I'm so in love with Piper Drakes Hopes Crossing team that I was a little worried to leave the grounds. But, Ms. Drake does not disappoint! Her special blend of romance, suspense and a very real relationship with working dogs had me checking how soon the next book is coming!

I have been looking forward to Raul and Taz’s story, and the new setting in Hawaii was a great change-up! Both Raul and Taz are adjusting to being partners but have a good relationship so far, and now they both need to navigate a new team as well. Raul had a really bad experience on his last tour of duty that left him with some demons to work through, and he thinks he is a bad person because of it. His goal is to do as much good as possible in his new job in the private sector to try to offset the bad from his past with the hope it’ll somehow all balance out in the end.

When he receives a desperate call for help from his best friend and teammate Arin’s little sister Mali on his first day on the job, he and Taz jump into action. Mali is an academic, and her team of researchers has gotten themselves on the radar of some very bad people who use the islands to support their human trafficking trade.

I really liked Raul and Mali’s characters! Raul projects a calm demeanor as much as possible, but a quiet intensity burns beneath the surface that he lets out in limited supply- and oh my, does it ever have maximum impact! Mali is brilliant, petite, beautiful and a bit nerdy- this is a girl after my heart right here 🙂 She starts off a bit timid, but by the time all is said and done she has really broken out of her shell. She is prone to panic attacks, and her mind works differently than most, but Raul and Taz are a huge help in bringing her out of her head and into the present on more than one occasion. Mali also has a lot of issues with her older sister despite turning to Arin for help when she needs it most. Unfortunately Arin doesn’t always help the situation when she can’t get past seeing her kid sister rather than a grown woman who possesses the intelligence and strength to be able to deal with the straight-up truth rather than a sugar-coated or diluted version of it.

There were some great dynamics between the characters as Raul learned how to fit into the structure of his new team and we meet some new faces to the series. I absolutely adore the integration of the dogs too. I am a dog lover at heart, and Taz and the other canine team members have personalities all their own that make me smile. There is action and suspense as the search for Mali’s coworkers intensify, and the chemistry between Raul and Mali sizzles until it finally boils over. The threat of Arin kicking his butt for messing with her little sister hangs over them for a bit but in the end it all works out of course! All in all, Total Bravery was a great read that I couldn’t put down once I started it.

With Total Bravery, the True Heroes series moves from Hope's Crossing to the Search and Protect Organization, based in Hawaii(!). (And who can blame them? I mean, Hawaii...) Raul, with his new partner GSD Taz, fresh from Hope's Crossing, is hoping to finally have found a team that he can really gel with. Things are going great with his canine partner, now he just has to make a good impression on the humans. He's hoping to start out ahead, since Arin, his BF from his days in the military, is also there.

But then he gets a phone call meant for Arin, and things get a little dicier...

Mali, Arin's sister, is in trouble and needs the Search and Protect's help. The mystery that Mali, Raul, Taz, and Arin find themselves embroiled in involves a missing university research team, a ransom demand (or is it, really???), human trafficking, and some pretty bad guys. (They're wearing dark suits on the beach in Hawaii, so you know there's something wrong with them... ;)) On top of all the dangerous suspense elements here, Raul and Mali feel a mutual attraction pretty much right away...and did I mention that Raul is besties with her older sister? And that that same older sister was a sniper in the military? So, yeah...

The suspense portion of the story definitely keeps you on your toes, wondering what's behind Mali's team's disappearance. The resolution there was fairly satisfying, though I couldn't help but feel like I might have missed some of the details. (I freely admit this could have been me, though--I was reading pretty fast.)

With a only a few slight speed bumps along the way, Raul seems to be fitting in well with his new teammates, and of course his relationship with Taz is one of the book's highlights. The canine/human partnerships are definitely a strong element in this series, and something I look forward to in every book.

Raul and Mali have quite a bit of one step forward, two back in their relationship--for the most part, it's a pretty slow burn and every time you think they're finally getting closer something else happens to set them back again. In the end it's really the two of them more than any other character that works to keep them apart--Raul's convinced he's not "a good person" (related to his time in the military, mostly) and Mali's number one concern is her research and career--and though we do get to an HEA we don't really see them work though those conflicts to get there, which was a bit of a bummer.

