Maya is a retired Marine who has sworn of working with K-9s. She is roped into working for the forest service and inherits her best friend's K-9 when he is killed on the job. There is definitely something odd going on about what happened that day, though.

I enjoyed this book. It was a fun read. I do feel like I had a hard time connecting with Maya, though. I was expecting this to be a romance and there really wasn't much romantic about it. I do like that the author is a K-9 handler. I think that brought something really unique to the story. As always, I'm looking forward to reading more from Carina Press!

One thing for sure is Chasing Justice has lots of action going on. There is some light romance, overcoming past mistakes, dealing with PTSD issues, drug runners and a k9 dog that will capture your heart. The setting is in the Colorado Rockies.
Maya works for the forest service department and Josh is a sheriff deputy. As they begin to unravel what is going on and get to know each other, they discover they both are hiding secrets. Will these secrets cause problems for them?
I found parts of the story to drag a bit with just too much going on. Overall, lots of action and suspense throughout the book that keeps you guessing on what the ending is going to be.
Well written and the k9 info was well researched.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions and thoughts expressed are my own.

This is a Police Mystery/Suspense. I struggle to rate and review this book. There are parts of this book I really enjoyed, but there are some parts I really did not like. I guessed some of the twisted way before they were revealed, but I did like the ending. There was a lot of action and suspense during this book. I did not love the main character, and I did not love all the drinking that happened in this book. I feel that I had a lot of trouble connecting to the characters because of all the drinking and craziness going on in the book. I really feel this book just had too much going on, and I think that took away from the storyline and character development. I also feel the beginning was very confusing. This book is written to be a Romantic Suspense, but I do not find any romance in this book. There was some attraction. I did enjoyed the k-9 dog parts, and I enjoyed the chasing and action parts. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Carina Press) or author (Kathleen Donnelly) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Leaving the military, Maya Thompson suffers from PTSD and guilt over the death of her K9. He was her responsibility and she failed him. Now, she is completing her last day of training as a U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement Officer. Her Field Training Officer is her best friend Doug Leyton, but what should be a routine day, ends in tragedy. A new drug has shown up in the area and while investigating a possible illegal drug site, Doug and his K9 Juniper are both injured. Maya had hoped to become a deputy for her grandfather who is the Sheriff of Western River County, but he refused to hire her due to concerns for her safety. When she learns that he is now missing, she along with Chief Deputy Josh Colten begin the search. Not knowing who they can trust, danger follows them as they search for her grandfather and for the dealers who have no intention of being caught or leaving anyone witnesses. An exciting mystery with a strong female main character which I always enjoy. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2022/05/22/chasing-justice-by-kathleen-donnelly/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
&nbsp;

<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

3.5 hearts

I'm a huge fan of K-9 stories, so when the author asked if I would review this one I was happy.  The genre is usually connected with military or law enforcement and some kind of mystery, so it's all my type of reading.

<strong>Chasing Justice</strong> has a lot to recommend it.  I really liked how the dog, Juniper, was very involved in the story and we got to see her actually do some work. Maya is just back in town after leaving the military.  Her grandfather is the sheriff but they have been a bit estranged since her grandmother died.   She is working for the federal forestry service being trained by her friend, Doug.

Things fall apart when there are murders and a drug war happening.  I was able to guess much, but not all of the mystery plot.  There were a few twists.  Maya works with her grandfather's second, Josh, to find her grandfather who has gone missing. Maya has a pretty good skill and strategy set; she's careful since she doesn't trust Josh.  She's attracted to him, but the romantic element is in the background.  The situations are very dangerous.

I enjoyed reading and the layers of story with the "police" investigations, K-9 training and work, personal relationships and romantic elements.  I wouldn't really call it a romance, as there is mostly just attraction, with no relationship.  I'm hoping this will be a series and we will see more of these characters and setting.

