This well-written story takes place in Washington DC. Georgie is a rising star in the field of photojournalism who has attracted a creepy stalker. Even worse, she may have inadvertently documented a bomber at work in her last batch of photographs taken at a crowd scene, and the bomber will not rest until he secures the evidence. The FBI assigns handsome agent Brad and his K-9 unit dog to protect her, but the Feds haven’t ruled out the possibility that Georgie might be the bomber’s accomplice even though she knows she’s innocent. With so much danger and deceit afoot, Georgie and Brad both try to play it safe and deny their mutual attraction, but this only heightens their sexual tension.

Necessary Force has many good points including appealing characters, a strong setting in Washington DC, insider knowledge of the everyday situations that arise in photojournalism, and a fascinating insight into the close working relationship between cops and their canine partners. If you loved the Robert Crais book Suspect about a cop and his dog, you’ll be thrilled to get your hands on Necessary Force. My only problem with this novella is that its short length makes it more of a tasty appetizer than a full-course meal. For example, the identity of Georgie’s stalker is immediately obvious from the moment the character is first introduced, and that is simply because there isn’t room to develop red herrings in so short and streamlined a plot. I’d love to see what this talented author could do with the same subject matter but a much more substantial length.

Type of Romance: Male-Female Romance
Title: Necessary Force
Author: D.D. Ayres
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Subgenre: Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance
Setting: Washington DC
Sex Scenes: Level 3 - Subtle (see “Levels of Explicitness” in Related Links below)
Length: approximately 80 pages
Viewpoint: two third-person viewpoints (Georgie, Brad) that alternate by scene/chapter
Note: A free review copy of this novel was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley.com in exchange for a honest review. I received no compensation for this review from author or publisher. Look on Amazon.com for Necessary Force