Tag: K-9

Tracking the Truth + Giveaway

To expose a suspect, he needs evidence…and a K-9’s instincts.

After Emery Duncan is abducted and dumped in a lake, private investigator Roman Wolfe and his bloodhound partner rescue her from an icy death. Someone doesn’t want Emery to find out what really happened the night her father confessed to attempted murder. To keep Emery and her baby nephew safe, they must uncover the connection between her father’s confession and the attack…or they’ll be silenced for good.

My Review:

Spectacularly brilliant!

Say what you will, but you’ll never convince me that Wally, the ‘nose with a dog attached’, isn’t the hero of this romantic suspense. Okay, maybe not in the romance department (though he is a lovable goofball) but definitely in every other way. Even if he has some unusual quirks that Roman can’t fix no matter how hard he tries. Mind you, without them Wally would just be your run-of-the-mill bloodhound. Instead he’s a one-of-a-kind rock star hound! Seriously, getting to meet Wally is worth the read.

And, yes, Roman makes a great straight man for Wally’s comedic schtick, but he’s also the perfect blend of flawed hero and knight in shining armour. And just the guy to help Emery out of a perilous situation that embroils them both in mystery and danger. Loved the way the author blends intrigue and romance while upping the suspense in tantalizing measures until — Whoooshhhh, it’s finally safe to let go of that pent-up breath!

I listened to the audible edition of ‘Tracking the Truth’ and thoroughly enjoyed Abby Craden’s narration. So thrilled that we are seeing more Love Inspired Suspense novels available in this format. I’m preordered all the way up to November and it’s such a bibliophile rush when I get the notification that a book is waiting for me!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Tracking the Truth, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday April 6 2024.

Alaskan Wilderness Rescue + Giveaway

A missing person rescue  is now a K-9 manhunt for a killer…

A missing person case sends search and rescue worker Elsie Montgomery and her K-9 to a remote Alaskan island…only to discover she’s got a target on her back. Now she must partner with pilot Wyatt Chandler, the one man she doesn’t trust, to stay alive while confronting her shadowy past. But can they capture a killer before their time together runs out for good?

My Review:

I can’t express how thrilled I am that some of the Love Inspired Suspense novels are coming out in audio format too! I have them preordered as fast as they appear on Audible. Enjoyed Sara Sheckells’ narration immensely.

Varland knows how to deliver an edge-of-your-seat suspense with emotional depth. Elsie’s backstory is especially compelling and explains a lot about her reactions and need to be in control even as her life transforms into a terrifying free fall.

Enter Wayne — her best friend’s older brother who has a past of his own even though he’s a changed man. Once he comes to Elsie’s aid the pull to continue helping her is too strong to ignore — despite Elsie’s stubborn independent streak. Really enjoyed the way their relationship evolved, the deep discussions as they started trusting each other with their pasts.

And, of course, there’s the K-9 angle full of interesting SAR tidbits that added to the suspense and kept me riveted right to the very end.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a print or ebook copy. Winner’s choice.

US – available in print or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada – available in print or ebook or audible (if available) — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Alaskan Wilderness Rescue , leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 10 2024.

Undercover Operation + Giveaway

Rescuing valuable stolen puppies requires a K-9 officer to go deep undercover.

K-9 officer Asher Gilmore and trainer Peyton Burns have two rescue three stolen bloodhound puppies and expose a drug ring. To outwit the criminal masterminds, they must go undercover as married smugglers with the help of an underwater-detection dog. But infiltrating the crime ring proves more dangerous than expected, putting the operation, the puppies and their own lives at risk.

Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit

My Review:

Eeeep — we’re getting closer to the grande finale of this continuity series! In fact, two of the secondary over-arcing mysteries find resolution in this seventh book so this might not be the place to start in on the series. Though it would read perfectly fine as a standalone — it just contains spoilers for two side mysteries. So, if you don’t intend on playing catch up jumping in here is totally fine.

And — woohoo – we have a forced proximity romance between a hero and heroine going undercover as a married couple! Definitely one of my favourite tropes because it provides all kinds of relationship building opportunities. So we get some fun banter mixed in with poignant moments as both Asher and Peyton wrestle with some personal stuff. Plus we have a spiffy springer spaniel K-9 officer and some ornery villains to catch — and all of that makes this one riveting read.

Well, listen for me, since this is another Love Inspired Suspense novel I was thrilled to find in audio format! I enjoyed Abby Craden’s narration and hoping for more Love Inspired and Love Inspired Suspense novels to be made available in this format.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

ebook available to anyone, anywhere who has a .com (US) Kindle account

US — paperback or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada — paperback or ebook (via a gift card to Canadian Amazon) or audible (.ca)

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Undercover Operation, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday October 7, 2023

Cold Case Revenge + Giveaway

A kidnapped child. An unsolved cold case. 

