An action packed, engrossing second book in the K-9s on Patrol series. Well done! ( )

I really enjoyed this clean, intriguing romance. I bought this at a local store and I voluntarily chose to review this story. I've given this a 5* rating. This intriguing romance about the heroine with a K-9 partner was interesting and fun to read about. I don't know how long it takes to train these animals but with their unique personalities, I imagine it must be an interesting job in itself. This story had a lot of action, and pulled me in pretty quickly. It was a real page turner that had me staying up late two nights in a row. ( )

Terrific book that kept me hooked from beginning to end. After a personal tragedy back in Chicago, Ava came to Jasper for a new start, but she still feels like an outsider after six months. As the only K-9 handler, she's having trouble connecting with her fellow officers, and the small town also feels closed off. That begins to change when she and her dog Lacey stumble upon a bomb while doing a wellness check.

Jasper doesn't have its own explosives expert, so they request help from a nearby town. Eli Thorne comes to Jasper to take the lead on the investigation. He's wary when Ava is assigned to the team investigating because of her aloofness. He's used to being able to charm anyone he meets into working with him, but Ava seems impervious. As they work together on the investigation, Eli breaks through some of Ava's reserve, and they discover that they work well together.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Ava and Eli. Though initially cool to each other, their excellent work rapport quickly thaws the ice between them and exposes a simmering attraction. As much as they like the heated kisses they share, they also realize pursuing their attraction could be a dangerous distraction from their investigation. Ava is cautious because of being burned in a previous relationship with a coworker. I loved how Eli made it clear that he wasn't rejecting what was happening, simply postponing his pursuit until the case was over. I loved seeing them grow closer and Ava becoming comfortable enough to share her past with Eli. I liked how he worked to show her that she belongs in Jasper after an unexpected call from Chicago has her thinking about returning. I especially enjoyed seeing Ava's pleasure when Eli's prediction came true, and she finally started to feel part of the community. I loved the ending and seeing them take a chance on the future.

The suspense of the story was excellent. Eli, Ava, and the rest of the team know that their time is limited if they are going to find the bomber before it's too late. I could feel their frustration at their lack of progress, especially once they identified a person of interest. Matters became complicated as they questioned some of their conclusions following a bombing. An unexpected twist exposed the truth and left Eli and Ava scrambling to stop a potential disaster. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as he raced to defuse a bomb while Ava faced the bomber. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

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