Give me a man with a dog any day, and make it a man in uniform too and I am sold. I love this book. I love the character development and plot line. It was quick fun read with an adventure to take my mind away on.

Getting back to suspense, thrillers, and mysteries, I read Tee O’Fallon’s TOUGH JUSTICE. Firmly a romantic suspense featuring an ER doctor and a DEA agent as they deal with a deadly new drug mixture causing overdoses in their area in Colorado, I devoured this book in one day. Throw in not one, not two, but three police canines and my heart was just won over instantly.

Dr. Tori Sampson has seen an uptick in overdose patients coming into her ER, and it’s when DEA Special Agent Adam Decker comes into the ER when his partner was exposed to the lethal combination of illegal drugs when he tried to resuscitate someone–almost dying of an exposure overdose himself. Tori doesn’t shy away from telling the handsome, tall, and very fit agent to get out of her ER so she can do her job. And Deck won’t take no for an answer until he knows he can trust her to heal the other agent.

Both Tori and Deck have a tragic family past that makes them suspicious of the other one, and I really enjoyed watching them play off each other as they try to deny their attraction to one another. Tori is strong, smart, and very capable while Deck is commanding, and equally strong willed. They both think they have no time for anything other than their jobs where they are well-respected and seen as leaders.

I give Tough Justice a five out of five. With ripped from the headlines problems, this romantic suspense hits all the right chords for a fantastic novel. The writing was excellent and not overly done. The police aspects as well as the actual drug parts were well researched and very realistic. The chemistry between Tori and Deck was explosive, and I really loved their relationship with Deck’s canine Thor. While I thought I could guess who the ultimate bad guy was, I did flop back and forth until it was finally revealed in the end. The side characters in family, coworkers, and friends were all unique and well-developed. I look forward to reading more in this series.

Tough Justice was an action-packed, jaw dropping, chemistry burning romance novel that draws you in and keeps you hooked until the very last page. Decker and Tori are both relatable characters. They have had things happen to them in their past that has shaped the way they look at things. Decker's little sister died, after an opioid addiction, when he was a teenager making him leery of doctors. Tori is leery of the DEA after her father was arrested and her mother died not long after. Both of these events shaped them, but with their chemistry and the draw of one another, they were able to get to know each other as a person not based on their career. Decker's partner is a K9 named Thor. Thor is by far one of the coolest dogs, he can climb ladders, spin, is a cat whisperer, and is determined when it comes to protecting Decker.

Tough Justice was an addicting book and a great first book of the series. I absolutely loved this book. Every time I though I had the bad guy picked, I realized I was wrong. I have loved every book I have read by this author and am always looking forward to the next, she creates such alpha men and lovable K9 characters. I highly recommend this book and cannot wait for the next book in the series.

Received ARC in exchange for voluntary honest review

Tough Justice was the first book that I have read by Tee O’Fallon and it most certainly won’t be the last. Tough Justice in the first book in the K-9 Special Ops series. It is about an ER doctor and DEA agent partnering together to try and put a stop to a new drug mixture in the area that is causing a lot of ODs and deaths. Tough Justice grabbed me from the very first page and didn’t let me go until the very last page. I absolutely loved reading Tori and Deck’s story and can’t wait to read the next one in the series. I was rooting for Tori and Deck from the very beginning. If you are a lover of romantic suspense stories then this book is for you. I can’t wait to find out which one of Deck’s best friends makes up the second book in the series.

Tough Justice is the first book in the K-9 Special Ops series. This one is Deck and Tori's story. I really enjoyed this one. Along with the strong chemistry between the couple, I liked how they worked through their baggage and were able to figure out compromises. I loved the friendship among Deck's colleagues. The book does deal with the heavy topic of drug abuse and overdose. There were a couple of twists and lots of tense moments. I do recommend this one and look forward to the next in the series.

O’Fallon writes a tight story with highly researched methodology in terms of emergency room protocol and overdose treatment. Add to that her decades of experience as a federal agent specializing in criminal investigations and undercover operations, and you have a probable and believable premise. Because in this ripped-from-the-headlines story about the opioid crisis sweeping the nation, overdoses are overwhelming local and federal law enforcement agencies and hospital systems, making for an extremely plausible story.

*For the full review, head over to All About Romance: https://allaboutromance.com/book-review/tough-justice-by-tee-ofallon/

What a fast-paced thrill-ride!! This book has it all: a slow-burn romance, mystery, danger, suspense, and a fabulous canine sidekick named Thor (I had to love the book just for him!). I couldn't/ didn't want to put it down until I was done. I'm looking forward to more books in this series. Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Entangled Amara and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

I could not think of any two people that were more mismatched than Deck and Tori. She is a doctor with a terrible history of mistreatment by the DEA and he is a DEA agent with a terrible history of doctors and prescribing pain medication.

