Fantastic book co-starring one of my favorite doggy characters. It started with a bang - or should I say boom - and kept me hooked from beginning to end. Tate has just arrived in town, fresh out of four months in the hospital recovering from injuries received from an IED. He hopes for some peace of mind, moving into the house that his beloved grandfather left to him. Instead, during his first night in the house, he was awakened by an explosion that could have killed him and brought the unexpected into his life.

I loved the vivid pictures and impressions of those first few hours. I could see Tate standing there in his skivvies, staring in stunned disbelief while suffering from the effects of the explosion. The sudden appearance of his neighbor, who tries to talk to him, but he can't hear her. I could feel Lacy's concern for the man she's heard so much about. Being familiar with Cutter from previous books, I was not at all surprised to see his subtle maneuvering of Tate, nor was I surprised that he sensed that Tate was in trouble.

I loved both Tate and Lacy. Lacy is strong, independent, and has a huge heart. She was good friends with Tate's grandfather and had heard countless stories about Tate, so she was predisposed to like him when she met him. I loved her understanding of Tate's prickliness and that she rarely took it personally. I especially liked that she didn't give up on him. Tate was quite a grump at the beginning. It was hard to see his rudeness to everyone around him until the reasons became clear. He's a good man underneath but dealing with so much loss as affected his outlook. He could see what he was doing; he just had a hard time doing anything about it. I ached for him and his early reactions around Cutter because he missed his working dog from overseas so much it hurt.

I loved the development of Tate and Lacy's relationship, especially that it happened over a reasonable length of time, rather than just a few days. Both of them had bad relationships in their pasts, making them wary of getting involved with anyone else. I loved the way each of them noticed and reacted to the other, and their mental chastising of Martin for not warning them of the attractiveness of the other. Tate has a pretty rough time adjusting to being back around "normal" people. I loved how Lacy had such a good sense of just how far she could push Tate to get him to cooperate/participate. It was great to see how it was their mutual love for Tate's grandfather that helped ease their way. I adored Cutter's matchmaking actions as he guided them along the path he intended them to follow, even if they were oblivious (though Lacy caught on faster than Tate did). This exchange was fantastic:

“Lacy, Tate, meet Tyler Hewitt, our resident tech genius,” Quinn said.
"Tyler, Lacy Steele and Tate McLaughlin.”
"Hi,” the young man said. “You’re Cutter’s latest, huh?”
"Tate is,” Lacy corrected him.
Tyler grinned, shifted his gaze to Hayley.
"They don’t know yet, huh?”
"Don’t even,” she warned him. “Way too early.” “Yeah, yeah,” he said, but he was still grinning. Obviously an inside joke, Lacy thought.

The more time that they spent together, the deeper their connection grew. There were times that Tate tried to fight it, but it was a losing battle. I loved seeing Tate's tenseness dissipate, and how he started picturing Lacy in his future. There was also a feeling of protectiveness on both sides. It was Lacy who got the Foxworths involved because she was worried about Tate's safety. As the danger increased, Tate's concern for Lacy grew, especially after the ferry incident. The ending was fantastic, as Lacy's love knocked down the last of the walls around his heart. I loved his gift for Lacy and how it showed the depth of his love and how well he understood her. Lacy had her own surprise for Tate that had me sniffling right along with the characters.

The suspense of the story was outstanding and kept me just as hooked as the romance did. The beginning was intense, with the explosion and suspicion that it was intentional, followed by the attempted electrocution. I liked the way that the Foxworth's made themselves available to help, but didn't push (they left that up to Cutter and Lacy). Once their help was requested, I loved seeing them all in action. The methodical way they worked through possibilities was awesome, and I loved seeing Tyler and Sloan and hearing about others from previous books. The intensity really took off with the ferry incident, and my heart was in my throat until Tate was able to get Lacy to safety. The final confrontation was a page-turner, between the explosion and the chase. I loved Cutter's fiercesomeness as he reacted, and Tate's determination. I loved finding out the who and the why and the irony of the truth. I laughed out loud at Lacy's revelation of her part in the capture.

I love Cutter. He is a unique and vivid character. It has been fun, throughout the series, to see the way that he influences and helps everyone around him. I adored his persistence when it came to Tate, and the way he would continue to show up, eventually breaking through Tate's barriers. It was so much fun to see him nudge Tate and Lacy together at every opportunity. People who know him and have seen him in action are not surprised, and it's always amusing to see others become believers. I also love how he knows when someone is in trouble and brings them together with those who can help. ( )