O Quanto Amamos

by W. Bruce Cameron

Uma lição de vida. Um romance inesquecível sobre lealdade, generosidade, o poder redentor do amor... e a ternura que o olhar de um cachorrinho inspira até no mais insensível dos corações.
Após o fim traumático de uma relação amorosa, Josh Michaels decidiu isolar-se do mundo. Tudo corria como planeado até ao dia em que um vizinho abandona uma cadela à sua porta. O momento não podia ser pior.

Josh está deprimido e nunca antes teve animais de estimação mas há algo de que tem absoluta certeza: nunca será cruel para com um ser vivo. Ainda que inexperiente, está disposto a dar o seu melhor para que a meiga Lucy se sinta protegida. Mas nada o podia preparar para o facto de Lucy estar grávida e, pior, prestes a dar à luz. Em pânico, pede ajuda ao abrigo de animais local. É aí que conhece Kerri, uma aguerrida defensora dos animais que o vai ajudar a cuidar de Lucy e a preparar os cachorrinhos para adoção. E não só... A relação entre ambos rapidamente se intensifica e dá a Josh a esperança que ele pensava perdida para sempre.
Sem mãos a medir perante tantas mudanças, Josh fica surpreendido consigo mesmo ao aperceber-se do quanto ama a sua nova vida. Mas todas as relações precisam de entrega e dedicação totais.
Contra todas as expectativas, Josh construiu um lar... mas terá aberto verdadeiramente o seu coração?

Genres: Christmas, Fiction, Animals, Romance, Dogs, Holiday, Contemporary

200 pages, Capa Mole

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

I’ve always loved dogs, which puts me in a unique category along with what, maybe two or three billion people?

What’s not to love about an animal who will sit in your living room all day long, waiting for you to get home, and even if you need to work late and then stop for a stress-relieving beverage on your way home, when you unlock that front door, is absolutely overjoyed to see you? How could you not adore an animal who senses when your day is not going well and tries to cheer you up by dumping a sodden tennis ball in your lap?

I was probably 8 years old, playing in the back yard of our house in Prairie Village, KS, when my dad opened the gate and in rushed a 9-week-old Labrador puppy. I fell to my knees and spread my arms and that dog leaped into them as if we had loved each other our whole lives. It’s a scene that shows up in A Dog’s Purpose—a puppy and a boy meeting each other the very first time, both of them full of unrestrained joy.

We named the dog Cammie. She arrived in my life when I was just beginning to connect some of the dots in my memory to make a picture of who I was, forming my identity as a child. I remember every skinned knee and bicycle ride in the context of Cammie, who was always there for me. And I lost her just as I was starting to leave childhood behind, passing on after I’d spent a year in college. That’s Cammie, the dog of my childhood.

Years later I was riding my bicycle in the mountains outside of Pine, CO. A chance decision to bounce down a dirt road led me past a few scattered ranches and one small house near a creek, set back from the road at least 50 yards. A single “woof” from a dog caught my attention, and I braked and stood in the dry, clear air, regarding the dog who had called out to me.

She was on a chain by the house, and a fence stood between us, so I remained on the road even though I could see that the dog, a black lab mix with a crazily active tail, was clearly friendly. I gazed at her and the dog sat, attentive, staring into my eyes exactly the way my first dog, Cammie, used to look at me, really seeing into me.

And that’s when the thought hit me. What if this wonderful dog was Cammie? What if dogs live over and over again, and always remember us?

I dismissed the thought, waved at the dog, and rode away, but days later the idea came back to me. What if?

I’ve been a writer my whole life, but never have I ever written anything as important as A Dog’s Purpose.

I can’t promise you that A Dog’s Purpose will make you love your dog more—how could it do that? But I’ll tell you what a lot of people have told me: after reading A Dog’s Purpose, you’ll never look at your dog the same way again.

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is adorable.

After reading 2 other books by Cameron (A Dog's Purpose and A Dog's Journey) I was happy when a friend lent me The Dogs of Christmas to read. The author took a bit of a different approach with this one. Although dogs are definitely involved, The Dogs of Christmas is more of a romance novel.

My favorite thing about Cameron's other 2 books I read was that the dogs were the narrators. The Dogs of Christmas is not told from a dog's point of view. The narrator is Josh, who unexpectedly becomes a dog owner.

Even though it's not quite what I was expecting, it was still an entertaining book. I laughed from time to time and of course the dogs were a charming addition to the story.

