His fresh start is about to be interrupted by a
threatening foe.
Former Marine Shane Adler's used to perilous situations.
But he's stunned to find danger in the peaceful Idaho mountains -- especially
swirling around his beautiful dog trainer. After tragically losing her hero
husband, Piper Lambert's rebuilt her life. Now it's up to Shane -- and his
loyal K-9 in training, Decoy -- to make sure a mysterious enemy won't derail
her new beginning…or his.
Good book, but let me correct one thing right away. The
blurb states that Shane is a former Marine. He is not. He was in the army.
Piper's husband was a Marine. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, staying
up until long past midnight to finish it.
The book opens as Shane and his dog, Decoy, are headed to
Idaho to visit a friend. Shane feels a little lost now that he's been medically
retired from the army, thanks to injuries he received on duty. If it hadn't
been for Decoy, Shane likely would have died in the bombed-out building. Shane
still has nightmares from that time, but Decoy is terrific support for him.
During Shane's visit with his friend, Gonzo suggests that Shane and Decoy train
for search and rescue and sends him to the Daniels Canine Academy. There he
meets Piper, the woman who will do their training.
Piper is a widow. Her Marine husband was killed in Afghanistan
four years earlier, and she still grieves for him. She moved to Idaho from
California to start over and help her friend Emma with the DCA. She's not thrilled
when she finds out she'll be training Shane. Too many military men remind her
of her husband and how much she misses him. We also meet Chipper, the corgi/pit
mix puppy that Piper adopts. On her walk home from work the day before Shane's
arrival, Piper gets the creepy feeling that she's being watched.
I enjoyed the first meeting between Shane and Piper. He
arrives early and sees Piper, Emma, and vet tech Tashya working with the
puppies. He's immediately drawn to Piper, but her reaction to him isn't as warm,
mainly because she is as attracted to him, and it makes her uncomfortable. She
is determined to stick to training only and not let him get too close. His
plans to join a SAR unit in Montana reinforce that desire. I enjoyed their
training sessions. Shane and Piper quickly relax into their training
partnership, which helps reduce the tension between them. It isn't long before
the sparks between them grow stronger.
When Piper's feeling of being watched escalates into the
knowledge that someone tried to break into her home, Shane's protective
instincts kick in. And when her home is later entered and searched, Shane moves
in to protect her. This also allows them to grow even closer. I liked how Piper
gave Shane the understanding and compassion he needed to begin healing from his
trauma. At the same time, Shane understands that everyone grieves at their own
pace and gives Piper the space she needs. But as the danger intensifies, sooner
or later, both realize that they need each other to move forward. I loved
Shane's big moment at the end.
The suspense of the book was terrific. It started slowly,
with Piper's feeling of being watched, then moved on to the evidence that
someone had tried to get into her house. About this time, we get a peek into
the mind of the person behind it all and learn what is driving him. We see his
attacks escalate as he grows more desperate. Thanks to Shane's background, he can
investigate his suspicions. I ached for Piper as she defended her husband
against the implications while at the same time they were looking for the
truth. The intensity ramps up as they identify a suspect, but he evades them. When
the final confrontation comes, Piper is at the mercy of a desperate man. I
liked seeing how, though everyone worked together to find her, it was Decoy who
came up with the clue that saved the day. The ending was a nail-biter, and I
was glued to the pages until it was over.
I loved the dogs in this book. Decoy is the perfect
companion for Shane. They bonded overseas when Shane would feed Decoy, which
led Decoy to find Shane when he was trapped. I was happy that Shane worked to
get Decoy back to the States with him. It was sweet to see how Decoy would wake
Shane up from his nightmares and give him comfort. Their bond was fantastic and
will serve them well as a search-and-rescue team. I also adored Piper's puppy,
Chipper. She was sweet and smart and a bundle of joy. It was fun to see her jump
all over Decoy and watch him put up with it. It looked like Chipper learned a
few things from Decoy also. I can't wait to get to know other dogs as the
series continues.
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