Conard County Homecoming - Rachel Lee (HSE #2552 - June 2017)

Series: Conard County: The Next Generation (Book 34)

MAN'S -- AND WOMAN'S? -- BEST FRIEND

Conard County's returning war hero is a world away from the popular high school athlete Ashley Granger remembers. Zane McLaren doesn't want any fanfare -- he doesn't want any human contact at all. But it seems Zane's affectionate golden retriever has other ideas about the decorated soldier and the teacher next door!

Wounded in battle, Zane wants only to be left alone. He doesn't need anyone's pity, especially his outgoing, dog-loving neighbor's. Because it isn't just Ashley's legendary apple pie that's tempting Zane to quit hiding from life. Suddenly the Purple Heart recipient is having a hard time keeping his own heart under wraps. Has he found the woman who can help him heal the past and build a loving future together?

Fantastic book. I loved the realism of the battles that Zane was fighting, and the depth of emotion as both he and Ashley find their way to each other with the help of a furry matchmaker. Zane had grown up in Conard City but left to join the Navy after graduating from high school. Now he has returned, looking for a place where he can be alone and not inflict his problems on anyone else. The first night he is there he receives a visit for next door neighbor Ashley, welcoming him home with a freshly baked pie. He's not particularly welcoming, making no secret of his preference for solitude.

I ached for Zane, who feels broken because of both his physical disability and the PTSD that sends him into a past he'd rather forget. He feels like his only option is to avoid being around people. His service dog, Nell, is the only one that he trusts himself to be around. Thanks to his self-imposed isolation, he's out of the habit of talking to people, and his initial conversations with Ashley are rather abrupt. He knows he's coming across as a real grump, but doesn't quite know how to fix it.

Ashley is a fourth-grade teacher who has pretty much written off men. She's an independent woman, and previous relationships haven't worked out because she isn't the type to give up her own career and goals just to keep a man happy. She's content with her job and her friends.

I loved the development of their relationship. Ashley is a friendly and caring woman which is what sends her to Zane's to start with. She also has no trouble standing up for herself and lets Zane know when he crosses a line with her. I liked seeing him own up to his rudeness and apologize when it's warranted. I loved the fact that Ashley doesn't treat him with kid gloves. Zane tries to keep her at a distance, but Nell has decided that he needs company and takes it upon herself to bring the two of them together. Though Zane keeps insisting he wants to be alone, he finds himself looking forward to Ashley's visits. I especially enjoyed her attempts to get Zane out of his hermit mindset. She's not always subtle about it, and she backs off when he resists. What surprises him most is that what she says tends to stick with him and he can't just ignore her. Beneath it all is a simmering attraction that both try to resist. Ashley resists because he's made it clear he doesn't want it, and Zane because he believes he's too broken to let anyone take a risk on him. I really liked how they first built a friendship. Zane finds it very easy to talk to her, and she is a fantastic listener. I loved seeing how her influence helps him start getting out and about. It was fun to see his surprise at how easily he gives in to her suggestions. I love her matter of fact way of dealing with various crises and how she tried to make him see that it was okay to ask for help now and then. She also doesn't smother him with help that he doesn't need. The ending was sweet and deeply emotional as Zane realizes that he doesn't have to be perfect to offer his heart to Ashley.

Nell was a huge part of Zane's story. She is his lifeline when he has an episode, as she can sense when they happen and can pull him out of the dark places that his mind can take him. I loved seeing what she could do, which only added to my respect for the people who train service dogs. Nell also has a mind of her own sometimes, and it was sweet the way that she played matchmaker.

I liked the way that the people of the town honored Zane's desire to be left alone. They let him know that they were glad he was there without overwhelming him with attention. I especially loved the scene in Maude's diner.  I also liked how the town pulls together to help Mikey and how Zane's innate kindness comes out when Ashley suggests he get involved with helping Cadell (Cornered in Conard County) train a dog for the little boy. Though he worries about what may happen, he puts Mikey ahead of his own fears. 

Cornered in Conard County - Rachel Lee (HI #1726 - Aug 2017)

Series: Conard County: The Next Generation (Book 35)

NO PLACE TO HIDE

Conard County is a refuge for Dory Lake, a place to flee from her tragic past. For extra security, she goes to Cadell Marcus for one of his expertly trained guard dogs. Just the dog. But the part-time deputy can't help digging deeper into the beautiful stranger's history.

After learning the circumstances of the murders Dory witnessed, Cadell isn't about to leave her at the mercy of the calculated killer. The madman is counting on finding Dory isolated, but Cadell vows that she'll never be alone. Guarding her 24/7 is the only way to keep her safe…and to break down her emotional walls he wants so desperately to breach.

Very good book with terrific balance of romance and suspense. It opens with Dory as a child, witnessing the murder of her parents by her older brother. Twenty-five years later, she is a young woman who still suffers from the effects of what she saw. She works as a graphic artist, from her home, with little physical contact with others. She has one true friend, her high school English teacher. She avoids relationships, and trusts no one. When she hears that her brother is due to be released from prison, she flees her home in Kansas City and moves to Conard City, Wyoming, near her friend. Because of her fear, Betty suggests she gets a trained guard dog from Cadell.

Cadell is a part-time deputy sheriff and a fantastic dog trainer. He's happy to provide Dory with a dog who will help her feel safe. Intrigued by Dory, he can't help looking into the past that has her so fearful. Once he does, there's no way that he can simply leave her with the dog and walk away.

