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A Forever Home #2

Finding Riley

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An unexpected surprise brings the Mitchell family of Savannah a chance to experience the Christmas trip of their dreams. An unexpected disappointment threatens to turn it into the worst Christmas of their lives. John Finch and his friend Alfred live in the woods. Been doing it for decades. He likes wintering in Florida, but this year's been particularly harsh. Between the cold, freezing rain and terrifying lightning storms, John's starting to wonder how much more of this lifestyle he can take. A new friend enters the picture and changes everything. Kim Harper, the dog trainer introduced in Rescuing Finley, is contacted by a billionaire philanthropist seeking her help with a new dog training project that will help the homeless. Is he for real? And is her coworker right? Does this rich, handsome man's interest in Kim go much deeper than her dog-training skills?

Audio CD

First published October 1, 2016

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About the author

Dan Walsh

36 books745 followers
Dan Walsh is the bestselling author of 27 novels including The Unfinished Gift, When Night Comes and The Reunion. Over 1.3 million copies of his books are in print or downloaded. He's won 3 Carol Awards (finalist 6 times), 4 Selah Awards and 4 of his books have been finalists for RT Review’s Inspirational Book of the Year. His novels have received over 47,000 Amazon reviews (4.7 Avg).

A member of Word Weavers International and ACFW, Dan writes fulltime in the Daytona Beach area. He and his wife Cindi have been married 46 years. You can find out more about his books or follow him on other social media sites from his website at http://www.danwalshbooks.com.

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5 stars
1,135 (66%)
4 stars
406 (23%)
3 stars
145 (8%)
2 stars
24 (1%)
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9 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 191 reviews
Profile Image for Megan.
1,735 reviews199 followers
October 14, 2016
This was such a fun and heartwarming read. I love how the story is told from several perspectives, including Riley's. Even though I was pretty certain how the story would progress, it still had me teary-eyed towards the end. I almost always seem to get this way with Dan Walsh's books, which is probably why he is one of my favorite authors.

I loved the first book, Rescuing Finley , and Finding Riley is a great addition to the Forever Home series. It can be read as a standalone, so no worries if you read them out of order. I definitely recommend it to all dog lovers or anyone looking for a touching Christmas story.
Profile Image for Lisa.
329 reviews2 followers
July 20, 2017
What more could you ask for.......... a boy........ a dog......... Also Author Dan Walsh addresses homelessness with dignity and grace
Profile Image for Joan.
2,207 reviews
November 18, 2017
I started reading this and seriously wondered if it was written for children. The writing is naive and childish and the story has virtually no structure or coherent plot.

I gave up at 44% when nothing seemed to be happening apart from long long pages about a family on holiday in Disneyworld (or one of its theme parks) It read more like a travel agents guide in places - an author on commission perhaps?? ;)

There were a couple of people early on who were introduced and then somehow forgotten and in the end I gave up.
Profile Image for Anne Campbell.
Author 27 books48 followers
December 21, 2016
Dan Walsh is one of my favorite authors, and he's a gifted writer. You won't ever be disappointed by anything he writes, guaranteed. This book is a pet story, one aimed directly at your heart strings if you have any affinity for dogs or kids.

John Finch moved to a Florida homeless camp with his friend Alfred Two-Sheets, thus named by his friends because he was seldom three-sheets to the wind but often close to it. John, who stopped drinking because the doctor said he'd die if he didn't quit. had a cot and a sleeping bag, but the cold snap that hit Florida about the time he got there ensured almost ceaseless shivering even in his sleeping bag.

Riley is a happy little black and white mixed breed dog. His best friend is Jeffry, and they do almost everything together. Jeffry and his mom, dad, and sister are going to Disney World, and Riley will stay in a pet motel next to the resort. It would only be perfect if Jeffrey could stay with Riley, but Jeffry comes to see him every day. Then one day they all head back home, stopping half-way through a long straight stretch of road to let Riley do his business. Riley sees a rabbit and takes off in pursuit, the leash breaking loose from his collar. Jeffrey runs after him, but he slips and sprains his ankle badly. His dad carries him back to the car and takes him to the nearest emergency room many miles away. Then Dad goes back to search for Riley--no luck.

Christmas approaches with a sad little boy hating that his furry friend is still lost. He worries that Riley might die of the cold or starvation.

