Rival Forces

K-9 Rescue #4

by D.D. Ayres

DESIRE IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH

When it comes to training K-9 patrol dogs, Yardley Summers always trusts her instincts. But when it comes to dating men, she keeps her heart on a very short leash. Mostly, she’s too busy with her four-legged trainees at Harmonie Kennels to commit to a relationship. Only two men have managed to distract her: a handsome Doctors Without Borders physician who’s suddenly gone missing—and the red-hot dog trainer from her past who’s suddenly back in her life…

Now a K-9 rescue team leader, Kye McGarren has never forgotten the days he trained at Yardley’s camp—or the nights he spent in her arms. When he hears that Yardley is on a mission to find the missing doctor, Kye is determined to keep her out of danger. With his K-9 partner by his side, he joins Yardley on a death-defying mission—one that reignites their mutual passion. Will Kye be able to rescue his romantic rival…without losing the woman he loves?

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, Suspense, Fiction, Animals, Audiobook

1 pages, Audio CD

First published May 3, 2016

About the author

D. D. Ayres is the author of the K-9 Rescue series which includes Primal Force and Force of Attraction. She loves men in uniforms and dogs, making the K-9 Rescue series with St. Martin's Press a dream come true. She currently lives in Texas where she's at work on her next novel.

Reviews

[Jonetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on The Book Nympho

We've seen Yardley Summers in every story to date, known as the owner of the most outstanding K-9 training facility in the country, Harmonie Kennels. When the man she's been dating for over a year suddenly disappears, Yardley's brother, Law Batisse, asks Kye McGarren to go check things out. Law and Kye served together in Afghanistan and Kye and Yardley have quite a history.

One of the things I wanted from this series is to learn more about the K-9 service and it has delivered magnificently! So, I'll talk about the two K-9 stars first.

Kye's K-9 service dog is Lily, a toller (a breed I'd never heard of before this story). She's used purely for detection and rescue; she wouldn't hurt a flea. The breed also has an unusual wail that sounds like a shrieking human cry. Here's a link to a video where you can hear for yourself: Toller Scream.

Lily (toller)


Yardley's K-9 is Oleg, a Czech wolfhound she's giving reinforcement training who was originally trained by it's owner but smacks of covert ops skills. Oleg is fierce and scary but obeys his handler. You definitely don't want to be in his sights crosswise.

Oleg (Czech wolfhound)


There was more to this story than just the K-9s but they were definitely central to the plot. Kye and Yardley's history was a surprise and very emotional. I loved their backstory and both are perfect for each other because they are polar opposites in disposition. With Yardley's strong Alpha personality, it works. Their romance was rocky and definitely unconventional, keeping me off balance.

The mystery and suspense was strong with an exciting climax. It's one of the best in the series to date and I'm very happy that the stories continue to stay true to the focus of the series.

(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

[Angela (Angel's Book Nook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ayres has definitely climbed on my “must read” list with this phenomenal series. I’m relishing each and every novel in the K-9 Rescue series which gives us a touch of danger, loyal canine companions, fierce heroines, and tantalizing heroes.

Rival Forces is book four in the series. It does read well enough as a standalone, but Yardley is featured in the other novels and we get to see a little of who she is and what might be going on, before we dive into her book, so this one I'd recommend reading after you started from the beginning.

I enjoyed Yardley and Kye together. They have a past history, one that needs to be resolved, but first he’s got to figure out whats going on with her and avoid the danger that has come calling.

The chemistry and attraction just flowed off them and the pages. They both love dogs and are involved with working and handling them. Both are strong-willed, stubborn, kickass and take no prisoners. It makes for an interesting pair up. Boy oh boy do the sparks fly. I will say we get a very enchanting dance that happens (he’s from Hawaii), oh my, that part had me glued to the page.

The suspense was nicely done and brought all kinds of unknown danger. It keeps you turning those pages to find out what will happen next and it gave us a chance to see both dogs do their thing. I really enjoyed how each dog was trained for something different and how well they worked together, just like their owners.

This series is outstanding. I’m in love! I had a phenomenal time reading Rival Forces and the second chance romance was a delight.

