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Alaska Force #4
Delta Force Defender
Return to Alaska's Grizzly Harbor where danger strikes with arctic precision and love thaws the coldest hearts in the new romantic suspense from
USA Today
bestselling author Megan Crane.
After an explosion that should have killed her, Caradine Scott barely escaped her criminal family by leaving her old identity behind her. These days she runs the Water's Edge Café in a rugged little town on the edge of nowhere, vowing never to let anyone close to her again.
Isaac Gentry is back home after his career in the military, playing the part of an unassuming local in Grizzly Harbor, while also overseeing Alaska Force's special ops work as the leader and commanding officer he was in the Marines and beyond. He has better things to do than obsess over a woman who claims she hates him, but every glimpse he gets of the vulnerability beneath her prickly exterior is a distraction...and a challenge he can't ignore.
When Caradine's demons catch up with her, her café isn't the only thing that blows up. Her past pushes them together, and closer to a future that's been waiting for them all this time. They just have to survive long enough to enjoy it.
After an explosion that should have killed her, Caradine Scott barely escaped her criminal family by leaving her old identity behind her. These days she runs the Water's Edge Café in a rugged little town on the edge of nowhere, vowing never to let anyone close to her again.
Isaac Gentry is back home after his career in the military, playing the part of an unassuming local in Grizzly Harbor, while also overseeing Alaska Force's special ops work as the leader and commanding officer he was in the Marines and beyond. He has better things to do than obsess over a woman who claims she hates him, but every glimpse he gets of the vulnerability beneath her prickly exterior is a distraction...and a challenge he can't ignore.
When Caradine's demons catch up with her, her café isn't the only thing that blows up. Her past pushes them together, and closer to a future that's been waiting for them all this time. They just have to survive long enough to enjoy it.
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 7, 2020
27 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Megan Crane
67 books699 followersUSA Today bestselling, multi-award-nominated, and critically-acclaimed author Megan Crane has written more than 150 books and shows no sign of slowing down. She publishes contemporary romance and paranormal romance as Megan Crane (and briefly M.M. Crane) with an extensive backlist of women’s fiction, rom-coms, chick lit, and young adult novels—among other things. She’s also won a large and loyal fanbase as Caitlin Crews with Harlequin Presents, Harlequin Dare, Harlequin Historical, and contemporary cowboy books. And for Midwestern small town coziness, found families, romance, and some paranormal scariness thrown in, Megan partners with Nicole Helm to publish as Hazel Beck.
Megan has a Masters and Ph.D. in English Literature, has taught creative writing classes in places like UCLA Extension’s prestigious Writers’ Program, and is always available to give workshops (or her opinion). She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her comic book artist husband, though, at any given time, she is likely to either be huddled in a coffee shop somewhere or off traveling the world. Preferably both.
You can find out more than you ever wanted to know about her at www.megancrane.com
Megan has a Masters and Ph.D. in English Literature, has taught creative writing classes in places like UCLA Extension’s prestigious Writers’ Program, and is always available to give workshops (or her opinion). She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her comic book artist husband, though, at any given time, she is likely to either be huddled in a coffee shop somewhere or off traveling the world. Preferably both.
You can find out more than you ever wanted to know about her at www.megancrane.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
September 6, 2021
This is my first read by Miss Crane. Her book is similar to Miss Marie Force. Delta Force Defender have so much promise and yet too long.
The romance us slow burn. I mean really slow burn. For me, the slow burn losing it's appeal on the half of the book. There is not enough spark to make me continue.
3 stars
The romance us slow burn. I mean really slow burn. For me, the slow burn losing it's appeal on the half of the book. There is not enough spark to make me continue.
3 stars
June 25, 2020
Great story with a bit of suspense and tasty, brooding, tough ex military men.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I love the unique location the author chooses for the basis of the story and the series. She does a great job with the descriptions and you get such a sense of the locale, the family feel of the town, and the business.
The story is very detailed and very interesting. Crane came up with just a great plot that really captured my attention from the very beginning.
A lot of the focus was on the female character, Caradine, but you could definitely feel the heat impression with her significant flame, Isaac. A big hunk of a man who had a hard time letting go and did everything with her in mind.
She does have some qualities that I did not care for, and while I knew they were self-preservation tendencies, her coldness and angry attitude sometimes got a bit difficult to take.