Still, an HEA is an HEA and I did want one for the two (okay, three--can't leave out Taz!) of them. I really liked the new characters and location introduced here and am looking forward to a lot more stories set in the Search and Protect side of the series. If you haven't read any of the True Heroes books yet this would be a fine place to start, since knowing the Hope's Crossing people and the events of the previous books isn't a prerequisite here.

Just don't blame me when you need to go back and read the other books anyway... (Okay, fine. Blame me--I'm okay with that. They're great books.:))

Rating: 4 stars / B

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Although I read the previous book in this series, Absolute Trust, this book does not feel like it followed from that one. At all.

That doesn’t mean that I didn’t have a good time with the people and dogs of Total Bravery, but it does mean that if you want to get into this series and haven’t read the previous books – no problem at all. They are equally good (more on that later) but don’t seem to connect up.

There is one way in which Total Bravery is very much like the previous book in this series. In both cases, while the heroine is in jeopardy and needs the hero’s help to stay safe and alive, said heroine is not the victim of a stalker, or a evil ex (evilex™) or any man with a sexual agenda directed at her. Nor were either of them in danger merely because they are women.

In both cases, the suspense part of the plot revolves around what the heroine does, specifically what she does for a living. It’s her agency that gets her into trouble, and it’s her agency that helps get her out. Nor in either case is the heroine TSTL (that’s Too Stupid To Live) so that she puts herself in unnecessary trouble.

Mali in particular is smart and savvy and knows just what to do when her research partners are suddenly swept off the streets of Hawaii by overheated men in tailored suits. No one wears dark suits in Paradise – unless they are up to something no good and are willing to advertise that fact.

While Mali follows the safety protocols set up by her research team, but she also has an ace in the hole – her sister Arin is part of Search and Protect, a private security and investigation firm that does just what the name implies – and is located in Hawaii.

So Mali doesn’t just hide out – she calls for help from people she knows can definitely help her. In fact, they are experts at it. But with her sister Arin off the island, Mali’s rescue falls to the company’s newest recruits, Raul Sai and his German Shepherd Dog Taz. Once Raul and Taz meet Mali, the three of them form an almost instant team – even in the face of big sister Arin’s confused disapproval.

Arin still sees Mali as the little girl she once protected from bullies, while Mali still sees Arin as the scary big sister who took care of her by displaying her dark side to anyone who threatened little Mali.

Mali may still be a lot smaller than her big sis – but she’s a grown up now with a job that takes her into places as dark and dangerous in their own way as her sister’s military service. Mali and her team are researching human trafficking on the streets of Hawaii, and they’ve gotten into someone’s way.

It’s up to Search and Protect to find her missing team and rescue them, and protect Mali from bad people who want to kill or kidnap her, without trying to shove her into a tight little box the way that her sister wants.

And while Raul and Mali do their best to alternately ignore and explore the explosive chemistry between them – before they have to go their separate ways.

Escape Rating B+: I really, really like the fact that Mali never loses her agency in this story. It’s refreshing, because so often in romantic suspense the heroine gives up her ability to act for herself in order to get rescued, and Mali never does.

I also loved the way that Raul and Taz, along with the other teams in Search and Protect, are so obviously a team. It is a joy to read the way that the two of them work together and are growing towards each other in a true partnership – and that both of them, in obviously different ways, see Mali as a part of their “pack”. Taz is possibly even more protective of Mali than Raul is, but then again, Taz has considerably less emotional baggage to deal with.

In spite of the obvious physical differences, one of the things that is emphasized in this romance is that Raul and Mali, if they pursue a relationship, can hurt each other. All too often it’s all about the woman getting hurt, and about her giving up essential pieces of herself to stay with the man. That doesn’t happen here.

