Some nightmares you don’t wake up from.
Noah Scott spent two months in an enemy prison camp but
made it out alive—unlike most of his SEAL team. He’s one of the lucky ones but
doesn’t always feel that way with his scarred body and daily fight against
PTSD.
Working with the animals at the Resting Warrior Ranch
helps. So what if he trains service dogs, fosters a couple of kittens, and has
an alpaca as one of his best friends?
He’ll take whatever holds back the darkness.
When beautiful Kate Tillbeck arrives at the Resting
Warrior Ranch neck-deep in danger, Noah knows he can’t stand by silently.
Especially when the threat centers around a dog fighting ring—and some of the
pups he trained may be involved.
But to save the animals he loves and the woman he can’t
get out of his mind, Noah will have to embrace the darkness he’s pushed down
for years.
And hope he doesn’t lose himself in the process.
Another fantastic Resting Warriors Ranch book that hooked
me from the first page and kept me turning the pages long into the night.
Kate is an independent woman who owns a successful
business. She has a younger brother, Brandon, who returned from his time in the
military suffering from PTSD. She's done her best to help him, but he resists
her efforts. As the story opens, she receives a call from the hospital that
Brandon is there, badly beaten and covered in dog bites. While looking through
Brandon's clothing to find a clue about who did this to him, she finds a piece
of paper with Noah's name and number. She is certain that Noah is responsible
for Brandon's condition, so she rushes off to confront him.
Noah and his SEAL buddies started the RWR as a place for
them to heal from their wartime experiences. They've expanded the ranch and opened
it up to help others who need healing. Noah, who spent two months as a captive,
finds the most peace while working with the animals on the ranch. They train
everything from dogs to horses to alpacas to be service animals. For him, the
darkness of his memories is never far away. Noah is stunned when Kate arrives
and accuses him of being behind Brandon's injuries. He remembers Brandon, who
came to the ranch but stayed only a few days before leaving. Though he has no
idea what Brandon was involved in, he promises Kate he will look into it.
I liked watching the relationship between Noah and Kate
develop. The sparks of attraction were there from the moment they met, despite
the confrontational attitude. Noah couldn't imagine NOT helping her, but his
initial investigation turned up nothing other than a possible link to
dogfighting. Kate was embarrassed by her accusations, so when Noah came to fill
her in, she thanked him but let him off the hook rather abruptly. But when she
returned to her apartment that night, she found it had been broken into and
trashed. She also narrowly missed being caught by the perpetrators. The first
person she thought of was Noah, so she packed a bag and drove to the ranch.
Noah's protective instincts were aroused, and he promised to help and keep her
safe.
As they worked together to get to the bottom of what
happened to Brandon, their attraction grew stronger. Noah tries to keep Kate at
an emotional distance, reluctant to expose her to his issues. Thanks to her
experiences with Brandon, Kate isn't scared off by exposure to Noah's episodes.
I loved how she stuck by him, giving him warmth and support when needed. The
scenes after the fight he took on and later the "family" dinner showed
her strength and understanding. Their chemistry is fantastic, but Noah
stubbornly resists admitting his growing feelings for Kate. I loved how the
other guys saw the truth long before he acknowledged it and teased him about
it. Kate knows how she feels but refuses to push Noah into something he isn't
ready for. It isn't until he nearly loses her that Noah can admit his feelings.
The emotional ending had me crying and laughing as they looked to their future
together.
The suspense of the story was terrific. I could feel
Kate's fear during the apartment break-in and her anger as she learned what led
to Brandon's injuries. The men of the RWR's anger as they discovered what was happening
near their ranch and their determination to stop it was evident in their
actions. Noah's fear for her as Kate purposely put herself in danger led him
into a situation that had me glued to the pages as it played out. I could feel
the frustration as their efforts to stop the bad guys were constantly thwarted.
The tension was incredible as I waited for the bad guys to resurface. When they
did, Kate's life was in extreme danger. I loved seeing her keep her head and
hold on to her faith that Noah would save her. I was on the edge of my seat, watching
Noah and the others race to find her. The final confrontation was heart-poundingly
intense with an excellent resolution. A couple of threads are left hanging, so
I suspect they will turn up in a later book.
I loved seeing more of the couples from the previous
books, as well as the unmatched men. With every book, we learn more about each
of these incredible characters. I love the camaraderie, as well as the support
these men give each other. With shared experiences, they know when someone
needs sympathy or a kick in the pants. But as much as I love the RWR guys, in
this book, my favorite secondary characters were the kittens, Garfield and
Salem (loved the names!). They were adorable, and I loved how sweet Noah was
with them - tough SEAL with a marshmallow heart!
I can't wait to see what's next for these incredible
warriors.
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