The Search by Nora Roberts

Title: The Search  
Author: Nora Roberts 
Type: Novel
Genre: Romance 
Series: No  
Copyright: 2010  
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons 
Rating: 3 out of 5


Summary: From Good Reads
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.

To Fiona, Jaws is nothing she can't handle. Simon, however, is another matter. A newcomer to Orcas, he's a rugged and in-tensely private artist, known for the exquisite furniture he creates from wood. Simon never wanted a puppy-and he most definitely doesn't want a woman. Besides, the lanky redhead is not his type. But tell that to his hormones.

As Fiona embarks on training Jaws, and Simon begins to appreciate both dog and trainer, the past tears back into Fiona's life. A copycat killer has emerged out of the shadows, a man whose bloodlust has been channeled by a master with one motive: to reclaim the woman who slipped out of his hands...

Feelings: 
I enjoyed reading this book mostly because I love Labs and this book was full of them. Fiona has three very well behaved adults that she uses for search and rescue and  Simon has a lab puppy that is well terrorizing and chewing everything until Fiona starts to train him and give him some drive.

She looked past him, cooked her head. She saw the pup through the window now. a Lab-retriever mix, she judged--and currently very busy. "Your dog's eating your truck." "What?" He spun around. "Fuck!" ... "For God's sake." He wrenched open the door. "Goddamn it, what's wrong with you?" The puppy, obviously unafraid, unrepentant, leaped into the man's arms and slathered his face with eager kisses. (p.21)

At his wits ends he comes to Fiona which is rather humorous for a first meeting.

"Tell me you'll take him. I'll pay room and board." "It doesn't work like that." ... "I take him, I take you. ... If you're not going to commit to the dog, to his training, his health and well-being, I'll help you find a home for him." "I'm not a quitter." Simon jammed his hands in his pockets as once again Fiona threw the balls. "Besides, my mother would . . . I don't want to go there. She's got this idea that since I moved out here, I need companionship. It's a wife or a dog. She can't give me a wife, so..." (p. 23-24).

As Fiona begins to train Jaws and Simon both man and dog learn and become more attached to each other. Living on a small island Fiona and Simon are in close quarters. And while they both claim that the other is not their type it becomes clear pretty fast, in Romance style, that they are attracted and interested.

I liked that there were dogs in this novel but I found that while some of them had very distinct personalities, Fiona's dogs didn't really stand out as being all that different to me. Thus I had a hard time remembering which dog was which.

I have also started to notice a new theme in the non-series books. Female character is strong willed and doesn't need a man. Man comes along, woman likes the man but tries not to. Man and Woman end up together. Woman is in danger but doesn't want help, and feels that asking for help is a burden to those around her. Man insists on being their for her even when she tries to push him away. Man and Woman realize they are in love, not at the same time of course. Danger becomes more prominent and Man is there for Woman when danger comes to climax. Man and Woman are very happy and are getting married.

I'm getting a little bit tired of this new plot cycle and wonder if maybe I just overlooked it in the older books. The characters are still what make the books interesting. I liked the characters in here just didn't like the story as much and the plot didn't interest me as much as it could have. I guess I liked the mystical older books a bit more than this one.

For those that like Nora Roberts and love dogs this is probably a good read for you.