And it’s both that Mali will have to deal with Raul’s focused and deadly military side, as well as the things he has to do and the acts that he has committed to stay alive, and that Raul will have to deal with the fact that Mali will put herself in danger for her work. It’s also that they live as far apart in the U.S. as possible (Boston vs. Hawaii) and that they will have to compromise to be together, but without giving up anything essential to either of them. The author makes it work.

Another thing that worked for me in this story is that Raul never minimizes or discounts anything that Mali says. Not only does that happen too often in fiction, it happens entirely too damn often in real life, where women’s words, intelligence, warnings and gut instincts are ignored or discounted because they are women. He takes her seriously every step of the way, and by example makes sure that the rest of the team does too.

The romance in this story takes a bit of a back burner to finding and rescuing Mali’s teammates, and that’s as it should be. That both sides of the story do resolve happily is what made this one so much fun.

As much as I am a cat person in real life, I love this trend of smart, protective dogs as characters in military romance and romantic suspense. Bring on the puppies!

Mali knew her latest job could get her the attention of some bad people, but to be targeted by a kidnapping ring was something she never thought possible. Luckily though, Raul and his German Shepherd partner come to her rescue. However, while Mali is lucky, there are some who aren't. Determined to help, Mali and Raul work together with his team to find out what's going on. But when things turn dangerous, will Raul be able to keep Mali safe or will they lose their shot at happy ever after?

The way this story started sets the fast-pace of the story and drew me in immediately, as Mali is in serious trouble and it had me reading quickly, determined to discover whether she'd find a way to stay safe. However, it was from the moment the hero and heroine come face-to-face for the first time where things get really interesting, as there's instant chemistry between them, but the hero needs to keep his head in the game to be able to help the heroine. Will Raul and his German Shepherd be able to help the heroine, especially once he and the rest of his team realize how bad the situation is for Mali.

As for the dialogue, it was intense due to what the heroine is going through and whether Raul's team will be able to help her, especially when the heroine is determined not to stay in the background while the others investigate. Really, she's resilient, courageous and I liked how determined she was to help Raul's team, especially since she doesn't know what's happened to the others she was with. Will she learn the truth? Furthermore, I liked the bond she shared with her sister; a sister that has done her best to protect her baby sister and make things easier for her. While the hero, he's been through a lot and doesn't find it easy to trust, but I liked that he let the heroine in. She's good for him and vice versa. I also liked how determined the hero was to help the heroine, especially with how far he's willing to go to help, even though things could get dangerous for the pair if they don't keep their guard up at all times when they venture out from what's considered a safe zone for the heroine.

Overall, Ms. Drake has delivered a fantastic read in this book where the ending had me worried for the main characters because of what they're doing, but had me liking how things worked out for the best for the pair, especially since both are determined to do whatever it takes to make a relationship between them possible. I would recommend Total Bravery by Piper J. Drake, if you enjoy romantic suspense or books by authors Katie Ruggle, Katie Reus, Roxanne St. Claire and Maya Blake.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Thriller romance
Triggers: Human trafficking, kidnapping
I have not read any of the previous books in this series and never felt that I was lost or didn't know who the characters were.

This is a fast-paced story where you are thrust in to the beginning and it never really lets you go. It starts with a call for help. Raul is just starting at his new job. With his K9 partner, Taz, by his side, he wants a fresh start. When he receives a distress call from his best friend's sister, he drops everything to help her. He knew that getting out of the military and hooking up with this new group, he would have a chance to do better things than what he had seen and done in the military.

Mali is a spunky, nerdy, and beautiful researcher. She is on the island to conduct field research into the human trafficking issues that are so prevalent on the island. But when her fellow researchers and herself find themselves in the sights of someone with a personal stake in the game, she knows and follows her sister's advice – call Arin and get low. Expecting her sister, she's surprised when Raul answers. And even though she's nervous about getting help from someone she doesn't really know, the fact that her sister trusts him is enough for Mali.

This is a great thriller in that the group is constantly moving. The dogs are a huge part of the story and I love how they are incorporated. Mali and Raul have to navigate the danger first and their relationship second, all while trying to maintain her sister so that Arin won't kick Raul's butt. I loved how spunky both sisters were and how we were able to see their relationship develop as well.

