REVIEW: Avoiding the Badge by Dorothy F. Shaw

In Avoiding the Badge (Arizona K-9 #1) by Dorothy F. Shaw, for months now K-9 Officer Derek Hansen has been going into the veterinary clinic where Rayna Michaels works with his dog Axle in hopes of capturing Rayna’s attention. However, it seems Rayna is more interested in helping animals than interacting with people, especially good-looking men like Derek. Will Derek be able to win over the woman he wants or will he walk away from his shot at happy ever after because she might not ever be able to trust him completely?

”I’m sorry. Who is ‘he’?”
Andrea leaned her hip against he counter and dipped her chin. “Seriously?”
“Always.” Careful to keep her expression blank, Rayna stared at the woman.
Andrea sighed and rolled her eyes. “He as in the hottest pet owner we have.” Even as Rayna returned her focus to the lab report in her hands, Andrea continued. “Come on, really? He as in ‘the cop’ who’s so freaking hot we could fry an egg on his unbelievable abs. We haven’t seen the abs, but we all know he’s got them. In spades. The same he who’s so totally into you – so into you that the rest of us are green with envy.”

Although, I loved the way this story started with the heroine’s friend giving us a wonderful description of the hero, I found I could not get into this book as much as I thought I would be able to once the hero and heroine meet. Since Derek comes off as desperate while the heroine comes off as a little cold. Really, it’s palpable she’d rather deal with animals than people, especially since Derek is a police officer and she has issues with people of the profession. Will Rayna be able to get over her issues towards law enforcement to give the hero a chance?

As for the dialogue, I was a tad disappointed that this story didn’t have more of a suspense storyline to it, considering the hero is a K-9 officer. However, in saying that, I did like the obstacles these two had to overcome to be together because the heroine has serious daddy and trust issues. Will Rayna realize that Derek would never hurt her the way her father hurt her mother before it’s too late? Will Derek be able to convince Rayna to take a chance on him, even when it’s palpable winning Rayna over isn’t going to be easy because of her trust issues?

With the main characters, it was hard to like either of them in the beginning since their chemistry felt contrived and a tad rushed, especially when Rayna comes to be the perfect woman for Derek’s kinky side. However, in saying that, I liked how the hero treated the heroine because he’s a good guy that will do anything to win over the woman he’s coming to care for. Really, his confident and charming personality went a long way to winning me over and so did the fact that he didn’t give up on Rayna, even when there was every reason for him to walk away. Will Derek ever be able to completely gain Rayna’s trust or is he fighting a losing battle?

Overall, Ms. Shaw has delivered a read that I did end up finishing despite the fact there were times when I was ready to give up. Really, if it wasn’t for the secondary characters in one of the heroine’s friends and the hero’s partner and their growing — what felt like a — love-hate relationship, this story may have been my second ever DNF. However, in saying that, I did enjoy how this story ended because of what happens to the hero, which makes the heroine realize that she can’t live without him in her life. And lastly, Avoiding the Badge by Dorothy F. Shaw may appeal to fans of the enemy to lovers trope or authors Jaine Diamond, Samantha Keith and Ashley Bostock.

Book Info:

Publication: September 4th, 2018 | Lyrical Press | Arizona K-9 #1

JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED

Rayna Michaels may be a veterinarian, but she knows a little something about the human heart—especially when it comes to worried pet owners. Law enforcement’s bonds with their K9 partners are legendary, and Derek Hansen is a perfect example—he’s had his dog Axle in more times than she can count in the last few months. And Derek’s sculpted muscles and heart-stopping smile would be truly irresistible, if only he wasn’t an officer of the law…

Derek can’t get Rayna’s stunning face and no-nonsense smarts out of his mind. Any excuse to see her will do, until he works up the nerve to ask her out. He’s not sure where her resistance to cops comes from, though he’s more than willing to prove he’s one of the good ones. But when casual dating turns into explosive lovemaking, Derek knows he has to come clean about his past before the woman he loves finds out what he’s been hiding and turns tail to run…