The Royal

 

The Royal (Game of Chance #2)- Susan Stoker

Montlake

Release Date: August 8, 2023

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Former military man and member of a royal family Callum Redmon can’t deny his sense of responsibility. So when his cousin’s latest love interest claims to have a stalker, Cal reluctantly meets with the young woman and her mother. He wants to write off the situation as a complete farce—if only his feelings for another member of the household could be as easily dismissed.

Since her father’s death seventeen years ago, Juniper Rose has been at the cruel beck and call of her stepmother and stepsister. Her fantasies of escape mean leaving behind her father’s beloved home, but enough is enough: when Cal offers her a way out sooner rather than later, June takes the leap.

Cal’s home in Maine with his military brothers seems like the safest place to start fresh. But as Cal and June’s fairy-tale romance blossoms into something real, they find that the dangers stalking them may have been real all along.

________________________________________________________________

I'm always a sucker for a Cinderella retelling and this was a great one! June has been a servant in her own home since her father's death, thanks to the emotional abuse of her stepmother and stepsister. Seventeen years later she's gotten the courage to try and leave when fate brings Cal Redmon to the house. He's been strongarmed into going there to check out a stalker situation for his cousin, who has been "dating" the stepsister, and while it takes about a day to see through that ploy, it takes less for him to become fascinated by June.

She's observant, calm, intelligent, and Cal wants to help her out. So when he leaves he convinces June to go with him. What starts out as just helping turns into more on both sides. Both have massive insecurities- both emotional insecurities and body insecurities- and are convinced the other won't want to be with them long-term. It was really interesting to see Cal so hung up on his body since we don't usually get men in romance books who are so unsure of their looks. Connected the way it is with the torture he went through and you can understand how painful and self-conscious he feels about it and you feel so bad for him. I was so happy June was able to see straight to the heart of him and what a great, caring guy Cal is. She seemed to instinctively know just the right things to say, even if Cal wasn't always quite ready to hear them, which I thought was great. She knows it isn't about the outside- her steps are gorgeous women and horrible- though she never quite internalizes that for herself. 

This was more a book about finding yourself and internal healing for both Cal and June, and Cal freaking out about falling in love, than it was a fast-paced mystery or thriller the way some of Stoker's books are, so you have to go into it with a bit of a different expectation. You don't have to have read The Protector first, though all Cal's friends show up again so you see familiar faces if you did read it. I loved how protective the guys are of each other and how they embraced June once they were sure she was right for Cal. And we get a tease for the next book that promises major action ahead!

An enjoyable, lovely romance with Cinderella vibes that were just enough for me without being over the top, great friends turned family, and two damaged people learning to trust themselves and each other enough to fall in love and admit it. 

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

The Protector

 The Protector (Game of Chance 1)- Susan Stoker

Montlake

Release Date: March 14, 2023

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Riggs “Chappy” Chapman didn’t expect to be disrupted at his remote cabin in the woods. But when a stray dog arrives on his porch, he winds up finding a stray woman, too, trudging through the snowstorm in search of shelter. His military days may be behind him, but Chappy is hardwired to protect her from the storm and whatever it is she’s running from.

Carlise Edwards didn’t expect her car to break down in the Maine wilderness. All she wants is to escape whoever is stalking her back home. There’s no way anyone’s going to find her and Chappy deep in the forest, especially not in dangerous weather. But she finds it hard to mind the circumstances when the company is this stimulating.

As the snowstorm rages, Chappy and Carlise find that, despite the cold, they can generate plenty of heat of their own…but there’s more than just natural dangers lurking in the woods.

___________________________________________________________

When Riggs "Chappy" Chapman goes to spend his vacation at his mountain cabin, he isn't expecting to spend it with a strange woman and a stray dog. And he's definitely not expecting that woman to be THE ONE. But after plenty of bad luck in the military, luck seems to be smiling on him. Except for the stalker problems Carlise is running away from.