Rated: 4 Stars

[Anna's Herding Cats · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2c7Yqtw

Oh yes. Ayres is definitely climbing my "must read" authors list with this knock out series. Hunky men, fierce heroines, amazing canine companions. Catch your breath sexy with a chaser of danger. Rival Forces was a damn good time.

The quick of it is that something is going on in Yardley's life and her brother has asked one of his old buddies to stop by and make sure she's okay without realizing he's the guy she got all hot and heavy with a decade earlier and that had bailed on her. She'll be damned if she wants him on her property now! A stubborn male, impossible to ignore chemistry, and a sudden threat, though, change things right quick.

I loved these two. Their past history, the initial clashing of wills, the chemistry and sex appeal that just flowed off of them. Plus their love of dogs. Both are involved with working dogs. Training and partnering with them. I loved that. They're both rather kickass and have that take no prisoners attitude. And oh the sparks flew--even if it pissed her off--and were delicious. It may have been freezing and snowing out but these two kept things nice and steamy. There's also one very intriguing dance that happens (he's from Hawaii and, yeah. Yeah.)

The suspense was nicely done and kept things moving at a good clip as a past relationship comes back into Yardley's life and brings all kinds of unknown danger. It got my blood pumping a couple times and was a neat way to see both of their dogs in action and doing what they were trained for. His for search and rescue (Lily a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever) and hers for danger assessment and protection (Oleg a Czech wolfdog). That was such a neat aspect to the book and man those pups were characters! Honestly that might have been my favorite part of the book. The dogs and then the dogs with their handlers and each other. They have very different and distinct personalities and I totally fell for them.

My only complaint was not getting Marines right. It was used in passing but seriously. Always capitalized (they aren't ocean life, yall) and never an ex-Marine unless dishonorably discharged.

All in all, though.... Ayres is rocking this series something fierce. They're fantastic on audio as well. I read this one but the previous I did on audio and woo! the narrator did a fabulous job.

[CD {Boulder Blvd} · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm finally done but really unsure how to rate and review. I want to be fair to the author, but for me this was a huge disappointment. Normally based on this kind of "lack of enjoyment" during the read the sarcastic, less than politically correct me would come out in full force.

So instead of a review, these are the comments I wrote to myself as I read...

Yardley - I really didn't like this name as I kept thinking of lavender soap which didn't quite fit the bossy, know-it-all, rigid, unfriendly personality of Yardley. I also really found her nick name of Yard as having no appeal.

Page 74 Her reactions were a little confusing. She rushes into her home so that she can plug her phone in (after recovering it because she threw it into a field out of anger) and leaves Kye outside but reluctantly lets his dog come in with hers. Then while he's locking up a fence she sticks his backpack on the deck with a note telling him where to go in the bunkhouse. It would have been extremely easy to excuse herself to a private room and ask Kye to look after the dogs. I kept thinking I must be missing something as this chic is weird and how am I supposed to support her as the h?

Page 79 "You must think I'm a bitch?" Well he didn't, but I sure do.

Page 83 "He was the most direct and honest person she'd ever known." Must be the reason she treats him so poorly.

Page 108 She's at her house, but he has to lone her a bro shirt which shows too much. Some parts of this seemed more like a comedy spoof than a romantic suspense novel.

Page 122 She was with the doctor for a year, thinking about marrying him but yet Kye comes and within 24 hours she goes to him for sex. One it takes 120+ pages to account for 24 hours - maybe that is supposed to make it seem longer, but there was a lot of repetitive thinking about the other person. I need more than this. I want a plot.

At the end of the day, I really didn't enjoy or like this book. The stars of the book were the two service dogs who were 5 star all the way. Unfortunately, they had to share a book with Kye and Yard who were 1 star all the way. And although the plot had potential it was hijacked by Kay and Yard and was poorly developed.

[Sunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. ARC Review

Yardley is a prickly, headstrong, independent kennel owner. As the operator of Harmonie Kennels, she and her staff train law enforcement, military and search and rescue dogs. ]Yardley has all the qualities that usually appeals to me in a character and, yet, I'm not quite sure why I do not connect with her. I think it maybe the love triangle aspect of the story. It is her relationship with Dr. David Gunnar that brings Kye McGarren back into her life. This story reminds me why I don't like this trope. I don't like divided loyalties. For me, it makes the woman fickle. I feel that I can not commit to the relationship between the hero and heroine.

There is also an assumed chemistry between Kye and Yardley that I do not feel. Not enough story given to the original romance. It feels forced to me, as though, because they are each other's first love, we should understand the draw to one another. I need more to be convinced.

Although not my favorite in the series, I did appreciate the peek into Kye's cultural background with the hula scene aT the end. At the author's encouragement, I did Youtube a ceremony and that was hubba hubba.

[Anne - Books of My Heart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
 

I'm finally getting to read my Series in a Month books! I got interested in the K9-9 Rescue series when I did a Series on Saturday about K9 stories.   The books in this series are very loosely related. So far I believe they could easily be read as stand alones.

I was so excited to read Rival Forces.  Yardley Summers is the character briefly connected to the other books.  She was only mentioned or in the background but she seems to be the primary connection. So I was thrilled to have her story.  It wasn't what I expected or rather she isn't what I expected.   Her father was not a nice man but she learned K9 training and inherited the kennels from him.

I thought Yardley would be smarter and better trained. Since she works with K9, probably for SAR, drug detection, guarding and protection.   While she knows dogs and training,  and has numerous and excellent connections with law enforcement,  she is not law enforcement and has none of those skills which was somehow a shock to me. Even then I didn't expect some behavior bordering on TSTL.

Otherwise, I enjoyed this second chance romance with dogs and suspense.  Law from the previous book also made brief appearances.  The next two books I'm reviewing audio ARCs, with a great narrator, so I'm thrilled to continue along in the series.

 

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Yardley Summers owns and runs the prestigious Harmonie Kennels, something she inherited from her legendary father. In the previous books she has come across as an incredibly strong, driven woman a force to be reckoned with. At the start of the book we find out that Yardley has been in a relationship with Dr David Gunnar, a Doctors Without Borders physician, he went overseas for work a few months back and hasn't been seen or heard from since.

Kye McGarren is a K-9 rescue team leader and former Military Police colleague of Yardley's half-brother Lauray "Law" Batisse (the subject of the third book in this series). Kye also had a brief secret romance with Yardley when he trained under her father - who let's be honest was a complete P.O.S. Law contacts Kye and asks him to check up on Yardley, she has been asking questions about David and no-one can/will help her, which in itself is highly suspicious given her contacts within all echelons of law enforcement - if there was anything to find, they should have told her, instead she has been stone-walled. So instead of going home to Hawaii for a well-earned rest in the warm, Kye travels to Washington D.C. and his first love.

What follows is a great suspense story involving hired assassins, dogs, snow and high level conspiracies - absolutely loved it! Kye was a great hero, right from the start the reader is in no doubt as to his feelings about Yardley or what he wants. Also, he carries his K-9 dog Lily on his shoulders .

My only niggles would be about Yardley. I found Yardley and David's relationship problematic - I didn't really 'feel' that they had a relationship or understand why Law told Kye that she was thinking about marrying David. Also, I felt that Yardley had been watered down a little bit from the formidable woman in the previous books.

Otherwise, this series goes from strength to strength, suspense, dogs, men who spend considerable amounts of time without their shirts on! What's not to love? I just can't wait for the next one.

Bumped for release day

[Connie N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

#4 in the K-9 Rescue romance series

Another winner with this series, although not quite as good as the one just previous to this. We finally get to know Yardley, Law's half-sister and Bronson Batisse's daughter. She's tough and independent to a fault as the owner of Harmonie Kennels and as a top dog trainer. We learn that she had a short-term relationship years ago with Kae McGarren when he trained with his dog. Now he's at the Kennels again, at Law's request, to find out more about Yardley's ex-boyfriend who has gone missing. But, surprisingly to both of them, their relationship picks up where it left off, and they start to have feelings for each other again. Lots of exciting action scenes with the bad guys, as well as plenty of action between the sheets. As always, I find it so interesting to hear about the dog training and "seeing" the dogs in action. I look forward to the next in the series.

