In JOINT CUSTODY, Lauren Baratz-Logsted and her daughter, Jackie Logsted, have written a story of love lost, and they tell it through the eyes --- and mouth --- of a rescue dog named Gatz. Not your typical canine, Gatz knows poetry and literature and can discuss synonyms. On the very first page, he paraphrases Dickens. Of course, there's the fact that The Man and The Woman, the two most important people in his life, are an author (published, thank you) and an editor, so the fantasy makes perfect sense in a "you must completely suspend your disbelief" kind of way.

"While this is light reading, toward the end of the story I found myself a bit teary-eyed.... Are you ready for a sweet, romantic threesome with a dog? You won't find one cuter than JOINT CUSTODY."

The Man is introverted and rarely wants to leave their apartment, while The Woman loves to dance and dresses beautifully. They both agree that Gatz, named after the main character in their favorite novel, THE GREAT GATSBY, is the best dog in the world. When they finally break up after three years together, they decide that joint custody of Gatz is the fairest way for them to continue to shower love on their sweet loyal friend. But this brilliant canine is not likely to leave things alone, and we watch him try ruse after ruse to get them back together.

When eating chocolate and ending up in the doggy ER doesn't lead to a reconciliation, Gatz must dig deeper. And when The Woman meets New Man (handsome, suave, thoughtful), he is very worried. New Man seems to be perfect for The Woman, so Gatz pulls out all the stops in an effort to get The Man and The Woman to come to their senses. No dog has ever tried so valiantly to reunite lovers, but can Gatz prevail? Can he turn back time to reunite the two people he loves the most?

While this is light reading, toward the end of the story I found myself a bit teary-eyed. We really find ourselves wondering if Gatz is doing the right thing or just blindly striking out to make things as they were. I did question why a dog who can discuss Kafka can only refer to the two people he lives with as The Man and The Woman. But aside from this minor lapse, we generally view Gatz as a "person" of superior intelligence who appreciates many of the finer things in life, including extra Parmesan cheese on his noodles in the couple's favorite Italian restaurant, good literature and Bruno Mars. His first-person narration is filled with dry wit, and his use of the English language far outshines that of Chaser, a fellow Border Collie whose vocabulary is limited to a mere thousand words or so.

Are you ready for a sweet, romantic threesome with a dog? You won't find one cuter than JOINT CUSTODY.