I absolutely love this series with its strong characters yet delightful characters and the stories that capture the reader and make them part of the family.

This one hits close to home for me having grown up in India and being familiar with the majestic peaks of the Himalayas notable of which is Mount Everest known as the rooftop of the world. My heart broke for Conrad when a freak accident killed the rest of his climbing team leaving him the sole survivor. It's Kenzie with her search and rescue dogs who finally manages to get him to join the world of the living even as the rest of the S&R team gets him to finally climb the might peaks in their vicinity.

Every one of the stories in this series has been my absolute favorite until the next one comes along. I have learned so much from these stories about human relationships, human frailties and community spirit, I wish the stories can just continue.

i love books about SAR dogs. they always add a special element. i liked the relationship between the hero and heroine. it was so adorable to hear about the way he handled the puppy. the town is really well written and you feel you are observing a place and its people.

Holding On is a Good, Better, Best story.  The good: Holding On may be my favorite book of this entire series, and I have loved every book in the "Colorado High Country" series. I couldn't put Holding On down so I did that thing we readers do when a book has us in it's grip...I stayed up way too late so I could finish it. Clare gave me a story that has it all: heartbreak, courage, drama, and romance.

The better: There is not a single thing I would change in this book. From beginning to end, the action of the story, the characterization, and the dialogue was impeccably written and oh-so-riveting. The opening scene took me to Everest, where I saw the beautiful friendship between four adventurers, only to see it end in tragedy. I felt Harrison's grief and Kenzie's fear, and Clare wrote in a way that kept me in their emotions throughout the story. Their characters developed in a way that kept unfolding what was inside of them. I loved the way that they acted together. The Search and Rescue Team that they were part of made for great secondary characters.

The best: Harrison and Kenzie. These are two characters that are perfect for each other. Clare developed these two (and two dogs) who are human and very admirable. Harrison learning to embrace society again, taking that step of talking about his loss and fears, and loving Kenzie made my heart grow. Kenzie was perfect, too. She took care of Harrison without hovering or guilting him into doing things he wasn't ready to do, but without babying him. This is what a mature relationship looks like, and it was beautiful. Too often I read whiny poor-me characters...Harrison and Kenzie could be role models.

I've been really impressed by this series. Some books I like more than others but overall I think the author has done a fantastic job of bringing more to the story. You're not getting a simple love story.

In Holding On we have a hero who is a world class climber. He's climbed Mt. Everest twice and has done work on his home town's SAR (Search and Rescue) team. We also have a heroine who does work with the SAR team along with her dog Gizmo who has SAR and HRD (Human Remains Detection) training.

Reading about Kenzie's work with Gizmo was pretty exciting as was Conrad's climbing experience. I was just as fascinated about the careers of our two main characters as I was about their love story. One didn't override the other. We got a great amount of time with Conrad and Kenzie as they grew close together as we did with their work.

This was a really great feel good story that had some pretty awesome side characters. A lot of the side characters are main characters in previous books. If you follow the series, you get to know them well. You can also read each book as a standalone if you don't want to commit to a whole series.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

I have loved this series so much, and cannot wait for the next installment. The story feels so real that I feel like I should check the news for the headlines! Loved Harrison and Kenzie's story! So many excellent story elements.

4.5 Stars What a great story and addition to the Colorado High Country series. Harrison and Kenzie are great characters and had me quickly engaged only wanting the best for them. I am loving this series and I really enjoyed this book. I look forward to reading more and recommend you read it too.

Harrison Conrad returned to Scarlet Springs from Nepal, after 18 months of being away. He was the only survivor of a freak accident on Mt. Everest that killed his best friend and the rest of his climbing team. Spending time in a monestary he vows to never climb again and retreats to a bottle of Whiskey after he returns home until Kenzie Morgan shows up with a puppy for him to take care of. The puppy is able to pull him out of his slump, but he also has an excuse to spend time with Kenzie.

Kenize is a search and rescue dog trainer and kennel owner. She also volunteers for the Rocky Mountain Search and Rescue Team where she is called out with her dog to find missing people and in some cases bring them home. Kenzie has sworn to never date climbers but when Conrad returns haunted from his trip she can't help herself. Kenzie tries to keep her distance but their friendship turned into something more.

How can you not like a Pamela Clare book? Holding On is no different from the other books in this series, they are books you just can't put down and want to keep going until you finish the story and then upset when you're done. I may have cried a few times, and especially in the end when Kenzie risks her life to save her Search and Rescue partner. Picturing the things Conrad and her friends are willing to do to save her life, you can't find friends/family like that anywhere else except for the TEAM. I loved loved loved Conrad coming home and watching him and Kenzie find their HEA. Definitely a recommendation to put in your TBR pile!

