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An Unexpected Grace
From bestselling author Kristin von Kreisler comes a poignant, uplifting novel of one woman's journey to healing, and the surprising soul mate that helps guide her there.
Lila Elliot knows she's lucky. A shooting rampage at her office left several colleagues dead and others seriously wounded. Lila's injuries will heal in time. Yet though she gratefully retreats to her best friend's house to recuperate, Lila can't quite move past her fear and anger. Being drafted into caring for Grace--a shaggy, formerly abused golden retriever--only adds to her stress. Lila has been terrified of dogs since childhood. But Grace, like Lila, needs time and space to recover.
Grace keeps her distance, sensing Lila's wariness, and only perks up for Adam, the neighbor who rescued her. Though struggling to make sense of her recent tragedy, Lila, an accomplished artist, begins to see beauty in Grace's wisps of fur and haunted eyes. As Adam points out, Grace, too, has suffered through no fault of her own. And in helping Grace to trust, Lila is being gently nudged toward the courage she needs to do the same.
Rich in warmth and humor, An Unexpected Grace is a story of compassion and connection, and of finding that what truly makes us whole again may be the love we give away.
Lila Elliot knows she's lucky. A shooting rampage at her office left several colleagues dead and others seriously wounded. Lila's injuries will heal in time. Yet though she gratefully retreats to her best friend's house to recuperate, Lila can't quite move past her fear and anger. Being drafted into caring for Grace--a shaggy, formerly abused golden retriever--only adds to her stress. Lila has been terrified of dogs since childhood. But Grace, like Lila, needs time and space to recover.
Grace keeps her distance, sensing Lila's wariness, and only perks up for Adam, the neighbor who rescued her. Though struggling to make sense of her recent tragedy, Lila, an accomplished artist, begins to see beauty in Grace's wisps of fur and haunted eyes. As Adam points out, Grace, too, has suffered through no fault of her own. And in helping Grace to trust, Lila is being gently nudged toward the courage she needs to do the same.
Rich in warmth and humor, An Unexpected Grace is a story of compassion and connection, and of finding that what truly makes us whole again may be the love we give away.
252 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
336 people are currently reading
1705 people want to read
About the author
Kristin von Kreisler
15 books158 followersKristin von Kreisler was born on October 4, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, and all her life she has loved and rescued animals. She writes bestselling books about them and has spoken about their welfare on Coast to Coast to 560 U.S. cities and on the Voice of America to 123 million people.
Only after rescuing a desperate laboratory beagle did it occur to her that she could also help animals by writing about them. After two critically acclaimed nonfiction books about animal emotion, she wrote four novels that feature beloved dogs, who protect and encourage their people through contemporary problems. In the national bestseller, AN UNEXPECTED GRACE, an artist and a golden retriever help each other recover from violence and abuse. In Kristin's most recent story, A REASON FOR HOPE, a Labrador retriever courthouse dog comforts a bookmobile librarian as she fights for justice after a grievous assault.
Kristin's award-winning books have been translated into twelve languages, and her articles have appeared in anthologies, textbooks, and national newspapers and magazines, such as the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Stanford Magazine, Woman's Day, and Reader's Digest. She has taught English at the University of Hawaii and journalism at California State University at San Jose.
Kristin lives on an island in Washington with her husband, John, and their beloved Lab, Bridget. Kristin says she'd rather work in her garden than breathe. Her kale grows to looming giants, and her lavender and catmint are sirens calling bees. From her desk she watches ospreys and seals, and every hour a ferry passes by. She and John have just renovated a historic Victorian farmhouse, where the island's first postmistress and sheriff once lived with their seven children.
Only after rescuing a desperate laboratory beagle did it occur to her that she could also help animals by writing about them. After two critically acclaimed nonfiction books about animal emotion, she wrote four novels that feature beloved dogs, who protect and encourage their people through contemporary problems. In the national bestseller, AN UNEXPECTED GRACE, an artist and a golden retriever help each other recover from violence and abuse. In Kristin's most recent story, A REASON FOR HOPE, a Labrador retriever courthouse dog comforts a bookmobile librarian as she fights for justice after a grievous assault.
Kristin's award-winning books have been translated into twelve languages, and her articles have appeared in anthologies, textbooks, and national newspapers and magazines, such as the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Stanford Magazine, Woman's Day, and Reader's Digest. She has taught English at the University of Hawaii and journalism at California State University at San Jose.
Kristin lives on an island in Washington with her husband, John, and their beloved Lab, Bridget. Kristin says she'd rather work in her garden than breathe. Her kale grows to looming giants, and her lavender and catmint are sirens calling bees. From her desk she watches ospreys and seals, and every hour a ferry passes by. She and John have just renovated a historic Victorian farmhouse, where the island's first postmistress and sheriff once lived with their seven children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 345 reviews
May 7, 2014
I purchased this book out of spontaneity, as it was on sale at Wal Mart; as well, the adorable Golden Retriever on the cover caught my attention. The synopsis on the back cover also sounded like something I would be interested in reading. Sad to say, but this was a regretful purchase. It was underwhelming, and the story felt like it lacked heart.
The book is about a woman named Lila Elliot, an aspiring artist who works an ordinary office job. One day, at work, an ex-colleague came in and shoots up the place, killing some and injuring many. Lila is one such injured victim. Her best friend Cristina takes Lila in at her home to take care of her after the incident, at the same time she is fostering a previously abused dog, a Golden Retriever, named Grace. Lila hates dogs but puts up with Grace to be thankful for Cristina’s generosity and care.