Susan Stoker starts a new series in a major way with The Protector and I'm already completely hooked. Chappy, Cal, JJ, and Bob leave the Army after a mission goes bad and ends up with them captured and tortured by terrorists. They find a new home in a tiny town in Maine and new lives cutting trees and helping hikers, trying to put their past traumas behind them. But, like all of Stoker's alpha heroes, these guys are protectors and not about to leave someone in trouble to fend for themselves. While his friends are a little skeptical that Chappy seems to have fallen in love with Carlise as quickly as he has, they are willing to help out as needed, because they are family and that's what family does. It's a great group of guys and I can't wait to read all of their stories. Chappy is super aware of the abuse Carlise has been through and wants to make sure she never feels like she's anything but safe with him. Carlise doesn't think of herself as brave- when she is threatened she leaves town-but she's sensible, smart, kind, and fits perfectly with Chappy. 

The stalker/other story is a little predictable, but since it isn't really the driving focus of the book I was ok with that. This was really about two damaged people learning to open up to each other and trust that wonderful things can happen when and where they are least expected. And Baxter, the abused dog who brings them together, absolutely steals every scene he's in and is the true hero of the book.

The Protector drew me in from the beginning and I really loved it. Can't wait to read the rest of the series!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 

Securing Piper

Securing Piper (SEAL of Protection: Legacy Series)- Susan Stoker
Amazon Digital Services
Release Date: August 20, 2019

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: What started as an adventure, soon became hell. Piper Johnson’s thrilled to spend time in Timor-Leste with her best friend, a Peace Corps volunteer…until civil unrest erupts throughout the countryside, including an attack at the orphanage the women were visiting. With the aid of a SEAL team sent to extract the government employee, Piper flees with the only other known survivors—three young orphan girls. Piper wasn’t able to save her friend, but she’ll be damned if she leaves the girls to the mercy of child traffickers in the country’s impoverished capital. However, taking them with her to the States requires something drastic, something crazy…something she can’t do alone.

What started as a mission, soon becomes fate. Since nearly dying on a previous op, Beckett “Ace” Morgan has no time for regrets. Life is far too short. So when he learns the brave, beautiful, selfless woman he’s rescued has a better chance of getting three orphans out of the country if she’s married, he doesn’t hesitate. Ace marries her then and there, instantly gaining the family he’s always wanted. With time, he knows his respect for Piper can grow into love, and meanwhile, he’s saved both her and their new daughters from a fast-spreading rebel incursion.Protecting his girls on foreign soil turns out to be the easy part of the team’s mission. Protecting them from a threat waiting at home may be the biggest fight of Ace’s life. 

__________________________________________________________

Piper joined her best friend Kaylee in Timor-Leste for what was supposed to be a nice vacation. Kaylee would show Piper the villages she worked at for Peace Corps, they'd catch up, and Piper would get a break from work.  What neither expected was for that to be when rebellion erupts across the country and the orphanage they were visiting gets attacked.  Kaylee hid Piper with three girls and went to find more. She never returned. Ace's SEAL team went into Timor-Leste to find Piper and Kaylee- and found Piper with three girls instead.  They may think they've seen some of the worst the world has to offer, but in the midst of darkness, these girls show them trust and love they didn't expect.  Ace marries Piper to help her adopt the girls and bring them to America, but danger isn't exclusive to foreign countries.

Securing Piper gives a modern (and lovely) twist to the marriage of convenience trope. In this case, it ensures Piper can adopt all three girls before leaving the country (some Tex computer magic may also have helped). Piper and Ace have seen the situation the girls will be in if they stay and that, plus the bond they've already developed with the girls, means neither of them are willing to leave them behind.  It's an eye opening situation, both for them and for the reader, and instead of yelling that they are crazy you're cheering it all along. 

Piper and Ace connect from the beginning- they are a relationship that highlight how well Stoker can make chemistry sizzle between two people without being near a bed. The connection between the team members is great, and despite not really being a fan of kids, I ended up enjoying how Rani, Sinta, and Kemala touch everyone on the team, not just Ace and Piper.  Stoker also does a fantastic job balancing suspense, menace, danger, and forgiveness when it comes to her bad guy.  Without giving it away, this is a book of love and forgiveness even when something seems unforgivable.  Which is a theme that may come back and haunt all of these characters in a future book. Instead of giving the reader hints for just the next book in the series, Stoker also sets up the last book in the series- and while there is no cliff-hanger to Piper and Ace's story, I for one found myself yelling at the end of the book: how can you make us wait a whole year until that story!! The answer of course, is that Stoker is a prolific enough writer that she's keeping busy with several other series for the reader to enjoy while waiting- and that she probably secretly enjoys a bit of maniacal laughter at stringing along the readers as much as she does her heroes.