I think I'll have to go back and read the previous books and hope that more come out! I enjoyed this a lot and would like to read more of Drake.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is the story of an exciting romance between a sociologist and an ex-military member of a private security company. When Mali’s research into human trafficking attracts the wrong kind of attention, she seeks protection from Raul, her sister’s new teammate.

Mali is a great female lead. She’s clever, fierce, and resourceful. At times, Raul’s protective instincts are a little bit over the top but they balance each other and work well together. I liked the complicated relationship between Mali and her sister.

Raul is a stereotypical alpha male military type. His relationship with his dog is humanising but he is private and guarded. I liked him but beyond the dog, there wasn’t much to separate him from every other ex-military romance hero.

This is a relatively low heat romance and the relationship between Mali and Raul works – but it is a little bit insta-love and more than a little bit predictable. I enjoyed the action more than the romance in this one.

Once readers accept the somewhat unlikely concept of a private paramilitary security company composed of highly trained dogs and their ex-military handlers, the rest of the story comes easily. I enjoyed the relationships between team members. The Hawaiian setting is gorgeous but possibly a little bit overplayed. I found the human trafficking storyline fascinating and the action scenes were exciting. There are hints that this is the first in a series and I’m already looking forward to the next books.

I very much enjoyed this book.
Total Bravery is one of those books that got me hooked and I just didn't want to stop reading. It is well done.

I highly recommend.

Received in exchange for a honest review.

Raul and his service dog Taz stole the show for me. Especially Taz- that is one awesome dog. Raul is a little team shy after all that happened in the past for him. So coming to Hawaii and be on a new team he was eager to belong and feel like a part of a team once again. Raul is kind, serious and a great guy. He helped Mali feel safe and calm. She needed that with the danger she was in and all the unknowns. When he came to help her no questions asked because of who her sister was that helped set things in motion for those two.

Mali is smart, sweet and stubborn. She seems to always have a little bit of a defensive attitude when it came to being around her sister so when Raul stands by her it warms her heart. She also has some serious chemistry with Raul and his dog Taz. Taz takes to her as well and he is one smart cookie for a dog. Very intuitive. While trying to keep their attraction from coming to fruition, Raul is helping Mali stay safe and find the rest of her research team. At the same time, Mali is seeing that things aren’t always black and white and sometimes you need to skirt the line on right and wrong in order to help save others and keep them safe as well.

The story is fast paced and really well written. Raul and Mali are seriously attracted to one another and their story really draws you in. They understand one another and helps keep the other calm and grounded. when they do act on their attraction wowza. But they do try to set it aside so that Mali can be safe and help her team. It showed great strength that they tried to set aside their feelings to focus on the situation.

A great story on love, family and feeling like you belong. A story where the characters have you fall in love, the story is heartbreaking and heartwarming but if you have triggers about some dark topics like human trafficking, abduction etc this is not a book that you may want to read. It does show the resilience of people and also the power of family even not blood and love as well.

I love a good K9 story, and Taz, the dog in this one, is adorable, as is his handler, Raul Sà. On his first day at his new job with a private firm in Hawaii, Raul picks up the phone to discover the little sister of his best friend (and team-mate) is in trouble and asking for help. He never hesitates for a second to rush to Miri’s rescue.

This is an interracial romance with both protagonists from ethnicities you don’t see a lot in fiction; while they are both first-generation American, Raul is of Portuguese origin and Miri is Thai. A post-doc studying the effects of human trafficking, Miri seems surprisingly naive about the types of people she might be tangling with, but Raul certainly isn’t.

This is a difficult one for me to rate. Some parts of the story I loved, such as Raul recognizing that trying to build a relationship with Miri while she was in the middle of a traumatic experience wasn’t going to happen, and having the sense to let her normalize again first. At the same time, I never felt we really got to know Raul as well as I’d’ve liked. He clearly had guilt over the things he’d done while in military service, and I’d suggest probably some PTSD as well, but getting some help to deal with his demons never seemed to occur to him, or anyone else. I didn’t quite get the feeling there was a real emotional connection between him and Miri because I never felt I saw his emotions, I think.