Not too long afterwards, Cristina has to leave with her husband and children for six months (for a business trip of her husband’s). She asks Lila to continue staying at her home, rent-free, and insisting she pick up her artistry again. Her only request is that Lila also take care of Grace, with her ulterior motive being that maybe Lila will like Grace and adopt her. Lila is extremely hesitant to do this, but in the end agrees. Over time, Lila and Grace bond, helping one another let go of their respective pasts and moving forward in life.
Having finished this book in its entirety, my first feeling was one of relief — that this book is over. It just … wasn’t very good. My biggest complaint is the character of Lila. There was absolutely nothing to like about Lila, and she was kind of creepy as well. I get it, she was a victim and was suffering from some undiagnosed PTSD, but the way she was written just made me want to shake her shoulders and tell her to, “Let it go!!!” Examples: she began to make wide sweeping generalizations about men being evil, she began to stalk the family members of her shooter to find “closure”, she moaned and complained at home about being helpless to do anything, she was rude and mean to the people who wanted to help her … and more. What’s more, a big part of the book was centered on Lila finding closure with the shooting. Yet, in the end, she anti-climatically decides that, whatever, he was just a psycho.
Her relationship with Grace, the Golden Retriever, was eye roll worthy. First of all, it was established that Lila hates dogs (due to her idiocy in childhood of approaching a stray dog that ended up biting her hand, but she’s convinced herself that all dogs are just people killers now, whatever). So, her best friend Cristina thinks it’s a good idea to have Lila, who is in recovery and can barely care for herself, take care of a dog, alone, while she is away …? That was the first thing that made me questioned the common sense of all these characters. So naturally, Lila hates Grace the whole time, thinking Grace is going to chew her up to bits, even though Grace has done NOTHING to make her think she is aggressive. Then one day, Lila decides to give Grace away, only to have second thoughts and claim Grace back. All of a sudden, Lila is in love with Grace and can’t live without her. Talk about a 180 degree turn! There was no building of a relationship at all, Lila just went from hating Grace to being best friends with Grace in less than a day. I craved an explanation as to how a person who hated dogs most of her life can become a fervent dog lover after attempting to give the dog away, but there was no explanation.
Then for the next several chapters, Lila and Grace’s relationship took a backseat to Lila’s relationship with male character, Adam. Adam is a neighbour and the one who brought Grace to Cristina’s home initially looking for a home for her. Lila disliked Adam from the beginning and was quite rude to him. Adam was actually the only character I thought that had any sense in this story, and actually told Lila off a couple times for being overly negative and irresponsible. Suddenly one day, after Adam helps Lila give Grace a dog bath, Lila finds Adam super attractive and goes on dates with him and yeah, they are together. I have no idea what they saw in one another all of a sudden, because every interaction between them prior was rather negative.
I also think this story has some minor illogical plot hole stuff going on. I couldn’t stop questioning why Cristina and Adam insisted Grace had to be kept at Cristina’s home while they found a new home for her. The story is that Adam stole the dog from his neighbour who had been abusing the dog, and put her at Cristina’s house temporarily while they found a new home. Adam even said they had to keep it a bit hush hush since he didn’t want the neighbour to know he stole Grace. However, they put up posters around town with Grace’s picture (a photo that INCLUDES Adam!) to try to find her a home. Are they not worried that the neighbour will see the posters?!
I’m wholly unimpressed with this novel. The lack of proper relationship building between characters was my biggest issue. I don’t even really see how Grace helped Lila heal at all, or vice versa. I expected a warm, touching story between human and dog and instead, got a very lackluster story about the world’s most annoying gunshot victim ever.
The book is about a woman named Lila Elliot, an aspiring artist who works an ordinary office job. One day, at work, an ex-colleague came in and shoots up the place, killing some and injuring many. Lila is one such injured victim. Her best friend Cristina takes Lila in at her home to take care of her after the incident, at the same time she is fostering a previously abused dog, a Golden Retriever, named Grace. Lila hates dogs but puts up with Grace to be thankful for Cristina’s generosity and care.
Not too long afterwards, Cristina has to leave with her husband and children for six months (for a business trip of her husband’s). She asks Lila to continue staying at her home, rent-free, and insisting she pick up her artistry again. Her only request is that Lila also take care of Grace, with her ulterior motive being that maybe Lila will like Grace and adopt her. Lila is extremely hesitant to do this, but in the end agrees. Over time, Lila and Grace bond, helping one another let go of their respective pasts and moving forward in life.
Having finished this book in its entirety, my first feeling was one of relief — that this book is over. It just … wasn’t very good. My biggest complaint is the character of Lila. There was absolutely nothing to like about Lila, and she was kind of creepy as well. I get it, she was a victim and was suffering from some undiagnosed PTSD, but the way she was written just made me want to shake her shoulders and tell her to, “Let it go!!!” Examples: she began to make wide sweeping generalizations about men being evil, she began to stalk the family members of her shooter to find “closure”, she moaned and complained at home about being helpless to do anything, she was rude and mean to the people who wanted to help her … and more. What’s more, a big part of the book was centered on Lila finding closure with the shooting. Yet, in the end, she anti-climatically decides that, whatever, he was just a psycho.
