Unleashed by Rachel Lacey

Title: Unleashed
Series: Love and Rescue
Author: Rachel Lacey
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Blurb:

What happens when you find the right one at the wrong time?

Cara Medlen has a serious case of animal attraction. And it’s not because of all the foster dogs she’s rescued. She’s got it bad for her incredibly sexy neighbor. Her one rule: Don’t get attached. It’s served her well with the dogs she’s given to good homes and the children she’s nannied. Yet the temptation of Matt’s sexy smile might just convince her that some rules are made to be broken.

Matt Dumont doesn’t need his skills as a private investigator to detect disaster on the horizon. Cara is everything he thought he’d never find-gorgeous, funny, and caring. But there’s no way he can start a relationship just as he’s about to move to another state. Talk about bad timing. As their attraction sizzles too hot to deny, they’ll have to make a decision: forget the consequences and let loose, or forget each other and let go.

I read this series out of order, but I did not get confused. Each book can be read on its own, but to better understand the story, you should read all the books.

Cara Medlen cannot believe her home owners association. They want her to get rid of her dogs, and to never bring a new one home. This is a very difficult thing to do, since she is one of the few foster homes for Triangle Boxer Rescue. Which her best friend Mary had founded.

None of the dogs she takes in are hers to keep, but she falls in love with them all and cry happy tears when they go to loving families.

The reason for not keeping any of the animals for herself is that Cara has a ten year goal in mind, and in her focus to reach that goal, Cara decided not to get attached to anything or anyone.

Her plans take a nose dive when she finally met her sexy (totally smoking hot, if you ask me) next door neighbor, who she has been eyeing for the past year, but did nothing about it.

Matt Dumont always noticed his next door neighbor but they never seem to find a way to introduce themselves to each other. Every time they saw each other, it was as if she was avoiding him. He appeased himself by looking at her play with her dogs in her back yard.

On the faithful day that they met, he saw the dogs fighting in the back yard, and that made him very suspicious. Since he moved in, he have seen her bring in different dogs all the time, and seeing the dogs fight made him think that she was into illegal dog fights.

As a private investigator, he’s seen his fair share of crime and marched himself over to finally meet the gorgeous next door neighbor. The sexual tension was noticeable when they kept there distance, but when face to face, the attraction sizzles and sparks between the two.

Too bad that Matt is leaving town and Cara still has two years until her goal is reached. Would Matt stay in town and pursue Cara? Would Cara forget about her ten year plan and pursue Matt? Would Matt ever solve his current case? Find out in the first installment of the Love to Rescue Series, Unleashed.

Rachel Lacey wrote an amazing story that made me cry. I don’t know what it was about this book but I cried at various parts of the book and they are mostly due to the dogs and one heartbreaking kid. I’ll leave it up to you to find those parts of the book.

Cara was very careful in this story. Ten years is what her doctor gave to her and she kept her life on hold for eight with two more to go. Unfortunately for her plan, Matt and two wonderful, amazing dogs made her have to change her plans. Which if you think about it, was not so bad.

Matt has some serious trust issues. If you can’t trust your own brother, who have never let you down (there is no evidence in this book that he did) then, yes, he has trust issues. Evidence that supports this is when he got all fatherly at Cara for saving two dogs, “illegally”.

It became even more prominent with this new client he took in. I mean seriously, a wife hires you to spy on her “cheating” husband, but you find nothing for weeks! I say something is wrong with the client in question. Every time he went after the husband I was shouting at him (out loud, quite loudly. And yes, my family did look at me weirdly) that he should double back and spy on the wife. It’s good when I’m right.

I love what Cara does for dogs and cats as well, occasionally, and I really wished that she lived her life to the fullest instead of barely having one at all. The death of her friend really got to her, and I thank Matt for being there for her, and her two dogs.

This story was inspiring and mind opening. Makes me feel like going out and adopt a shelter animal. I know I cannot do with Mara and her friend does, my heart would break over and over and leave me an empty shell. (big fat drops of tears rolling down my face).
Thoughts: Did I mention that I Love this author?
Grade: A