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Rookie K-9 Unit Christmas contains two novellas: Surviving Christmas and Holiday High Alert. I liked how the characters from the first novella were in the second one, as well.

I loved the K-9 dogs -- they were amazing. I also found the mysteries to be interesting. There were a couple times the story felt unrealistic, which I didn't like.

All in all, I enjoyed this book and am glad I read it.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

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Surviving Christmas by Valerie Hansen is a delightful Christian romantic thriller about second chances and trust.
Suffering from PTSD, veteran Sean sees danger everywhere, but it is not always in his head. He has to learn to trust others, his own instincts and God, whom he believed had abandoned him. "There had been a time when he'd believed God was guiding him... now he felt adrift." Whenever we feel adrift we must cling to our anchor God who will always guide us home safely.
The novel shows the partnership of man and dog, and man and God. Both can work well when they are in tune and both can be trusted.
There is the theme of healing - sometimes mental, sometimes physical or spiritual. Sometimes we grip a situation so hard that we block healing. We need to loosen our grip and let the healing flow.
A delightful read with all the elements we could wish for in an entertaining tale.
Holiday High Alert by Lenora Worth is a marvellous Christian romantic mystery which I really enjoyed. There are themes of revenge, power, love and hope.
The love of money is the root of all evil. Money can motivate people to behave in some despicable ways. "People... will do anything especially when it involves money." Money can be used for good but the love of money corrupts.
Past events may also become warped and twist our way of thinking and behaving.
The novel is also about love and protection. The love of a father is strong. The pull to protect motivates behaviour. Likewise the K9 unit is also trained to protect.
Our father God can be trusted. When all seems bleak, He will never leave us. He is not without power but because of free will, there is evil in the world. "He [God] watched and He cried because God hates evil." Whatever we face, God walks alongside us.
There are burdens in the novel, some we were never meant to carry. We need to give our burdens to God and press into Him.
If we know God, we can have hope. "We have to hold out hope." Hope that life will be better with God alongside us.
A delightful story with elements for all to enjoy.
Rookie K9 Unit Christmas was a wonderful read. Both stories were linked by their characters and had similar themes of trust, hope, corruption by power and money, survival, love and faith. Delightful read together or as stand-alones.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

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I love this series! Sean knows it isn't just his PTSD making him paranoid when people break into his house and talk about killing him. He gets in a good shot then takes his son and runs. Zoe is the one person he knows he can trust and he runs to her and her new home. Zoe is fresh out of K-9 training and has the idea to set Sean up with a service dog. She and his son hit it off but there is no doubting that someone is after Sean.
Josie loves keeping her kids at the daycare. She would never do anything to put them in harms way. When she and Maisy are the last two at the daycare and someone tries to get in, Dalton (Maisy's father) gets involved. As much as Josie doesn't want to think about the past, that is the only thing that she believes could have brought trouble to her doorstep.
I loved Zoe and Sean also Josie and Dalton. I think Sean's son was by far my favorite character. Well, except maybe Maisy. Being back in the town and seeing old characters (friends) is wonderful. These authors do a great job in keeping you invested in the stories. The dogs are awesome and I love them being heroes in these stories as well. I cannot wait to read more about what happens in this 'quiet' little town.
Absolutely a 4/5 for me. Quick wonderful additions to the series.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book (via netgalley). I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

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urviving Christmas by Valerie Hansen

When single dad Sean Murray returns from a war zone and discovers someone is following him, he turns to his old friend K-9 officer Zoe Trent for help. But as the threat escalates, can Zoe and her police dog find whoever is menacing Sean and his son…and make sure this Christmas isn't their last?

My thoughts: I enjoyed learning about the many uses for service dogs. They're not just for leading the blind or police use. The suspense in this one ratchets up to the final showdown. Can Zoe and Freya protect Sean and his son from an unknown threat that keeps stalking and trying to kill Sean? Valerie Hansen never disappoints and putting her in a collection with Lenora Worth is brilliant! Suspense readers will love this one!

Holiday High Alert by Lenora Worth

After a cryptic note appears in the playground at Josie Callahan's daycare center, rookie K-9 officer Dalton West vows to protect Josie and the kids she loves—especially his daughter, Maisy. And with a stalker closing in, the widower and his four-legged partner are all that stand between Josie and a deadly Christmas.

My thoughts: Both Josie and Dalton are leery of getting involved romantically with anyone. Dalton's daughter, Maisey doesn't have that problem. She loves Miss Josie and would love to see her with her Daddy. when Josie's past comes back to bite her, can Dalton and his dog keep her safe?

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Surviving Christmas by Valerie Hensen is part of the K9 series The story starts with a lot of action to get your attention. I have really enjoyed the series. And this book was no exception. Sean has returned from war to take care of his son after his wife dies. The relationship is between Sean and his son Patrick was so heartwarming. Sean has reached out to his best friend Zoe for help as he is concerned about Patrick’s safety after someone breaks into his house. Because he is dealing with after effects of the war he doesn’t totally trust his instincts. Zoe is a character you're absolutely going to love. She strong, funny and just a good person. The author created interesting and witty dialogue between her and Sean. The dogs are always a great addition to the story. The author brings them alive and they feel like additional characters in the story. Freya, a Belgian Tervuren was awesome in how she took to Patrick immediately. The story is full of action and heartwarming scenes.

Holiday High Alert by Lenora Worth is the second story in the book and a continuation of the K9 series. I was thrilled that Josie has her own story. We have come to love all of these characters and they finally got their happy ending. Macy is an absolutely adorable little girl with a mothering instinct. I love how she and Patrick bonded. We got a sneak peek at Dalton from the previous books. We get to find the backstory of how his wife was killed and the guilt that both he and Macy are dealing with as a result. Josie's background was interesting too. She is a widow. It's a short story with a lot of action and some heartwarming scenes between Macy and her dad Dalton. I would definitely recommend both books if you enjoy a romantic mystery sprinkled with some faith and surrounded by holiday cheer.

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