Her relationship with Grace, the Golden Retriever, was eye roll worthy. First of all, it was established that Lila hates dogs (due to her idiocy in childhood of approaching a stray dog that ended up biting her hand, but she’s convinced herself that all dogs are just people killers now, whatever). So, her best friend Cristina thinks it’s a good idea to have Lila, who is in recovery and can barely care for herself, take care of a dog, alone, while she is away …? That was the first thing that made me questioned the common sense of all these characters. So naturally, Lila hates Grace the whole time, thinking Grace is going to chew her up to bits, even though Grace has done NOTHING to make her think she is aggressive. Then one day, Lila decides to give Grace away, only to have second thoughts and claim Grace back. All of a sudden, Lila is in love with Grace and can’t live without her. Talk about a 180 degree turn! There was no building of a relationship at all, Lila just went from hating Grace to being best friends with Grace in less than a day. I craved an explanation as to how a person who hated dogs most of her life can become a fervent dog lover after attempting to give the dog away, but there was no explanation.
Then for the next several chapters, Lila and Grace’s relationship took a backseat to Lila’s relationship with male character, Adam. Adam is a neighbour and the one who brought Grace to Cristina’s home initially looking for a home for her. Lila disliked Adam from the beginning and was quite rude to him. Adam was actually the only character I thought that had any sense in this story, and actually told Lila off a couple times for being overly negative and irresponsible. Suddenly one day, after Adam helps Lila give Grace a dog bath, Lila finds Adam super attractive and goes on dates with him and yeah, they are together. I have no idea what they saw in one another all of a sudden, because every interaction between them prior was rather negative.
I also think this story has some minor illogical plot hole stuff going on. I couldn’t stop questioning why Cristina and Adam insisted Grace had to be kept at Cristina’s home while they found a new home for her. The story is that Adam stole the dog from his neighbour who had been abusing the dog, and put her at Cristina’s house temporarily while they found a new home. Adam even said they had to keep it a bit hush hush since he didn’t want the neighbour to know he stole Grace. However, they put up posters around town with Grace’s picture (a photo that INCLUDES Adam!) to try to find her a home. Are they not worried that the neighbour will see the posters?!
I’m wholly unimpressed with this novel. The lack of proper relationship building between characters was my biggest issue. I don’t even really see how Grace helped Lila heal at all, or vice versa. I expected a warm, touching story between human and dog and instead, got a very lackluster story about the world’s most annoying gunshot victim ever.
May 30, 2015
I had this book for awhile on my shelf. I guess I may sensed that I might not like it. It was just not great, but it wasn't terrible. The character of Lila was a bit of a pain. Storyline was okay. What I really disliked were the voices in Lila's head, that had names, Crazy Aunt, The Pleaser, and the worst Horny Guttersnipe. I could have done without those!
August 1, 2014
2.5 stars, maybe. I just really did not like Lila, the main character. She is supposed to be tall and strong and driven to create ART! but I found her whiny and negative and a taker. The premise is that she dumps a cheating boyfriend and has to find a job and an apartment, both crappy. A crazed gunman shoots up the office, killing many of her co-workers. She is badly wounded, and moves in with her best friend to recover. The friend has Grace, a foster golden retriever, rescued from an abusive situation. Oh, yeah - Lila hates dogs. She was bitten by a dog as a child, and still thinks they are scary.
The turnaround from Lila being afraid of Grace to can't-live-without-her didn't ring true. Nor does her recovery - both physical and mental - from being shot. The police don't visit her in the hospital. One doctor mentions that she might need counseling, but when Lila says no, he shrugs and says whatevs.
And then, of course!, there is a handsome dog lover! Adam rescued Grace, but can't keep her because he stole her from a neighbor. The fact that he likes Lila even though she is so whiny and negative ring false. (examples of things she says to him include "don't be so critical", "I saw it first")
Just, ugh.
The turnaround from Lila being afraid of Grace to can't-live-without-her didn't ring true. Nor does her recovery - both physical and mental - from being shot. The police don't visit her in the hospital. One doctor mentions that she might need counseling, but when Lila says no, he shrugs and says whatevs.
And then, of course!, there is a handsome dog lover! Adam rescued Grace, but can't keep her because he stole her from a neighbor. The fact that he likes Lila even though she is so whiny and negative ring false. (examples of things she says to him include "don't be so critical", "I saw it first")
Just, ugh.
May 19, 2014
I was very disappointed in this book. I loved Grace, the golden retriever, but she was the only shining spot (she made me give the book a two star rating, rather than a one). Lila, the main character, was one of the worst characters I've ever read. While I understand her feeling of victimization due to circumstances at the beginning of the book, she was hard to like. Her constant blaming of everyone else was irritating, especially as she often had a role to play! She generalized too much, at one point stating that all men were violent and cheaters...I found myself rolling my eyes at that. Her growing love for Grace made her a bit more endearing but the way she'd acted earlier about dogs was ridiculous.
I found the writing style was not my cup of tea either. Far too many similes and metaphors...there were often two or three on one page and they were usually unnecessary and silly in my opinion.
Overall, a very quick read, but not one I would recommend.
I found the writing style was not my cup of tea either. Far too many similes and metaphors...there were often two or three on one page and they were usually unnecessary and silly in my opinion.
Overall, a very quick read, but not one I would recommend.
