thebookdisciple
Written on Jul 19, 2016
Elisa Yates is good at starting from scratch. Leaving an abusive relationship in her rearview, she packs everything she owns into the trunk of her car and heads for refuge with her friend in Hope's Crossing, North Carolina.
Alex Delgado returned from his second deployment as a Navy SEAL to find his condo empty and divorce papers on the breakfast table. Now he's building a life for himself and his daughter at Hope's Crossing kennels training younger dogs and handlers to search and rescue, struggling to adjust to life back in the States and as a single father.
When Elisa shows up at the kennels, it's obvious she's running from something. Luckily, the dogs and trainers at Hope's Crossing are more than capable of warding off trouble. And with every minute he spends with Elisa, Alex becomes even more and more determined to protect the woman he's certain he won't be able to live without...
- ISBN10 1455536059
- ISBN13 9781455536054
- Publish Date 29 September 2016 (first published 26 July 2016)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Forever
- Format Paperback (A-Format (178x111 mm))
- Pages 384
- Language English
Reviews
Lynn
Written on Jul 12, 2016
Elisa Hall has been running from her abusive ex-boyfriend for six months, yet he still manages to track her down. After she ends up in the ER with an injured arm, she meets up with a father and daughter in the waiting area. When she finds a glove which belongs then, she drives out to the address on the name label to return it. Exhausted and tired, she's offered a chance of a job and somewhere temporary to live, until her past catches her up.
Alex Rojas – Former Navy SEAL struggles with PTSD and his temperament. After his cheating ex-wife dies of a prescription drug overdose, he jumps at a second chance at Hope's Crossing Kennels, a training facility for military and K9 dogs. It's somewhere safe for himself and his daughter "Boom" Serena. After meeting a woman in ER, after his daughter breaks her arm, he instinctively knows she's hiding and running away. Never expecting to see her again, he's surprised when the woman turns up on his doorstep to return a glove, even more, when he finds out she has the correct skills to fill his open job vacancy.
Alex was more relatable within the plot as we're told and experience his daily struggles with his surroundings that can trigger a PTSD attack. I loved that in using a training dog to help Elisa, the result benefited himself more, so he felt more under control in stressful situations
The first half of the book is setting the scene and getting to know why Elisa is running away. The second half is piecing together the evidence, tracking down the ex...which is more suspenseful. The relationship doesn't feel rushed between Alex and Elisa even though the timeline is short. There's a definite slow build between them as Alex deals with his daily struggles and Elisa learns to trust him. The supporting characters are fun and likeable, especially Boom.
This is my first book by this author and I'll definitely be seeking out more of her books.
Lastly an honourable mention to Souze for his outstanding non-speaking part.
***arc generously received courtesy of Forever via NetGalley***