[Leila · Rating 5 out of 5]

'A Dog for Christmas' is a light and readable tale with the main theme being all about the bond between dogs and humans which can be unbreakable. Life suddenly changes for a young man living alone who is conned into taking in a heavily pregnant dog (Lucy) allegedly on a temporary basis.He knows nothing about keeping a dog and consequently is totally out of his depth. As the story unfolds there are themes of love, learning, trust and romance. The season of Christmas does figure in the story.I feel for me... it doesn't reach the impact of "A Dog's Purpose" written by this author. However it is a charming tale and eminently suitable for a "Christmas read"

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a total sucker for anything dog or Christmas related, so I just about died when I saw this book. While I thought it was cute and heartwarming, I wasn’t blown away.

Josh Michaels is a heartbroken man, living alone in the mountains of Colorado. When his neighbor abandons her pregnant dog, Lucy, at Josh’s place, he is not happy at all. He has never owned a dog, has no interest in owning a dog, and is panic-stricken about what he will do with her and her puppies. When he calls the local animal shelter about the situation, he meets Kerri, a spunky animal lover who sparks something in his heart again. While she prepares him and the pups for their adoption, in the annual “Dogs of Christmas” event, he realizes that not only has he fallen for Kerri, but he has also fallen for his new dog family. The thought of saying goodbye to them is heartbreaking but he knows he might lose Kerri if he refuses. He never expected to love again, or have his life changed by a litter of puppies, but life throws curveballs all the time. Now, Josh has to figure out what to do before the time comes for the puppies to leave.

I loved all the puppy antics and how accurate the whole “falling for a dog” aspect was. I was a total cat person until I fell in love with my dog, Dakota, at the local animal shelter and took him home. Now my heart melts for dogs all the time, and to see the same thing happen to Josh was both touching and relatable. It was nice to see the dogs warm Josh’s heart after an ex-girlfriend left him sad and lonely. The dogs gave him a new purpose in life.

While I enjoyed this quick, cute read, I didn’t love it as much as I had expected to. For some reason, I really didn’t enjoy the character of Josh. I loved what he was doing and thought he had a good heart, BUT, I thought he was a really flat character with no personality. I know his heart had been broken, but he just fell completely flat to me.

If you love dogs and Christmas, I think you’ll enjoy this one too. I just wish Josh had been a stronger character with more pizzazz and personality.

[Thomas George Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josh Michaels is the main protagonist in this Christmas themed novel. He lives alone now that he and his girlfriend had slit up. But Josh has still not completely moved on yet because he still has her pictures on the wall. Josh's next door neighbor has asked him if he would care for his dog, Lucy, while he travels to France. Josh is hesitant because he has never owned a dog. Reluctantly Josh agrees only to late to discover that Lucy is about to deliver her pups. Josh is in a panic when Lucy does deliver her pups; he knows even less how to care for puppies. Josh calls the local animal shelter and talks to a girl, Kerri. She reassures him that there is nothing to it. The dog will do all the work. Kerri tells Josh if there are any complications then he should contact a vet. Kerri and Josh eventually meet, and a certain attraction develops. Josh has grown so attached to the puppies that he decides to keep them and name every one. This was a delightful story to read with a happy, holiday ending.

[Maria Lavrador · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um livro ternurento, quase infantil, que nos faz sorrir e suspirar. Numa altura em que os livros com animais de estimação estão na moda, uma maneira agradável de passar um bom bocado a ler. Uma boa leitura de férias

[Lynne Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've given this two stars; one because it's a doggy story and the other because it's set in one of my favourite places, Colorado. I really enjoyed A Dog's Journey and A Dog's Purpose and was really looking forward to reading this. I was bitterly disappointed.

The character Josh isn't a particularly likeable man, and while he claimed to have loved the dog and puppies, he seemed all to ready to let them go to please his love interest. This book, rather than being about the dogs was more about Josh's pursuit of Kerry, who works at the shelter and was all too eager to part him from his litter of puppies. None of the human characters were particularly likeable, particularly Kerry who gives every appearance of being bi-polar!

[Peggy Tibbetts · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dog story and a Christmas story rolled into one. What could be better than that? A dog story and a Christmas story rolled into one -- and brought to you by Bruce Cameron.

Reclusive computer geek Josh Michaels lives alone outside a small mountain town in Colorado. His girlfriend left him for another man six months earlier and shredded his self-confidence. The last thing he wants is a dog. So when his callous neighbor drops off his pregnant dog on his way out of town, Josh is ripped from his shell into full panic mode. And before he knows it he has a dog and five puppies. A frantic call to the local animal shelter for a way out of his predicament gets him the help he needs but not in the way he expects.