September 4, 2014
Minuses:
- strong overuse of simile & metaphors (many rather trite ones)
- first chapter is not enticing enough to pull in reader or make one connect/care about main character
- main character is unrealistic, extremely one-dimensional, unsympathetic, changes too abruptly (even her tragic experience does not warrant much compassion for her as a person)
- predictable plot (except for Lila's journey/focus on finding an answer she never really does)
Pluses:
- Grace is an enjoyable character, worth caring for
- Secondary character, Betsy, is a wise, motherly sage I'd like to have known more about
- noble premise, just needed character alterations to make it effective
- Favorite part: (p. 234)
The curve of Betsy's smiling lips straightened, and the silver dolphins hanging from her ears got as still as stone. "Don't worry . . . ."
"I'm afraid . . . . " Lila's lungs felt like they were filling up with mold.
"Oh, Lila, won't you ever learn? Your negative thoughts can create a negative reality."
. . . . "I've never felt so helpless. I'm scared . . . ."
"You can't give up your search."
. . . . "Why do these awful things keep happening?"
"That's not the right question. Ask, 'What's the meaning in this crisis? What's it trying to teach?'" Betsy said. "Hard times can be gifts. They can force us to change and get us where we're meant to be."
- strong overuse of simile & metaphors (many rather trite ones)
- first chapter is not enticing enough to pull in reader or make one connect/care about main character
- main character is unrealistic, extremely one-dimensional, unsympathetic, changes too abruptly (even her tragic experience does not warrant much compassion for her as a person)
- predictable plot (except for Lila's journey/focus on finding an answer she never really does)
Pluses:
- Grace is an enjoyable character, worth caring for
- Secondary character, Betsy, is a wise, motherly sage I'd like to have known more about
- noble premise, just needed character alterations to make it effective
- Favorite part: (p. 234)
The curve of Betsy's smiling lips straightened, and the silver dolphins hanging from her ears got as still as stone. "Don't worry . . . ."
"I'm afraid . . . . " Lila's lungs felt like they were filling up with mold.
"Oh, Lila, won't you ever learn? Your negative thoughts can create a negative reality."
. . . . "I've never felt so helpless. I'm scared . . . ."
"You can't give up your search."
. . . . "Why do these awful things keep happening?"
"That's not the right question. Ask, 'What's the meaning in this crisis? What's it trying to teach?'" Betsy said. "Hard times can be gifts. They can force us to change and get us where we're meant to be."
November 29, 2015
Lila is recovering from being shot, when en employee "went postal." All she wants to know is "why?" She has PTSD and she hates dogs. Grace is a very abused Golden Retriever, who just wants someone to love her forever. She gets left in Lila's care, while people try to find her a "forever" home.
I will be honest here...I almost did not finish this book. I hated the way Lila behaved whenever she was by Grace. I hated the things she thought about her. However, I kept reading and Lila soon found that she loved Grace and never wanted to be without her. All's well that ends well, I guess.
I didn't like the way Lila thought of her different personalities, either. We have the Pleaser, the crazy Aunt and the Horney Guttersnipe. That was also just about too much for me.
Would I recommend this book to anyone? No.
I will be honest here...I almost did not finish this book. I hated the way Lila behaved whenever she was by Grace. I hated the things she thought about her. However, I kept reading and Lila soon found that she loved Grace and never wanted to be without her. All's well that ends well, I guess.
I didn't like the way Lila thought of her different personalities, either. We have the Pleaser, the crazy Aunt and the Horney Guttersnipe. That was also just about too much for me.
Would I recommend this book to anyone? No.
November 12, 2017
I've had this on my to-read list for a long time, because I thought it was a true story. I bought it second hand and STILL thought it was a true story (due to the photo on the cover) and then a chapter in realized it was fiction. Still though, I thought I might still like it, but I never recovered from this stumble. It wasn't the only problem, just the first.
Then I didn't really like Lila, and she was who I was meant to like. That made all her relationships problematic for me (ESPECIALLY Adam) I felt like she was justified in her fears and insecurities, and everyone around her basically told her to let it go and move on. She was shot, her work colleagues killed, and yet not long after while she is still physically recovering everyone thinks she has a bad attitude and seem to constantly judge her (ESPECIALLY Adam) like ???
Grace is cute though, but not enough to pull this book together. Two stars.
Then I didn't really like Lila, and she was who I was meant to like. That made all her relationships problematic for me (ESPECIALLY Adam) I felt like she was justified in her fears and insecurities, and everyone around her basically told her to let it go and move on. She was shot, her work colleagues killed, and yet not long after while she is still physically recovering everyone thinks she has a bad attitude and seem to constantly judge her (ESPECIALLY Adam) like ???
Grace is cute though, but not enough to pull this book together. Two stars.
November 13, 2013
Review also found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...
I received this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
**Disclaimer** I read this book while curled up with my two and a half year old Golden Retreiver so my opinion may be biased**
Without going in to the storyline too much, this is a story about someone who survives a traumatic incident and must learn to move on in the aftermath. Along with this is the story of a dog, Grace, who has also survived some horrific actions. Together they assist each other in getting past their mutual horror's and learn to trust again.
Dog lovers would really enjoy this book. I saw many similarities between Grace and my dog Maya. From the way that she does things on her own time, the way she only wants to be loved, the way she greets at the door with a toy in her mouth and a cry and the way she must always be touching some part of me. Von Kreisler must be an avid Golden Retriever/dog lover or she researched their mannerisms very well. She could have easily been writing about my dog.
The bottom line is that this story reflect the unconditional love that a dog gives and their ability to provide comfort and healing to us regardless of what they have been through themselves. Any dog lover will appreciate the journey of Grace and Lila.
