Fiction Pick of the Week: Stay

Stay by Allie Larkin 2010

Reviewers call Allie Larkin "an irresistible new voice" and I agree. This first novel makes great light reading, and it will make a dog-lover out of you, even if you aren't that way inclined. Savannah Leone is maid-of-honour at her best friend's wedding. The only problem is that she is in love with Peter, the groom, whom she dated in college. For consolation, she orders "Joe" from an international website. Her puppy arrives fully grown with instructions, since he is trained only in Slovakian commands.
Set in Rochester, and narrated in the first person with emotional honesty and wit, this novel sorts out love and friendship. The huge black dog is the source of the healing; he starts out as the object of Van's misplaced affection for Peter and then he introduces her to Alex, the local vet.