Pamela Clare always delivers! I’ve been in a reading funk this summer and she pulled me out with this book.
Harrison Conrad is the sole survivor of an accident on Mount Everest. He lost his long-time climbing buddy and two young proteges on the mountain. He spends 15 months hiding in a monastery but then returns to his Colorado home. Once returning home, he is reluctant to re-engage with his friends and his alpine search and rescue team.

Kenzie Morgan, the K9 handler for the search and rescue team, has harbored a long-time crush on Conrad. She’s reluctant to date a climber, having been left behind one too many times. But when Conrad returns a broken man she dedicates herself (and her furry friends) to helping him heal.

What can I say? Everything about this book is great. The writing, the plot, the chemistry between the hero and the heroine. There’s an amazing cast of secondary characters and a little intrigue thrown in. This is a great summer read!

‘Tis a fact that I barely read straight contemporary romance any more, but if there is one author who can get me to pick up a book in the genre, it’s Pamela Clare… as evidenced by the fact that I’ve devoured all six of her Colorado High Country books. Ms. Clare has a rare gift for creating characters so realistic that you feel you can reach through the page and feel them, and HOLDING ON is no different. With every turn of a page, I lived Harrison’s grief, survivor’s guilt, self-doubt, and journey back from the abyss; Kenzie’s steadfast love, willingness to help, and trepidation; and even little Gabby’s puppy wholesomeness and joie de vivre. There are no real plot twists or suspense subplots in HOLDING ON, just a heartwarming, angsty story of recovery and self-discovery (and puppies!) between two solid, relatable characters whose budding romance has been on a slow simmer for 6 books. And lots and lots of really hot sex, another Pamela Clare speciality! A solid addition to a top-notch series. And with all the page time Sasha gets this time around, dare I hope her book is next? I’m dying to see who takes on that firecracker.

**ARC provided by author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I've been reading each of this series' books as they come out. I'm obsessed. I've never really been to Colorado. I feel like I have through these books.
This is book 6.I do think that this could be a standalone. I did enjoy the supporting characters in this book.
I do love Megs. She's in charge of the Search and Rescue team. She's a tough but wise person. She's older than the others on the S&R team. I love how she comes through for Harrison at least 2 crucial times.

I really love the H & h i this book. I love ALL of the Hs & hs in this series.
Kenzie is not a climber, but she is on the support staff for S&R. She has a kennel that boards dogs, she teaches dog/owner behavioral classes. She also gets called ("toned out") paged for rescues and sadly, for deceased body recoveries. Kenzie's trained rescue do Gizmo is very sweet and smart. Kenzie is an true expert in handling her dog. She does get another dog- a golden retriever puppy named Gabby

Harrison's story starts this book. He's a world famous mountain climber. A very tragic event is explained in the prologue. This part is very well done, but is chilling and heartbreaking to read. Harrison is devastated. He eventually comes back to Scarlet Springs. Harrison and Kenzie have a history of sparks/chemistry, but had previously never pursued a relationship.

Kenzie cooks up a story for Harrison to foster her puppy Gabby. He's caught off guard, but agrees, so he can help out Kenzie. This actually helps Harrison get out of his own shell-a little. He's still closed off & grieving.
There are some funny moments and sweet and also romantic times too. Kenzie and Harrison are hot together.
There's suspenseful and scary parts. The Colorado Rockies are beautiful, but the weather starts to turn The terrain is tough. The last 1/3 or so was intense.

I loved the time that Kenzie & Harrison spent together. Kenzie was patient and sweet. Harrison had to come to grips with what happened. He was a reluctant celebrity.
This is 3rd person POV. I'm so happy that I read this book
I give this one 5 days. How can I not?

This is the first book I have read by this author, and I loved it. I found the first few chapters a little difficult to get through because this book is part of a series and the author seems to assume that you have already read all the books. Once I waded through all the references to people and events from previous books it really picked up. I loved how real Kenzie and Harrison come across. They have great emotional depth and you can't help but feel for them. My favorite though were Gizmo and Gabby and how adorable they are. As I have a 10 year old golden retriever myself it made the story much more personal for me. I think I am going to have to go back and start at the beginning of the series.

Harrison is an extreme climber who has scaled all the major mountains but he couldn't stop the tragic accident that happened on his last climb. Full of survivor's guilt he has a hard time returning to his hometown and the people he left there. Kenzie trains rescue dogs and is Harrison's best friend. When their relationship blossoms she has to fight his demons as well as her own. Enjoyable suspenseful romance.

