LoveReading Says
LoveReading Says
Ahh, this was just what I needed, reading medicine for the soul can be found in this gorgeous and generous novel where the dogs sit centre stage. When Leo decides to move to the outskirts of a small market town and open a rescue centre for dogs, it not only changes their lives, but also those in the local community.
I love Ruth Hogan’s writing, from The Keeper of Lost Things to The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes, she creates arms-open-wide welcoming hugs of books. The different strands on offer here are lovely, there is an inner story to be discovered with each character (both dogs and human) as well as wider themes of compassion, friendship, and community.
No-one is perfect, however the odd bite and wee can be forgiven in the circumstances and there are lessons to be learned along the way. I’ve chosen this as a LoveReading Star Book and Liz Pick of the Month for its big-hearted charm and empathy. The LoveReading team can highly recommend The Stray Dogs which is the waggiest of tales stuffed full of hope, reunions, and new beginnings.
About The Stray Dogs
They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but Desmond and Leona are about to find out that it's never too late to start living your dreams . . .
Read the full description
Find This Book In
About
The Stray Dogs Synopsis
They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but Desmond and Leona are about to find out that it's never too late to start living your dreams . . .
Since his marriage ended, Desmond Leaks has been stuck in rut. But living alone does have some upsides - for one, there's no one to tell him that he's 'not allowed' chocolate spread on his toast.
And for Leona Lennox, a fresh start might just mean she can finally open that rescue centre for abandoned dogs she's always dreamed of. That's if she can learn to let people in occasionally - and accept help.
Take this Desmond guy, he's so nice that he's offering to get his old band back together to play some fundraising gigs for the rescue centre. If only Leona could say yes, just this once . . . The Stray Dogs might actually be decent, right?
Lost dogs and lost people find unexpected happiness in this gorgeously uplifting story filled with Ruth Hogan's trademark wit and warmth, perfect for fans of Ruth Jones, Mike Gayle, Graham Norton and Beth Morrey.
£1 of every paperback copy of The Stray Dogs by Ruth Hogan sold through a digital retailer in the UK will be donated to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home via Work for Good.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781805464822 |
| Publication date: |
27th August 2026 |
| Author: |
Ruth Hogan |
| Publisher: |
Corvus an imprint of Atlantic Books |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
374 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Romance / Relationship Stories
|
| Other Genres: |
|
| Recommendations: |
|
Press Reviews
Ruth Hogan Press Reviews
'Ruth Hogan plus dogs equals feel-good fiction bliss! This heartwarming tale of lost dogs and new beginnings is Hogan absolutely at the top of her game. A must-read!' - Mike Gayle
Everyone is falling in love with The Stray Dogs!
'The book's heart beats with the love of animals' Kit Fielding
'Warm, witty and intensely moving - a book to treasure' Celia Anderson
'This beautiful story doesn't just steal your heart, it makes you fall in love!' Reader review, 5 stars
'A love letter to (rescue) dogs . . . uplifting . . . I would have loved to spend more time with the dogs!' Reader review, 5 stars
'It's easy to run out of superlatives for this delightful book . . . The tales of rescue, redemption, romance and reunion are just perfect!' Reader review, 5 stars
'A charming, feel good read that leaves you all warm and fuzzy inside!' Reader review, 5 stars
'While life has ups and downs having a dog by your side can make the journey better!' Reader review, 5 stars
'Heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure. The best thing I can say is 'Just read it'. Reader review, 5 stars
Author
About Ruth Hogan
Meet Ruth Hogan ... I was born in the house where my parents still live in Bedford. My sister was so pleased to have a sibling that she threw a thrupenny bit at me. As a child I read everything I could lay my hands on. Luckily, my mum worked in a bookshop. My favourite reads were The Moomintrolls, A Hundred Million Francs, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, and the back of cereal packets, and gravestones. I passed enough A levels to get a place at Goldsmiths College, University of London, to study English and Drama. It was brilliant and I loved it. And then I got a proper job. I worked for ten years in a senior local government position: a square peg in round hole, but it paid the bills and mortgage.
In my early thirties I had a car accident which left me unable to work full-time and convinced me to start writing seriously. It was all going well, but then in 2012 I got Cancer, which was bloody inconvenient but precipitated an exciting hair journey from bald to a peroxide blonde Annie Lennox crop. When chemo kept me up all night I passed the time writing and the eventual result was The Keeper Of Lost Things.
I live in a chaotic Victorian house with an assortment of rescue dogs and my long-suffering partner. I am a magpie; always collecting treasures (or 'junk' depending on your point of view) and a huge John Betjeman fan. My favourite word is' antimacassar' and I still like reading gravestones. See Ruth Hogan on instagram.
Author photo © Harpur Studios
More About Ruth Hogan