Not even Scrooge could resist this warm and funny romp with a box full of puppies. “Dogs of Christmas” is the feel good book this holiday season, one you can read aloud with the family beside the Christmas tree.

[Bonnie Dewkett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Know what dog lovers love to do? Read about other dog lovers! The Dogs of Christmas is written by W. Bruce Cameron (of A Dog's Purpose) and is the sweetest tale of love, redemption, learning, and of course, puppies! The story revolves around around a man who has never owned a dog (gasp!) and knows nothing about the joy, love and companionship that dogs can bring. He learns quickly and on the fly. The journey is filled with humor, difficult lessons and lots of Christmas spirit. This book is a must read for any dog or Christmas lover. If you love both, this book is your dream come true! I don't want to give the ending away, but I can tell you The Dogs of Christmas is a book that you should fill the stockings with and buy for everyone on your list.

[Jonny Parshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

dogs.

This book is total fluff, innit. Well-written fluff, but still 100 percent cheese. But that's what this time of year is for. It's about curling up with your dog, blaring the Christmas jams, watching Hallmark movies, and reading about all of the above.

As a side note (and NOT a spoiler), on page 41, a woman discusses having moved to Colorado from Michigan, and then remarking how she was unprepared for the drastically changing weather. It is from reading this dialogue I have doubts the author has ever stayed extensively in Michigan.

[Julcia · Rating 1 out of 5]

To było naprawdę złe. Dokończyłam tę książkę tylko ze względu na wątki z psami, chciałam się dowiedzieć jak to się wszystko zakończy. Nie udało mi się polubić żadnego z bohaterów. A ten wątek romantyczny?!? Chociaż słowo „romantyczny” to za dużo powiedziane.
Naprawdę ciężko mi się to czytało. Chyba nigdy nie trafiła mi się tak słaba książka.

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. It had me laughing and crying. Josh reminded me of my friend who did not like dogs, but when her and her husband rescued a pregnant dog their lives totally changed, just like Josh's did. Great story from beginning to end.

[Melodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful Christmas story, short and very sweet. To me it was definitely up to his usual standard. A never-had-a-dog person gets a very pregnant dog dumped on him . What follows was alternately pitiful, funny and heart warming. In a short story the author was able to define the conflict, stick a few twists in that took some time to resolve and come together for the big finish.
And yes, I readily admit being reduced to a puddle more than once.

[Olga Kowalska (WielkiBuk) · Rating 3 out of 5]

W. Bruce Cameron jest dobrze znany ze swojego uwielbienia do psiaków, zaangażowania w pomoc na rzecz zwierząt i promocji odpowiedzialnej opieki nad zwierzętami. „Psiego najlepszego” jest doskonałym przykładem jego uroczej, bardzo pozytywnej i amerykańskiej prozy, której celem jest ukoić serce, pocieszyć i poruszyć wzruszającą opowieścią z ważnym przesłaniem w tle. Nie można ukrywać, że opowieści Camerona bywają naiwne, nieco infantylne, ale to nieskomplikowanie treści pozwala wchłonąć całość i zadziałać na najprostszych emocjach, a czasami ta prostota działa najlepiej, tym bardziej przy tak istotnym przekazie. Takie ciepłe, przytulne powieści, jak „Psiego najlepszego” można czytać rodzinnie, wspólnie z dzieciakami, pod choinką, w otoczeniu czworonożnych przyjaciół, dzieląc razem magię Świąt Bożego Narodzenia i miłości do braci mniejszych, przypominając o tym, co najważniejsze.

[Kimmi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Książka zdecydowanie nie dla mnie, główny bohaterowi byli strasznie denerwujący, fabuła mało wciągająca i przewidywalna, całość ratowały słodkie szczeniaczki.

[chhaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Az a gond, hogy másra számítottam. Az író korábbi művei kutyaközpontúak - és ez enyhe kifejezés, mert konkrétan a kutyák nézőpontjából olvashatjuk a történetet, sajátos hangulatot és stílust adva ezzel az elbeszélésnek, hisz az állatok szemszögéből a világ és az emberek viselkedése kissé... Más. Furcsa, különös, vicces, szórakoztató. Erre számítottam a Karácsonyi kutyavásárban is, de sajnos, koppantam.

Különben semmi baj a könyvvel, azt hiszem. Romantikus limonádé, olyan könnyed és súlytalan, hogy hőseink hatalmas megpróbáltatásait és lelki nyűgjeit képtelenség komolyan venni, drukkolni is kár, mert az első perctől kezdve borítékolható a happy end. Ja és mellesleg vannak benne kutyák is. Meg karácsony. És happy end. Hmpf.