I will caution that a dog lover may not rave about this story as much as I have. The highlight of this novel for me was Grace and others may not enjoy the rest of the storyline. Lila's inability to get past what happened to her at times seemed a little much however I have not experienced what she went through so I should not judge harshly. Also the relationship between Lila and Adam was a little odd for me. Adam took a little while to warm up to even though I knew what he was trying to accomplish with Grace and Lila. Once he was more present in the storyline things picked up however at that point I feel their relationship went to fast.
At the end of the day if you are a dog lover with your own furry friend who owns you then you will appreciate this read. It read like a love story to my dog.
I received this ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
**Disclaimer** I read this book while curled up with my two and a half year old Golden Retreiver so my opinion may be biased**
Without going in to the storyline too much, this is a story about someone who survives a traumatic incident and must learn to move on in the aftermath. Along with this is the story of a dog, Grace, who has also survived some horrific actions. Together they assist each other in getting past their mutual horror's and learn to trust again.
Dog lovers would really enjoy this book. I saw many similarities between Grace and my dog Maya. From the way that she does things on her own time, the way she only wants to be loved, the way she greets at the door with a toy in her mouth and a cry and the way she must always be touching some part of me. Von Kreisler must be an avid Golden Retriever/dog lover or she researched their mannerisms very well. She could have easily been writing about my dog.
The bottom line is that this story reflect the unconditional love that a dog gives and their ability to provide comfort and healing to us regardless of what they have been through themselves. Any dog lover will appreciate the journey of Grace and Lila.
I will caution that a dog lover may not rave about this story as much as I have. The highlight of this novel for me was Grace and others may not enjoy the rest of the storyline. Lila's inability to get past what happened to her at times seemed a little much however I have not experienced what she went through so I should not judge harshly. Also the relationship between Lila and Adam was a little odd for me. Adam took a little while to warm up to even though I knew what he was trying to accomplish with Grace and Lila. Once he was more present in the storyline things picked up however at that point I feel their relationship went to fast.
At the end of the day if you are a dog lover with your own furry friend who owns you then you will appreciate this read. It read like a love story to my dog.
November 27, 2013
I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley. I can honestly admit that I did not enjoy this book much at all. I found myself struggling to get through it, but finally accomplished that task last night because I refused to give up. I did rate the book 3 stars, but only because of Grace, the dog. I found the main character, Lila, totally unlikeable. The author did a great job of making me serious dislike a woman who was victimized and shot by a janitor at work. In my opinion, the problem with Lila is that she was a constant victim. She so much wants to find out why the janitor shot several people in her office, including her, but I really felt that she just wanted to make sure she wasn't part of the reason why he did such an act. Also, my BIGGEST hangup is that this woman blamed all dogs to the point where she indicated the world would be better off with no dogs at all. She was bit as a child, and instead of accepting responsibility because she chose to pet all dogs without hesitation, she blamed all dogs.
Adam was more enjoyable as a character except for one major flaw, he continued to allow a woman who did not like dogs, and who was a poor caretaker for one, keep caring for Grace. The ending was predictable, and although Lila grew some toward the end, I found her character to be unredeemable. Grace was an awesome character, who continued to look for love despite her horrible treatment in the past, and because of that, I do not consider the book a total waste. Read this if you enjoy dogs, but if you are a huge dog lover, beware, you may find this book as hard to complete as I did.
Adam was more enjoyable as a character except for one major flaw, he continued to allow a woman who did not like dogs, and who was a poor caretaker for one, keep caring for Grace. The ending was predictable, and although Lila grew some toward the end, I found her character to be unredeemable. Grace was an awesome character, who continued to look for love despite her horrible treatment in the past, and because of that, I do not consider the book a total waste. Read this if you enjoy dogs, but if you are a huge dog lover, beware, you may find this book as hard to complete as I did.
April 1, 2014
You can't judge a book by its cover is true! I was a sucker for the cover photo (and what dog lover wouldn't be), and that was the reason for picking up this book. Unfortunately, this book is less than mediocre...A very formulaic plot, with a predictable ending. A middle school student could probably have written this novel. It reminded me of a harlequin romance novel, and had about as much substance. Best part of this book really was the cover photo.
March 20, 2016
I'm a total dog lover, so I was really excited to read this book. The premise seemed interesting as well. While I liked reading about Grace, the dog, I really disliked Lila, the main character. I also found the writing really subpar. The author uses a TON of metaphors and similes (too many), and a lot of them actually were kind of offensive as well. I was altogether underwhelmed by the book. I still like Grace though. Haha.
August 3, 2020
This book ripped out my heart and wrung it out and put it back all mushed and ishy. I seriously got tired of Lila and the way she treated Grace. I couldn't for one more page put up with Grace being ignored and not wanted. I almost threw the book across the room. This was NOT what my emotions needed right now! I'm glad it was a happy ending, but I sure went through hell to get to that ending! GOSH!
July 5, 2017
The only positive thing I can say about this book, was the promotion of adopting animals, not buying them. Other than that I had three huge problems with this book.
1) Lila is horrible to Grace through most of the book, including taking her to the animal shelter and trying to get random strangers to take her. It is one thing to be scared of dogs, it is another to be cruel to a dog who had been abused in the past. WTF?????
2) Christina and Adam left a formally abused dog with a woman who clearly hated dogs and stated so many times. No rescue group with anything would leave a helpless dog with such a bitch. I repeat, WTF???????
3) Christina and Adam basically told Lila she should get over what happened to her. That is NOT how to help someone the PTSD.
