The children in the truck scene” in the opening chapter is based on an actual event that happened in Carlisle Pennsylvania…Andrew Grey’s home town. He used it in the story and it helped to raise awareness of the extent of cruelty that children suffer even in the best of places and by the people you would least suspect to perpetrate it. All of this series has had a child character that has been the victim of abuse of some type. It’s not the “turn off” as you would expect since all of the child characters find loving homes often with relatives that they were unaware existed. This story shows the depth of caring these workers truly have for the children they help. It also shows the extent of the terrible situation these users and abusers put themselves in, where they have no concept of normal. Sometimes victims can also be adults and here we also see Brock and his ex boyfriend trying to reconnect for the sake of the children but also for themselves. The story is entirely beautiful…engaging… and loving. Please be aware that it contains same sex couples. ( )

Drugs,
Neglect,
Abusive Ex’s
Strong kids,
2 Adult with a rocky past together
A drug ring
Hospitals
And a death.


It’s like a soup of angst and drama. But it is brought together in a way that keeps you engaged in the story and connected to the MCs. This title continues the theme that life is hard and can look impossible but love, determination and family can get you through it. And that sometimes, family has less to do with blood and more to do with who you choose to build it with.

I liked the deeper look into the foster system and how this one highlights a very broken part of the system. The system’s typical focus is on reuniting the child w bio parents. If that fails then to family, then to whomever. The scary thing and problem is when the system puts the parents needs before the needs of the child. I’ve seen this happen and am in fact a product of such. I also appreciated seeing how much power a social worker (and their bias) can have and just how much that can hurt the kids involved. (It’s not a big part of this story but it is shown as a contrast to Donald and I felt it very good to show.)

I adore how Grey uses his books to not only entertain, but also to address major social issues and speak out as an advocate. He addresses issues in a way that eases you in to seeing the other side of things without taking away from the story. I’d love to meet this author one day if only to tell him he has my sincere respect. ( )

All the stories in the ‘Carlisle Cops’ series so far have been very moving, suspenseful, and ultimately heartwarming, and I am happy to report that this fifth book is no exception. It starts off with a surprise for rookie cop Brock, when he encounters one of his exes, Vinny, while on traffic duty. But then the real shock happens when he finds two kids in the trunk of a car – put there by their mother who wanted to have some fun with a friend’s new car. Can you imagine? I just about strangled her right then and there. But as events unfold, it gets worse, and all I could do was hang on for the ride and hope that Andrew Grey would manage things so that those kids get the safe home every child deserves.

Brock is a police officer in Carlisle, and he is the newest hire, so he gets traffic duty. It leads to him reconnecting with Vinny, a man he used to love, finding two children in distress, and more changes in his life than he would have thought possible. Brock is a very caring guy, and he wonders if being a cop is the right choice for him more than once. As he helps the kids adjust to a new environment, since they trust the “hero” who rescued them from a very scary situation, Brock begins to admit that he wants a family – but he has no idea how to go about it. I was shaking my head: the solution seemed so obvious, but Brock doesn’t want to “intrude” in Vinny’s life and thinks the children need Vinny more than him. Humph!

Vinny is a CPA, a man who likes rules and order in his life, and hasn’t spoken to his selfish sister in many years. From the moment he finds out what she’s done, he is determined to take care of the children, no matter what kind of upheaval that means in his life. I loved that about him. The kids may not know him, but that can easily be fixed. Vinny also wants to fix things with Brock, but he still feels guilty about his refusal to come out and the resulting breakup. For a quiet accountant he sure has his hands full managing everyone’s needs and emotions – including his own!

Determination and courage are a continuing theme in this series, and in this installment both men have to face their joint pasts, the people who used to be in their lives, and the question of what’s most important to them. As much as they may argue about the details, through it all the one thing they agree on is that the well-being of Vinny’s niece and nephew is at the top of their priority list. And what cute kids they are – also very realistically depicted regarding their fears, hopes, and dreams. But it takes a good long while for “the system” to decide who will end up with custody, and the suspense was almost killing me. Except then the next disaster happens, and things turn out to be very different – and much more dangerous – than everyone believed.

If you like stories about men who want a second chance at love and are prepared to face major changes to get what they want, if you enjoy reading about families that originate in disaster only to come together in love, and if you’re looking for a read that combines drama, suspense, emotion, and determination to do the right thing, then you will probably like this novel as much as I do. It’s a great and very worthy addition to this beautiful series.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )