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Tacoma Mounted Patrol #2
Mounting Evidence
Lieutenant Abigail Hargrove comes from a long line of cops...dirty cops. She's an exemplary, detached officer when on duty with the Tacoma Police Department, but after hours she strives in secret to atone for her relatives' corruption. Abby agrees to ride with her mounted unit during the Washington State Fair, expecting a relaxing few weeks of horses and PR work, but when she catches a loose horse that crosses her path, Abby's private and public lives collide.
Wetland biologist Kira Lovell devotes her life to her daughter and to a vocal defense of the environment. After a bad relationship, she wants nothing more to do with domineering women, but a chance meeting with Abby throws her life--and her emotions-- into chaos.
When a kidnapping and a murder take place behind the innocence of the midway, Abby has to solve both crimes to protect Kira, even if it means revealing more of her family's shameful past.
Wetland biologist Kira Lovell devotes her life to her daughter and to a vocal defense of the environment. After a bad relationship, she wants nothing more to do with domineering women, but a chance meeting with Abby throws her life--and her emotions-- into chaos.
When a kidnapping and a murder take place behind the innocence of the midway, Abby has to solve both crimes to protect Kira, even if it means revealing more of her family's shameful past.
264 pages, Paperback
First published July 14, 2015
16 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
Karis Walsh
33 books153 followersKaris Walsh is a native of the Pacific Northwest and an adopted citizen of Texas. When she isn’t wrapped up in a book—either reading or writing one—she spends her time with her animals, playing music on her viola or violin, or hiking among the prickly pears.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 6, 2017
3 1/2 Stars. With the third book of the Mounted series coming out this month, I needed to catch up and read book two. I always enjoy Walsh as a writer, and really liked book one, Mounting Danger. This book wasn't quite as good, but it was still an enjoyable read.
This book is about Abigail Hargrove, who we know as the hard and tough Lieutenant, from book one. She is taking sometime off desk work, to ride with her mounted unit during a big county fair. She meets a women there she just can't forget, Kira Lovell. Kira, has been hurt by one of Abby's corrupt cop family members, a few years ago. With that kind of past between them, is there even a chance at a relationship?
First I want to say, I really liked both Abby and Kira. I thought they were well thought out characters, with complex backgrounds. I found myself caring what happened to them. And they were both easy for me to connect to. But my big problem is, Abby from book one, is nothing like Abby from Book two. Abby, from book one, was tough as nails and sometimes mean. It was like an alien took over her body, and she is now a whole new person. If I had not read book one, I would not have a problem with this, but this was just not the same character.
Abby's character change aside, this book had action, excitement, and a little mystery. The mystery is not hard to figure out, but it was still fun and an engaging read. I enjoyed the romance, including the pace it went at. It was not insta love which I like.
While there are characters from both books, you don't have to read book one first. If you are looking for romance with a little action, give this series a try. I'm looking forward to reading book 3.
This book is about Abigail Hargrove, who we know as the hard and tough Lieutenant, from book one. She is taking sometime off desk work, to ride with her mounted unit during a big county fair. She meets a women there she just can't forget, Kira Lovell. Kira, has been hurt by one of Abby's corrupt cop family members, a few years ago. With that kind of past between them, is there even a chance at a relationship?
First I want to say, I really liked both Abby and Kira. I thought they were well thought out characters, with complex backgrounds. I found myself caring what happened to them. And they were both easy for me to connect to. But my big problem is, Abby from book one, is nothing like Abby from Book two. Abby, from book one, was tough as nails and sometimes mean. It was like an alien took over her body, and she is now a whole new person. If I had not read book one, I would not have a problem with this, but this was just not the same character.
Abby's character change aside, this book had action, excitement, and a little mystery. The mystery is not hard to figure out, but it was still fun and an engaging read. I enjoyed the romance, including the pace it went at. It was not insta love which I like.
While there are characters from both books, you don't have to read book one first. If you are looking for romance with a little action, give this series a try. I'm looking forward to reading book 3.
