🐾 Guarded by the AI by Cassie Alexander

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Reviewed by: Peanut, the Ginger Dachshund, Blanket Tunnelling Expert & Suspicion Specialist

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I don’t know what an “AI” is exactly, but I’m pretty sure it’s like a human who never needs snacks and is always on alert—which is impressive, but also deeply suspicious. This book has danger, feelings, and a whole lot of watching over someone, all of which I respect immensely. The AI guard takes protection very seriously, something I relate to on a personal level, as I protect my human from the mailman, stray dust mites, and any suspicious leaf that moves incorrectly.

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The romance parts made me tilt my head more than once, because humans get very emotional instead of simply licking each other to show affection, but I admired the loyalty. Loyalty is good. Loyalty is everything. There’s also a lot of tension. I don’t know what a “slow burn” is, but I do know what waiting for a treat feels like, and this felt exactly like that.

Now let’s address the elephant in the room (I would bark at it, for the record). Cassie Alexander openly acknowledges using AI to help write parts of the book, which I respect—honesty matters. If you are against AI in any form when it comes to writing, this probably isn’t the book for you. However, if you enjoy way-out-there science-fiction romance with heat and creative world-building, you may find yourself pleasantly surprised by how the author weaves the story together.

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Four out of five tail wags!

🐾🐾🐾🐾

 

🐾 Golden in Death by J.D. Robb

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Reviewed by: Peanut, the Ginger Dachshund, Blanket Tunnelling Expert & Suspicion Specialist

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This book starts with a nice human opening a package and then immediately dying, which I strongly object to, because packages are supposed to mean good things, like treats and toys; certainly not poison. Eve Dallas is called in, and nothing about the case smells right. As she and her pack, especially Peabody, dig into the past of a kind pediatrician who didn’t deserve this, things only get stranger, and when another person dies the same way, Eve goes into full determination mode. I respect that. I do the same when one of my tennis ball rolls under the couch.

I stayed alert the entire time. No naps. That’s how you know a book is good. So far there are fifty books in this series, and the author keeps them coming. J.D. Robb (AKA Nora Robers if you didn’t know.) delivers a tense, twisty mystery that keeps you pacing in circles trying to figure it out. The clues unfold at just the right pace, and I didn’t catch on until Eve did, which felt fair and satisfying.

What really makes Golden in Death work is the pack. Eve, Roark and her partner, Peabody, and the others fit together exactly the way they should, and Eve and Roark are bonded on a soul level, which I understand, because I also follow my human everywhere, including the bathroom. Fast-paced, smart, and impossible to put down, this book proves the series still has plenty of bite. I now require the next one. After a nap.

 

Five out of Five tail wags!

🐾🐾🐾🐾

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🐕 Peanut's Final Opinion

Both books were intense, which I like almost as much as blankets and being underfoot. I recommend them to humans who enjoy protection, persistence, and characters who refuse to quit. Much like me, a ginger dachshund who has decided this chair is mine forever.