Dog Gone, Back Soon (Cyrus Mills, #2) by Nick Trout

Dog Gone, Back Soon (Cyrus Mills, #2) Reviews

• 
  Sharon

  Dog Gone, Back Soon by Nick Trout is the second book in the the Cyrus Mills series and I enjoyed this one just as much as I did the first one. After inheriting his fathers veterinarian practice Bedside Manor, Dr Cyrus Mills continues to put in the longs hours and do all he can to keep the business afloat. But this is made harder when Healthy Paws who is a very thriving and successful practice across town determined to put Bedside Manor out of business. Has Cyrus got what it takes to turn this practice around or will it be closed down for good?
  
  Captivating, charming, entertaining and delightful are a few words that come to mind when I think of this book or any book written by this author. This is about the third book I’ve read by this author and once again he did not disappoint me. I thoroughly enjoyed this as I knew I would, but I’m fast running out of books to read by this author, so please Nick hurry up and write another one. 😊
  If like me you enjoy reading books about animals then do yourself a favour and read this book or any book by this author I promise you won’t regret it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
  
• 
  *TUDOR^QUEEN*

  I received this book via NetGalley for my fair and honest review.
  
  As a dog lover, I thought this would make for a pleasant read. What I had expected to be a mildly entertaining story evolved into a surprisingly fast page-turner for a number of reasons.
  
  Dr. Cyrus Mills returns to his hometown of Eden Falls upon the passing of his father. His father's veterinary clinic Bedside Manor is itself ailing, on the brink of foreclosure. It's hard to flourish against the powerful marketing of the veterinary chain Healthy Paws, its nearest franchise in a neighboring town. Until recently, Cyrus's expertise of dog doctoring was at the other end of the spectrum, working as a pathologist. However, Dr. Cyrus Mills takes up residence at Bedside Manor along with his late father's veterinary partner, Dr. Lewis.
  
  The "heartwarming" part comes in with the stories of the locals and their ailing pets. The "interesting" part comes in with the challenging veterinary cases presented to Dr. Mills, and his thought processes in solving their mysterious illnesses. Throughout the book, italicized factoids appear as Dr. Mills' recollections when he is presented with certain types of animals or diseases. The moments he cracked difficult veterinary cases were quite fascinating and even exciting...as I was cheering inside at each resolution.
  
  There was also a romantic angle in the book that was wrapped up in a mystery, only to be revealed at the very end.
  
  The character of "Stash," a remarkable Australian Labradoodle service dog absolutely steals the show in this book and will leave you amazed at his skills.
  
  All in all, this book well exceeded my expectations and earns a well-deserved 5-star review.
• 
  Carolyn

  
  Dr Nick Trout is an animal surgeon in a large Veterinary hospital in Boston. In
  The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs, he introduced us to Dr Cyrus Mills, a veterinary pathologist who returns to his estranged father's small home town in Vermont to wind up his practice after his death. Instead he ends up fighting to keep the practice open, falls in love with Amy, a feisty waitress and decides to stay.
  
  In this sequel, Cyrus starts to rebuild the practice, dusts off his bedside skills to learn how to deal with his patients and their owners and comes up against a rival practice trying to force him out of business.
  
  I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series. Cyrus comes across as a slightly bumbling, shy man who often puts his foot in his mouth, particularly where women are involved.However, as he becomes used to small town life and everyone knowing everyone else's business, he grows in confidence and starts to make friends. While his bedside manner might be lacking following his long years as a pathologist staring down a microscope, his diagnostic skills are sharp and he is dogged about hunting down clues and making difficult diagnoses. Amy, his love interest, keeps her distance for the most part of the book as she harbours a secret she is unwilling to share with Cyrus but she doesn't count on him using his detective skills and resources to find out more than he should.
  