[Tina J · Rating 4 out of 5]

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ FOUR - STAR ✩ REVIEW ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩
⭐ ⭐ Provided by Netgalley in Exchange for an Honest Review ⭐ ⭐

Judging a Book by it's Cover:
I'm having a hard time determining if that is surf or snow in the background. The armed man with a badge and dog in the foreground are eye-appealing. The colors of the background and font also serve well to catch and hold the eye. Synopsis sounds equal parts intriguing and frustrating.

Looking Deeper:
Third-person POV.
Kye is a SAR company co-owner and team leader. Yardley is the owner of Harmonie Kennels. They have a brief history together, from twelve years ago. This one was VERY difficult for me to review in that I have loved this series from the start. I truly mean LOVE - but this book really started out slow for me. I am all for a strong and independent female lead, but Yardley is so much so that she comes off as stand-offish. Kye's character waivered quite a bit, one minute standing aside, then determined to fight for it... calm and collected, then hot and possessive. I'd get whiplash being around him. The chemistry was not very tangible between them either. I did, however, love the fact that that Ms. Ayres used two lesser known dog breeds that made me look them up. The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Dog - or Toller - is a fun, quirky breed. Cute. But Oleg, the Chech Wolfdog, captured my heart, making me want one in the worst sort of way. What a magnificent looking creature. Aside from that, back to the breakdown... it started out with an exceedingly slow flow and one-dimensional plot and really only gained depth and dynamics from about the 30 - 85% mark, when the action kicked in. There were some secondary characters, most adding a beneficial layer to the plot. Interaction and dialogue was good, but still hard to really feel as believable. There were some internal conflicts as well as outside influences, all of which were resolved by the end of the book. Predictability was low. In fact, I was surprised a few times over some of Yardley's actions or lack-of when situations arose, almost to the point of wondering if it was the same person. There just seemed to be a few "out-of-character" things that detracted a bit. The conclusion was solid and satisfying, even if it felt a tad bit rushed. Overall, I would still recommend this book but I'd do so with the cautionary warning that it's paced slower than previous installments. Yet, I feel that events within this book may be crucial and/or pivotal to future books in the series. That said: It does stand alone well enough & does not contain any cliffhangers.
In the author notes, at the end of the book, there are a few links to YouTube videos: one that captures a Toller Scream (as mentioned many times throughout the book) and two on Hula Kahiko. The hula videos demonstrate the balance, strength, and intensity of the dance mentioned. It's an amazing thing to watch and I truly recommend those.

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Rating: [R] ~ Score: 3.9 ~ Stars: 4
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[✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰Janeane ✰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Copy received from St Martin's Press via Netgalley for an honest review



This is the 4th book in the K-9 series, and this has by far been my favourite - so far!

Though they can call be read as stand alone, this one did include characters from the 3rd book, but you do not have to have read it to read Rival Forces.

Rival Forces made me feel like I was watching a Jason Bourne movie. Right from the get go, I was on the edge of my couch/bed/whereever I was reading. There was drama, suspense and a whole lot of sexual attraction thrown in for good measure!

I just never was sure who the good guy/bad guys were, and what would happen next *cue the "something's gonna happen" music*

There was this push/pull between Yardley and Kye, and while I understood Yard's hesitance, I wanted to slap some sense into her too!

The stars of this book have to be Oleg and Lily though - Yard and Kye's dogs. Such loyalty, such unconditional love.

I love that Ms Ayres never lets her characters become door mats. They are always true to themselves, dont' give a damn about it, and never let anyone change them. Both the male and female characters are strong, driven, forces to be reckoned with.

Oh, and just for fun, watch this video - you won't be sorry - and it does have something to do with the book, I promise you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm-bJ...

I can't wait to see what happens next in the K-9 series.

