After her position at a PR firm is made redundant, Carly Kennedy decides there’s no time like the present to pursue her dream of working in fashion-related PR in the Big Apple. But first, she has to find a position and, in the meantime, pay her bills and buy dog food for her depressed Bassett Hound, Baxter. So she launches her own PR firm in her hometown of Austin, Texas, “Carly Kennedy Public Relations,” and soon has two clients--two very challenging clients.

Coming home from a difficult photoshoot she’s arranged for Client Number One, up-and-coming fashion designer Victor Allen, she discovers her dog walker has left a lively female Bassett Hound at her home, instead of Baxter. When the dog walker can’t be found, she begins her search for Baxter and the owner of the bubbly substitute.

Dr. Tobias “Max” Sheffington III is a rising star in neuroscience on the faculty of The University of Texas. He’s close to some pretty promising breakthroughs with his autism research and this year looks to be HIS year to gain tenure at the university. This success would significantly improve his ability to attract funding for his work, which is very close to his heart; his younger brother has autism spectrum disorder. Then he discovers that he’s got major competition from Dr. Alanna a very well-qualified colleague; a colleague with whom he’s just woken up with after a drunken one-night-stand.

They mutually agree that the relationship should go no further and she heads home, and that’s when Max realizes that his perky female Bassett Hound, Hazel, has been switched with a sad-sack male. He, too, tries and fails to find Brant to get things back in their proper order.

Brant’s disappearing act is an even bigger problem for Max. He’s promised to take his brother to an out-of-town dog show in two days and it’s all he’s been talking about for weeks. The trip will also give his father a much-needed break from Jamie’s constant care as well. Without Brant, he has no one to dog sit. And no kennel will take a dog for which he doesn’t have records. But when Carly tracks him down and the two hounds are ecstatic to be reunited, that gives a desperate Max an idea. He asks Carly if she would consider dog sitting!

Two very different dogs and two very different owners, but when the four finally get together, they may discover they all have some very important things in common. Carly and Max are nice, good people having a series of bad breaks. Both are trying hard to do the right thing. She’s trying to do the best she can for her obnoxious clients, and both have complicated family situations going on. They shoulder a lot of responsibility and face some obstacles as they get to know each other. I was cheering them on the whole way, as I really wanted things to work out for them.

It was fun reading about the antics of the two Bassetts: Baxter and Hazel. Physically, they’re 50-pound dogs but with 8-inch legs, wrinkly, and floppy, comical at times but hard-headed when they make up their minds about something. Thankfully for them, their velvety-soft ears and iconic sad-puppy eyes make you forgive them anything.

YOU LUCKY DOG is a fun, romantic comedy featuring two dogs and their underdog owners. I laughed, I teared up, and I rooted for these characters every misstep of the way. The two main characters are healthy, single, young adults so there are some sexual scenarios in their relationship. If that isn’t an issue and you enjoy a light rom-com or just a fun romance between people with dogs, this may be a perfect choice this summer.