Review of Dog Person by Camille Pagán — A Dog’s Mission to Heal a Broken Heart

Dog Person follows an elderly dog on a heartfelt mission to help his grieving human rediscover love, hope, and healing.

Summary:

An aging mutt named Harold is determined to honour the final wish of his late owner, romance novelist Amelia May: help her grieving partner, Miguel, find love again. But Miguel has withdrawn from the world after Amelia’s death, rarely going to the struggling bookstore they once ran together. When a famous author fails to appear for an event that could have saved the shop, Miguel and Harold set out to track him down—only to encounter the author’s guarded sister, Fiona, who dislikes dogs, and her warm-hearted eleven-year-old daughter, also named Amelia. As Harold tries to nudge the stubborn humans around him toward connection, he begins to believe his beloved Amelia was right that coincidences may actually be fate, and that helping Miguel open his heart again could lead to a new and unexpected happy ending.

My Thoughts:

I always enjoy the occasional novel told from a dog’s perspective, and Dog Person absolutely delivers on that charm. Harold, an elderly mutt with a surprisingly wise understanding of the human heart, made a promise to his beloved owner Amelia May before she died: he would help her partner Miguel learn to love again. More than a year into their shared grief, Miguel has retreated from life and from the struggling bookstore he once ran with Amelia, so Harold decides it’s time to step in and take matters — or rather paws — into his own hands.

The story balances emotional moments with plenty of humour, much of it coming from Harold’s wonderfully observant narration. Dog lovers will recognize their own pets in his habits, loyalties, and occasionally misguided attempts at helping. Through Harold’s eyes, Miguel’s grief feels tender and real, but the novel never becomes heavy for long; instead, it gently explores healing, second chances, and the courage it takes to move forward. I especially loved the relationship Harold forms with a young girl named Amelia May — the daughter of Fiona, a potential new romantic interest for Miguel who arrives carrying a secret that readers familiar with the book world may find intriguing.

Camille Pagán thoughtfully includes trigger warnings in the preface, which I appreciated, though I won’t share them here to avoid spoiling the story’s emotional journey.

The Narration:

I listened to the audiobook edition narrated by Mark Bramhall, whose performance suited Harold perfectly. While some character voices sounded similar, it was always clear who was speaking, and his narration captured both the humour and heart of the story.

Final Thoughts:

Dog Person is warm, insightful, and quietly uplifting — a reminder that love, in all its imperfect forms, is still worth opening your heart to again.