Securing Piper keeps up the best of Susan Stoker (Securing Caite) traditions: jungle rescues, hot-yet- compassionate heroes, and relatable could-be-you heroines.  A must read for fans of Stoker and her series, or for those just discovering the author.

I received an ARC of this book from BookSprout in exchange for an honest review

Securing Caite

Securing Caite (SEAL of Protection: Legacy Book 1)- Susan Stoker
Amazon Digital Services
Release Date: January 15, 2019

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Caite McCallan is a Department of Defense admin working in Bahrain when a glitchy elevator, of all things, leads to an unexpected invitation to dinner by a gorgeous Navy SEAL. When he later stands her up, Caite’s understandably upset…until she overhears a plot that confirms Rocco didn’t blow her off. Instead, he and two fellow SEALs are in danger—and Caite is forced to put her career and her life on the line to save them. 

Blake “Rocco” Wise never expected his routine mission to go sideways, but he was even more surprised to find himself and his teammates rescued by the adorably shy woman he met in a stalled elevator. Caite’s selfless act saved his life, but when attempts on her own make it clear someone wants her gone, it’s Rocco’s turn to protect the brave, sweet, sexy woman. The longer he knows her, the more he wants her…but keeping Caite close could bring her nearer to the enemy than ever before.

________________________________________________________________________

Securing Caite introduces readers to a new SEAL team and a delightful new heroine in Caite McCallan.  An administrative assistant used to being overlooked and invisible, Caite is stunned when getting stuck in an elevator leads to a date with a hot SEAL.  When he doesn't show for the date she's disappointed- and then she overhears a group of men plotting to kill three injured soldiers. With no one to turn to Caite risks her life to save the men herself. Caite might not think of herself as brave  or beautiful, but SEAL leader Blake "Rocco" Wise does- even before she saves him and his teammates from certain death.  When it turns out she overheard more than just a murder plot, it's up to Rocco and his team to protect Caite from an assassin who has everything to lose and blames Caite for it all.

Caite may be my new favorite heroine.  She is completely relatable as an average person: average job, average looks, average life, and the below-average self esteem that comes with all of that.  She has a jerk for a boss who keeps trying to either get her to quit or find a reason to fire her so his friend can have her job. She's smart enough not to go wandering around alone in Bahrain (overseas contract jobs pay better when you're trying to pay off student loans for a French major you loved but have no idea what to do with). She doesn't make waves and tries hard to get along with everyone enough to keep work from being unpleasant.  When she is the only person with information on danger to three soldiers however, she is extraordinary: risking everything to save the men despite being smart enough to be terrified every step of the way.  In short, Caite is who most female readers probably see themselves as, and who we hope we'd be in similar situations.  

Rocco is a sweet guy and it looks like we'll be enjoying some delightful new heroes with his friends.  The plot isn't really a mystery since we see things from the main bad guy's point of view as well, but that allows the suspense to amp up to the exciting finale.  How Stoker (Defending Chloe) is able to get out multiple books in multiple series each year while still maintaining a pretty high standard of characters, plot, and style is beyond me- but I'm glad she does.  While her keyboard probably sets off smoke detectors from all the typing, it means readers never have to wait too long for the next amazing adventure, no matter the series.  And now we are treated to a new addition that has every sign of being just as excellent as the others.

Securing Caite begins a new series but long-time readers will enjoy a few cameos from some of Stoker's earlier books. As always, this can be read as a stand alone, and guarantees a happy and romantic conclusion and a teaser to get you excited for the next book!   

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout in exchange for an honest review

Defending Chloe

Defending Chloe (Mountain Mercenaries 2)- Susan Stoker
Montlake Romance/Amazon Digital Services
Release Date- December 4, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Gorgeous women don’t just stumble onto Ronan Cross’s remote property. But this one—vulnerable, victimized, and needing the kind of help only Ronan can offer—tells a story that makes his blood boil almost as hot as his need to protect her.

