Extreme Honor by Piper J. Drake
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
While military romances are not typically my thing, this one does a great job of balancing the military stuff with the story in a way that is accessible and understandable to someone who doesn’t have a lot of military folks in their lives.
David Cruz and Evelyn Jones are both dog handlers (he’s ex-military, she’s a private contractor) tasked with rehabilitating Atlas, a military dog who lost his handler through “friendly fire.” (Those quotes are there for plot relevant reasons.) While they have different goals at first, they learn to trust one another through working together with Atlas, since they are both people who generally prefer dogs to other humans.
One of the things I particularly liked about this is the careful way that it handles PTSD for several characters–including Atlas the dog– without becoming a Problem Novel Romance (TM). I’m always here for romances that acknowledge that people can be complicated and difficult, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve love.
Strong, page turning action, and a great discussion of the challenges of moving between military and civilian life.
Also, Atlas is the :best: dog.
Confessions of a Curator, Editor, Geek 