mini-review: Force of Attraction

Force of Attraction (K-9 Rescue #2)

by D.D. Ayres

Blurb:

The only thing more powerful than fear is desire…

A seasoned K-9 officer with the police in Maryland, Cole Jamison has left her old life behind her. With a new home and a new partner—a protective canine named Hugo—Cole is ready for fresh challenges. A crucial position on an important drug task force is exactly what she wants…until she discovers her gorgeous, infuriating ex-husband will be the DEA agent in charge.

FORCE OF ATTRACTION

Agent Scott Lucca may be a pro when it comes to undercover assignments, but this job is daunting even for him. Posing as a happy couple on the dog competition circuit means he and Cole need to get a lot closer than they’ve been in years. Playing a live-in couple should seem like a walk in the park compared to tracking a brutal criminal, but suddenly nothing could be more dangerous than the passionate fire they’ve rekindled…

Themes:  contemporary, police

Rating: 3.75 stars

Heat Rating: 

Review:

Police drama meets the world of romance, with a fun spice of canine affection thrown in, makes Force of Attraction a wonderful read with light and heavy moments, but always the progression of a truly loving relationship.  I can honestly say I don’t often care for romances that are about couples that have split coming back together, mainly because so few authors can truly pull off that kind of emotional change and growth.   But Ayres has accomplished it well enough for me to say I truly enjoyed this story of exes taking another chance on one another and finding the truth of their love.  There was also of course the added family drama of Scott dealing with past hurts from his parents, the physical  danger of Scott’s previous undercover work coming back to haunt them both, and the work involved in the undercover operation Cole is assisting with.  I enjoyed both characters, even though I got a bit frustrated with each at different times, they were the perfect examples of individuals in the non-fiction world most of us are sadly relegated to return to—flawed and imperfect, sometimes making bad decisions, but in the end with a little motivation they can find a reason to give their all for love.

There was definitely a lot going on in this story but not so much that you get frustrated by anything and it was so well written than you anticipated every moment and were left wondering what would go wrong next for these two.  I find that I like this series more and more, but I am having trouble really considering it a true series because the only connection I’ve been able to see yet is the k-9 cop angle, when I was hoping that some of the characters would link to one another as well.  All in all a pretty good read with some interesting characters, well  laid-out plots, and an HEA that comes with a price that both Cole and Scott will have to pay to make it possible for them to survive and come together. I am looking forward to coming stories and getting to meet some more amazing k-9 teams, both the animals and the people, but especially the animals.  Izzy and Hugo were definitely THE characters to round out this reforming family, the perfect “children” for two people whose lives are very much in flux, but the dogs ground them and give the story even more heart. 

*eARC provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided.