Solid book. It deals with the "defund the police" topic really well for the central plot, and is probably the strongest part of the book. Natasha is a social worker brought on by the Lieutenant to test having one at certain calls (primarily dealing with mentally ill calls). She's partnered with Tommy, who's a pretty black and white cop, coming from an all cop family.

Tension between the two sides is obviously going to happen, but it doesn't last too long. There is instant flirtation on Natasha's side, and Tommy isn't immune. Their banter and falling in love is cute. Not off the charts hot, but I found them enjoyable with each other since they communicated so well. I especially enjoyed Natasha being brought into the whole Finch clan. I'd love to have a book with Harry as the MC.

Overall, nice enjoyable read.

I had to DNF this book as I couldn't get into the story at all or connect with the characters. A real shame but this book was just not for me.

Courage by Jesse J. Thoma 3.75 Stars

I really liked Thoma's book, Serenity so I picked up her latest, Courage. I was a number of chapters into it when I realized this book was in the same universe as Serenity. Duh. So really, if you haven't read Serenity yet, you can easily read this one. But I do highly recommend reading Serenity, which I gave 5 stars.

This is about policewoman Tomasina “Tommy” Finch who is assigned a new partner. Tommy comes from a family which just about every member is a police officer and her mother is practically a legend. Tommy's new ride-along partner, is mental health clinician/social worker Natasha Parsons. Tommy is skeptical about the experimental program. Natasha's job would be to deal with public who are having mental issues, trauma etc. Tommy thinks Natasha would just put herself and Tommy in danger.

In general, the current procedure when the police officers are confronted with a member of the public in mental crisis which may or may not be drug induced is to confront the person, subdue and arrest. Natasha wants to change that by tying to talk and calm the person and evaluate if they need to go to the hospital, mental facility and/or determine if they are dangerous to themselves or public.

This is a good book that deals with Tommy and Natasha's attraction to each other even as they clash over how best to deal with the public – Tommy feels Natasha is putting herself and others in danger and Natasha feels the police escalate the problem rather than helping. Their forbidden romance only puts the program in jeopardy that Tommy eventually sees is working.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love all books by this author, can highly recommend. Just wonderful. The main characters are well developed and its so well written you feel personally involved in the journey.

This is an interesting and complex book with excellent lead protagonists. The narrative fits a lesfic trope of a dedicated cop falling in love with an unsuitable and unlikely partner but Ms Thoma brings a depth and light touch to the novel that makes it an easy and rewarding read. The two leads are lovable and carrying baggage and history and dance around their attraction. The book starts with a shock and then takes us back and sets the scene from before to take us to that moment. It works here because the author handles it very confidently.

Tommy is a cop and Natasha is a social worker who is part of a new pilot scheme to intervene and deescalate domestic incidents to help reduce the impact on courts and families. Needless to say Tommy is not happy being saddled with the do gooder who she will have to baby sit. And neither of them are really that sure initially on how to deal with things that occur.

I’ve read a few books by Ms Thoma and I will continue to read her work as there is a deft handling of plot and character in all of her books. I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I really like this one. The program both MC's were involved got my attention from the beginning. I like the idea in general. The hot and cold to start between characters and the absolute welcome in the family in the middle and end was so uplifting.
I don't think we see often, but it happens that, sometimes, it is not your personal family but the one that you take on who will complete your life.
I found both characters perfect for each other.
Very good Book.

I’ve enjoyed previous works from this author, and yet again she delivers. If nothing else you can read this book for an interesting hands on view of what it might look like if a properly trained crisis team responded to mental health related police calls instead of the many headlines we read where another person is injured or dies in police custody because the police were unprepared or undertrained. What I enjoyed the most were the two leads, Natasha and Tommy, who are exceptional and caring people. Maybe they are a little too perfect, but we could use some of that these days, especially from an actual good cop such as Tommy. An enjoyable story indeed. I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This romance could be considered book 2 of the Serenity Series. Not sure if Thoma is classifying it as such, but some of the characters from that romance is in this one. I think I liked this one equally to Serenity.

Tommy Finch comes from a long like on cops. (I think Tommy's sister would be a main if there is another book in this series). She is a hard worker and eager to move up in the ranks like her mother did. She does not want to be part of the new program where a Social worker is teamed up with her to help Police learn how to diffuse mental health situations. This mental health worker is Natasha Parson. Natasha just wants to help and Tommy doesn't want to be told how to do her job.

This made for a very good read. From the moment Tommy and Natasha meet the chemistry is electric. Sure, Tommy doesn't want to work with Natasha and she makes it known on the first day, but as you read through the books it shows how they begin to work with each other and also figure out how to resist each other. Thoma really does a great job with developing these mains and she also gives us a enough supporting characters to make the story have some depth, but not too many where you can't remember who is who. There is also some suspense that is part of the story that further helps you want to keep reading. Courage pulled me in and kept me reading and hoping for more to come in future books.

4.5 stars.

This arc was provided by netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

“Courage” by Jesse J. Thoma is a cop drama with a twist and also with a dash of romance.

Tommy Finch is a cop from a family of cops. She’s a good, experienced cop and goes by the book with everything she does while trying to live up to the Finch name. Natasha Parsons is a social worker who is assigned to be Tommy’s ride-along partner in a bid to bridge the gap with mental health and substance use calls. Tommy isn’t thrilled part of a program where her policing is being called into question.

The plot and story were fine and relevant. I enjoyed reading the storyline about a social worker who starts going on calls with the police. I found the calls the responded to interesting and varied and it brought light to me at least, about everything cops have to deal with along with traffic and crime. Especially things they aren’t in any way equipped to deal with, like mental illness. I liked that this isn’t common to read in lesfic and thought Thoma did really with this aspect of the book.

My issue with “Courage” is the dash of romance aspect. Tommy and Natasha meet and sparks fly immediately. They flirt and have a token resistance to their relationship as it’s against rules to date your partner. I did like them together, especially all of their bickering and arguing. They obviously had the same goals and objectives while working together but each had very different ways of getting there. They always tried their best to be open minded with one another and eventually learned from one another. However, it felt like Thoma forgot about the romance until the last quarter of the book and by then Tommy and Natasha had already said I love you’s and had sex before they ever went on an official date. I guess you could say that they were dating the whole time as they weren’t shy about their feelings or attraction but I feel like I missed out on the small things that I love about romances. When I read a romance, I want an actual romance, not just the highlights.

While I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone wanting a romance or romance heavy. This is well written and I would recommend it for someone who’s looking for something different and doesn’t mind the romance being in the background.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.

I had not read anything by Jesse Thoma until last year's Serenity, and it blew me away. It was a non-typical romance involving a heroin addict, and it was five stars for me. The title Courage didn't dawn on me until I saw the Serenity Prayer at the beginning of the book, so now I'm hoping Wisdom is next.

This is the story of a dyed-in-the-wool police officer and a social worker who ride together in hopes of saving maybe some people who would normally slip through the cracks. They each hate the idea at first so there's a slight enemies-to-lovers feel but neither of them can deny their chemistry. They also know they can't act on it while they are partnered. Each has a different family dynamic that created their backgrounds, and they really worked for me.

Jesse Thoma is a really great writer who deserves more attention.

7/10

I admit, I really got into this book with so much caution. Why?

A/ never been a big fan of cops
B/ the past like 4 ARCs left me >so disappointed.

But it turned out really well.

I ended up loving almost everyone in this book but mostly the family they formed in the end. Well the family Natasha finally found. The ending scenes really got me crying, damn. I defintely recommend you read this book.

So, why not a higher rating?*

1/ Natasha said something like "... my clinical opinion..." and it got me confused. She seems to be a social worker therefore she can't really give any clinical opinions.** That annoyed me, I guess.

2/ Social worker isn't a miricle worker. Natasha's right about everything, she's painted (well, written) like a saint and all the cases come out perfect when she's there. Too perfect to feel real and that unnaturalness kinda annoyed me even more.

3/ Not really a flaw but it did seem weird how everything was almost too smooth between Tommy and Natasha. Again, kinda unnatural. But they cute so -


This is a pretty solid (and first) book by Jesse J. Thoma I've read. Looking forward to reading more of her books!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.


* I'm too picky, I know.

** Unless she really is a clinical/medical social worker which didn't really seem like it.

2 stars. Natasha Parsons is a ride-along mental health clinician who gets partnered with officer Tommy Finch. Tommy's whole family are cops and she wants to be just as good as her mother was. Tommy is a good officer through and through. She cannot also help that she is attracted to her new partner, Natasha. Natasha is attractive and easy to talk to, even if they clash about everything involved in being each other's partners. Natasha thinks differently when it comes to mental health than Tommy does and is trying to prove to Tommy and other officers that she can help with certain calls.

This book was fine. It was not a bad novel, I just thought the romance was a bit over the top. Tommy is a bit too protective from the beginning and I did not like that. Natasha and Tommy's romance evolved a little too quick for my liking and I did not like that at all. There was no slow burn, it kind of seemed like they instantly fell in love with each other which is never my favorite storyline. I would not recommend this novel. I read it quickly, but I do not want to read it again and there are many better novels to read. I just never got the full feeling that they were falling for each other, and I wish there was a little more tension between the characters. This novel was also very forgettable.

4.5 out of 5 stars
Courage is a very appropriate book for this period of time when the actions of police departments are being questioned. It explores the need of having social workers riding along with officers to help with some delicate cases.

The local police department has decided to assess a new policy of having a social worker, Natasha Parsons, ride along with an experienced officer, Tommy Finch. Natasha is looking forward to this new assignment and cannot wait to be in the field. Unfortunately, her position is not looked upon by the police personnel as one which is helpful in any situation. When Tommy is assigned to work with Natasha, she feels that putting a civilian in the line of fire is extremely dangerous and one that should not be allowed. From the beginning Natasha and Tommy butt heads, but another element comes rushing to the forefront—they are instantly attracted to each other.

Ms. Thoma has written a good police mystery. It is interesting how she presents the issue of police departments implementing the use of mental health personnel. She brings up some very thought-provoking ideas. The characters in this book are very well developed and readers will instantly find a connection. The plot is solid and flows well. I hope that Ms. Thoma will continue to write books which bring important issues to the attention of the public.

I recommend this book and rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Well written book revolving around current events that bring two people into a new view of their immediate world.

Tommy bleeds blue - every member of her family is some flavor of first responder. Tommy is the epitome of GOOD cop - she is admired for her moral compass, working well within the rules and her drive to be the best she can be.

Natasha is pretty much the same in attitude- doing what she can for the under represented, working to change how cops respond to substance abuse and mental health crises.

The story follows Tommy and Natasha negotiating how to better serve the community, working to improve a broken system.

Along the way, Tommy and Nat find friendship, understanding and, if they can keep open minds and hearts, true love.

I recommend this book for an afternoon'of lazy reading. This book makes you want to see more by this author.

[Content warnings: manipulation, gun shot, graphic sex]

I was initially hesitant about picking up this romance centered around police work, but since I really enjoyed Thoma’s previous novel SERENITY, I had to give this a go. And Thoma didn’t disappoint: she did a good job of tackling the topic of police reform.

Natasha Parsons comes from money. But instead of attending galas and standing around looking pretty, she loves her job as a social worker and is passionate about using her skills to deescalate crises. Tommy Finch comes from a family of cops. When she gets paired with Natasha, a civilian who needs her protection, she is less than thrilled.

That is the synopsis you are going to get from me because I still cannot figure out the romance storyline. It’s instalust on day one when they still sort of dislike each other, and all their early moments are thoughts about how the other person is gorgeous and hot. I felt mostly confused and didn’t feel any chemistry. If this weren’t a romance, I would’ve enjoyed it immensely more.

I really liked Natasha though. I love that she believes in herself and believes in her job. And then there is Tommy, who seems cool but that’s it. The Finch family is very lovely, especially compared to Natasha’s, and if there is going to be a sequel starring Harry, Tommy’s sister, and maybe Kayla, Natasha’s best friend, I would love to see more moments with Alice Finch, Harry and Tommy’s mother.

The book opens with one intense scene where Natasha is trying to deescalate the situation and the rest of the story is told in chronological order. I didn’t think that particular choice added anything to the book. Throughout the read, while Thoma’s writing and the overall plot is smooth and enjoyable, there is something odd about the feel of time, like one second they were here and the next they were across the room, and also some of the dialogues. None of these bothered me too much but I did have to pause and reread sometimes.

For me, the story picked up pace some 70% into the book. I liked the cameos of some characters from SERENITY, and how Zookeeper is a somewhat important character here, but at 70% or so is when the stakes are higher. Also, the sort-of romance conflict was done well as it was very plausible, nothing too dramatic, and didn’t happen too close to the ending. The overall pacing of COURAGE, maybe sans the romance, was very good.

All in all, I liked the approach to the topic of police reform, but since it is also a romance, I couldn’t say I particularly enjoyed reading about Natasha and Tommy falling in love.

While reading the story description, I thought about what is going on in the country today in regards to law enforcement and the public. I thought about how many times when officers are called to a scene, there are many occasions when the issue is related to domestic violence, drug/alcohol abuse, or mental health. I also thought about what it would be like to enter someone's space, access the situation, then make a decision that could potentially lead to arrest, injury, or death. In my opinion, a ride along mental health clinician is a plausible option.

I enjoyed the strong personalities of Tommy Finch and Natasha Parson. I also appreciated the different backgrounds and thought it contributed well to the stories. I wish their families had been fleshed out more, especially Natasha.

