This was a fun read. I felt that Delaney could have been fleshed out a little more to give more context to the push/pull game she played with Sean, but she is the character that she is. (And the nod to her bisexuality was not even acknowledged by Sean, which is a shame. It could’ve been built on so much.)
Wyatt was EASILY the star of the book, and he was so great! Please consider writing a Pittie Place series - it would be great to read!

Forever Home by Elysia Whisler is the second book in her Dogwood County series, which centers on rescue dogs and former marines. We meet Delaney Monroe, our heroine, who has just moved to Dogwood, and is a former Marine. Delaney opens up her dream motorcycle shop, with an apartment above; she is a motorcycle expert, having learned everything from her deceased father. Delaney is surprised to see a pit bull sneaking in her shop, and learns that the dog formerly lived in the back room. She learns from Sunny (one of previous book heroines), who runs the dog rescue, that the people who owned the shop before were not nice to the dog (formerly called Sinbad), but Delaney renames him Wyatt.

Detective Sean Callahan meets Delaney at the gym and is immediately attracted to her, even though Delaney isn’t interested. Things do change when Delaney’s father’s vintage motorcycle is stolen, she and Sean work together to find the culprit, and a friendship builds. They suspect the two former owners of the shop, who are nasty young men, but there is no proof.

I loved seeing the wonderful characters from the previous book, Sunny, Constance, Rhett, Pete to name a few. The relationship between Delaney and Sean heats up in the second half of the book, as the chemistry between them was hot. There is a second possible romance between newcomer Tabitha, who suffers from PDST from her time in the marine corps, where she originally met Delaney. She meets Hobbs at the gym, and we can see a slow build possible romance between them. I loved the dog Trinity, who was Tabitha’s trained rescue dog.

What follows is a sweet romance, wonderful couples, heartwarming and emotional story, that also has a mystery as to who stole the motorcycle, which will be a surprise. Forever Home is a story that pulls on so many emotions, as well as finding love and happiness. If you enjoy stories with great couples and dogs, you need to read this book. Very well written by Elysia Whisler.

This is book you don’t want to put down. It has suspense, tradegy, love, kidnapping a dog, stealing a motorcycle and lots more. The two main characters are Delaney and Sean. Delaney is opening a motorcycle shop and Sean is a cop. Delaney has a motorcycle that has been passed down in her family for four generations, it is very special. One night somebody takes it. She calls the police and Sean is who comes out. He helps to figure out who took it, and falls in love together.

The cover of this caught me - I’m a sucker for a dog story - but I stayed for the strong female lead and the light mystery. Delaney is starting over: her father died recently, she retired from the Marines and is following her dream of owning a classic motorcycle shop. To her surprise the premises comes with a visitor. Wyatt, left at the local dog rescue by the prior tenants, regularly frees himself to come sleep in his former space. Unfortunately this doesn’t sit well with the brothers, who didn’t deal only in motorcycles. A stolen classic bike threatens Delaney’s plans to jump-start her business at the upcoming classic bike show. Can the detective who competes with her at the gym find the bike and the thief in time?

While this is the second entry in the Dogwood County series it easily stands on its own. Whisler creates well-rounded characters, both primary and secondary, who are relatable because of their flaws. This light romance/mystery will definitely please dog lovers, but its realistic look at post-deployment lives broadens the appeal. I will be following this series. Recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

The perfect blend of romance and mystery can be found in Forever Home by Elysia Whisper. Thoroughly enjoyed every moment in this book.

After the excellent first book in this Dogwood County series (Rescue You), my expectations for this second were high. Forever Home was also great, and most readers will probably have to decide which is better.

The books can stand alone, but the second book is richer if one has read the first. For me, books engage me to the degree that the characters are sympathetic. While Delaney and Sean are excellent main characters, something just doesn't jive as cohesively as they did for Constance and Rhett in book one.

Whichever book you prefer, both will offer a good and solid read, with many characters and sub-plots to catch and hold to the book's completion. Great stuff.

Interesting characters, well developed plot, steamy romantic scenes, and a quirky plot twist. The story was not enhanced by the (rather random) inclusions of the "f-bomb".