I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

The dog who is there is a touching story of a young puppy and his trials on his journey to find Christ. This book infers that Christ touched everyone's heart including the young dog who didn't know who he was.

I was completely moved by the story, the trials and hard times this poor dog went through brought me to tears several times . Although the story broke my heart, I was overwhelmed with joy to see that Barley finally found the happiness he rightly deserved. This young dog had a heart of gold and all of his masters knew this and he saw the kindness in Jesus eyes and knew Jesus was love too. I loved that he finally ended up having a happily ever after. This was quite the tear jerker but a worthy read if you love dogs. ( )

This sounded like an intriguing read when I read the description of the story and it was. Although I might have written the story with the dog hanging out with Jesus more, it was also good the way the author wrote it. As with a lot of books about animals, it seems like it's written for children in some place, but this book is definitely not for kids. ( )

I was drawn to this book because I found it fascinating to read about Jesus through the eyes of a dog. I instantly liked Barley and enjoyed his journey. The author really captured my attention from the beginning. Barley , along with his siblings and mother were having fun playing in the grass when someone decided to end their adventure. I felt myself holding my breath at the dramatic escape Barley made. The author really brings the story to realism with words that grasp your attention.

Barley is sweet, loveable and curious. He wanted to be accepted and loved and I thought that was a great addition to the story. We all go through life wanting to be loved and along the way we learn what unconditional love is through the teachings of Jesus. The book is well written and easy to follow. I loved the description of the time period and felt as if I were there walking along side Barley. I especially liked the many lessons Barley learned liked forgiveness, love, family and struggles throughout his journey.

Barley and people he meets along the way will encounter danger, compassion and a familiar story told in a way that leaves you weeping. I loved every moment of the story and found it hard to put down. It's a great book and relates to our own struggles with forgiveness . What would it be like to meet the Messiah? I highly recommend this book to everyone.

I received a copy of this book from LitFuse Blogger Group and The Fiction Guild. . The review is my honest opinion. ( )

I loved this portrayal of the final days of Jesus, and we are there with Barley, the dog we get to meet eight years before.
We really are absorbed in the culture at the time, and I read the whole book with my heart in my throat, on the verge of tears. Guess I’m a dog lover, as if I didn’t know.
I found myself quickly absorbed in this story, even though I knew part of the ending, but all along rooting for the dog. The author did a great job of keeping my attention and page turning, and felt that this was a book that I could share with my older grandchildren, they are tender hearted too, with Easter coming I fell that this might be a good reminder of their faith.
I loved how the author incorporated one of the thieves that had become Barley’s master in the final parts of the book, and the death of our Lord. You don’t want to miss this one, but have the tissues handy.
I received this book through Lit Fuse Publicity Book Tour and was not required to give a positive review. ( )

I'll admit that while I have a certain fondness for animals in real life, I don't really do animal tales. The thought of reading a novel about a horse or watching a movie about a whale just doesn't appeal to me.

But perhaps what intrigued me about this particular novel was the idea of viewing some of "the greatest story ever told" from a new-to-me type of angle. So I did indeed pick up The Dog Who Was There by author Ron Marasco. And I wasn't disappointed.

No, this isn't a story about a dog who follows Jesus around everywhere. In fact, for a while, I found the parts where Jesus showed up to be the least compelling of the novel. Much like an extra guy who didn't quite fit in the story, in person. And I thought that perhaps His presentation here leaned too much toward the kind of soft and radiant Christ Who appears in Lew Wallace's Ben-Hur, not enough like a man Who used to work with His hands and would've spent a lot of His time in the sun and dirt.

But, once it's all weaved together, He ultimately does fit in this account that centers on a lovable and courageous dog, Barley. Seriously, Barley's engaging and poignant story put tears in my eyes at least three different times. And while there's a simple, storybook feel to the characters and maybe some head-hopping (like hops from Barley's head into human ones), there's genius in the novel's layering and delivery.

It's the kind of book that makes you want to be a better person, and that says a lot. I'd recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys Christian and Biblical Fiction or inspirational stories, whether you're usually a fan of animal tales or not.
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BookLook Bloggers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review. ( )