Series:
Warrior Security (Book 5)
Lark Monroe runs Pawsitive Connections with a smile that
doesn't always reach her eyes, an alpaca named Al Pacacino who thinks he's
royalty, and a talent for recognizing broken people.
Because she's one of them.
She's built a sanctuary in Pawsitive. Forty acres of
second chances for animals nobody else wanted and humans who've forgotten how
to trust. It's easier to fix other people's problems. Safer.
Her own? Those stay buried.
But the past she left behind isn't staying there. And the
man she hired to fix her fences sees straight through every wall she's spent
five years building.
Turns out, teaching others to heal is a lot easier than
letting someone do the same for her. And she's running out of time to learn...
Terrific conclusion to the Warrior Security series. Lark
has been a recurring secondary character in the Warrior Security and Resting
Warrior Ranch series. She intrigued me, as I suspected she had hidden depths,
and I was excited to finally read her story.
Lark owns and runs Pawsitive Connection, a ranch for all
types of rescued animals. She trains them as therapy animals and service
animals. She is independent, caring, and empathetic, seeing people's needs and
doing what she can to help. She came to Garnet Bend after leaving an abusive
husband and parents who took his side. She's under a lot of stress because she
is behind on her mortgage payments, and the grants she depends on have been
denied. She needs a handyman/ranch hand, but can't afford to pay much more than
room and board.
Logan is former military, has PTSD, carries guilty
feelings over the death of his best friend Reid, and was hired by Warrior
Security as one of their operatives. But on his first mission with them, he had
an episode that could have endangered the rest of the team. Unable to trust
himself, he left Warrior Security with no plan on what to do next. He has
excellent communication skills and is strong, caring, and protective.
Logan stops for coffee on his way out of town and
encounters Lark putting up a help-wanted poster. Logan is immediately drawn to
her, while Lark realizes that Logan is exactly what she needs. With a little
effort, Lark talks Logan into taking the job. The work is exactly what Logan
needs - it keeps his hands and mind busy, and any PTSD episodes won't put
anyone in danger.
I enjoyed watching their relationship develop. Their
teamwork develops first, followed by friendship. Each has a way of spotting the
other's pain or problems and coming up with solutions. I loved how Lark paired
Logan and Tova, the dog. Logan learns of Lark's financial issues and helps her
find ways to overcome them. Their friendship and teamwork develop into
something deeper. I loved seeing Logan chip away at the walls Lark built around
herself, and how Lark learned it was safe to lean on Logan.
But there is trouble brewing at Pawsitive Connections.
Logan stumbles on signs that drug traffickers are using a remote part of the
ranch to hide and move their drugs. With the assistance of his former
colleagues at Warrior Security and the men of Resting Warrior Ranch, Logan vows
to make Pawsitive Connections safe for Lark. The way they did it kept me glued
to the pages as they dealt with the threat.
That's not the only danger Lark faces. She is close to
losing the ranch, thanks to lost grants and an early calling of her second
mortgage. She's puzzled about why grants that were shoe-ins before are suddenly
being denied. Then her past comes calling, and she has more to fear than just
losing her ranch. These scenes had my heart in my throat as both Lark and her
animals were in deadly danger. The resolution was terrific, and I loved Tova's
part in it.
I loved the appearances made by characters from previous
books, both from Warrior Security and Resting Warrior Ranch. Their love and
respect for Lark are evident in the surprise they had for her at the end. The
arrival of Isaac and Fallon from Code Name: Leo was a surprise, but it made
perfect sense once I found out why.
I can't talk about Lark and Pawsitive Connections without
talking about the animals. From Al Pacacino, the spitting alpaca (love the
name), to Clarence, the foul-mouthed parrot, each one had a distinctive
personality and purpose.
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