The Search

Author: Nora Roberts
Publisher: Putnam

To most people, Fiona Bristow seems to have an idyllic life-a quaint house on an island off Seattle's coast, a thriving dog-training school, and a challenging volunteer job performing canine search and rescues. Not to mention her three intensely loyal Labs. But Fiona got to this point by surviving a nightmare...

Several years ago, Fiona was the only survivor of the Red Scarf serial killer, who shot and killed Fiona's cop fiancé and his K-9 partner.

On Orcas Island, Fiona found the peace and solitude she needed to rebuild her life. But all that changes on the day Simon Doyle barrels up her drive, desperate for her help. He's the reluctant owner of an out-of-control puppy, foisted upon him by his mother. Jaws has eaten through Simon's house, and he's at his wit's end....

Nora Roberts is one of my “go-to” writers when I am looking for a good solid romance with a bit of action and intrigue thrown in. I listened to the audio version of Nora’s latest, The Search. The romance is the strongest part of the book. It flowed nicely without the any real angst. I loved the hero, Simon. He felt honest and real. His reluctant fall into love is amusing and warm. His and Fiona’s relationship develops nicely over months instead of days. A nice change of pace, if you ask me. As for mystery, well there isn’t much. You know “who done it” pretty soon into the book. This didn’t bother me so much, as I read Nora more for the romance anyway. You will learn a lot about dog training and the dog search and rescue program. I found this part pretty interesting. Would I recommend it? Sure. It’s a good solid Nora. You won’t be disappointed.