[Reading In Pajamas · Rating 5 out of 5]

✦REVIEW: Rival Forces: A K-9 Rescue Novel by D. D. Ayres http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-4ZZ
Publication Date: May 3, 2016
Genre: Romantic Suspense/ Contemporary Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated: 4.5 Stars

I have grown to love the K-9 Rescue series and this book is another indication why. The action flows so well into the romance that you don’t feel a break in the momentum. Kye is a hot Hawaiian that is a cross between The Rock and a surfer dude. What a combination! Even though I didn’t warm up to Yardley as much as I did him, she was so realistic in how she dealt with everything swirling around her. In looking back at the story, one would think there was too much going on but it all seemed to work together to make it a fast exciting read. I loved it.

*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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READ AN EXCERPT HERE

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Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks

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K-9 Rescue Series by D.D. Ayres
1. Irresistible Force ➢ Review | Kindle
2. Force of Attraction ➢ Review | Kindle
3. Primal Force ➢ Review | Kindle
4. Rival Forces ➢ Kindle

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[Mojca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twelve years ago she was his first love, but he left her behind. Now he’s back, as a favor to her brother, to help her in the quest of finding the man she loves…And keep her safe while in the process.


This was a great story with vivid, gripping, and intense action scenes, a well-depicted looming danger, two wonderful dogs, and a leading man out of every woman’s fantasy. Tall, dark, handsome, protective and with a wonderful sense of humor.

A great story that was ruined by the heroine. I hated the woman’s guts. Not only for the love triangle that was more of a line segment than a true triangle, but because of her character. The woman had so many issues and so much baggage, she was all over the place. Stubborn, selfish, and independent, then angry when her (physical) independence was put into question by her own actions. She bemoaned the fact nobody loved her, but she never let anybody close enough to try. And then she went and settled for the “stable” guy who actually proved to be more dangerous than the guy she burned the sheets with. The guy she dropped kicked into the nuts the minute the normal, steady doctor was back in the picture.

I hate it when people use this expression, but I will use it in this case. Bitch!

Some will say Kye brought it upon himself to have his heart broken (I wanted someone to drop kick her the morning after when she “put him in his place” and the normal guy appeared, and I wanted someone to bludgeon her with a tire iron after reading about the scene that made Kye disappear). And I call bullshit on that. Yes, he knew she was in love with someone else and he wouldn’t have touched her, she was the one that initiated the physical relationship. She was the one who patted him on the head and sent him on his way once she was satisfied. She was the one who toyed with his feelings, while making googly eyes at the doctor. She was the one who juggled both men, and of the three she was the only one who didn’t know what she felt or what she wanted.

And then it took her four (!) months to actually do something and even that happened only after getting a figurative (I wished it was a literal) kick from her brother. And then the story ended. There should’ve been more groveling on her part, if you ask me, but yet again, that “reunion” was all about her and her gratification.

3½ stars

[Cathy Geha · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a splendid story! I was drawn in, kept engaged and thoroughly entertained from beginning to end.

Kye McGarren was a man described so well that I could see him. I felt he was believable and oh so very wonderful as a book boyfriend. He was someone a person could depend on. If you happened to be the woman he set his sights on then I believe you would be very happy and well satisfied. He was the whole package.

Yardley Summers was a strong independent woman running a large business training K-9’s for various jobs. The man she thinks she is in love with has disappeared and she is worried. Her brother sends one of his friends, Kye, to keep an eye on her, help her find her boyfriend or do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

Yardley and Kye had a short intense relationship in the past and are given a second chance at a happily ever after. The chemistry is still there but with good and bad guys showing up, men with harm in their eyes prowling about, dogs to care for, injuries to tend and so much going on their HEA is not going to be easy.

I loved the dogs! The links at the end of the story to the Toller bark/scream and the male hula were educational and oh so very interesting. I had to look up what Oleg looked like and a Czech Wolfdog is fierce but regal looking – what a great dog to star in this book with Lily the Toller.

