Romance

This was a huge disappointment coming on the heels of just having read "The Obsession". I agree with the reviews saying there was too much dog training storyline. It was boring to me. The exciting part was the serial killer storyline. I also agree that the romance part wasn't really that good either. I think the way Simon and Fee talked to each other was supposed to be straight forward, no nonsense, but it came off as unromantic. The way they told each other they were in love and when Simon told her she was going to marry him weren't even romantic. ( )

broke the mold of just guy seeks girl or girl seeks boy. It was almost as if the romance was a side story, just part of the developing characters. This book was a mystery/suspense and I loved the search and rescue dogs angle. Would even give it 4.5 stars. Great vacation read. Couldn't put it down. ( )

Fieldnotes:
Orcas Island, Washington, Contemporary (p.2010)

1 Pack Leader Dog Trainer with Tragic History (but So Much Competence)
3 Search and Rescue Labradors named after Classic Movie Stars
Obedience Classes
4 On-Page Searches

1 Grouchy Woodwork Artist (Overbearing Variety)
1 Terribly Behaved Puppy
1 Stump Turned into a Sink

1 Serial Killer (Incarcerated Variety)
The One that Got Away
1 Copycat/Protege
4 New Victims
2 Taunting Red Scarves

1 Overzealous Reporter
2 FBI Agents (Competent Variety)

The Short Version:
I didn't love the balance between the suspense and the romance on this one. Simon is overbearing, bossy and inflexible and because Fiona is actually in danger he doesn't get called out on it in a meaningful way.

I really enjoyed watching Fiona work her search and rescues, her innate profiling of the serial killer she escaped to flip the interview he demands into closure for her, her dog training tips. Fiona is delightful. What she sees in crotchety idiot Simon is a mystery to me.

There are some very jarring (though short) sections with the new killer and his victims that I found ugly and distressing. This one isn't going to make the keeper shelf for me. ( )

I enjoyed the dog training and search & rescue detail, hard to find in fiction books. ( )