June 29, 2017
Flawed read! romantic fluff..mixed message in the plot..they(main characters)just met and fell in love too quickly..too detailed,repetitive,questions about the dialogues,realism is questionable..but well written
August 1, 2015
It's interesting that this book isn't marketed as a sequel of Mounting Danger or even as part of a series on the Mounted Police Unit whose adventures form the core of both books. Could it be because the hard-ass b*tch Lt. Abby Hargrove, head of the mounted unit from the first book is completely unrecognizable here? Physically, she is still the same perfectly coiffed and polished officer but her body has been taken over by a saint (or a comic book superhero if you're less than 21). I had to go re-read all the nasty Abby parts of the first book to figure out if I missed something or my memory was faulty. It was, after all, over a hundred books ago. But the thing is, Mounting Danger is one of my favorite reads, and there's no way I can forget the deliciously hateful lieutenant from hell. Not only is Abby now a self-sacrificing saint, she's also meek as a lamb, letting other officers talk sh*t to her, letting her once-submissive subordinate Rachel talk down to her, and generally feeling insecure all around. But that's getting ahead of the story. For now, i'll chalk it up to some miracle or a retcon that happened sometime in between the writing of the two books, or pretend that this is not a sequel. :)
Lt. Abby Hargrove heads a small mounted police unit that she'd helped establish, although her duties run more along desk duty--administration, budgeting, playing politics. A two week vacation sees her joining her crew in actively riding and policing a country fair. While there, saving a runaway horse leads to an encounter with a beautiful woman and her daughter. But Abby's uncanny ability to control the horse raises some suspicions about prior history. Turns out that the horse is part of Abby's secret agenda--the one mission of her life-- I wouldn't find this idea terribly strange in a comic book or an Asian book where the concept of family honor trumps individual happiness, but in a modern, individualistic western society, it does seem strange or even creepy.
Anyway, the woman in the encounter is a environmentalist fighting to preserve what wetlands remain in the ever encroaching threat of urban crawl. Reeling from a violent breakup, Kira is wary of these domineering-cop types like Abby who seem to be cut from the same cloth as her controlling ex, although the reader wouldn't know it from how passive Abby seems to be with everyone else. A long and rather tedious stretch of the book is then devoted to the two MCs repeated self-denials, worries and hand-wringing over just the idea of them having a relationship--like a mental tug-of-war. Also, the lack of interaction of Abby with anyone else deeper meant that the author had to repeatedly 'tell' us Abby's thoughts/feelings for us to 'get' her. Same thing with Kira. Fortunately, things do eventually pick up when Abby and Kira start to get serious with each other late in the book (and start dealing with their issues), which was enough to save the last 30% of the book, but a little too long in coming.
People who aren't aware that this book is a sequel may find it strange that two minor characters here have an explicit intimate scene way before the MCs do. So maybe do pick up Mounting Danger first. It is way better too.
3.75 stars
Note: Review copy provided by Netgalley
Lt. Abby Hargrove heads a small mounted police unit that she'd helped establish, although her duties run more along desk duty--administration, budgeting, playing politics. A two week vacation sees her joining her crew in actively riding and policing a country fair. While there, saving a runaway horse leads to an encounter with a beautiful woman and her daughter. But Abby's uncanny ability to control the horse raises some suspicions about prior history. Turns out that the horse is part of Abby's secret agenda--the one mission of her life-- I wouldn't find this idea terribly strange in a comic book or an Asian book where the concept of family honor trumps individual happiness, but in a modern, individualistic western society, it does seem strange or even creepy.
Anyway, the woman in the encounter is a environmentalist fighting to preserve what wetlands remain in the ever encroaching threat of urban crawl. Reeling from a violent breakup, Kira is wary of these domineering-cop types like Abby who seem to be cut from the same cloth as her controlling ex, although the reader wouldn't know it from how passive Abby seems to be with everyone else. A long and rather tedious stretch of the book is then devoted to the two MCs repeated self-denials, worries and hand-wringing over just the idea of them having a relationship--like a mental tug-of-war. Also, the lack of interaction of Abby with anyone else deeper meant that the author had to repeatedly 'tell' us Abby's thoughts/feelings for us to 'get' her. Same thing with Kira. Fortunately, things do eventually pick up when Abby and Kira start to get serious with each other late in the book (and start dealing with their issues), which was enough to save the last 30% of the book, but a little too long in coming.
People who aren't aware that this book is a sequel may find it strange that two minor characters here have an explicit intimate scene way before the MCs do. So maybe do pick up Mounting Danger first. It is way better too.
3.75 stars
Note: Review copy provided by Netgalley
November 23, 2018
I have started the next one and it's worst :'(
The story seems to lack one element, but it's critical. Time.
Time for the character to get to know each other, to develop feelings, then becoming aware of them and then take action, irrationnal or not.
Everything happens way to fast to be believable. The lust, the friendship and the love.
And those characters were less endearing than the two main from previous one.
The kid was only a prop without personality that I could perceive.
Same for the mysteries part which seems forced and convoluted.
It's maddening because if the story was less hurried, it could be much more !
The story seems to lack one element, but it's critical. Time.
Time for the character to get to know each other, to develop feelings, then becoming aware of them and then take action, irrationnal or not.
