Previously published in the Dog Tags for Christmas anthology.
Be sure to read to the end for a Max and Lacey short story!!!
Love is never easy, but nothing worth fighting for ever is…
Former Navy SEAL K9 handler Joe Flynn is finally getting a grip on the PTSD flashbacks of his lost Military War Dog. The new dog that has adopted him, Maya, is filling that aching hole in his heart nicely. Not to mention the woman who changed his life by loving him completely,Veterinarian Willow James. Willow knows she has a soft heart. When a young boy brings his sick dog in for her to treat, she becomes invested in his safety. There’s no way she can turn him away. But mystery surrounds the boy. When her office is burglarized, it's natural that she turn to Flynn to track down the culprits. The situation turns deadly when the trail leads to a local dog-fighting ring…Unfortunately, the young boy Willow has been trying to help is right in the thick of things. Flynn and Willow find themselves fighting for more than just the abused Pit-Bulls they find. It's going to take a Christmas miracle to get everyone home safely...
NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author J.M. Madden writes compelling romances between 'combat modified' military men and the women who love them. J.M. Madden loves any and all good love stories, most particularly her own. She has two beautiful children and a husband who always keeps her on her toes.
J.M. was a Deputy Sheriff in Ohio for nine years, until hubby moved the clan to Kentucky. When not chasing the family around, she's at the computer, reading and writing, perfecting her craft. She occasionally takes breaks to feed her animal horde and is trying to control her office-supply addiction, but both tasks are uphill battles. Happily, she is writing full-time and always has several projects in the works. She also dearly loves to hear from readers! So, drop her a line. She'll respond.
What a wonderful novella! While you do not have to read the series to understand the book, why would you not. I absolutely love this series! This story makes my heart ache and feel full. Such a wonderful story of struggle, survival and then happiness! I can’t imagine a better story to end my year with!
I LOVED this!! So I loved these two in the first story and now in their second Christmas story I loved them even more. I get such a warm feeling when it comes to these characters. They are just so kind hearted and wonderful. Plus we save a "bait" dog fro dog fighting emailer this year. He's the sweetest dog in the world... not so smart but as sweet as could be. This story was wonderful and I truly loved every second of it.
If you are a fan of the LNF series you are in for a treat. If you haven't read any of the LNF series than this story is going to make you want to read them. This author is my favorite writer of wounded warriors she does justice to their stories. Loved the bonus short at the end.
I am so glad that this book was expanded upon from an anthology. I love all of the Lost and Found characters and am always eager to learn more about my favorite characters. This story is no different.
Willow, Flynn and now Raven are in for one special Christmas just as one courageous young boy stands up for what's right. Mateo is a wonderful addition to the LNF family.
I have read this book before but often times when I find myself going back to stories and authors that I love. These characters become like family and yes that may be strange since they are not real but that is how it feels.
I long for more Novellas about my favorite LNF characters. This is a wonderful gift to readers like me who devour Ms. Madden's LNF series.
Willow, a vet helps a badly I hired dog and begins a relationship with a young boy who has a very skinny dog. When the dog is badly injured, she takes care of him and Mateo works for her to help pay her back. Her husband Flynn, senses that Mateo is not in a good situation and then find him badly beaten. His family is involved in dog fighting and Mateo has tried to belongs bait dogs. When his family is arrested,Mateo is sent into foster care until Flynn and Willow can dig the paperwork to be his foster parents.
This novella was very enjoyable. This is the next stage in the lives of Flynn and Willow who are settling in as parents of baby Raven and become entangled with a local lad, Mateo, whose life is harsh. It is short but it is well written and very engaging. At the end of the book there is also a little story about Max and Lacey. Lacey is working Christmas and Max goes in to surprise her with an impromtu picnic. We get to meet one of her patients and there is a feel good factor to this tale. 4 star read for me .
This is a sequel to the author's Seal's Lost Dream. She has written a Christmas story that is less about a fluffy Hallmark kind of Christmas than it is about love of all kinds: the love of the Hero and heroine, love for animals, the love for their biological child and the gotcha child. In other words, a real Christmas story. I found it to be unexpected but incredibly satisfying.