The other thing that got on my nerves a bit was the references to ethnic food. Yes, Hawaii has different food and culture to the mainland US, but there were literally constant references and explanations which got on my nerves after a while, especially when every single thing they ate (and every meal was detailed) was some local delicacy. I’ve been to Hawaii. My best friend was born there. They still eat sandwiches and regular things mainland Americans enjoy too. Don’t overdo it with the cultural references; your readers will start skimming. I certainly did.

Four stars for a good story I just didn’t quite emotionally connect with, and which could have done with a little less ‘filler’ and a little more meat on the bones of the characters.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review courtesy of Barclay Publicity and NetGalley.

Total Bravery is the fourth book in the True Heroes series and the first book in the series that I have read. The Search and Protect Corporation, is an organization that deploys to search for people and things.
Raul has spent time at the Hope Crossing kennel to match up with a search and protect dog, Taz. Raul and Taz make a great team within Search and Protect and for Raul it’s even better because Raul’s best friend Arin is on it. When Raul arrives in Hawaii he is low man in the pecking order so he is assigned to kennel clean up, a chore that doesn’t bother Raul. He quickly learns the characteristics and quirks of each dog.

When Arin is out on a job her sister Mali calls. Apparently Arin transferred her calls to Raul’s phone, so that is how Raul meets Mali. Mali is on a post doc team in Hawaii learning about human tracking, when she believes she is being stalked and needs help.

This book is a smoldering romance, with Raul and Mali unable to resist each other. Taz is an important character in the story. The catch is Raul knows there is a reckoning coming when Arin returns and finds out Mali and Raul are a pair.

This is a thrilling book. I’m not sure whether it is a stand alone, since it is the first book in the series I’ve read, but there were times when I felt a little lost in the story. It’s a good book but there seems to be missing elements.

I was given a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review and all opinions are my own. This was a great story line and I did like the series of events. I did not like how it was written. The beginning just jumped right in and I definitely felt lost for a good portion of the book.. Things picked up in the middle and I didn't feel lost. But at the end it felt rushed and just ended. I loved reading about these characters with their GSD(German Shepard dogs). I didn't feel like any of the characters were well thought out or embodied. The two main characters just happened to hit it off with no interaction. Just all around wasn't very detailed.

Total Bravery is another installment in the True Heroes world but not really a continuation of the series. Raul is starting a new job in Hawaii and has just become partners with Taz, a German Shepherd Dog that was trained at Hope’s Crossing. That’s pretty much it for the crossover with the original stories :) Well, that and the general feel of the story – sexy, smart, and bada** hero, a strong heroine in need of help, and a group of colleagues that are more than capable of helping out.

Mali is my kinda heroine – smart and level-headed. When things go bad for her, she doesn’t freak out, listens to those with more experience, and does her best to stay out of the way when she needs to. She may need help but she’s definitely no damsel in distress. Raul is the kind of ex-military hero you’d expect. He’s got the training but he’s also got the heart to do what he needs to do in any given situation. It’s not always the easy thing but he tries his best to make it the best one.

I feel like Piper does a pretty good job delving into a difficult situation here, addressing human trafficking. It’s an awful, heart-breaking, and so very real. Between Mali’s research and what they come across while trying to find her missing teammates, we get an idea of how easy and dangerous it can be. It’s not near as bad here as it is in real life but it gives you enough of a feel for it that your imagination can run wild.

I do kinda wish we’d gotten a little bit more about why Raul doesn’t feel worthy of being with Mali. It seemed like ti would become an issue, and he flirts around the edges of his reasoning, but then he gets over it. There are a few family issues between Mali and Arin that I think need a bit more exploration but I’m hoping that there will be ample time for that in a story starring Arin. Overall, though, Drake does a good job of tying up her threads in a complete and satisfying story. (Just like the Siri sister drama I’m anticipating more with the big bad from the story showing up in future books.)