  A fun light read with lots of humour, gorgeous animals and interesting characters.
• 
  Trish

  A close family member of mine has a small animal veterinary practice in New England. He is usually too busy trying to balance the business between an elusive profitability and the banker’s jaws to tell me details of his work, but I never tire of hearing his stories. I thought this book might give me insights into challenges I didn’t know he had.
  
  This is Nick Trout’s second novel in a series about a similar veterinary practice run by Cyrus Mills in Eden Falls, Vermont. I’d read an earlier nonfiction book by Trout, called
  Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon, the title of which is clearly meant to point out that animals have no way of explaining their pain and therefore are often difficult to diagnose.
  
  So Trout is trying something new by going with fiction, and he may develop a devoted following. I was interested in the bits about the animals, frankly, because it was such a process finding a solution to their illnesses. Dr. Mills needed, in the end, to go to the homes of the “patients” to see the conditions of the animals in their home environment in order to determine the causes of their mysterious illnesses. In the case of a stray dog, he invited a computer hacker to see what he could find out about the deceased owner so he would understand more about the pet. I am reminded that the owners are usually the culprits when their pets are ill, something we need to keep in mind.
  
  I vastly preferred the final third of the novel when romance and diagnoses started to come together. The concept was pretty good, but Trout’s attempt to inject romance felt a little forced. I guess I would say that folks pick up his books to read what he knows about animals, not what he knows about romance, so he should focus on animals. Romance can enter in a wholly natural way…running into someone interesting on a job but having the usual time difficulties in developing a deeper relationship, etc. I did like the twist he had at the end of this one, though, because it made it seem wholly modern. But I guessed the plot long before he got to telling us about it, so dragging it out like a strip tease did not have the desired effect.
  
  The best part of the story was the Dr. Mills falling hard for a service dog, Stash. It was most compelling when Mills realized the dog needed to do what he was trained to do. Mills, though he loved the dog, gave him up. I really thought that made a great story.
  
  Trout has the right instincts, and a nice sense of story. I learned something about the larger franchise veterinarian concerns vs. small privately-owned businesses. Each have their place in the constellation of services. For people who love their pets, sometimes it is nice to know what your vet is thinking when he meets with you.
  
  I obtained an advance copy of this title through Netgalley. Thanks to Hyperion for providing it.
  
• 
  Laurie (barksbooks)

  I was tempted to grab this from Netgalley when they sent me an email that included this cute cover. I hadn’t a clue about the plot or the writer or even the genre and especially that it was a SEQUEL to another book (grrrr) but I’m a sucker for cute dogs so here we are.
  
  Cyrus is a veterinary pathologist who feels comfortable dealing with animals after they’re deceased. He enjoys solving medical mysteries and looking through a microscope. Cyrus does not have good people skills (more on that later) but at least he admits it early on. We all can’t be charming extroverts now, can we? But, for some reason which still confounds me after finishing this book, he has decided to run his recently deceased father’s failing veterinary clinic and is now forced to deal with pet parents and pets who still breathe. He and his dad were estranged and it would’ve been oh so very helpful to me if the reason was stated somewhere in this book. It wasn���t. It might’ve been stated in book one but I’m reviewing this one. Thus, with all of the little clues tossed about, I was forced to think that maybe Cyrus was just a jerk who left his sweet dad and never looked back and was returning out of some sense of guilt, perhaps? I was left to work up all sorts of scenarios in my head and none of them had me thinking kind thoughts about Cyrus.
  
  This was a problem and Cyrus’s interactions with people throughout this novel didn’t have me changing my mind.
  
  But I kept reading because when the book focused on the pets and their ailments and their attached and often kooky owners I couldn’t turn away. Those cases and visits were so interesting and I loved Cyrus’s relationship with a “doodle” dog that grew on him and took a piece of his heart. That was heart-warming and believable writing but his relationship with people, especially female people? Just no. Unfortunately all of the goodness is sandwiched between an annoying relationship/obsession Cyrus is having with a woman named Amy. This romance only shined a painful, migraine inducing light on all of Cyrus’s faults (namely jealousy and immaturity and being an all-around boob when it comes to women).
  