Since her father’s death, Chloe Harris has become a prisoner. Her own brother, a flesh peddler and low-level player in the Denver Mafia, is forcing her to sell her body for an endgame Chloe never saw coming: control over a vast fortune. Her only way out is to run—straight into the arms of the one hard-bodied man she can trust.

Defending Chloe could rain punishment down on the Mountain Mercenaries. Her brother has Mob connections and the local police in his pocket. But Ronan still has an edge—the unshakable loyalty of his deadly teammates. As well as an unquenchable thirst for retribution…and Chloe.

_____________________________________________________________________

Readers can count on Susan Stoker (Claiming Felicity) to give us alpha heroes dedicated to protecting their team and the women they love, strong heroines overcoming incredible odds, and (usually) incredibly disturbing villains (I still regret reading some of the villain's scenes in Defending Allye at night just before turning out the lights).  Defending Chloe is no different.  Ronan "Ro" Cross is a British member of the Mountain Mercenaries with scars in his past that he hasn't shared with anyone.  Chloe not only brings out all his protective instincts, she gets him to share his burdens and see them in a new light.  He's the kind of guy you want at your side: good instincts, a man who treats women with respect, and doesn't play games- but is still fully capable of messing things up while thinking he's doing the "right thing".

Fortunately, even after everything Chloe's been through, she remains strong enough to handle Ro.  After years of abuse from her brother and his girlfriend she should be a broken, terrified, mess.  And she is smart enough to be terrified of her brother's Mafia bosses, and scared of her controlling, amoral brother.  But Chloe is also smart enough to know a good man when she sees one, and she trusts Ro and his friends to help her escape.  Both Chloe and Ro are endearing characters, well-written and three dimensional.  You're cheering for them from beginning to end.

Defending Chloe is a fast-paced thriller, full of edge of your seat action.  As with all of Stoker's books, it is part of a larger series (this is book two in the Mountain Mercenaries series) but it can be read as a stand alone book.  The rest of Ro's team and Allye do show up, but I don't see any new readers getting lost if they start with this book.  I find it fun to reader Stoker's series in order if possible because I find it makes the cameos of other characters more fun for me as a reader but long-time fans of Susan Stoker or those starting with this book will enjoy it and be waiting eagerly for the next one! 

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Claiming Felicity

Claiming Felicity (Ace Security #4)- Susan Stoker
Montlake Romance/Amazon Digital Services
Release Date: February 27, 2018

Warning: Potential Spoilers!

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Former mercenary Ryder Sinclair’s stunning discovery that he has three half brothers in Castle Rock, Colorado, is giving them all the chance to color in the spaces of their tragic pasts. For Ryder, establishing roots is made all the more desirable by Felicity Jones. But if Ryder’s instincts are correct, this breathtaking beauty is in trouble.

Castle Rock isn’t Felicity’s home. Like her false identity, it’s just a cover. All she wants is enough cash to keep moving to another temporary hideaway—to stay on the run from a secret that’s haunted her for years. As safe as Ryder’s strong embrace makes her feel, she fears that falling for him, and staying in Colorado, will put everyone she’s come to love in danger.

The more Ryder learns about Felicity, the more determined he is not to let her go. It’s time for her to stop running—even as a relentless danger closes in, threatening their love and their lives.

____________________________________________________________

When Ryder Sinclair discovers he has three half brothers, he knows his life is going to change.  What he doesn't expect is to meet the woman of his dreams at the same time.  Felicity has known the Anderson brothers for years and joked that it was too bad there weren't four of them so she could have one too.  Now it seems there are four of them and the newest one has declared himself hers.  The timing couldn't be worse for Felicity, who's just discovered the stalker she thought she'd outrun has caught up with her. Ryder convinces her not to run again, but can he and his new brothers keep Felicity safe from her past?

Anyone who's read the rest of Stoker's Ace Security series has been hoping for Felicity's story and now here it is.  We get to see behind the tough exterior to the Felicity underneath: a woman so afraid of the ghosts of her past that she is constantly ready to run, lives off the grid as much as possible, and tries never to get close to anyone.  But she's been in Castle Rock for five years and become close to the Anderson brothers and their wives.  Leaving them would break her heart, but when threatening notes from an old stalker show up, she's ready to do it to keep them safe.  Ryder is a tough enough mercenary that he makes her feel safe, like she might have a chance staying in Castle Rock.  He's refreshingly honest about himself and his work and lays it out in a way that makes you like him even more.  You would trust Ryder even as you feel badly for the things he's seen and done over the course of his career. He doesn't brag, and there's nothing macho or testosterone fueled about who he is or what he does.  

