Real Hazard

MM Romantic Suspense (West Coast Forensics, Book 4)

By: Elle Keaton

Narrated by: Michael Dean

Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

They're not looking for love, but it finds them anyway. Can two very different men find common ground and claim a future...together?

Foster

Things I love: my kid sister, the no-hope dogs I rehabilitate, my job as an EMT, and maybe my new friend Dutch.

But Dutch isn’t gay, and physical attraction isn’t something I feel often. Are these feelings real, or am I just tired of being alone?

Dutch

This is all Hazel’s fault. Hazel the Hazard.

Hazel made me come to first-grade safety day.

Hazel blurted out—loudly—about the beautiful fireman.

Hazel invited the beautiful fireman over for a party.

I swear I’m not gay, but Foster Jennings is the most beautiful man I’ve ever met, outside and in.

Dutch is the single dad of a precocious daughter. He moved to Piedras wanting a better life for Hazel and himself. Things are shaping up: He’s landed a permanent job at Brooch Resort, and Hazel has quit having nightmares that someone is going to steal her away.

Then everything goes sideways; Dutch’s past threatens his future, and he doesn’t know where to turn.

Something is wrong; Dutch is pushing him away and won’t tell Foster why.

When Hazel goes missing, Dutch can’t hide anymore, he needs his... Foster to help him get Hazel back.

#Demisexual #BiAwakening #SingleDad #FindingFamily

Real Hazard is book four in the West Coast Forensics series, is dual POV, and can be listened to as a standal-one but may be more fully enjoyed if you start with Real Trouble.

©2022 Dirty Dog Press LLC (P)2022 Dirty Dog Press LLC

Love is Family!

Foster and Dutch are such wonderful and real guys! Dutch is a single father who meets Foster through his daughter Hazel. Hazel is quite instrumental in getting these two together! Michael Dean has such a fantastic range of voices and the way he brought the clever, smart and always plotting Hazel to life was so entertaining. Foster is demi and Dutch is not gay that he is aware of any way! But Dutch is drawn to Foster and Foster is drawn to Dutch more than he has ever been to anyone. The combination of a Demi and a Bi Awakening guys made for a unique and surprisingly strong dynamic! Such a warm and endearing friendship that realistically grows into sexy chemistry and all the feels! This was a great addition to this series as I also loved seeing all the friends from the previous books especially Danny. Michael Dean's narration brought it to such a heartwarming level!

Restarting Life

Dutch and his daughter Hazel leave Salem to start their life on Piedras island in the Pacific Northwest. Dutch used to be an enforcer with a MC but left to care for his daughter. Dutch is a chef at The Brooch a resort on the island. Foster Jennings is an EMT and dog retrained, he also takes care of his sister who’s in a wheelchair. This is a story is full of discovery, adventure and finding a family.

Another swoony addition to the series

Piedras Island is becoming one of those places I really want to go. I want to meet all these people and experience the community in real life. But I have resigned myself to having to settle for books and I was very glad that it was now Foster's turn to meet his person and get his HEA.

Foster is demisexual so crushes and love at first sight don't really happen for him. Not that he has had time to miss it having raised his younger sister after the death of their parents as well as being one of the island's EMTs and running a dog-training business on the side.

When Dutch decided to keep and raise his daughter on his own, he knew this couldn't happen in the environment he had spent most of his life in so he moved to Piedras for a new start himself and Hazel. Things are going quite well; he has a job at the island resort and Hazel is thriving. She is also full of energy, outspoken, and wihtout a filter. Which is how Foster ends up at a tea party with Dutch and Hazel. And things just evolve from there. First to friendship, then something more.

I was just beginning to worry that this book would be all sugary sweetness with none of the crime/suspense parts we've gotten in the series so far, but my worry was unjustified. Dutch's past catches up to him, and Foster and Dutch's other new friends get to show him that he is one of them. Of course everything ends well and the epilogue was perfect.

Oh, and did I mention dogs? Everything is better with dogs.

Love this series!

Real Hazard is Book 4 in the West Coast Forensics series. This is a wonderfully written story about Dutch and Foster. It has a bit of mystery, a bit of suspense, and a secret revealed. I loved that Dutch wanted to raise his daughter Hazel and give her a better life than he had. I loved Foster caring for his younger sister Becca and though he wanted to keep her close he did come to terms with her going away to college, though she did trade one small town for another. I'm so glad Foster got his happy ending. Sometimes it's so hard to find your person when you need that real connection first before jumping into bed. Hazel is just the cutest and isn't afraid to speak her mind and ask questions. This series just keeps getting better. I definitely recommend this book and series.
Narrator Michael Dean does another fabulous job in this series. He's such a joy to listen to and continues to be a favorite.

Worth a listen

Ok I absolutely adored Foster and Duncan. And who can forget Hazel the Hazard?! She is an amazing and precocious child and stole every scene of the book she was in. Listening to these two bloom and figure out what they want and fall in love was like watching your favorite movie all over again. The folks of Piedras Island and those they have adopted are a wonderful found family and I love every book! I loved these characters!
And Michael Dean is so good. He did a great job with these characters.

Love this series!

Michael Dean does an amazing job of narrating this story and bringing the characters to life.
Real Hazard is the fourth book in the West Coast Forensics series and gives us the story of Dutch and Foster.

I really enjoyed this slow burn, friends to lovers story. Seeing them get to know each other and build such a wonderful friendship first is amazing.
Add in a cute kid and dogs and I couldn't be happier.

I loved how when trouble from his past hits Dutch Foster is there for him.
This is a great addition to the West Coast Forensics series!

Great

This was a amazing listen. The storyline was exciting and full of adventure. The characters Foster and Dutch are perfect and there story was spot on. The narration was also perfect. Can’t wait for the next one.

Another great story in the series

I have really enjoyed this whole series and this is no exception. This book was a bit different in that both MCs had children (although one was a sister) that they were raising. I loved that the way the kids were included and that they were both MCs first priority but that the relationship also developed separately as well. I also really liked that the timeline of the relationship was realistic in that there were spaces between on page interactions despite the fact that the MCs were both all in with big feelings pretty quickly.

In all I recommend reading the other books Elle has written both in this series and other related series first simply because she has created a wonderful world full of interesting characters and storylines that are so much more intriguing when you see them develop slowly, but there’s no reason that you couldn’t start here and really enjoy the story as a standalone.

I should also say that Michael Dean has done another wonderful job with this book and the narration really draws you in.

Dutch and Foster’s story is precious.

4.5 stars. Dutch and Foster’s story was so precious. A slow burn, friends to lovers, single dad story. Dutch is a ex-enforcer of a motorcycle gang, looks big and tough on the outside but is really a softie on the inside. His love for his daughter and their relationship was so amazingly sweet. Hazel is a force, so smart and loving. I liked learning more about Foster. His work with the dogs, Gorp, his relationship with his sister and his demisexuality. The slow pull Dutch and Foster towards one another, wanting to be in each others orbit until, pretty much unknowingly to them, they fall in love. They’re blended family was perfect.

Michael Dean is one of my favorite narrators out there. He is so insanely talented. It’s so easy to tell who is who when he is speaking. I just love his voice and the inflections he uses. He is amazing.

Wonderful listen!

This storyline is so engaging! I love seeing all the trucks Hazel does to try and get her dad and Foster together! The additional drama is scary and I am so glad it had a good outcome! Definitely recommend.