I’m going to start this review with a possible trigger warning… because readers deserve to know this beforehand. You will find mention of violence against women, drug and alcohol use, and discussion of suicide in this story. I didn’t find it overwhelming, but these subjects are mentioned – should any of these subjects be a trigger for you, then simply be aware.

Chasing Justice is intense in both the story itself and in some of the subjects that make up Maya’s and Josh’s story. It’s gripping, it’s tense, and I easily fell into their situation. Maya has left the Marine Corps after losing her K-9 companion to an IED. That loss tore her apart and she’s vowed to never work with dogs again. Around the same time, her grandmother died and she was unable to be there for her grandfather, something he certainly has not forgotten and is slow to forgive. Maya hit rock bottom when she lost her K-9 and made some really bad choices as she struggled to cope with the loss and her guilt.

Back stateside, Maya has taken a job with the law enforcement side of the US Forest Service. When a friend and fellow officer is killed while on duty, Maya will inherit his K-9 dog, Juniper over her objections and, in reality, her fears that she will let another dog be killed in service.

Josh, a local deputy sheriff is also on the case of the bombing and insists on helping Maya or at the very least, working together on the case. For her own reasons, Maya cannot allow herself to trust Josh but when the sheriff, her grandfather, goes missing she has no other choice.

While I enjoyed my time in Chasing JusticeI also felt that the story was laying some world-building for a continuing story or series. The romance is light, definitely hard-fought-for but believable in an enemy-to-lover kind of way. Watching Maya and Josh fight the attraction between them, and not always acknowledging it was an interesting choice that I would like to learn more about in a future story. The bad guys are as vile as possible and completely believable. I felt the build-up to the conclusion of this story very strongly, even though we are aware of who some of those villains are. I would call this more of a police/crime procedural than completely romantic suspense, but that was my reaction to the story, yours might be different.

In all, I enjoyed Chasing Justice, and would happily return to this world for more. If you like a gritty suspense story with a touch of romance, love K-9 dogs involved strongly in the plot and love to put puzzle pieces together, then this story is perfect for you.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own – good, bad, or indifferent. I was not financially compensated for this review and no expectation of a positive review was promised.*

Another book by a new-to-me author, and although this novel was billed as romantic suspense, there really wasn't any romance present. It should have been billed as a crime/mystery/police procedural novel instead, and although it wasn't badly written, I never really connected with the main character, Maya Thompson, a former Marine K-9 handler, who served in Afghanistan and returned home with PTSD, a pile of guilt, blaming herself for the death of her K-9 in an IED explosion, and a serious drinking problem. She's now back in Colorado working for the U.S. Forest Service in a police capacity but when her lifelong best friend and Field Training Officer, Doug, also a K-9 handler, dies, she unwillingly inherits his K-9 companion, Juniper.

Although I certainly understand how big the issues of PTSD, alcoholism, self-medicating with illegal substances, and suicide are to our returning veterans, I found myself wondering why I didn't feel a whole lot of sympathy for Maya. I'm guessing it was because her character never really was fully developed, most of her internal dialogue consisted of her feelings of guilt and self-pity. When 12-step programs and/or therapy are mentioned, she's unwilling to try to help herself. And those are just some of her issues.

I must also advise readers that in addition to those touchy subjects, this novel also includes scenes of violence against women, and discussions of suicide. If these are triggers for you, you might want to read something else.

As far as the action/suspense/mystery elements this novel went, all were there, although somewhat confusing in their presentation--the common denominator being the mixing, sale and distribution of illegal drugs--another subject that simply didn't hold a great deal of interest for this reader, who found the best parts of this novel were the scenes of training, working with, and getting to know the personality of K-9 Juniper.

All in all, it wasn't a bad read, it just the wrong book for this reader.

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

Chasing Justice by debut author Kathleen Donnelly is an action-packed page-turner. I was hooked from the first chapter. The suspense was palpable and the tension held throughout. I really liked the main characters, even with their flaws and baggage. I found them likable. What an exciting read! I hope to find more stories by this author in the future.