While the insta-love Ryder feels for Felicity struck me as being more what I'd expect from a paranormal romance case of true mates than a contemporary romance love-at-first-sight, somehow Stoker makes it work. The reader accepts it as easily as Ryder does- though Felicity understandably has a few doubts.  Similarly, the relationship between the Anderson brothers and Ryder develops in a very natural and realistic way.  Neither side accepts the other completely at the beginning, and both sides are a little uncertain how to separate their parents's past actions from the present.  Felicity's stalker, Joseph, was a deeply creepy nut job and after learning a bit about how he's attacked her in the past it's much more understandable that Felicity would try to run than to turn to friends for help- even security expert friends. 

Claiming Felicity may be one of Stoker's best books to-date.  The emotions are raw and intense, the action is fast-paced, and the bad guy is terrifying. The book is stand-alone, although having read the other Ace Security books helped me with fully understanding the brothers and their interactions with Ryder.  There are a few brief cameos from some of Stoker's other books (Shelter for Sophie) but again, they were more cases of smiling when you realized who they were than people who's books you need to have already read.  And we get some tantalizing teasers of the group who will be a future series! All in all, a great book and one that leaves you wanting to read past series while you wait for the next one.    

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Shelter for Sophie

Shelter for Sophie (Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Book 8)- Susan Stoker
Amazon Digital Services
Release Date: August 15, 2017

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: She’s shy, he’s stoic…not the hardest personality traits to overcome, but Sophie Carson and Roman “Chief” Proudfit have their work cut out for them.

Sophie has a crush on the silent-but-studly firefighter next door. She’s been pining away silently while secretly helping the hardworking man by mowing his lawn—which he thinks is being done by her nonexistent husband and/or boyfriend. He’s definitely not big on neighborly chitchat, but with her stutter, that suits Sophie just fine. But now a misunderstanding at a bar has put him even further out of her reach.

Roman’s difficult upbringing on an Indian reservation is a sore spot, so when he thinks Sophie is taking advantage of poor people for medical trials at her workplace, he lets her know exactly what he thinks. But when he discovers he misunderstood, he’s man enough to admit it…and also that he should have opened his eyes to his beautiful, sensitive neighbor sooner. 

As the couple gets closer, each helping the other overcome lifelong pains, for the first time in years, Roman has something to live for other than his job. And, as he discovers when Sophie puts herself in danger, something even bigger to lose… 

__________________________________________

Opposites attract when Sophie and her next door neighbor Roman "Chief" Proudfit connect.  Sophie's had a crush on her neighbor since he moved in a year ago but is too shy and insecure to do anything about it.  A lifelong stutter makes her self-conscious about meeting new people and she can't imagine why anyone as good looking as Chief would be into her.  Chief pretty much ignores his neighbor until he misunderstands something he overhears her say in a bar.  Sparks fly but can they overcome misunderstandings and danger to reach a happy ending?

Sophie is a sweet, likable woman who you can instantly relate to.  She's shy, and is convinced that no one could like her because she stutters. But she goes out of her way to help everyone she meets, from cutting her hot neighbor's grass when he's not home to buying food and blankets for homeless people who stay near her work.  I also really liked Chief, although in the beginning I wanted to smack him upside his head.  A firefighter who grew up on a reservation in New Mexico, Chief is sensitive about others being taken advantage of- and is convinced he's right all the time.  A misunderstanding about Sophie's work brings home to him that he might be more judgmental than he wants to be, and that he owes Sophie a big apology!  But he mans up and not only apologizes, but finds he wants to get to know his shy neighbor a whole lot better.

Shelter for Sophie was a great book, with delightful chemistry between Sophie and Chief.  Stoker obviously did her homework about Navajo culture and seamlessly blended pieces into the novel.  Both Sophie and Chief changed for the better as the book went on, becoming more comfortable not only with each other but also with themselves and their place in the world.  