Karácsonyi habkönnyű kikapcsolódásnak tökéletes.
Kutyás könyvnek nekem kevés.

[Inita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ļoti gribēju izlasīt kādu Ziemassvētku noskaņu grāmatu, bet bibliotēkā ātri varēju atrast tikai šo. Īsti nebija tas, lasīt gan var. Tikai tas galvenais varonis tāds samocīts. Tas, ka suņi var vienot cilvēkus, kā arī izmainīt tos, tam gan es piekrītu.
Nu, nekas, Ziemassvētku sajūta būs jāuzbur pašai.

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Since this book has puppies in it (and that's really the point...puppies), I couldn't be too harsh on it. The parts with the dogs in them were great. Touching, even. Josh bonding with his dog family was a beautiful thing, his concern for them was adorably sweet.

And then there was the people. For being someone who evidently has had dogs in the past and who works at an animal shelter, Kerri sure is, well, stupid about them and the people who love them. She seems to have been in an animal shelter so long that all she can think of when she sees a group of dogs is to find people to give them to! Regardless of who currently owns them. She immediately takes on the assumption that Josh is merely "fostering" all six dogs, even though all of them have clearly been dumped on him, and that because he's never owned dogs before, he should just give all of them up. What. A. B*tch. And when he decides he wants to keep them, this is consistently used as a reason to deny him her obviously desired attention. Any time he disagrees, bam. She's out the door. As if raising and caring for this puppies like their father means absolutely nothing, like he should get to keep none of them, except the mother - until, of course, that goes through the crapshoot, too.

This was another thing that fried me. We spend the entire book growing to adore Lucy and Josh as dog and owner, as mommy and daddy, as partners. Then we find out, "Oh. Her owner didn't ditch her. She's actually really nice and, well, bye, doggy." The worst thing is that none of this is handled in a way that makes you feel happy for Lucy, just bad for Josh, because he does consistently keep getting dumped over and over and over again, by everyone in his life. So this shoehorned message about how he needs to 'move on' when this happens and enjoy the good times while they last is not only annoying, but kind of unrealistic, considering that he is in NO WAY obligated to give a certain number of the dogs up.

But then, of course, there's Kerri again. Trying to teach him to move on? Honestly, her motivation is fuzzy, at best, and clouded by the fact that she's preaching at him at least every five minutes. This constant preach and abandon maneuver on her part makes the ending rather hamhanded. Not only this, but Kerri clearly knows nothing about dogs, either. Josh is the only one in the story to consider what the dogs want; Kerri seems to think this is ridiculous. Not to mention her approach to introducing animals, especially different species of animals. "Let's socialize the puppies with as many animals as possible. Here's a cat! Aww, the cat's hissing at them and they're running away. Hahaha...adorable." Shut up, Kerri.

Also, this has almost nothing to do with the dogs of Christmas. Or almost Christmas at all. Sure, Josh's mother was obsessed with Christmas and started it months early, like his decorating. There are a few Christmas songs. But most of the story is set in October, with November and December flying by before you even know it, and even this would be okay if the book actually spent a good amount of time on Christmas day. Or why Christmas day is so important and special to Josh, other than that his family was all together on that day. But no...it's just sort of...what the Christmas adoption program is called...so there...

Okay, so that's a lot of negative. But the parts with the dogs, like I said, were wonderful and adorable. Lucy is my favorite character, of course, and her bond with Josh was just sweet. This author is very descriptive and very good, for the most part. I just wasn't impressed by this book, for the most part. Except the puppies.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

a nice read. I am a big dog lover so always enjoy reading another book about dogs. This is a sweet story about a man named Josh who has never owned a dog before. A neighbor all but forces Josh to take care of a dog named Lucy claiming an emergency. Lucy turns out to be very pregnant one thing turns into another now Josh has Lucy and puppies. this takes place two months before Christmas. Kerri who has been assigned to help Josh with six unexpected dogs. over the next eight weeks Josh grows attached to these darling puppies and Lucy.
Will he get to keep any of these dog and puppies? what will become of Lucy and the puppies?
a fun quick read. I have read other books by W. Bruce Cameron I like "a Dog's Purpose and A Dog's Journey' a bit more,{ I think because they are seen through the dog's eyes} but this one is a good one too.

[Antoinette · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love dogs, you will love this book. If you love dogs, this book tells you something you already know- dogs enrich our lives and fill our lives with love. It was great seeing a newbie learn this in this book. A fun read!

