D. D. Ayres

Primal Force
4 Stars

As several reviewers have mentioned, the K-9 Rescue books are "romantic suspense light" with more emphasis on the romance elements that the suspense. Nevertheless, the characters are engaging and the story is well-written and satisfying.

In terms of the romance, Jori and Law's chemistry is combustible and their interactions, both verbal and physical, are entertaining. Jori is very personable with a sweet nature, but she never comes across as weak-willed or spinless. Despite falling prey to a selfish ex, she has overcome adversity and made something of herself.

Law is just as appealing. although some readers may find his demeanor cold and callous, his apparent aloofness conceals immense suffering and a strong desire to love and be loved. Jori is his perfect match as she sees beyond his physical and emotional scars to lonely man beneath.

As previously mentioned, the suspense plot is virtually non-existent. While there is definite potential for an intense crime drama, this fails to materialize and it is all resolved fairly easily and quickly.

The animals in the story, Samantha the Goldendoodle service dog, and Argyle the kitten, are exceedingly cute and add some much needed comic relief to the angst surrounding both Jori and Law's traumatic experiences. That said, the inclusion of several scenes from the pets' point of view is silly and unnecessary.

Overall, an entertaining read and I look forward to continuing with the series.… (altro)

Liked the story, liked the characters, LOVED the dogs.

Nikki and Scott were married. He's undercover DEA and gets caught cheating. Nikki leaves, they divorce, and now she's got her own K-9 hero, Hugo. They are thrown together (with a little help from Scott)for an undercover mission that only Nikki...now known as Cole since she's become a better version of herself, can handle seeing as the drug running ring the DEA needs to close down is using dogs and possible dog competitions to move the drugs.
But...can she drop her guard and trust him as easily as she drops her panties for him? Will he ever come clean about what really happened "the night everything went to shit"? Will the biker, X, get his revenge on Scott before Scott can keep him from harming someone he loves? If the over the top Hip Hop wife (with her own reality show and dogs in the competitions) isn't the smuggler who is?
For me...Hugo is the best. A Bouvier des Flandres (yes, I admit I had to Google it to find out for sure what kind of dog he is)sounds like and awesome K-9. Love how the author gives him his own character traits (hiding things and bringing them back for a treat). The different moods and what life with a dog is like. Izzy, the chocolate Lab that is Scott's partner, is a DEA drug dog. She's outstanding in her own right. Now you know her and Hugo aren't going to hit it of right away but as their handlers learn to work with one another they manage a doggie truce.
There was drama, romance, tension, hilarity and some tears over all just a nice book. Easy to read and follow the story. Looking for a light read for a relaxing afternoon, this will do.… (altro)

I received this book as an Advance Readers Copy from Netgalley.com - I have always loved D.D. Ayres writing, Her latest is a very fine example of her writing, I love how she creates her characters and their stories, Carly is a ex-fashion model looking for somewhere quiet to start her new business and Noah is an fire investigator looking to beat the demons from the past. D.D Ayres has done a great job combining these two characters and developing their stories. I can't wait to read her future stories.… (altro)