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Alaskan Showdown by Sarah Varland

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5.0

Hear me out, I am not a Christian. But I really enjoy the Love Inspired books. The reasoning is because of how well the authors write. They do have bible quotes and other elements, but I think it adds a nice element to the story. I enjoy how the stories are about finding peace and happiness from what the belief system one holds. Despite not being a Christian, these books have a great message and aren’t overly religious. They can be enjoyed by anyone, and they have a strong appeal with romance and also they have intrigue so these work well for those who want mystery, suspense, and action without some of the darker details in other books. That is why I like them, because sometimes I need a break from those elements.

Adriana works in search and rescue with her dogs, finding bodies and also lost people. When the latest body she and her dog find tie to a serial killer, she agrees to work with local law officer, Levi to find more bodies with her dog. By doing so, he can help build a case and solve this serial killer case. They worked well together, and I liked their teamwork. It was never about one doing more than the other. They were a team and respected each other. Levi listened to Adriana about her dogs and what she was doing, respecting her. I thought the building of respect and trust really added to their relationship since it is important to have a strong foundation. They were a good balance as sometimes Levi wanted to forge ahead with clues and solving the case., but Adriana helped him to stop and think about what is going on. It was also very intense because they are trying to find a serial killer who doesn’t want to be found, and they are put in some danger. But they still work ahead to try and solve the case, adding in to the suspense of who the killer is and when it the case will be solved.

I like how the dogs are a part of the story. Adriana cares for them and understands what they do. She respects they are also still dogs and cares for them. And she also talks about how the dogs need a break from search and rescue or they can get depressed, which is something I did not know. It was interesting to learn about how SAR works, and how important it is. But the respect and love Adriana places with the dogs was wonderful, and it made me so happy. The relationship between Levi and Adriana was solid as well. They decide they will do well being married to each other, and this was a strong element in their relationship. They took the time to realize they wanted to be together and spend their lives together, which I think makes the Christian element strong for those who are looking for this in the story and romance. Also, they both had bad past experiences but I liked how they wanted to give love another chance.

I think this book would work well for those who like clean romance and happy endings. There is no swearing and sex. There are also suspense elements, but they aren’t dark and scary like some books. This would work for those who want suspense but maybe just not as intense as some books have it. This is a solid suspense story, and I would read more from this author.
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