author for weaving the fate of shelter animals into his storyline. That being said, this book felt a little rushed and underdeveloped. I would have liked to know more about Lena than just how she felt about interacting with Nick. Also, given the extreme highs and lows of the plot, some transitions of normalcy between these events would have made the overall feel more organic. I'm not at all surprised that this author is involved in theater; this is a very visual story that reads a bit more like a play than a novel, but it's still an entertaining read. ( )