Susan Stoker (Rescuing Kassie) is becoming a go-to author for me, and Shelter for Sophie didn't disappoint!  A part of the Badge of Honor series that follows a group San Antonio firefighters and law enforcement officers, but like most of Stoker's books it can be read as a standalone book.  If you like your firefighters hot and your heroes hotter, this is one for you!

I received this book from Instafreebie in exchange for an honest review 

Rescuing Casey

Rescuing Casey (Delta Force Heroes #7)- Susan Stoker
Amazon Digital Services
Release Date: January 16, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚

Warning: Potential Spoilers Ahead

Synopsis: One minute, Casey Shea was minding her own business, doing her job, teaching entomology to college students, and the next she was in the middle of the Costa Rican, jungle fighting for her life. 

Troy “Beatle” Lennon has watched his friends fall head over heels in love, but never thought it would happen to him. Until he sees a picture of his teammate’s sister. That was it. The absolute joy in her eyes calls to him in a way he can’t understand. 

But that joy is currently being threatened by an unknown person who had Casey kidnapped and hidden deep in the jungle. It’s up to Beatle to find her and keep her safe until the threat can be neutralized. Surviving the dangers of the jungle turns out to be the easy part…staying ahead of the killer is much more complicated…and deadly.

_______________________________________

College professor Casey Shea is researching insects in Costa Rica with three students when they are kidnapped.  It takes two Special Forces teams to rescue everyone and Casey is nearly dead by the time they find her.  She uses the training her protective Delta Force brother Blade gave her to hang on as long as possible until the team can find them.  Based on Blade's stories, teammate Troy "Beatle" Lennon is already attracted to Casey, but meeting her in the flesh seals the deal.  She's his and he'll do whatever he needs to keep her safe and get her out of the jungle.  But can they sort through the different lives they lead to come together, or will logistics and a crazy kidnapper tear them apart?

While nobody wants to be kidnapped, I think everyone hopes they would be Casey in a kidnapping scenario.  She keeps her calm, keeps her students calm, then manages to use Blade's survival tips to stay alive while basically being buried alive waiting for rescue.  Smart, level headed, and stubborn, Casey is an excellent and enjoyable heroine.  It's only natural that she fall for a soldier nicknamed "Beatle" who's afraid of bugs.  Beatle is tough yet sensitive, kind yet kick-ass, smart without being a jerk.  Just about all you can ask for in a hero.  He's also learned enough from watching his friends fall in love to value communication.  From the beginning he not only tells Casey how much he likes her and is attracted to her, he tells her how much he respects her strength- whether that is surviving being buried alive or trekking injured through the Costa Rican jungle.

Despite liking both the main characters, I have to admit I didn't feel that instant chemistry they supposedly had between them.  In fact I felt almost no spark between them for most of the book.  Great friends and partners, sure.  Insanely instantly in love? Not so much.  I wanted to feel it, but the connection was only ever vaguely there for me.  Partly this might have been from the distraction of feeling like I was re-reading the same thing over and over. Stoker had a tendency to repeat herself in Casey that I haven't noticed in her other books (Rescuing Kassie), making it feel like I was plodding through a jungle of my own to get to the story.  

When we figure out the mystery of the kidnapping it is both completely ridiculous and terrifyingly possible at the same time.  People are willing to do anything for themselves and their careers and the motive behind the kidnappings brings that home in a way that is almost more frightening than the more 'traditional' kidnapping motives like ransom or blackmail.  I kind of wish we'd gotten to see more of the 'bad guys' (not going to give away who did it even with the "Spoiler Alert" at the top of the post!) than we did, although at the same time I think it worked better the way Stoker kept it in the background until the very end.

All of the Delta Force series can be read as standalone books, although all of the team members and their significant others do appear in each book.  Rescuing Casey was a good addition to the series (which I admit I have not yet read all of, but I'm working on it!), though not destined to be my favorite.  Still, well-developed, realistic, and likable characters with both humor and common sense made this a book well worth reading. 

I received an ARC of this book from InstaFreebie in exchange for an honest review

Rescuing Kassie

Rescuing Kassie (Delta Force Heroes #5)- Susan Stoker
Stoker Aces Production
Publish Date: May 16, 2017

Rating (out of 5):
📚📚📚📚📚

Warning: Potential Spoilers!

