Coulda Been a Cowboy - Brenda Novak (HQN - Mar 2014)

Series: Dundee Idaho (Book 8)
 
Old-fashioned values never go out of style
 
Grandpa Garnier used to say, Love is like a bucking bronco. It takes guts and determination to hang on, but it's worth the ride.
 
If only Grandpa was around now to help Tyson Garnier out of this mess. The famous pro football player is suddenly saddled with a very public scandal--and an illegitimate child. Tyson needs a good nanny now if he's going to salvage his career. And plain, no-nonsense Dakota Brown is the ideal candidate.
 
Dakota doesn't care for football or a man who doesn't seem to want his own son. But she needs this job, and that precious little baby needs her.
 
Dakota isn't Tyson's kind of woman. But the more he sees of her--and the more he sees of his son--the harder he wants to hang on.
 
Good book. Tyson is a pro football player in a world of trouble. He has an injured knee and must get back into shape before the season starts. He discovered he'd had a child with a woman he'd spent a short time with. He wasn't happy about that, as he'd never intended to have children but paid child support. Then he found out she wasn't taking care of little Braden properly and was able to get sole custody - which only cost him a million dollars. But that isn't enough for Rachelle, who begins making accusations of heinous behavior by Tyson, potentially costing him his job and endorsements. To top everything off, Tyson has no idea how to care for a baby and no interest in learning. So, he is in search of a nanny.
 
Dakota has lived in Dundee all her life. Her mother died when Dakota was young, leaving her to be raised by her father. By the time this story begins, Dakota is twenty-six and lives with her father, who is sick and off and on abusive to her. Things in their past make her unwilling to leave him, so she works in town to make ends meet. A friend recommends her to Tyson as a nanny for Braden. I loved how Dakota was unimpressed by Tyson's fame and money and dismayed by his apparent lack of interest in his son. His desperation for her help was evident in the way he tried to get her to start that day.
 
I liked watching the relationship develop between Tyson and Dakota. Though the sparks of attraction are there, both try to ignore them. Instead, they form a solid friendship. I liked how Dakota supported Tyson as he faced Rachelle's unfounded accusations, especially the day the police detective came to question him. I also liked how Tyson was there to help Dakota deal with her father. His solution worked well to get her out of danger and help keep her father out of trouble. I enjoyed seeing their friendship grow and how Dakota helped Tyson learn to love Braden through her example.
 
Dakota didn't take too long to realize that her heart was in danger. Not only did she love little Braden, but Tyson was also becoming more important to her. She knows they have no future, as she is tied to Dundee, and Tyson will return to California for football season. What was fun and frustrating was watching Tyson fight his feelings. He did everything he could to convince himself he didn't care, even going so far as to introduce her to other men. The scenes at his barbecue were hilarious, especially his reaction to Dakota spending time with Joe.
 
While that broke through some of Tyson's resistance, he still refused to see the truth of his feelings. His issues cause him to pull away from Dakota, and she realizes that his fears are stronger than what they have between them. I liked that Dakota stood up for her needs and made plans to do what was right for her. Tyson earned his misery, and it took some straight talk from his friend Gabe for him to see the truth. His big moment at the end was a bit over-the-top, as he made his plans without asking the question first, but it worked out for him. The epilogue was good.

Second Time's the Charm - Brenda Jackson (HD #2953 - July 2023)

Series; Westmoreland Legacy: The Outlaws (Book 6)
 
Is this seduction scheme for revenge…or a second chance?
 
Part-time rancher and world-renowned musician Dylan Emanuel never forgot his college romance with Charm Outlaw. Nor the pain of their sudden breakup -- and her father's demands to stay away. So when they cross paths on vacation, Dylan can't resist inviting her to his ranch -- and Charm can't resist a little seductive payback. But soon she's caught by her own desire. Will revenge lead to a second chance…or the truth about what really happened the first time around?
 
Good conclusion to the series. Charm is the last of the Westmoreland Outlaw siblings and the only girl. She is wealthy, beautiful, and more than a little spoiled by her father. The story opens as Charm is in Cancun for a friend's wedding. There she spots a face from her past that brings back many good and bad memories. She and Dylan had met ten years earlier and fallen in love. But Charm was sixteen to Dylan's eighteen, and her father disapproved. Despite Bart's order to stop seeing each other, Charm and Dylan continued to see each other secretly for the next two years. Then they had a traumatic/dramatic breakup and haven't seen each other since then.
 