Everything happens way to fast to be believable. The lust, the friendship and the love.
And those characters were less endearing than the two main from previous one.
The kid was only a prop without personality that I could perceive.
Same for the mysteries part which seems forced and convoluted.
It's maddening because if the story was less hurried, it could be much more !
February 15, 2016
Abbey Hargrove has worked her whole life to overcome her family’s poor reputation. Now a successful police Lt., Hargrove still wallows in this guilt and seeks to redress it - to the detriment of both her personal finances and her own dreams. When the mounted police unit she nominally leads provides a presence at the State fair, Hargrove takes the welcome opportunity to abandon her normal desk-job in favour of a spell riding out on the line. There she meets the woman of her dreams. She also gets herself into a whole mess of trouble.
I echo the sentiment of Jem in her spot-on review of the same novel. What the heck happened to Abbey Hargrove in the time between the first novel and this second one? She’s had a personality transplant somewhere. Maybe some of this radical transformation might be attributed to the first novel being from Rachel Bryce’s point of view? – in which case, geesh, Rachel has irrational authority problems and is a terrible judge of character. Watch this Abbey Hargrove attempt to buy herself free of guilt by giving expensive anonymous gifts to the people her family has dicked over. ((Note: justice is about punishment and rehabilitation, preventing the crime from happening again and limiting the harm of said offending.
Anyway, the biting, prideful authority Hargrove swaggers with in the first book has been replaced with… the tippy-toe steps of some sort of wet blanket. Good thing Kira (the love interest) keeps telling us how dominant and… dominant Abbey is, because every scrap of available evidence suggests the opposite. Abbey makes a few half-hearted suggestions to her own team which are completely ignored. She gets injured while flailing, does exactly what she’s told by everyone, and subsequently arrests and/or saves no one. Honestly, Rachel displays more leadership and gumption in the half-dozen pages she occupies than Abbey does in the entire book. The latter must be really good at paperwork.
The mystery is… unusual. Frankly it makes no sense (What can one reasonably expect from horse-riding lesbian cops wooing wetland biologists?) Various spoilers are under the cut. Anyway, at the end of the day none of this matters, because the book just ends. Just up and ends, with Abbey
Inconsistent characters. Nonsensical plot. Random, pointless angst followed up by an abrupt end. This book is just frustrating.
Three stars. It would get two, but I have a soft-spot for the first novel.
I echo the sentiment of Jem in her spot-on review of the same novel. What the heck happened to Abbey Hargrove in the time between the first novel and this second one? She’s had a personality transplant somewhere. Maybe some of this radical transformation might be attributed to the first novel being from Rachel Bryce’s point of view? – in which case, geesh, Rachel has irrational authority problems and is a terrible judge of character. Watch this Abbey Hargrove attempt to buy herself free of guilt by giving expensive anonymous gifts to the people her family has dicked over. ((Note: justice is about punishment and rehabilitation, preventing the crime from happening again and limiting the harm of said offending.
Anyway, the biting, prideful authority Hargrove swaggers with in the first book has been replaced with… the tippy-toe steps of some sort of wet blanket. Good thing Kira (the love interest) keeps telling us how dominant and… dominant Abbey is, because every scrap of available evidence suggests the opposite. Abbey makes a few half-hearted suggestions to her own team which are completely ignored. She gets injured while flailing, does exactly what she’s told by everyone, and subsequently arrests and/or saves no one. Honestly, Rachel displays more leadership and gumption in the half-dozen pages she occupies than Abbey does in the entire book. The latter must be really good at paperwork.
The mystery is… unusual. Frankly it makes no sense (What can one reasonably expect from horse-riding lesbian cops wooing wetland biologists?) Various spoilers are under the cut. Anyway, at the end of the day none of this matters, because the book just ends. Just up and ends, with Abbey
Inconsistent characters. Nonsensical plot. Random, pointless angst followed up by an abrupt end. This book is just frustrating.
Three stars. It would get two, but I have a soft-spot for the first novel.
July 19, 2015
I was drawn to this novel by the book blurb. Abby Hargrove is a tough as nails lieutenant who tries in her spare time to help the victims of her bad cop grandfather and shady brother. Both tarnished the badge and her family name with their corrupt behaviour.
Kira is a passionate environmentalist attempting to prevent urbanization of her beloved wetlands. She is reeling from a failed relationship with a dominant and controlling woman. Meeting Abby brings reminders of her past with Dale. Can these two tortured souls find love and look past their personal challenges?
