Marley and Me is the story of life with "the world's worst dog" and the chaos he causes along the way as well as all the love he brings to a Florida family. Jenny and John Grogan are newlyweds and decide to take the plunge into getting a dog when Jenny realises she needs practice before having a baby of her own after she ends up killing a potted plant with kindness and way too much watering. The couple go to see a litter of Labrador puppies and instantly fall in love with Marley, or "clearance puppy" as he is known then, they can't resist the pup especially as he is cheaper than all of his littermates.

Both John and Jenny work for newspapers and Jenny is away on a trip when they first get Marley so it is up to John to help him settle in. The first night Marley whines and cries for his brothers and sisters so John relents and takes him out of the garage and into his bedroom. The bond is formed from there and by the time Jenny comes home the pair are already as thick as thieves.

Like all puppies Marley grows fast and it soon becomes apparent that he isn't just any old dog, Marley has a huge personality of his own. How many dogs get kicked out of obedience class? Marley grows in to a greedy and cheeky dog who loves nothing better than to cause mischief wherever he goes! But Marley isn't just a mango eating goofball, he has a heart of gold. When Jenny suffers a miscarriage Marley is there resting his head on her lap and when the Grogan's finally get the baby they've been longing for their beloved pooch is there to watch over him and also to eagerly sniff his diapers!

Over the years Jenny and John go on to have 2 more children, they end up moving house twice as well as changing jobs. Marley is there larger than life and being his naughty self, from driving the dog sitter to tears to swallowing Jenny's gold chain - poor John has to wait for it to come out of the other end! Time passes and Marley remains true to his loving and goofy character, right until he passes away.

This book made me laugh and it also made me cry in parts, Marley is such a character that you can't help falling in love with. A must read for animal lovers, the book is a well written and funny tale of life with a crazy canine.