But Riley has found John, and the whole homeless camp falls in love with the little charmer. Will Jeffrey lose his best friend to them? You can find out by purchasing the book from Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Profile Image for Joan Hall.
Author 14 books56 followers
April 21, 2024
Finding Riley is the second book of Dan Walsh’s Forever Home series and I enjoyed it as much (or maybe more) than the first one.

Riley is a high-spirited canine who travels with his family for a December vacation in Florida. John is a homeless person who has come to live in a camp with his friend Alfred. When they stop in a remote area, Riley breaks free of his leash and escapes into the woods. As it turned out his young owner, Jeffery, fastened the leash to the ring holding Riley’s ID tags.

A few days later, Riley wanders into the camp where John lives and the two of them become fast friends.

John begins to call him Smiley and his entire demeanor changes because of the dog. On the advice of Jenny, another homeless person who has worked in animal shelters, John takes “Smiley” to a local shelter to be scanned for a microchip to see if his family can be located.

I had mixed emotions. While I was saddened for Jeffrey, I also recognized the bond John had formed with Riley and my heart went out to him.

I won’t provide any spoilers, but I’ll say I teared up at the end. A perfect Christmas story suitable for reading any time of the year.
2,500 reviews
June 12, 2017
riley is a black and white spotted dog owned by a family with a boy and girl. the dog likes the boy the best. he is well trained except he likes to run after rabbits which is what happened during a potty break on the way home from disney world vacation trip at xmas time. the boy hurt his ankle so they went to the er while the dog was in the woods chasing the rabbit. they couldnt find him, his tag on the collar came off. the dog found his way to a homeless camp and adopted one of the men there. meanwhile at the pound (from the first story in this series) the lady meets a billionaire that wants to take the dogs for training at a homeless house division he is building.

the homeless man took the dog to the shelter, got the chip read and they called the family to come pick him up. they were so happy xmas eve. the man was sad till he found out he could go in the new housing and they gave him a pup to sleep in his room
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
784 reviews
February 5, 2017
Loved it

This book was really good and touched me deeply. About a year ago my daughter's family went to Disneyworld and left her cockapoo with us. He got startled while on a walk and slipped out of his collar. We hardly slept for the next ten days, between putting up flyers and driving around looking and posting on social media. He was spotted several times but was too scared to come to anyone. Finally my daughter spotted him and he came right to her and rolled over. This book had me reliving those days and crying a river.

Also it has far fewer proofreading errors than book number one.
Profile Image for Julia.
3,048 reviews92 followers
January 11, 2024
Finding Riley by Dan Walsh is the most heartwarming, contemporary Christian novel that I read just one sitting. It is the second book in A Forever Home series but can be read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed meeting up with some familiar faces from book one.
Spaniel, Riley, is definitely the star of the show. Part of the book is written through his eyes. Dan Walsh has perfectly crafted his words so we believe that it is Riley who is ‘speaking.’
We see how dogs interact with people and brighten their day. They also cause previously closed up characters to open up and let in love, in the canine form.
We also witness the devastation in lives when pets are lost. We see the lengths to which some will go, relentlessly searching for their dog. This reminds us of God, who relentlessly searches for us if we have strayed from Him.
Prayer is important. God hears all our prayers. “Prayed ‘Jesus, save us.’ “ Jesus loves to rescue us from our situations. He longs to restore that which is lost. We must keep the faith, listening for His reply and remembering to thank Him, whatever the outcome.
There is also the theme of homelessness. The homeless also have their fears, hopes and dreams just like we do.
We see good hearts who help where they can. They use their resources to improve lives. Money is no good if we cling tightly to it, making it our god. Money should be used for good, wherever we can.
I absolutely adored Finding Riley. I am loving A Forever Home series. It is heartwarming as well as revealing the Father’s heart.
Profile Image for Kathleen Hanson.
21 reviews1 follower
May 6, 2025
Finding Riley

I love dogs, so reading books about them, is a real joy. I love the way Dan Walsh puts thoughts and speaking into the story, as the dog would be thinking or words he maybe saying. It makes the dog seem more human. I know our dogs were human fur babies in our home. They were part of the family just like Riley is to their family. Our dog got a special Christmas gift at Christmas and she always looked for it under the tree.

Our dog watched the TV programs way before they even had special programs for dogs. My mom taped the ones she enjoyed the most and would play them for her.