The book starts out with a lot of promise. The writing is first rate and I found myself highlighting several memorable passages. The story moves along at a nice pace. The scenes at the Washington State Fair with Kira's daughter Julie and her 4-H riding competition are endearing. Tension builds and the intrigue portion of this Romantic Intrigue novel had the potential to keep a reader turning pages to find out what will happen next.
So why the 2.5 star rating?
Abby carries the guilt of her family's transgressions like a wet blanket around her shoulders. I am all for angst but her constant dour self is all the reader sees. One dimension and it's a downer.
Kira is determined to never again be with an authoritative and controlling woman. Fine. She tells us this repeatedly. She tells Abby this when Abby tries to help or protect her. One of my biggest issues with this novel is that there is more telling than showing. It gets annoying.
With Kira constantly on the defensive and Abby in her protective guilt-filled cocoon I struggled to see a great connection or chemistry between these two.
I lost all belief in the story when the author, trying to build some sympathy for her cold and unreachable Abby, commits what for this reader was the ultimate in fanfiction boo boos.
I struggled to finish the novel and was grateful the ending was rushed.
2.5 stars
*ARC received from publisher via NetGalley for review.
Kira is a passionate environmentalist attempting to prevent urbanization of her beloved wetlands. She is reeling from a failed relationship with a dominant and controlling woman. Meeting Abby brings reminders of her past with Dale. Can these two tortured souls find love and look past their personal challenges?
The book starts out with a lot of promise. The writing is first rate and I found myself highlighting several memorable passages. The story moves along at a nice pace. The scenes at the Washington State Fair with Kira's daughter Julie and her 4-H riding competition are endearing. Tension builds and the intrigue portion of this Romantic Intrigue novel had the potential to keep a reader turning pages to find out what will happen next.
So why the 2.5 star rating?
Abby carries the guilt of her family's transgressions like a wet blanket around her shoulders. I am all for angst but her constant dour self is all the reader sees. One dimension and it's a downer.
Kira is determined to never again be with an authoritative and controlling woman. Fine. She tells us this repeatedly. She tells Abby this when Abby tries to help or protect her. One of my biggest issues with this novel is that there is more telling than showing. It gets annoying.
With Kira constantly on the defensive and Abby in her protective guilt-filled cocoon I struggled to see a great connection or chemistry between these two.
I lost all belief in the story when the author, trying to build some sympathy for her cold and unreachable Abby, commits what for this reader was the ultimate in fanfiction boo boos.
I struggled to finish the novel and was grateful the ending was rushed.
2.5 stars
*ARC received from publisher via NetGalley for review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2019
Good cop, Bad cop.
I like this series. Horses are close to my heart and this tale revolves around them and a mounted police unit. A young police Lieutenant, who has been absorbed in righting the wrongs done by her police officer relatives, falls in love with a victim of her family’s shenanigans. It wasn’t perfect but a good read anyway.
I like this series. Horses are close to my heart and this tale revolves around them and a mounted police unit. A young police Lieutenant, who has been absorbed in righting the wrongs done by her police officer relatives, falls in love with a victim of her family’s shenanigans. It wasn’t perfect but a good read anyway.
April 2, 2019
Unusually, for me anyway, I preferred this book 2 in the series to book 1 - but though can be read as a "stand alone" (do you really believe that when you read that in the synopsis? :)) really enjoyed the reappearance of characters from book 1. So recommended & I've brought Book 3.
September 8, 2018
I started this a few months ago and decided to come back to it because I went to the Puyallup Fair last week and that's where this is set.
And, like the first book, the familiar setting is fun, but I just couldn't get into the plot or the romance.
I will read the next one though because it's an even more familiar setting. Fun!
And, like the first book, the familiar setting is fun, but I just couldn't get into the plot or the romance.
I will read the next one though because it's an even more familiar setting. Fun!
February 20, 2022
Another good mystery with solid characters and good twists to keep you guessing. I personally am not a huge fan of the insta-attraction/ insta-love after a week of knowing each other, and therefore thought some of the actions early on seemed out of character for Abby, however it wasn't enough to detract from an enjoyable story.
July 17, 2015
This is a well paced and thrilling mystery revolving around two enigmatic women coming together accidentally, and right from the start setting off periodically scintillating sparks. A good deal of the action occurs at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup and that was an unexpected treat since I have never been to such an event. Moreover, it was a real delight having a mounted police division patrol the State Fair in this story. This unit is supervised by a lieutenant who is one of the key females in the story. For the upcoming weeks she will be filling in for a missing officer at this high profile publicity event. Horses, their owners, caretakers, and companions add wonderful and rich elements in counterpoint to the increasingly violent incidents plaguing the two primary ladies. Wondrously intense!
