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Love, Clancy: Diary of a Good Dog
From the internationally bestselling author of A Dog's Purpose and A Dog's Way Home comes Love, Diary of a Good Dog, a deeply moving story with a brand new cast of characters, including one very good dog.
You’ve probably never met someone like Clancy. He’s keeping a diary, he’s falling in love, there are rivals for his affections, he lives with his best friend and his worst enemy – even taken together, these factors are maybe not that unusual, except that Clancy is a dog. His point of view is therefore perhaps . . . different.
Told in W. Bruce Cameron’s signature style, a tremendous cast of wonderful characters find themselves navigating the challenges of life, love and . . . other pets. This includes Clancy's “worst enemy” – one very disdainful cat. It’s a lot to keep track of, especially when things start to spin hilariously out of control but, fortunately, we’ve got the observations of Clancy, a very good dog, who shares a valuable perspective on what is really important.
You’ve probably never met someone like Clancy. He’s keeping a diary, he’s falling in love, there are rivals for his affections, he lives with his best friend and his worst enemy – even taken together, these factors are maybe not that unusual, except that Clancy is a dog. His point of view is therefore perhaps . . . different.
Told in W. Bruce Cameron’s signature style, a tremendous cast of wonderful characters find themselves navigating the challenges of life, love and . . . other pets. This includes Clancy's “worst enemy” – one very disdainful cat. It’s a lot to keep track of, especially when things start to spin hilariously out of control but, fortunately, we’ve got the observations of Clancy, a very good dog, who shares a valuable perspective on what is really important.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 5, 2023
255 people are currently reading
9421 people want to read
About the author
W. Bruce Cameron
96 books4,488 followersI’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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 377 reviews
November 24, 2022
’DEAR DIARY:’
’The cat is despicable’
’I don’t understand it, but before my person, JayB, brought me home, he was living here by himself with this deplorable creature.’
Clancy is a recent addition to this family, but it isn’t his first home. Before coming to list with JayB, his first person that he lived with when he was a puppy had many dogs, followed by a woman with a baby, and then a man who just like the others didn’t really seem to have time to be with Clancy. And Clancy knew that not only did he want more, he needed someone who would be his person, someone ’...who commits to loving us unconditionally.’
And then JayB came along, and he is that person.
Unfortunately, along with JayB came Kelsey, his cat. At first, Clancy was optimistic about this animal, but his optimism was short-lived.
’Who doesn’t love a happy dog?’
’Kelsey, that’s who doesn’t love a happy dog.’
JayB’s life is simple, at least as this story begins, but out of the blue his life takes a turn, and then several more as the story moves forward. He’s recently lost his job, but is taking a bit of time to contemplate what he wants to do next. A woman who insists he is in love with her (not exactly true) keeps trying to convince him that he is, but at the same time that he needs to step up his ‘game’ or he will lose her.
Shortly after, on his way to take Clancy to the dog park, he sees an older woman who lives nearby with her dog, Odin. She confesses that she hasn’t been taking Odin to the dog park much lately, she feels guilty that he hasn’t been getting enough exercise, since she’s having a hard time getting around lately, and so JayB offers to take him for her when he takes Clancy. It doesn’t take long before other people approach him, just assuming that this is his job, and soon he has his hands pretty full - of leashes.
There’s much more to this story as it continues, including a drive to Las Vegas, family members. Several attempts to help others see the light, which inevitably fails time and time again.
At its heart, this is a story of finding ‘your person’ from more than one point of view.
Pub Date: 03 Jan 2023
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Forge Books
December 16, 2022
I usually adore W. Bruce Cameron's novels, and I had such high hopes for this one, too. However, I found the cast of main characters to be so obnoxious that I couldn't relax into the story at all. I would just be starting to lose myself in the story, when along come the family members and made me so annoyed that I fell out of the book spell. These characters were obnoxious to the point of stupidity, and it sadly ruined most of the book for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
December 30, 2022
2.5 ⭐️ I truly loved that this story was told from the point of view of Clancy. The human characters and their character development in this book were severely lacking. Jayb and Alana were about the only two characters I didn’t strongly dislike. I found myself skimming over any dialogue said from Walter, Maddy, and Rodney. If the characters were more likeable I would have rated this higher! I loved all of the animal characters but just could not see past the human characters sadly.
December 6, 2022
Omg! Bruce Cameron has done it again! The storytelling is amazing! So heartfelt and beautiful! The love it portrays and the characters are wonderful. Thank you again!
This is a MUST read for dog lovers! And people who love a great feel good, entertaining love story. From our best friend’s point of view!
This is a MUST read for dog lovers! And people who love a great feel good, entertaining love story. From our best friend’s point of view!
January 11, 2023
Alternate chapters featured the human characters (narrated by Clancy), followed by a page out of Clancy's diary. I give credit to the author for making dogs seem smarter than humans because the characters in the book were just plain silly. It was a fast easy read, otherwise it would've been a dnf. I've enjoyed other books by this author, but this one just missed the mark.