I've read two of Dan's books so far, and looking forward to reading more. Love the way he has twists and turns in the story, then you never know what is going to happen next.
Great book highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Kathi.
1,333 reviews4 followers
November 28, 2017
Not as good as the first

This is the second book in the Forever Home series, and the second Dan Walsh book I've read. I liked Finley's story well enough to get this one.

Thank you, Mr. Walsh for once again painting animal shelters in a positive light, and for stressing the importance of microchips in reuniting lost pets with their families.

Finding Riley was shorter than the first book, but similar in theme. Finley makes a brief appearance in this book, but he is with Amy, not Chris and he is supposed to be Chris's service dog. That jarred me out of the story. That scene could have been omitted.

I understand that Mr. Walsh considers himself to be a "Christian" writer, but I found this to be a little preachy.
Profile Image for Anne Rightler.
1,963 reviews35 followers
September 11, 2018
Finding Riley by Dan Walsh is a sweet story about a dog and his boy. The author tactfully speaks to the issues of homelessness and addiction in this heartwarming story of a lost dog and his journey home. The story, charming and with a touch of romance, reminds the readers of the power of a pet to bring peace to hurting individuals. I'm looking forward to the third story in the Forever Home series by this talented author. I listened to a library copy of the audio version of the book and was not required to write a review. The narrator, Hillary Huber, did a great job of making this an enjoyable listening experience.
Profile Image for Cathleen.
738 reviews19 followers
February 20, 2019
Another wonderful read!!

I just love this series! Finding Riley is an exceptionally well written story about a little boy and his dog Riley. Losing a pet by a series of accidental events probably happens more often than you would imagine.

Riley was lucky that he wondered into a camp where he was received lovingly and we'll treated. I felt immense satisfaction that Riley was able to be reconnected to his family through the pet chip technology.I

Looking forward to the next book in this series. I will be sad to see the end of this series and hope the author, Dan Walsh, will decide to keep it going.
Profile Image for Ski Croghan.
609 reviews5 followers
Read
December 4, 2019
He was so scared! Were they coming back for him???

Riley doesn't know why they left him here alone. But he's scared and lonely and he's really hungry. What should he do? He needs some fresh water from a bowl, he's never drank water that wasn't fresh and in a clean bowl. Poor Riley!! Jeffery hasn't stopped crying since they drove away from the spot where Riley had run into the woods. His foot hurt like crazy but his heart hurt more. How would they they ever find Riley? This is a great book for all ages. Well written with good characters and a most unusual dog. Highly recommended.
86 reviews
Read
November 1, 2022
An excellent story. This author is one I will follow for all his well written dog stories - love them! Poor Riley gets lost to his family on return from their visit to Disneyland due to a "pit" stop for Riley. Riley hears something in the grass area where they stop and catches the scent of something (a rabbit). He immediately takes chase and goes further and further into the forest where Jeffery is chasing after him after his leash breaks free. Riley is lost! The story from there tells how Riley makes his way and is able to find humans who befriend him. Eventually he is reunited with his beloved family--a happy ending.
1,270 reviews21 followers
February 28, 2021
Riley is a happy beloved dog who gets lost in the woods during a family vacation. His boy is heartbroken. He is found by a man in a homeless camp. Can Riley be reunited with his family by Christmas?

The difference a pet makes in our lives is immeasurable. They give unconditional love, a sense of responsibility and purpose. They relieve tension when petted.

This is a faith based novel, with the family depending on God for a miracle to find Riley. This is an excellent book for the whole family.
467 reviews6 followers
October 19, 2024
A Feel Good Doggy Book

Dan Walsh has a passion for writing. You can tell if you've read any of his books. He is inventive with his plots and detailed in his characters. I'm amazed at how he weaves his stories. All his stories are filled with suspense and mystery. You will be entertained and what I most like about his style is there is no foul language, sexual fantasies or graphic violance.

I know you will enjoy this book and all the others He has written. Dan has truly a God given talent.
Profile Image for Sharon Rudolph.
2,121 reviews
July 4, 2017
Wonderful book

This series has been amazing! I have loved the storyline and the characters. You can feel what the characters are going through. I have laughed and cried while reading this book! The word pictures are wonderful! The story grabs you from the first page! Dan Walsh is a wonderful author and I look forward to reading the next book in the series. If you have never read a book by Dan Walsh, pick anyone! They are all wonderful and will grab your heart!
Profile Image for Karen.
429 reviews3 followers
November 30, 2017
Heartwarming and inspirational

