This my first Dorothy Shaw book, and it was sexy and entertaining. Avoiding the Badge is the launch of a new series. If you like your books to include men in uniform, animals, tension and a happy ending; I would choose to pick up AtB. Ms. Shaw inserts a lot of passion into her love scenes, which are plentiful. They seemed to move the story along however. The characters were not as layered and complex as I would have liked, but they were engaging and interesting nonetheless. The story suffered a bit (seemed a little short) from the necessity of setting the scene and introducing the series. The secondary characters and setting made the series intriguing as well. I was impressed by Ms Shaw's respectful handling of the BDSM community and lifestyle. I look forward to more books in the series.

Derek and Axle were my favorite part of the story. Their partnership was so sweet and solid. Rayna is not, on paper, the right match for Derek, but their chemistry was off the charts and they couldn't stay away from each other. It was a fast read, and I enjoyed it very much.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

This is a new series from a new to me author. Not knowing what to expect from this author I was hoping to find my new “go to” but I just didn’t. The story was fine if not a bit unoriginal. The problem was I never really connected with the characters. They never really seemed to bloom as characters.

I will try the next in the series just to see if the story improves as it goes.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Avoiding the Badge is the first novel in the Arizona K9 series and the first book I've read by Dorothy Shaw, and, based on this novel, she's off to a fairly good start, especially if you like men in uniform, dogs, and lots of steamy sex in your romance novels. It gets a 3.5 star rating from this reader.

The novel centers around Rayna Michaels, a veterinarian, whose entire life is and has been her career, and Derek Hansen, a tall, dark and extremely handsome cop and K9 officer who works with an endearing German shepherd named Axle. The two first meet when Axle is injured while on the job, chasing down a criminal, and as soon as Derek meets Rayna, who considers herself plain, Derek has eyes only for her. After that first vet visit, Derek has brought Axle in to be checked over 3 times in 3 weeks, just to get closer to Rayna, who doesn't appear at all interested in him but she is. Why it takes 32-year-old Derek months to ask her for a date seemed a little too incongruous to this reader. If he's as much of a hunk as described, one would surmise he probably has women beating down his door.

It's easier to understand why Rayna at first considers Derek off-limits, she doesn't date cops. We soon find out that her reticence is due to the fact that her father was also a policeman, and a serial cheater with a long string of affairs that tore her mother and her familyapart--and the arguments between her parents were loud ones and weren't hidden from young Rayna. After her parents divorced, her mother raised Rayna and drilled the "never date a cop, they're all cheaters" mantra into her head. But Derek is hard to resist, and it's pretty much a case of insta-lust for Rayna, who hasn't been out on a date in over 4 years, and barely remembers it.

We also soon learn that Derek is a sexual dominant and into BDSM, something Rayna has never experienced, but where Derek is concerned, she's certainly willing to try anything and she does, and while none of the aforementioned kink bothered me, the fact that although we're told that for the past 6 weeks they've been dating constantly, most of the rest of this novel is comprised of little more than hot sex and dirty talk between these two characters, and some character development would have been nice and it certainly would have enhanced the depth of this novel.

It takes Rayna far too long to explain to Derek why his being a policeman keeps her from wanting more than just hot sex from and with him. And Derek is very close-mouthed about the fact that not only has he been married before, but also that he is still best friends with his ex-wife, and that he has a 10-year-old daughter, something Rayna finds out the hard way, spotting him and his ex together on a park bench as she drives past them in the middle of what's really an innocent hug and kiss between Derek and his ex. It's not so innocent as far as Rayna is concerned--it emotionally crushes her, and she abruptly ends the relationship via text message.

While I liked this dramatic turn of events--something finally took place outside of the bedroom, and the additional drama that followed en route to the expected HEA ending, it all came a little too late, in this reader's opinion. I'm glad we eventually and finally got to see Derek doing his job, something we should have seen far earlier in the novel. Considering the fact that I'm aware that being a policeman isn't a 9 to 5 job, he seems to have more free time than any policeman I've ever known or read about.

Derek and Rayna are not teenagers, they're adults, but Rayna certainly doesn't act like one. Derek has been incredibly sweet, kind, and charming to her throughout their short relationship, and has even admitted that he loves her, so her refusal to even let him explain himself struck me as incredibly immature for a 30-something. What I also couldn't accept was why Derek put off telling Rayna about his daughter and his ex-wife for 90% of the novel. Divorce is not an uncommon occurrence in this day and age, and the statistics are clear. Most marriages, especially those that occur because of an unexpected pregnancy and simply being too young to marry in the first place, end in divorce. There's no shame in that, and although Derek spends a lot of time trying to discover how Rayna feels about marriage and children, he never flat-out tells her why he's asking.