Tommy Finch came from a family that stood for law and order. Her mother and her sister were both cops like Tommy. Tommy wanted to write her detectives exam so she could move up the chain of command. She’s not interested in a relationship, preferring to play once in a while with the woman who themselves weren’t interested either. Lately she didn’t date all that much. Now the bosses in her department decided to try a new way of dealing with the calls that came from the menially ill or drug addicts. Most cops were not trained how to manage these calls and the city wanted to try seeing how retraining would work.
Natasha Parson, mental health clinician was the person charged with making it work. Now she finally had the chance to show how her method worked better for everyone. The bonus was having Tommy Finch, a hot butch as her partner. She comes from money and thanks to a trust fund she doesn't needn't help from her parents. They weren’t on her side. Now she’s doing the work she’s trained for.
Ms Thoma has given us a story that we’ve seen before but she tells us her version and made this a really nice read. Wonderful way to spend some time just being quiet. Very enjoyable book.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books

This is a police story, with protagonists serving in the police department of a large American city. One of the protagonists is Natasha, a social worker who wants to try to implement a police action system with cases of the mentally ill or people in need of psychological help, which can provide medical assistance instead of punishment. The other protagonist is Tommy, a family saga cop, with father, mother, brother and sister also in the police force, one way or another.

Of course, Tommy does everything according to the rules and has a very conservative police behavior. Natasha's pretensions cannot be positive and will only hinder police work. But it is Tommy who is designated as Natasha's partner, so they both have to learn to live with each other, which is difficult at first. But the fact that they are both attracted to each other will make it a little easier. Or maybe it won’t make it any easier.

Both are multifaceted, even complex characters, especially Natasha. Both have a strong will and resist when they have to assess whether they can start a relationship, their professional goals are too important to risk everything. But there are things they will have to face by force, even if they don’t want to.

For me, this has been an interesting story, very entertaining and with rhythm. And with a little tension and excitement in some parts. I really enjoyed it.

I thought this was okay, even if its very relevant themes are handled with care. I thought the romance between social worker Natasha Preston and supercop Tommy Finch fell a little flat, even as I felt their interactions on the job were fascinating. Natasha and Tommy are just a little too perfect to be true, but it kind of helps them talk out their positions on the matter without being too dramatic.

The push and pull between social work and policing is hashed out really well. Tommy represents a relatively positive portrayal of a good cop who is used to doing something one way, but when challenged to try a new approach is willing to do it, but with a few questions along the way. No one likes to have their experience and expertise questioned in the way that Tommy had to deal with with Natasha, but because Natasha proved that an experienced and dedicated mental health professional can make a difference in police interactions (studies show this, too). Nat is a little too superhumanly persuasive to be realistic, but I like that she inhabits the traits of a lot of social workers; she's fearless, full of passion, and compassionate.

I'd say that this is a nice book to read where the issues are more important to the plot than the two leads getting together, and it kind of shows. I felt like they lacked romantic chemistry, even as they were always fun to have together. It is weird. I liked reading about them together, but didn't think about them in romantic terms. Just didn't quite feel the romantic build up the way I usually do.

Recommended though, especially for the relevant topics and fans of solid workplace romances.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I am pleased to have discovered her work. This story spans events over more than a year but moved along nicely to a very gratifying conclusion. It is also a timely story about the challenging work the police are forced to do in the absence of alternatives. The book managed to avoid being overtly political while addressing a highly political subject.

“Courage” is the tale of Tomasina (Tommy) Finch, the latest in a long line of respected police officers on her way to detective, and Natasha Parsons, a social worker seeking to change how police interact with those who have mental health and/or drug issues. Tommy is not happy to be saddled with a civilian riding along, telling her how to do her job. Natasha knows her biggest hurdle will be getting the police to understand that she is not the enemy, but an additional tool they can employ. Both have a deep commitment ‘to serve and protect’ and the courage to dive head-first into dangerous situations. As they navigate their partnership, keeping everything purely professional proves more difficult every day. The only thing stronger than their mutual attraction is their dedication to duty.

Tommy and Natasha struggling to keep their careers intact and to further the program kept me involved and entertained. Anticipating their being together, having to refrain from following their hearts (and other body parts) was exquisite torture. I kept imagining the author saying, “wait for it, wait for it…” The payoff was certainly worth it! Throw in family secrets, scheming relatives, a Zookeeper, and the uncertainties of responding to calls for help and you have an exceptionally satisfying story.

I loved the supporting characters. They were crucial to the plot, interesting, and not merely filler. I would welcome a sequel about Tommy’s sister Harry. The character of Zookeeper was especially fascinating and I would love to know her story as well.

I very highly recommend this book and I fervently hope there is at least one sequel.