He promised to keep her safe… Without crossing any of his self-imposed lines.
K-9 officer Aiden Murphy always kept things strictly platonic when it came to KCPD criminalist Lexi Callahan out of respect for her family's having taken him in years ago. Then Lexi is attacked during a crime scene investigation, and Aiden and his dog, Blue, step right in, making their relationship even more complicated. Keeping Lexi safe is his priority. But resisting the woman who's never been far from his thoughts will be his greatest challenge this holiday season.
USA TODAY Bestselling author Julie Miller writes breathtaking romantic suspense. She's won a National Readers Choice Award and two Daphne du Maurier Awards among other prizes. She was also honored to receive a Career Achievement Award from RT BookReviews and has been a finalist for many national and international awards. Her books have appeared on the USA Today, Publisher's Weekly, Amazon and BookScan Top 100 Romances bestseller lists.
Writing about Kansas City cops, Julie has crafted bestselling, award-winning books for Harlequin Intrigue. In addition, Ms. Miller publishes romantic suspense books with a military twist. Millions of copies of her books have been sold in print and digital formats around the world.
Thoroughly enjoyable romantic suspense story with great suspense, a touching romance, and an entertaining cast of characters. Aiden Murphy is a K-9 Officer and it seems like he’s been in love with Lexi Callahan forever. Lexi is a criminalist and she just got promoted to head up her own CSI team. These two made such a lovely couple and I loved how they were always there for each other. I also loved Aiden’s wonderful K-9 partner, Blue. The story was captivating, fast-paced, and it really held my interest.
Terrific friends-to-lovers romance with fast-paced suspense. Lexi is a bright, intuitive criminalist with the KCPD crime lab. As the story begins, she's just been promoted to supervisor of her team and is a little nervous about her ability to do the job. On the other hand, her coworkers are thrilled with her promotion after dealing with her predecessor. Among those who believe in her is K-9 officer Aiden Murphy, a good friend, and pseudo-brother. The problem for Lexi is that her feelings for Aiden are anything but sisterly.
Aiden grew up near Lexi and her brother Levi. Thanks to an abusive father and other parental issues, his family life was terrible. When their parents took him in and made him part of their family, it significantly impacted his life. It is a testament to their care and example that he turned out to be the good and honorable man that he is. Aiden is in love with Lexi but is convinced he is no good for her. While his best friend Levi is deployed, Aiden promises to keep her safe - even from himself.
I loved watching the development of Aiden and Lexi's relationship. When Lexi is attacked during a crime scene investigation, Aiden moves into her house, where he and his K-9 Blue can watch over her. They have been friends for a long time, and it shows in the ease of their interactions. I loved watching Aiden take care of her while trying to keep his distance. He doesn't know that Lexi feels the same way about him and is ready to push for more. I ached for her as she ran up against Aiden's fear of losing the only family he has if something goes wrong. I loved her understanding of his feelings and willingness to give him the time he needed but also felt her frustration as she wanted to step things up. The connection between them when she finally broke through his walls was fantastic. Aiden's only worry was Levi's reaction when he came home for the holidays. That scene was hilarious and was the perfect ending for the book.
The story's suspense sucked me in and kept me hooked from start to finish. When Lexi's first case after becoming supervisor goes south because of the attack on her, it creates a bit of self-doubt and the determination to solve the crime as quickly as possible. I loved seeing her mind work and how she motivated her team to give their best. An attack at her home and two more similar murders, with another attack on Lexi, makes the case feel personal. As she unraveled the clues, she made a horrifying discovery. I was glued to the pages during the final confrontation as Lexi walked into a trap and had to fight for her life. I loved the faith that kept Lexi going and how it all worked out. I can't wait for the next book in the series.
I really liked the professions of the main characters. Aiden was a K-9 cop and Lexi was a criminalist. She actually had just been promoted to supervisor of her own team in the Kansas City crime lab. These two had known each other for years and had grown up together. When Aiden was a child and his home life became unbearable, the Callahan family took him in. That made Lexi and Aiden like siblings. But they sure didn't feel like siblings now!
I liked how they both kept their romantic feelings hidden from the other. It kept me wondering if or when they would come clean. In the meantime, someone was trying to kill Lexi. Aiden was determined to keep her safe but that was getting harder to do. I was hoping whoever was trying to kill her was caught sooner rather than later. I never guessed who was after her.
Romantic suspense is my go-to genre, especially when there is a K-9 in it so this was a perfect book for me. I liked this suspense and enjoyed the romance.
K-9 Patrol was a great read featuring a romance between a criminalist and the K-9 officer determined to keep her safe.
