Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
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!
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!
