I’ll admit it – I am unabashedly in love with Marley. Granted, he wouldn’t have lasted long in my house because I know I just don’t have the patience or capacity for love that John did for his dog, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t laugh along with him as he explains his dog’s exploits.

As a dog owner, I recognize parts of Marley in my own dogs. The goofiness, the unexplained fixations, the constant love…I also recognize just how special Grogan’s relationship is with Marley. I love my dogs and will miss them when they are gone, but I’m not certain I am in love with them as much as Grogan was in love with Marley. Theirs was a relationship that went beyond master and canine, and the love and affection was almost palpable as I was reading.

I loved this book. I laughed out loud so many times that people thought I was crazy (I was on a plane at the time). And of course, I had tears streaming down my face by the end of the story. However, I have also given new thought to my own relationship with my dogs. They’ve crept into the “there but not really acknowledged” category because of school work and house work and kids and life, and I realize that I am doing both them and myself an injustice. So, Marley’s story got me a little closer to my own Gretchen and Cullen. That is a sure sign of a good book.