Stay

By: Allie Larkin

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

Savannah “Van” Leone has loved Peter since the day they met. The problem is, Peter has loved Van’s best friend, Janie, since the moment they met. And now they’re walking down the aisle, with Van standing nearby in a Halloween-orange bridesmaid dress, her smile as hollow as one on a jack-o’-lantern. After the wedding Van drowns her sorrows in Kool-Aid-vodka cocktails and reruns of Rin Tin Tin, and does what any woman in her situation would do: She buys a German Shepherd over the Internet.

The pocket-size puppy Van is expecting turns out to be a clumsy, hundred-pound beast that only responds to Slovak. Van is at the end of her rope – until she realizes that this quirky giant may be the only living being who will always be loyal to her, no matter what. Van affectionately names the dog Joe, and thus begins a friendship that will alter Van’s life in ways she never imagined.

Joe leads Van to Dr. Alex Brandt, a rugged vet with floppy blond hair and a winning smile. But just as things are starting to heat up, the newlyweds return from their honeymoon, forcing Van to decide just how much she’s willing to sacrifice in order to have everything she ever wanted.

Warm and witty, poignant and funny, Stay marks the arrival of an irresistible new voice.

©2010 Allie Larkin (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Loved It!

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. As a dog lover it was very funny to listen to a new dog owners plight of a huge puppy who speaks a different language. I really like the characters especially Joe.

Lackluster

I loved "Why Can't I Be You." While this book by Ally Larkin left me less fulfilled. The performance is good but the accents got to me after awhile. The story was frustrating. The main character's development didn't make sense overall and was frustrating. One minute she's a take charge, independent lady the next she's an insecure, nagging, psychotic.

Good

What did you like best about Stay? What did you like least?

It's fun, and what I didn't like is that it's a bit predictable

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The humor throughout the story line and least interesting?? Predictability

Have you listened to any of Julia Whelan’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Have not.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Yes, it could be a fun made for TV movie.

Meh

All of the main characters were too whiny. Loved Agnes, Louis, and of course Joe.

Must love dogs

This is such a good book in so many levels. There's the obvious - for dog lovers this will be a great story. But, there's good drama, humour and romance too.

Love dogs? You will love this book

To be honest I downloaded this book because it was from the You Pick sale, and I had never read anything by the author. I will be looking for future books. Great book, very enjoyable for all the reasons you download books. I didn't want to stop listening.

Get ready to Smile...

I loved “Stay: A Novel” by Allie Larkin and Narrated by Julia Whelan. It kept a smile on my face throughout. The characters are well developed and very likable. The story is fun and the narration is a pleasure!

While this book would be very appealing to dog lovers, I believe that this story is just plain appealing period…to anyone who is in the mood to smile.

Definitely Credit Worthy!

Lovely story about becoming an adult.

Learning the truths about oneself is the only path to becoming an adult. The story is charming, touching and well read. I love Julia Whelan.

Allie Larkin's stories are always delightful !

Young adult or old (ish) lady, Larkin's books are refreshing to read. I loved the characters interactions and the love between them all. Joe, the dog, was a great catalyst. If you want a few hours with some interesting young people, coupled with some chuckles and a few tears, read this story.

Nice story, lousy narrator

Like I said, nice story. BUT the narrator was dreadful. She mispronounced words and has an annoying voice. This definitely detracted from the book for me. I will be careful to avoid her in the future.