My first encounter with a Thoma book came last year with Serenity. That book is wonderfully written and enjoyable while dealing with the tough subject of addiction and kicking the habit. When I saw Thoma wrote another book along the lines of this I just had to pick it up. On a side note, I wonder if Courage and Serenity are part of series, it isn’t mentioned anywhere officially, but both take place in the same city and some characters from Serenity have a tiny part in Courage or get a mention. Both books do have this what I assume is some sort of AA or NA chip/ medal on the cover.

On to the story in Courage. The book starts with what you can call a flash forward in the first chapter, this sets the tone for the book. After the flash the book tells the story of the 18 months leading up to that event. Usually I hate this sorta thing, I just keeping waiting for the book to catch up basically, but for this one I almost forgot we had the flash forward to begin with. Natasha is a social worker who starts on a ride-along trial within the police department. She is partnered with straight shooting Tommy who comes from a family of cops and feels like her work is being devalued and she’s going to be hold back by this program. From the get go it’s clear the two mains have a connection and after a rocky start they find their groove and the author has done a great job in developing both their professional and personal story. I feel like most of the story is focused on the professional side of things, but there is a good dose of personal. The dialogue between the characters is my absolute favourite, the way they interact is pretty recognisable for me. The supporting characters are strong as well and play an important role in the story, I think it’s something this author does very well.

It’s clear this author has experience with people who suffer from mental health and/or substance use issues, only with experience can you write something that feels like it’s real. Thoma does a great job writing strong characters, as in well fleshed out but also opinionated and strong in a more literal way, I like it. A lot actually. If I were to give a dislike it would have to be with some of the names. Tommy and her sister Harry, it’s all just a little too masculine for me, not to mention confusing.
Big plus for me is how slowly the relationship is developing between the mains and how they put a pause on it for the job and all that, really well done. Them taking it slow doesn’t mean this is a slow burn by the way, feelings are acknowledged pretty early on.

Great story, sweet romance, amazing characters, 4.5 stars

I very much enjoyed this one! It was so well written and also the research was so well done that it was really interesting to learn something about the inner works of police work. And I have to say I don't usually care that much for stories like this one. But Gosh the love story was so sweet and I really enjoyed it that they - especially Tommy - got over themselves so quickly and worked well togethere and then fell in love. Without that much drama! Really hoping Harry is getting her own story. So thank you for this book and well done!

This one was a fast read for me. I like the books with the shorter chapters. I really enjoyed the book from the beginning to the end. This author is new for me and my list of new authors seems to be increasing every week/month. I will definitely check out her other work in the future.

Tommy is a police officer whose full family are cops. She does everything by the book and is very dedicated to her work. Natasha is a Mental Health Clinician (Social Worker). Natasha is working alongside the police to help them that are more needing help with their mental health than a jail sentence. She feels strongly that those with mental health/drug abuse need the program that she is offering and not a jail sentence. She’s been partnered with Tommy who at the beginning doesn’t think it is a good idea and is against the partnership.

You feel the chemistry between the pair from the beginning even though they clash and argue quite a lot throughout the storyline. It is slow burn which I prefer, so they don’t instantly hop into bed after a couple of chapters. I loved the storyline, the writer’s writing style, the pace was just right and I loved the secondary characters (especially Harry who is Tommy’s sister and a character called the Zookeeper).

Definitely recommend giving it a read.

I received an ARC copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Good story. Slightly different from the normal cop stories in that the "police" partners are not both cops. Still plenty of action though. Have liked all Jesse J books I've read so far.

Natasha starts a new job with the police force where she will help initiate a pilot project to include social workers in day to day police operations. This is not well received by most of the police officers, including her new partner Tommy. As anticipated, over time Tommy and the other officers begin to see the benefits of the project as they watch Natasha time and again prove incredibly effective in her efforts. As Natasha and Tommy’s working relationship grows, so does their personal relationship. They both develop strong feelings for each other but refuse to start anything official at the expense of their jobs and the fledgling project they have spent so much time to make successful. Regardless, the relationship is brought to the attention of their supervisor and they have to find a way to save their jobs without sacrificing their feelings and their future together.

There were some slow parts and Tommy spends an oddly long amount of time trying to grasp the benefits a social worker can bring to the police force. Other than this weird mental hurdle Tommy and the other police officers have to get past, the book was good... really good. 4 stars from me. Also, it made me laugh, and I will always give a funny book a good rating.

this was hell of a read. very exciting, informative and well thought through. I actually think a person like nat is needed !. I very much loved every minute. and Zookeeper is part of this as well. I'm still interested in her story. the characters are likable the story is well written. I can't imagine anyone reading this and not enjoy it.


very recommended.

thanks for the author and her team for the free copy

Thomasa (Tommy) Finch is a cop at a local police department. In fact a number of her family members including her mother are current or retired police officers. One day her superior informs her that she will be paired with a ride along mental health clinician, Natasha Parsons, in response to the public’s plea for different forms of police action. Needless to say, Tommy isn’t happy with the pairing.

