They say a dog is your best friend and I 100% believe it. From their loyalty, loving personalities, and unconditional love, dogs are the best companions. If you’re looking for some books that showcase how great dogs can be, check out these books that feature side character dogs with big personalities!

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Elizabeth Zott is a Chemist in the early 1960s and the only woman who works at the Hastings Research Institute. When Elizabeth falls in love with Calvin Evans, she believes true chemistry exists. A few years later, Elizabeth is now a single mother and the star of American’s most popular cooking show. As Elizabeth becomes more and more popular, people begin to catch on that she’s not just teaching women how to cook, she’s teaching them how to break the mold.

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The Friend by Sigrid Nunez

When a woman loses her best friend and mentor unexpectedly, she is left with the dog he left behind, a Great Dane. As she grapples with her own grief, the feelings intensify as she notices the dog having its own anxiety with the loss of its owner. Refusing to separate herself from the dog, the two bond over their shared grief and form a relationship of their own.

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What Comes After by Joanne Tompkins

In Washington State, Isaac lives alone with his dog and is grieving the death of his teenage son. In the home next door, Lorrie is a single mom who is trying to deal with the heinous act her teenage son committed. As the two mourn in separate houses, they are brought together by sixteen-year-old Evangeline, a mysterious character whose past overlaps with Isaac and Lorrie.

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The Treehouse on Dog River Road by Catherine Drake

Hannah Spencer is a twenty-eight-year-old who is looking for a change after being laid off from her job in Boston. Hannah heads to Vermont for the summer to help take care of her sister’s children and hopes to do some soul searching while she’s there. Her first project? Build a treehouse for her niece and nephew. What could go wrong? After dreaming of a new job, Nathan Wild, the man next door, might just get in the way of her future plans.

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Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley

Ted is an introverted and struggling author who spends most of his time with his dachshund, Lily. When Lily’s health takes a turn for the worst, Ted finds himself in a position to do anything he can to keep her alive.

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Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez

Sloan is still trying to recover from losing her fiancé when she meets a handsome little pup named Tucker, who jumps in her car practically begging for her to take him home. With Tucker around, Sloan starts to feel like herself again. When Tucker’s owner reaches out to her and wants Tucker back, Sloan is not ready to give up without a fight. As the two go back and forth, Sloan finds herself really connecting with Tucker’s owner, Jason.

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Stay by Allie Larkin

Van Leone has loved Peter for as long as she can remember, but Peter loves her best friend, Janie. Now Peter and Janie are getting married and after a few too many drinks, buys herself a German Shepherd. While Van expected a puppy, what she receives is a hundred-pound clumsy dog. Realizing that this new pup may be more than her new best friend when she meets the handsome and rugged veterinarian, Dr. Alex Brandt.

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Their Double Lives by Jaime Lynn Hendricks

Kim Valva is a waitress who is struggling to make ends meet after her boyfriend recently cheated on her. Now her dog, Murphy, needs a life-saving surgery and Kim doesn’t have enough money to afford it. When a mysterious person known as The Stranger contacts Kim, they offer her enough money and more for Murphy’s surgery if she puts a pill in a member’s drink. When the member dies, Kim gets the money. When the target is none other than Kim’s first love and ex-boyfriend from high school, the tables turn when his new girlfriend is the one who dies. Now, Kim is more confused than ever and finds herself dealing with The Stranger while trying to piece together who is after who and what her next move should be.

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