A mix of intrigue, action, and smoldering romance, Total Bravery is well written, well paced, and just in general well done :)

TOTAL BRAVERY is the fourth instalment in Piper J. Drake’s contemporary, adult TRUE HEROES romantic suspense series. This is US Army veteran Raul Sa, and researcher Mali Siri’s story line. TOTAL BRAVERY can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. We were first introduced to Raul in book three-ABSOLUTE TRUST.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Raul and Mali) TOTAL BRAVERY follows the building relationship between US Army veteran Raul Sa, and researcher Mali Siri. Hawaii was the perfect destination for Mali and her team of researchers to look into the human trafficking problem befalling the region but our heroine never expected to be caught-up as potential victims. With her team missing, and Mali on the run, our heroine contacts her sister Arin, US Army Sniper and a member of the Search and Protect Organization mercenary group stationed on the island of Oahu. Enter Raul Sa, newest member of the group along with his canine partner Taz, and the man with whom Mali will fall in love. What ensues is the building romance between Raul and Mali, as the members of the Search and Protect group set a plan into motion to rescue Mali’s team from a potential human trafficking ring.

A genius since a young age, Mali Siri has been bullied most of her life but had the benefit of her older sister’s protection throughout her earlier years into present day-a protection that also frightens our heroine in that she questions her sister’s darker side, and what it is she is truly capable of doing. Raul Sa is a bit of a loner whose first day with the Search and Protect Organization in Oahu found our hero going on a solo mission to rescue the woman with whom he would fall in love.

The relationship between Raul and Mali is one of immediate attraction but Raul knows that to get involved with a client, especially his best friend and fellow US Army veteran Arin’s younger sister, could mean immediate dismissal from the group he recently joined. Mali is a bit of a fragile butterfly; to some extent naïve and sheltered from who, what, how and why of her sister’s life, that pulls at the alpha in our story line hero. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

TOTAL BRAVERY is a bit of a departure from the first three instalments and the Hope’s Crossing K9 group, in that the story introduces a new team of Special Ops mercenaries for hire, living and working in the Hawaiian Islands. We are introduced to Mali’s sister, and Raul’s best friend Arin Siri and her K9 King; communications specialist Pua; computer specialist Kai; founder of the Search and Protect mercenary group Zu and his dog Buck; kennel master Todd Miller and his wife Kalea; police officer Kokua; and Kenny, a man with his ear to the ground about the illegal goings on in the Hawaiian Islands.

TOTAL BRAVERY is a story of romance, suspense, betrayal and love. The premise is well-paced, intriguing and thrilling; the characters are colorful and energetic; the romance is captivating and sensual. TOTAL BRAVERY is an engaging and edgy story line.

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This series has always been a favorite. I love how this author can make the dogs a huge character. She gives them this huge personality that stands out and feels like a real person rather than a canine. Taz was no different and was by far my favorite character in this book.

Total Bravery had a great and highly unique plot. It isn't one that is visited often in books. I did feel like the story was slow to develop and it may have contributed to my not being able to connect with the characters very well. But I did like the fact that Mali reacted like a normal person and didn't get over bad things in just a few minutes. She had to take time. It gave her the feel of a real person. I liked Raul's protectiveness and his inner fights.

All in all, this was a good book and I would recommend it.

True Heroes #4, I was so excited when I found out Piper J. Drake was coming out with a brand new True Heroes novel, and even more excited when I found out it was Raul. I took the opportunity to read the first two books and reread the third one, it is not one of those series in fact you can start with Total Bravery because it's an all new cast of characters, the guys in the first three books are barely even mentioned. It's a new location, new characters to fall in love with, and all new working dogs to awwww over. We first met Raul Sá in Absolute Trust when he went to Hope's Crossing Kennels to get a working dog for his new job at the Search and Protection Corporation. He found Taz, a German Shepherd Dog, and after helping out in the last book Raul and Taz are in Hawaii for their new job. It's not even his first day and already he's going to be late because he gets a call from his best friends sister in desperate need of help. Mali Siri was doing field research with a bunch of others when men in suits came at them they scattered and Mali has no idea who escaped or if everyone else was captured. Mali managed to get away and when she tried calling her sister, Arin, she got Raul instead with no hesitation Raul tells her where to wait for him. Mali is relieved when Raul finally finds her; with Raul and his dog Mali finally feels safe.

