Dog Handling

by Clare Naylor

Yesterday, Liv Elliot had it a great flat in London’s Notting Hill, an actual career (okay, as an accountant), and a coveted fiancé. Every girl’s dream, right? But then Tim declared that the wedding was off—leaving Liv shell-shocked. Luckily, she’s got her best friend’s fab Australian beach house in which to recuperate.

The restorative powers of the Sydney sun, sand, and sea soon have Liv feeling wonderfully anti-accountant. Then she runs into old flame Ben Parker. It’s been years since they fooled around during a summer fling, but Liv never forgot that genetically blessed face. Raring to help her land beautiful Ben, Liv’s friends teach her the Rules of Dog Treat a man like a dog and he’ll be eating out of your hand. But surely this can’t actually work? Liv is about to find out that it can—but she’s hardly prepared for the results.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Beach Reads, Adult Fiction

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Clare Naylor is the author of The Goddess Rules, Catching Alice, and Dog Handling, and the co-author of The Second Assistant with Mimi Hare. She lives in England.

Reviews

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books of all time.

[TJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I ever purchased on my own, for a trip to the beach. I cracked up the whole time! Brit-chik-lit is the best! Every book she writes is a riot.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave "Dog Handling" by Clare Naylor three stars. One, because it was written with proper grammar and punctuation, two, because it served to take me away from all the negative news in our country right now, and three, because I did stay with it to the end. Half way through, I was finally sucked into the plot despite the novel being as shallow as its characters. Liv goes through a break-up with her fiancé, Tim, and leaves England for Australia to heal her wounds. What ensues is fun, but silly, with no depth at all. She befriends James and Dave, a couple who sell corsets (and other lingerie) at a flee market on the weekends and who dress in drag at night. They tell Liv she must treat potential boyfriends as dogs, training them as you would a puppy, not letting a man have the stick right away or he will lose interest and chew on a different stick or bone somewhere else. I felt as if Naylor were trying to channel Sophie Kinsella in style and plot, but even Kinsella's fluff novels have more depth than this one. Still, I just had to know how it would all end, and whether Liv would end up with Ben, a dashing fellow she met when she was 18 while on vacation in Australia, whom she sees again during this sojourn, or with Will, the chubby, pug-like fellow she meets in a bar one night who, surprisingly, excites her, or whether she reconciles with Tim at some point. I needed to know if Liv would get her happy ending, and whether her best friend and business partner, Alex, would leave the unsuitable, wealthy, older man with whom she was having an affair if she fell in love with someone more suitable. I actually felt myself smile, to the point of my eyes scrunching up, when I finished the last page, so I can't say the book was a waste of time, though I would not put it on my list of books to recommend.

[Preet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dog Handling was a great book. It's not the first book by Clare Naylor that I've read, but it is the first one that falls mostly under rom-com. It has all the elements for a great story and Ms. Naylor does a great job at making them work. There were just two things that I didn't particularly enjoy much. 1)Rampant infidelity. I know it's now become a staple to fiction these days, but I still find it hard to overlook or condone, and 2)Instant love/attraction. Ben sees Liv after a prolonged period and since they have previous romantic history, immediately starts chasing her again. There wasn't any intimation of why all of a sudden Ben is chasing after Liv with everything he's got.

But all in all, I really enjoyed the book. It's easy to like Liv, who is an accountant who has just recently been dumped before her wedding. She's given a sabbatical from work in the UK, and ends up going to Australia, where her friend Alex is currently on vacation. Ben was a little harder to like, even though he was gorgeous. I look forward to reading more by Clare Naylor in the future.

[Megha · Rating 5 out of 5]

how many times have you ever said 'men are dogs!' after a particularly bad break up...?
well, liv puts it to the test...
what if men really are dogs...and what if you treat them like they're dogs? after her fiancee breaks of their marrige and she looses her job, liv's best friend decides that some australian sun is exactly what she needs. and who does she meet there? the man she lost her virginity to, the most handsome man she's ever met, and the man of her dreams (literally) - Ben Parker. liv's got nothing to loose so she tries dog handling ben...but can she handle the rewards?

i really liked this book and the author...it had a little bit of profanity but just enough to make you laugh...! love it!

[Ashley Wesel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I'd classify as an easy beach read, rom com style book but I've read many that are better than this one. The story line is fun enough that I think it could be enjoyable as a rom-com movie that only takes 1.5 hours of your time instead of taking the time to read the story. The main character is relatable enough - reminded me more of college-age antics, though. Was off to a fairly slow start but kept me interested enough that I wanted to see where the characters ended up. My overall feeling was that I liked the book enough to want to finish it but was anxious to finish more out of a desire to move on to the next book on my list rather than finishing because I was so caught up in the story (if that makes sense).

