The Parent Trap meets Best in Show in this charming novel about a girl who must learn to make peace with the unpredictability of life.
Ella Cohen was skeptical when her mom started dating Krishnan just a few months after her parentsâ divorce. But two years later, she really likes having her new stepfather around. When she decides to enter a junior dog show, Krishnan even lets her start handling his dog, Elvis. Sheâs determined to become an expert handler, even after her first show ends in disaster.
Unfortunately, some things are harder to controlâlike Ellaâs dad, who has changed a lot since the divorce. He used to be laid back and fun, but now he hovers over her constantly, terrified sheâs going to shatter into a million pieces if she so much as hints that everything in her life isnât perfect. Ella is particularly upset that his animosity toward Krishnan keeps him from coming to watch her handle Elvis, especially when she wins a lottery spot in the National Dog Show in Philadelphia.
When Ellaâs best friends suggest she find her dad a date to the dog show, it seems like the perfect solution. If her dad has a new girlfriend, surely he wonât mind so much that Ellaâs mom has a new husband. So Ella decides to play matchmaker, going so far as to create a fake online dating profile in order to find her dad his one true love.
But it turns out people, much like dogs, arenât always so easy to control, and Ellaâs plan backfires at the worst possible moment. Can Ella manage to bring her divided life together in time for her moment in the spotlight?