I simply loved it. The chemistry between the MC is great, Tommy is the perfect butch, a gentlewoman and a sweetheart and Natasha, no doubts about it, stole the show completely. She is not a damsel in distress and is full of sass and fire. The dialogues keep your attention as if you were watching a tennis match and the continuous banter is delicious.
The beginning the of the book catches you immediately, the story develops beautifully and the end is sweet and spicy as Tommy and Nat are.
Now I need to read about Harry.

This is my first from the author but not my last.

*I was given an ARC for an honest review*

This book is a slow burn romance and I thought it was well written. It was witty and also shines a light on issues that are currently going on today.
Tommy Finch is an excellent police officer and is partnered with Natasha Parson (Blackstone) a ride along social worker who believes that not everyone who commits a crime belongs in jail. She strongly believes that some criminals commit certain crimes because they're mentally unstable and should be given the opportunity to get the help they need. She's very good at her job and has knack for calming down some serious situations between cops and civilians.
Both main character had great chemistry. trusted each other and communicated well. I must say I really enjoyed Tommy's relationship with her family. especially how close she was with her sister Harry.
Well done 5 stars.

PS. I think the next book should be about Harry...

I received an ARC from the Publisher Bold Strokes Books Inc via NetGalley for my honest opinion.

If I'm being honest it took me quite a few chapters to get into 'Courage' by Jesse j Thoma. I do love a good cop story and once I got into this story I flow through the pages.
The book is full of action, drama, and romance. The story is good, and nothing seems to be rushed like found in other cop stories I've read over the years. The slow-burn romance is most definitely there and is certainly off the charts when they do finally get there. I would like to see a sequel, not sure if that will happen tho but would like to see how things grow between the pair and to see how things actually improve in the local police department with the help of the new program and Natashas help.

Natasha Parson is a ride-along mental health clinician attached to the local police department. She runs into danger, minus a gun or a badge to try and de-escalate crises. She confident at her job, and quick when it comes to an emergency. But she's finding it hard to convince her new work colleagues and her new partner who goes by the book, humorless and finds it hard to convince her she's an asset and not the enemy.

For Tommy Finch, being a cop is in her blood. Her family comes from a lineup of cops and she grew up learning how to protect and serve with honor and integrity. Getting saddle with a shrink who reckless and brash isn't something Tommy signed up for. She feels she can't do her job correctly when she's responsible for the safety of an unarmed civil.

No matter how often they class on the job, attraction simmers just beneath the surface.

This is the first book I've read by Jesse J Thoma, I gave it a nearly for 4*

I was given a copy for an honest review.

4.5⭐️ – You can always count on Jesse J. Thoma to write solid but tender stories.

Sometimes on TV shows, the exposure scene happens in the present then viewers are taken back two hours, two days, two months earlier. That’s how Courage begins, straight into action and drama, then we’re dragged back eighteen months to the events that led to this moment. As a consequence, while we’re witness to how the relationship between Natasha and Tommy begins, on the professional as well as on the personal sides, while we see them learn to work together, get to know each other, and, yes, fall in love, there’s this sword of Damocles hanging above them. And that’s not even counting how difficult things get when Natasha’s family’s interests clash with her job.

Tomasina “Tommy” Finch is an excellent cop, always trying to be even better. Still, when she’s partnered with a social worker as part of what she sees as a PR stunt, she isn’t happy. She doesn’t need anyone to tell her how to do her job since she already does it well. Natasha Parsons is passionate about her job and willing to stand up to anyone who will get in the way and prevent her from helping those who need her. Jail isn’t always the right answer to a crime and Natasha’s job is to assess tricky situations when a perpetrator (and society) would benefit more from treatment or other kinds of help than jail time. She also has a gift to diffuse explosive circumstances and pretty soon, Tommy’s reluctance turns to respect, and more.

Neither Natasha nor Tommy are rule-breakers and dating your partner is a huge no-no. Such a powerful attraction can only be resisted for so long and that leads to stolen kisses, each more feverish than the last, lingering fingers – Natasha can’t seem to keep her hands off Tommy, especially off her cheeks, even before anything happens between them, and all that forbidden relationships should be.

