3.5 stars--Extreme Honor (True Heroes #1) by Piper J. Drake

Light and easy romantic suspense with fantastic main characters and a fierce and troubled pooch. I had a good time with Extreme Honor. It could be a little predictable where the suspense was concerned but was easy, entertaining and hit the spot as dog trainers Lyn and David gave their all to helping a military pup overcome the loss of his handler and the traumas of was the still haunt him mentally and physically.

• Alright, So, I really liked the characters. Lyn (other than her first day on the job) was easy to like, a hard worker, compassionate and an animal lover. And much the same with David. He's a good guy doing his best to survive being a civilian after years of being in the military. He's protective, sexy and there for his people and animals. 

• I really liked them together, too. They were fairly easy. There was no huge drama between them, no games, etc. once they got past their first meet--she's basically a consultant dog trainer who was brought in to work on the dog's case without his knowing it (erms, yeah, the first meet was a spot ugly lol). Overall, they're straight forward and honest which was very refreshing. They had nice chemistry too and though sheet time was minimal it was nice. 

• I loved the set up of military dogs in training (or recovery as the case may be for Atlas). It's not something I've seen done before and was an interesting focus getting to see what they did, the emotional trauma the dogs deal with from war and losing their handlers, etc. What it takes to get them battle ready or to deal with regular life.

• I did find that the suspense was pretty predictable. Not a bad thing exactly but it was more just watch it unfold while thinking omg you guys can't see this is going to happen?! There were attacks, a little investigating and piecing together of things. It wasn't too action packed despite a couple intense scenes.

• The other guys (the trainers he works with) totally caught my eye. I mean, seriously. 1...military men. Yum! 2. Guys that love animals. *pants* I'm ready for their stories now, please!

All in all, a nice easy start for a new series. It was a great set up for future reads and I'm definitely looking forward to more from Drake and seeing what she has to offer. 

David Cruz is good at two things: war and training dogs. The ex-soldier's toughest case is Atlas, a Belgian Malinois whose handler died in combat. Nobody at Hope's Crossing kennel can break through the animal's grief. That is, until dog whisperer Evelyn Jones walks into the facility . . . and into Atlas's heart. David hates to admit that the curvy blonde's mesmerizing effect isn't limited to canines. But when Lyn's work with Atlas puts her in danger, David will do anything to protect her.

Lyn realizes that David's own battle scars make him uniquely qualified for his job as a trainer. Tough as nails yet gentle when it counts, he's gotten closer to Atlas than anyone else-and he's willing to put his hard-wired suspicion aside to let her do the same. But someone desperate enough to kill doesn't want Lyn working with Atlas. Now only teamwork, trust, and courage can save two troubled hearts and the dog who loves them both . . .

   

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