I won a book!

 I won a book!

If you play with Goodreads often enough, you'll find the place where authors offer books to readers. And if you look at the number of copies of each title offered, and the number of people "requesting" it, you'll know you're never likely to win. Hence the exclamation mark. 

I won a book!

Of course, I was out of the country visiting family in the UK when I got the email. So I knew I wouldn't be around to receive the book. But, thank to the US postal service and the fact that we'd placed a hold on our mail, the book was waiting in a (rather large) basket with lots of other things when we arrived home. So...

Well, there was mail to sort (of course), washing (lots of it), dog-sitting (always a joy), catching up on emails (a nightmare), house-cleaning (ditto)... lots of things got in the way, but I did eventually find time to enjoy the fact that

I'd won a book.

The book in question is Second Shot by Cindy Dees. It's the first in a series of spy novels, with the neat twist that the protagonist is a retired female spy, trying to reconnect with her somewhat estranged children, and... dog-sitting for her son!

Okay, she had me a dog-sitting. Luckily nobody tries to shoot me while I look after the dogs.

I won a book...

and, of course, according to Goodreads guidelines, I have to post reviews. So I've put one on Goodreads. You can find it here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5382529117

It's a fun book, and I might have to watch out for more, especially if the protagonist keeps getting invited back to dog-sit. Of course, it's also somewhat bleak and dark in places - it's a spy story - but the humor's fun and the protagonist is very relatable. And the dog...

I won a book. 

Maybe one day I'll win a dog too!