This story started with heart break and takes us on a journey of survival and love. The K9 rescue dogs stole the show, ok Kenzie and Harrison had a great romance too. There's some heartstopping moments towards the end that will have you gripping your kindle. I loved it and highly recommend it.

Three and a half stars.

Harrison Conrad was the golden boy climber of the Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue Team, a mountain rescue team in Colorado. Then a tragedy claims the lives of his best friend and two young climbers in the Himalayas and he is wracked with survivor's guilt, spending over a year living in a Tibetan monastery until Megs, the founder of the Team comes to haul him back to Colorado.

Kenzie Morgan is a dog trainer, owns a pet shop and is the owner/ handler of a Search and Rescue dog. She has always had a thing for Conrad but knows her weakness is climbers, she doesn't share their obsession and they always leave her. But when Conrad comes back so lost and broken she can't help but want to fix him - and what could be better than a cute puppy? Conrad has always had a thing for Kenzie too, but both being part of the Team has necessitated him keeping a professional distance, now he's resigned is there anything stopping him?

I find this a difficult book to rate. First, way too much sex to plot in my opinion, I spent a long part of this book wondering if anything was going to happen, don't get me wrong it was well done and hawt but enough already. Second, puppies! That warrants at least five stars all by itself. Third, I did like the plot, when it finally arrived. It was tense and thrilling and had me on the edge of my seat. But I have to wonder if that area is cursed - it seems like every criminal from miles around gravitates there! Also, I felt a bit of deja vu - haven't we had this plot before?

But I liked Conrad and Kenzie. They had issues, they worked them out. They were fun and I would love to be their friend and sit back for a beer, or two, at Knockers the local watering hole chatting with them and petting their gorgeous dogs.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

How do you overcome survivor's guilt? Good question that is a central theme of this book. Another question that played a big part is What makes a hero? The heavy themes were front and center in this very sweet romance with a touch of suspense. Since I prefer my romance on the lite side, it's hard for me to fully embrace this one, but the series has been great and not shy tackling some weighty subjects. I love all the characters and their different paths to their HEAs.

A force of nature changed world renowned climber Harrison Conrad's life in a split second. He survived Mt. Everest, but his climbing team didn't. Learning to accept and move on is almost impossible for him. Isolating himself from his friends back home in Scarlet Springs, CO isn't the answer. But, Harrison has some awesome friends who just won't let him wallow in his grief. Megs flies across the would to retrieve him and Kenzie Morgan gives him a reason to face each new day in the form is a sweet, adorable, furball, puppy named Gabby.

Kenzie Morgan has sworn of men who live for the adrenaline high of extreme sports. Been there, done that and she has the scars to prove it. She is not going to get involved with another one, ever, ever again. Famous last words. She just seems drawn to them and her attraction to Harrison is a far gone conclusion. When he returns home broken in spirit and vowing never to climb again, she thinks . . . maybe, just maybe this attraction will turn out different. Her life is her kennel and dog training business. She also volunteers for the Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue Team. Now, she is on a mission to help Harrison be whole again, but keeping her heart safe just doesn't seem possible.

While this is the sixth book in this series, it can easily be read as a stand alone novel. Those familiar with the series will recognize names from previous books but truly this book can stand on its own but will most likely have readers wanting to read the other books in the series. Harrison Conrad is a world famous mountain climber that has experienced a tragedy that even after fifteen moths is severely impacting his life. Suffering from survivor's guilt, Harrison simply can't find a meaning to his life now that he is back home. At least not until he is manipulated into caring for a puppy and rejoining the land of the living. Well a new love interest might have helped too.
This was a very enjoyable story by Pamela Clare that not only had a great plot but also showed just how much research the author has done in respect to climbing and search and rescue teams. With each book in the series I always find myself surprised by the research she must put into the stories without getting so technical as to detract from the overall romantic story.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC to read and give my honest opinion.

Harrison Concord climbs Mt Everest with his best friend and two other young climbers only to return the sole survivor. He stays at a Buddhist monastery near Mt Everest for fifteen months suffering from the tragedy only to return to his hometown broken.
Kenzie Morgan is a dog trainer and kennel owner, using her dogs for rescue missions in the Rocky Mountains. She has had a crush on Harrison forever. Watching the aftermath of his failed attempt at Everest and his being the soul survivor both exhilarate and make her heart reach out to him. When he finally returns a shadow of himself, she makes him foster a puppy on this high hopes it will rehabilitate him as well.
This was a great read and just a great overall journey for both Kenzie and Harrison. They have an interesting path and Harrison struggles with survivors guilt. The two have super insane chemistry and while the journey is hard, the wait is worth it. Loved it...four stars of entertainment.

