From the publisher:

In this delightfully heartwarming novel, an elderly dog is determined to help his grieving owner find a reason to go on after loss. Now, if only he’d stop getting in his way by being so very . . . human.

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 task: 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 author: 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.

https://amzn.to/4q3LeIS

“There are two kinds of people in this world:
dog people, and people who still need to meet the right dog.”

In Pagán’s latest novel (following Good for You), Harold—a loyal dog and our charming narrator—guides us through a story of grief, healing, unexpected love, and the magic of books. Miguel and Amanda May shared a beautiful romance that cancer tragically cut short. Before she passed, she asked Harold, the shelter dog she adored, to help Miguel find love again. Harold is determined to honor her request—if only he could coax the heartbroken Miguel to leave the house. Amanda was a romance writer who dreamed of opening a bookstore, and Miguel helped make that dream a reality. But the shop is now failing. When a famous author’s assistant calls to schedule an event, Miguel sees a lifeline. But the author never shows, leaving Miguel scrambling to save the shop. Desperate, he and Harold set off to find the missing writer. Instead, he meets the writer’s sister, Fiona, and her young daughter, Amanda Mae. The name stops Miguel in his tracks. As Fiona and Miguel grow closer, secrets are revealed, the bookstore is saved, and Miguel—thanks to Harold’s gentle guidance—opens his heart once more.

VERDICT: Suspend your disbelief and recommend to readers who loved The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, or A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron.

©Library Journal, 2026

4/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

DOG PERSON by Camille Pagán. Delacorte Press (April 7, 2026). ISBN: 979-8217092055. 336p.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 7th, 2026 at 9:00 AM and is filed under Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.