KCPD criminalist Lexi Callahan's first day as a supervisor did not go as planned. After arriving at a crime scene that's eerily similar to another she visited days earlier, Lexi begins processing only to be attacked while alone in the room. K-9 officer Aiden Murphy and his dog Blue arrive right after the attack and Aiden vows to keep Lexi safe from further harm. But as Aiden's protection brings the pair into close proximity, the feelings he has for her find their way to the surface. With Lexi's attacker still at large, Lexi and Aiden must work together to find him before it's too late.
The premise of K-9 Patrol intrigued me as while I've read a lot of suspense stories, I can't recall following a criminalist before so I was excited to see a different side of the investigations. Lexi is great at her job and I liked the scenes where we followed her processing the crime scenes or the evidence back in the lab. I also enjoyed getting to see her work with others who had other different specialties in the lab. The murders themselves were interesting and I was surprised by who the killer ended up being. The ending was well done with some great tense moments and I was happy with how everything was resolved.
Lexi and Aiden's relationship is slower to develop as the pair knew each other growing up and are hesitant to change things. I liked seeing them work through their changing feelings and that they didn't jump straight into being together. But when their romantic relationship does finally develop, it's very well done and I really enjoyed the scenes. There were a few moments where Aiden got a little too overprotective for my liking but I liked that he acknowledged when he did that and apologized for his actions.
Overall K-9 Patrol was an enjoyable read and I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series, Decoding the Truth, soon.
Another great intriguing mystery for Harlequin Intrigue from Julie Miller, in this friends to lovers/former foster siblings romance.
After Lexi Callahan is promoted to supervisor of her own team in the Kansas City crime lab she is targeted by someone who is trying to harm her. Protecting her professionally & personally is k-9 officer Aiden Murphy, who found refuge in his 10 years with Lexi's family when his home life grew intolerable. Lexi & Levi's parents became his role model. Feeling guilty that he harbors far from brotherly feelings for the kind, sexy Lexi, Aiden buries his feelings behind friendly affection and he's trying to distance himself from her. Lexi's big brother, Levi, however keeps asking him for favors watching over Lexi while he is deployed. Aiden is unaware that Lexi has a hard time thinking of him as a substitute brother. Brotherly feelings are not what she feels for the sexy Aiden with his Irish dark good looks.
I really enjoyed this fast paced romance. Lexi is a terrific heroine, smart, able and in charge of her team. She is a likeable heroine. Aden sounds totally yummy. And I really have a soft spot in my heart for Julie's k-9 officers. How long will it take for Aiden's moral code to weaken so he can seize the moment with the women who has loved him from more than a decade? Who is trying to kill her? Will they capture the bad guy before it's too late? Julie Miller delivers this all with great mystery in a satisfying romance that kept me guessing right until the end. (And I guess wrong about the heavy, by the way!)
K-9 Officer Aiden Murphy has vowed to keep Criminalist Lexi Callahan safe at all costs while her big brother is deployed overseas. With the help of his partner Belgian Malinois Blue. Lexi is made supervisor in the crime lab, and someone doesn't like the idea very much all the while being nice to her face and congratulating her on taking the job...When accidents start happening to Lexi at almost every crime scene she works things go from bad to worse....Can Aiden and Blue keep Lexi safe and help her apprehend a killer before he kills HER???
A million years ago, this would have been done by the 10th. A million years ago, I think I had more enthusiasm for reading. Also maybe a little less burned out on the whole “someone is trying to kill me. Who could it possibly be?” theme. And too, after so many books seemingly set in the same office building, they all seem to blur together.
So our h got a promotion, because she and other women in her group lodged a complaint against their supervisor. Who is he? Heck if I know. Funny that, as the crime lab seems kinda important, yet I can’t recall any names. Whatever. Her former boss has a grudge, there’s murder afoot, and her brother’s bestest friend is her self-appointed bodyguard. Because she got attacked.
I have issues…with the k-9 not picking up her attacker’s scent. Also with the H’s dog-in-a-manger attitude. And his and her brother’s overprotectiveness.
This was such a good book !!!!!! This is by far my favorite Harlequin Intrigue book. This had a mystery, romance and it was a fun read as well.
This story revolved around a K-9 officer named Aiden Murphy. His parents weren’t good people. A mother and father by the last name Callahan took him in under their roof. The Callahan’s have a son and daughter. The daughter’s name is Lexi. Lexi always had a crush on Aiden. Aiden always liked Lexi. Aiden felt that he had to keep things strictly platonic because he didn’t want to lose the only family he ever had.
Lexi Callahan gets a promotion as a supervisor as a KCPD criminalist. Lexi while at a crime scene gets attacked during a crime scene investigation. Aiden and his K-9 dog Blue begin to protect Lexi at his house. Aiden feels it is his priority to keep Lexi safe. If only he could keep his desire for Lexi at bay. Lexi and Aiden grow closer to each other while she is healing. The attraction between Lexi and Aiden was almost taboo in this story which I liked. The mystery was wonderful because you didn’t know who the bad guy was until the very end. I loved reading this book.