This Delta Force story is a wonderful read with plenty of heat and offers plenty of suspense filled action too. Definitely one to check out if you’re into romantic suspense.
* copy received for review consideration
full review - https://amidlifewife.com/delta-force-...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I love the unique location the author chooses for the basis of the story and the series. She does a great job with the descriptions and you get such a sense of the locale, the family feel of the town, and the business.
The story is very detailed and very interesting. Crane came up with just a great plot that really captured my attention from the very beginning.
A lot of the focus was on the female character, Caradine, but you could definitely feel the heat impression with her significant flame, Isaac. A big hunk of a man who had a hard time letting go and did everything with her in mind.
She does have some qualities that I did not care for, and while I knew they were self-preservation tendencies, her coldness and angry attitude sometimes got a bit difficult to take.
This Delta Force story is a wonderful read with plenty of heat and offers plenty of suspense filled action too. Definitely one to check out if you’re into romantic suspense.
* copy received for review consideration
full review - https://amidlifewife.com/delta-force-...
July 16, 2020
Delta Force Defender by Megan Crane is book four in her Alaska Force series. Though part of a series, it reads as a standalone.
Caradine Scott is bad-mouthed, bad-tempered and beautiful. As the owner of the Water’s Edge Café in remote Grizzly Harbor, she’s part of the tight-knit community, but she holds herself apart. Caradine ran to Grizzly Harbor when her life literally exploded. Now she’s on the run from Grizzly Harbor because her life has exploded again.
Isaac Gentry is the ruggedly handsome founder and commander of Alaska Force, a group of elite ex–special forces operatives now working to help individuals who have exhausted all other options.
Author, Megan Crane brings together a hero and heroine that seriously butt heads at every opportunity, because neither wants to give up their supposedly reasonable but weak position. Isaac wants to rescue Caradine from her situation, but she refuses to be rescued. They’ll both have to make major changes personally, if their attraction is ever going to lead to something more substantial.
Delta Force Defender is a good read, though it lagged slightly in the middle. The characters are strong and vibrant. The plot is feasible with great twists. I give it 4 out of 5 stars, deducted one star because of the lag, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys romantic suspense.
My thanks to Berkeley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.
Caradine Scott is bad-mouthed, bad-tempered and beautiful. As the owner of the Water’s Edge Café in remote Grizzly Harbor, she’s part of the tight-knit community, but she holds herself apart. Caradine ran to Grizzly Harbor when her life literally exploded. Now she’s on the run from Grizzly Harbor because her life has exploded again.
Isaac Gentry is the ruggedly handsome founder and commander of Alaska Force, a group of elite ex–special forces operatives now working to help individuals who have exhausted all other options.
Author, Megan Crane brings together a hero and heroine that seriously butt heads at every opportunity, because neither wants to give up their supposedly reasonable but weak position. Isaac wants to rescue Caradine from her situation, but she refuses to be rescued. They’ll both have to make major changes personally, if their attraction is ever going to lead to something more substantial.
Delta Force Defender is a good read, though it lagged slightly in the middle. The characters are strong and vibrant. The plot is feasible with great twists. I give it 4 out of 5 stars, deducted one star because of the lag, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys romantic suspense.
My thanks to Berkeley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.
August 5, 2020
I've given this a B at AAR.
Delta Force Defender is book four in Megan Crane's Alaska Force series featuring a group of elite special forces operatives based out of a remote location in Southeast Alaska. I haven’t read the other books, and although the central romance between Alaska Force leader Isaac Gentry and prickly café owner Caradine Scott has obviously been building throughout the series, Delta Force Defender worked perfectly well (for the most part) as a standalone.
The book opens with a prologue set ten years earlier in which we meet sisters Julia and Lindsay Sheeran daughters of a dangerous and violent criminal and arms-dealer with connections to crime syndicates all over the world. Julia – who is paying her own way through college against her father’s wishes - has been summoned home, but as she arrives, Lindsay comes outside to warn her away, and before she can say more, a massive explosion destroys the house killing everyone inside.