December 7, 2022
My wife got an advanced reader copy of this book from the publishers, loved it and handed it to me because she said it was like our family. I knew that meant I would want to laugh or cry. Thankfully I laughed. I would go see Love Clancy in the theater. My wife is a fan of this author’s books and movies. The last movie of his was the crying type. I’d rather laugh. No spoilers but Clancy doesn’t die. If you want that, go read “Love, Old Yeller”.
May 1, 2023
I wanted to love this book, because I love Bruce Cameron, but this was my least favorite he has written. I found most of the characters so annoying that it was hard to read at times- Maddy, Rodney, and even JayB’s dad. They didn’t even grow as the story went on. In fact, it was so bad at times I had to make sure I was actually reading a Bruce Cameron book. Clancy was the only saving grace, but even Clancy the dog just didn’t evoke the same emotions as the previous dogs voicing other books. I hope his next book will be much better.
December 6, 2022
I was fortunate to receive an Advance Readers Copy of this book from the publisher, and I loved it!!! This seems like a bit of a departure for Mr. Cameron. There is of course the comedy we have come to expect, but also some romance, and a bit of drama. I really couldn't put it down. I highly recommend!
December 6, 2022
I am a long time fan of W. Bruce Cameron’s book A Dog’s Purpose and gratefully received an advance reader copy of Love, Clancy from Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Forge Books. I did not know what to expect but was prepared for a heartfelt story with some sad parts. I’m thrilled to say this was just fun and funny and like the best kind of romcom…but with a DOG! I didn’t realize how much my spirit needed the lift after the past few years, but it sure did. And this book delivered. I could not put it down and didn’t want to leave Clancy’s world when it was finished. That’s my favorite feeling to have after a good book - wanting MORE!!
December 7, 2022
Thank you Net Gallery, Forge and Thomas Doherty Associates for surprising me with an advance reading copy of Love, Clancy diary of a good dog!’ The book showed up on my doorstep Saturday afternoon and I dove right in.
W. Bruce Cameron is one of my most favorite story tellers and Clancy captured my heart ♥️
An easy, must read dog classic just like A Dog’s Purpose.
In the words of Clancy ~ “Every time my person speaks, his voice stirs a love within me.”
W. Bruce Cameron is one of my most favorite story tellers and Clancy captured my heart ♥️
An easy, must read dog classic just like A Dog’s Purpose.
In the words of Clancy ~ “Every time my person speaks, his voice stirs a love within me.”
December 5, 2022
W. Bruce Cameron has another hit on his hands! This book has humor and heart! I read 10 chapters in just two days of receiving the ARC from Nat Galley!
December 7, 2022
I got lucky and received an ARC from the publisher and jumped right into it. I really enjoyed the book. It was humorous and moved along nicely. I really enjoy the way W. Bruce Cameron writes and this story came at a perfect time for me.
January 24, 2023
I am a sucker for books told from the dogs perspective. This one though was a huge disappointment. Clancy is adorable, sweet, loving, and his neighbor Odin... a perfect, good dog. The humans in this one were trash. They were poorly formed 2-legged characters that I cared absolutely nothing about. For me, this didn't even attempt to tap into the feeling of 'A Dog's Purpose, so don't expect too much.
February 8, 2023
Genres: Fiction/Dogs
First, this book is nowhere near my normal reading material. I don't mind a dog in the story but a story with talking animals is usually a big "no" for me. Now with that said, I enjoyed this one and the perspective of Clancy. It was so funny.....laugh out loud funny. The MC and his dog, Clancy, made for a fun listen. I loved the humor and it was a heartwarming story. This really was the perfect book for my mood today.
Now it did feel a bit too long, but still enjoyable overall. So 4 stars.
First, this book is nowhere near my normal reading material. I don't mind a dog in the story but a story with talking animals is usually a big "no" for me. Now with that said, I enjoyed this one and the perspective of Clancy. It was so funny.....laugh out loud funny. The MC and his dog, Clancy, made for a fun listen. I loved the humor and it was a heartwarming story. This really was the perfect book for my mood today.
Now it did feel a bit too long, but still enjoyable overall. So 4 stars.
Read
September 28, 2022A fun story told from dog's point of view. If you like dogs you'd really like this book!
April 19, 2024
Ever since discovering A Dog's Purpose, I have enjoyed W. Bruce Cameron's books. His dog narrated stories are cute and easy to read. They may not be fine literature but they are cute and wholesome reading. I even met him at a signing years ago and he chose to spend his time before the signing started out with his readers, chatting and getting to know everyone. That is why it pains me so much to give this two stars.
