TITLE: Dog Person
AUTHOR: Camille Pagán
PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press
PUBLISHING DATE: April 7, 2026
PAGES: 336
SOURCE: ARC
FROM GOODREADS: Harold may be an aging mutt—but Amelia May, the romance novelist who adopted him, taught him a thing or two about the human heart before she died. And she also left Harold with a final to help her partner, Miguel, find love again.
Trouble is, the grief-ridden recluse rarely goes out, not even to the bookstore he and Amelia owned together. Now it’s in danger of going under, and when a renowned author doesn’t show up for his event, it pushes the store’s already precarious finances into the red. In a final attempt to save the bookstore, Miguel and Harold set out to find the no-show and insist he fulfill his obligation. But instead, they’re greeted by Fiona, his sunny yet secretive sister.
Fiona is intent on protecting her brother’s privacy—and to Harold’s horror, she doesn’t like dogs. But her precocious eleven-year-old daughter, who's also named Amelia, immediately befriends Harold . . . who can’t help but wonder if his Amelia was right when she said there are no coincidences in life.
Harold’s quickly running out of time to accomplish his mission, but if he can just convince his infuriatingly stubborn person to let Fiona in, he’s certain Miguel will find something far more important than a missing his own happy ending.
Uplifting, smartly observed, and hilariously insightful, Dog Person is as undeniably charming as its beloved narrator, Harold, and offers a much-needed reminder that while not all love is unconditional, it is still always worthwhile.
- OMG! I'm freaking bawling...
- and now I'm worried about Apollo getting old. I'm a mess 😭😭
- But it was so good. And even though the ending was tragic, the author did it so well.
- All the stars. But I need to read something stabby fast.
Harold knows he has growing old. 18 months ago his beloved owner Amelia May leaving him and her 14-year-old partner Miquel alone and grieving. Harold promised Amelia he would help Miquel and make sure he is good even after Harold is gone. However, time is running out and Harold, who rarely trusts people ever, has given up on ever being happy again. Add in a bookstore setting I would love to visit, a precocious tween named Amelia Mae, a constant reminder to Harold and Miquel of the Amelia Mae they lost, and employees of the store who are not only trying to keep the shop afloat but also pull Harold out of his darkness, and you have a wonderful tale I'm not soon going to forget.
I ADORED this book even though I KNEW it was probably going to break me. The entire book is told from Harold's POV, and he is definitely going on my list of favorite dog characters ever! Harold is loving, insightful and smart as a tack. And even though he knows he is slowing down, he is up for one more grand adventure, especially if it means leaving Miquel in a good place.
My second favorite character is 12-year-old Amelia Mae, which is important because kids usually ignore me. However, this kid has an immediate attachment to Harold the moment they meet and almost knows instinctively she must work with him to set her mother up with his father. She is independent, head-strong and loves to read to Harold, especially Stephen King books (but not Pet Sematary).
Part of me wants to warn people that if they read this, skip the last chapter. The book could have finished without it. Yet, doing so would mean you would miss the end of Harold's journey and between the tears, it was one of the most touching and heart-warming ones I've read in a long time. I can't give this author enough credit for how she honored Harold and I will definitely be looking out for more of her work.
MY RATING: 15 BILLION PAWS!
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