I enjoy K-9 search and rescue fiction. This one did not disappoint. The locale, the story line and the interwoven plots of both family, friendship and suspense made this book enjoyable. Looking forward to another installment. Want to see more of Josh and Maya and their story.

I enjoyed reading, Chasing Justice. Even though we know who some of the main characters are, some of the surprise ones really took me a minute to catch up with. I didn't like how the book ended, it left me thinking there will be a book number two for Maya. At least I hope that's the case.

Maya, a local US Forest Service officer, through tragedy ends up as a K9 handler. She’d lost a K9 in Afghanistan and blames herself but she is getting redemption with her new dog. Josh is the new deputy in town. He’s quite a hunk and has all the women in town swooning. Both suffer from PTSD and addiction. Now they’ve joined forces on the case to find answers about the tragedy. But can Maya really trust Josh? Are there others not trustworthy?

Both Maya and Josh are engaging characters. Josh, especially, is intriguing as we don’t know whether to trust him. There are lots of fun twists and surprises throughout. The pacing is well crafted. And the dog is a lovable secondary character.

The book really showed the negative effects of drugs- alcohol and narcotics- and how it adversely affected the main characters lives as well as the lives of the suppliers. I was happy to see the very credible emphasis of AA and NA mostly at the end of the book.

I’m not quite sure there was much romance - I saw more just friendship- in this book so I’d give it a 3.5/4 out of 5. I’ll round up to a 4, though, since the rest of it was so good and suspenseful.

Thanks to NetGalley and Carina Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was excellent. It revolved around Maya and her friend Doug and his K-9 dog Juniper. When Doug is killed, Maya takes over the training and care of Juniper. There are alot of problems in their town. Drugs, stolen money, murder, and maybe her grandmother committed suiside, but maybe not. There is alot going on that kept me reading this book straight through.. The characters were interesting and were some of the people good guys or bad guys? There were some surprises. The only thing that I wasn't happy about was the ending. I hope there is a follow up story.

I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

Review posted via. Goodreads.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4696389073
Maya Thompson is a former Marine, and a former K-9 Handler. She is now working for the U.S. Forest Service in Law Enforcement with her best friend and his K-9. When tragedy strikes and leaves Maya is now the new handler for Juniper. Now the local deputy sheriff Josh Colten is offering to help her find the killers. Then when Maya's Grandpa, the sheriff, goes missing. Now racing against time Maya will need help from both Juniper and Josh before it's too late.

I was not a big fan of this book. Maya used alcohol to escape her problems. I also did not care for the criminals' point of view. I felt like both could have been left out. I might recommend this book to my family and friends.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Carina Press and Kathleen Donnelly for the E ACR of this book.
Maya has returned to her home town in Colorado from her time as a K9 handler in the Marines. She takes a job with the US Forest Service Law Enforcement. She has vowed never to be a K9 handler again but when a tragedy happens, she becomes the handler for Juniper.
As Maya and the new local deputy sheriff Josh investigate a new case, they are drawn to each other, but can Maya trust him? When her grandfather goes missing Maya and Josh work together to are drawn into a local drug war. As Maya tries to find her grandfather, she begins to find answers to some the secrets that have been kept from her.
I really enjoyed this book. The plot kept me turning the pages and wanting to know what happened next. The characters are so well written and the plot was believable. Maya has a lot of trauma that impacts her daily life in many ways from her time in the Marines and this was handled well. I liked that Josh also had demons that he deals with and he tries to help Maya. The relationship between Maya and her grandfather was well written and you could feel the conflict.
I would recommend this book.

When Maya Thompson returns stateside after serving in the Marine Corps and losing her K-9 partner in a traumatic event Maya feels was her fault, she joins the law enforcement arm of the U.S. Forest Service. To add to her service-related PTSD, she is present when her best friend, another officer and K-9 handler, is killed under suspicious circumstances in a bombing as they investigate crimes on forest service land. The orphaned K-9, Juniper, is suddenly in Maya’s care, even though the last thing she wanted was another dog to worry about.

