Stay

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Savannah “Van” Leone has loved Peter since the day they met. The problem is, Peter has loved Van’s best friend, Janie, since the moment they met. And now they’re walking down the aisle, with Van standing nearby in a Halloween orange bridesmaid dress, her smile as hollow as a jack-o-lantern. After the wedding, Van drowns her sorrows in Kool Aid-vodka cocktails and reruns of Rin-Tin-Tin, and does what any woman in her situation would do: She buys a German Shepherd over the internet.

The pocket-sized puppy Van is expecting turns out to be a clumsy, hundred-pound beast that only responds to Slovakian. Van is at the end of her rope—until she realizes that this quirky giant may be the only living being who will always be loyal to her, no matter what. And thus begins a friendship that will alter Van’s life in ways she never imagined.

Joe leads Van to Dr. Alex Brandt, a rugged vet with floppy blond hair and winning smile. But just as things are starting to heat up, the newlyweds return from their honeymoon, forcing Van to decide just how much she’s willing to sacrifice in order to have everything she ever wanted. Warm and witty, poignant and funny, Stay marks the arrival of an irresistible new voice.

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Praise

“So sweet, so funny, so doggone delightful.” – Claire Cook, bestselling author of Best Staged Plans and Must Love Dogs

“Delightful! Both dog lovers and the pooch-free will enjoy this novel of friendship, love, and healing.” – Susan Elizabeth Phillips, New York Times bestselling author of What I Did for Love 

“Feel-good debut novel…” – People Magazine

“Larkin makes writing look easy… Stay has everything a summer read needs: humor, heart — and, endearingly, buckets of dog slobber.” – The Miami Herald

“A charming tale of love, loss, discovery, and healing.” – Modern Dog

“Van provides a front row seat to some strong emotional healing. Readers can’t help but to root for Van to the very end.” – San Francisco Book Review

“It’s Gilmore Girls meets Marley & Me in this funny and compelling debut.” – Library Journal

“A charming debut…. Smart and with emotional depth, this is a cut above.” – Kirkus Reviews

“With humor and exceptional charm, Allie Larkin’s story of a heartbroken young woman and the arrival of a clumsy four-legged friend who brings new meaning to her life is simply wonderful. Stay is a treat of a novel that must be shared with every girlfriend who has ever loved and lost.” –Beth Hoffman, New York Times bestselling author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

“I cannot wait to read more from Allie Larkin – an effervescent new voice in fiction. Witty, sweet, and strikingly real, Stay is for any woman who has ever experienced heartbreak or loss and needed a friend to lean on. I loved every word!” –Beth Harbison, New York Times bestselling author of Shoe Addicts Anonymous and Hope in a Jar

“I’m madly in love with this big-hearted, charming keeper of a debut about love in all its forms, including the four-legged kind. Allie Larkin has a special and original voice.” –Melissa Senate, author of See Jane Date and The Secret of Joy

“Wow! This book blew me away. Sharp. Smart. Observant. Buzzing with romance, friendship and heart. Most of all, incredibly well written. Stay is sure to become the new favorite among Emily Giffin fans. Enjoy!” –Sarah Strohmeyer, author of The Cinderella Pact and The Penny Pinchers Club

“Charming, witty, and surprisingly touching, Larkin deftly examines what it means to be family. A pleasure from start to finish, but buyer be warned: after closing the final pages of this compulsively readable novel, you might just find yourself ordering a one hundred pound German shepherd from the internet.” -Julie Buxbaum, Author of The Opposite of Love and After You

 

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