You would think that the diary of a good dog like Clancy would be another wholesome, entertaining read and it was... but it was the humans that ultimately brought it down. Clancy is a good dog, the loyal lab belonging to JayB. Through Clancy and his owner, we meet a ragtag group of other dogs and their people and this is where it all goes off the rails. These people are such ridiculous caricatures of stupid people that you can't even take them seriously. I think that they were meant to be funny but they were so stupid that they dragged the whole story down with them. While their adventures ultimately had a happy ending for all, the journey to get there was too frustrating. I ended up forcing myself to pick up this book and forging ahead. I love Bruce Cameron and his dog characters but this one was a miss for me.
You would think that the diary of a good dog like Clancy would be another wholesome, entertaining read and it was... but it was the humans that ultimately brought it down. Clancy is a good dog, the loyal lab belonging to JayB. Through Clancy and his owner, we meet a ragtag group of other dogs and their people and this is where it all goes off the rails. These people are such ridiculous caricatures of stupid people that you can't even take them seriously. I think that they were meant to be funny but they were so stupid that they dragged the whole story down with them. While their adventures ultimately had a happy ending for all, the journey to get there was too frustrating. I ended up forcing myself to pick up this book and forging ahead. I love Bruce Cameron and his dog characters but this one was a miss for me.
January 20, 2023
I'm very sorry to say that I'm really disappointed by this book. I loved the A Dog's Purpose and A Dog's Way Home novels very much, as well as the Christmas Dogs etc. I was looking forward to Love, Clancy, but the only parts I like were Clancy's diary entries. The humans in this story are so obnoxious and stupid, each and every one of them, that I nearly didn't finish the book. The human characters are so unbelievable they seem surreal. They make no sense at all. I really hope with his next book W Bruce Cameron will go back to the beautiful and enjoyable stories we are used to.
December 18, 2022
I do love Clancy. He’s one of those characters that is charming, interesting and vibrant and it’s easy to hang on every word he says. You cheer for him, want him to get the girl and hate it when his story ends. The fact that he’s a dog is inconsequential.
Love, Clancy is filled with an array of characters - the quirky kind that fill small towns and make for entertaining human interest stories in the local paper. Each one has his or her own tale to tell and bringing them together makes for a colorful mishmash that works beautifully. It’s like an explosion of confetti that sprinkles fun on everything it touches.
The canine characters are just as engaging. Clancy’s diary brings us from the start of the story to the end. He narrates the book through his own senses and delves into the dog psyche to explain what he’s seeing and feeling. It certainly offers insight into some canine behaviors that explains what they do and do not understand. Having read many of W. Bruce Cameron’s books before, it’s perfectly believable that this story is told by a dog. For those who have loved Cameron’s dog stories, this is one more canine character who will quickly become a favorite. There’s also a surprise nod to another of Cameron’s books throughout this one.
Love, Clancy hits all the emotions from uproarious slapstick moments to life’s disappointments and one sad moment but the charm of this book lies mainly in the unique character studies. W. Bruce Cameron does a masterful job fleshing out both human and canine characters, some you root for and some just have you shaking your head wondering how they have gotten through life thus far. Some are sensible, some are eccentric but all are impactful in their own way. They are crafted with humor, heart and compassion.
Clancy is easy to love and his views of those around him are heartfelt and fascinating. I am hopeful for a sequel because I think Clancy has much more to say.
I was honored to receive an Advanced Reader’s Copy which I could not put down. Many thanks to the publisher for allowing me to preview this book ahead of its release date.
Love, Clancy is filled with an array of characters - the quirky kind that fill small towns and make for entertaining human interest stories in the local paper. Each one has his or her own tale to tell and bringing them together makes for a colorful mishmash that works beautifully. It’s like an explosion of confetti that sprinkles fun on everything it touches.
The canine characters are just as engaging. Clancy’s diary brings us from the start of the story to the end. He narrates the book through his own senses and delves into the dog psyche to explain what he’s seeing and feeling. It certainly offers insight into some canine behaviors that explains what they do and do not understand. Having read many of W. Bruce Cameron’s books before, it’s perfectly believable that this story is told by a dog. For those who have loved Cameron’s dog stories, this is one more canine character who will quickly become a favorite. There’s also a surprise nod to another of Cameron’s books throughout this one.
Love, Clancy hits all the emotions from uproarious slapstick moments to life’s disappointments and one sad moment but the charm of this book lies mainly in the unique character studies. W. Bruce Cameron does a masterful job fleshing out both human and canine characters, some you root for and some just have you shaking your head wondering how they have gotten through life thus far. Some are sensible, some are eccentric but all are impactful in their own way. They are crafted with humor, heart and compassion.
Clancy is easy to love and his views of those around him are heartfelt and fascinating. I am hopeful for a sequel because I think Clancy has much more to say.
I was honored to receive an Advanced Reader’s Copy which I could not put down. Many thanks to the publisher for allowing me to preview this book ahead of its release date.
January 4, 2023
I might include a plot reveal or two in this review, so if that’s an issue for you, then please avert your eyes.
Love, Clancy (Diary of a Good Dog) is a fantastic book. When you finish reading it, you will be so reluctant to depart from Clancy’s colorful and crazy world.