Abby, Lieutenant Abigail Hargrove, head of the mounted police division, is on a crusade to correct the hardships her grandfather and her brother have inflicted on innocent civilians as they pursue their self-centered greedy illegalities. They were both police officers too, and Abby does get a good deal of backlash because of their underhanded tactics and dealings. In fact, most people jump to the conclusion that Abby is just like them. So she generally puts on a kind of constructed persona within her work environment attempting to distance herself from her family's history, but it generally looks and feels like an uphill battle. To the best of her ability, Abby simply accepts this apparent inevitability while she marches steadily forward in her crusade. At times, it is a heavy burden to witness and experience indirectly. Quizzically taxing!
Kira is the mother of Julie and a wetland biologist currently attempting to assist in protecting the marshes in Tacoma. Additionally, she was one of the victims of Abby's brother Rick during an instance of his following in his grandfather's footsteps. Early on Kira is also uncomfortably confronted by a powerful local developer named Tad Milford, but she really holds her own even while somewhat quaking on the inside. She draws a good deal of her strength from her daughter and her stunning commitment to her job. Curiously she is surprisingly attracted to Abby. This happens in part when Abby and Julie take to each other and the unexpected connection that becomes eventually known about the horse Julie won in an essay contest. Kira has prodigious internal toughness and a beautiful loving heart. Incredibly blue-ribbon!
The trials and tribulations that both women go through for all manner of reasons were not easy for me to read, assimilate, and reconcile. However, their growing love, the amazing setting, and the charming and ardent support from the many good folks who stepped up plus a really unexpected ending made this a very satisfying read. Unanticipatedly fascinating!
NOTE: This book was provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Abby, Lieutenant Abigail Hargrove, head of the mounted police division, is on a crusade to correct the hardships her grandfather and her brother have inflicted on innocent civilians as they pursue their self-centered greedy illegalities. They were both police officers too, and Abby does get a good deal of backlash because of their underhanded tactics and dealings. In fact, most people jump to the conclusion that Abby is just like them. So she generally puts on a kind of constructed persona within her work environment attempting to distance herself from her family's history, but it generally looks and feels like an uphill battle. To the best of her ability, Abby simply accepts this apparent inevitability while she marches steadily forward in her crusade. At times, it is a heavy burden to witness and experience indirectly. Quizzically taxing!
Kira is the mother of Julie and a wetland biologist currently attempting to assist in protecting the marshes in Tacoma. Additionally, she was one of the victims of Abby's brother Rick during an instance of his following in his grandfather's footsteps. Early on Kira is also uncomfortably confronted by a powerful local developer named Tad Milford, but she really holds her own even while somewhat quaking on the inside. She draws a good deal of her strength from her daughter and her stunning commitment to her job. Curiously she is surprisingly attracted to Abby. This happens in part when Abby and Julie take to each other and the unexpected connection that becomes eventually known about the horse Julie won in an essay contest. Kira has prodigious internal toughness and a beautiful loving heart. Incredibly blue-ribbon!
The trials and tribulations that both women go through for all manner of reasons were not easy for me to read, assimilate, and reconcile. However, their growing love, the amazing setting, and the charming and ardent support from the many good folks who stepped up plus a really unexpected ending made this a very satisfying read. Unanticipatedly fascinating!
NOTE: This book was provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
January 29, 2016
You'll love it!
Kira decided to pick up the pieces of her life and start all over with her daughter and Abby, whose family corruption holds her captive. They have a lot in common as their love of horses, control issues, a high wall surrounding themselves and a resistance to romance. Not only a lot in common but also so different. I enjoyed the various cast of supporting characters. The setting has me wanting to visit the fair, to enjoy the fried food, to see the driving exhibitions and the wetlands. I loved the action in this book, the looming danger which threatened the relationship and of course the romance. It was an excellent read and very descriptive.
Kira decided to pick up the pieces of her life and start all over with her daughter and Abby, whose family corruption holds her captive. They have a lot in common as their love of horses, control issues, a high wall surrounding themselves and a resistance to romance. Not only a lot in common but also so different. I enjoyed the various cast of supporting characters. The setting has me wanting to visit the fair, to enjoy the fried food, to see the driving exhibitions and the wetlands. I loved the action in this book, the looming danger which threatened the relationship and of course the romance. It was an excellent read and very descriptive.
July 25, 2015
Some familiar characters. Nice build up of suspense on the crimes. Although I figured out who the murderer was prior to the reveal, I still wanted to see how it would resolve. Sweet romance as well. It seemed like a lot slower build up with the romance, but the time frame is actually a rather quick, Two weeks.
