Series:
K-9s on Patrol (Book 3)
An officer and his K-9
Stand between a mother and her worst nightmare…
When two kids are kidnapped from plain sight, Officer
Brady Nichols and his intrepid canine, Winnie, spring into action. Single
mother Cassie Whitaker thought she'd left big-city peril behind -- until it
followed her to Jasper. Brady and his K-9 are on the case, but can they protect
Cassie from a stalker who won't take no for an answer?
Terrific book that sucked me in from the first page and
kept me hooked to the end. I love stories with K-9s and their partners; this
series has been excellent. The book opens as Brady and his K-9 partner, Winnie,
arrive at the training academy for a celebration. Just as he gets Winnie out of
his vehicle, he draws the attention of a little girl named Jilly. She is
fascinated by Winnie, who returns the attention. The next moment, Jilly's
mother, Cassie, is frantically calling her name. I liked that Cassie and Brady
turned the encounter into a teachable moment regarding working dogs without
stomping on Jilly's enthusiasm. Brady also meets Jilly's older sister Brook and
follows the three into the academy grounds. Brady is intrigued by Cassie but
isn't looking for the complications of getting involved. But when the two girls
disappear during the fun, Brady and Winnie are front and center of the search.
I could feel Cassie's fear, especially when they
discovered the girls had left with an unknown man. I could feel Brady and
Winnie's determination to find them and their frustration when the trail went
cold. I loved Brady's kindness and empathy with Cassie as they worked to figure
out who took them. It didn't take long for Cassie to produce the logical
suspect. I laughed out loud at her confrontation with Brady the following day
as she insisted on going along when the search resumed. The search scenes were
intense, and while the girls were found safe, the kidnapper got away.
I loved seeing the relationship develop between Brady and
Cassie. He feels very protective of the three of them and invites them to stay
at his house to keep them safe. Seeing the little girls wiggle their way into
his heart and his life was fun. It doesn't take long for him to feel like they
are a family and to wonder if it is possible. Cassie is a little warier, having
had two disastrous relationships, but it doesn't take long for her to trust
Brady. There are some sweet scenes of the two together as they get to know each
other. There are a couple of clashes as Brady's protectiveness runs up against Cassie's
independence, but they handle them with communication rather than hurt
feelings. When everything is over, they must decide if what they feel results
from the circumstances or their feelings for each other are real. I loved the
ending, especially the two girls' reactions.
The suspense was terrific and kept me reading well past
my bedtime. Cassie could not shake the man who wouldn't take no for an answer. His
mind games were disturbing, but with Brady's help, Cassie could be more mad
than scared. As the threats escalated, I could feel their frustration at not
being able to find the guy. The final confrontation was intense. Winnie was
amazing, and Brady arrived at the perfect time. My favorite part was seeing
Cassie tear into her stalker - don't mess with mama bear's cubs!
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