All in all, this novel was a steamy and enjoyable read, and would have scored a higher rating from this reader had the story and these two characters been more fully fleshed out. The set up for the next novel in the series was obvious, and I'm hoping the author spends a little more on character development and plot than she did in this one.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

I guess this is an ok book. I didn't find it to my taste or writing style. I did not really like the characters except for the dog.

Title: Avoiding the Badge
Series: Arizona K9 Book #1
Stand Alone Title: yes
Author: Dorothy F. Shaw
Genre: Romance
Blurb: Rayna Michaels may be a veterinarian, but she knows a little something about the human heart—especially when it comes to worried pet owners. Law enforcement’s bonds with their K9 partners are legendary, and Derek Hansen is a perfect example—he’s had his dog Axle in more times than she can count in the last few months. And Derek’s sculpted muscles and heart-stopping smile would be truly irresistible, if only he wasn’t an officer of the law…

Derek can’t get Rayna’s stunning face and no-nonsense smarts out of his mind. Any excuse to see her will do, until he works up the nerve to ask her out. He’s not sure where her resistance to cops comes from, though he’s more than willing to prove he’s one of the good ones. But when casual dating turns into explosive lovemaking, Derek knows he has to come clean about his past before the woman he loves finds out what he’s been hiding and turns tail to run…
Favorite quote(s): “Can I take you out on a date? Dinner, lunch, coffee….anything. Just please, can we go out and talk when we’re not in uniform?”
Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book…it just had an old-fashioned sweetness to it that I sometimes miss from other books. Derek constantly taking his canine partner to the vet to have an opportunity to be around Rayna – and try to work up to asking her out – just had a charming ring to it that I found endearing. In many ways, this book is a bit of a slow-burn that simmers for a while before it gets really good. Sure, as other readers have pointed out, it had some inconsistencies to it, but it just wasn’t enough to ruin the book for me. I think my biggest issue was the fact that the daughter didn’t play as big a role in the book as I felt she needed to. But really, I couldn’t help but love this book anyway! I will definitely be looking for more from this author.
Rating: B+

I love law enforcement books especially with K9 partners! This book was great. It was a fun steamy read! It had just the right amount of dominance. Derek met his match in Rayna. I was hooked from the very beginning and can’t wait to read more in the series as the come out.

3.5 Stars
Avoiding the Badge by Dorothy F. Shaw is book One in the Arizona K9 Series. This is the story of Rayna Michaels and Derek Hansen.
Derek is a cop who his partner is a K9 dog called Axie who he cares for. When Axie gets hurt doing one of their jobs, Derek takes the dog the veterinarian...who is Rayna. Derek is immediately attracted to Rayna but doesn't come out an ask her for a date. What Derek does do is keep bring Axie back to her office where he slowly works up the nerve to ask. Rayna doesn't want to get involved with a cop but the attraction to Derek is burning to hot. But they both have secrets that might make a true relationship hard for them both.
Hope to read stories bye the secondary characters soon.

I enjoy law enforcement stories and I’m a dog lover so I was really interested in this book when I saw it was available on Netgalley.Sexy story with a cop whose attraction to his k9 partners vet that leads to an interesting relationship.Some amusing dialogue and sexy scenes made for a good read.I read this book as an arc and this is my honest opinion.

A really sweet, really hot fun love story between shy veterinarian Rayna and K9 officer Derek. After months of taking his dog to unnecessary appointment to vet Derek men up and ask Rayna out on a date. So they start a really sensual relationship in which Derek as the more dominant partner is testing Rayna's limits and is getting to know of her and sees her as the one. There is just one thing Rayna doesn't like cops and he has a daughter. The story is really more erotic but with great likable characters. We see that they have both a lot of baggage from the past, especially Rayna. And the fear is the main factor that they have to overcome to be happy. I would like to see Tish an Jeff story in the future.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly

Arizona K9 #1, First time reading Dorothy F. Shaw so I didn't quite know what to expect, I did expect more of the dog though, with the series name having K9 in it you would think the dog would be in it more, nope he stayed home most of the time and was more background than anything. That was the first disappointment with this book. The second disappointment was how predictable it was, as soon as you find out their hangups you know exactly what's going to happen. Admittedly you get that a lot with romance but the author at least makes it an enjoyable story, with great characters, unfortunately you don't get that with this one. It was just an okay story with ehhh characters. It wasn't horrible the BDSM part was nice and done well but it couldn't save the rest of the book.

Derek Hansen falls head over heels for veterinarian Rayna Michaels but she's not to keen on dating police officers. The sexual chemistry between them can't be denied and when Rayna finally gives in it's hot, heavy, and kinky. While they keep getting hotter and kinkier they get close and on both sides realize how deep they have gotten in this relationship but they are both hiding things from each other. When trusts are betrayed and secrets revealed it just may be the end of their kinky romance.

