Hope McNeill has worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for years, but this is the first time she’s been able to bring along her pug, Max (without sneaking him in in her tote bag). The occasion is a party for an Animals in 19th-Century Art exhibit, but the evening ends badly when a small but important painting seems to be missing. The Met needs Hope’s-and Max’s-help. And Hope has to keep it all a secret from her beloved, Manhattan DA Ben Brown.

*Warning - this review may contain spoilers of Alison Pace’s Pug Hill.*

All is right in the world. Hope has found the perfect boyfriend who also happens to be a Democrat, she has a job she loves at the Met and best of all she now has a pug of her own to care for, Max. Unfortunately there are a few snags in Hope’s near perfect world including the fact that her boyfriend, Ben, happens to be on the other side of the world doing service for Lawyers without Borders leaving her questioning their relationship on a near constant basis. In addition to her love life hanging in the balance the sudden disappearance of an expensive painting the night of a prestigious pug party at the Met lands her in the middle of an investigative mess that could cost her the job she loves and possibly more. With her life a complicated mess, there’s no telling where Hope may end up.

In this installment of the pug series by Alison Pace, Hope is back at her hilarious inner monologue and now adds in a bit of investigative work to the mix. Part of what I find most humorous about Hope’s character is her near constant foreshadowing of events that happen that she says shouldn’t have happened. It’s hilarious, even the first line of the book begins, “It was a decision we would later look back on with regret.” (p.1, A Pug’s Tale by Alison Pace) From then on it’s a non-stop bumbling story of mistakes after mistakes with Hope questioning anyone and everyone around her, even the most obscure isn’t free from accusation.

What I loved about this second in the series over the first was the addition of Max the pug. During the first book I couldn’t help but wish that Hope had a pug of her own. She longed for one so badly, but always had some excuse or another as to why she couldn’t own one. With her boyfriend Ben in the picture though and his running off to do volunteer work for a few months it left her the proud caretaker of a very plump pug and I loved it! Especially how Max “helped” with the investigation into the disappearance of the painting.

If there was anything from the story I wanted more of it would be the actual presence of her boyfriend Ben, primarily because I felt like it took so long for her to see him in the first book. At the end of the last book, I was so elated that Hope found “Benji” again that I almost wanted an entire book of just the two of them with their new pug Max. Who knows? It may still happen, I’ll keep my fingers crossed! That being said, there were still moments that involved them both and her trademark insecurities that made it a fun read.

An investigation, a wealthy investor, a love interest on the other side of the world, an intuitive pug and a hilarious leading lady make up just a portion Alison Pace’s newest novel, A Pug’s Tale. If you have any fondness for dogs, especially pugs, and need a great Chick Lit read with perhaps a dash of mystery this is the perfect book. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed both of the books in the pug series not only because the pugs are so adorable, but because the leading lady, Hope McNeill, is so incredibly genuine. Though Hope may constantly question herself and the world around her, there’s something about her that makes her incredibly easy to connect to and entirely lovely. Alison Pace is a fabulous Chick Lit author with a flair for stories involving the most wonderful canine companions ever and I’m absolutely on the lookout for more from her!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing a copy for review!

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