I’m Not Single I Have A Dog – Book Review

Thank you to Alpha Dog PR and McFarland & Company, Inc. for sending me a copy of I‘m Not Single I Have A Dog for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

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I am always looking for a good book to read. When I got the opportunity to review I’m Not Single I Have A Dog I was really excited! The title alone was enough to grab my attention. And reading some reviews, this book really hit home for me as a single mother with two Bernese Mountain dogs! I love my cats as well, but a dog is your true and constant companion. I honestly don’t know what I would have done the last two years without them!

“Dating Tales From The Barkside”

The first thing that really struck me with this book is that it is a true story. I had to remind myself of that reading through it. This isn’t made up, it’s someone’s life. It actually happened. And it is an incredible journey of how one woman found self-love and healing through the unconditional love of her dogs.

It starts with a breakup and a trip to the local shelter where Susan finds Blondie. Being completely unprepared for a dog but ready for a devoted companion who provides unconditional love and can hopefully help her pick out a good partner. Susan takes us on her journey of dog ownership and dating and how Blondie helped shape her dating and relationships, including the one with herself.

The black and white pictures of Susan and her dogs throughout the book enable you to bond with her and her dogs and experiences. I found this a really nice touch to help tell her story! This book is authentic and compelling.

Emotional

One of the things that I really love about this book is how well it is written. Finding it difficult to put this book down, I finished it in a matter of a couple of days! I was sneaking in some reading time when I should have been doing something else! Susan makes you feel all kinds of emotion as you read through the book, from humor to sadness to joy.

I related to many of the circumstances of this book. The ups and the downs. Being single for the most of the last ten years after my divorce, her opening paragraph on self help books and people looking at you as an old maid or pariah really rang true. To quote from the book, “Self-help books imply that being single is synonymous with being a neurotic harpy with impossibly high standards”. On the first page! I was immediately hooked! The search for love. And finding it from your dog.

Loyalty

While on her search for love, Susan is met with many obstacles along the way. But it is through the unconditional love and loyalty of her dogs that she is able to weather the storm. And able to move forward with purpose. I know without my dogs there were many days when I just didn’t have what it took to get up and face the day. Much like Susan at the beginning of the book.

While I had my cats, they are very independent and do things on their own terms and schedule! But with a dog, you can’t just hide away. They force you to get up and care for them. Get you out and live more of your life. Open up more circles to you. They help you with their undivided attention to get up and take care of them, and in turn take care of yourself.

Interview With The Author

Susan Hartzler was kind enough to do a phone interview with me about her book. Her main message to her readers is that it’s ok to be single. You can have a happy and fulfilled life being single. You don’t need to constantly search for love. In her book, you can see how it’s ingrained in the people in our life to push us towards a union and grandkids. And if you don’t you’ve failed.

But that doesn’t mean that you can’t live your life to the fullest! In Susan’s words “I realized I had a bad picker. And that I was better off being grateful. You don’t have to be in a relationship to be fulfilled. Just because it’s different doesn’t mean it’s not successful.” I found it very interesting that she’s had the same feedback from men as well as women. It rings true for a lot of people!

I asked her if writing this book and sharing her story was a part of her healing process. “I needed a lot of naps” was her response. Writing about the loss of Blondie and the domestic abuse was particularly difficult for her. But she really feels like she was meant to live the life she has and to share her story and help other people. And from the reader responses she is clearly doing just that!

She has thought about how her life might be different without her first two dogs, Blondie and Baldwin. She said if she had kids and was married that she wouldn’t be able to make the difference that she is now making. I want to register Grace to be a therapy dog when she is old enough and Susan spoke highly of Therapy Dogs International which I am definitely going to be checking out!

I also asked Susan if she had plans for another book. She has had eight dogs now, and there is a bit of a gap to fill! She is actually already halfway through her second book, which goes back and digs deeper into caring for an elderly parent. So we will get to read a lot more about Baldwin and the introduction to her third dog, Bliss! Bliss was the actress and will be Susan’s focus for her next book!

In Conclusion

This is a wonderful book. It is an incredible journey about how one woman, out looking for love, learned with the help of her dogs to love herself. And be happy with the life she has led without living up to everyone else’s expectations for your life. Susan’s story is far from over.

I think that this is the type of book that any book lover and dog owner will love. I would suggest this book to anyone who has the same struggles with being single and finding happiness and fulfillment. Also, it would make a great gift for someone who loves to read. I highly recommend this book!

This book is also available at McFarland, Barnes & Noble and other fine book stores. You can see more on Susan Hartzler’s website HERE.