Series:
ConardCounty (Book 71)
Can his wartime K-9 save him
From homeland danger?
Don't interfere or you're next. Army veteran Kell McLaren
won't comply with the threat. He and Jenna Blair -- wrongfully discharged from
the army -- mean to investigate two suspicious deaths possibly tied to a
mysterious church sect…and a drug cartel. With Kell's military-trained K-9
companion, the troubled vets uncover unspeakable secrets, while finding in each
other welcome respite from combat trauma and treacherous betrayal.
Good book with a slow-burn romance and steadily
intensifying suspense. I liked Kell and Jenna, the two main characters, and
their dogs, Bradley and Misty. The book opens as Jenna returns to Conard County
from her service as an Army nurse. She did not leave the army willingly, and
her reasons for doing so were heartbreaking. Her ability to trust has been
severely damaged, and she is a bit lost about what is next for her, though her
first order of business is to retrieve her aunt's dog, Misty, from where she is
being boarded. I loved Jenna's close connection with Misty.
One of the first people Jenna met was Kell, along with
his dog, Bradley. Kell is a former Marine, and Bradley was his K-9 during the
war. After Kell was injured, he returned to Conard County, bringing Bradley.
Bradley also has PTSD, and my heart broke for him and Kell, who tries to help
Bradley through his episodes. Bradley and Misty are great friends and
playmates, bringing Kell and Jenna together almost daily.
Because of what she'd been through, Jenna is initially
very wary of Kell. He senses that wariness and wonders about its cause but is
very sensitive to her feelings. I loved how careful Kell was to respect her
boundaries and how that care made it easier for Jenna to relax around him. The
two dogs created plenty of opportunities for Kell and Jenna to spend time together.
I liked seeing them grow closer, and I cheered when Jenna could tell Kell what had
happened to her. Kell won my heart with his reaction and what it meant to
Jenna. Meanwhile, the sparks of attraction were growing between them, and Jenna
had to decide if her trust in Kell was strong enough to give in to them. I
liked what followed, and it bodes well for their future. The ending was
fantastic and left me hoping they appear in later books.
The suspense of the story was good. It started with a
prologue that set the scene for what Kell and Jenna would face - a cult
leader-like preacher with secrets he'll do anything to keep. Kell and Jenna get
the first inkling that something is wrong when Bradley alerts on a neighbor's
body as the EMTs bring it out of the house. Kell is puzzled and worries that
something is wrong with Bradley but trusts him enough to take his concerns to
the sheriff. It happens again with another neighbor, leading Kell and Jenna to
believe that Bradley is onto something.
Jenna takes a chance and uses her experiences to attempt
to get close to a former cult member, but it backfires. A threatening note accompanying a worrisome
letter sends them back to the sheriff. I loved Gage's reaction and felt his
frustration at his inability to do anything without solid evidence. Jenna and
Kell felt the same frustration and decided to do something about it. Seeing
them develop a plan and execute it successfully was highly satisfying.
There was another player in the drama, and I still have questions
about him. We get his link to the prologue at the end, but he is not above
reproach. Will he appear again in a later book?
I loved the two dogs almost as much as I did Kell and
Jenna. Each has a distinct personality and relationship with their human. Seeing
how the two pups get so excited to see each other was fun. They are terrific companions
to Kell and Jenna, providing love and support when needed. Their actions and
reactions are also frequently amusing and have a way of lightening a dark mood.
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