Synopsis: Graham "Hollywood" Caverly feels the chemistry with Kassie Anderson in the emails they've been exchanging through a dating site. When they finally meet in person, and that online chemistry proves to have real-life sizzle, he knows she's the one. He couldn't be happier when their first date, at an annual Army Ball, goes better than he could have imagined. Until Kassie drops a bomb.

Kassie doesn't want to approach Hollywood on the dating site, but threats to her family leave her no other choice. She definitely doesn't want to fall for the man. But fall she does. Hard. After she admits the ruse--and after some understandable anger on both their parts--Kassie wonders if, in Hollywood's arms, a happy future is within her grasp.

But her past always finds her, and in Kassie's case, that's a dangerous proposition--because she's connected to an old enemy of Hollywood's Delta Force team. Very intimately connected... And it will take Hollywood, his Delta brothers, and even some outside help to do what should have been done the first time--eliminate the threat once and for all.

_______________________________

Everyone knows online dating is a risky proposition.  You could hit the jackpot, you could meet an axe murderer.  Graham "Hollywood" Caverly thinks he's hit the jackpot: Kassie has a great sense of humor, similar likes/dislikes, and they click perfectly.  The only problem is that Kassie is messaging  Hollywood because her ex Richard and his stalker friend Dean are threatening her little sister if she refuses to spy on him and his Delta Force team.  She's used to abuse and threats from them, but is determined to protect her family.  She's also used to not having anyone in her corner.  Meeting Hollywood for the first time, she thinks maybe she's found someone she can count on to have her back.  She fesses up, he gets mad, fortunately he has his Delta Forces brothers and their girlfriends to show him when he's being dumb and why he shouldn't walk away from a good thing.  Can Kassie and Hollywood work through their differences in time to save the Delta squad, Kassie's family, and what could be a great relationship?

I liked Kassie right away.  She is a down to earth, 'regular' person anyone can relate to: lousy managerial job, lousy ex-boyfriend, just trying to make life work and support her sister.  She is so used to abuse (both physical and mental/emotional) that she no longer expects anyone to help her with anything, that she's always on her own.  Kassie doesn't know why her ex and his friends hate Hollywood's team so much and doesn't want to be a part in hurting anyone, but her sister and family come first and you had to respect that.  Between a rock and a hard place, she was doing the best she could.  Also to her credit, as soon as she figured out Hollywood and his friends aren't evil people, she comes clean and tells him what's going on.  Literally, on their first date.  I certainly wouldn't have blamed her for waiting awhile and not trusting Hollywood right away.  Given her history it was more of a surprise that she did become comfortable with him so quickly.  Hollywood is a good guy, with the normal ultra-protective instincts you'd expect from elite military alphas.  I was super pissed at him for instantly believing the worst of Kassie when she tried to tell him what was going on, and his overreaction seemed a bit out of character for him as we got to know him better.  But it was straight from a sense of betrayal because he was already pretty much in love with Kassie, so I guess that gets him a little leeway too.  Plus he did come around to groveling in record time.

Fast paced was definitely the name of the game for Rescuing Kassie.  Most things happen in record time, some slightly less believable than others: the instal-love from Hollywood for Kassie and the instal-trust from Kassie for Hollywood I would have been ok with going a bit slower, especially Hollywood earning Kassie's trust so fast. Just my opinion but it would have seemed more in character for her to take a little longer.  The problem of Dean and Richard goes on through the whole book, but seems to go pretty fast- which was fine by me.  Believable? Maybe, maybe not.  But it totally worked for me for the book.  While the motive our bad guys have for trying to ruin so many people's lives is pretty thin, it most certainly underscores how crazy they are. Rescuing Kassie was the first of Stoker's Delta Force series I've read, but worked as a stand-alone in a series.  As with Susan Stoker's other series, we see characters that have either already had their own book or will have a book, and while people (and in this case, the bad guy) carried through, it was easy to read as a stand alone, and certainly made me plan to go back and read the rest in this series.

Full of action, adventure, and romance, Rescuing Kassie was a great book that fans of Susan Stoker, or first time readers who are fans of action/contemporary/military romance.  

I received an ARC of this book from Instafreebie in exchange for an honest review.