This heartwarming and delightful tale — the latest from talented author W. Bruce Cameron — is an absolute joy of a journey.
Clancy, our canine narrator, provides humorous and astute insights into the nature of human relationships, the mutual love between dogs and their people, as well as a few highly persuasive arguments that explain why cats are the bane of any dog’s existence. (Don’t tell Clancy, but I love cats, too. I love dogs — so much! — and I also totally love cats. Shhhh…)
Thank you to the publishers for gifting me with an Advance Reader Copy ahead of the publication date.
Love, Clancy (Diary of a Good Dog) is wonderfully entertaining and genuinely fun from the first page to the last. The novel explores a wide range of easily relatable topics, and traverses many emotional experiences along the spectrum of possibilities. A good read for all ages, although some of the adult characters make questionable decisions during their brief stay in Las Vegas. These plot twists are subtle, however, and will only be perceived by the most astute young readers.
But here’s the important part: Yes, Virginia, There Is a Happy Ending. (I warned you about plot reveals!) This novel also achieves that rare feat of an exceptionally good feel-good story: a storyline that manages to be both lighthearted and profound at the same time.
I have remarked before that it is rather uncanny how accurately W. Bruce Cameron perceives the inner monologues of our furry friends. From the intricate Machiavellian plots contrived by Clancy against the diabolical and fishy-smelling Kelsey, to the understandings about many things between Clancy and all of the other dogs; from Clancy’s lamentation of his “horrifying stink” following a trip to the groomer, to his unwavering desire to be a good dog for his person (unless, of course, Kelsey is around) — Cameron nails it with specificity, precision, and plenty of heart.
I loved best of all the magical scene with June fireflies amidst the crepuscular glow of sultry summer twilight.
I also thoroughly enjoyed Rhiannon’s displays of ferocity towards any dog brave enough to challenge her: always a fearsome lashing out with her talons, followed by a cool, insouciant licking of her paws. I laughed out loud at each foiled attempt, each plot born of Clancy’s inexhaustible drive to discover a plan for finally and permanently ridding himself of the cat. Not Rhiannon but Kelsey, the first cat he is forced to live with. (Such horror!) The one he is always trying to push out through the screen into the great unknown of the outside world, or to starve into willingly leaving by secretly eating her food. (More plot revelations! You can’t say I didn’t warn you!)
An especially delightful PLOT SPOILER: Clancy ends up living with not one but two cats, which I think is sheer perfection.
There are likable protagonists, both human and canine, plus funny supporting characters, and perhaps a villain and a schlep or two (and two cats!) thrown into the mix for good measure. If these characters manage to get under your skin, it is simply due to the author’s skillfulness. It’s called writing prowess, people.
It is why, in another classic tale by another celebrated author, we root for Pip and revile Estella; and why, in this novel, the guy named Guy made my skin crawl and I occasionally wanted to spike Maddy’s drink with a heavy dose of melatonin supplementation. (Wouldn’t hurt her a bit, it’s 100% natural and already produced by the human body, she would just get a good night’s sleep, is all. )
I find Clancy and JayB to be fabulously charming. Same goes for the entire troupe of dogs (plus the one cat who travels in the van with the dogs and the humans, and the other cat who is safely placed in the temporary care of a cat sitter for the entirety of the Vegas expedition and adventure). I am of course referring to Rhiannon and Kelsey, respectively. I am oddly impartial about Alana. I actually kind of wanted JayB to pursue the newly-single Dominique.
As far as I’m concerned, while Alana was busy waffling, JayB could have said forget it and moved on to greener and more luxurious pastures. Roughly eight billion people currently inhabit the planet. But Alana comes to her senses after doing a typical silly girl thing and making JayB literally chase after her, so.. even though she chooses a predictable tactic that doesn’t always work out so well IRL, it seems to have worked out for her and JayB.
You really should read Love, Clancy! Unless you have an aversion to adorable dogs. Or you hate warm, fuzzy feelings. Or you just don’t like humor or happiness. Then go read some Dostoevsky or Tolstoy. But for everyone else, read this book!
Love, Clancy (Diary of a Good Dog) is a fantastic book. When you finish reading it, you will be so reluctant to depart from Clancy’s colorful and crazy world.
This heartwarming and delightful tale — the latest from talented author W. Bruce Cameron — is an absolute joy of a journey.
Clancy, our canine narrator, provides humorous and astute insights into the nature of human relationships, the mutual love between dogs and their people, as well as a few highly persuasive arguments that explain why cats are the bane of any dog’s existence. (Don’t tell Clancy, but I love cats, too. I love dogs — so much! — and I also totally love cats. Shhhh…)
Thank you to the publishers for gifting me with an Advance Reader Copy ahead of the publication date.
