Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
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.
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.