[ThePurpleFox · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've never wanted to slap a protagonist so hard in my life.

[Marguerite · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first novel I read by this author, and it certainly wasn't the last. I purchased the novel at a bookstore back in 2002, and after just reading a few chapters, I went back and got every title she had available at the time. Over the years, I've watched for her, waiting for another novel. Fourteen years later, and I've read this one several times. The novel is well-written and has an amazing cast of characters that along with the humor come alive on every page.

[Aelita Hopper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really sure about the ending of the book. I expected it would be more interesting but the fact, it’s so confused after all. Everyone has mistakes, and I don’t know why Liv chose Ben instead of Tim. Sure both of them hurt her, but she only thinks and falls for Ben.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I loved about the book PS I love you and Eat Pray Love is the journey behind a woman trying to find herself, including success and hope for a future and love life. This book takes you all the way to Australia to learn life's lessons, but a fun girl book.

[Robyn A.-C. · Rating 2 out of 5]

if I could give half stars i'd say 2.5.

[Trish · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don’t waste your time. First there are no dogs. Second if you have to treat a man like a dog to get his attention then just get a dog. Finally, beyond stupid story.

[Megan Pucak · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute idea, but read like it needed another pass or two from a good editor.

[Jonelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had a few good moments. I couldn't stand Liv or Alex. Alex was a gold digger, Liv was just annoying.

[Donna Halloran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite but i finished it. The characters had depth, I just didn't find any of them particulalrly interesting

[Kimberly Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

It makes me laugh and offers an escape to a place I'll never get to go.

[Belita · Rating 2 out of 5]

beach read

[Sophia Steckelberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS BOOK!! Such a cute romance story and the sweetest main character ever! If you’re looking for a beach read this is the one!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is exactly what you would expect it to be - light, funny and your typical romcom

[Anastasia Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, ceritanya sangat simpel, tentang Liv yang notabene punya hidup serbaoke itu. Tunangan yang oke, pekerjaan sebagai akuntan, terus sahabat yang luar biasa sempurna. Di hari nyaris pernikahannya, tiba-tiba saja Tim membatalkan semuanya. Liv frustasi, dan menurut anjuran bossnya, Fay, akhirnya dia memutuskan buat ambil cuti dan berlibur di Australia. Nah, petulangannya pun dimulai, apalagi kala dia mengidam-idamkan untuk kembali ke sembilan tahun silam saat bertemu dengan cinta pertamanya saat berlibur ke Perancis Selatan. Dengar-dengar Ben tinggal di Sydney, tapi itu kan sembilan tahun lalu? Lantas, apa Liv sungguh bisa kembali bertemu dengan Ben?

Well, kalau boleh jujur, ini tiga setengah, gue suka banget dengan penokohan seorang Ben Parker lebih tepatnya. Dia seksi? Um, dari yang digambarkan beneran seksi sih, seksi bukan lantaran pendeskripsiannya yang lebay dan gimana, tapi dari gerak-geriknya, gue suka dia yang impulsif dan juga berani maju duluan, tipe seorang cowok yang beneran manly, menurut gue. Dan judulnya, beneran lucu deh, mau gak mau setuju dengan teknik pelatihan "anjing" ala Dave dan James.

Plotnya memang udah ketebak, tapi beberapa plot twistnya gue akuin, berhasil membuat seseorang bener-bener menggelinjang. Hehehe. Manis. Ngena. Sekaligus bikin bertanya-tanya. Apalagi pas Liv kembali dipertemukan dengan Ben Parker, pacar masa lalunya itu.

Komplain gue sih cuma soal prolognya yang agak ribet. Er, mungkin penulisnya mencoba mendeskripsikan diri seorang Liv yang begitu tidak pasti dengan segala hal dan selalu mempertimbangkan ini itu akibatnya berdampaklah ke narasinya yang superpanjang dan kadang menjadi kurang komunikatif untuk dicerna. Jenis kalimat seperti itu memang tipikal chicklit sih tapi dalam "Dog Handling", metaforanya kepalang banyak tanpa disusul dengan kalimat menjelas lain, berputar-putar ke identitas seorang Liv yang disisipkan secara berentet. Dor. Berakhir dengan kalimat yang ribet dan sulit dimengerti, tapi beranjak ke pertengahan, sudah membaik sih walaupun banyak ditemukan kesalahan pengetikan.