For Raul it was practically love at first sight, he instantly knew he would protect her at any cost even it that means facing of with an angry Arin. Mali isn't one to back down and let someone else handle it and she refuses to be left behind and insists to be part of the team. Mali is attracted to Raul but with everything up in the air and the fate of her colleagues unknown she doesn't have time to think about the depth of her feeling and his for her. Raul is a bit of a damaged hero he has things in his past he's not proud of and he doesn't feel like he deserves anything good in his life. Mali just wants to make sure these feelings aren't fleeting. Whatever their feelings are they have to put them on hold until they can rescue Mali's colleagues from the white slavery ring they were investigating.

Drake as usual is awesome with the action and suspense it is well written and well paced. I liked the secondary characters too, Arin was great, I love women snipers, and I can't wait for her story and especially Zu, the boss, he has future book boyfriend written all over him. And talking about all those Hawaiian foods *Drool* seriously between the musubi and the mochi made me so hungry. One question is it pronounced Ma-lie or Ma-lee?

This was another one of the sub genre of K9 dogs and their masters. This team works out of Hawaii and are a Search and Rescue team. Raul and his dog Taz are new to the team, and while the rest of the team are off on a S&R, he starts his first day. Mali is the sister of one of the other team members, is in Hawaii to do research on human trafficking with her doctoral group when the group gets kidnapped. She manages to get away, tries to call for her sister, but it is Raul who comes to her aid. This is the premise of the storyline. It was a little hard for me to get into, but once the story got going, it was an interesting read. However, the romance of this book did very little for me. I am not sure if it is the writing style, or the actual characters, but I had no actual feelings for them. The story had a Hawaii 50 feel to it, but without the humor. It was just an ok read for me.

How many of you have read Piper J. Drake? Let's see a show of hands. So for the ones of you who haven't raised your hands, why?

To be honest you don't know what you're missing. Hunky hero's and their dogs. What's not to love? There is also always a well-written story and characters you want to know more about. She adds suspense with her romance but the suspense doesn't over shadow said romance.

When I read a romance whatever the genre might be I want the romance to be the most important part of the book and the rest just makes the story better.

Drake's books work for me. I'm always able to start them and fly through them. I like that in a book. No false starts here.

With Total Bravery we move locations. With her done with the core people of the start of her series she moved on but only from one place to another. Raul is still someone who protects with his animal. Right from the start of the book I enjoyed Raul, he stood out to me as a hero. I didn't have any trouble believing it. He didn't have a attitude about being the new guy and starting at the bottom. I liked that about him. I don't care for heroes who think they are better then those around them.

I also liked Mali and what she was trying to do with her life. She has to have some toughness in her to deal with the horrors she must learn about. You like her for the way she cares about the people she works with.

As much as I enjoyed the story I wasn't sure how I felt about the human trafficking part. I at times felt it was a very heavy subject for a romantic suspense story but also felt the author handled it well. I know, a bit of a mixed message there. I'm really not sure what to say. Okay, I guess I did know what to say, it's a heavier plot point that's all. Handled well though.

Drake writes a white-knuckle romance touching on a very difficult and heart-wrenching topic, human trafficking.

Mali is in Hawaii doing research when she finds herself and her team hunted. Reaching out for her sister, a member of the K9 center group, Search and Protect Corporation. But Mali ends up getting in touch with Arin’s partner Raul.

Raul rushes to Mali’s aid only to find himself captivated by his partner’s sister. The chemistry is explosive but with someone gunning for Mali and the team must pull out all the stops to uncover what evil lies in the underbelly of their home. Who wants Mali dead and what happened to the rest of her team? You’ll have to check out Totally Bravery and find out.

Sensual and steamy read! I loved the idea of a private, special ops, K9 team as the base of this series...and the Hawaiian local to boot!