Love, Clancy (Diary of a Good Dog) is wonderfully entertaining and genuinely fun from the first page to the last. The novel explores a wide range of easily relatable topics, and traverses many emotional experiences along the spectrum of possibilities. A good read for all ages, although some of the adult characters make questionable decisions during their brief stay in Las Vegas. These plot twists are subtle, however, and will only be perceived by the most astute young readers.
But here’s the important part: Yes, Virginia, There Is a Happy Ending. (I warned you about plot reveals!) This novel also achieves that rare feat of an exceptionally good feel-good story: a storyline that manages to be both lighthearted and profound at the same time.
I have remarked before that it is rather uncanny how accurately W. Bruce Cameron perceives the inner monologues of our furry friends. From the intricate Machiavellian plots contrived by Clancy against the diabolical and fishy-smelling Kelsey, to the understandings about many things between Clancy and all of the other dogs; from Clancy’s lamentation of his “horrifying stink” following a trip to the groomer, to his unwavering desire to be a good dog for his person (unless, of course, Kelsey is around) — Cameron nails it with specificity, precision, and plenty of heart.
I loved best of all the magical scene with June fireflies amidst the crepuscular glow of sultry summer twilight.
I also thoroughly enjoyed Rhiannon’s displays of ferocity towards any dog brave enough to challenge her: always a fearsome lashing out with her talons, followed by a cool, insouciant licking of her paws. I laughed out loud at each foiled attempt, each plot born of Clancy’s inexhaustible drive to discover a plan for finally and permanently ridding himself of the cat. Not Rhiannon but Kelsey, the first cat he is forced to live with. (Such horror!) The one he is always trying to push out through the screen into the great unknown of the outside world, or to starve into willingly leaving by secretly eating her food. (More plot revelations! You can’t say I didn’t warn you!)
An especially delightful PLOT SPOILER: Clancy ends up living with not one but two cats, which I think is sheer perfection.
There are likable protagonists, both human and canine, plus funny supporting characters, and perhaps a villain and a schlep or two (and two cats!) thrown into the mix for good measure. If these characters manage to get under your skin, it is simply due to the author’s skillfulness. It’s called writing prowess, people.
It is why, in another classic tale by another celebrated author, we root for Pip and revile Estella; and why, in this novel, the guy named Guy made my skin crawl and I occasionally wanted to spike Maddy’s drink with a heavy dose of melatonin supplementation. (Wouldn’t hurt her a bit, it’s 100% natural and already produced by the human body, she would just get a good night’s sleep, is all. )
I find Clancy and JayB to be fabulously charming. Same goes for the entire troupe of dogs (plus the one cat who travels in the van with the dogs and the humans, and the other cat who is safely placed in the temporary care of a cat sitter for the entirety of the Vegas expedition and adventure). I am of course referring to Rhiannon and Kelsey, respectively. I am oddly impartial about Alana. I actually kind of wanted JayB to pursue the newly-single Dominique.
As far as I’m concerned, while Alana was busy waffling, JayB could have said forget it and moved on to greener and more luxurious pastures. Roughly eight billion people currently inhabit the planet. But Alana comes to her senses after doing a typical silly girl thing and making JayB literally chase after her, so.. even though she chooses a predictable tactic that doesn’t always work out so well IRL, it seems to have worked out for her and JayB.
You really should read Love, Clancy! Unless you have an aversion to adorable dogs. Or you hate warm, fuzzy feelings. Or you just don’t like humor or happiness. Then go read some Dostoevsky or Tolstoy. But for everyone else, read this book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2023
The perspective of the dog is still spot-on, but the story just didn’t live up to A Dog’s Purpose or A Dog’s Journey. A little too much focus on petty human drama. Still a huge fan of Cameron. He has the unique ability to step into the paws of a dog. I’m telling you… it’s spot on. If a dog had a voice, it would sound just like Cameron’s canine narrators.
December 4, 2022
This book is an actually funny, sweet charming romance and on reflection, I think that all the good things that happened were because of the dogs.
I was lucky enough to win a Net Galley ARC of this book, and I guess I'm glad it arrived on a Friday because I just binge read it over a rainy bitter cold weekend. Clancy has all the optimism and zest for life of every dog I've ever known or had. No matter what's happening, if his person JayB is doing it, well, he wants to do it too.
If that means loading into a conversion van with a bunch of crazy people and their dogs, well let's go, he thinks!
This book was so unique, because although I love a romantic story (as opposed to Romance Novels which are not my cup of tea at all) I've never had one told to me by a dog before.
In my real life, before I got married, if I dated someone and the dog didn't seem to spark to him, well, it turned out the dog was always right.
I especially related to how JayB dealt with his divorced parents. For anyone who has come from a divorced family, all the complications and awkwardnesses will feel perfectly real, and somehow comforting.
If you're a good person, let good dog Clancy a story that will make you laugh, make you tear up a little, and make you believe in true love, as long as there are dogs...