Thoma writes very endearing characters, extraordinary people in normal lives. I think I’m in love with Natasha. I’m pretty sure I am, actually, and it only took a couple of chapters. She’s perfectly secure in who she is, despite the way she’s been treated by her obscenely rich parents and it only goes to show how strong she really is. She’s brilliant, driven and the kind of smartass I love in lesfic. Tommy is more basic but she’s a sweetheart and never stood a chance against Natasha’s charisma.

Another very strong point of this book is the secondary cast. From Tommy and Natasha’s colleagues to Natasha’s best friend and, above all, Tommy’s family, they’re all excellent characters. I wouldn’t say no to a story with Harry, Tommy’s older sister, as a main character.

A slow burn romance with plenty of sparks and chemistry, Courage is set in the same universe as Serenity (I’m hoping a third book is on its way, we could all do with some wisdom) and while it can probably be read as a standalone, you’ll appreciate one of the story arcs better if you have read Serenity first and have more background.

ARC provided to Les Rêveur for an honest review.

This was a really good book.. The author did a good job of telling the story of what's going on in our world today without getting overly preachy about it. I loved the relationships between the characters. Tommy and Natashas relationship was so well written and you could see them get closer as the story progressed. Tommy and her sister Harry and their parents and siblings were so loving and hilarious together, I just loved everything about this book and can't wait for the next book by this author to be written hopefully Harry will get her own story. I would definitely recommend this book to all my friends and family.

Courage by Jesse J. Thoma was the first book by this author I have encountered, however, it is her sixth novel!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Tommy is a cop in a family of ALL cops. She was born to bleed blue. She is stopped in her tracks when Natasha, a social worker, is assigned to be her partner as part of the "ride-along" program the station is trialing. Tommy is hesitant to any sort of "police reform" or a new course of action for mental health crises or substance abuse issues that they encounter on the streets. She is shocked to learn that Natasha has many skills that she lacks when it comes to de-escalation. Predictably, they fall in love and must learn how to navigate their partnership and love life.

I LOVED that Thoma brought in the issue of police reform, black lives matter, and "defund the police" in a story that made so much sense. It seemed that the research was really done on this plotline, and it felt like it really sold how well social workers can work alongside police, without making it a "political book." I can't express enough how well I thought that part of the story was done.

However, I think the work plotline was at the expense of the love story. I didn't find that I connected to their emotions as well as I connected to their work lives.

The writing was funny, but a little too "punny" at times... perhaps that was supposed to be the character's personality.

I do think this book has the potential for a sequel, featuring Tommy's sister Harry! :)





SPOILERS AHEAD:
Specifically, I felt like one moment they were enemies, and the next they were in love. I didn't find it believable that they could go 18 MONTHS without exploring their relationship. It felt like the time lapsed quickly, but there was not a lot of explanation for what was happening during those months.
I am so appreciative that this issue was covered in the book, and I appreciated reading about it. I think I would have wished for the book to be a little longer so that the relationship between Tommy and Natasha could have been explored further when they were allowed to have it.

Mostly this book provides a timely reminder that policing doesn’t have to end in tragedy and that there are other ways of responding to people having a mental health or addiction crisis. This theme is very cleverly woven into the story and it’s a testament to how good the author is that even with this serious a theme, there is also a believable romance as well. The back to front timeline is incredibly deft and really adds to the tension created by one of the characters who is a tad reckless despite the good intentions. I’d like to read more about Harry and bizarrely I’d also like more back story on the parents too. I’m not used to wanting to know about the parents. Definitely scope for a volume two.

Cops do not like others thinking they can do a better job. This is the beginning of this book. Tommy Finch, is a cop who comes from a family of cops and is on track to be a detective. When she is paired up with Natasha Parsons, a ride along social worker, she is less than thrilled. It isn't long before Tommy realizes that Natasha is very skilled in talking people down without the use of force. It isn't long before Tommy and Natasha realize there is more than a working relationship building between the two of them. Seeing them trying to resist what is inevitable makes this a great read!
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review..

