Another fast paced suspense novel from love inspired. Even thought suspense novels are normally stressful because they are full of suspense. Love inspired books give me the suspense with a little bit of romance and a happy ending at the end. And I love that.

A bomb threat calls Bristol and her bomb stiffing dog Toby to the Minnesota Falls dam. Bristol is not pleased to see that the Minnesota falls dam safety supervisor is her old irresponsible boyfriend Rem. Forced to work with him, Bristol and Rem need to keep all the dams safe in the area from an environmental terrorist. Even though Rem is no longer the same irresponsible man that she knew, Bristol doesn't want to see it. I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. This is a terrific Christian romantic suspense as well as a second chance romance. The book is very suspenseful as Bristol tries to keep one step ahead of the terrorist. I like how the book illustrates how hard it is to give someone a second chance, to trust, and to forgive. Bristol is a very brave and strong woman that doesn't hesitate to go into danger. Through his faith in God, Rem has evolved over the last six years into a admirable man. I love meeting all the members of Phoenix's Security and Detection Agency. I hope there will be future books by the author that will focus on other members of the team.

Jerusha Agen is a new-to-me author, and since I've recently become fond of K-9 romantic suspense novels, I requested an advance reader copy of her novel, Rising Danger, taking no notice of the fact that it was in the Harlequin Love Inspired imprint. Since I am not a Christian, and having read books in this line before, I thought nothing of it as I started reading this novel, which was both well-written and suspenseful.

I was enjoying the plot (unknown bomber planting explosives to blow up the dams on the Mississippi river) and the main characters, former Minneapolis police officer, Bristol Bachmann, now working for the private company, Phoenix K-9 Security and Detection Agency, and her former classmate and boyfriend at the Police Academy, Remington Jones, now in charge of dam safety and security. I liked the suspense, I liked the danger, I liked the writing, and I liked Bristol, who was certainly bristly around Remington. However, it was as these two came into contact again, 6 years after their breakup, and Remington's expulsion from the Police Academy for cheating his way through, that this novel took a nosedive, and the most I can give it is a 2-star rating, please read on for the reason.

What offended me in a major way was the constant proselytizing about Jesus and Christianity, and Remington's remarks about how now that he'd "met" Christ and become a Christian, he could now embrace honesty and integrity, and now that he was working for the Lord and under G-d's authority in everything he did, he wanted another chance with Bristol. The reason I was so offended was not that I am anti-Christian, but because I know that it is possible to have no religion at all, or to be a member of another faith, and still be a decent human being, and have morals, integrity, honesty and decency. The fact that the author kept harping on Christianity and Christian values became increasingly irritating and offensive to this reader, who aside from that, was enjoying the characters, the plot and the suspense.

If you're a romantic suspense fan and a fan of the K-9 trope, and if constant proselytizing doesn't offend you or your chosen faith, you'll probably enjoy this novel far more than I did. As someone whose faith doesn't approve of proselytizing, and who doesn't believe that there is only one way to honor a Higher Power, if you believe in one at all, I think Rising Danger would have been a much better and stronger novel had religion been left out of it entirely.

As stated, I voluntarily requested an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

"Rising Danger" is a Christian romantic suspense novel. Bristol and her bomb-sniffing dog were cool and confident in the face of danger, and they repeatedly faced danger in order to keep a large city safe. Bristol lost family members during flooding, and she doesn't trust God to care enough to keep anyone safe. It's up to her. She's determined to control everything she can to provide safety. This need to make people fit into her definition of safe dooms many of her relationships, like with Remington in the past. She won't forgive him for not living up to her standards but can't resist getting lost in his melty chocolate brown eyes. As he later realized, she was more in love with the idea of what he could be than with who he actually was.

Remington was irresponsible in the past, but he found forgiveness in Christ and changed. He's determined to prove this to Bristol. Unfortunately, he doesn't like his job, doesn't bring out the best in Bristol, and goes about proving how responsible he is by being irresponsible. (Which he realized by the end, where real change and healing happened.) As head of security for a bunch of dams, it's his job to increase the security after the bomb threats by convincing the owners to spend the money necessary to prevent bombs from being placed. Instead, Bristol's boss ended up doing his job because he wasn't. He escorted Bristol around to search for bombs (which someone else could have done) and tried to figure out who the bomber was because it would make him a hero if he did so before the FBI team.

The suspense was high due to the continual danger. Unfortunately, the author apparently didn't realize how damaging even a small breach in the dam could be due to the highly erosive power of fast-flowing water. The assumption was that the bomb would have to destroy a substantial amount of the dam when that's not actually the case. I liked the characters individually and how they developed by the end, but it was exasperating to see them initially attracted to each other for all the wrong reasons (like his need for approval). By the end, they both came to a better understanding of God's forgiveness and goodness. Through that healing, they became a better match for each other. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable suspense.

I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

Aptly named, Rising Danger is action-packed with intense suspense and compelling characters from the vivid imagination of new-to-me author Jerusha Agen. I will keep a lookout for more books from this talented author, hopefully featuring more from the PK-9 team.

I received a complimentary copy of the book without obligation. This review is my opinion.

Please, God, don’t let anyone have been hurt. And please don’t let it be my fault.

High water, several dams, domestic terrorists and more - this one is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, perhaps even biting your nails, while waiting to see if anyone will be able to find and stop this horror before people are killed. Bristol Bachman works with her K9 Toby to find bombs before they can detonate causing damage to lives and property. Working as part of the Phoenix K9 Security and Detection Agency, she has the support of other handlers whose expertise is complimentary.

Remington Jones is the safety supervisor for the dam at the Minnesota Falls Visitor Center. While only some of his security suggestions have been implemented, he still has the feeling of responsibility for the incredible power of the Mississippi being held back by this dam and others. Along with Bristol and a host of other law enforcement officers, the hunt is on for the bomber and his bombs. Meanwhile, the river is rising due to recent heavy rains.....

An ARC of this Love Inspired Suspense was received through Harlequin Books and NetGalley. The comments and impressions are my own and were in no way solicited.

Agen’s premise immediately intrigued me. I’ve read dozens of romantic suspense novels but never one about a K-9 bomb investigator part of an elite private female force. Plus, Bristol and her canine Toby are combatting an environmental terrorist threatening to blow up dams and destroy thousands of lives. Talk about a page-turner!

Elements I enjoyed include all the furry friends part of the elite team and the details Agen shared about her heroine’s bomb (and grenade) disarmament knowledge. I feel like I actually learned something from this book! Then there’s the chemistry between Bristol and Rem that will make romance-loving readers swoon. Finally, I appreciated that the character’s faith journeys were presented naturally, not forced. Characters wrestle with very real questions about pain and suffering. Agen didn’t gloss over the hurt but did reveal the biblical response in a clear, compassionate way.

I’m curious to see where Agen takes this concept next and would love to see sequels for other squad members, including the sensitive Cora, mysterious Amalia, and the nerves-of-steel leader, Phoenix herself. Agen is an author to watch!

This was a very good suspense novel with a really well developed plot. I love dogs and the K9 elemental was well done also. A mad bomber on the loose in multiple places means there is a rush to bring him down. If you enjoy inspirational suspense, this will hit the spot!

My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book. I was not compensated and the opinion in this review is my own.

I enjoyed reading this book. The K-9 element is definitely a favorite of mine and the group of women involved is a strong group that was nice to see how they worked together. The romance was cute and I enjoyed the second chance arc. I would be interested seeing more of this team though.