Review / Blog Tour: Scapegoat (Working Dogs #1) by J.R. Gray

SCAPEGOAT by J.R. Gray

Release Date: February 9th

Genre/Tropes: Brother's best friend/Second chance/Small town/Police/K9/Hurt comfort/Single dad/Out for you/Childhood best friends

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Blurb
Special Agent Nolan Hudson

At seventeen, I ran. I joined the military and planned to never step foot in my home town again. Nothing could make me return to that hellhole and the pain I buried there, or so I thought— until I found myself on a plane to that very place.

Almost two decades later, I’m forced home to help find a missing nine year old. As a member of the most elite K9 special unit in the country, it was my job and you can’t exactly say no to the FBI. It should be easy, and I won’t have to face what I ran from.

However, the case is anything but simple and to make matters worse, I’m faced with the last person I ever wanted to see again: Officer Callum Stone— the sheriff’s son and the town’s golden boy. Only he’s not anymore—he’s a ruin of what he once was.

It’s Callum’s kid who’s missing, and all the feelings I’d spent almost twenty years running from rise to the surface.

As secrets come to light, we realize our small town is hiding a lot more than we thought, and we’ll have to follow the trail of deception to get justice and maybe a second chance at love.

MY REVIEW

Nolan's on the way back to the place he never wanted to be again, but when his job commands he go back to help find a missing child, he knows he can't say no. Here's hoping he doesn't run into the ex who decimated his heart all those years ago. Just his luck it's Callum's child who's missing. Now he just has to hope he can maintain an outward indifference to the man he still hasn't gotten over...

Callum too has never gotten over his ex. The difference being he's the reason Nolan left town, the reason they've both had broken hearts ever since. But when Nolan comes back to town on the job, will this be a second chance for them? Or is Nolan too jaded now to let Callum back into his heart?

I mostly enjoyed this second chance story, but not so much for the romance but for the mystery aspect. I loved Callum's daughter, and especially loved Nolan's dog/partner Snoop. The actual relationship was probably my least favorite part of the story, though, because I felt the connection between the two men was lacking in intensity and strength. I didn't really believe Callum deserved a second chance, quite frankly, but I was rooting for Nolan to find happiness. Since Callum was the man he loved, he got a pass, but only because of that. I am planning on checking out the rest of the series, though, even though this first one wasn't my favorite second chance story. The writing was good, though, the pace steady, and there were some standout characters in Maddie and Snoop. There were also some secondary characters whose stories I'm definitely interested in - Knox and Hayes, and I'm hoping they'll both find love and happiness too.

About the Author
Gray is a cynical Chicago native, who drinks coffee all day, barely sleeps, and is a little too fashion obsessed. He writes realistic and damaged characters because everyone deserves a happily ever after.

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