Book Review: Extreme Honor (True Heroes) by Piper J. Drake

This has strong characters and a great blend of suspense, story and romance.
Extreme Honor (True Heroes)
by Piper J. Drake

• File Size: 848 KB
• Print Length: 336 pages
• Publisher: Forever (January 26, 2016)
• Sold by: Hachette Book Group
• ASIN: B00X47ZLZU

Genre: Romantic Suspense
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

HONOR, LOYALTY, LOVE
David Cruz is good at two things: war and training dogs. The ex-soldier's toughest case is Atlas, a Belgian Malinois whose handler died in combat. Nobody at Hope's Crossing kennel can break through the animal's grief. That is, until dog whisperer Evelyn Jones walks into the facility . . . and into Atlas's heart. David hates to admit that the curvy blonde's mesmerizing effect isn't limited to canines. But when Lyn's work with Atlas puts her in danger, David will do anything to protect her.
Lyn realizes that David's own battle scars make him uniquely qualified for his job as a trainer. Tough as nails yet gentle when it counts, he's gotten closer to Atlas than anyone else-and he's willing to put his hard-wired suspicion aside to let her do the same. But someone desperate enough to kill doesn't want Lyn working with Atlas. Now only teamwork, trust, and courage can save two troubled hearts and the dog who loves them both . . .

Review:
Lyn is a civilian dog trainer. She loves dogs and relates to them – usually better than to their human handlers or owners. She has developed her own business even through the discouragement from her military stepfather who has never really given her approval or loving support. They are always at odds yet he helped her get her latest contract to work with Atlas, a a Belgian Malinois military dog who lost his handler and is struggling to show interest in life. Lyn is determined to help Atlas but first she has to get past his current trainer, former military soldier, David Cruz.

Although Lyn’s initial approach to Cruz doesn’t work, the fact that Atlas responds to her does. Cruz slowly begins to gain respect for the pretty trainer as he sees progress in Atlas’ attitude. Cruz isn't sure of Lynn's motives and plans to challenge her. When he shows up at her hotel to find her under attack his attitude quickly shifts to protective mode.

Another attack at the kennel grounds makes it clear that someone is interested in keeping Lyn from working with Atlas. It appears that Atlas may be carrying secrets that someone is willing to kill to keep hidden. Now Cruz is even more determined to discover the secrets that surround Atlas.

I immediately liked the tone of this story. Lyn is a great character as a independent, smart professional who is vulnerable yet pushes back when under attack or trauma. David is a very honorable man who is willing to listen, provide truths and is reluctant to take advantage of a traumatized woman. There is lovely conflict and tension that builds to danger and suspense, and gentle, but clear attraction that builds to strong romantic love making that is sexy but not overdone. Atlas is a dog with personality that has to be drawn out and I enjoyed the addition of the dog training details, including the introduction of other handlers and dogs.

The story is told in third person with the point of view shifting between Lyn and Cruz. This gives good balance and good character depth. There is some background done through a form of “telling”, talking to the dog, but it worked for me and I had no problem with the presentation. The writing flows easily and I finished this in two days. I carried it around with me and read every chance I got as it was a book I didn’t want to put down.

This is the first time I have read this author but I am sure it will not be the last. I recommend this to readers who enjoy good romantic suspense – heavy on the story and suspense with a strong romance that doesn’t overtake the storyline.

I received this through NetGalley. It qualifies for my NetGalley Challenge, E on Alphabet Soup and TBR Triple Dog Dare.

Piper J. Drake (or "PJ") spent her childhood pretending to study for the SATs by reading every interesting novel she could borrow from the local and school libraries. She was introduced to the wonderful world of romance by her best friend and dove into the genre.

PJ began her writing career as "PJ Schnyder" writing sci-fi & paranormal romance and steampunk. She has recently received the FF&P PRISM award for her work as well as the NJRW Golden Leaf award and Parsec award.

Now, PJ is exploring the complexity of romantic suspense, incorporating her interests in mixed martial arts and the military into her writing.

 Connect with Piper at: Website | Facebook | Twitter |GoodReads | Amazon

Sunday Post January 24, 2016/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday January 25, 2016

I am linking with Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading now at The Book Date.
Thank you to Sheila for the years that she handled this meme.
Thank you to Kathryn for taking up the baton.

What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

This has been a busy week with some travel and more to come this coming week.  We've been busy using wood in the fireplace. :-)
Reading was good although I only finished two books, 1 ebook and 1 audio. I posted four reviews, one with Giveaway (and another with a giveaway link). I also posted the usual memes.

