I Loved This Book!!! - Joint Custody Review

TITLE: Joint Custody

AUTHOR: Lauren Baratz-Logsted and Jackie Logsted

PUBLISHER: Berkley 

PUBLISHING DATE: January 5, 2021

PAGES: 256

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: 

The Man has custody Monday through Friday, The Woman has custody on the weekends. But that's not enough for Gatz, who will do anything to bring them back together--even if it kills him. And it almost did. Of course he knows chocolate is bad for him, especially two whole pounds of it, but it's the risk he's willing to take to get them back together. 

Gatz knows that The Man and The Woman are perfect for each other--how can they not see it too? She is an editor and he's a writer. She's a social butterfly and he's as introverted as a guy can get. After the misguided death-by-chocolate attempt, Gatz thinks he still has time. But when New Man--so handsome, so nice, so perfect--enters The Woman's life, he realizes he'll need to step up his game. And you know what they say: drastic times call for drastic doggy measures. 

A laugh-out-loud romance that will touch your heart and make you want a furry friend of your own.

MY THOUGHTS: This book was perfect!  Well, maybe it was just the perfect book for me but I think lots of other people will love it too.  First things first - this entire book is told from the dog's POV.  And man, Gatz is quite a dog.  From the first chapter when he overdoses on Valentine's Day candy so his parents will both be together at the vet office, to all the other antics he does throughout the book, Gatz managed to dig his way further and further into my heart as the plot progressed.  He is a energetic, intelligent and well spoken canine and not since Enzo in The Art of Racing in the Rain have I met a dog so enjoyable to read about.

So The Man and The Woman met the day Gatz is rescued and the relationship between all three ensue.  And when The Man and The Woman split up, it's up to Gatz to get them back together and makes them see the errors of their ways.  I enjoyed both characters, and I need to add we never do know their actual names, but the star of this show is Gatz.  Here are just a few parts of the book so you can get a true feeling for Gatz.

• It all started with the chocolates.  Ah, who am I kidding?  It all nearly ended with the chocolates too.
• It wasn't always easy, the waiting.  In fact, it was exactly as hard as Tom Petty said it was.
• Wait.  Did he just whatever her?  Oh this was bad, very bad.
• A man and a dog walk into a bar...It's good to have a place where everyone knows your name.  I know this for a fact, because I saw it on the TV.  

But there are some serious aspects to the book as well.  We get a good look at depression and loss.  The Man enters a deep depression when The Woman leaves him and Gatz watches him both spiral and also pull himself back up again.  

So basically, read this book.  I'm so thrilled a sequel is on the way because I need more Gatz in my life!

RATING: 5 PAWS