Must Love Dogs: Movie Tie-in [UNABRIDGED] (Must Love Dog Series, 1)

Claire Cook's beguilingly original Ready to Fall struck a vibrant chord with its "perky take on midlife angst" ( Publishers Weekly ). In Must Love Dogs she gives us a contemporary Everywoman in a big rollicking south-of-Boston Irish family-a zany novel with the flavor of Nora Ephron, Susan Isaacs, and Jeanne Ray's Julie and Romeo. Forty-year-old Sarah Hurlihy, a divorced preschool teacher whose life is her classroom, is about to meet her first date in more than a decade. It was the "Loves Dogs" that hooked her in the personal ad, and now she is scanning her neighborhood café for the man with a yellow rose. And find him she does, but he's the last person on earth she expects to find there . . . In Must Love Dogs , hilarious missteps abound. Sarah's widowed father, Billy Hurlihy, with six adult kids, is seeing at least two women. And he and Sarah aren't the only Hurlihys with romantic challenges. Her brother Michael, for one, has a rocky marriage that Mother Teresa, his St. Bernard, just may put over the edge. With self-deprecating humor and a laugh-out-loud view of the way we live now, including shar pei/Labrador crosses and a transgenerational body-piercing experience, Must Love Dogs is a perfect beach read that melts the heartache of dating with warmth and humor.

claire Cook's Beguilingly Original ready To Fall Struck A Vibrant Chord With Its Perky Take On Midlife Angst (publishers Weekly). In must Love Dogs She Gives Us A Contemporary Everywoman In A Big Rollicking South-of-boston Irish Family-a Zany Novel With The Flavor Of Nora Ephron, Susan Isaacs, And Jeanne Ray's Julie And Romeo.

forty-year-old Sarah Hurlihy, A Divorced Preschool Teacher Whose Life Is Her Classroom, Is About To Meet Her First Date In More Than A Decade. It Was The Loves Dogs That Hooked Her In The Personal Ad, And Now She Is Scanning Her Neighborhood Café For The Man With A Yellow Rose. And Find Him She Does, But He's The Last Person On Earth She Expects To Find There . . .

in must Love Dogs, Hilarious Missteps Abound. Sarah's Widowed Father, Billy Hurlihy, With Six Adult Kids, Is Seeing At Least Two Women. And He And Sarah Aren't The Only Hurlihys With Romantic Challenges. Her Brother Michael, For One, Has A Rocky Marriage That Mother Teresa, His St. Bernard, Just May Put Over The Edge. With Self-deprecating Humor And A Laugh-out-loud View Of The Way We Live Now, Including Shar Pei/labrador Crosses And A Transgenerational Body-piercing Experience, Must Love Dogs Is A Perfect Beach Read That Melts The Heartache Of Dating With Warmth And Humor.

publishers Weekly

following Up On Themes From Her Debut Novel, ready To Fall, Which Looked At The Pitfalls Of Cyberspace Romance, Cook Here Chronicles The Perils Of Various Tried And True Dating Ploys, From Personals Ads To The Use Of Adorable Pooches As Date Bait. If I Didn't Have A Job, I Might Have Stayed In Bed Until I Rotted, Muses Massachusetts Preschool Teacher Sarah Hurlihy, Almost 41, Divorced And Dateless For Two Years. She's Out To Change All That When She Bravely Answers A Personals Ad In A Local Paper, But Instead Gets The Ultimate Nightmarish Response Her Would-be Date Turns Out To Be Her Widower Father, Something Her Sprawling Irish Catholic Family Naturally Finds Wildly Funny. Her Oldest Sister, Carol, Decides The Best Way For Sarah To Move On Is To Create Her Own Personals Ad, And Soon Sarah's Love Life Is Lively, If Not Downright Rambunctious. God Hates Glib, God Hates Ugly And God Hates A Smarty-pants Are All Standards In The Hurlihy Family Lexicon, But Cook Employs Just Enough Glibness And Smarty-pants Humor To Make This Tart Slice-of-the-single-life Worth Reading. As For Ugly, Sarah Also Learns Some Serious Lessons About What The Word Really Means And It's Not A Prospective Suitor's Nose Hairs, His Bald Pate Or His Beer-belly Bulge. Breezy First-person Narration Makes This A Fast-paced, Humorous Diversion. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

"Life after divorce for Sarah Hurlihy used to consist of juggling her job as a preschool teacher with the demands of her interfering family. But after a rocky start, Sarah and John Anderson have shared six months of dating bliss. Now their relationship is basically on hold because Sarah's brother, Michael, and his dog, Mother Teresa, are staying with her. And John's new puppy, Horatio, hates Sarah. With a passion. Michael hopes absence will, in fact, make his wife Phoebe's heart grow fonder. Sarah hopes she can do her sisterly duty and send Michael on his merry way before she ends up single again herself. John hopes Sarah and his puppy can work things out before it's too late. Sarah's bossy big sister, Carol, hopes both Michael and their father will start dating again. When Phoebe packs up their daughters and heads home to Savannah, Georgia, Michael follows her from Marshbury, Massachusetts, and the Hurlihy clan tags along for reinforcement. Including Dad, who has finally upgraded his Smith Corona to a laptop and already has a date with a woman named Sugar Butt"--Amazon.com Voluptuous, sensuous, alluring, and fun. Barely 40 DWF seeks special man to share starlit nights. Must love dogs. Life after divorce for Sarah Hurlihy consists of juggling her job as a preschool teacher and the demands of her interfering family. Then her bossy big sister decides to place a personal ad for her, and the unexpected becomes a daily event. Everybody wants Sarah to put the past behind her and take a bold step toward a fresh start. But when Sarah winds up with a lot of new men and rambunctious dogs in her life, along with plenty of awkward situations, unexpected emotions, and not-so-easy decisions, she wonders whether those mindless evenings sitting alone and watching The Brady Bunch were really so bad Life after divorce for Sarah Hurlihy consists of juggling her job as a preschool teacher and the demands of her interfering family. Then her bossy big sister decides to place a personal ad for her, and the unexpected becomes a daily event. Everybody wants Sarah to put the past behind her and take a bold step towards a fresh start. But when Sarah winds up with a lot of new men and rambunctious dogs in her life, she wonders whether those mindless evenings sitting alone and watching TV reruns were really so bad Ready to put her divorce behind her, Sarah Hurlihy is not sure where she's headed, or if she'll survive the journey. It takes a few wrong men--and some tangles with a Saint Bernard--before Sarah appreciates the riotous ride she's on Anticipating her first date in more than a decade, divorced preschool teacher Sarah Hurlihy wonders about the man whose personal ad she responded to and is stunned when he is the last person she expected.

The ACCLAIMED National Bestseller

A"funny and pitch-perfect" (Chicago Tribune) tale of thirty-something love. First time in trade paperback.