Series:
Coltons of Owl Creek (Book 1)
His dogs are under attack
…and so is the mother of his unborn baby.
Who's sabotaging Sebastian Cross's elite dog training
facility? Or is his longtime friend, veterinarian Ruby Colton, the real target?
The ex-Marine and feisty vet work together to find the culprit and prevent
further carnage…until one night of passion leaves Ruby pregnant. Sebastian's
PTSD and Ruby's fierce independence mean neither wants marriage and family. But
deadly danger has a way of changing lives…and love.
Terrific start to the new series. The story opens with a
bang as Sebastian deals with another vandalism attack at his dog training
facility. While handling that, he is distracted by the presence of Ruby, his
friend, and the vet who takes care of his dogs. He can't forget the night they spent
together after his dog was injured, and they found comfort in each other's
arms.
Sebastian and Ruby are two independent people who are
loners. Sebastian's PTSD has made him determined to avoid putting anyone in
danger from his episodes. Because of being an only child, he is accustomed to depending
on himself, and with his parents gone, he has no one. Ruby is part of a large
family, but the chaos of her life left her preferring animals to people. She
has no interest in marriage or a family for herself. So she is shocked when she
discovers she is pregnant from that one night with Sebastian.
Once Ruby gets past the shock and denial stage, she realizes
she is happy about the baby. She knows Sebastian's feelings on marriage and
family and plans to raise the baby on her own, with the support of her family.
She knows she needs to tell Sebastian. There is a little confusion around that
confession, thanks to some remarks from one of Ruby's brothers. Sebastian
doesn't know what to do with the news once he accepts it. His first reaction
was to pull back.
But as the weeks went on and they worked together to
protect the dogs, Sebastian became more invested in becoming a father. I liked
watching the changes he and Ruby experienced as they spent more time together, each
learning to lean a little on the other for support. It takes a while for each
to come to terms with their feelings for each other, and nearly losing each
other to realize they are better together than apart.
The suspense of the story was excellent. The escalating
attacks at the dog training facility kept Sebastian and Ruby on edge. I ached
for both of them as their beloved dogs were constantly threatened. The trouble
intensified with attacks on Ruby herself, leaving Sebastian determined to
protect her. I could feel their frustration at the lack of progress in catching
the perpetrator, and I understood Sebastian's need to draw him out. When I
thought everything was resolved, an unexpected twist again put Ruby in danger.
The final confrontation was a nail-biter, and I was glued to the pages until it
was over.
I enjoyed meeting the other members of the Colton family
and look forward to reading their stories. I liked Wade, Sebastian's best
friend, and ached for the pain he experienced from his time in the Marines.
It's going to take someone special to help him. I also liked Fletcher, who
leaves his police job in Utah to come home and help with the investigation.