Overall, ini asyik buat bacaan ringan. Dalam tiga jam langsung dilahap habis :D

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liv is about to get married and all she can think about are other men rather than her husband to be. So when her fiance breaks it off, she heads to down under to find out what she's been missing. She meets James and Dave who teach her the secrets to keeping a man, which is to treat them like a dog. Things of course, go awry when she bumps into an old flame.

Notes: I think "sampling the soup and licking the cones" (in reference to relationships) is about the strangest and funniest line I've ever read. So after brushing this book off twice, I finally picked it up once more and forced myself to at least get through the first five chapters. By the time I reached that point, I had grown interested in the book. So after having picked it back up last night, I was able to finish it this morning. This book was on the heels of predictable, but it was still an enjoyable read (once I passed the first few chapters)... and of course, who can stand not following through after reading about the hunky chocolate-voiced Indiana Jones also know as Ben Parker.

[Veronica Widya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thiss once more,, about the girl who cancel the wedding..
i wonder why this lately people like to made the story about people who broke up after engange. its strange, and mostly they broke after prepare for the wedding party. and tim is so silly, he broke liv after he propose her and said that he not love her anymore. I mean, if u dont love her, why u propose her? u must think it carefuly before make the big decision! it just break her heart apart.

oh well,,
but this story is quite funny, and about laura thing. and finally Liv got happy ending, which is great! finally she find her true love. XD
but after all, even ben will still broke amelia whether meet liv or not, i cant say affair its right. however they are still in relations hip, and its better if he broke amelia first then sleep with another woman, whatever..
but yeah, overall its a funny and nice book to read!

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Getting around the odd colloquialisms that made reading this book a bit of a head-scratcher, I found myself pleasantly entertained by Liv’s constant efforts to turn around her life after getting dumped by her fiancé. Misunderstandings, sleeping with the wrong guys, sleeping with the right one, falling in and out of love and lust while trying to start a fledgling business provided a few tender moments.

This wasn’t a ribald, gut-busting joyride by any means; Liv isn’t the type of heroine with a smart line and a quip for every one of life’s awkward moments. But she is a likeable character trying to inject a little fun into an otherwise staid life and thus the type of protagonist that might appeal to people preferring a quieter kind of romance.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light and fluffy. Decent. I picked this up after struggling with Ken Follett's "Pillars of the Earth." I needed a light distraction, and this gave it to me. Parts of it are totally impossible (Greta's Grundies being such an easy business launch, notably), but what can you expect from chick lit? The author also wrote "The First Assistant" and "The Second Assistant" with Mimi Hare. Both of those books were enjoyable.

[Angela Archer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first novel I read by this author, and it certainly wasn't the last. I purchased the novel at a bookstore back in 2002, and after just reading a few chapters, I went back and got every title she had available at the time. Over the years, I've watched for her, waiting for another novel. Fourteen years later, and I've read this one several times. The novel is well-written and has an amazing cast of characters that along with the humor come alive on every page. I absolutely LOVED this story.

[Elizabeth Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just reread this book for a second time, having read it for the first time a decade ago. It's your typical chick lit, but it's fun. Who can argue with a girl who has her heart broken, conveniently jets off to Australia to find herself again, and happens to run into the heartthrob guy she had a teenage summer love affair with? A quick, fun read for sure. It's a fun compliment to have just read Why Men Love Bitches.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I could I'd give it two and a half stars. It was okay, it wasn't terrible. Tended to yammer on quite a bit, I'm more of a get to the point gal. But when it takes a whole paragraph to say what they could of in one sentence I start to skip ahead. When I read a book I want to be so immersed in it I devour every word.
Would I read it again, probably not. Wouldn't be my first choice to reread. But it wasn't a regretful buy since I got it at a huge bargain sale.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note- no dogs in this book despite the name. The main character is English but most of the book takes place in Sidney, Australia which means it is rich with English and Australian words and phrases such as ones most of us have heard - the loo, the bin, getting knackered, and then sprinkle in "will you please pass me a dunny roll" and meeting a "jackeroo" and it was entertaining even if the story line was just okay.

[Reca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a goodreads find about a woman who was wondering if she was ready for marriage when her fiance dumped her. She then follows her best friend to Australia where she had adventures learning about herself and men. This book was okay, but there was a point in the middle where I was wondering what I should have been rooting for her to do.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was partway through this book before I realized that I had read it before - which tells you how memorable it is, I guess! It's a perfectly nice fluffy light read, good for the beach and all that, but there's not much to it. Some of the characters are fun and interesting, but the premise isn't exactly fresh.