After they go out on some mental health calls together, slowly Tommy’s opinion of the value that Natasha brings to a situation begins to change. A slow attraction also begins to burn between Tommy and Natasha.

Having never read a book by this author, I was impressed with the writing, the well developed pace of the storyline action, the character chemistry, and the vulnerability she created for both characters at various points along the way. 4.5 stars

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

Wonderful book! It combines policing and love. Tommy gets a new ride along partner in Natasha. Tommy is a police person and Natasha is nan social worker. Tommy does not get along with Natasha and is resentful of her riding along. The plot is Natasha must prove her worth while Tommy muse find a common ground. The characters are great with a good supporting cast. There is plenty of emotion to go around. The story is fast passed with plenty of action. I recommend this book and author as both are excellent.

3 stars

A cute Les romance/buddy cop story about a police department adjusting to having social workers join the team as part of a “ride along” program. The professional/work aspects of the story are quite interesting.

[What I liked:]

•The whole topic of non-police care workers going on wellness check/911 visits is very interesting to me, & I really enjoyed that exploration of the issue in this book. There was a good amount of perspective from several sides, including police officers resenting the intrusion, social workers not trusting the police, & the tricky situations of getting people the help they need when they don’t want it. I thought it was well written & I learned stuff.

•Nat & Tommy make a great couple! I bought their chemistry right away, & there was a nice hint of slow burn as they fought to keep their relationship professional.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•Natasha borders on being too perfect...she’s gorgeous, smart, everyone loves her, she’s fabulously rich, etc. I’m not saying she didn’t have any depth as a character, because she did have vulnerabilities, but still she felt a bit too perfect.

CW: gun violence, mental illness

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

Really interesting police romance. Tommy Finch is from a family of cops, knows procedures and does things by the book. Natasha Parson is a ride-along mental health social worker assigned to be Tommy's partner at the beginning of a new program. Natasha is passionate about her job and the belief that there are better outcomes if situations can deescalate and people can get mental health treatment instead of being tossed in jail. There are lots of examples of how this works in their partnership. One thing they hadn't planned on is their attraction to each other.

The characters are solid and both viewpoints are represented. Finch's family especially mom (Alice) and sister (Harry) add more to the story. I enjoyed the romance of these two strong woman but the message of the work and program seems the focus for much of the book. The epilogue helps everything fall into place.

This a very timely book as our society is looking at police forces and asking them to improve in handling dangerous situations. My own community has brought up the idea for similar type of program and it was quickly squashed by the powers that be. With books like this and cities willing to try new ideas it makes me hopeful, but results can be years coming. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books for an ARC ebook in exchange for a honest review.

Tommy comes from family of cops she dedicated into doing her job. Natasha is a social worker who is dedicated helping the police into situations where the person is dealing with mental illness and substance abuse where they better off at the hospital instead of jail.

Natasha is assigned to work with Tommy who believes she will become a liability because she isn’t train in situations that can cause her to get hurt. As they work together Tommy starts to see that Natasha does knows what she doing and realize this program is helping. What I like about this read is this program should be happening in real life because where will people be if they got the help they needed don’t get me wrong what Tommy said was true if did a crime you still have to pay for it but it shouldn’t stop there just because your in jail doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have the resources to get help.

This was a good read. I enjoy the supporting characters Tommy relationship with her family Natasha with her friend Kayla and bond she had with Zookeeper. Natasha and Tommy romance was great I like they were both strong women and very dedicated to the work their doing. I wouldn’t mine a story with Tommy sister Harry I love her character.


I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

LOVED this!!
Natasha has a degree in social work and is using it as an advisor to the police force. She has been assigned to Officer Tommy as a partner in the field. Her goal is to deal with situations where the suspect needs mental health or substance abuse help instead of them going to jail when the hospital is a much better option. She truly believes in this program and will defend it tirelessly. Tommy comes from a family of cops. She is a by the book kind of officer and VERY dedicated to her job. She thinks Natasha will not only get in her way but be a liability who might get her injured or worse. These two women clash and argue but there is something more than animosity because of the job here, isn’t there?

I adored everything about this book!! The story was wonderful, the writing on point, it was technically sound and really well paced. I loved these characters, they are dynamic, emotional, complex and realistic. It was impossible for me not to get seriously invested in them and worry about them when they took dangerous calls and be so happy for them when things go well. The secondary characters are pretty great too! Zookeeper and Parrot Man from Ms Thoma’s book Serenity make a few appearances too! (FYI, Serenity is also a most excellent book!) This tale is full of drama both in the field and out and kept my attention throughout. This is one of those books you won’t want to put down and will be put in your reread pile quickly.