Ten years later, Isaac Gentry is woken in the middle of the night by a phone call telling him the Water’s Edge Café in the tiny fishing village of Grizzly Harbor has blown up. The news momentarily stuns him, but he quickly makes his way to the village, arriving to find members of his team on site who tell him the place was fire-bombed but that it seems to have been a warning rather than intended to kill. Indications are that Caradine got out alive, but she’s yet to come back - and when all the signs point to the fact that she’d been prepared for such an eventuality, Isaac knows she’s running. They’ve been sniping at each other and occasionally falling into bed together ever since she first arrived five years earlier, and Isaac has always sensed that she’s been holding something back. There’s no doubt about their mutual physical attraction, but Caradine has refused to let anyone close, even him – maybe especially him – and after waiting for her to tell him the truth, Isaac decides it’s time to drag the ghost that was Caradine Scott out into the light, no matter what happened.
Julia – Caradine – spent the first five years after the explosion at her home moving around from place to place, never settling anywhere for long and staying under the radar. She’s always known that staying in Grizzly Harbor for so long was asking for trouble, but somehow she’d found herself becoming Caradine, settling into a life she’d known could never be hers, making connections with the villagers and a man she had no business wanting. Leaving it all behind is hard, but she’s done it before and she’ll do it again. She must. Even if the memories of Grizzly Harbor and the man she knows will want to save her won’t leave her.
A week or so finds Caradine on the other side of the country and at last starting to think that she has actually managed to evade Isaac, whom she has no doubt has been searching for her. But she’s quickly proven wrong when she wakes up in the middle of the night to find him standing by her bed in the small Maine B&B she’s staying in. Adopting her most sarcastic, jaded, cutting manner, she pointedly tells him she doesn’t want or need his help – but nothing she says will sway Isaac from his purpose. She’s getting his help whether she likes it or not, before whoever is after her catches up with her and finishes the job.
Delta Force Defender is an entertaining read with a well-executed suspense plot and lots of sexual tension between Caradine and Isaac, a pair of equally stubborn, determined, capable individuals who obviously care a great deal for each other even though they try pretty hard not to show it. Caradine is a strong-willed, spirited heroine who has learned that the only person she can rely on is herself, so letting others in goes against her strongly ingrained sense of self-preservation. I like a plucky heroine who can give as good as she gets, but I have to admit that it took a while for me to come to like her because some of the things she says are mean-spirited and deliberately meant to wound. I know it’s her self-defence mechanism and because she doesn’t want anyone to get hurt on her account, but even so, she came off as spiteful and dismissive as a result.
Isaac is pretty much your common-or-garden ex-special forces badass alpha male. He’s gorgeous and highly competent, he wants to keep Caradine safe no matter what, and if he had his way, would wrap her up in cotton wool while he and his team flush out whoever is after her. Fortunately, he knows all too well that there’s no way Caradine is going to let him do that; he might not like it, but he accepts the need for her to be involved with his plans, and they work together surprisingly well.
There’s plenty of action building to a high-stakes finale as Isaac and Caradine get closer to the truth, and I really appreciated that the romance plot is never sidelined; Caradine and Isaac spend a lot of time together on the page, and the author keeps the chemistry between them bubbling nicely along. I was, however, a bit confused by the turn things took near the end. It’s hard to say much without spoilers, but when, for most of the book, Caradine has been the one trying to keep Isaac at a distance, and she then turns around and accuses him of not really wanting her now she doesn’t need to be rescued, I did a cartoon-character-style double-take. She gives him all this guff about how she’s ready to commit, but all he knows is the fight, and how he doesn’t want to win, but wants to suffer… I was scratching my head and wondering where it was all coming from. Maybe if I’d read the previous books in the series, it might have made more sense, but I was completely baffled; throughout the book I’d seen a man who wanted desperately to keep someone he loved safe and who would do whatever was necessary to do it – and who was possibly more invested in their relationship than Caradine was. That wasn’t a man who was only interested in saving damsels in distress just for the hell of it, and I honestly don’t know what the author was trying to accomplish apart from an unnecessary delay to the HEA that was obviously on the cards.
That part cost the book half a grade point, and if anyone who reads it can explain what the hell happened there, I’d really appreciate it! Otherwise, Delta Force Defender is a fast-paced, entertaining and suspenseful read; I liked the rapport among the Alaska Force members, the evocative descriptions of the various locations and, apart from that late-book huh? moment, the romance is nicely done.
Delta Force Defender is book four in Megan Crane's Alaska Force series featuring a group of elite special forces operatives based out of a remote location in Southeast Alaska. I haven’t read the other books, and although the central romance between Alaska Force leader Isaac Gentry and prickly café owner Caradine Scott has obviously been building throughout the series, Delta Force Defender worked perfectly well (for the most part) as a standalone.
