She was looking for a rescue…
But he's the one who was saved.
Sergeant Hayden Mitchell's mission: give every canine
veteran the perfect forever home. But when it comes to Sierra, a sweet
Labrador, Hayden isn't sure Lizzie Vega fits the bill. Her PTSD and city
lifestyle raise concerns, even as her vulnerability -- and gorgeous eyes --
draws him closer. When a storm leaves her stranded at his ranch, the hardened
ex-military man wonders if Lizzie is the perfect match for Sierra…and him…
Good start to the new series. Hayden is a former military
dog trainer who now works to find homes for retired military dogs. As a
dog-human matchmaker, he finds the right forever home for his canine charges.
When Hayden receives a call from a friend about a candidate for one of his
dogs, he thinks he has the right dog, but he isn't quite sure when he meets
Lizzie. Hayden also runs the family ranch, and with the help of his mother,
cares for his toddler son, Weston.
Lizzie teaches art at the college level and also works
with seniors and children. She recently experienced an event that left her with
debilitating PTSD. Faced with losing her job if she can't overcome her panic attacks,
Lizzie agrees with her therapist that a support dog may help.
The first meeting between Hayden and Lizzie got off to a
rough start. Lizzie ran into a violent thunderstorm on her way to pick up
Sierra, which left her a shaking mess. Hayden sees that Lizzie needs help but worries
that she isn't right for Sierra. Hayden reacts rather gruffly to Lizzie, and
her fears and insecurities send her running. However, another series of severe storms
traps Lizzie on Hayden's ranch. That's not such a bad thing, as it gives Hayden
and Sierra a chance to get to know her.
I liked Lizzie's arrival on the ranch. Despite still
suffering from her panic attack, she steps in to help Hayden while his mother
recovers from being ill. Lizzie also falls under little Weston's spell, and the
interactions between the two are sweet. The frequent storms strand Lizzie on
the ranch for several days, where she undergoes some big changes. One of the biggest
changes was the growing bond between her and Sierra. From the moment the two
met, it seemed that Sierra knew exactly what Lizzie needed. It warmed my heart
to see Sierra snuggle up to Lizzie during her toughest moments.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Lizzie
and Hayden. It got off to a rough start with Lizzie's panic attack making
Hayden wonder if he can help her at all, and Lizzie was sure that he'd turn her
down as Sierra's partner. However, despite his concern, Hayden sees Lizzie's
struggle and decides to use her time at the ranch to see if she and Sierra suit
each other. Neither expects the attraction that flares between them, and both
try to ignore it. Lizzie will only be there a few days until the roads clear
and she heads home. Hayden remembers his ex-wife accusing him of having a white
knight complex, where he's involved with a woman who needs help, then loses
interest when the problem is fixed. He fears that is what he feels and doesn't
want to hurt Lizzie by getting involved with her.
Despite his fears, Hayden is a sweet and caring man. His joy
in being Weston's father is evident and heartwarming. As he has a front-row
seat to Lizzie's struggles, he can't deny his need to help her. I loved seeing
him give her free rein in the kitchen where she cooked to cope. I liked seeing them
get to know each other. Each of them has a caring, nurturing heart, and I loved
seeing them focus that caring on each other. The strength of their feelings
took both by surprise, and Hayden freaked out a bit when Lizzie confessed her love.
I wanted to shake him when he pushed her away. I loved the advice he got that
helped open his eyes. His big moment at the end was fantastic.
The main secondary characters were Hayden's mom, Jan, and
his son, Weston. We didn't see much of Jan because of her illness, but her
parts were significant. I laughed out loud at the first meeting between her and
Lizzie. It was awkward, especially for Lizzie, but certainly seemed to improve
Jan's mood. I also loved the kick in the seat she tried to give both Lizzie and
Hayden with her talk about the newspaper ad. Little Weston was a considerable
part of the story with how quickly he took to Lizzie. A big part of Hayden's
feelings for Lizzie came from watching her with Weston. He wasn't perfect,
though, and his Houdini act could have ended very badly for both him and Lizzie.
This book grabbed my interest from the start and kept me
hooked right through the end. I can't wait to read the following two stories
about Hayden's brothers. 
No comments:
Post a Comment