July 6, 2016
My third book by Walsh, second mystery (romantic intrigue). I wasn't sure I actually wanted to read this one. Both because of the switch in main characters, and because the initial relatively low ratings the book had received. Yeah, I shouldn't pay attention to ratings when it's based on, like, three people's thoughts. Still . . ..
Okay, some negatives. 1) The point of view changes were oddly handled. I literally had to reread paragraphs because I would suddenly realize that the point of view had switched on me. Unlike what I am used to, this book kept changing point of views without any break. There'd be a paragraph, then another, then another, and I'd be on the fifth before I realized that the last two were actually from Kira's point of view (or Abby's). That was annoying. There wasn't even double spaces between the paragraphs to mark that something might be happening. 2) Cal and Rachel were in and out of this story, popping up every once in a while. I had no problem with that - considering that the whole underlying theme involved Abby Hargrove being out there as part of the Mounted Police unit she commanded from a desk. No, the problem I had was when, suddenly, there was this one sliver of a chapter from their point of view. I forget if it was from both or just one. But, suddenly, the reader is back in their heads. Back, I mean, considering the first book in the series was in their heads. And it seemed mostly in their heads so that they could fuck each other. I don't know, I guess the only way this could have happened otherwise is if Hargrove or Kira stared into their open window and watched them. And so . . . we are in their head so it would not be super creepy as to why we knew they fucked. We the readers. Sure sure, information got passed along to the reader. But that could have come through some other way. That or their point of view, to not seem exploitative, should have happened more than that once. 3) There was in fact an actual mystery. People did investigate. Deaths, fear, kidnappings, drugged horses, etc. occurred. But . . . there seemed less mystery in this book than in the first book in this series. Well, no. Hmms. I'm not sure how to describe what I mean exactly. I suppose could say 'both books in this series are described as "romantic intrigues", this book seemed to be much more in that category than the previous book' and just leave it at that.
The positives: 1) I was reluctant to read a book starring Lieutenant Abby Hargrove since she seemed to have the personality of a harsh judgmental warthog in the first book. Wait, no, she was described as being gorgeous in that first book. Hmms. Well, replace warthog with something gorgeous then. That sounds like a negative. Though I put it in the positive paragraph because I actually liked her almost immediately, in this second impression. 2) I had certain issues with Kira's personality/character (specifically how she kept whining, mostly internally, about how dangerous Abby's job is, and how Abby seemed to invite danger, when the whole point of Abby and Kira being in danger was because of Kira's need to strongly and stubbornly fight for what she believes is right - preserving the wetlands; and how Kira barely seemed aware of this particular factoid). Otherwise I liked Kira. 3) Depending on what is considered a graphic sex scene, and what is considered something else, there appeared, to my eyes, to be three such scenes. One was a brief little, 'oh they just had sex and I didn't even realize it' scene involving side characters, the second was similarly brief but quite interesting, while the third was at a point wherein I was quite bored with the whole idea of sex and just wanted the book to be over already. So. Wait, why do I have this in the positives section? Hmm, well, I guess because of that scene on the roller coaster. Though I had some realistic issues with it that I side-stepped when I read it. Well, consequences issue. Okay, the one who was played with would have looked like she had peed her pants afterwards. That's not exactly thrilling to realize, but meh. As I said, I just went with that thought flickering in my brain. And ignored that aspect. As much as I could.
Hmms. I don't normally do positive and negative paragraphs. And looking at those wall of texts I probably won't again. Mostly, though, I'm left with not being sure what else to write. And so . . ..
Speculation. I'm left with that. If a third book would appear, where would it go from here? I mean, there's a history, a two book history, of changing the main characters, but having at least one being a minor one in a previous book. So . . . considering this is a lesbian series leaves me to speculate that the next book, if there is one, would follow Billie, the other female mounted police officer (I mean, the series is called "Tacoma Mounted Police"), or it could follow the woman very briefly meet - that Scandinavian police officer who was partner to that guy who kept harassing Abby (though only appeared once, though the male one kept popping up). There was talk of how the horse Abby rode was for a possible new addition to the mounted police, that Scandinavian woman's partner is a massive jackass, soooo maybe she wanted to flee him and move to a new assignment, perhaps? And that's basically it in terms of possible leads for a theoretical third book in this series. Then again, that woman was so insignificant in this book, that she might not have had any lines. I can't recall now. While Billie has been there since the first book. With lines. Well, there's also Julie, but she's 12. I suppose a third book could be set 12 years later? bah.
