Book Review: Texas K-9 Christmas

Author: Shirlee McCoy, Terri Reed
Title: Texas K-9 Unit Christmas
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Publish Date: Nov 5, 2013
Review Copy Provided By: Net Galley
Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb: 

CHRISTMAS COMES WRAPPED IN DANGER…

Holiday Hero by Shirlee McCoy

Emma Fairchild never expected to find trouble in sleepy Sagebrush, Texas. But when she's attacked and left for dead in her own diner, her childhood friend turned K-9 cop Lucas Harwood offers a chance at justice—and love.

Rescuing Christmas by Terri Reed

She escaped a kidnapper, but now a killer has set his sights on K-9 dog trainer Lily Anderson. When fellow officer Jarrod Evans appoints himself her bodyguard, Lily knows more than her life is at risk—so is her heart.

Texas K-9 Unit: These lawmen solve the toughest cases with the help of their brave canine partners

Review: Texas K-9 Unit Christmas is 2 short stories that take place in Sagebrush, Texas. It's part of the Texas K-9 Unit series for Love Inspired Suspense. All of these books are stand alone so you don't need to read them in order to enjoy this one.

The first story is Holiday Hero by Shirlee McCoy. I really enjoyed this one. It had more of a family feel to it. Emma and Lucas were childhood friends, so it made for an easy transition to a romance.

I also loved Emma's Aunt Bea. She was so sweet.

When Emma is attacked while working on her new diner, she meets her childhood friend and his K-9 partner. There is wonderful chemistry between these two.

I only wish that it wouldn't have been so easy to know who the criminal was, or at least the motives of the criminal. I found myself wanting to scream at Lucas to look to the past to find out who was after Emma.

Overall, this was a nice read, more on the romance side then the suspense.

Rescuing Christmas is just the opposite. This story is more suspenseful. Dog trainer Lily is being stalked. She escapes a kidnapper and runs straight for offer Jarrod Evans, whose dog she's supposed to be training.

For the most part of the story, you think you know who is after her...but Terri Reed throws you a curve ball at the end.

I liked that both Jarrod and Lily had things in their past that made them a little weary of getting close to people.

There was a lot of romantic tension between these two, but you didn't get the feel that this was a romance. This story was definitely darker and at times a lot more scary, complete with building blowing up and other assorted bomb threats!

Both were good reads and the K-9s from both stories were wonderful characters, though I have to admit Ranger and Max were my favorite police pooches.

Rating:  4 flowers