Tuesday, May 6, 2014

BOOK REVIEW/GIVEAWAY: Let Loose by Rae Davies


(Disclaimer:  I was provided an e-copy of "Let Loose" by the author and publisher via Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours in exchange for my honest.  My opinions are my own.  No other compensation was offered, requested or received.)



SYNOPSIS


No good deed goes unpunished. The rule has kept Lucy Mathews out of trouble for most of her 29 years. That is until her part-time partner decides Lucy’s image needs a little polishing and shoves her in front of every do-good bandwagon she can find.
Luckily for Lucy, her dream charity runs right up to her doorstep in the form of a sexy Canadian musher who’s in town to help organize the local sled dog race.
Not so luckily for Lucy, sexy Canadians and detective boyfriends do not a happy mixture make.
One dead race organizer, a group of rambunctious octogenarians, and a team of sled dogs in need of a home later and Lucy is confident this punishment is more than anyone, much less one lone antique store owner, can handle.

~~~oOo~~~

REVIEW

Lucy Mathews has a heart as big as the Big Sky Country that is Montana.  Who else would voluntarily take in a team of (eight) sled dogs (shen she already has a dog at home)?  Of course, Lucy did find them outside her house one day and when she attempted to return the dogs to their owner, found him shot in the back of the head.  I can't imagine having nine sizable dogs in one house...let alone one vehicle! Oy!

One thing that puzzled me was how Lucy could be a crime reporter and hold her own amongst the police (who invariably see a cozy's amateur detective as an interloper), but then let her business partner Phyllis set her up for all these service projects.  It seems like Phyllis volunteered Lucy and then told her, rather than asked first and volunteered her after.  I'd be cornering Phyllis in the store and redefining the partnership rules.  At least that's what I'd like to think I would do.  I'd just like to see her maybe set a few boundaries with some of the people in her life.

I'm hoping the copy I got was an advance, and there were still some corrections to be made?  When the sled dogs arrived back at Lucy's house, after the discovery of the bodies, one of the dogs took a flying leap through the air and landed on him- or herself.  And I'm usually not a stickler for grammar, but there were a few too many sentence fragments in "Let Loose" for my liking.

All that being said, I do appreciate Lucy's somewhat snarky sense of humor.  The story of "Let Loose" flows well, and you can't go wrong with that many dogs with personality.  I also appreciated the emphasis on environment (snowmobiling vs dog-sledding), and the concern for animals evident in the book.  

Overall, I enjoyed "Let Loose" enough that I would like to read the previous three books in the series.

~~~oOo~~~

AUTHOR INFORMATION



Rae Davies is the pen name of author Lori Devoti.
Lori Devoti worked for three different newspapers in two different states before deciding to stay home with her children and begin writing fiction. Lori has been a finalist for many awards including the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award and is a member of Novelists Inc., a prestigious group for professional writers. She lives near Madison, Wisconsin with her husband and children as well as two dogs.
Like Lucy, Rae/Lori loves antiques, Montana and malamutes.

~~~oOo~~~

GIVEAWAY

This giveaway is winner's choice amongst the following prizes:  

  • 3 e-book bundle of the 1st three books in the series
  • Loose and Lethal
  • print copy of Loose Screw
Leave a comment to enter the drawing.  Winner will be chosen at random from amongst the commenters.  Good luck!

6 comments:

  1. Sounds wonderful

    debbiec1313@yahoo.com

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    Replies
    1. Good luck in the contest, Debbie. Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. This sounds captivating and intriguing. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it will be of especial interest to folks who like the outdoors! Good luck in the contest, Traveler!

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  3. I like the storyline.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your visit, Mary. Good luck in the contest!

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