3,5 stars: In this story, Dan Walsh does a great job illustrating the ability of pets (a dog here) to become an important, much-loved family member. He also demonstrates well the power of pets to heal pain and suffering in people, along with the fact that their love is unconditional and not based on someone’s outward attributes or failings. Riley fills a lot of hearts with hope and love in this uplifting tale.
4 reviews
February 15, 2018
I enjoyed the trilogy of the Forever Home books. They were all nice, easy reads and the endings all ended with hope for the characters. Simple, easy reads with good things, generally, happening to good people and good people, regardless of their circumstances (e.g. rich, poor, down-on-their-luck),
doing the right things. It would be nice if this were the norm...I'm not sure it is, but one can hope and that's what Dan Walsh's books are all about.
797 reviews19 followers
January 29, 2020
While I liked the ending, I felt the first half of the book was very slow moving. I really did not care about some of the main characters. I did not feel there was enough depth and description given to make me care about Riley's family. Their vacation trip description did not make me want to visit where they went. It sounded kind of boring. BUT, the last third of the book was much better. If you are a dog lover, this is another quick read.
Profile Image for Gophergirl58.
359 reviews2 followers
February 1, 2020
2.5 rating. It starts out okay, but midway it needs an infusion of energy; and, it’s simplistically written, more for teens than adults, IMO. The dog, Riley, is lost, and is found by a group of homeless people. It’s an okay story, has a good ending, but is in need of editing as the punctuation is incorrect in many places. I would consider this story the weakest of the three dog stories in this series.
512 reviews5 followers
March 26, 2021
Great story! Great Ideas!

This is a totally different genrè for me. We have cats but this book hit home and I especially love the concepts of helping the homeless, helping people with PTSD, and pairing both with dog buddies. I actually cried in a number of places. Totally satisfying. Would be nice if these books would also pair readers up with Christian organizations that actually do this so they could help support a project. Excellent writing job Dan Walsh!
Profile Image for Carol.
831 reviews1 follower
July 20, 2021
Finding Riley

This is a very unique and loving series. Sometimes I find the stories difficult to read off and on because you know the sadness that can happen when you love an animal, especially a dog. But along the way you learn about other life challenges that others may be experiencing, how they've handled everything and how the love of a good dog can help you through about anything!
262 reviews1 follower
December 8, 2022
Amazing book

Please do not miss reading this amazing book. So much was going on at the beginning I couldn't see how it was all going to come together. But then it did. The clue was when my throat got a lump and tears were running down my face. This was just such an emotional roller coaster. And so wonderful to see a family of faith and unashamed to So God for his intervention!on. I cannot say enough about this book. You will LOVE Riley. I cannot wait to start Saving Parker!
1 review
June 26, 2025
I loved this book, even more than the first one in the series.(Rescuing Finley). It is a sweet heartwarming read, but not "sappy". Very similar to the novels by Nicholas Sparks. These books are short and a quick easy read. I only wish they were Longer!
I usually read Historical Novels which can be a bit Intense so I like to balance it with a Gentle read.
As someone who suffers from chronic depression, this book was a delight. !
Of course, you need to be a Dog Lover!!
602 reviews1 follower
August 25, 2017
Outstanding read

What a fantastic story. The author's habit of telling part of the story from the animals point of view really adds an unexpected dimension to the books. I loved this story as much as the first. I can't wait for the next in this series. I would recommend this book to any reader who likes wonderful animal stories with a little romance added in.
56 reviews1 follower
October 5, 2017
Finding Riley

What an amazing book. It tells a lovely story's about a dog who brings so much love to so many people. Riley also brought love and happiness to a group of homeless people after he got lost in the woods having broke free of his lease. A beautifully written book, which brought tears to my eyes a few times. Can't wait to read the next one in the series.
Profile Image for Ev.
468 reviews9 followers
December 5, 2017
I enjoyed the first book in this series immensely. But this book somehow felt like it was written for a 14 year old. I could not get into it at all. There was nothin to hold my interest except for the poor dog being left alone. That was so sad. Unfortunately I can’t read anymore to see how that part turned out. Too bad.
Profile Image for Connie.
918 reviews7 followers
January 8, 2018
Riley was a well-trained and beautiful dog beloved by the Mitchell family, especially by young Jeffrey. At a roadside stop, Riley followed his instincts and chased a rabbit and eventually found his way through the woods to a tent "village" provided for the homeless.

https://www.curbed.com/maps/tiny-hous...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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