Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good suspense combined with romance. This animal shelter in Chance is a no-kill shelter that takes in abused and unwanted animals. Unknown to the rest of the town, it is also a shelter for abused women. They are taken in, given a chance to heal while working with the animals, then given new lives elsewhere. The shelter's manager, Scott, is an undercover police officer (Her Undercover Refuge).
The newest employee at the shelter is Kyle, a former cop turned veterinarian. He is on-site when K-9 cop Maisie brings her dog, Griffin, in because of an injured paw while she was patrolling near the shelter. The sparks between them were evident from the start, and they made plans to get together.
While at the shelter, there is an altercation between Kyle and a pair of women who bring a dog to the shelter. One woman is a local pet supply store owner who displays dogs for adoption while encouraging adopters to purchase supplies from the store. There is some question about the legality and ethics of her actions, and Kyle is not very happy with the resolution of the argument. He finds her body when he goes to the pet store later to talk to the woman and check the situation. He calls the police but is considered the number one person of interest in the murder because of the earlier argument.
This puts a crimp in the blossoming relationship between Kyle and Maisie. As a police officer, getting involved with a murder suspect is not a good idea. But they can't stay away from each other despite Maisie's initial questioning of Kyle's guilt or innocence. Their attraction grows as they work together to prove Kyle's innocence. I liked that, though their chemistry was strong, they limited their involvement while the case was ongoing. I liked Kyle's protectiveness toward Maisie after he received a threat that included her, even though he respected her abilities as a police officer. I wanted their chances for a future together after the case ended, and they were free to explore their relationship.
The suspense was good. There were questions about the motives and actions of the murdered woman from her first appearance at the shelter. Kyle is a logical suspect even though the reader knows he is not guilty. Reading the book requires some suspense of disbelief as Maisie, a K-9 cop only peripherally involved in the investigation, decides to look into things on her own. She also informs one of the suspects (Kyle) of what she finds. Putting these quibbles aside, the search for the murderer kept my interest. In addition to Kyle, there were other possible suspects in the murder, from the woman's ex-husbands to employees of the store.
The intensity increased when Kyle received a threatening text, indicating that the murderer was not happy with his pursuit of the truth. As information about one of the other suspects came to light, the spotlight moved away from Kyle but didn't decrease his desire to find the truth. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as the murderer made their move on their actual target. The face-off was intense as Kyle and Maisie faced a desperate killer bent on revenge. The resolution was neatly done (I loved Griffin and Spike's involvement), though I found the murderer's motive a bit far-fetched. I'm looking forward to the next book.
The newest employee at the shelter is Kyle, a former cop turned veterinarian. He is on-site when K-9 cop Maisie brings her dog, Griffin, in because of an injured paw while she was patrolling near the shelter. The sparks between them were evident from the start, and they made plans to get together.
While at the shelter, there is an altercation between Kyle and a pair of women who bring a dog to the shelter. One woman is a local pet supply store owner who displays dogs for adoption while encouraging adopters to purchase supplies from the store. There is some question about the legality and ethics of her actions, and Kyle is not very happy with the resolution of the argument. He finds her body when he goes to the pet store later to talk to the woman and check the situation. He calls the police but is considered the number one person of interest in the murder because of the earlier argument.
This puts a crimp in the blossoming relationship between Kyle and Maisie. As a police officer, getting involved with a murder suspect is not a good idea. But they can't stay away from each other despite Maisie's initial questioning of Kyle's guilt or innocence. Their attraction grows as they work together to prove Kyle's innocence. I liked that, though their chemistry was strong, they limited their involvement while the case was ongoing. I liked Kyle's protectiveness toward Maisie after he received a threat that included her, even though he respected her abilities as a police officer. I wanted their chances for a future together after the case ended, and they were free to explore their relationship.
The suspense was good. There were questions about the motives and actions of the murdered woman from her first appearance at the shelter. Kyle is a logical suspect even though the reader knows he is not guilty. Reading the book requires some suspense of disbelief as Maisie, a K-9 cop only peripherally involved in the investigation, decides to look into things on her own. She also informs one of the suspects (Kyle) of what she finds. Putting these quibbles aside, the search for the murderer kept my interest. In addition to Kyle, there were other possible suspects in the murder, from the woman's ex-husbands to employees of the store.
The intensity increased when Kyle received a threatening text, indicating that the murderer was not happy with his pursuit of the truth. As information about one of the other suspects came to light, the spotlight moved away from Kyle but didn't decrease his desire to find the truth. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as the murderer made their move on their actual target. The face-off was intense as Kyle and Maisie faced a desperate killer bent on revenge. The resolution was neatly done (I loved Griffin and Spike's involvement), though I found the murderer's motive a bit far-fetched. I'm looking forward to the next book.