I enjoyed visiting early in the week - it is interesting to share in the blog world.
Thanks as always to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• Sunday Post January 17, 2016/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday January 18, 2016.

• Winners November and December 2015.

• Audible Book Review and #Giveaway: Time Heist: Firstborn Saga Volume 1 by #Anthony Vicino. Sci Fi, Mystery; my rating 4.5.

• Audio Book Review: Buster: The Military Dog Who Saved a Thousand Lives by Will Barrow, Isabel George. Personal Memoir; my rating 4.25.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway January 22, 2016. Open Worldwide. Ends 1/28/2016.

• Audible Book Review: The Very First D**ned Thing: An Author-Read Audio Exclusive by Jodi Taylor; Fantasy; my rating 4.5.

• Book Review: Night Study (Study Series) by Maria V. Snyder ; Paranormal, Fantasy; my rating 5.0.

• Sharing Beyond Books #237 Comment January 23, 2015; Open Worldwide. Ends 1/30/16.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement January 24, 2016.

Finished Reading:

1. eBook/Kindle (NG)

Brilliance (The Brilliance Trilogy Book 1)
by Marcus Sakey
Lots of suspense -- Very well done!
I'll post a review this week.

Click on book title for full description.




2. Audible/MP3

To Live Forever
Written by: Jack Vance
Narrated by: Kevin Kenerly
Interesting story with a monstrous, human villain and the irony I keep finding in vintage sci fi!
Click on book title for full description.

Currently reading:
1. eBook/Kindle

Extreme Honor (True Heroes)
by Piper J. Drake
I am 50% into this and loving it! 
I received this through NetGalley.
I hope to post my review on release day, 1/26/16.
HONOR, LOYALTY, LOVE
David Cruz is good at two things: war and training dogs. The ex-soldier's toughest case is Atlas, a Belgian Malinois whose handler died in combat. Nobody at Hope's Crossing kennel can break through the animal's grief. That is, until dog whisperer Evelyn Jones walks into the facility . . . and into Atlas's heart. David hates to admit that the curvy blonde's mesmerizing effect isn't limited to canines. But when Lyn's work with Atlas puts her in danger, David will do anything to protect her.
Lyn realizes that David's own battle scars make him uniquely qualified for his job as a trainer. Tough as nails yet gentle when it counts, he's gotten closer to Atlas than anyone else-and he's willing to put his hard-wired suspicion aside to let her do the same. But someone desperate enough to kill doesn't want Lyn working with Atlas. Now only teamwork, trust, and courage can save two troubled hearts and the dog who loves them both . . .

2. Audible/ MP3

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
Written by: Robert A. Heinlein
Narrated by: Lloyd James
This is another Vintage Sci Fi from 1966. I will start this when I finish To Live Forever. This has been in my Audible Library since 2011 so it is a good TBR listen too.
Click on book title for full description.

3. eBook/Kindle

Steamborn (Steamborn Series) (Volume 1)
by Eric R Asher
I'll try to squeeze in one last Sci Fi before the end of the month.
I received this through NetGalley. 
Jacob, a tinker's apprentice and sometime thief, has lived his entire life in the mountain city of Ancora, protected by the city walls. These towering barriers keep the Deadlands creatures at bay, but the monsters move higher into the peaks every year. More and more, they breach the defenses of the Lowlands while the Highlands rest easy. A swarm overruns the walls and wreaks utter devastation on the Lowlands. Charles, the old tinker, suspects the attack may not be natural. With help from Jacob's closest friend, Alice, and Samuel, one of the city's elite spider knights, Jacob and Charles will uncover a terrible darkness at the heart of their city.

January 3, 2016
We start again "In the Beginning" reading The One Year Bible again along with my husband and others from our church.
I will also be listening (sometimes) to the companion commentary online.

I posted my four reviews last week.  I hope to post at least four reviews this week - trying to get the sci fi titles up. :-)
I have eight titles on my NetGalley shelves and this week will reduce that to five. 

There will be some new eTreasure's books listed at NetGalley this week.

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs.  This Meme started with Marcia at A Girl and Her Books (fka The Printed Page) and after a tour of hosts has returned to its permanent home at Mailbox Monday. Thanks to the ladies sharing hosting duties: Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit and Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach.
Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

I won a GC (I forgot to list earlier) and I received a free eBook, plus 6 more, from Red Coat PR.
TBR Triple Dog Dare update: I have resisted purchases now for 24 days with even more temptation this week!
I have two Audible credits I will be using soon but not rushing.
I added more free kindle titles to my library.

Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

No new review titles this week. I still have plenty to read. :-)

Won

I won a $15.00 Amazon GC for quarter four giveaway for the 2015 Netgalley Reading Challenge. Thank you to Ariel at Fictively.com.

Purchased

NONE

Free

I received:

In This Life (Kindle Edition)
by Christine Brae as a gift from the author and Red Coat PR. Thank you.


Plus an extra 6 free titles through their facebook page.

Over the past week I added 50 free Kindle titles to my library. Titles found linked through Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Free Par-tay, Ignite Your Book, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragment January 24, 2016

We had good Sunday School and church service this morning. Brother Hall continued his testimony sharing how God provided for medical and housing needs for his young family back in the 1960s.
Next we had an awesome, spirit-filled time of sharing in communion.

Pastor’s Sermon was titled: Will He Find Faith on Earth? It was based on the parable in Luke 18:3-8. Some of us know this as the parable of The Persistent Widow and others know it as the parable of The Unjust Judge. The message is “Perseverance pays off”. Do we have persistent faith? Are we standing on the promises of God by faith?

Our faith needs to be supported by action. In the time of Jesus, widows had no support; orphans had nothing. A man’s inheritance would go to a brother if there was no son. Woman and children had no voice. The children could be sold into slavery or left to starve. This widow woman had promises of support from her deceased husband and she was persistent seeking justice. She had faith that she could get what was due her. The Unjust Judge relented so he wouldn't get ‘a black eye’. But it was God who rewarded her perseverance. Jesus wants us to look after widows and orphans. James 1:27.

Pastor shared the story of Emmett Smith as an example of persistent. Smith became the NFL's all-time rushing leader over 13 years by running 9.5 miles. His average carry was 4.3 yards a run. This meant he was knocked down over 4,000 times but kept getting up.

George Mueller was an evangelist who said that we should never give up. He prayed 63 years for the salvation of a certain man, who in fact accepted Christ at Mueller’s death.  Our calendar may be different than God’s eternal calendar but He will bring justice quickly when it is His time.

Like the widow, we can stand on God’s promises. We can claim: “God said it, I believe it.”  We need to set “feet to our faith”. Do not allow yourself to be double minded. James 1:6-7. Our confidence is in His Will; we can trust Him. 1 John 5:14-15.

Never Give Up. Hold on. Keep the faith. Daily live and occupy this foreign world. Don't just wait until He comes.

I found this song which fits beautifully with this message!

What Faith Can Do by Kutless

Verses for Today: 1 John 5:14-15
14This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

It is my goal to be found faithful when He returns. I will not give up my faith and hope!

Sharing Beyond Books #237 January 23, 2016

Hello again and Welcome to Sharing Beyond Books, SBB!
My post is late tonight as I had to spend an hour helping my DH pull up the boards where my new shower will go because the cat was under the flooring. Poor Kitty. Poor Hubby whose back is killing him. They aren't very happy with each other and fail to see the humor in the episode. :-)
It will be down to 29 so cold for us tonight. I hope everyone else is staying safe and warm.

Thanks to everyone who commented last week.