Another Colorado High Country Success. This series is guaranteed to be action packed, exciting, and romantic. The drama doesn't ever stay on the mountain with this gang. Harrison Conrad has a devastating experience while climbing Mt Everest with this buddies. A 15 month hiatus leads him back to Scarlet Springs and Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue- well kinda! Harrison is having a hard time holding on- to the rescue is the beautiful Gabby- a pup who is meant to bring healing to Harrison- compliments of the beautiful Kenzie.

Kenzie knows how the adventurers are- wings that take them away and they never stay. She has had a crush on Harrison for years and now he needs her help with a little manufactured pet therapy. Harrison has a long recovery emotionally and leaning on Kenzie seems to be great medicine. But sometimes nothing can help you hold on! Kenzie is a strong-tough woman and he just can't see that he's right for her so why not just leave her alone, go away. Ugh these men and their blind chivalry. There of course is going to come a time when the light bulb goes off and Harrison realizes Kenzie is it- the one! But it might just be too late as Kenzie has found herself in a nightmare she isn't sure she'll survive. Can she HOLD ON until Harrison gets there?

There is plenty of drama and lots of romance to keep you holding onto this book and not wanting to put it down.

Every time I read a Pamela Clare book, I think this is my favorite. Well, this time Holding On (Colorado High Country Book 6) really is my favorite. At least until the next one. The title is perfect for this story in so many ways, more so than the cover

This book has all I enjoy about romantic suspense. First, it has interesting, complex main characters and wonderful, just as interesting supporting characters (I even want to know Bear’s backstory!) within a strong solid storyline. The suspense slowly builds taking turns that you can see really happening. Like real life, days are full of routine until one event turns life on a dime. Also Harrison and Kenzie have a romance that simmers and grows as the characters do. Again a reflection of actual real life.

I enjoy the big picture of life in Colorado’s high country, and the work that the search and rescue teams do there, but it is the small details the author includes such as how Harrison was named that I find that enjoy just as much. A master storyteller at work here.

This is definitely a search and rescue story with much of the searching being done by the characters within themselves as their come to terms with tragic events. Less I forget to mention the dogs are a huge grand part of this spectacular story. Love, love, love Gizmo and Gabby! If you haven’t picked up a Pamela Clare book, you are seriously missing out. While this is part of a series, Holding On is a complete story, so no reason not to jump in the series now.

Friends-to-lovers. Cute dogs. Yes, sign me up.

I'm always excited for another Pamela Clare book, especially her contemporaries (and still hoping for another I-Team installment), and was thrilled to head back to Colorado High Country for Kenzie and Harrison's story. Although they may not end up my favorite Colorado High Country couple, Kenzie and Harrison had plenty of action, angst, and best of all, dogs. I absolutely loved that Kenzie's golden Gizmo was the real hero and now I just want Pamela Clare to write more books with hot guys and cute pups.

Kenzie and Harrison are friends with a slow simmering attraction that began even before Harrison was injured in a devastating accident on Mt. Everest that killed his climbing partner. Back in Scarlet Spring, Harrison is trying to hide from the world but Kenzie won't let him. Armed with an adorable golden retriever puppy, Kenzie gently pushes Harrison back into the world of the living, even as she believes he'll never be hers.
Harrison was another one of these ripped, sexy men who turned her on - but who would never stick around to build a life with her. He said he was done with climbing and off the Team, but she didn't believe that.
Although Kenzie believes herself to be a boring homebody, Harrison has always been drawn to her.
Before this last trip, he'd fantasized almost every night. Kenzie, always Kenzie. But the reality of kissing her beat any fantasy.
Harrison's life is a mess. The press are hounding him and so are the tragic memories of losing his friend. Finding a way to live with himself much less a life with Kenzie seems almost impossible. His personal demons are keeping him from making a real future with Kenzie.
You're the only part of my life that makes sense right now, Kenzie. I want you, and if that's a mistake, then it's the best mistake I've made in a long damned time.
Kenzie and Harrison's story isn't just one of friendship or survivor's guilt, but there's also dog training, nosy friends, kidnapping, near death experience, and a wild rescue. There just isn't a boring moment. It was fantastic visiting old friends (hi Jesse, Joe, Rain, Eric, Chaska...) and I'm looking forward to returning to Colorado High Country.

4 stars