I am eager to read the rest of the books in the series and can’t wait to find out who will have their story told next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Saint Martin’s Press for the free copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book # 4 in the series and this one is about Yardley who owns and operates the Harmony Kennels. She is so caught up with training or taking care of the dogs, or people that have come through her place you begin to think that she never had a life before. Other than her brother from a previous book. Now a man from her past is back, Kye McGarren who has never forgotten about her and in the story you find out why he had to leave. Yardley has not forgotten about him either and is surprised when he shows up unannounced and does not know what to do because she actually needs his help. She is fighting herself with feelings towards Kye, but she is also wondering why a doctor who she started seeing and went on a trip with doctor without borders, she has not heard from him in months and is now doubting herself. Kye though is doing everything he can to make her feel like they were when they were young and she is starting to forget at times about the doctor. When men start to show up at her kennels and are trying to harm her Kye steps in and now they must find out why these men are after her. This is a good suspense, and romantic book, with a nice twist at the end. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

[Book Lover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

This is the 4th book in the series, but the first book I have read. It can be read as a stand alone without any problem. This book started out slow, but I hung in there. I’m glad I did because it gets better.

Kye is half owner of a SAR company kennel training facility. He is former military, having served under Yardley’s father and with her brother, Law.

Yardley owns a SAR training facility as well. For her, Kye is the one who got away, 12 years ago. Flash forward, she is dating a doctor who disappears. Her brother, Law, calls in a favor from Kye, to go check on his sister, who is receiving threats.

I loved all the info on the dogs. They were my favorite part, especially Oleg. And the visual of the big, hulking Hawaiian carrying his dog on his shoulders? Awesome!

I liked the story enough to want to go back and read the previous stories and watch for the next one.

[Martha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really, really like D.D. Ayres' K-9 books. However, I never liked or admired the heroine, Yardley Summers. Respected her, but never warmed up to her. Ultimately, it was hard to finish this book. My reaction to Yardley colored this review.

Yardley had good reasons for being guarded, cautious and emotional stunted. Nobody got close to her. On the other hand, the hero, Kye McGarren was terrific. I loved him; honorable, protective, skilled and a successful owner of a search and rescue business using dogs. He was willing to find and save Yardley's missing lover despite his own feelings for Yardley. They met a dozen years ago when Kye spent two weeks training at the kennels Yardley owned. Maybe my expectations were too high? I anticipated Yardley's story; but I was disappointed.

[Ellen Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Ms. Ayres K-9 series, and this one is about the sister of one of the heroes from a previous book. Yardley Battise owns a K-9 training kennel. When her boyfriend goes missing and she calls her brother, he calls in a favor from a former military buddy, Kye McGarren who owns a K-9 SAR service. He wants Kye to go check on Yardley. Thing is, Yardley and Kye have a past. When he goes to check on her, they get pulled into some situations neither were expecting. Lots of suspense in this one. Love to hear how these awesome animals do the jobs they were trained for, in every condition and how they always put their handlers safety above their own. I will continue to look forward to future books in this series.
ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an Honest review.
Reviewed for Happily Ever Chapter

[Heather andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes a man just needs to let his woman take control, "he smiled, not quite sure yet going there anyway. He leaned back onto his pillow and folded his arms behind his head. “Help yourself.” She reached for the bedding and threw it back. He watched her eyes widen at what she’d revealed. He slept naked..." I enjoyed this book I liked Kye.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 4 was great and Kye was a great character. I like Yardley from the previous book but when you add Kye it was a great combination with of course the dogs. Wonderful story, suspense, great romance, humor, great dogs and two main characters that have history and spice. This series just gets better with each book and I always look forward to the next book.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much more of a romantic suspense feel to this story, what with all the hiding in the house, sneaking around, and taking down bad guys. I'd liked Yardley in the other books, but her character here does seem different from those glimpses we got of her. Yes, we're getting MUCH more of her perspective, but I was a bit thrown at the end when she announces that the only reason she's stayed at Harmonie Kennels is because people rely on her for jobs. I thought she took pride in her work and enjoyed training, and never got a sense that she hated the place, so her resenting the kennels place in her life came out of left field for me.. She volleyed back and forth between being strong and capable and take-no-crap, and then spending time thinking about all these new feelings she was having, and eeny-meeny-miney-mo'ing between David and Kye.

