Blog Tour: A Pug Like Percy by Fiona Harrison - Review and Interview

Today is my stop on the Blog Tour for Fiona Harrison's debut novel, A Pug Like Percy. And not only I'm reviewing this cute story but I've got an interview with Percy himself! I'm sure everyone will fall in love with this cheeky pug: 

An interview with Percy

What’s your name, what sort of animal are you and what makes you a brilliant pet? 

My name is Percy, I am a black pug which I think makes me a little more exotic than your average pug. That said, my friend Peg is a blonde pug with the most gorgeous brown eyes, and fluffy, soft coat so perhaps us black pugs aren’t so exotic after all. I don’t know that I am a brilliant pet, otherwise my old owner Javier may never have abandoned me, but what I do know is I have a lot of love in my heart and would do anything for my new family who have taken me into their home.

Tell me about the person or family who live with you.

When I was at the tails of the forgotten I was very lucky to be adopted by a lovely, gorgeous lady called Gail. From the moment we met I knew she was the one for me and I think she felt the same way. Before she took me home, Gail told me all about her husband Simon, a plumber, who she had been married to for years and years along with their daughter Jenny aged twelve. Very sadly, Gail told me Jenny has a heart condition that means she spends a lot of her time in Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Pets always choose their families for a reason so what do you love about yours? 

I loved my family from the moment I first met them. They were warm, kind, caring and just the sort of family I had hoped to be adopted by. It would be easy to say there was something about all of them, particularly Gail that drew me to her. But the truth was I thought we were both at very similar stages in our lives, we both needed a friend and I wanted nothing more than to be the very best friend I could be to her, Simon and Jenny.

Try as we might to find the perfect family, they never live up to our expectations. What do yours do that drive you mad? 

Honestly my family don’t do much to drive me mad! I think if I had to pick one thing it would be that they don’t always understand what I’m saying with my barks. Simon usually has the most difficulty which usually results in disastrous consequences, but Jenny and Gail are normally pretty good.

What do your family love the most about you? 

There’s so much to choose! I think Simon would say the way I sit with him in his mancave listening to Blur and Nirvana records, Jenny would say the cuddles I give and Gail would say the way I listen to her – and really listen by the way, not in the way Simon listens with a sort of half nod half grunt thing.

What do your family do that they’re really proud of? 

I think for my lovely family it’s the fact they’re still putting one foot in front of each other after all they have endured.

What do your family do that make you proud of them?

The fact they never give up, their resilience and strength to live on and keep fighting for another day. The fact they are bursting with love and hope, even when they have so much on their plates and always make time to make me feel loved and wanted.

A Pug Like Percy by Fiona Harrison is out 3rd November (HQ, £10.99)

About the book: 

Title: A Pug Like Percy

Author: Fiona Harrison

Published: November 3rd by HQ Stories

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: A furry festive miracle who’s there for you with a helping paw. Percy definitely isn’t just for Christmas…

Percy is homeless, abandoned by his owner at an animal rescue centre on a cold winter’s night. So when he finds a loving new home with Gail and her family, his deepest wish is that this time, it’s forever.

Gail hopes that Percy will be the little miracle that her family so desperately needs. Her young daughter, Jenny, is in and out of hospital and she’s only just holding things together with her husband, Simon.

With the family at breaking point, and Christmas just around the corner, is Percy the furry friend they’ve all been waiting for?

Full of hope and utterly heartwarming, A Pug Like Percy is the perfect read for fans of A Street Cat Named Bob and Alfie the Doorstep Cat.

Book Review: A Pug like Percy is not only a book about a pug but a book narrated by a pug. That was a surprise for me, as I had never read a book narrated by a dog before. I did find it a bit silly at the beginning but as I got to know the pug himself, Percy, I started to enjoy his story. Percy was a really generous and perceptive dog and he was without a doubt the star of the story, saving the day more than once.

His story was certainly a heartwarming one. After being abandoned, he was adopted by a new family. This new family was lovely but had their own share of problems and worries. I really liked the daughter and her lively personality, she was a real fighter and had such a cute connection with Percy. My least favourite of them though was the father. I didn't get him and didn't like his decisions either but he did add some extra drama to the story that had me glued to its pages. It's true though that I ended up caring for this family almost as much as Percy!

I found this story really cute and warm. I'd say it would work even better with younger readers as it does have some moments that I found a bit silly myself but younger readers would love for sure, like a pug asking his neighbour's pug to be his girlfriend or a choir of dogs trying to make a baby sleep. But all in all, I think A Pug Like Percy is a beautiful story that makes for a very special Christmas treat. Definitely one to check if you love dogs! 

About the author:

Fiona Harrison is a dog lover and writer from the West Country who lives with her husband and their menagerie of pets. Lucky enough to have a family who always supported her creative writing attempts, as a child, Fiona routinely entertained them with a variety of stories covering everything from Margaret Thatcher to Roland Rat. Eventually Fiona realised there was not much of a market for Mrs T stories, and moved to London, spending her days working as a journalist and her evenings sleeping in cramped flats, missing her beloved family pets. After several years, she decided a life without dogs or cats was no life at all and after getting married to a fellow animal lover, she moved out of the big city to concentrate on her two passions; animals and writing.

Now, living in a house rather than a shoebox, Fiona happily spends her days writing, often with a pet on her lap for company and inspiration. A Pug like Percy is her first novel.