Seriously, everyone in this book were assholes, poor Grace is stuck with these jerks!
1) Lila is horrible to Grace through most of the book, including taking her to the animal shelter and trying to get random strangers to take her. It is one thing to be scared of dogs, it is another to be cruel to a dog who had been abused in the past. WTF?????
2) Christina and Adam left a formally abused dog with a woman who clearly hated dogs and stated so many times. No rescue group with anything would leave a helpless dog with such a bitch. I repeat, WTF???????
3) Christina and Adam basically told Lila she should get over what happened to her. That is NOT how to help someone the PTSD.
Seriously, everyone in this book were assholes, poor Grace is stuck with these jerks!
January 15, 2014
Gorgeous cover (5 stars). Precious Grace (golden retriever) (5 stars). The main character - 2 stars. I have very little tolerance for non-dog lovers. Yes, she redeemed herself, but only right before I was ready to slap her. Kreisler does a great job though of describing Grace. Love, love Grace and she is the reason I kept reading. Otherwise, predictable. Some readers complained that they didn't find out the real reason for the shooting. 99% of the time I would be in agreement, but in this situation, not knowing was more realistic, and, ironically, understandable (why does anyone do horrible things - are there reasons or excuses?). I also give Kreisler credit for not putting the dog in additional harms way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2016
This is a tough review for me. I'm a sucker for a story with a dog in it, especially when the dog is special as in this book. Without the dog, this was barely 2 stars. The lead character is selfish. Not just in how she shuns the dog, but how she is shallow and self absorbed even before the violence occurred. Get over yourself already. As the character questions if a parent has anything to do with their child becoming violent, I question whether an author might be projecting their own self absorption in her lead character. In my opinion, Grace was to good for them both!
March 26, 2014
I had trouble reading this book at first because I love animals so much. I couldn't fathom that someone could hurt a dog. I own two golden retrievers! And then the main character didn't like dogs. I couldn't relate to her. I really disliked the main character in this book but I loved Grace and Adam. The author did manage to capture the common characteristics of a golden retriever which is why I bought this book in the first place.
July 11, 2015
I found the main character to be a bit annoying throughout and it was predictable. However, I will always love a book about dogs and their power to love, forgive, and guide us through difficult times.
August 30, 2015
A story of rescue, both for the dog and the woman, each going through trauma. sweet story!
August 17, 2019
Synopsis:
Lila Elliot knows she's lucky. A shooting rampage at her office left several colleagues dead and others seriously wounded. Lila's injuries will heal in time. Yet though she gratefully retreats to her best friend's house to recuperate, Lila can't quite move past her fear and anger. Being drafted into caring for Grace - a shaggy, formerly abused golden retriever--only adds to her stress. Lila has been terrified of dogs since childhood. But Grace, like Lila, needs time and space to recover. Grace keeps her distance, sensing Lila's wariness, and only perks up for Adam, the neighbour who rescued her. Though struggling to make sense of her recent tragedy, Lila, an accomplished artist, begins to see beauty in Grace's wisps of fur and haunted eyes. As Adam points out, Grace, too, has suffered through no fault of her own. And in helping Grace to trust, Lila is being gently nudged toward the courage she needs to do the same. (Goodreads)
Review:
The premise of this book is a good one, in my opinion. An abused dog and a highly damaged human bonding and forming a healing relationship is a feel- good concept that I really enjoyed.
I really liked Grace, I thought she stole the show. I felt her mannerisms, her actions and the way she had “selective hearing” made her she very real to me. I loved the way she showed unconditional love even though she was abused. Lila was not one of my favorite people, her dislike of dogs was over-the-top for me. I did not think Lila had very many redeeming qualities.
The writing style was a bit choppy for me and did not flow as smoothly as I would have liked. Some sentences just seemed awkward to me, but that is only my opinion. I thought the cover of the book is adorable and I just wanted to pet Grace and give her big hugs.
Like I said before, the premise of this book is a good one and I got to meet Grace, a loving, forgiving dog. Her whole goal was to have someone to love and be loved by. I am glad that I read this book and I would recommend it to dog lovers.
Lila Elliot knows she's lucky. A shooting rampage at her office left several colleagues dead and others seriously wounded. Lila's injuries will heal in time. Yet though she gratefully retreats to her best friend's house to recuperate, Lila can't quite move past her fear and anger. Being drafted into caring for Grace - a shaggy, formerly abused golden retriever--only adds to her stress. Lila has been terrified of dogs since childhood. But Grace, like Lila, needs time and space to recover. Grace keeps her distance, sensing Lila's wariness, and only perks up for Adam, the neighbour who rescued her. Though struggling to make sense of her recent tragedy, Lila, an accomplished artist, begins to see beauty in Grace's wisps of fur and haunted eyes. As Adam points out, Grace, too, has suffered through no fault of her own. And in helping Grace to trust, Lila is being gently nudged toward the courage she needs to do the same. (Goodreads)
Review:
The premise of this book is a good one, in my opinion. An abused dog and a highly damaged human bonding and forming a healing relationship is a feel- good concept that I really enjoyed.
I really liked Grace, I thought she stole the show. I felt her mannerisms, her actions and the way she had “selective hearing” made her she very real to me. I loved the way she showed unconditional love even though she was abused. Lila was not one of my favorite people, her dislike of dogs was over-the-top for me. I did not think Lila had very many redeeming qualities.