I didn't like David before, and I still don't like him. I don't believe that he was really in love with Yard herself, but liked the fact that she wasn't pressuring him to share more of himself and put her as a priority in his life. He didn't contact her more months (ok, maybe he had a bit of a reason) and then they only communicate through song lyrics? I think he was more invested in being a superhero doctor and wouldn't have changed for anyone, even if Yard had managed to get him to commit to marriage.

Kye and his relationship with his toller Lily were they best part of the book for me. It was so clear that Kye had a great working relationship with his dog, and that he loved her as well. Lily isn't a big tough dog like some of the others in the series, but Kye isn't bothered what some might call a "girly" dog. Even in the midst of crisis, he takes time out to check on her and reassure her when things get too scary for her. Kye also does a great job of cutting through Yardely's BS and seeing when she's nervous and acting out to hide that.

The ending and relationship resolution were a bit abrupt as well. For a good chunk of the book it's an uncomfortable love triangle between Kye, Yardley, and David, and then ... there's a big climax, the scene ends and we jump ahead four months? Everything between Yardley and David is explained in a memory, and then it's a bit "oh, well, let's move on!" It didn't convince me that Yard and Kye have a HEA, but they're working on a HFN, and maybe that will evolve over time.

I do like how well the dogs on the covers of this series match the dogs inside the book! And even Kye's cover outfit is actually in the book. Well done St. Martin's.

[Lexee Toste · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story! I loved getting to know more about Yardley (she is mentioned along with Harmony Kennels and seen a few times in prior books) and Harmony Kennels. I loved Kai as well and getting to know him. This story was entertaining and pulled me in from beginning to end. We get a little bit more intrigue in this one as we try and figure out what has happened to Yardley's guy that seems to have possibly ghosted her but things just aren't adding up. Kai is sent in by Yardley's brother to make sure she is okay and help her out without really knowing the history that these two share. I loved watching these two come back together and figure out what was going on. Kai still has a thing for Yardley but he is helping her find her current love interest. It makes for a very interesting story as they try and untangle all the strings. This story had action and it was great getting to learn/see two different and new breeds and what their strengths and weaknesses were as well as what they had been trained for. I enjoyed this story.
The narrator did a good job adding a little extra to the story and the characters.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

New to me author THANKS to other readers for their reviews to lead me to try this series. I love the dog aspect and the whole series revolves around dogs and their handlers which is very cool. There is mystery, danger and romance - what more could you ask for in a rom-suspense? Kind of reminded me of the lighter books by Julie Garwood in the Buchanan series.
I enjoyed the dogs, the characters and the story.
Oh and if you think the Nova Scotia Duck Toller dog in this book is cute just look up a video on them on YouTube. They are adorable but the bark/sounds they make could shatter glass!

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throughout this book, there were definitely some parts where I was like 'UGHH this person!! Get your shit together!!' which I find is common in most books. I felt like this book it focus more on the relationship between Yardley and Kye than on the missing doctor. But I loved how the book ended, it was freakin hot! I would've preferred more action but overall the action was enough to make the book worth reading.

[Dewey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love the series, love the dogs, love Kye, not loving Yardley very much. It started with her name; silly, but I just don't like it much. The angst in this story comes from the love triangle she is in and her conflicted feelings; she runs hot & cold which isn't that enjoyable to read. I skipped to read the ending.

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

First time reading this author. Story and writing ok. Didn't like the main character, Yardley. Plotline of Dr. was left with many questions. Loved the dog aspect of the story and Kye. Would read author again to see if other books are better.

[Sylvanaire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rival Forces

The love triangle was weak, there was little doubt who she'd end up with, & the doc's character was bit thin. But the dogs really added a lot to the story. Lily was a total charmer!

[Annette Drewett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great to read Yardley’s story. She has had such an impact on the previous books that I have been hoping she would get her own book. This one has a great mystery and lots of suspense with an awesome ending.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite of the series. Love Kye. Love Yardley. They're electric when together.

[Stephanie Grohol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Yardley and Kye's story.....

[Zulay Brux · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

I'm at page 181.... I just cant.

Love the dogs and there's potential in the story but Yard is a horrible heroine...