The thing that brings them together is trying to stop the mounting death toll of people taking gray death. Tori sees way too many deaths in the ER and Deck is just committed to doing his job as a DEA agent so they work at stopping the deaths.

You know that they will find the mysterious Mr. D and there are some red herrings that make you believe you know who is guilty but there are some twists that make this book hard to put down!

Some pretty sad parts as a young man dies and you see his devastated parents and then they both are pretty miserable when they are apart. Good thing there is a HEA at the end along with the capture of the drug dealers!

I received an ARC of this book. Excellent mix of romance and suspense! I really enjoyed it and couldn't put it down. Looking forward to more in this engaging series.

This is my first time reading romance suspense (suspense romance?) and I really enjoyed it! I love books where animals/pets have their own personality so that’s what pulled me to this book. Thor (doggo K9 special ops) was awesome, adorable, loveable and badass. Deck and Tori were alright…I'm just kidding! Both were very likable and I was definitely rooting for them to find their way together. I thought the original reason for them not getting along was a little flimsy, at least from Tori’s perspective, but as the story goes on their relationship becomes complex and barriers more substantial. The characters felt like genuine and authentic people, no cheesy romance vibes to make you roll your eyes here. There was mystery and suspense to keep the pages turning and just enough sexy time! I’m already scoping out Tee O’Fallon’s earlier books to add to my TBR!

This was a fast paced exciting read. Add in some suspense, the romance and a fantastic canine side kick, you have a winner here. I would have liked a bit more of the romance since I felt Deck and Tori’s wary courtship jumped to hearts and flowers with little in between. But I recommend this book!

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✦Review: TOUGH JUSTICE by Tee O'Fallon https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-bYt
Publication Date: March 29, 2022
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated 4.5 Stars

I’m a sucker for K-9 stories and was not disappointed in this one. This romantic suspense kept me glued to the pages and guessing until the end. The tension and danger around the string of opioid deaths was riveting and framed the romance nicely. The one downside for me was understanding two intelligent professionals harboring a general mistrust and hatred for certain professions. (I don’t want to give away any storyline.) It took me out of the story’s flow when it was brought up…a lot. Especially Tori’s particular dislike – the DEA were just doing their jobs. (Ok, I’ll quit on that bit.)

The book was an enemies-to-lovers with a slow burn romance. Normally I like the physical stuff to move faster, but it worked for this story. Deck was the usual hot DEA Agent. I enjoyed his camaraderie with the other agents and his personality. He was my favorite kind of book hero. Tori was a strong and smart ER Doctor that could take care of herself. I liked that the only time she became a damsel in distress, was when she was out of her realm of experience. They made a good and realistic couple. Now – for my favorite character of this book – K-9 Officer Thor. I just loved that dog.

*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Kindle: https://amzn.to/3wFX1DM

If you like suspense, romance and mystery, then you will love this book! You could never put two different people together than Dr. Tori Sampson and Adam “Deck” Decker. Tori didn’t like or trust DEA agents after what they had done to her family, and Deck did not trust doctors and the medicine they pushed after his sister died from an overdose. But when Deck’s coworker was brought into the emergency room because he came into contact with a dangerous drug when they took down some drug dealers, Deck was impressed with Tori and how she saved him. Unfortunately there was some dangerous drugs on the streets that was killing people. Tori hated seeing all the people come through the emergency room and not be able to help them. I was glad to see Deck talk her into helping him with some drug busts by using her knowledge of medicine. The two were extremely attracted to each other even though they didn’t want to be. The two went through so many exciting and suspenseful adventures that had me on the edge of my seat. There was betrayal, heartbreak, and trust issues going on also. I couldn’t put the book down once I started, and strongly encourage you to read it. I was given a copy and voluntarily wrote a review.

DEA K-9 agent Adam “Deck” Decker has personal reasons for working so hard fighting to eliminate drugs on the street. The outbreak and deaths due to overdoses in the city have reached an alarming number from a new and deadly opioid that is on the street. In order to discover who is making the drug, he must put aside all his dislike of doctors and work with the ER doctor who has been seeing the cases come through the hospital.
ER Dr. Tori Sampson has personal reasons to be wary around DEA agents. After losing a young teenager to the devastating effects of the new drug and she wants to help before more innocent people die. Unfortunately, that means working with Deck to solve the case. Can they overcome their personal feelings about each other’s jobs and work together?
This was the first book in the K-9 Special Ops and it was a phenomenal start for the series. I have come to love this author and her books of intrigue, twists, and adorable dogs. This book was a perfect example of why I enjoy her books. The characters and their issues were genuine and have many layers to them. The chemistry between Tori and Deck was intense from the beginning but watching them overcome their judgment of each other’s careers was tremendous. I loved watching their friendship, trust, and respect for each other grow as they worked to solve the case. I highly recommend this book and cannot wait for the next book in the series.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

ER doctor, Tori Sampson teams up with DEA agent, Adam “Deck” Decker and his K-9, Thor to investigate and find the dealer responsible for the current opioid outbreak referred to as “gray death.” Tori hates the DEA for the troubles they put her dad through in the past and Deck gates doctor because his sister died from a prescription overdose. Came they overcome these difficulties to work together and possibly find love?