The writing style was a bit choppy for me and did not flow as smoothly as I would have liked. Some sentences just seemed awkward to me, but that is only my opinion. I thought the cover of the book is adorable and I just wanted to pet Grace and give her big hugs.
Like I said before, the premise of this book is a good one and I got to meet Grace, a loving, forgiving dog. Her whole goal was to have someone to love and be loved by. I am glad that I read this book and I would recommend it to dog lovers.
May 20, 2023
The cover is absolutely adorable but completely misleading lol. Yes the book does have a golden retriever as a character but no it is not the sole focus of the story til the second half of the book. The main character Lila is morose and so self interested that it took me forever to like her. Then there is Adam. Mr self righteous himself out to save the world, one dog at a time. All Kreisler characters are flat. Just dont fall in love with any of them!
May 17, 2019
I enjoyed this book mainly as it gave a perspective to help understand two sides re why someone would “ go postal” as the term implies. The unconditional love of animals can help heal even the most horrid tragedy and look towards forgiveness.
October 27, 2018
I couldn’t pass up a book with a cover like that, and I wasn’t disappointed! Golden’s rule!!
June 30, 2016
From bestselling author Kristin von Kreisler comes a poignant, uplifting novel of one woman's journey to healing, and the surprising soul mate that helps guide her there. Lila Elliot knows she's lucky. A shooting rampage at her office left several colleagues dead and others seriously wounded. Lila's injuries will heal in time. Yet though she gratefully retreats to her best friend's house to recuperate, Lila can't quite move past her fear and anger. Being drafted into caring for Grace--a shaggy, formerly abused golden retriever--only adds to her stress. Lila has been terrified of dogs since childhood. But Grace, like Lila, needs time and space to recover.
Grace keeps her distance, sensing Lila's wariness, and only perks up for Adam, the neighbor who rescued her. Though struggling to make sense of her recent tragedy, Lila, an accomplished artist, begins to see beauty in Grace's wisps of fur and haunted eyes. As Adam points out, Grace, too, has suffered through no fault of her own. And in helping Grace to trust, Lila is being gently nudged toward the courage she needs to do the same.
Rich in warmth and humor, An Unexpected Grace is a story of compassion and connection, and of finding that what truly makes us whole again may be the love we give away.
I picked An Unexpected Grace on Netgalley cause it seemed like it might be a good read, and truly it was. It's one of the only books that focuses around dogs where the dog doesn't end up dead in the end. I wished there'd been a real answer about what caused the shooting, despite all of Lila's searching. They never went to see the girlfriend, and never really got anywhere with that part of the story - yes, Lila started healing because of Grace, but she never got the answer that she so desperately wanted. As a reader, I certainly wanted to know.
I also wanted to see more of Adam and Lila building an actual relationship that we got an itty bitty glimpse of in the end. I just wanted more, in all aspects of the book.
Grace keeps her distance, sensing Lila's wariness, and only perks up for Adam, the neighbor who rescued her. Though struggling to make sense of her recent tragedy, Lila, an accomplished artist, begins to see beauty in Grace's wisps of fur and haunted eyes. As Adam points out, Grace, too, has suffered through no fault of her own. And in helping Grace to trust, Lila is being gently nudged toward the courage she needs to do the same.
Rich in warmth and humor, An Unexpected Grace is a story of compassion and connection, and of finding that what truly makes us whole again may be the love we give away.
I picked An Unexpected Grace on Netgalley cause it seemed like it might be a good read, and truly it was. It's one of the only books that focuses around dogs where the dog doesn't end up dead in the end. I wished there'd been a real answer about what caused the shooting, despite all of Lila's searching. They never went to see the girlfriend, and never really got anywhere with that part of the story - yes, Lila started healing because of Grace, but she never got the answer that she so desperately wanted. As a reader, I certainly wanted to know.
I also wanted to see more of Adam and Lila building an actual relationship that we got an itty bitty glimpse of in the end. I just wanted more, in all aspects of the book.
June 21, 2024
People like to attribute meaning where there isn’t any and this book is filled with lame pontifications on the universe and fate.
Grace was the only redeeming feature of this story. The author described her perfectly (as anyone who has had Goldens could tell you!) and she made reading this worthwhile. The cover art is also beautiful and I will keep this book just for that.
On the other hand, Lila and Adam were HORRIBLE. Lila was so full of rage, hate, negativity and entitlement. She had so much anger coursing through her veins and she had multiple (and named!) personalities was... odd. Adam was also entitled and an idiot to boot. The two of them were infuriating and made this a challenge to read. The juxtaposition between these two idiots and Grace was profound.
The story itself was fast, I read it in a few hours, and predictable. There were far too many trite metaphors in the story and dialogue as well.
Goldens are so sensitive and my heart broke that Grace was dumped with that horrible Lila woman. She needed special care and attention and Lila was never going to give that to her. The Humane Society should have done it’s due diligence and confiscated Grace for her own safety. It was obvious Lila has no idea how to care for a dog and in most jurisdictions, the injuries on Grace would be enough to take her into protection and slap Lila with a boatload of cruelty charges. It winds me up that this didn’t happen.
At the close, the “romance” between these two awful people was just stupid. As much as these two arschlochs deserved each other, Grace didn’t. She deserved a better life.
I have read a few books where I flat-out loathed the main character but this really takes the cake.
Grace was the only redeeming feature of this story. The author described her perfectly (as anyone who has had Goldens could tell you!) and she made reading this worthwhile. The cover art is also beautiful and I will keep this book just for that.