  I’m giving this one a three because I enjoyed and despised it almost in equal measure and some passages were just so amusing like this one:
  
  

  “Margo eases herself down, pinches both if Tallulah's doughy cheeks and plants a drawn-out kiss on the dog's snout like the creepy aunt children try to avoid at family outings.”
• 
  Dana

  
  I sped through this book. I feel like a jerk for putting off reading this because it turned out to be so heartwarming and hilarious! I wasn't aware that the author was a Veterinarian when I was reading this, makes sense now since the main character's profession read so authentic.
  
  This book is the perfect summer read. It's a light read with an interesting plot and a clever and humorous cast of characters. Such a treat to read and Stash the Labradoodle was the cherry on top.
  
  
  Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
  
  
• 
  Ms.pegasus

  Veterinary pathologist Cyrus Mills thought he was content with him unpressured life in the lab at a safe remove from live pets and their human companions. All of that changed when his father died, and Cyrus relocated from sunny Charleston, South Carolina to wintry Eden Falls in northern Vermont in order to continue his father's veterinary practice, Bedside Manor. Cyrus' father was something of a Marcus Welby for animals, and Cyrus comes to realize he wants to continue that legacy. His resolve is strengthened after a visit from the competition. The manager of Healthy Paws is a gauche, unprincipled huckster bent on taking over Cyrus' struggling practice.
  
  Don't let this simplistic scenario of corporate chicanery vs. caring medicine put you off. Author Nick Trout is a veterinary surgeon who includes enough medical detail to preserve credibility. Moreover, he has created a likeable and witty main character in Cyrus, who is learning to modulate his impulsive mental quips with a tactful bedside manner (pun intended). One of the patients he is lured to is a huge orange cat named Marmalade, an “overinflated blimp of a feline” is how he describes the creature to the reader. Out loud, he remarks “voluptuous” when asked what he thinks.
  
  Cyrus is a gifted diagnostician. Marmalade's problem is a “piece of cake” (or should I say, kibble?), but a parade of other bizarre cases are less easily solved. There is a massive English mastiff named Tallulah who supposedly is suffering from chocolate ingestion, a once docile cow named Ermintrude who has suddenly developed a bad attitude, and a border collie named Gilligan whose sudden bout of extreme anxiety is mysteriously coupled with inexplicable anemia.
  
  Finally, there is a romantic thread. Cyrus is smitten with Amy Carp, a blunt lively college student who dropped out of school to take care of her ailing grandfather. His awkward attempts at romance collide with the overly eager attempts of a pair of teenagers bent on matchmaking.
  
  This is a quick and engaging read. The small town setting is a perfect backdrop to the fast moving plot where people seem to stumble in and out of each other's lives. The flinty New Englanders arouse both frustration and affection. This book is for anyone who loves animals and was the perfect read for a hot summer afternoon.
  
• 
  Susan (aka Just My Op)

  Although I am an animal lover, and wanted to read something short and fluffy, I had my doubts about this short novel in the beginning. Cyrus had a suspended vet license and was estranged from his father when his father died and Cyrus took over his practice in a small town fighting takeover from a corporate giant in the vet hospital field.
  
  For a vet, he doesn't much like animals. Sheesh, Cyrus, you are a veterinarian. Step back from the microscope you love and get a life. And the way you are going about it with Amy just ain't gonna work for you.
  
  A vet should never, ever use the phrase, “more than one way to skin a cat.” And “I never cease to be amazed by how attached people can be to their pets.”
  
  You can perhaps see why I didn't love this book in the beginning. The thing is, Cyrus seems to know he behaves like a jerk, although he tends to think of himself just as a geek. He just doesn't know what to do about it. He is so socially inept you kinda start feeling sorry for him.
  
