Savannah “Van” Leone has been in love with Peter Clarke ever since she literally fell head over heels in front of him on the first day of college. Now, six years later, instead of standing across from him at the altar, Van is standing behind her best friend Janie as maid of honor, trying to mask her heartache and guilt as Janie marries the only man she’s ever loved. Before Van’s mother died, she told Van never to let Peter go, but as the couple exchanges vows, Van wonders if her fairy-tale ending will ever come true. After the wedding, Van drowns her sorrows in Kool-Aid–vodka cocktails and reruns of Rin Tin Tin, and does what any heartbroken woman in her situation would do: She impulsively buys a German Shepherd over the Internet. But the pocket-size puppy Van is expecting turns out to be a clumsy hundred-pound beast who only responds to commands in Slovak. Van is at the end of her rope...until she realizes that this quirky giant may be the only living being who will always be loyal to her, no matter what. Van affectionately names her dog Joe, and together they work to mend the pieces of Van’s shattered heart. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that Joe’s vet is a rugged sweetheart with floppy blond hair and a winning smile. But when the newlyweds return from their honeymoon, Van is forced to decide just how much she’s willing to sacrifice in order to have everything she ever wanted — proving that sometimes life needs to get more complicated before it can get better.
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"I picked this book up randomly as I was wandering around the library and I'm really glad that I did. "Stay" exceeded my expectations. What I thought would be another book about a horribly behaved, yet lovable dog turned out to be a cute romantic comedy that made me smile and wish that Alex was my vet."
— Jenny (4 out of 5 stars)
" Yes, the storyline and characters are predictable.... But it's an enjoyable, quick and light, feel-good book, the kind I like to throw into my mix every once in a while. Perfect for the beach, or while sitting at my child's baseball or soccer practice. "
— Deana, 2/2/2014" very good-feel good story;somewhat predictable ending. Easy quick read. "
— Cathleen, 1/20/2014" Light romantic comedy, with a great dog character, Joe the German Shepherd from Slovakia. Great literature? Probably not. Great fun? Yes. "
— Gwyneth, 1/15/2014" A light, fluffy read with a delightful German Shepherd aiding and abetting the female main character. "
— Deb, 1/10/2014" There's a dog on the front, and I really like dogs. Aside from that, this was terrible. "
— Abby, 1/9/2014" A sweet story and guilty pleasure, and actually very well written. "
— Mjdrean, 1/9/2014" This is a fun, quick read. And while I didn't overly identify with the protagonist, I appreciated all the stories about German Shepherd Joe. The love story was charming and kept me turning the pages. "
— Linette, 1/5/2014" Could not put this down. As a lover of dogs and love stories this is a fantastic read. "
— Aimie, 12/28/2013" Love it. It was great, sweet story. "
— Moe, 12/7/2013" This is a very fun read. If you like a little dog hair mixed into your romantic comedy, you'll love this book! "
— Jackie, 11/11/2013" A very light read -- cute story. "
— Shannon, 8/24/2013" Chick lit with a dog angle. Nice story for a day read. Nice distraction from my typical UF fare. "
— Jenn, 6/15/2013" Delightful. A nice balance of growing pains, friendship, first love, relationships, loss, humor, reality, and sadness, painted over with hope. "
— Anne, 5/9/2013" what to say about this book. One amazing book. A gurl starting off not liking the fact that her best friend married someone (her best friend Peter) and then buying a dog and then falling in love with the dogs vet. What could be more perfect a good book. "
— Erica, 3/7/2013" I am having a really tough time getting into this book. Seems very predictable:( "
— Tara, 11/10/2012" a feel-good book. some laughs, a dog, a mystery, a misunderstood old woman, only one of my pet peeves. "
— Leslie, 11/10/2012" I was trying to give it 3.5 stars but I couldn't make that work........it's a good story overall, predictable and a little sappy, but good. "
— Alicia, 5/28/2012" Cute, easy, quick read. Nothing with a whole lot of depth here, but a nice little break from heavier books. :) "
— Laura, 12/27/2011" Het boek is makkelijk geschreven en leest daarom ook heel lekker weg. Ik kon me af en toe wel een beetje irriteren aan het feit dat het simpel geschreven was. Het is een vrij voorspelbaar boek, maar wel lekker voor tussendoor. "
— Anita, 11/22/2011" Very cute, fun, fast read. It's a few steps above normal chicklit, which I attribute solely to the presence of Joe the Dog. "
— Ali, 10/14/2011" Mmm, it was more of a 2.5. Not bad, I did sit through and read it in one day....but at the same time, I wished there was more romance and less crying and going on about the legacy left behind by the dead mother. "
— Pygmy, 7/22/2011" I loved this book--Read it in two days! The personality of Joe (the German shepherd) really came through! It's an easy read, with a little love story woven in as well...great to read by the pool! "
— Courtney, 6/28/2011" Very cute, fun, fast read. It's a few steps above normal chicklit, which I attribute solely to the presence of Joe the Dog. "
— Ali, 6/7/2011" I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast read,very honest and full of conflicting emotions--just like life. I didn't think I'd enjoy a book that featured a dog prominently, but surprise, it held my interest, as did the dilemma confounding the main character. "
— Sandi, 6/5/2011" Charming story of a broken-hearted damsel, who buys a German Shepherd over the Internet. Joe turns out to be a hundred pound puppy who only understands Slovak. "
— Mary, 5/5/2011" Too cute story but I did laugh out loud several times. And at least it wasn't claiming to be anything more than what it was. "
— Erica, 4/17/2011" I really enjoyed reading this book, but sort of in the way you enjoy a fun chick flick every once in awhile. This isn't notable literature, and it's very predictable but I am still glad I read it. "
— Sarah, 4/14/2011" This was a good one. I really enjoyed it....especially Joe! "
— Jeffrey, 3/29/2011" I enjoyed this book and am eagerly awaiting the Allie Larkin's next book. I think a lot of people can relate to the main character's situation and I'm a sucker for books involving animals, especially dogs. Great book "
— Courtney, 3/13/2011Allie Larkin is the internationally bestselling author of the novel Stay. She has never ordered a dog off the internet or assumed a new identity to attend a high school reunion. When Allie writes, she wears an over-sized circa 1980’s acrylic sweater that is a crime against fashion and good taste in general. She loves Boston. The band, not the city. But the city is great, too. She lives with her husband, Jeremy, their two German Shepherds, Argo and Stella, and a three-legged cat.
Julia Whelan is a novelist, screenwriter, lifelong actor, and multiple award-winning audiobook narrator. She graduated with a degree in English and creative writing from Middlebury College and Oxford University. She is a former child actor who has appeared in multiple films and television shows.