Title: Extreme Honor Series: True Heroes
Author: Piper J. Drake
Read copy: eBook (Kindle)
Published: January 26, 2016
Publisher: Forever
ASIN: B00X47ZLZU
HONOR, LOYALTY, LOVE
David Cruz is good at two things: war and training dogs. The ex-soldier's toughest case is Atlas, a Belgian Malinois whose handler died in combat. Nobody at Hope's Crossing kennel can break through the animal's grief. That is, until dog whisperer Evelyn Jones walks into the facility...and into Atlas's heart. David hates to admit that the curvy blonde's mesmerizing effect isn't limited to canines. But when Lyn's work with Atlas puts her in danger, David will do anything to protect her.
Lyn realizes that David's own battle scars make him uniquely qualified for his job as a trainer. Tough as nails yet gentle when it counts, he's gotten closer to Atlas than anyone else—and he's willing to put his hard-wired suspicion aside to let her do the same. But someone desperate enough to kill doesn't want Lyn working with Atlas. Now only teamwork, trust, and courage can save two troubled hearts and the dog who loves them both...
My rating:
David Cruz has once more temporary custody of Atlas, the Belgian Malinois he'd helped train in the past. His handler is dead and Atlas isn't taking it well. While the dog pines away after his lost partner, David knows there's more to his friend's death than accidental friendly fire.
While Atlas's bleak mood seems to be easily fixed, thanks to the "dog whisperer" in the form of the sexy blonde sent by the military to rehabilitate Atlas, David's gut feeling about a conspiracy brewing might take a lot longer...
I don't really know how I feel about this book. Undecided come to mind. Because it had its strengths; the hero and his two friends running the dog kennel, everything about Atlas, his training and abilities, the suspense, and the rather awesome final action scene. But it also had its weaknesses; the heroine most of the time (rather whiny, easily scared, and rather incompetent when it came to self-defense or any military talk for someone who grew up with an enlisted stepfather), the heroine's inner monologues (about anything from the dog, her self-worth and self-esteem, the hero and her feelings toward him, and her running hot and cold about his former profession mostly colored by her experience growing up), the spotty pacing, and the rushed romance.
This is the first book by this author, but it won't be the last, despite my reservations about this particular story. I liked the writing, narrative style and voice. It was engaging and lively, it wasn't bogged down by too many fillers, although the pacing tended to slow down in some more "contemplative" scenes.
And yes, I'm curious to read the rest of this trilogy (that looks to become a series in 2018). I liked both co-owners of the kennel David, the hero, was working at and I'm looking forward to their stories.
Also, I want to read more about dogs and their special training, which looks to be a trend in novels lately. Although I don't own a dog, and have no idea of all the work and effort it goes into training dogs for special operations, my mind didn't go blank, I didn't zone off, and I didn't get bored with all the "shop talk". Which it all comes down to the writing and the author's ability to keep things interesting without getting boring. Kudos for that.
This is categorized as a romantic suspense, but since, as I mentioned, the romance left me rather cold (it was a combination of my dislike of the heroine and the overall feeling of haste with which it all happened), I more than enjoyed the suspense part of the story.
It was nicely structured, and well-paced. Progressing slowly and organically, increasing in intensity and tempo with each new puzzle peace uncovered by the protagonists. I thought I knew who the villain was from the beginning, and I wasn't wrong, but I wasn't entirely right either. The reveal came off as a surprise, but very believable with an explanation that actually made sense. And since the big suspense arc wasn't fully resolved, it will hopefully extend into the next two books. And I can't wait to read how everything is resolved.
A solid start to the series, albeit with much room for improvement (especially in the characterization and romance department).
3 stars, bitchslappable heroine/hero, bodyguard/military/merc/gov/cop/spy, contemporary, contemporary romance, Piper J. Drake, suspense/mystery/adventure/thriller
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