Irresistible Force (K-9 Rescue #1)
by D.D. Ayres
Blurb:
When adrenaline runs high, so does the
force of desire…
For
Shay Appleton, it’s love at first sight when a gorgeous stray dog is brought
into the animal shelter where she works. She just knows he’ll make a terrific
watch dog—and with an abusive ex who won’t let go, she needs all the protection
she can get. But Shay never suspected that her new pet is actually a trained
police K-9 named Bogart—until Bogart’s even more gorgeous, human partner shows
up on her doorstep.
Officer
James Cannon is one tall, strong alpha male who’s convinced that Shay stole his
dog. But once he gets closer to the suspect, he realizes that this stubborn,
independent woman not only needs a guard dog, she needs James as well. It seems
that someone from her past is stalking her, and threatening her life. When
danger meets desire, will James risk his career and his best friend…to protect
the woman who’s stolen his heart?
Themes: police,
k-9s, contemporary
Rating: 3.75 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
And an all new series begins. I am a huge fan of romance stories revolving
around animal lovers and stories about policemen are even better, but combining
the two… YUM! This series revolves
around different k-9 police officers in different areas and different branches,
but all carrying through the theme of sexy, strong, alpha guys that are animal
lovers and will kick any man’s ass that threatens their women. Honestly who could beat that? The novella that acted as a prologue to this
story, Necessary
Force, was a pretty great story, set in DC, and involving an FBI k-9 cop and a renowned photo journalist. This
first full length novel takes us to the south and introduces us to a sexy small
town k-9 cop and the woman that has stolen his dog—and quite possibly his
heart. These are the only two stories I have read by this author and I really
enjoyed her plots and relationships, even though her writing was a bit choppy at
times. I will definitely be reading the next in the
series to see what kind of k-9 cop we’ll meet next.
James
has traveled to a small hidden cabin in the south, following a tip that will
lead him to his stolen k-9 partner, but he never realized that waiting along
with the dog is his future. When he sees
Shay with his dog, Bogart (who she calls Prince), he is surprised to discover
that she isn’t the nefarious scoundrel he expected, but is instead a tired and
fearful woman, driven to find a way to overcome her past and keep herself safe
from the world around her. Shay instantly
triggers his cop instinct and James cannot resist the chance to learn more
about her, but when they give into their passions, instead of bringing them
closer, Shay is determined even more to push him away. Overcoming her fears and insecurities might
just pose the biggest challenge this overachieving badass has ever faced, but
with the help of his trusty side-kick there’s nothing that can stand in the way
of making Shay his woman.
Though
it might seem that James is the most important character in this story, being the k-9 cop that the series revolves around, Shay is really the character that
drives this story and brings the most plot challenges for readers. To begin, she is obviously scared of her ex
and finds herself at a crossroads trying to keep him from taking over her
life. Then there is the added layer of
her fears based on past life experiences and the truth of her past that just
might be too much for many men to handle. When her walls begin to come down, we
get to see the soft and loving woman that she is, but it doesn’t negate the
true survivor she has become. You can
tell from the beginning that she has a core of steel and nothing will break
her, not even her own insecurities when it comes to falling for James. There was also an obvious sweetness in the way
she interacted with Bogart/Prince, even before she begins to show that
sweetness to the humans around her as well.
I could honestly say I would love to have a friend like her and was
thrilled to see her find her love with James.
So,
though he’s not the driving characters of this story, James is of course not to be overlooked
seeing as he is the hero. James is a
strong male character that is obviously the type of guy that every woman wishes
she could find. Compassionate, sweet,
caring, and strong, there is nothing that can defeat James once he puts his
mind to something. Once James accepts
his desire for Shay, even long after that initial desire is quenched, there is
no way he will give up a chance to really get to know and love this woman that
has captured his attention. Using his
skills and intelligence to keep her safe, and offering her the emotional
support she really needs, James is able to draw Shay out of her shell and give
her the confidence to realize she is falling in love right alongside him. They say the best way to tell a person’s
true mettle is how they treat an animal, which makes it obvious to all that
James is a true white knight with all the character and strength needed to keep
the world safe.
Irresistible
Force was a very enjoyable read, with a few interesting developments, plot twists that were just the tiniest bit predictable, but still
great to read, and characters that you
can connect with on a deeper level. I
loved Bogart/Prince and it is obvious to the readers that Ayres has a true
understanding of the greatness of dogs and the love that comes with being loved
by these amazing creatures. James and
Shay have their differences and their hurdles to overcome, but seeing them working together
it becomes evident how great a team they could make, far into the future. Shay is a woman that has been beaten down by
others and her own past, but she is definitely not broken by any means. Once she finds her inner strength and the
confidence to fight for herself we get to see her take some interesting chances
and ultimately become her own hero in the end.
James, while definitely a nosey man, is determined to keep Shay safe and
show her how good they could be together if she’d stop fighting. I enjoyed the story as a whole, and the heat
between James and Shay was palpable through most of the story. My only issue was that the story seemed to be
a bit erratic in the writing, with the POV switching mid stream and sometimes
the changes in the minds of the characters being somewhat abrupt. I am looking forward to seeing more in this
series and seeing the writing develop and mature.
p.s.
I suggest that after reading this story you take the opportunity to visit you
local shelter and donate either time or money to the cause, or even consider
adopting or just becoming a foster family for all the animals trapped in
shelters like Bogart might have been without Shay’s intervention. Just my little soapbox rant! :) Enjoy the
story.
*eARC provided by publisher (via
netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No
compensation was provided.
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