Nine commenters do not do challenges at all. Two find them too stressful and others find them restrictive or prefer to read to relax. Two people only participate in the Goodreads Challenge. Sue F usually doesn't do challenges but is participating in a local library reading program. Becky does a couple during the year and Miki does a few but, like me forgets to do the check-ins. Which leaves Fredamans, who is a host and enjoys participating in the challenges.

~~~~~

The Winner from SBB #236 comments is: #6 Miki who can make a GC choice if international or book choice from the Updated ARC/Review titles or (not yet updated) Love titles - all linked near the end of the post. I'm hoping to update the book choices - maybe the beginning of next year, lol. Please let me know your choice by completing the WINNER FORM.

WEEK #237

(One Question.)

Bn100 asks: 1) Some authors put warnings on their books if it contains certain subject matters or language. Do you think all authors should do this??

I appreciate warnings about explicit language or sex and a few other particulars as I don't want to read those books. Sometimes there is a warning that the book is "gritty". That makes me look carefully too. I don't think it is needed for all books but if there is something that might be offensive to readers I think the author should be willing to give a polite warning.

This is so cute I want to open the book! Then again, I am a fan of monkeys.

Image found at Goodreads.

Thanks to those who are sending in Questions. DON'T BE SHY! Surely everyone has a Q or two you'd like to ask. Input suggestions in this Suggested Question Form. At the end of each month I draw from the suggestions I used during the month and that person will get a book choice or GC. I thank everyone for submitting questions. Thanks for sending in questions! The supply of questions is dwindling so share some if you think of any -- even if they are duplicates I'll weed through or try to modify to use.

Your turn to share:
Bn100 asks: 1) Some authors put warnings on their books if it contains certain subject matters or language. Do you think all authors should do this??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the Valentine and "Love" books or the February 2015 Newly Updated ARC/Review List. (My daughter pulled several of the Christmas titles to give with gift bags we made up for the nursing homes. One of these days I will get together a new box of Christmas titles.)

SBB Rules:
a) Must be a follower.
b) Share a comment on the question above.
Open internationally and an international winner may get a smaller book or a $5.00 GC if I decide the mailing is too much.
I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made through Saturday January 30, 2015 at 5 PM central.

Book Review: Night Study (Study Series) by Maria V. Snyder

Great installment! Start at the beginning and enjoy lots of entertainment from this series.

Night Study (Study Series)
by Maria V. Snyder

• File Size: 978 KB
• Print Length: 448 pages
• Publisher: MIRA (February 1, 2016)
• Publication Date: January 26, 2016
• ASIN: B015CJXXSY

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal
My Rating: Worth a 5.0 in my book!

New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder transports readers back to the realms of Sitia and Ixia in an exciting new Study novel full of magic, danger and intrigue.

Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana's life has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before. As she desperately searches for a way to reclaim her magic, her enemies are closing in, and neither Ixia nor Sitia is safe for her anymore. Especially since the growing discord between the two countries and the possibility of a war threatens everything Yelena holds dear.

Valek is determined to protect Yelena, but he's quickly running out of options. The Commander suspects that his loyalties are divided, and he's been keeping secrets from Valek…secrets that put him, Yelena and all their friends in terrible danger. As they uncover the various layers of the Commander's mysterious plans, they realize it's far more sinister than they could have ever imagined.

Review:
I remembered how Shadow Study ended and was anxious to read this story. I was pleased that all my favorite characters were present and there was plenty of action. Tensions are growing between Sitia, the home of Yelena’s magical training and friends, and Ixia, Valek’s homeland where Yelena is serving as a liaison between the territories. Unfortunately, the Commander has selected a new training security chief and is challenging Valek’s loyalty.

Yelena is vulnerable due to the loss of her magical abilities and other issues. She is in danger from a criminal, Owen Moon, who has been trapped and escaped several times. Janco, Ari and Leaf are included in the team to investigate how Owen Moon escaped, what his secret project is and where he might have gone. Moon has powerful magic and powerful friends. Valek and Yelena discover that Moon is working with and as a guest of the Commander which puts Yelena and Valek in extreme danger. The Commander challenges Valek's loyalty and sends him off to investigate thefts at a far edge of Ixia.

Yelena chooses to return to Sitia to try to convince the Counsel of the danger posed by Moon and his connection to the Commander. Leaf, with the help of his father, Esau, learns information that sends him back to Sitia with important discoveries about Moon’s project which threatens the safety of Sitia.  They find a new enemy upon their return and they won't find help from the magicians this time.

I loved the intrigue and usual antics involved in the team work of Yelena, Valek, Janco, Ari, Leaf and even Kiki, Yelena’s wonderful Sandseed horse. Fisk and his crew of street smart, child spies play an important role together with a few new characters who come as a surprise, especially to Valek. This story has lots of betrayal and action with some added emotions and charming romance.

I devoured this pretty quickly pursing the excitement. I was holding my breath at points of crisis as I rooted for the heroes. This isn't totally perfect but it is worth a 5.0 in my book. I recommend the whole series but do suggest a new reader start with the original Study trilogy before this set. It will be well worth the reading enjoyment.

I am very glad I received this through NetGalley for an honest review. This qualifies for my NetGalley Challenge, N for Alphabet Soup Challenge and TBR Triple Dog Dare.

On January 26, 2016 the day of NIGHT STUDY's US release, Maria V. Snyder is doing a LIVE online Ask Me Anything segment at 6:00 p.m. PST and you're invited! Here's the link: http://www.inkitt.com/ama/mariavsnyder
MVS says "Be kind! ;)"

For details on the tour and giveaway links go here.