I was lucky enough to win a Net Galley ARC of this book, and I guess I'm glad it arrived on a Friday because I just binge read it over a rainy bitter cold weekend. Clancy has all the optimism and zest for life of every dog I've ever known or had. No matter what's happening, if his person JayB is doing it, well, he wants to do it too.
If that means loading into a conversion van with a bunch of crazy people and their dogs, well let's go, he thinks!
This book was so unique, because although I love a romantic story (as opposed to Romance Novels which are not my cup of tea at all) I've never had one told to me by a dog before.
In my real life, before I got married, if I dated someone and the dog didn't seem to spark to him, well, it turned out the dog was always right.
I especially related to how JayB dealt with his divorced parents. For anyone who has come from a divorced family, all the complications and awkwardnesses will feel perfectly real, and somehow comforting.
If you're a good person, let good dog Clancy a story that will make you laugh, make you tear up a little, and make you believe in true love, as long as there are dogs...
December 16, 2022
OMG OMG!!!! I can't stop thinking about this book! I have read everyone of W. Bruce Cameron's books and watched the movies after them. He never disappoints. This one is a little different from his other books with more romance and some family drama which comes together beautifully. I can't recommend this book enough to do lovers and people wanting a good heartfelt book. I always love the way he makes me understand my animals more. I know we don't truly know what they think but it's nice hearing how he thinks like a proud animal owner. I want to believe they feel like he thinks. Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan -Tor/Forge (Forge Books) for allowing me to read this in advanced.
March 19, 2023
One of the most vapid, ridiculous, silly books I've read in a long time.
It's as though Cameron didn't have a path beyond having Clancy be the narrator. The characters are so shallow and unlikeable that I turned away from them. That includes most of the dogs, too!
Set a small top spinning and keep adding tops. They will fall one by one since you can't keep them all spinning. Reading this book felt similarly dizzying.
I just can't think of a book so full of negatives.
Obviously I'm in the minority.
And I do love dogs!
It's as though Cameron didn't have a path beyond having Clancy be the narrator. The characters are so shallow and unlikeable that I turned away from them. That includes most of the dogs, too!
Set a small top spinning and keep adding tops. They will fall one by one since you can't keep them all spinning. Reading this book felt similarly dizzying.
I just can't think of a book so full of negatives.
Obviously I'm in the minority.
And I do love dogs!
December 4, 2022
THE BOOK I NEEDED FOR POST PANDEMIC PTSD!
I don't know how the last three years or so have gone for all of you, but I really clung to my dog and felt closer to him than ever. Somehow, W. Bruce Cameron has once again written EXACTLY the book I needed to heal my heart from these strange times. I originally read A Dog's Purpose after I lost my beloved dog, and that book healed me too. Thank you to this beloved author for once again writing exactly the book I needed, at exactly the time I needed it. Since the whole world was on lockdown and isolated, I have a feeling that there are a lot of people who could use the heart and the laughs this book so generously provide.
Love, Clancey: Diary of a Good Dog is told from the point of view of a very good, diary keeping dog, but it's really different than other books he's written. For one thing, it's so HILARIOUS! And then, it's really ROMANTIC. It's about a crazy group of people who all love their dogs, some of them are super crazy, but at it's core is Alana and JayB.
What I love about this couple is that they are both really kind people. So much of fiction and film and TV in the current climate is about these kind of awful, selfish, evil people, but these two characters are kind people, dare I say, NORMAL people, dealing with the kind of problems that most people have: changes in employment, dealing with the death of a parent, trying to wrangle family dynamics, in other words, real life.
But the reason it's taken me out of my post pandemic funk is because it's so full of life, and hope, and frankly, hilarity. It's a breezy escape, and when all the characters load into a giant conversion van with all their dogs and head to Las Vegas, it's a blast with a ton of surprising, and again, truly funny plot twists.
I won't spoil the happy, happy, OH SO HAPPY ending, but know that this is NOT one of those books that serves up a gut punch at the end.
At times like these, knowing that no matter what crazy people are in our lives, our dogs are always on our side is like, the best feeling ever. It feels true because it is true, but I love hearing it from Clancy's point of view.
I'm really hoping that this book will become a movie like many of Cameron's other books. It's sort of like, Little Miss Sunshine, but with dogs! It would be amazing. Nobody Hollywood cares what I think, but I'd love to see Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson as JayB and Alana. How fun would that be?
Treat yourself to a book that makes you feel better, and reminds you that your dog, and in fact, all dogs, are VERY GOOD DOGS!
Thanks to Net Galley for letting me have an early read with this ARC, you pulled me out of my funk!
I don't know how the last three years or so have gone for all of you, but I really clung to my dog and felt closer to him than ever. Somehow, W. Bruce Cameron has once again written EXACTLY the book I needed to heal my heart from these strange times. I originally read A Dog's Purpose after I lost my beloved dog, and that book healed me too. Thank you to this beloved author for once again writing exactly the book I needed, at exactly the time I needed it. Since the whole world was on lockdown and isolated, I have a feeling that there are a lot of people who could use the heart and the laughs this book so generously provide.
