July Wine Club Review: Irresistible Force by D. D. Ayres ~ 3 Wines

Book: 

Irresistible Force by D. D. Ayres

Wine: 
 The Loyal Companion Pino Grigio 2012 

Lexi: Necessary Force is the 0.5 novella that introduces Ayres K-9 Rescue series to us, and happened to be last month’s wine club review. We all agreed we are suckers for a man in uniform who owns a dog and were looking forward to what Irresistible Force would bring. And we finally have it! With more interaction between the MCs, more plot and more hurdles to keep us waiting for the hook up moment. Were you happy to see Shay and James fight with one another for a while before clicking?

Crystal: There is no denying that Irresistible Force had more, more, more then the introductory novella. I enjoyed that there wasn't any insta-lust going on between Shay and James at the beginning of the story. There was definitely some attraction though once they calmed down after their initial intense meeting. It's difficult to gauge the hotness of a stranger barging into your home after all. LOL That attraction continued to grow between Shay and James' bickering and I enjoyed the build-up. 

Lexi: I think for me, yet again, the best part of Irresistible Force is Prince/Bogart. Ayres has a knack for writing the relationship between K9 and handler. You feel their connection and will laugh at the dog’s human like tendencies. That aspect alone elevates this series for me. Any one else have a soft spot for man’s best friend?

Crystal: The relationship between Bogart and James was my favorite part of the story, hands down. That aspect of the book was written with heart and that shined through on the pages. I loved the little descriptive's of Bogart, cocking his head to the side in question and whatnot. I could easily picture him and James sitting on the couch having a conversation about the mystery of women. LOL

Lexi: While Prince/Bogart got more page time along with Shay and James, I had a harder time connecting with Shay. Rescue dogs are highly trained and have such strong connections with their handlers, to want to keep one away from his purpose seemed selfish. Which, maybe Shay needed with her creepy ex, but I would have liked to see her react differently to James. That or to have a few less issues to make her story more tangible. Crystal did you have issues connecting with Shay?

Crystal: I totally agree, Lexi. Shay was a bit of a volatile character. Anger morphing into passion seemed to be a running theme with her and her emotions didn't always jive with the setting for me. She had some unexplained reactions, jumping from fear to lust, which I couldn't wrap my head around. I honestly had a hard time liking her at first and by the end, I couldn't say that I loved her character but she did eventually grow on me.

Lexi: Shay is only one half of the equation, James on the other hand was described very nicely by Ayres. A hunky hero in uniform that was made so much better by his conversations with Bogart. This K-9 Rescue series has some great alpha males and not all of them have four feet! Did James the protector steal your heart as well?

Crystal: There is nothing sexier then a hotty and his doggy. James was definitely more fleshed out then Shay, whose characterization was chaotic. I actually went to look to see if the author was male or female after reading Irresistible Forces because the male lead was written so much better then the female. His character was patient, protective, humorous, courageous and just downright sexy. Add Bogart to the mix and there was no stopping this duo from capturing a little piece of my heart.

Lexi: This reader wasn’t wowed by book one, but the K9 carmadere and the alpha males will keep me coming back to see how the series and Ayres’s writing evolve. An enjoyable read, nice for summertime. Did Irresistible Force fit the bill for you ladies?

Crystal: Irresistible Force left plenty to be desired in a romance and I would like to see the author soften up and flesh out her heroines a bit more while expanding on the romantic aspects of the story in the future. I also thought that the transitioning between chapters was rocky. But there is no denying that she has the alpha hero and lovable side-kick K-9 down pat. I'm interested to see how this series grows. 

Title: Irresistible Force

Series: K-9 Rescue #1

Author: D. D. Ayres

Format: Paperback, 320 pages

Published: August 26th, 2014 by St. Martin’s Paperbacks

ISBN13: 9781250042170

Source: NetGalley

Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Kindle | B&N

When adrenaline runs high, so does the force of desire…

For Shay Appleton, it’s love at first sight when a gorgeous stray dog is brought into the animal shelter where she works. She just knows he’ll make a terrific watch dog—and with an abusive ex who won’t let go, she needs all the protection she can get. But Shay never suspected that her new pet is actually a trained police K-9 named Bogart—until Bogart’s even more gorgeous, human partner shows up on her doorstep.

Officer James Cannon is one tall, strong alpha male who’s convinced that Shay stole his dog. But once he gets closer to the suspect, he realizes that this stubborn, independent woman not only needs a guard dog, she needs James as well. It seems that someone from her past is stalking her, and threatening her life. When danger meets desire, will James risk his career and his best friend…to protect the woman who’s stolen his heart?