Overall, unless I knew the persons tastes ran this way I wouldn't recommend it. I couldn't connect with the characters, the story was so predictable, and I wish the dog was in it more and not just used as a plot device to get them together.

Review by Amanda for Love Romance Books Blog

I was asked by the author for an honest review.

I liked that the booked covered a long time frame and didn't just happen in a whirlwind weekend romance, though the gaps in time weren't always immediately obvious until a couple paragraphs in.

The book had some funny moments and characters, which I liked, but also had a lot of dishonestly which didn't appeal to me. I'd recommend this book to readers who like extended love scenes.

True to Dorothy Shaw form, Avoiding the Badge is full of everything I love about her writing. Sex. Sexy times. Sexy Character's. Crass Language. If this is not your cup of tea well, I am sorry. But it's so so very much mine!

Let me just say this...the K9 officer's in my neck of the woods look and act nothing like what I envision Hotty McHotpants Derek looking like. Or acting like. And I love him! God do I love him!

If you are looking for a steamy, hot, sexy read then I recommend this!!

3:5*
Rayna Michaels grow up with a father who was cop and a incredibly unfaithful man. She knew she never to trust a cop with her heart and vowed never to date one. Being a vet with her own practice has kept her busy with little social life. When Derek Hansen a K9 cop brings his partner in because of an injury she sees a super sexy man who takes her breath away and just might convince her to take a risk. Derek knows Rayna could be the one and once he kisses her with their off the charts chemistry he convinces her to go out with him.
Weeks later Rayna is still skittish but their intense chemistry and Derek being almost to good to be true. Rayna’s childhood has left her with the thoughts of no marriage or children and she’s made it clear to Derek that’s is never been something for her. Derek is keeping a secret that could ruin everything and the longer he hides it the more he fears losing the only woman he’s ever loved.
Secrets, misunderstandings and fear may just be the end to something amazing and worth the risk.
I enjoyed the book and Derek is a super sexy alpha male but the storyline was a bite predictable. Still worth reading though. This is the first book by Ms. Shaw I’ve read.

Sexy K9 cop and the veterinarian. This is a smoking hot tale of a hot cop and a woman who has avoided dating cops due to a childhood trauma. When she gives in it is terrific but I was constantly looking for the other shoe to drop. I really liked these characters and hope Trish and Jeff get a book.

I love trying new authors. Sometimes they are a hit, other times I just can't get into them. It happens and I use to hate it but as I grow older I realize that there are plenty of authors and readers out there for everyone.

In the case of Avoiding the Badge I have to admit it wasn't a hit for me. I didn't hate it or anything, I just really couldn't connect with the characters at all.

I loved the whole idea of the story. It sounded so cute on paper. Ha, like what I did there? Never mind. In my mind it was funny. Like I was saying, I really liked the idea of the story but I kept waiting to really get into the characters...and couldn't.

By the halfway point I really had to force myself to finish it. I just...oh boy.

If I had to put my finger on why I didn't get into it I'd have to say I think that the characters on their own aren't bad, but together they just didn't work for me. Now maybe I missed something as I rushed through the book but I don't really think so. Most of the time animals in a book are on the top of my list.

I'm glad I tried her but I won't be trying another of her books and time soon. I'd love to hear from anyone who's read this book, what did you think?

K-9 cop and a veterinarian is one of my favorite tropes. Unfortunately this story just didn’t do it for me. It was sexy, lots of dirty talk and light BDSM, but the basic story was empty for me. Rayna and Derek each have secrets they’re hiding, but are so attracted to each other they keep them hidden for fear of ruining their relationship. Big mistake. There was really no kick to the story until about 80-90% in, and by then I was not sure if I liked either character anymore!
Thank you to Lyrical Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this story.

I thought this story was ok, if not somewhat uneven. It was cute that cop Derek kept bringing his dog partner back to the vet Rayna, after the dog was injured during an arrest. Rayna has some baggage and can be a bit off putting. There was plenty of spicy sex scenes, but I would have liked more of the couple's emotional road to happiness more in depth. Trust was an issue with these two, and they both let each other down but eventually ended up with their HEA. I would try another in this new series in the future.

I received an ARC in exchange for my opinion thru Netgalley

Wow what a book!
So many twists and turns for love 💗 couldn’t put down and true love found out in the end.

Avoiding the Badge by Dorothy F. Shaw was an interesting story. The main characters and premise of the story were different than I have read before, making the story rather interesting. This was a love story and a bit of erotica as the sex was sizzling. Derek is a police officer with a K9 dog partner, and Rayna is an animal vet. Their emotions and issues were all over the board which I found a little frustrating. But they work through their problems and in the end they have their HEA. If you want an interesting story and the heat to sizzle between the main characters, then this book is for you.