On the other hand, Lila and Adam were HORRIBLE. Lila was so full of rage, hate, negativity and entitlement. She had so much anger coursing through her veins and she had multiple (and named!) personalities was... odd. Adam was also entitled and an idiot to boot. The two of them were infuriating and made this a challenge to read. The juxtaposition between these two idiots and Grace was profound.
The story itself was fast, I read it in a few hours, and predictable. There were far too many trite metaphors in the story and dialogue as well.
Goldens are so sensitive and my heart broke that Grace was dumped with that horrible Lila woman. She needed special care and attention and Lila was never going to give that to her. The Humane Society should have done it’s due diligence and confiscated Grace for her own safety. It was obvious Lila has no idea how to care for a dog and in most jurisdictions, the injuries on Grace would be enough to take her into protection and slap Lila with a boatload of cruelty charges. It winds me up that this didn’t happen.
At the close, the “romance” between these two awful people was just stupid. As much as these two arschlochs deserved each other, Grace didn’t. She deserved a better life.
I have read a few books where I flat-out loathed the main character but this really takes the cake.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2014
I feel like this book had a lot of lost potential. The concept was great and I was expecting a deep, heart-warming story between a broken woman and dog... It was heart-warming, but not very deep. A lot of emotional detail was lost, I think. I was confused at how the main character's view on dogs was changed so drastically in such a short amount of time. Yes, she grew to love Grace, but how? There wasn't much of a clear explanation or transition. It made no sense to me. There could have been a lot more detail.
I also wasn't a huge fan of the writing style. Too many metaphors and similes smooshed together on a page to make it seem poetic.
Also, the romantic subplot... It seemed pointless and cliche and added in just for the sake of having romance. As soon as the guy was introduced, I knew that he and the main character would end up together. Their relationship made no sense at all to me. They ended up together because every book needs to have a romantic subplot, right? Their relationship felt disconnected to the rest of the story.
Overall, the story had a lot of potential. The book was very predictable, as if it were written from a formula. I enjoyed the dog aspect, though. Grace is the only reason why I'm giving this a two-star rating instead of a one. Also, it definitely could have gone without the romantic subplot and dived deeper into the emotions of the main character.
A quick read that I had to force myself to finish. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
I also wasn't a huge fan of the writing style. Too many metaphors and similes smooshed together on a page to make it seem poetic.
Also, the romantic subplot... It seemed pointless and cliche and added in just for the sake of having romance. As soon as the guy was introduced, I knew that he and the main character would end up together. Their relationship made no sense at all to me. They ended up together because every book needs to have a romantic subplot, right? Their relationship felt disconnected to the rest of the story.
Overall, the story had a lot of potential. The book was very predictable, as if it were written from a formula. I enjoyed the dog aspect, though. Grace is the only reason why I'm giving this a two-star rating instead of a one. Also, it definitely could have gone without the romantic subplot and dived deeper into the emotions of the main character.
A quick read that I had to force myself to finish. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2014
Each step of the way, I saw a bond occurring yet, the luster of this story never fades. I wanted to go back and hug my own family dogs with each chapter, and relayed that negativity, pain, and healing all occur within the timeframe of friendships on many different situations. It sounds like a story might be cheesy from the short quotes on the cover, but in reality - this book is anything but. Unexpected are the questions at the end of the text to allow further discussion, but going into the story, someone not fond of dogs at all is won over by her heart. That part is as real as the forgiveness that flows out of all the characters. A truly good feel text that helps a mediocre day become a great one.
December 7, 2014
It's hard to know who's in more need of rescuing: Grace, the titular golden retriever, or Lila, recovering from being shot during a rampage in her San Francisco office.
Yet, this unlikely pair winds up sharing quarters during Lila's recovery. Lila, having been bitten by a dog in her youth, is terrified of Grace. Grace, for her part, is recovering from abuse and is terrified of everyone.
Lila works on her art while Grace, and handsome neighbor Adam, work on Lila's heart.
I loved the author's voice in this book, as she gave life to Lila's inner world: sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic. The narrative of watching both a human and a dog recover from PTSD was thoroughly enjoyable.
Yet, this unlikely pair winds up sharing quarters during Lila's recovery. Lila, having been bitten by a dog in her youth, is terrified of Grace. Grace, for her part, is recovering from abuse and is terrified of everyone.
Lila works on her art while Grace, and handsome neighbor Adam, work on Lila's heart.
I loved the author's voice in this book, as she gave life to Lila's inner world: sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic. The narrative of watching both a human and a dog recover from PTSD was thoroughly enjoyable.
August 5, 2018
I read this book quickly largely because I was determined to finish it although I found the main character annoying and unsympathetic. She was so self absorbed and so unkind I was just frustrated with her. At the end of the book I felt sorry for those in her life as I have no faith that when she encounters problems (in spite of now having a dog) she will revert to the self centered individual she was at the beginning of the story.
The inspiring aspect of the book is that there are people who will put up with her kind of behavior and continue to be helpful and caring toward her.
The inspiring aspect of the book is that there are people who will put up with her kind of behavior and continue to be helpful and caring toward her.
August 3, 2014
there are a few things that will make me toss a book down without even trying to finish. Abuse, whether to people or animls is one of the quickest. For someone who survived a horrendous ordeal, she was really abusive to two people she knew nothing about. and allowed two cops to be rude to her. I didnmt even make it to my normal 30pages minimun.
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