After his breakup with Charm, Dylan became an internationally acclaimed jazz musician. It's been a good life, but he's been wary of trusting his heart to another woman. He's shocked to see Charm and surprised she still stirs his feelings. Though he doesn't intend to restart their relationship, he'd like the chance to clear the air and find closure.
 
Charm reminded me too much of her father at this point. A ruthless businessman and dictatorial father, he's only recently started to change his ways. When Dylan comes to Charm and suggests they go out, she's ready to accept - and plots her revenge for their breakup. Charm stubbornly sticks to her plans even when her friends try to talk her out of it. Her old feelings for him come back to life as she and Dylan spend time together. I liked their time together and seeing their connection deepen and grow. I loved Dylan and seeing how he embraced his renewed love for Charm. Charm continued to rub me the wrong way as her conscience and feelings for Dylan warred with that need for revenge. I wanted to shake her when she carried out her plan and ached for Dylan and his feelings of betrayal.
 
I had little sympathy for Charm and her misery over leaving Dylan. She brought it entirely on herself with her actions. Dylan wouldn't let her get away without an explanation this time, and he quickly showed up to confront her. The sparks flew as their hurt and anger over their past breakup boiled over, with both shocked to discover the truth behind what happened. I never could figure out how they hadn't realized the truth at the time. But this time, the damage is done by Charm, who couldn't let go of the past, and threw away what could have been a great future.
 
I loved Charm's confrontation with her father and her realization of how badly she'd behaved. Bart surprised me with his reaction and what he did afterward. Both Dylan and Charm must find a way to overcome the hurt and bitterness of the past if they want to have a future together. Dylan won my heart with his big moment at the end. It was sweet and romantic. I would have liked to see more repentance on Charm's part - I thought she got off relatively easily.

Police Dog Procedural - Lena Diaz (HI #2104 - Nov 2022)

Series: K-9s on Patrol (Book 6)
 
A child left on a doorstep…
A K-9 officer and his partner determined to solve this mystery…
 
When police lieutenant Macon Ridley and his loyal K-9, Bogie, respond to a frantic call from Daniels Canine Academy, they're stunned to discover a baby on DCA's doorstep. New recruit Macon tantalized Emma Daniels when she first trained his new pup. Now, that sizzling spark propels the pair to solve a dangerous mystery. At stake is not only an innocent infant, but also Emma herself…
 
Terrific conclusion to the series. Emma is the owner and head trainer at the Daniels Canine Academy. As such, she has been a fixture in the previous books, training the Jasper PD K-9s and providing other support when needed. As the book opens, Emma needs the Jasper PD when she discovers an abandoned infant on her doorstep, and she's surprised when Macon is the officer who responds.
 
Emma and Macon have a little bit of history. Two years earlier, she had trained the Boise cop and his dog, Bogart. They had an easy friendship, with underlying sparks of attraction, but they did nothing about it. After training, Macon went back to Boise. A few months earlier, a bust gone bad resulted in the death of Macon's partner, with Bogie also suffering some PTSD from the event. Macon joined the Jasper PD to seek a quieter place to heal from his grief and get help for Bogie. This is the first time he's seen Emma since his return.
 
Emma faces a dilemma with baby Angel. She has been a foster parent to teens but gave it up when it became too hard to say goodbye to her kids. Because of trauma in her past, she didn't trust herself with infants. But there is a shortage of available foster parents, and though she tries to resist, she can't say no to caring for Angel.
 
As the police begin their search for Angel's mother, matters become more complicated when someone attempts to break into Emma's home. Is this person after the baby or Emma? Macon is determined to keep Emma and Angel safe while they search for the truth, even if that means setting up 24-hour protection.
 
I loved watching the relationship develop between Macon and Emma. Their attraction is undeniable, but Emma is wary of opening her heart. Working together on the investigation allows them to get to know each other, especially with Macon pulling the night shift at Emma's. There are some sweet scenes involving Macon, Emma, and Angel, that burrow into Emma's heart. At the same time, Macon does his best to stay in control, so he doesn't scare her off. They do butt heads a few times when Emma's protectiveness toward her teen volunteers runs up against Macon's suspicions, and her frustration at the investigation's slow progress creates a foot-in-mouth argument. I wanted to shake her when she allowed her fears to push him away and ached for her self-imposed misery. Fortunately, she has good friends who can and do dispense needed advice. The ending was sweet as Emma faced those fears and went after what she wanted.
 
