Waiting for Doggo by Mark B Mills

Doggo is an ugly dog who has a small role to play in the story. He was adopted by Clara from a dogs’ home and is left with her partner of five years after she does a moonlight flit. The story revolves around Dan healing and moving on.

Dan and Doggo do not get on, so Dan takes him back to the home. He leaves a while later with Doggo in tow. A stipulation of the adoption was that Doggo would be castrated, I can almost see Dan and Doggo cross their legs as the female staff member makes snipping motions with her fingers.

We then see Dan in his new job at an advertising company, he decides to take Doggo with him on his first day. The company has a no dog policy, but somehow Dan charms the boss and Doggo is allowed to stay. This is to the consternation of a cat owner, who plays the dirty to get Doggo evicted from his role as office pet.

Dan isn’t faithful to Clara after she has left and sleeps with her sister. He then begins a relationship with his work partner, and life becomes more stable for him after the obligatory hiccups.

Dan also becomes aware that two of the company’s employees are planning on taking the business from its owner. He resorts to shenanigans to protect the owner.

Clara returns and tries to smooth her way back into Dans life, but Doggo takes matters into his own paws.

This is a quick read and is well written, yet it lacks one vital element - Doggo. I wanted to read more about him, a dog with a crush on Jennifer Anderson has so much more in him then he was allowed to show here.

Dan and the plot which revolves around him seem only half constructed, as if they had not grown into fully developed ‘adults’ and had yet to get know each other well enough to be able to have a relationship yet.