Jesse J. Thoma is a new-to-me author, so I did not really know what to expect. But, this is an enjoyable enemies-to-lovers romance between a police officer and a social worker/ mental health clinician. Tommy comes from a family of cops and is working her way to become a detective. She's worked hard to prove herself. Then, she's forced by the powers that be to be partnered with a social worker. Natasha is a social worker who specializes in mental health issues. For Tommy and the other cops in her department, being forced to babysit a civilian does not seem like a good use of their time. Good thing Nat has a forceful, stubborn personality, ready to change these opinions for the better.
I like the story and the subsequent romance. The chemistry and attraction between the 2 mains are very apparent from the start. They try to restrain themselves though, being work partners and all. That ratchets up the tension, naturally. I also like the side characters, like Tommy's family and Nat's best friend. As a reader, I find myself cheering on Nat in her work and also in wanting Tommy and her to have a happy ever after.
**Thanks to Bold Strokes Book for giving me ARC in exchange for honest review.**

4.5 stars. This was the third book I read by Thoma and I think it’s save to say that I will automatically read them from now on, this was again a fantastic book. In this book two themes are intertwined and they both get the attention they deserve. In the first part of the book the focus lies on the police procedurals whereas the second part focuses more on the romance and their personal lives. I like how Thoma always seems able to write characters that feel very real even when they are dealing with some baggage that might not be too common.

Natasha is a social worker who is set on making an impact on policing concerning dealing with people affected by mental illnesses or substance abuse. Her new colleagues are skeptical if not rude, including her new partner Tommy. Tommy is an extremely dedicated and ambitious police officer, who is almost born into the police force, but she has no idea what to do or expect from a social worker. The last things she needs is a social worker telling her how to be a cop. You see that a lot of the hostility actually stems from fear of the unknown and even insecurity. The theme is very timely considering all the criticism surrounding the police force lately. What this book shows very nicely is that even cops like Tommy and some of her colleagues, who want to do the best they can to serve their community, can be set in certain customs that actually limit exploring other options and improving their ways. It touches upon some sore points, without being all negative or implying to improve the world miraculously.

There is immediate attraction between Natasha and Tommy even when they don’t even really like each other, but their romance develops quite slowly. Their personalities are different but evenly matched. Tommy is protective, confident and by the rules versus Natasha, who is flirty, explosive and has trouble with hierarchy. They are strong characters which reflected in their dialogues that were a joy to read. While feelings are soon acknowledged, they both feel that their partnership program could do a lot of good and a relationship would endanger the program, so they hold back.

The story is told in the third person from the POVs of Natasha and Tommy and has some interesting smaller storylines and strong female secondary characters. The book is situated in the same universe as “Serenity” (which I also loved btw), but can be read as a standalone. The dedication states: “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Both “Serenity” and “Courage” fit the description spot on and I have a feeling that we could expect a third book in this universe. I hope so, I’ll read it. If you enjoy a good police procedural you will probably like this, recommend!

I normally don't go for cop romance books, just never been my thing. But I really adored this book. Will for sure be reading more from this author in the future.

I love a serious police procedural. Add in an enchanting romance with beautiful characters, and you have the perfect novel. That is exactly what I found in Courage by Jesse J. Thoma.

Natasha Parsons is a mental health worker who is hired to ride along with a police officer to help with mental health and drug use calls. She is partnered with Tommy Finch. Tommy comes from a family that has policing in their DNA. She knows her job, and she doesn’t want any unarmed social worker riding along, endangering them both, and telling her how to do her job. This obviously sets up not only a workplace-romance scenario, but also an enemies-to-lovers relationship. Add in work, family, and community politics as well as the drama of police work in general, and you have an amazing story that I couldn’t put down.

I really liked the premise of this book and the author’s style of writing. The pace is perfect. The characters are realistic and easy to connect with. I was hooked on page one, and was sad to leave this tale when I reached the end.

I was a bit surprised to realize it, but this is my first Jesse J. Thoma novel. Obviously I have some catching up to do, because if her former books are as good as this one, I don’t want to miss any of them.

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

I love cop stories and Jesse J. Thoma has once again delivered a good one.

It takes a lot of courage to stand in front of a person in distress, especially if the person is armed, to calm them down and de-escalate the situation. Natasha Pearson, a social worker, has the tools to do this around the new ride-along program as a mental health clinician, where she is called to situations where people are ticking out because of mental distress or substance abuse, together with a cop as her partner. First, she is partnered with Tommy Finch, a cop through and through, from a family of cops. She is a role model and is absolutely convinced of the importance and rightness of good and fair police work. But being paired with a social worker is definitely not one of them. She has her concerns about safety when she has to babysit the unarmed Natasha and has no one to watch her back herself. How is that supposed to work?