We get to revisit Flynn and Willow in this book. A boy desperately trying to escape an abusive home while caring for wounded dogs brings Flynn and Willow closer as a family. They help this boy find a new home but Mateo helps them complete their family.
Never in a million years did Willow or Joe Flynn think that extending kindness to a young teen boy and his dog would lead to a life altering chand i their family. Mateo reached out to Willow when his dog became ill and then insisted in working off the bill. Both Flynn and Willow knew the boy lived in hardship but had no real idea how bad it was.
What a perfect story to add to my December Christmas Themed reading list. And to have read it on Christmas Eve was the cat's meow, or the dog's bark! But seriously, this story has all the feels for a Christmas miracle. I love the storyline and the wonderful characters.
Loved this story about dogs, babies, hard times, abusive parents and the biggest love between Flynn and Willow. And did I mention it all comes together on a snowy Christmas Eve? Enjoy!
A real feel good storyline, Loving characters. An abused boy meets a loving couple who believe in him. Abused animals that end up being the catalyst to bring an abused boy to the joy of a couple who chose him. Family isn’t always blood, this chosen family bonded over doing the right thing.
Since Seal's Lost Dream, Joe Flynn and Willow James have had a lot of changes in their lives. In the past year, he and Willow have married, started a family and Flynn has found a new furry friend/partner who helps him cope with his PTSD. Juggling motherhood and work keeps Willow's hands full, but it doesn't deter her from helping those in need-both the two and four legged variety. When Mateo, looking for a way to help save his dog from hunger and the weather, encounters Willow and Flynn, his life is about to change in ways he never expected. Stray animals, one special boy, and the Flynn family are about to discover miracles really do happen at Christmas!
I love the Lost and Found series and getting to revisit Willow and Flynn is like having an early Christmas present! Madden delivers another successful entry into the Lost and Found series with enjoyable characters, tender moments, canine antics, and a strong storyline. Originally published in the anthology Dog Tags for Christmas, SEAL's Christmas Dream was a delightful treat! The expanded version was a great excuse to revisit Flynn, Willow, Raven, Mateo and all their furry friends! I also loved the scene with Lacey and Max at the end of the book! Max's sweet and thoughtful side appears when he surprises Lacey with a Christmas meal at work. His instant camaraderie to fellow SEAL Cooper-one of Lacey's patients- has me hoping there will be a new team member joining LNF in the near future!
Reading this hurt. It's not graphic about the bait dogs but still.... It's a feel good story and delivers. I just wish the dogs could have gotten revenge.
I loved this novella. It absolutely speaks to the spirit of the series, and it was great to have a small peek into the lives of some of my favorite characters!
Even for a christmas-themed story, this was story was overly sentimental and sirupy.
I was especially irked by this horribly sexist paragraph from chapter 1: "[The baby] was dressed in a pale green Onesie decorated with dancing elephants, and even though the color intimated boy, there was no mistaking her daughter's fine features. She was definitely all girl, from her thick black hair to her flirty little smile."
What the what? 1) Since when is pale green a "boys" color? Should all girl babies wear only pink because all other colors make them look like male children? What a ridiculous concept. That's barbiefication. Please keep colors like pale green and pale yellow gender-neutral, thank you. 2) Please don't sexualize babies (the one in the story is about 6 months old!) or little children by interpreting their behavior as "flirty" or "coquettish" or some such nonsense. A baby boy would have smiled just the same. Get this: it's a basic human trait...
If you are a fan of the LNF series you are in for a treat. If you haven't read any of the LNF series than this story is going to make you want to read them. This author is my favorite writer of wounded warriors she does justice to their stories.
I read the original version of the story in the anthology. This new version is just as good (I can't remember it well enough to detect the differences) and the bonus story was a nice addition.
Just got done book 4.7 in the LNF series only a couple more tell the series end. So going to miss these individuals and couples. This was so good love Flynn and Williow, make sure you have kleenexs ready. Max and Lacey are great too, they both have such patients. Enjoy the series and author.