Blurb:
Passion is always worth fighting for…
Jori
Garrison trains dogs for Warrior Wolf Pack, which provides service animals for
disabled veterans. Four years ago, she was wrongly convicted of a crime—thanks
to her no-good ex-fiancé. Now she just wants to live her life in peace with her
beloved dogs. No men, no complications. But it’s hard to play it cool when a
lethally hot male is on her tail—and the attraction is fierce, mutual, and
dangerous…
Lauray
"Law" Batisse is a Military Police veteran who was wounded in
Afghanistan. Haunted by the loss of his K-9 partner in combat, he’s reluctant
to accept a service dog named Samantha into his life. But once he meets her
trainer—the gorgeous Jori Garrison—he can’t fight his primal instincts. And
neither can Jori. This sexy alpha male might be the only man strong enough to
unleash her desires. And when unseen enemies start hunting them down, he and
his new K-9 partner might be her only hope… to survive.
Themes: K-9 Cops, contemporary
Rating: 4.5 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
Ok I have to say, I did not like this story in
the beginning. I have enjoyed the
previous stories in this series, but the characters and the storyline took a
darker and slightly uncomfortable turn with this installment. The character backstories were a lot more
complicated and there were some real tragedies in their pasts, but it was the
way that Law let that past affect him so greatly that made me really dislike
him in the beginning. If you enjoy
reading suspenseful authors such as Pamela Clare or stories with hints of humor
from the animals that share these couples’ lives like Jill Shalvis novels, you
will probably enjoy this series. Having
read the entire story now I will say that it ended well and the writing was
done considerably well, but I still didn’t care all that much for Law until he pulled
himself together, but that is the beauty of these types of “heroes”—they don’t
always begin as the most likeable characters but in the end you find yourself
invested in their lives and rooting for them to get the girl. Those this is part
of a series, each of these stories truly are stand-alone novels with only a
loose thread in them, though this one hits closer to home for those that have
enjoyed the entire series.
Jori
and Law have been thrown together at a time in their lives where neither are
very trusting of the opposite sex, or really humanity in general. Jori has just been paroled after serving
years in prison for a crime she never committed and Law is recovering from a
tragedy during service that has left him feeling incomplete and enraged. Jori is doing her best to try to understand
this man that has attracted her from the very beginning, but though they have
the physical chemistry needed in a relationship, she cannot break through his
walls to find the man she knows has been buried under the trauma of his
past. When Jori becomes the center of an
investigation, Law decides that keeping her close and helping her clear her
name is a good way to be able to have a relationship with her, but he has no
intentions of opening up to her—and certainly doesn’t plan to fall in love with
her impulsive and loving nature. In the
end their difference far outnumber their similarities, but love really can
conquer all, and with the help of Law’s new k-9 partner, Sam, they just might
find a way to save their own lives and be together.
Law
was an asshole in the beginning of this story, let’s be honest. He was rude and combative to everyone,
including his sister Yardley and especially to Jori. Perfectly willing to bed her and disappear, Law
never intended for Jori to become part of his life, but when she kept ending up
in his space he began to see that being with her makes him a better man and
just maybe he should shape up so he can keep her. He really transformed as he came to terms
with his past and his feelings for Jori, and Sam to an extent, proving that the
love of a good woman and dog are all a man really needs in life. Jori similarly finds her ability to trust
again and the love of her family when Law forces her to confront her past and
find out the truth. I like Jori a lot,
even though she had a few hang-ups of her own, and was glad that she finally
found a man that could keep her safe and that she would complete. She was the kind of woman that shines from
the inside once she finds her strength and courage. Seeing Law and Jori
interacting at different points in the story we see how they grow individually
as well as a couple and ultimately as a family.
Primal Force
was one of those stories that I really had to stick with to get to the parts I
enjoyed. The beginning was a bit too
choppy for my liking, but once the plot became clearer and we got to see Law
and Jori together the story improved greatly for me.
Law was one of those guys that have to grow on you, like a fungus,
before you can appreciate how good a guy he really is. The traumas of his past shaped him and left
him feeling like he could never return to his top grade, but accepting that
sometimes the new version is better than the last Law finds a way to accept the
changes in his life and embrace his new destiny. Jori has finally found her independence and
she is determined that nothing will ever tear her down and leave her trapped
again, especially not a man. Jori
strangely is the more likeable of the two even though she is more closed off
emotionally, but seeing them come together and find a way to be their best
selves together is what makes their relationship so realistic and great to be a
part of. Not to be forgotten, one of the
most interesting and important characters in this story is Samantha, aka Sam,
the service dog that brought Jori and Law into one another’s lives. Her POV is addressed a few times and we get
to see her be the hero as well as the healer in this story, making you want to
go out and hug your own furry loved ones.
Not the best story in this series, but a solid addition to the shelf and
one that gives us a tighter thread to the other stories through Yardley, Law’s
sister and the trainer we’ve met in previous stories, and I’m wondering when/if
she’ll be getting her own story. Looking
forward to whatever comes next and meeting the k-9 hero in their story.
*eARC provided by publisher (via
netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was provided.