Jesse J. Thoma brings two stories to life in parallel, one being the work and dynamics of the new ride-along program and how the two protagonists deal with it, and the other being the romance between the two. And I loved both strands. I loved sitting in the car with Tommy and Natasha and listening to them argue, fight and reach out to each other, and watching them slowly develop into a good team. They challenge not only their partner's work but their own to make the program a success and convince other police officers that it has many positive effects. The descriptions of the situations the two get into are great narration and kept me on the edge of my seat hoping for the best ending. I also liked the setup of the story, we experience a dangerous situation with Natasha and get stuck there but before the resolution, and are taken back a little over a year to only slowly learn how the situation came to be in the first place.

Both are attracted to each other from the beginning, despite all the arguments and fights. The chemistry is there, not overwhelmingly sparkling, but good chemistry. Because of the police rules about never having a relationship with a partner, the romance becomes a bit of a slow burn without really being a slow burn, if that makes sense to you. Because the author did a good job of showing the feelings of the two and how they struggle not to break the rules. I clicked with both of them from the beginning. Tommy and Natasha are confident and strong on the job, but as in real life not perfect, both also have their insecurities that shine through every now and then.

The supporting characters also play a strong role, especially Tommy's family, who show Natasha that there are indeed hard-working, loving, and caring families, not just on TV. In particular, Tommy's sister Harry and her mother play an important role. Her own family is the complete opposite, rich and spoiled, who think you can do anything with money.

I didn't know Thomas's book Serenity was set in the same environment, but Courage can easily be read as a standalone. I didn't feel like I missed anything important. But I will definitely read Serenity as well.

Highly recommended for anyone looking for a good cop/social worker story including angst and tricky situations.
My rating 4.5 stars.
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley for receiving an ARC for an honest review

What a great story.! Natasha a mental health specialist joins the local police department in a ride a long program aimed at identifying at risk people in crisis. She’s partnered with Tommy a seasoned officer who is not happy with someone who doesn’t carry a gun and doesn’t have her back. As they encounter these at risk individuals Tommy realizes she’s learning more then she thought she would.
As their attraction grows they find there are bumps along the way they must navigate. Can they trust each other? Will they find their happily ever after?
This action romance was much more then I expected and I can’t wait to read the next Jesse J Thoma book.

'ARC provided by both NetGalley and The Publisher in exchange for a honest review'

**'Talent is helpful in storytelling but guts are absolutely essential...Also the most delicious part of a story is thinking about it, rounding it out then turning it over and over..'

3.5stars!
My first book by Jesse J. Thoma and i'm not sure that i'll be committing to reading another of her books. My reasoning is that her overall writing style is just okay nothing to shout about -- way too detailed and nonsensical in certain parts. For instance, the relationship and romance was just way too instant; little chemistry, their romantic connection felt pretentious, only working chemistry etc..
'COURAGE' is deemed as a tale of police procedural that explores having a ride along social worker (experienced in mental health & drug issues) join law enforcement/police officer on those disturbing or menacing 911 calls into the nature of reality. At times during the storyline progression, Ms.Thoma could have given up some of these lengthy descriptions and be a bit more restraint when describing any character's body part for the sake of the drama and pacing -- even though her style of writing end up working well for this particular plotline she's trying to tell. Another thing that Ms.Thoma does really good in this story is to center all the policing activities and the social stuff on strong female characters --- whether it's the mother, the best friend, the sister, the lieutenant and most of all the two leads (Natasha & Tommy).
Both fans and interested readers of Ms.Thoma's writing will find themselves entertained by the many moments of witty dialogue then on the other-hand be angry and disgusted with the the behavior of a few unappealing characters only because this/they were important to the storytelling.
In the end, this is a serious, well-plotted and timely book that will give readers much to ponder and much to enjoy.

Natasha Parsons is a ride-along mental health clinician in the local police department. She is paired up with an officer and is supposed to help with various calls, that is, if the officer allows her. Cop blood runs through Tommy Finch’s veins. She believes in protect and serve and will not tolerate anyone that disrupts her job. When Tommy is paired with the new ride along clinician, she tries to ignore how hot the clinician is, and instead focus on how this new person is going to make her job harder and more dangerous. However, once Tommy sees Natasha working and its results, she starts to change her mind about Natasha and starts noticing the worth of having a clinician riding along. When their relationship goes form barely tolerating each other to non-denying attraction, they have to make the decision of wether to act on it and risk the program or save the program and ignore what what their hearts want.