  The writing isn't stellar, but it is entertaining. Some of the characters are a bit too eccentric, but they are still fun to read about. The veterinary sleuthing is interesting. This is a fun amuse-bouche that should make animal lovers smile in the end.
  
  I was given an e-book advanced copy of this novel by the publisher.
• 
  Lisa B.

  My Thoughts
  Dr. Miles has spent many years as a vet pathologist, so his people and animal skills are a bit rough. Fortunately, his analytical skills are pretty darn good and this is a huge benefit as he tries to diagnosis both the people and critters he encounters.
  
  This was utterly delightful. Fun, lighthearted and amusing. It was a fast paced read. The author really created some unusual characters. This is the first Nick Trout book I’ve read, but won’t be the last.
  
  My thanks to Hachette Books, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.
• 
  Bea

  How could I resist that face? Add in the title and I almost didn't care about the blurb. :D I didn't realize that it was the second book in a series but after reading this one, I'm hooked.
  
  Animals, more animals, a romance, a homecoming, family problems, small town New England life - all tropes and themes that appeal to me. Cyrus took a bit of time to warm up to and I never really did warm up to his love interest, Amy. Cyrus is socially challenged, nosy, blunt, and an introvert. The combination makes him difficult to know, both for the reader and the other characters, but the more time we spend in his head, the more I got to understand and like him. Amy is also blunt yet secretive, annoyingly coy, and sends mixed messages romantically. When we find out why, part of me understood where she was coming from and part of me thought she should have held off on getting involved until her situation was straightened out. I was a little uncomfortable with the level of interest Cyrus has for Amy, it bordered on stalking at times; Trout was treading a fine line and some readers may not care for it.
  
  I shrug and wonder how Amy might reply. "Some people say I'm nosy. I prefer curious. I've always liked solving any kind of puzzle."...For half a minute, Stash and I survey the property. Amy's right. I am inquisitive. I'll even accept stubborn and relentless. But there are times when this approach to life can come in handy. And maybe this is one of them.
  
  
  While there's a romance, the story is not primarily a romance. Cyrus is undergoing something of a mid-life crisis, although it's unclear what his age is, maybe late thirties? He's made some major life changes and reading about them, and the challenges they present to his comfort zone was interesting and engaging. Despite himself, he gets involved with people and local events. At times, with the combination of animal cases and life anecdotes, I felt as if I were reading an updated James Herriot book. Another character even compares Cyrus, unfavorably, to Herriot. The evil conglomerate story is over the top but the peeks we got into into veterinary practice were interesting and almost made up for the soap opera-ish drama.
  
  Trout has a wonderful way with description:
  
  Lewis gives me "the stare." I've seen it before. It's like being injected with truth serum, the way its kind intent makes you want to find the right answer...the cold has already ripped off my ears, chewed away my entire face, and begun to feast on my brain..."The bar was packed and I couldn't make them out, except some guy with an annoying, distinctive laugh." Lewis offers a sage nod. "Let me guess, braying donkey meets croupy pig?"
  
  
  
  Combine that with deft characterization and smooth pacing and "Dog Gone, Back Soon" is an enjoyable story that has me wanting more.
  
  
• 
  Jill

  This is an adorable story about Cyrus Mills, a veterinarian in his late thirties who returns to northern Vermont after his father’s death to run his father’s veterinary practice, The Bedside Manor for Sick Animals.
  
  There’s a subplot about the Evil Corporate Competitor, a national chain called Healthy Paws, and one involving Cyrus’s romantic interest in a local waitress named Amy Carp (presumably a hat tip to the author, Nick Trout). But the real appeal of the book is the wonderful collection of anecdotes about pets.
  