[☯~☽~•Patricia Mainard•~☾~☯ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this book a lot. The writing was great. Definitely recommend.

[Monia]

Totalnie nie był to styl pisarski, który lubię, więc ciężko mi się ją czytało. Czasem omijałam po kilka linijek, ale mam wrażenie, że dzieciakom się spodoba

[Ash🦇 · Rating 5 out of 5]

super była i aż się popłakałam w pewnym momencie 🥲

[katka · Rating 4 out of 5]

comfy book <333

[Michael Anthony Araujo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review may contain some spoilers!

The Dogs of Christmas by W. Bruce Cameron was my first ever Blind Date Book from Barnes and Noble. I saw the mention of Christmas and dogs and had always wanted to participate. When I unwrapped it and saw the cover I immediately fell in love. As I read, that love continued to grow, at least for the animals and not the people.

The story follows the main character Josh, who gets a female dog dumped on him and then finds a box of puppies in his truck. We see as he goes from not knowing what to do with these dogs, to becoming the papa bear that they need. I was all for it. Abslutely in love with Josh's character when it came to these dogs. When it came to him and the love interest, Kerri, I just wanted to hit him.

Kerri, who worked at an animal shelter, was pushy, to put her in a nice way. Josh fell in love with the puppies and yet Kerri pushed him into giving them up for adoption. No she didn't push him. She literally set them up for adoption after Josh repeatedly said he wanted to keep them. And what pissed me off was that he went along with it because he liked her. The worst part was that they fought multiple times and weren't even dating! But by the end of the book, he called her his girlfriend, they said they loved each other, and were moving away to a different state.

And that for me is what messed the book up. The book should've been about just the dogs and their story with Josh. Have Kerri be the villain because that's exactly who she was! She had no consideration for Josh and his feelings and didn't even know the puppies at all. There was a blind puppy, Cody, who was being guided by Rufus and she went and separated them. She gave Cody to a family who ended up giving him back! Like girl....you're not doing your job correctly.

I would've loved to give the book five stars but I just couldn't. Kerri's "romantic" relationship with Josh ruined it for me. Their instant love made everything feel cheap. And with the way that she dismissed Josh's wishes, it just made it seem like their relationship wasn't going to last. Unless Josh just stayed oblivious to her attitude for the rest of their lives. But aside from that, the writing was pretty amazing. I felt super connected to the dogs, perhaps because I love dogs. But my protective instincts came out whenever they would play outside. I haven't felt this much emotion for a book in a long time. I just wish that it had played out differently.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mr. Cameron's first two books were outstanding, beyond compare, so my expectation was that I would enjoy this one as much. I am just over halfway through it, struggling to finish, and have decided to give up. It is boring and I really dislike the two human main characters. Kerri, the woman, is abrasive and inappropriate. And I question the judgment of a man, Josh, who would fall for her as he has. I'm done with this book. If you read "A Dog's Purpose" and "A Dog's Journey" and loved them as I did, either don't bother with this one, or don't expect much. I recommend the former, in spite of the adorable cover.

[Rachel Ransom · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is like a cheesy, unrealistic hallmark movie. I liked the dogs and josh's reaction to them but every bit of interaction with other people, especially Kerri, is totally unrealistic. Kerri is a bitch who acts erratically, is cocky not charming, and doesn't really know what she's talking about when it comes to dogs. The love story consists of several mostly awkward meetings between Josh and Kerri and culminates with them telling each other they love each other with absolutely no reason they should be at that point. Thankfully I got this book for free.

[Cheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved "A Dog's Purpose" and I liked "A Dog's Journey" very much. The Dogs of Christmas was likeable, and I could even see this making a decent Christmas movie, but I wasn't really looking for a book about romance with dogs as a factor.

I did like the changes that take place in the main character, and it did have some of the touches of the philosophy that made "A Dog's Purpose... /... Journey" so charming. It is the love story with Lucy that ultimately makes the story.

[Wicahpis · Rating 5 out of 5]

É um livro que mostra o quanto um amigo de 4 patas faz falta...

[Another Pony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zabrakło mi w niej "tego czegoś", może zmiana perspektywy na ludzką wcale nie wyszła autorowi na dobre? 😅

[Mewa]

Po kilkudziesięciu stronach uznałam, że styl autora jest zbyt prosty i całkowicie pozbawiony uroku. Na tyle, że relacja człowiek-pies, która zapowiadała się uroczo, nie powstrzymała mnie od zrezygnowania z lektury. Nawet nie wiem, gdzie doszłam i nie chce mi się sprawdzać. Meh.