Love, Clancey: Diary of a Good Dog is told from the point of view of a very good, diary keeping dog, but it's really different than other books he's written. For one thing, it's so HILARIOUS! And then, it's really ROMANTIC. It's about a crazy group of people who all love their dogs, some of them are super crazy, but at it's core is Alana and JayB.
What I love about this couple is that they are both really kind people. So much of fiction and film and TV in the current climate is about these kind of awful, selfish, evil people, but these two characters are kind people, dare I say, NORMAL people, dealing with the kind of problems that most people have: changes in employment, dealing with the death of a parent, trying to wrangle family dynamics, in other words, real life.
But the reason it's taken me out of my post pandemic funk is because it's so full of life, and hope, and frankly, hilarity. It's a breezy escape, and when all the characters load into a giant conversion van with all their dogs and head to Las Vegas, it's a blast with a ton of surprising, and again, truly funny plot twists.
I won't spoil the happy, happy, OH SO HAPPY ending, but know that this is NOT one of those books that serves up a gut punch at the end.
At times like these, knowing that no matter what crazy people are in our lives, our dogs are always on our side is like, the best feeling ever. It feels true because it is true, but I love hearing it from Clancy's point of view.
I'm really hoping that this book will become a movie like many of Cameron's other books. It's sort of like, Little Miss Sunshine, but with dogs! It would be amazing. Nobody Hollywood cares what I think, but I'd love to see Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson as JayB and Alana. How fun would that be?
Treat yourself to a book that makes you feel better, and reminds you that your dog, and in fact, all dogs, are VERY GOOD DOGS!
Thanks to Net Galley for letting me have an early read with this ARC, you pulled me out of my funk!
December 23, 2022
I think I am qualified to state that Love, Clancy, Diary of a Good Dog may be the funniest and most moving dog book this author has ever written.
First a disclosure: this author lies about his weight to everyone, especially himself. Please know, then, that his words weigh more heavily on the world than he’ll admit.
Okay: back to the book. Many of the twenty-plus dog novels this Cameron guy has written are told from the dog point of view, but this one is unique, in that Clancy, a yellow Lab mix, is keeping a diary. In it he explains how dogs see the world, and especially how he feels about his pack, which contains several dogs (including the one he loves, Phoebe, and his rival for Phoebe’s affections, Spartan) and a motley clutch of humans who all love dogs but can scarcely navigate life with each other.
Oh, and there’s a cat named Kelsey, who refuses to be terrified by Clancy, which infuriates him to the point that he decides to come up with a brilliant plan to rid himself of the cat.
Brilliant planning isn’t exactly a known skill for a yellow Labrador.
This is a dog-meets-dog, dog-loses-dog, will dog-get-dog-back story, but it’s also about the hilariously hapless people who all pile into an over-sized van for a road trip to Las Vegas. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but first you have to get there, which proves to be something of a challenge for this group.
It’s dysfunction at its most comical, but Clancy tries to make sense of it and everything else as the gang encounters robbers and tornadoes and the cornfields of Kansas.
I give it five stars because the people are real and really, really funny, Clancy is authentic and adorable, and the rest of the dogs in his world have personalities as distinct as the people. You probably haven’t been interested in a dog-in-love story since Lady and the Tramp, and this one’s about real dogs, they don’t eat spaghetti (okay, as a Labrador, Clancy would eat spaghetti and anything else, but they don’t do it in a restaurant) and it’s really intriguing to find out how Clancy feels about Spartan showing up and flirting with his Phoebe.
Meanwhile, Clancy’s person, JayB, is at something of a crossroads himself, romantically speaking. Will he win the heart of the mysterious Dominique, who lives with the always-shirtless Bedford? Will he get back with his ex, Maddy, who keeps showing up to break up with him again? What about Alana, who pulls a gun on him when they meet for the first time? We care about JayB because Clancy cares about JayB, and everything comes together in ways I promise you do not see coming.
This Cameron dude might have a cookie addiction, but he knows how to write from a dog’s perspective.
Highly recommended! Get your hands on Love, Clancy, Diary of a Good Dog.
First a disclosure: this author lies about his weight to everyone, especially himself. Please know, then, that his words weigh more heavily on the world than he’ll admit.
Okay: back to the book. Many of the twenty-plus dog novels this Cameron guy has written are told from the dog point of view, but this one is unique, in that Clancy, a yellow Lab mix, is keeping a diary. In it he explains how dogs see the world, and especially how he feels about his pack, which contains several dogs (including the one he loves, Phoebe, and his rival for Phoebe’s affections, Spartan) and a motley clutch of humans who all love dogs but can scarcely navigate life with each other.
Oh, and there’s a cat named Kelsey, who refuses to be terrified by Clancy, which infuriates him to the point that he decides to come up with a brilliant plan to rid himself of the cat.