  Evaluation: This is apparently a sequel to The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs. I did not read this book, and thought the author did a fair (but not excellent) job of filling in new readers, mostly about how Cyrus got interested in Amy. But it didn’t really matter much. The book has loads of humor, charm, and great pet stories by a guy who knows what he is talking about. The author is a graduate of the veterinary school at the University of Cambridge, a Diplomate of the American and European Colleges of Veterinary Surgeons , and a staff surgeon at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. If you love pets, you’ll love this book!
  
  Rating: 3.5/5
• 
  Amanda Byrne

  I debated over the rating to give this book. There's a lot weighing in its favor. Cyrus reminds me of Dr. House, with his lack of social skills and wicked sharp mind. The pathology was interesting and the story, as a whole, was engaging. And Stash! I adored Stash. I worried right along with Cyrus whether the town would be able to continuing supporting a vet practice.
  
  I've always wondered about those chain practices. Are they really as cold and blundering as the one in Dog Gone, Back Soon?
  
  I hated Amy.
  
  I loathed Amy.
  
  I'm a fan of unlikeable heroines. I like them with sharp edges and even sharper tongues, but the difference between those heroines and Amy is there's always at least one soft spot to poke at that makes it possible to like them, warts and all. Amy was all sharp edges. Frankly, she came off as a bitch, needlessly so, and she was the weakest part of the story. She weakened Cyrus, which was, ultimately, the reason I ended up giving the book a lower rating.
  
  Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Emily

  I enjoyed this charming story. I read James Herriot's books long ago, and loved them. These books (this one being a sequel to "The Patron Saint of Lost Dogs") are a bit reminiscent of Herriot's books, but Trout's books are fiction. There's a great air of authenticity to them, though, since Trout is a veterinarian himself. At times there's a bit more technical info than the average person may be able to digest, but when you consider the vet in these books is a veterinary pathologist who tends to "get in his head" much of the time, that's very much in character for him. I enjoyed watching him coming to terms with his father's legacy, and learning how to deal with actual live animals rather than making diagnoses strictly from slides.
  I’m sorry now it took me so long to getting around to reading these books - I’d received an ARC of this one but wanted to read the previous book first, and kept postponing it for some reason. Now I want to read Nick Trout’s other books, which are non-fiction.
  Copy provided by Netgalley and Hachette Books in exchange for an unbiased review.
• 
  Mary Brown

  This is the first book that I've read by this author and I really liked it. It's not my usual genre in books but I plan on reading book one. There was humor, character development and lots of animals, which I totally enjoyed. I was drawn in and my attention was held through out the whole story. It was interesting hearing about different ailments for pets and how different veterinarian practices operate. And you can't help but fall in love with all the animals, especially Stash. Parts were funny, parts were sad, parts were heartwarming . The writing style was in the first person, which isn't my favorite but it didn't detract from my enjoyment. I would recommend this book to all animal lovers.
• 
  Amy Mitchell

  Easy to read, funny book about a wide range of animals, where they all had happy endings. Keen to read more by the author.
• 
  Jami

  I enjoyed this sequel as much as the first! This was a charming story, with some humor and a little romance and intrigue. Love the animal characters! I wish there were more books in this series; I’ll have to check out the author’s non-fiction books next!
• 
  Clayton Cheever

  I first met local veterinarian Dr. Trout when he helped me diagnose a dear greyhound I had rescued. When I came across this, his fifth book, I knew I had to give it a chance - he was a great help in a tough time and I figured that his writing must be pretty good to sustain this many books. I was very pleasantly surprised. This novel is about a man who has returned to his home-town in rural Vermont to take over his recently deceased father’s veterinary practice. It comes with the expected animal related mysteries, a rivalry with a bigger, corporate practice in the next town over, and a couple possible love interests with complications. The writing is very easy-going and often humourous. Not incredibly deep, but quite comforting - much like some of my favorite canine companions.
• 
  Karen R

