Finn - JoAnn Ross (Castlelough Publishing - Dec 2016)

Series: 7 Brides for 7 Brothers (Book 7)

Finn Brannigan has a need for speed. Fast cars, fast jets, and the fast life that comes with being a TOPGUN naval aviator. He's flying missions over Afghanistan when his media mogul father dies unexpectedly, leaving Finn an airline in the wilds of the Alaskan wilderness. Which is a cool surprise, though he hasn't a clue what he's supposed to do with three small planes half a world away.

Nine months later, burned out from multiple deployments, Finn leaves the Navy and heads north to the Last Frontier to escape the world. But his planned isolation is blown to bits when a runaway bride insists he fly her to her planned honeymoon cabin located in his remote mountain town of Caribou.

As the short Alaskan summer spins out, Finn finds himself wanting to slow the days down and savor every delicious moment with the free-spirited singer/songwriter who’s made him feel alive again.

Tori Cassidy has had it with dishonest, cheating playboys. Alaskan bush pilot Finn Brannigan is exactly the kind of man she can envision building a life with. Hardworking. Honest. Ordinary.

There’s just one problem: Finn is lying about who he really is.

Good conclusion to the series. Finn is the youngest of the Brannigans, and at this point the only one left unattached. As a Navy pilot he's enjoyed the adrenaline rush associated with it and the attentions of the ladies on the ground. However, between his father's death and two near-death experiences, Finn is ready for his next adventure. Conveniently, his father left him an airline in the wilds of Alaska, giving Finn a chance to enjoy some peace and quiet. To aid in that, he doesn't tell anyone in Caribou, Alaska, that he's the new owner of the airline. They all believe that he's just another pilot. His peace and quiet come to an abrupt end when he picks up a runaway bride who plans to use the intended honeymoon cabin for her own chance at peace and quiet.

Tori has had a rough year. Her singing career is at a standstill while the now-bankrupt recording studio finds a buyer for her contract, leaving her broke. Her engagement to her childhood crush comes to a crashing end when she discovers his cheating, lying, and actual plans for the future. I had to laugh when she reminisced about finding out about his cheating and how she thought about "Bobbitizing" him. I'm old enough to remember that event, especially since it happened not far from where I lived. Tori may be down, but she isn't out. She is determined to write some new songs and restart her career, even if she has to go back to the beginning to do it.

Both Finn and Tori get a shock when he arrives in Anchorage to pick up a honeymoon couple. They had had an intense one-night encounter a year earlier, something that neither of them was able to forget. I enjoyed that reunion as the sparks flew fast and furious between them. Finn rocked the cocky pilot attitude, pulling out all the stops in flirting with Tori. Tori can't deny that the sparks are still there, but she's not in the mood to restart anything with Finn. I liked how Finn backed off a bit, his protective instincts coming up when he realizes that she's hurting. I loved the way he looked after her that first night when he went to check on her and found her somewhat the worse for champagne.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Finn and Tori. Finn was all for seeing where the sparks would take them, but Tori wasn't so sure. The depth of the connection she felt during their one-night encounter had scared her into running. Meeting Finn again stirs up those same feelings and the same fears. Because of her past, Tori has trouble believing that love lasts. While Finn started out going for the attraction, it wasn't long before he realized that there was something more going on. But he too had some issues believing that love was in the cards for him. It was great fun to see him call one of his brothers for advice, and have that brother bust out laughing because he'd done the same thing.  Finn also has the problem of Tori not knowing that he is a billionaire's son and owner of the airline. He knows he has to tell her but keeps putting it off for the "right time." I ached for both of them when the truth came out. Finn knows he screwed up, but he isn't going to give up. Tori rightly felt betrayed, and it only added to her belief that love never lasts. I liked the lecture she received from her best friend, and what she did with the advice she got. Tori's big moment was great as she used her music to tell Finn how she felt.

The central theme that ran through all seven books was the importance of family. From a collection of brothers that rarely spoke to each other, much less spent time together at the beginning, to the loving, supportive brotherhood they became, their journeys were unique and emotional. Though their father had been an absentee one after their mother's death, with each book the depth of his love for his sons became more evident. In Finn's case, he had it a little easier than his brothers because his father spent some quality time with him on their trip to Alaska. There was also an interesting twist to the Alaska connection that I didn't see coming, showing that Finn wasn't the only one who had secrets. The epilogue was a terrific wrap-up to the series. The scene in the library was a moving one, and I loved that Finn was the one to start the new tradition.

 

K-9 Defense - Elizabeth Heiter (HI #1856 - May 2019)

To help a desperate woman's search,

he'll have to brave treacherous territory.

In the wilds of Alaska, grieving former Marine Colter Hayes shuts out the world…until he and his combat tracker dog become Kensie Morgan's last hope of finding her long-missing sister. The improbable mission starts to rekindle Colter's desire to rejoin the world -- while saving Kensie from a killer unsettles his heart. Can they find all they are searching for before it's too late?

Good book about two people, haunted by tragedy, whose chance encounter changes both their lives. Kensie came to Alaska following a lead that is her last hope of finding the sister who was kidnapped fourteen years earlier, at the age of five. Kensie blames herself as she was supposed to be watching her sister at the time. The rest of her family has given up hope, but Kensie continued the search. Both the police and the FBI told her the clue was a hoax, but Kensie refuses to believe it. Something tells her that this one is real. It seems that someone doesn't like the questions she's been asking around town, because she has a close encounter with a fast-moving car. If it weren't for Colter's dog, Rebel, Kensie could have been killed.

Colter is a former Marine who moved to Alaska with his combat dog to escape his PTSD and his grief. He and Rebel were the only survivors of an attack in Afghanistan that killed the rest of his team. He considered those men his brothers and his guilt over his survival has taken over his life. The last thing he wants is to get pulled into Kensie's problems, but he can't stay away.

The first meeting between Kensie and Colter was kind of rough. Rebel was the one who saved Kensie by pushing her out of the way of the speeding car. When she found out about his work in the military, Kensie tried to talk him into helping her, but he flat-out refused. However, when Kensie put herself into a dangerous situation in her quest for assistance, Colter couldn't walk away.

I loved the development of the relationship between Kensie and Colter. Both are hurting and vulnerable, although they hide it well from the outside world. Because they recognize each other's pain, they connect almost immediately. Colter sees a woman who has put the pain of her loss to constructive use while he has hidden from his. Kensie sees a man who is strong yet vulnerable in his pain. I liked how the way they understood each other brought them closer, even though they both fought their feelings. Colter especially resisted because being around Kensie broke through the walls he had put around his heart and made him start to feel again. There were some intensely emotional scenes between them as they shared the events that made them who they were. I ached for them both as they could see no way for them to be together. The conclusion was fantastic with a solution I didn't see coming but made me love Colter even more.

The suspense of the story was very good. From the moment Kensie arrived in Alaska, her determination was clear, even though law enforcement tried to discourage her. But each step they took led to a deeper belief that Kensie was on the right track, especially as the attacks on her escalated. There were many twists and turns to their investigation with some results that I did not expect. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as Kensie and Colter faced resistance from an unexpected source. I liked the realism of what happened at the conclusion, as reactions were not what they expected.

The dog, Rebel, was probably my favorite character. I loved her loyalty to Colter and how she so quickly sensed his feelings, and when he needed her. I also loved how quickly she bonded with Kensie and had the same kind of reactions to her stress. There were some adorable scenes as Rebel comforted both Colter and Kensie. There were also some exciting scenes, from Rebel's rescue of Kensie at the beginning to her support of Colter in his big moment.