This K-9 is on the trail.

When his three-year-old daughter goes missing, Nick Rossi fears he’ll relive his sister’s disappearance from twenty-five years ago. Only this time officer Ruby Orton and her K-9 partner, Pepper, rescue the child. But as the kidnappers escalate to murder and target Nick, Ruby knows there’s more behind the abduction. Together, can they find the connection with a decades-old cold case…before the past turns deadly?

Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit

My Review:

Okay…first things first…How about that cuteness overload cover?! If that doesn’t sell books, I don’t know what will! Of course, the fact that Cold Case Revenge is the sixth book in the Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit continuity series had me placing a preorder on Audible regardless of how cute the cover art.

In case you’re new to the concept of a continuity series: It’s a multi-authored series (in this case, 8 books) where there’s an over arcing suspense plot that is being gradually progressed through each book. However, each individual story also has it’s own complete suspense and romance plot so you’ll get the satisfaction of complete closure while you wait for some of those series’ threads to get tied up. And each author does a marvellous job of keeping readers current with the series suspense development in a way that catches new readers up while providing a nice refresh for loyal Pacific Northwest K-9 followers. And all make exceptional reads.

I do love a good cold case mystery and this is definitely that! Plus there’s a current mystery involving the kidnapping of Nick’s daughter and subsequent attacks against Nick and his ranch. K-9 Officers Ruby (human) and Pepper (dog!) are assigned to the case and, well, it isn’t exactly love at first sight, but there is some lovely romantic tension as well as the edge-of-your seat kind that comes with escalating danger. Really nice balance between the two and lots of sweet moments with little Zoe that had me happy sighing and swooning over her devoted daddy.

Love the wilderness settings in this series — lots of the action takes place in National Parks — it adds that much more ‘umph’ to the action scenes! Eager to read the next two books but I’ll be bereft come December without any more to look forward too. Hopefully Love Inspired Suspense has another K-9 continuity series in the works for 2024!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

ebook available to anyone, anywhere who has a .com (US) Kindle account

US — paperback or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada — paperback or ebook (via a gift card to Canadian Amazon) or audible (.ca)

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Cold Case Revenge, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday September 2, 2023

Explosive Trail + Giveaway

Can an officer and her K-9 partner survive a bomber with a vendetta?

When a serial bomber’s explosion in Olympic National Park lands K-9 officer Willow Bates in the hospital, her estranged husband, FBI agent Theo Bates, rushes to her side. He’s determined to protect her and the baby he didn’t know she was carrying. But the bomber has revenge on his mind and will stop at nothing to finish them off.

From Love Inspired Courage. Danger. Faith.

Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit

My Review:

These LIS continuity series just keep getting better! This one is third in the Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit series but would read really well as a standalone as well. Each book has it’s own individual suspense and romance while carrying forward an over-arcing suspense thread that slowly builds with each book and won’t be resolved until the last one. Reed does an amazing job of fitting in pertinent details without bogging the plot down. Great for new-to-the-series readers but also a helpful refresher for P N K-9 fans.

K-9 Star (bomb and arms detection dog) is the star of this story! Loved this furry scene stealer and I was cheering her on in some of the hair-raising (fur-raising?) scenes! But her humans are pretty cool to and…eeeeppppppp…

Mega Second Chance Romance! Willow and Theo are on the verge of divorce and the wounds are still fresh. An attempt at reconciliation three months earlier didn’t prove fruitful…at least not in the way you might think. Now Willow’s pregnant and that just makes navigating all the hurt and angst that much harder.

Now, I’ll say that while the suspense is fantastic in this novel, the romance is spectacular! The author somehow managed to build emotion into every situation…and the undercurrents in the dialogue!!!! I felt every agonizing moment. And completely related to both Willow and Theo and the reasons for their split. And when they let their guard down and the romance starts to sizzle — be still my heart. Breathtaking stuff!

But, of course, there’s a nefarious bomber to apprehend and quite a bit of adventuring to get through before that oh-so-very-satisfactory happily-ever-after can come about.

Oh — and I love the way the author set things up for the next book and added some more dangling threads to series’ suspense. Makes me all kinds of anxious to pick up the next book soon. Which is easy to do since these books are releasing each month.