I received this ARC copy of Total Bravery from Forever (Grand Central Publishing). This is my honest and voluntary. Total Bravery is set for publication April 24, 2018.

My Rating: 4 stars
Series: True Heroes
Sequence in Series: Book 4
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: April 24, 2018
ISBN-10: 1538759535
ISBN-13: 978-1538759530
Genre: Romantic Suspense

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Total-Bravery-...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tota...
Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/tota...

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I love the classic “best friend’s little sister” trope, particularly when it’s coupled with a suspenseful edge. Piper J. Drake’s newest True Heroes book, TOTAL BRAVERY, puts an interesting focus on human trafficking in the beautiful paradise of Oahu. You can count on the suspenseful edge she’s known for, a healthy dose of romance and another smart K9.

Raul Sá is the newest member of the Search and Protect Corporation team, along with his new partner, Taz. They’re in Oahu, where his best friend, Arin, is also part of the team. Initially disappointed to learn he’s on kennel duty on day one, an unexpected call from Arin’s sister, Mali, catapults the day into supersonic speed.

Mali is putting her PhD in human rights and transitional studies to good use by working with her research team to gather information on human trafficking in Oahu, where the flow of tourists in Waikiki and Honolulu contributes to the problem. Only, the useful information she needs does not come from the best of sources. And a colleague was snatched.

And they use whistles. Dangerous interviews in dangerous settings, with potentially dangerous people, and they use whistles. Mali’s team needs a Taz, or a former soldier like Raul, to keep everyone in line because their PI (principal investigator, not private investigator) and the whistle solution isn’t working. Particularly since Mali’s team has actually stumbled on a very real human trafficking ring.

And before Arin can get tangled up in it because, really, she’s always had a hard time seeing Mali as an adult who can make her own decisions. For the last few years, the sisters had drifted into more “familial acquaintances” territory. When they were younger, Arin had been more straightforward and confrontational than Mali, who’d preferred subtlety. Now that Mali needs help, Arin struggles to see her sister as an accomplished professional … for good reason.

Mali needs to woman up, clearly, not just for Arin, but for herself. The work she’s doing is important, and very dangerous. She’s got to develop more of her sister’s straightforward approach to life and ditch the damsel-in-distress that seems to be her fallback. She’s stuck “between her intellectual thought process and her emotional reactions,” which at times makes it a little difficult to connect with Mali—she just seems too dumb to kill, but her heart is in the right place. Once she breaks out of her shell and finds her cojones, though, she gets the job done!

Raul’s adjustment to life outside the military is also interesting. Though he and Taz are new partners, they quickly developed a rapport and strong teamwork. It’s a testament to both man and K9 that they could bond as they have.

The pace is fast, with Drake drawing from her large cast of characters (K9 and human) in the series. Mali and Raul both flourish when they’re in their elements — she when presenting academically and he when focusing on strategic planning and building interpersonal relationships. It took them a long time to come into their own, particularly Mali, but when the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, they fit nicely. It’s like B.A. Baracus always says: “I love it when a plan comes together.” Now if only everybody could figure it out on day one.

*Originally published with USA Today's Happy Ever After: https://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2018/04/19/dolly-r-sickles-recommended-romance-total-bravery-piper-j-drake/.

Raul is new to the team dogs he can relate to people not so much. When he is set out to help is best friends sister he now needs to prove himself to his new team and protect his heart in the mean time. Mali is in Hawaii to do research and try and help those who can't always help themselves. But when things go array she reaches out to her sister for help and she got Raul instead. Can they work together to rescue those close to her or is she better off on her own?

This is the second book in this series I have read and I have really enjoyed it. I enjoyed how the book flowed and there was never dull moment in this book at all. I loved how the author worked in the strong personalities of the dogs and they did not disappoint either. The author knew what she was doing when to took a very intense situation and throws in humor to keep the story interesting and your attention even more. There are adult scenes in this book so may not be suitable for all readers. The book other wise is amazing and so good from beginning to end you really can not go wrong. I can't wait to whats in store for the rest of the team members.