Okay, some negatives. 1) The point of view changes were oddly handled. I literally had to reread paragraphs because I would suddenly realize that the point of view had switched on me. Unlike what I am used to, this book kept changing point of views without any break. There'd be a paragraph, then another, then another, and I'd be on the fifth before I realized that the last two were actually from Kira's point of view (or Abby's). That was annoying. There wasn't even double spaces between the paragraphs to mark that something might be happening. 2) Cal and Rachel were in and out of this story, popping up every once in a while. I had no problem with that - considering that the whole underlying theme involved Abby Hargrove being out there as part of the Mounted Police unit she commanded from a desk. No, the problem I had was when, suddenly, there was this one sliver of a chapter from their point of view. I forget if it was from both or just one. But, suddenly, the reader is back in their heads. Back, I mean, considering the first book in the series was in their heads. And it seemed mostly in their heads so that they could fuck each other. I don't know, I guess the only way this could have happened otherwise is if Hargrove or Kira stared into their open window and watched them. And so . . . we are in their head so it would not be super creepy as to why we knew they fucked. We the readers. Sure sure, information got passed along to the reader. But that could have come through some other way. That or their point of view, to not seem exploitative, should have happened more than that once. 3) There was in fact an actual mystery. People did investigate. Deaths, fear, kidnappings, drugged horses, etc. occurred. But . . . there seemed less mystery in this book than in the first book in this series. Well, no. Hmms. I'm not sure how to describe what I mean exactly. I suppose could say 'both books in this series are described as "romantic intrigues", this book seemed to be much more in that category than the previous book' and just leave it at that.
The positives: 1) I was reluctant to read a book starring Lieutenant Abby Hargrove since she seemed to have the personality of a harsh judgmental warthog in the first book. Wait, no, she was described as being gorgeous in that first book. Hmms. Well, replace warthog with something gorgeous then. That sounds like a negative. Though I put it in the positive paragraph because I actually liked her almost immediately, in this second impression. 2) I had certain issues with Kira's personality/character (specifically how she kept whining, mostly internally, about how dangerous Abby's job is, and how Abby seemed to invite danger, when the whole point of Abby and Kira being in danger was because of Kira's need to strongly and stubbornly fight for what she believes is right - preserving the wetlands; and how Kira barely seemed aware of this particular factoid). Otherwise I liked Kira. 3) Depending on what is considered a graphic sex scene, and what is considered something else, there appeared, to my eyes, to be three such scenes. One was a brief little, 'oh they just had sex and I didn't even realize it' scene involving side characters, the second was similarly brief but quite interesting, while the third was at a point wherein I was quite bored with the whole idea of sex and just wanted the book to be over already. So. Wait, why do I have this in the positives section? Hmm, well, I guess because of that scene on the roller coaster. Though I had some realistic issues with it that I side-stepped when I read it. Well, consequences issue. Okay, the one who was played with would have looked like she had peed her pants afterwards. That's not exactly thrilling to realize, but meh. As I said, I just went with that thought flickering in my brain. And ignored that aspect. As much as I could.
Hmms. I don't normally do positive and negative paragraphs. And looking at those wall of texts I probably won't again. Mostly, though, I'm left with not being sure what else to write. And so . . ..
Speculation. I'm left with that. If a third book would appear, where would it go from here? I mean, there's a history, a two book history, of changing the main characters, but having at least one being a minor one in a previous book. So . . . considering this is a lesbian series leaves me to speculate that the next book, if there is one, would follow Billie, the other female mounted police officer (I mean, the series is called "Tacoma Mounted Police"), or it could follow the woman very briefly meet - that Scandinavian police officer who was partner to that guy who kept harassing Abby (though only appeared once, though the male one kept popping up). There was talk of how the horse Abby rode was for a possible new addition to the mounted police, that Scandinavian woman's partner is a massive jackass, soooo maybe she wanted to flee him and move to a new assignment, perhaps? And that's basically it in terms of possible leads for a theoretical third book in this series. Then again, that woman was so insignificant in this book, that she might not have had any lines. I can't recall now. While Billie has been there since the first book. With lines. Well, there's also Julie, but she's 12. I suppose a third book could be set 12 years later? bah.
November 18, 2016
I'm a sucker for these lesbian romances involving horses. If you put a little intrigue in its even better. Good read.
August 23, 2015
Lt. Abby Hardgrove is one in of a few police officers in her family. Her grandfather was as dirty as they come and it appears her brother is following in his footsteps. Abby vows to clear her blackened name even if it means making her brother accountable to the law.
While working at the State Fair she meets the girl, Julie, who she had given her prized horse to after her brother failed to protect her mother Kira after a DV complaint. Kira still needs help but can she trust Abby or will she be just like the men in her family?