We meet Lexi Callahan after she is promoted to supervisor of her own team in the Kansas City crime lab she is targeted by someone who is trying to harm her at a crime scene. Her friend, who's also the KC K-9 officer, Aiden Murphy vows to protect her on both a professional level, and a personal level. Aiden and Lexi grew up together when Lexi's family took him in at 10 years old, when his home life grew worse and worse. Aiden adored Lexi and her brother Levi's parents. Aiden has had feelings for Lexi for years but feels like it's weird since they grew up together, so he tries to distance himself. Lexi's brother Levi has been trying to get the two of them together for a long time while he's been deployed and has asked Aiden to watch out for Lexi. Little does Aiden know, that Lexi has been fighting feelings toward him her whole life too. Will they finally tell each other how they really feel before the danger that's after Lexi closes in?
I really enjoyed this book. The first two chapters were kind of boring but once I got through them, things really started to pick up. Lexi is a great heroine, she's smart and determined. Aden is also a great character who is so protective of Lexi and is handsome and caring. And how could I forget K-9 Blue?! I also have to say kudos to the author because I guessed who was after Lexi and I was wrong, and I actually love when books aren't predictable!
Great start to a new series about the folks in Kansas City. Lexi Callahan wants to make the city a safer place after the tragedy in her past. When she is assaulted while working a case, longtime friend Aidan Murphy and his canine partner Blue step up to be her protectors. Aidan wants to be more than a friend but is reluctant to change the status quo. Will danger change his mind and help him make the transition from from to lover?
For a quick read, there was a lot going on and I liked it. Aiden, Lexi, Levi, the forensics team . . . they all felt real, complex. The fact that the guy was after Lexi because she got the job he thought he should have gotten is soooo relatable. A couple of mysteries mixed together, a romance, an honorable man, and Christmas! Just wish we'd gotten a bit more of Levi with Lexi and Aiden for the holidays.
Another entertaining read from Julie Miller. The characters were likeable and believable, and the story moved quickly with a nice twist towards the end. Intrigue is not always known for in depth romance since action is the driver, but I felt like this one had more romantic elements than some, but to me that's a good thing!
The perfect cozy read on a snowy day! This book had a great amount of suspense to keep me on the edge of my seat. I was really proud of myself when I realized who the perp was in the midst of reading. I enjoyed reading how Aiden and Lexi's relationship developed throughout the book. I absolutely adored the relationship between Lexi and her brother, Levi. Overall, a MUST READ book!
I really wanted to like this series. Was just in Kansas City in September 2021 .. good time. But this just seemed so juvenile. The relationship between h and H rang true .. but the repetition in the story bored me and was irritating.
Great start to this series with plenty of suspense, humor, and a couple of friends (Lexi and Aiden) who dance around whether to take their friendship to the next level. After all, Aiden has given Lexi's brother, Levi, his word that he would look after her. Surely, that doesn't mean a romantic relationship. The tension between them only builds when his protective side comes out after she is attached and he moves into her house.
There is a great mix of personalities on the crime lab team as well as other side characters. And I just loved Blue, the Belgian Malinois K9. You will kept guessing as to who is behind the murders.
Can two people that have been raised together, worked together, have each others back become lovers? While solving several murders, tracking the killer(s), recovering from injuries caused by attacks while on scene of the murders, can Lexi convince Aiden they can still be friends and love each other too?
I like this book. The characters were good, and the story line was great. The only thing I felt lacking was the relationship development. It was still a good read though. I’ll definitely read more of the series.
Since purchasing this book, I have read and re-read it. I love the main characters (including Blue the K-9 police officer). The story has a great mix of action / suspense and love
K-9 Patrol is an exciting read. Lexi is a talented, strong heroine. Aiden, is the Irish charmer, who has loved her since childhood. Their story has suspense, tense action, and chemistry.
A lot of action, surprising bad guys, of course. Well written, I will be looking for more books by this author! A criminalist, a great, well trained dog, our Blue, and an experienced police department. It is a really interesting story.
Aiden & Lexi are in denial, just because they grew up together, they are fighting their attraction. This is complicated , a little dangerous and a little sexy. Good read!
I’m not fond of the FLC. Unfortunately she should not have been promoted. She came across as a weak character and I had trouble enjoying the book. This may be a good read for someone else, just not me.
I love the characters in this book, and I always love K-9s. Most of the book takes place at crime scenes and in the crime lab. It's interesting to read some of the inner workings of it all. There is mystery with twists, and an enjoyable romance along with a happy ending.
The first two chapters were really boring to me but i am very glad that I didn’t sit the book down and I continued to read because then it got very interesting.
Great start to the series. I enjoyed the relationship/romance between Aiden and Lexi. I just wish I wasn’t able to figure out the villain so early in the book.