Justine Davis

Once again, the incredibly intuitive Cutter, the Foxworths' amazing dog, has brought them another case of an underdog needing help - this time via a set of dog tags. Jordan witnessed his best friend Eddie's death by friendly fire and finds himself in the crosshairs of a powerful family that doesn't want the truth to come out.

Eddie's sister, Emily, is still grieving Eddie's loss. She's stunned when she receives a handwritten letter from Jordan revealing the truth behind Eddie's death. A call to Sloan Dunbar (Operation Power Play) of Accountability Counts, a group that helps people like Jordan, puts her in contact with the Foxworth Foundation. I loved Emily's first contact with Cutter. She thought his fur looked soft and fluffy until she saw his eyes. "That gaze was anything but." I loved her first impression of Quinn and Haley, too.

Jordan made his way from Missouri to Washington, hoping to talk to Emily, but has difficulty mustering the courage. A chat with the former military owner of the campground Jordan is staying at results in a visit from Emily and the Foxworths. Once again, Cutter works his soothing magic on a tense subject while urging Jordan forward at the same time. "I'm a lot of things, dog, but I'm not a sheep." I loved Jordan's first encounter with Quinn. I expected his immediate respect for Quinn. Jordan did not expect Quinn's respect for him, even though he was "just a mechanic."

The first meeting between Emily and Jordan was intense. I ached for Jordan and the guilt he felt over Eddie's death, even though it wasn't his fault. He's stunned that Emily has no trouble believing that Eddie's death happened the way Jordan wrote it to her. Neither expected the sparks of attraction that flared between them or their instant connection. As the book progressed and Emily and Jordan spent time together, those feelings grew stronger. The biggest obstacle is Jordan's lack of self-confidence. There are some lovely scenes of the two together, and I loved seeing Emily call him out when he was down on himself. Of course, neither stands a chance against Cutter's matchmaking magic, and it was always fun to see his efforts.

I loved watching Quinn and the others get to work, assembling the facts needed to take down the man responsible for Eddie's death. It is always fascinating to see the teamwork involved and the belief that success is all but guaranteed. I enjoyed seeing characters from previous books play their parts in this one. I laughed out loud to see Emily and Jordan's reactions to the depth of support available. The tension ramped up as they prepared for the final confrontation. It was every bit as satisfying as I expected, including Cutter's part.… (mere)

I have been a huge fan of Cutter and his people since the first book came out. In the third book of the series, Operation Blind Date, we meet Teague Johnson, a Foxworth Foundation operative haunted by his sister's disappearance while he served in the military. He has never given up his search for her.

In this book, we meet Terri, a woman who left home when she was seventeen, escaping parents who rejoiced at the death of Terri's brother. She got a fake ID with a new name and ran as far as she could, eventually settling in Iowa. She took control of her life but never stopped mourning her beloved brother. After almost ten years, she returned to Washington to find her brother's grave. As the book opens, she is attacked by a man she witnessed robbing a convenience store, and she is saved when a passerby intervenes.

Case is a former policeman, forced out and discredited when he attempted to expose some corruption. For the past year, he has been at loose ends, unable to move on from what happened. When he sees a woman fighting off an attacker, his instincts send him running to the rescue. Those same instincts insist that he look after her when she is injured.

Terri is wary and not very forthcoming about herself. Case's instincts warn him that she is hiding something. When he spots the contents of her purse on the floor, sees two old letters addressed to her brother, and reads a little of her journal about him, Case heads for his computer to find out more about the man. He's surprised to find out that the man is not dead and works for the mysterious Foxworth Foundation. Case takes it upon himself to contact the foundation and talk to Quinn about Terri. Quinn asks Case to bring Terri to them the next day.

I loved Case's protectiveness and support when Terri learned that her brother was alive (but away on his honeymoon). She doesn't want to interfere with that and insists on waiting for her reunion. In the meantime, Quinn and Hayley learn what brought her and Case together and discover that the convenience store clerk has died from his injuries. This makes Terri the only witness to a murder. I loved watching Quinn and the others jump right into protecting Terri. They enlist Case to help when Terri insists on keeping him near.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Case and Terri develop. There were sparks between them from the beginning. Terri embraces the attraction, but Case resists it. He is unemployed and feeling beaten down by everything that has happened to him. He feels he is in no position to get involved with Terri, but he can't deny his need to protect her. I loved watching them together and seeing the feelings between them grow. Case tries to keep a distance between them, physically and emotionally but is thwarted at every turn by Cutter. Case and Terri grow closer over the week as they await Teague's return and for her attacker to be found. In addition to Case's protectiveness, I loved Terri's belief in Case. Seeing how her support helped put Case on the road to healing was sweet. The ending was terrific.

The story's suspense was good though not very intense until the end. As soon as Quinn is aware of the danger Terri is in, the full resources of Foxworth are used to keep her safe and find the bad guy. It is always fascinating to see them at work, each member using their talents to resolve the problem. I enjoyed seeing so many characters from previous books. The tension ramped up when they used Terri to bait a trap for the murderer. The final confrontation had me on the edge of my seat until it was over.

In addition to the suspense involving Terri and her witnessing of the crime, we had Case's backstory. I ached for how he was treated by the people who should have had his back. I could feel his pain at losing the career he loved, and the people he thought were his friends. He was surprised by the respect he received from Quinn and the others at Foxworth, and I loved their proposal for him at the end.

I can't say enough about how much I love the dog Cutter. Watching him work his matchmaking magic on each couple throughout the series is fun. I also enjoy seeing how the Foxworth people have come to trust Cutter's instincts after all this time. I loved his reaction to seeing Terri for the first time.

I couldn't wait to see the reunion between Terri and Teague; it was everything I could have hoped for. It was beautiful to see how his friends at Foxworth were so happy for him, and seeing their reactions to Terri was almost as good as Teague's.

#netgalley… (mere)

I loved this novel.

You know the old adage: Nothing new under the sun"? It is true, on the macro level. Humans have created and shared stories probably since before language was a thing. We are wired for them, and there isn't a plot that hasn't been done before. But the glory is in the details, the levels of complexity, the nearly infinite combinations even within the boundaries of a given genre. In Romance, it isn't what's got to happen, it's how, who, when, and what they will have to face or overcome to reach the promised ending. Very often an experienced romance reader can tell what has to happen to reach the Happily Ever After. We read to enjoy a writer's craft, well-rounded characters who are compelling, and for the details. Delight us, and we will devote ourselves to your work.

I'm delighted. This is a very good romance, full of great characters, just complex enough that that ending had all the great punches I read this genre for, without making either of the main ones be mean or stupid. Really excellent. And free. I'd recommend this to anyone wanting to read a romance for the first time or any experienced reader.… (mere)