Searching for Shadows by Tonya Burrows

She’s trapped by fear.
Veronica Martens once soared boldly through life as an Air Force pilot until a brutal assault shattered her spirit. Now, she’s a prisoner in her own home, paralyzed by agoraphobia and haunted by the ghosts of her past. She’s lost her wings, independence, and will to live.

He thrives on terror.
Horror writer Connelly Davis needs to recharge his creative batteries, so when Veronica’s father asks him to bring her back from her self-imposed exile, he packs up his laptop and leaves the city for Steam Valley, California–the home of his most famous monster, The Shadow Stalker. Surely, he’ll find inspiration in the mist-shrouded redwoods as he helps his childhood best friend.

A dog who has known nothing but fear.
Despite Veronica’s reluctance to see him, Connelly is determined to rescue the unbreakable girl he once knew–the girl he secretly loved. He bands together with Redwood Coast Rescue and their newest troubled K9, Rebel, to help Veronica find her strength again. But there’s just one problem—Veronica never wants to leave her house, and Rebel refuses to stay put.

Will the boy next door bring her back to life, or will the shadows consume them all?

As Connelly fights writer’s block, he delves deeper into the mysteries surrounding the town and discovers a chilling connection between a string of recent murders and his newest book. And if real life continues to follow fiction, Veronica will be the killer’s next target…

Searching for Shadows is the fifth book in the Redwood Coast Rescue romantic suspense series by Tonya Burrows, but can be enjoyed as a standalone. If you’re a fan of slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance mixed with heart-racing suspense and the unwavering loyalty of a K9 protector, you won’t want to miss this gripping addition to the series.