All the horse stuff is what drew me to this story in the first place, who could want more than that right? I really didn't know what else to expect. Well, how about great characters and development, a wonderful story line, lots of suspense and mystery and a truly sweet romance. Mix it all up with some life lessons and this is what you get!
I hated to put this book down. I read until 4:30 am before I could not keep my eyes open and after a few hours I was up to finish it off, still every bit as taken with it as before.
There was one issue that was left unfinished but I am guessing that since this is a second book there will likely be a third to wrap it all up. Now, if you will excuses me I am off to order Mounting Danger, book one.
Thank you Ms Walsh!
While working at the State Fair she meets the girl, Julie, who she had given her prized horse to after her brother failed to protect her mother Kira after a DV complaint. Kira still needs help but can she trust Abby or will she be just like the men in her family?
All the horse stuff is what drew me to this story in the first place, who could want more than that right? I really didn't know what else to expect. Well, how about great characters and development, a wonderful story line, lots of suspense and mystery and a truly sweet romance. Mix it all up with some life lessons and this is what you get!
I hated to put this book down. I read until 4:30 am before I could not keep my eyes open and after a few hours I was up to finish it off, still every bit as taken with it as before.
There was one issue that was left unfinished but I am guessing that since this is a second book there will likely be a third to wrap it all up. Now, if you will excuses me I am off to order Mounting Danger, book one.
Thank you Ms Walsh!
July 18, 2015
This is my first book by Karis Walsh and she met my expectations as a Bold Strokes author. I will have to work my way through her back catalogue.
This story is a mystery romance and both elements work really well.
The two main characters are unique and just a bit broken. I wonder how far down they would have traveled their personal holes if they hadn’t found each other. There were times I just wanted to reach out and shake them silly to get them out of their own heads.
And the resolution to the mystery sneaked up on me, even though I should have seen it coming. I didn’t get it until the main character did… shame on me :).
This story is a mystery romance and both elements work really well.
The two main characters are unique and just a bit broken. I wonder how far down they would have traveled their personal holes if they hadn’t found each other. There were times I just wanted to reach out and shake them silly to get them out of their own heads.
And the resolution to the mystery sneaked up on me, even though I should have seen it coming. I didn’t get it until the main character did… shame on me :).
October 3, 2016
I liked the characters in this one, for the most part. I appreciate the author returning to a world she's already written about, one that I had previously enjoyed. There were just a few issues. I had been enjoying the story, though it was a tad predictable, until the end when it took a turn for the implausible. There are also some issues with the author's writing. She's heavy handed when describing her characters' motivations. It becomes repetitive, and the reader is told everything about their psyche, rather than being allowed to infer from actions and dialogue. Also, for me there was a disconnect between the emotional timeline and the physical timeline. I still like this author a fair amount though, and enjoy reading her writing.
July 29, 2015
I have struggled to write a review for this book as I felt like the storyline and characters were good but just found something just didn't work for me which I haven’t been able to put my finger on. The best I am able to come up with is that the author struggled to provide a good balance between the characters relationship and the mystery. I felt there was too much detail in some areas and then we rushed through others that I would have liked more feeling and time spent.
In saying this I did enjoy the read but found the book didn't leave a mark on me and will be a book that I will completely forget the next day.
I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review.
In saying this I did enjoy the read but found the book didn't leave a mark on me and will be a book that I will completely forget the next day.
I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review.
September 5, 2016
Very good story!
As usual, this writer always makes a very suspenseful mystery come to life. Her characters are very believable and the way the horse background elements are so well done that I can visualize every antic that all the horses do as well as wanting to be in the wetlands the way she describes them. Having to pay for the "sins of the father". I just wish there had been some closure about Abby's looser brother.
As usual, this writer always makes a very suspenseful mystery come to life. Her characters are very believable and the way the horse background elements are so well done that I can visualize every antic that all the horses do as well as wanting to be in the wetlands the way she describes them. Having to pay for the "sins of the father". I just wish there had been some closure about Abby's looser brother.
July 29, 2015
Rushed
I enjoyed reading this but felt towards the end that it was rushed and left some thing out. I don't mind quickies but not all the time, every time they got together that was all it was.
I enjoyed reading this but felt towards the end that it was rushed and left some thing out. I don't mind quickies but not all the time, every time they got together that was all it was.
July 14, 2015
A really enjoyable story.
August 18, 2015
Horses and a love story
Karis did again I loved how we got more back story about babying this one. I think Abby and Rachel would make a good crime fighting team.
Karis did again I loved how we got more back story about babying this one. I think Abby and Rachel would make a good crime fighting team.
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