Brilliant planning isn’t exactly a known skill for a yellow Labrador.
This is a dog-meets-dog, dog-loses-dog, will dog-get-dog-back story, but it’s also about the hilariously hapless people who all pile into an over-sized van for a road trip to Las Vegas. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but first you have to get there, which proves to be something of a challenge for this group.
It’s dysfunction at its most comical, but Clancy tries to make sense of it and everything else as the gang encounters robbers and tornadoes and the cornfields of Kansas.
I give it five stars because the people are real and really, really funny, Clancy is authentic and adorable, and the rest of the dogs in his world have personalities as distinct as the people. You probably haven’t been interested in a dog-in-love story since Lady and the Tramp, and this one’s about real dogs, they don’t eat spaghetti (okay, as a Labrador, Clancy would eat spaghetti and anything else, but they don’t do it in a restaurant) and it’s really intriguing to find out how Clancy feels about Spartan showing up and flirting with his Phoebe.
Meanwhile, Clancy’s person, JayB, is at something of a crossroads himself, romantically speaking. Will he win the heart of the mysterious Dominique, who lives with the always-shirtless Bedford? Will he get back with his ex, Maddy, who keeps showing up to break up with him again? What about Alana, who pulls a gun on him when they meet for the first time? We care about JayB because Clancy cares about JayB, and everything comes together in ways I promise you do not see coming.
This Cameron dude might have a cookie addiction, but he knows how to write from a dog’s perspective.
Highly recommended! Get your hands on Love, Clancy, Diary of a Good Dog.
Read
November 20, 2024This book was light and fluffy and exactly what I needed right now. I loved how witty it was and how it made me laugh. I've gone to two of Bruce Cameron's book signing events and he is hilarious. Highly recommend.
(And yes, a dog dies in this one) :(
(And yes, a dog dies in this one) :(
December 7, 2022
Being such a fan of W. Bruce Cameron I dove right into reading Love, Clancy. This story takes you on a fun ride with a little romance, with a dog. It's one of those books you don't put down, but get lost in time. How fortunate to be gifted an Advance Readers Copy from Net Galley, what a privilege for an avid reader like myself. This is a book you'll go back and read a second time, or maybe even a third.
December 30, 2022
Book Summary:
Clancy is the sweetest dog you will ever meet. He's a good boy, but he does have something that will make him stand out from the rest – he's got a diary. Throughout this novel, readers will see Clancy fall in love, find friends and enemies, and experience everything life has to offer.
My Review:
I don't know if it's just me, but every time I see a dog story, my brain starts screaming "puppy!' and won't shut up until I read it. Granted, this has burned me on more than one occasion, as a "sweet dog story" ripped out my heart and handed it to me in pieces.
Thankfully, Love, Clancy isn't one of those stories. This really is a feel-good dog story, one where I can promise the dog lives. Thank goodness! I really enjoyed the diary format for this book; it was different, endearing, and oddly funny. In other words, it's pretty perfect for the story being told.
Clancy's tone of voice is likewise perfect, as I couldn't help but picture a happy yellow lab bouncing around the world. It still makes me smile to think about it.
Highlights:
Very good boy
Dog Diary
The dog lives!
Thanks to Forge Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
Clancy is the sweetest dog you will ever meet. He's a good boy, but he does have something that will make him stand out from the rest – he's got a diary. Throughout this novel, readers will see Clancy fall in love, find friends and enemies, and experience everything life has to offer.
My Review:
I don't know if it's just me, but every time I see a dog story, my brain starts screaming "puppy!' and won't shut up until I read it. Granted, this has burned me on more than one occasion, as a "sweet dog story" ripped out my heart and handed it to me in pieces.
Thankfully, Love, Clancy isn't one of those stories. This really is a feel-good dog story, one where I can promise the dog lives. Thank goodness! I really enjoyed the diary format for this book; it was different, endearing, and oddly funny. In other words, it's pretty perfect for the story being told.
Clancy's tone of voice is likewise perfect, as I couldn't help but picture a happy yellow lab bouncing around the world. It still makes me smile to think about it.
Highlights:
Very good boy
Dog Diary
The dog lives!
Thanks to Forge Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy
January 3, 2023
I saw this title on NetGalley and knew my niece liked this author. So why not request it
I loved the way the story is told from a dog’s view point. As a dog lover I loved every minute of reading this. I admit I even loved the humor, compassion and even the romance.
You will not regret reading this, I didn’t!
I loved the way the story is told from a dog’s view point. As a dog lover I loved every minute of reading this. I admit I even loved the humor, compassion and even the romance.
You will not regret reading this, I didn’t!
September 27, 2022
This was a cute romance with interesting characters. Moves along well and makes for an easy, no-brainer read. A must for all dog lovers. I loved the unique characterization of each dog in this book. I would give it 5 stars but Rodney and Maddie annoyed me one time too many. I appreciate receiving an ARC from NetGalley and Forge Books. This opinion is my own.
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