The suspense and action were excellent. From the moment baby Angel appeared, the Jasper PD was all hands on deck to find the truth. Macon's determination is evident as the lead on the case, though his methods are sometimes a little intense. I loved the attention to detail in the search for Angel's mother. The attacks on Emma's property involve a different set of questions. One episode reveals a surprising answer and a small sigh of relief. But that relief is short-lived when they find the truth of Angel's parentage. The final confrontation is a nail-biter, with Emma's life in danger from a desperate man. I was impressed by Emma's calmness in the face of that danger. The resolution was well done and realistic in how it happened.
 
The epilogue was an excellent wrap-up for the book and the series. I loved seeing the characters from the previous books. I loved the long-anticipated retirement of Chief Walters and the terrific twist of naming his replacement.
 
I enjoyed seeing so much of Macon's dog Bogie. Emma's compassion for him over the events that brought Bogie and Macon to Jasper was sweet. I loved how she figured out his trouble and her work to get him past it. I loved his almost human reactions when he was around Emma and laughed out loud at how he sometimes seemed to play Macon and Emma against each other. The dogs in this series were terrific, and I loved seeing their relationships with their human partners.

Scent Detection - Leslie Marshman (HI #2086 - Aug 2022)

Series: K-9s on Patrol (Book 5)
 
Would a mysterious stranger blow her cover
Or wind up saving her life?
 
Veterinarian Marie Beaumont's spent five years in witness protection hiding from a ruthless foe. But then she and her K-9 save the life of a handsome stranger with amnesia and Marie's horrified when he begins to remember her -- as the woman she once was. But who is the elusive Jack? A caring, electrifying protector…or a killer sent to finish off Marie once and for all?
 
This was a gripping tale that kept me hooked from start to finish. The book opens with a man driving his truck through a storm faster than was prudent in that weather. Unsurprisingly, he hydroplanes and leaves the road, his truck rolling over and over. He struggles to escape and nearly gets caught in a mudslide, all while his mind yells at him that there is danger. He almost makes it back to the road before he collapses.
 
The next morning Marie and her dog Astrid are out for a run. Marie thinks about her life for the past five years, far away from the trouble that put her in witness protection. While she never stops looking over her shoulder, she has made a few friends, even though they don't know everything about her. Marie is stunned when Astrid finds an unconscious man who is moments away from drowning in a drainage ditch.
 
The man, known only as Jack, suffers from amnesia thanks to his injuries. He remembers nothing about his life, from who he is to why he was on that road. The only thing he has going for him is his gut feeling that he is supposed to be in Jasper and that it has something to do with Marie. She is horrified when he comments on her hair, fearing that he is there because of her. She's relieved when the doctor plans to send him to a city hospital where he can get better help.
 
Marie is determined to stay away from Jack until he leaves. But fate, and Jack, have other plans. Jack refuses to leave Jasper, believing that the answers to his past are linked to the town and Marie. She is deeply suspicious of him and his sudden appearance. Jack takes a job at the canine academy, which keeps him in Marie's orbit. She spends a lot of time there as a veterinarian, and exposure to Jack leaves her torn. Something about him stirs up feelings she's buried for years, but prudence tells her to keep him at a distance.
 
Jack recognizes that Marie is skittish and suspects that she's hiding something. He hopes that being around her will awaken his memories. But when he gets flashes of his past, they leave him wondering if he's a good or bad guy. As he and Marie spend time together, they grow closer, and Marie starts feeling more comfortable in his presence. Then a news story about an escaped prisoner sends her into a panic, worried that her past is about to rear its ugly head. Her suspicions are reawakened by the coincidence of Jack's arrival at about the same time as the prisoner's escape.
 
The story is full of twists and turns as Marie struggles with her growing feelings for Jack and her worry that he isn't the nice guy he appears to be. News that the escaped prisoner is headed in her direction, combined with suspicious accidents, keeps Marie on edge. The kayaking scene is intense and nerve-wracking as the fun excursion she and Jack planned turns deadly, and she fears his intentions. A timely discovery puts those fears to rest, but the threat from her past is still out there. When the final confrontation came, I was glued to the pages until it was all over.