  The second installment in the Dr. Cyrus Mills Series, this is a delightfully engaging story. Veterinarian and author Nick Trout writes in a sharp-witted humorous style. His protagonist, Dr. Cyrus Mills, a reclusive pathologist, takes on more than he anticipated when he moves back to his childhood town after inheriting his father’s mom-and-pop veterinary practice. Eden Falls is a cold isolated small town in Vermont full of quirky characters and their memorable pets. Hijinks ensue as we follow Cyrus through his first jam-packed week in Eden Falls. Animal lovers should enjoy this easy breezy read.
• 
  Miriam

  Book two of this charming series picks up where #1 "Patron Saint of Lost Dogs" leaves off. Cyrus Mills is still getting used to Vermont winters after 25 years in the Carolinas. He's also getting used to petting animals and listening to their owners as opposed to figuring why the animals died. You'll laugh and smile as you root for Cyrus to "figure it out" and help each and every one of his ailing patients.
  
  Nick Trout hits another home run with his charming dialogue and amusing vignettes about dogs, cats, and their veterinarians.
  
  If you're having a gloomy day, if you are in need of pet therapy, grab one of Trout's books and you're mood will improve right away.
• 
  Bob

  Thoroughly enjoyed this book. While not quite as mesmerizing as it's predecessor, it comes close. The story has plenty of intriguing twists and sub-plots that kept me hooked. The characters are wonderfully rendered. And though Stash is only one small part of the story, he's one of my favorites. I hope Trout will continue the series. It's truly a winner!
• 
  Debbie

  Dog Gone, Back Soon was just as good as book #1 if not better. Reading about the adventures of Dr. Cyrus Mills are so entertaining. I really enjoyed the development of the character and how he is finding his way in his new position. My only disappointment is that there isn't a third book. I hope you are working on that Nick Trout. I can't wait to find out what happens next!
• 
  Barry Bridges

  I don't know where I got this book, read it on a trip as a stress escape. Decent. All the threads get tied up predictably and as expected. Ended right when it should get good.
• 
  Vicki Papworth

  Really enjoyed it
• 
  Dawn Thomas

  Dog Gone, Back Soon by Dr. Nick Trout
  
  9781401310899
  
  321 Pages
  Publisher: Hatchette Books
  Release Date: April 8, 2014
  
  Fiction, General Fiction (Adult), Drama, Veterinarian, Romance
  
  Dr. Cyrus Mills is a Veterinarian Pathologist. When his father dies, he left his practice, Bedside Manner in Eden Falls, Vermont to Cyrus. His first patient is an almost comatose mastiff. The owner said it was from chocolate, but Cyrus knows better. She ate marijuana brownies and is high. There is competition in the small town with Healthy Paws a national veterinary chain. One his first house call, he meets a girl named Charlie Brown. What he doesn’t know is her mother is Dr. Honey, a veterinarian that works for Healthy Paws.
  
  This is the second book in the Cyrus Mills/Bedside Manner series. The story has a steady pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in first person point of view. What a cute story. Dr. Mills is a good guy and really wants a second chance with Amy. I like the accuracy of the writing. The author is obviously knowledgeable of the subject. If you like animals and books like Marley and Me or the Mace Reid K-9 series, you will enjoy this book.
• 
  Rebecca

  A quick, easy read—which is one thing I loved about it. I also loved the solving of the veterinary mysteries. AND! I don’t think there were any typos! That’s always a pleasant surprise these days! I liked these characters & will definitely go back & read the previous book, & any others with them in them. [Oh! Just checked & there aren’t any more! 🙁) As well as check out others by this author.
  
  And this would make a good movie.
• 
  emily

  SHUT UP THIS WAS SO CUTE. i seriously expected to hate this because it just sounded like the wrong end of hallmark-y but oh my god. it was so funny and heartwarming and well written with such a fun cast of characters. i need to read the first book immediately. ugh. what a balm for the soul i take everything back i previously thought
• 
  Susan Palmer

  Got this yesterday morning, finished today. Really enjoyed this, loved Stash, want him for myself !! Off to look for another in this series.