Good book with a sweet romance and exciting suspense. I loved the opening, where Bellamy met Donovan and Alex when Alex was just a puppy. It was a sweet and realistic moment, especially when it comes to puppies and Legos. I liked the connection that formed between Donovan and Bellamy so quickly and was sad that circumstances kept them from pursuing it.

Fast forward five years. Bellamy has recently lost both parents and is estranged from her sister. With the holidays approaching, she has buried her loneliness in her work. When she receives an odd email, she takes it to her company leadership, who immediately accuse her of wrongdoing and fire her. Even worse, her car explodes in the parking lot, with Bellamy barely escaping with her life. Imagine her surprise when the K-9 Officer team of Donovan and Alex arrived on the scene.

I liked both Donovan and Bellamy. Both felt like real people with believable problems. Bellamy is hurting over the loss of her parents and her problems with her sister. She's independent, and a bit stubborn, both of which contributed to those problems. I liked her devotion to her parents and their care, though she was a bit blind to just how much of an impact it had on her life. I liked that she had the backbone to stand up to those who tried to accuse her of wrongdoing and still could admit when she was wrong. I liked Donovan and his relationship with Alex. He has a much easier time relating to his dog than to his own family, haunted by the feeling that he doesn't belong. I was a little disappointed by the way that he pushes them away, believing that they only took him in out of duty, and not seeing that he was a choice, not a burden.

I liked the development of the relationship between Donovan and Bellamy. The connection that they had felt before was still there, and both of them felt it. That connection added to the protectiveness that Donovan felt for Maggie and his determination to keep her safe. Being together nearly 24/7 gave them plenty of opportunities to get to know each other. There were some very sweet scenes between them, some of them including Alex. It was interesting to see how each of them could see the other's family issues, but had trouble admitting their own. I liked how, as their feelings for each other grew, their attitudes toward their families also began to change. It still took a dangerous situation for them to realize just how strong those feelings had become.

The suspense was also good. The person and motivation behind the trouble are revealed early, but that doesn't diminish the intensity. From the email and explosion to the final confrontation, my attention remained on seeing how Donovan and Bellamy worked together to solve the mystery. There was also an interesting twist involving Donovan's past.

I'm not sure why this is part of the Coltons of Shadow Creek series. It takes place in a different town, with a different branch of the family. The Shadow Creek Coltons are only mentioned briefly. ( )