I listened to the audible edition narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya. Absolutely LOVE that this entire series is available in audio format. I have them all on preorder and drop everything when I get the notification that book is available. I finished this one in a day and loved every second.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

ebook available to anyone, anywhere with a .com kindle account

US — Paperback or ebook — winner’s choice

Canada — Paperback or ebook or audible.ca copy — winner’s choice

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Explosive Trail, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday June 3, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Shielding the Baby + Giveaway

A K-9 Unit has a child to protect…and a murderer to catch.

A double murder and an attempted kidnapping of a baby in a national park have Officer Danica Hayes and her K-9 partner on high alert. She’ll have to protect Luke Stark and his six-month-old son while tracking the person who murdered his sister. Danica and Luke face a battle for their lives to keep from becoming the next victims.

From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.

Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit

My Review:

Woohoo! A brand new multi-authored K-9 continuity series from Love Inspired Suspense! And double woohoo because the books are available on audible and I might have them all preordered. 🙂 I’m such a happy reader!…er, listener.

And does Laura Scott ever know how to pull together an unputdownable (unstoppable?) story. The suspense is non-stop, edged with danger and bogged down in a baffling case that has all kinds of twists to it.

Plus, there’s an adorable baby, a kind of wary romance (both Luke and Danica have issues to resolve) and an exceptional K-9 to fur-bond over. My heart is full of bookish glee over this great start to the Pacific Northwest K-9 Unit series.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy — winner’s choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Shielding the Baby, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday April 8, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

Alaskan Avalanche Escape + Giveaway

Sabotage in the mountains…Can this K-9 sniff out the truth?

After surviving a sudden avalanche, mountain survival expert Jayla Hoyt and her search-and-rescue K-9 discover that it was no accident — someone deliberately triggered the mountain explosion. To uncover the culprit, she’ll have to partner with Alaska park ranger Bryson Clarke, a man she doesn’t trust. But when the investigators become targets, can they capture the criminal mastermind…before they’re buried alive?

K-9 Search and Rescue

My Review:

First — love that I could listen to this heart stopping romantic suspense! Kelli Tager did a fantastic job of conveying the intensity and desperation in her riveting narration. Unputdownable…or should I say unstoppable?

Super excited to report that, despite the title, a good portion of this story takes place in the Yukon. In fact, the border patrol between the US and Canada plays a key role and it was fun to watch the two forces work (or not, as the case may be) together.

In some ways, Jayla and Bryson are on their own, since they can’t figure out who they can trust…and Jayla has some history with Bryson which makes him untrustworthy in her eyes. But she has her own issues to deal with and I did find her attitude towards Bryson a bit hard to take at the beginning. Thankfully there’s lots of character growth, including spiritually, but, Jayla is very much a work in progress for most of the story. So, there’s angst aplenty and Turner dishes it out on both the romance and suspense front.

Love the search and rescue details around avalanches — so many interesting details in what is involved and how the dogs work to find victims. The weather plays as an important role in the suspense as the mayhem the villains dish out. Makes for a nail-biting read (or listen.)

While part of the multi-authored K-9 Search and Rescue series, Alaskan Avalanche Escape can easily be read as a standalone novel.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback or ebook copy — winner’s choice.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Alaskan Avalanche Escape, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday March 4, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.

A Steadfast Companion + Giveaway

Offering a helping hand…could give him everything he needs.

Fighting his way back from a troubled past, handyman Angus “Witt” Wittenbauer needs refuge. When do sanctuary owner Maddie McNeill needs someone to fix her kennel’s roof, it seems like the answer to his prayers, especially when he’s reunited with his long lost dog, Ranger. His growing friendship with Maddie hints at the promise of something more, but will Witt ever feel deserving of love again?

K-9 Companions

My Review:

Oh my — gobsmacked over this emotional romance that tugged at my heart and buoyed up my spirits. I got teary-eyed on page 24 and that wasn’t the only time during this read. Witt’s story is so…gah, I can’t say anything without sharing spoilers so all I will say is you’d have to have a heart of stone to not feel a connection with this hero!

And the whole idea of a dog sanctuary, where aging, ailing or ‘unadoptable’ dogs can find a fur-ever home. Well, there goes the waterworks again! But Maddie has been struggling to bounce back from some losses and the sanctuary is perilously low on funds. She needs a miracle and that might just be Witt. You’ll have to read the book to find out.

This Love Inspired features ‘older’ (than the norm, anyway) characters. Witt is fifty-one and Maddie is in her mid forties or so. I was surprised at how much depth that brought to the story because that’s a lot of life lived, mistakes made, struggles to overcome…well, it just made this romance that much richer. And the redemptive faith thread is so beautiful.

Absolutely stunning addition to the multi-authored K-9 Companions series.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a gently read paperback copy.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of A Steadfast Companion, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday February 25, 2023. Offer open to International Readers.