Fast moving, with lots of action and spicy romance, I devoured Tough Justice. Deck and Tori have the best chemistry, and their relationship didn’t feel forced or rushed like in most romances. The overall flow and pace of the story was perfect, with a great twist and satisfying ending!

It had been a while since I read the last of Tee O ‘Fallon’s Federal K-9 series. Luckily, my eye caught a new series on those cute K-9 dogs. Tough Justice is the first in the K-9 special ops series. Starting with K-9 dog Thor, who specializes in drugs and narcotics. His partner, Adam ‘Deck’ Decker has a personal mission to keep drugs from the street. Ever since his little sister OD-ed at sixteen, he has been on a mission to keep youth from drugs. And since one of the main reasons for getting addicted in the first place is the prescription of pain killers, doctors are high on his suspicion list.

But when one of his colleagues nearly dies during a bust gone wrong, he has no choice but to trust a fiery green eyed doctor. Tori has pledged an oath as a doctor to try to save everyone in need. However, officers of the DEA can sometimes challenge that oath. Ever since they arrested her father and wrecked her life, she has a difficulty in dealing with them. Especially when she is continuously watched by a frustratingly gorgeous federal officer, while trying to save his colleagues life. But although Tori and Deck don’t see eye to eye, they both want the same: to find out who is flooding the area with a new sort of drug, grey death, which is killing more and more people every day.

So, they strike a deal, to help each other find out what the source is of this drug. But while working together, Deck and Tori learn, that they are maybe not so different after all. And that the both have legitimate reasons, not to trust the other one’s profession. But that there are bad apples everywhere, which should define one’s outlook to the world. When Deck and Toni get closer to the truth, their loyalties and beliefs are tested can they learn to trust another? And will they be on time to stop these drugs from making new casualties?

As per usual with Tee’s wonderful dogs: you gotta love them! And of course, they are the true heroes in the story. Five out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

Frankly, I’m not used to reading romance books with a plot. Usually I like smut/based stories or plots where the male lead is obsessed with the female lead, and that’s kind of the story. But in this case, I think the author did an excellent job of intertwining the two.

I found the K-9 aspect exciting and fun, and not just because I love dogs. Learning about how this particular part of the DEA works was interesting to me because I know nothing about it. For the most part, the plot was fast paced and kept me invested.

The romance was a slow burn, but their sexy scenes were very hot. I loved how protective Deck was of Tori, and he made his intentions clear. Of course I wish there was more sexy times in the book, but since there was an actual plot, I figured we had to focus on that instead of the two of them hanging out in bed for a week.

Overall a good read! For anyone who actually wants plot with their romance, this series is probably a great idea. I hope the sequels come out soon because I’m interested in those as well.

I'm giving this one 3 stars because it was entertaining and kept me reading but it was also fairly easy to determine who the bad guy was and I didn't feel a lot of chemistry between the characters.
I requested this one as soon as a saw it was a K-9 thriller/romance because I was in the mood for something that would keep my attention and romantic suspense stories are pretty good about keeping me entertained and breaking my reading slumps. And in terms of that, Tough Justice did a good job. It was easy reading and fast-paced action with a little bit of character development and a small amount of romance thrown in. I did like the dynamic between an ER doctor who was treating overdose patients and a DEA k-9 officer teaming up to take down a drug ring. But as individual characters, Tori and Deck weren't very deep or charismatic. I was also a little disappointed that it was pretty obvious early on who they were looking for. But it was still interesting watching them figure it out.
Overall, this is good for what it is and I'd read more in this series if there are any. But it isn't particularly unique or memorable.

Tough Justice is the story of Deck, a DEA agent, and Tori, an ER physician, who meet when another DEA agent is exposed to a lethal dose of an opioid. Thus, Deck and Tori enter into an uneasy alliance to locate the manufacturer and distributor of a new and deadly drug.
This novel is well-written and fast paced. There was significant research conducted by the author to ensure accuracy of both treatment for an overdose and organ donation. Also, the chemistry between Deck and Tori was almost palpable. I enjoyed their interactions and found them believable.
Overall, I rate this book 4 stars.

I enjoyed the first story of the K-9 Special Ops series as it was packed with enough action and suspense to keep me reading. Deck and Tori made for a great relationship story. It was enough of a slow burn to keep me interested and still was a fun story to read. Loved Deck at the beginning, but wasn’t as sure about Tori, however as the book progressed, I fell in love with both of them. A great romantic suspense story and look forward to the next one.