I loved the development of the relationship between Dory and Cadell. There are sparks of attraction from the start, but neither one welcomes them. Dory is too afraid to let anyone inside her walls. She has spent too many years keeping people away. Cadell was burned by marriage to a woman who turned out to be all wrong for him and destroyed his ability to trust his own judgement or to have a successful relationship. But Cadell's protective instincts are roused by what he learns about Dory's brother and the specifics of the murder. Though reluctant to let him get too close, Dory is spooked enough by her feelings of danger that she finds herself trusting Cadell as she has no other. I really liked the way that Cadell doesn't put down Dory's fears, instead letting her know that instincts can be more accurate than what the mind says. I also loved his understanding and patience with her reluctance to be around people. It was sweet to see how being around him brought her out of her shell. I also enjoyed how Dory was able to help him see that the failure of his marriage wasn't all his fault. I loved how she also worked her way past his defenses and he began to look at her as someone he wanted to keep in his life. There was a little insecurity on both their parts, as Cadell believes that Dory will leave once her brother is dealt with because there isn't much in Conard for someone like her. At the same time, Dory finds it hard to believe that Cadell could be truly interested in someone as broken as she is. I loved how, with the help of a pair of ostriches, they realized just how right for each other they were.

The suspense was really good. It was a slow build up to an exciting conclusion. Dory has her fears, which she tries to play down, but won't let go of her. She wants to believe that she is safe. Cadell believes that her fears are worth investigating, and the things that he discovers add to the feelings of impending trouble. At the same time, we also get the viewpoint of Dory's brother George. His laser-like focus on finding her and getting what he wants is definitely scary. The final confrontation was intense and exciting. It was quite satisfying to see that his plan didn't go quite as he intended, and that Dory had far more inner strength than he expected. I loved how it all ended.

I loved the animals in this story. The dog, Flash, was fantastic. His protectiveness was part of his training, but it was also easy to see how quickly he bonded with Dory. I loved what a huge effect he had on her life just by being part of it. Cadell's ostriches were a riot. I loved his descriptions of his relationship with them. I expected that they were in the story for a reason, and I was right, though I was a little off on how. I still loved their parts in the ending.

Conard County Marine - Rachel Lee (HRS #1911 - Sept 2016)

Series: Conard County: The Next Generation (Book 31)

The arrival of a single black rose signals danger to come for Kylie Brewer. Recovering from a brutal attack that claimed three years of her memory and her chance at a promising career, Kylie just wants to pick up the remaining fragments of her life. She returns to her hometown of Conard City to live with her sister but soon learns that putting the past in its place won't be easy.

Marine sergeant Evan Cooper -- a trusted family friend who agrees to help Kylie -- can't ignore his protective instincts. Or the steadily growing desire he feels for a woman who has overcome so much. He vows to help keep Kylie's demons at bay…but someone else has plans to finish what they started.

Very good book with excellent suspense and a sweet romance. Kylie was attacked and left for dead, the trauma leaving her with a three year gap in her memory. She returns to her hometown of Conard City to stay with her sister Glenda and try to put her life back together. She's nervous around people and plans to take some time alone to try to heal. She's shaken to discover that her sister has the cousin of a family friend staying with her, too.

Evan Cooper is on leave from the Marines and has come to visit his cousin Connie (A Soldier's Homecoming). With Connie's house full, Coop accepts Glenda's offer to stay with her. He notices Kylie's nervousness around him right away and tries to stay out of her way, but quickly finds himself drawn to her.

Kylie is understandably freaked out by her loss of memory and the underlying fear that whoever tried to kill her is still out there. It doesn't take long before her nervousness around Coop is replaced by a feeling of safety whenever he is near. I loved his incredible patience, understanding and tenderness around her. Coop has seen his own fair share of misery during the war and is able to use his own experiences to help her. When he steps in to provide her protection, the time they spend together allows them to get to know each other well. I especially loved how Coop shared things with her that he never talked about with others. I liked how he kept her protected but still encouraged her to push her limits.

There is also an intense attraction that affects both of them. Kylie is surprised to feel it, given her injuries and emotional distress. Coop tries to resist his, because of Kylie's vulnerability and the fact that he doesn't do serious relationships. I loved seeing how careful he was around her, trying so hard not to take advantage. The more time they spent together, the stronger it grew, as did the feelings that went along with it. I loved Coop's surprise as he started thinking in terms of a future with her. Kylie falls for his tenderness and understanding and the way she feels when she is with him. I loved the ending with the directness and honesty of how he expressed his feelings.

The suspense of the story was fantastic. Because we get the attacker's viewpoint at several points during the story, there is an added layer of intensity. Though his identity was revealed early on, I suspected him from the moment he appeared. The creepiness of how he used the children of the town to further his plans only added to the sense of complete evil that emanated from him. I thought it was interesting that Kylie's subconscious seemed to be warning her that she wasn't safe back in her hometown because the trouble hadn't been left in Denver. The final confrontation was intense. I liked how Kylie kept a pretty level head, enabling her to hang on until Coop found her.

One of the things I loved about the book was the amount of time and importance given to the effect of the war on Coop. It wasn't just his time over there, but also the trials of adapting to being back stateside. The description of his "graveyard" was especially moving. I also liked that there was some good included, such as the soccer games with the local kids.

The only issue I had with the book, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the author or the story, was a problem I have consistently noticed with Harlequin books. Their editors cannot get it through their thick heads that Marine is always capitalized. Coop was a Marine, not a marine. He is a member of the Marine Corps, not the marine corps. The Marine Corps is referred to as the Corps, not the corps. Grrr.