I requested this book because it sounded interesting and I was happily surprise to find it not only interesting but also so real, raw and exactly what I wish would happen in real life. Amid the current situation with the police and all the chaos, this book and its situations were very real and will be very relatable for many people. It just had me wishing the ride-alongs were happening in real life.
In regards, to the book -- it was great!! very well written and both characters were interesting and complex. I specially loved Natasha and how flirty she was, but also, how good and passionate she was about her job. Both characters exhibit courage in different ways, both in their day-to-day work but also in their personal lives.

It was a great read with a very important message with a side of romance. You will not be disappointed!

I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. I have loved nearly everything written by this author. Unfortunately, this one fell a little short of the mark for me. I admit that some of it may be coming from the 17 years I worked in the mental health field. I love police procedurals and I had high hopes considering my history, but this was just t0o much mental health emergency centric for me. I feel bad saying that because it is an important issue and needs to be addressed especially as related to policing, so bravo to the author for writing this. It's well written and the characters are likable. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVES THIS BOOK! And I smell a sequel with Tommy’s sister...Please?!
Natasha and Tommy were two sides of the same coin, they just got each other, and they fit. I also loved that their relationship grew over time, like 18 months! But, I didn’t know that so much time had passed until the end of the book so I wished that there were references to the timeline throughout the book. But other than that this book gets 5 stars! The writing was great, the characters were fleshed out and in depth, the story was intriguing, and it all just worked! Nicely done.

4.5 stars. Set in the same universe as Serenity, Thoma has again done a great job of exploring difficult, relevant topics in an accessible way, whilst also managing to include a believable romance and some much needed elements of humour.

Natasha is a social worker with a great reputation on the street. She’s been hand-picked to work with the police as part of a ride-along programme to show how social workers paired with the police can deescalate situations and lead to more positive outcomes for those with mental health and addiction struggles.

Tommy is a cop from a family of cops. She’s not particularly impressed to have been landed with Natasha as her partner, no matter how good looking she thinks she is. She believes herself to be a good cop and isn’t sure why everyone feels Natasha will have something to offer - except perhaps to get her killed.

The book opens with a bang, then cuts back approximately 18 months to tell the story of how Natasha gets to that day. I’m not a huge fan of flashbacks in the majority of cases, but I actually enjoyed this approach for this book. It doesn’t give too much away and introduces some important characters whilst giving you something to provide some context on the journey back to that day.

Covering a number of difficult topics, in my opinion Thoma excels in her discussions of mental health, drugs and policing. The narrative forces you to think and examine your own thoughts and feelings on the topics without ever feeling too

The working relationship between Tommy and Natasha is great and this is where a lot of the humour comes in. I enjoyed the back and forth they both have, along with the way they both consistently reevaluated their approach to work, each other, the ride-along programme and their families. As a couple they have great chemistry and you can really imagine them together. I enjoyed the sort of slow burn they have to have due to the job and how this solidified their want for each other.

Tommy’s family are really well written, especially her mother and sister. I particularly enjoyed the family scenes at the dinner table and the grounding they provided for both the characters and the narrative.

You don’t need to have read Serenity to read this - one bit part character in Serenity appears here in a little more details and a couple of other Serenity characters are mentioned, but you wouldn’t need to know anything about them to enjoy Courage. I would happily recommend both Serenity and Courage and am hoping Thoma has a third book in the works for this universe.

I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thoma's book Courage is one I would whole heartedly recommend. Her story about Tommy, a well-respected and rule abiding police officer, who gets partenered with Natasha, a social worker, as a test case on if their combined efforts will have a positive effect on the interaction between police and those suffering from mental health issues or addiction is a great read.
Besides the realistic romance between two opiniated characters with naturally flowing dialogue, well thought out characters and great side characters it is clear some research has gone into this topic.
It shows both sides of the coin where police are focused on offenses against the law and their inclination to go to physical force to prevent perpetrators harming themselves or others while the social worker had her focus on the person and what will be best suited for them.

As you can imagine this leads to heavy discussion between Tommy and Natasha and I liked the way that was handled. This is not your typical light romance that follows the standard pattern but if you like a little more depth to your romance without losing the romance all together Courage is definitely a book to put on you to read list. Thoma manages to balance the story perfectly so both the romance and the police storyline are getting their time in the spotlight.

***An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review ***