Justine Davis

I _love_ it. This is the Justine Davis I fell in love with with the Trinity Street West and Redstone series. OK, I'm a sucker for the "abused person learning to trust again" trope, which comes up in spades here (heroine of this book, hero of previous book (which I now own, thank you very much - read soon), several other characters in a sideways fashion). But from the first pages, we have solid characters doing things for their own reasons, not by author fiat, and interacting richly with show more other characters. Hope's choices make a lot of sense (remember, she was 16...), and the way she gets shaken out of her rut/obsession/tunnel vision by interacting with True, and Zee and Kelsey and Deck and everyone in Whiskey River, is perfect. There is lust at first sight - and it gets suppressed, put aside, left out of the equation until they've got lots better reasons for wanting to be together. And the end is fantastic - not a magical happy ending, but one they both worked for and worked through to get. Wish we'd gotten a glimpse of the bad guy in court, though...I was expecting it. Great story, now I want to read the previous one and I'm eagerly awaiting the next (Jamie and Zee! Yippee!). show less

Justine's SF stories are just as rich as her contemporaries. They're romances, sure - he and she get together despite obstacles, HEA. But the obstacles are not randomly thrown in their paths, and there's an arc to the whole series (or serieses - this is the end of the second trilogy, all of which are one broadly connected story). An extended war against a tyrannical culture comes to (another) successful end, in this area. There is a lot about emotion in this story - not, or not entirely, show more what they feel for each other, but the emotion that the Coalition deliberately suppresses in its people - useless stuff like hope or pleasure in beauty. Pride, anger, revenge - those are the only allowable emotions. And with death or "wipe" the answer to deviation, smart people like Caze learn to hide everything else, even from themselves. So a lot of the story is him learning how to open up, and how to deal with these emotions once he feels them. Not your standard shoot-em-up, but the war is the driving force behind all the actions - from raids to trying to turn Caze. It's a very rich story, especially as part of the overall arc. I really hope Justine gets to write more Coalition stories, I wanna read them! show less

I'm always excited when a new Cutter book comes out, and this one was no exception. In this book, Foxworth comes to help two estranged parents find their runaway son. Blaine is a Marine helicopter pilot who was badly injured in Afghanistan. His wife, Erin, cared for him throughout his recovery, but then asked for a divorce. Their son didn't take it well and ran away from his home with Erin. Erin reluctantly called Blaine for help.

Blaine called Rafe. The two men have a history together, and show more I loved learning more about Rafe's past. I loved how Rafe dropped everything to help, and how his friends at Foxworth were ready to back him up. Naturally, Rafe took Cutter along. I always smile when I see how people react to Cutter.

The search for Ethan kept me hooked, as Erin, Blaine, and Rafe worked together to find him. I could feel their worry over the possibility of gang involvement. I understood Erin's frustration with the police's perceived lack of interest and her initial wariness of Rafe. The tension ramped up as they searched, bringing in familiar faces from previous Cutter books. The conclusion of the search was a Cutter nail-biter, perfectly timed and executed.

I enjoyed the reconciliation between Blaine and Erin. The sparks are still there, as are the feelings. Though I wanted to shake Erin at times, I understood what made her run from Blaine in the first place. Blaine's arrival forced her to face the past and her reaction. Blaine also looked at his past and the future he wanted. I especially enjoyed how Rafe's changes influenced Blaine's decision-making. Forced together to find Ethan, the proximity contributed to the realization that they still belong together. A nice twist at the end helps make the decision easier.

It's always fun to see Cutter in action, whether it's soothing anxiety, stating his opinions on his people's actions, or working his matchmaking magic. Those who start skeptical are believers by the end. show less

Once again, the incredibly intuitive Cutter, the Foxworths' amazing dog, has brought them another case of an underdog needing help - this time via a set of dog tags. Jordan witnessed his best friend Eddie's death by friendly fire and finds himself in the crosshairs of a powerful family that doesn't want the truth to come out.

Eddie's sister, Emily, is still grieving Eddie's loss. She's stunned when she receives a handwritten letter from Jordan revealing the truth behind Eddie's death. A call show more to Sloan Dunbar (Operation Power Play) of Accountability Counts, a group that helps people like Jordan, puts her in contact with the Foxworth Foundation. I loved Emily's first contact with Cutter. She thought his fur looked soft and fluffy until she saw his eyes. "That gaze was anything but." I loved her first impression of Quinn and Haley, too.

Jordan made his way from Missouri to Washington, hoping to talk to Emily, but has difficulty mustering the courage. A chat with the former military owner of the campground Jordan is staying at results in a visit from Emily and the Foxworths. Once again, Cutter works his soothing magic on a tense subject while urging Jordan forward at the same time. "I'm a lot of things, dog, but I'm not a sheep." I loved Jordan's first encounter with Quinn. I expected his immediate respect for Quinn. Jordan did not expect Quinn's respect for him, even though he was "just a mechanic."

The first meeting between Emily and Jordan was intense. I ached for Jordan and the guilt he felt over Eddie's death, even though it wasn't his fault. He's stunned that Emily has no trouble believing that Eddie's death happened the way Jordan wrote it to her. Neither expected the sparks of attraction that flared between them or their instant connection. As the book progressed and Emily and Jordan spent time together, those feelings grew stronger. The biggest obstacle is Jordan's lack of self-confidence. There are some lovely scenes of the two together, and I loved seeing Emily call him out when he was down on himself. Of course, neither stands a chance against Cutter's matchmaking magic, and it was always fun to see his efforts.

I loved watching Quinn and the others get to work, assembling the facts needed to take down the man responsible for Eddie's death. It is always fascinating to see the teamwork involved and the belief that success is all but guaranteed. I enjoyed seeing characters from previous books play their parts in this one. I laughed out loud to see Emily and Jordan's reactions to the depth of support available. The tension ramped up as they prepared for the final confrontation. It was every bit as satisfying as I expected, including Cutter's part. show less