This excellent debut in a new series by Kathleen Donnelly made me a very happy reader. My favorite mystery and thriller series are those that feature dogs, especially K-9 certified Malinois and German Shepherds. In Chasing Justice, I noticed tiny facts or actions that pointed to Donnelly’s own expertise with dogs and the extra research she did regarding the K-9 animals. For one thing, Maya Thompson does not give her dog a lot of human snacks fed under the table. The animal is also crated when appropriate and not treated like the pets we all love to indulge.

There’s a reason for these types of details in Donnelly’s book. She’s a dog handler and the co-owner of Sherlock Hounds Detection Canines, LLC in Colorado.

Chasing Justice has all the ingredients for a successful series: an interesting protagonist who faces challenges from her past that complicate her present, a charming love interest, and a setting that can be both beautiful and threatening, depending on the humans who inhabit or visit. I’m looking forward to book two in this series from Carina Press.

Intense K-9 Hunt for Drugs and Bad Guys
This is a serious police K-9 type story. There is a lot of death and destruction involving former Marines with PTSD, drug runners, and militia types. The story takes place in the Colorado Rockies and involves the Forest Service, local sheriff's office, DEA, and FBI. I was expecting something much more lightweight and inspirational, this story is not that. It is a good tale but is at my outer limit of what I like to read. I cautiously recommend this story, it may cause nightmares.

Chasing Justice is a good suspense-driven romance. There were lots of plot twists to keep me guessing. I enjoyed the developing relationship between Josh and Maya. Both are hiding secrets, Maya finding it difficult to trust and Josh appreciating the second chance Maya’s grandfather gave him as the chief deputy sheriff. The family drama between Maya and her grandfather, Pops, added another dimension to the story. My favorite character is Juniper, Maya’s K-9 partner and her lovable personality. I loved the book and look forward to reading more books by Kathleen Donnelly.

Kathleen Donnelly’s debut novel is a winner! There was a lot of action, many twists and turns kept me guessing, and I found it difficult to put down! I really liked the main characters, Maya and Josh, and the story of their developing relationship kept the story moving as well. Add some family drama with Pops, Maya’s grandfather, and Juniper, the lovable K-9, and I was captivated. I look forward to reading more from this author!

A good read. Quite a setup for this one guys but hang there the ending is amazing and worth the extra time in the beginning.

Maya is struggling after returning from Afghanistan and losing both her K-9 partner and her Grandmother so close together. When her best friend helps her out by telling her about a Forest Service position, after her her Grandfather, the sheriff, won't hire her it seems like a blessing.

Read this book for quite a puzzler.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Maya left the Marines after the tragic loss of her K-9. She is back in her hometown to hopefully heal and move on with her life. She has experienced a lot of loss and trauma - even before her time in the Marines. But coming home almost immediately hits her with even more loss and trauma. She immediately thrust into an environment where she doesn't know who to trust.

The villains in the story are not exactly a secret - but the way it is shown really works for the story and advances the overall narrative. I also liked the relationship building between Maya and her grandfather - and Josh. Even though they don't spend a lot of time together on the page - it felt authentic and emotional. Particuarly in the face of everything else that was happening.

This definitely falls in line with other romantic suspense series - think Stephanie Plum or Eve Dallas. This book touches on a possible romantic relationship between Maya and Josh - but doesn't go too far down that road. That makes sense in terms of the trust building between them and all of the baggage they both bring to the table. So if that type of thing is your jam - this will be a great read for you. The story leaves us with some hope - and some clear forecasting for where things are headed.

There is definitely some sensitive content to be aware of - drug use, alcoholism, loss of a family member, abuse, and a boat load of PTSD.

I received this through NetGalley as an ARC, but these opinions are all my own.