The book opens with a prologue set ten years earlier in which we meet sisters Julia and Lindsay Sheeran daughters of a dangerous and violent criminal and arms-dealer with connections to crime syndicates all over the world. Julia – who is paying her own way through college against her father’s wishes - has been summoned home, but as she arrives, Lindsay comes outside to warn her away, and before she can say more, a massive explosion destroys the house killing everyone inside.
Ten years later, Isaac Gentry is woken in the middle of the night by a phone call telling him the Water’s Edge Café in the tiny fishing village of Grizzly Harbor has blown up. The news momentarily stuns him, but he quickly makes his way to the village, arriving to find members of his team on site who tell him the place was fire-bombed but that it seems to have been a warning rather than intended to kill. Indications are that Caradine got out alive, but she’s yet to come back - and when all the signs point to the fact that she’d been prepared for such an eventuality, Isaac knows she’s running. They’ve been sniping at each other and occasionally falling into bed together ever since she first arrived five years earlier, and Isaac has always sensed that she’s been holding something back. There’s no doubt about their mutual physical attraction, but Caradine has refused to let anyone close, even him – maybe especially him – and after waiting for her to tell him the truth, Isaac decides it’s time to drag the ghost that was Caradine Scott out into the light, no matter what happened.
Julia – Caradine – spent the first five years after the explosion at her home moving around from place to place, never settling anywhere for long and staying under the radar. She’s always known that staying in Grizzly Harbor for so long was asking for trouble, but somehow she’d found herself becoming Caradine, settling into a life she’d known could never be hers, making connections with the villagers and a man she had no business wanting. Leaving it all behind is hard, but she’s done it before and she’ll do it again. She must. Even if the memories of Grizzly Harbor and the man she knows will want to save her won’t leave her.
A week or so finds Caradine on the other side of the country and at last starting to think that she has actually managed to evade Isaac, whom she has no doubt has been searching for her. But she’s quickly proven wrong when she wakes up in the middle of the night to find him standing by her bed in the small Maine B&B she’s staying in. Adopting her most sarcastic, jaded, cutting manner, she pointedly tells him she doesn’t want or need his help – but nothing she says will sway Isaac from his purpose. She’s getting his help whether she likes it or not, before whoever is after her catches up with her and finishes the job.
Delta Force Defender is an entertaining read with a well-executed suspense plot and lots of sexual tension between Caradine and Isaac, a pair of equally stubborn, determined, capable individuals who obviously care a great deal for each other even though they try pretty hard not to show it. Caradine is a strong-willed, spirited heroine who has learned that the only person she can rely on is herself, so letting others in goes against her strongly ingrained sense of self-preservation. I like a plucky heroine who can give as good as she gets, but I have to admit that it took a while for me to come to like her because some of the things she says are mean-spirited and deliberately meant to wound. I know it’s her self-defence mechanism and because she doesn’t want anyone to get hurt on her account, but even so, she came off as spiteful and dismissive as a result.
Isaac is pretty much your common-or-garden ex-special forces badass alpha male. He’s gorgeous and highly competent, he wants to keep Caradine safe no matter what, and if he had his way, would wrap her up in cotton wool while he and his team flush out whoever is after her. Fortunately, he knows all too well that there’s no way Caradine is going to let him do that; he might not like it, but he accepts the need for her to be involved with his plans, and they work together surprisingly well.
There’s plenty of action building to a high-stakes finale as Isaac and Caradine get closer to the truth, and I really appreciated that the romance plot is never sidelined; Caradine and Isaac spend a lot of time together on the page, and the author keeps the chemistry between them bubbling nicely along. I was, however, a bit confused by the turn things took near the end. It’s hard to say much without spoilers, but when, for most of the book, Caradine has been the one trying to keep Isaac at a distance, and she then turns around and accuses him of not really wanting her now she doesn’t need to be rescued, I did a cartoon-character-style double-take. She gives him all this guff about how she’s ready to commit, but all he knows is the fight, and how he doesn’t want to win, but wants to suffer… I was scratching my head and wondering where it was all coming from. Maybe if I’d read the previous books in the series, it might have made more sense, but I was completely baffled; throughout the book I’d seen a man who wanted desperately to keep someone he loved safe and who would do whatever was necessary to do it – and who was possibly more invested in their relationship than Caradine was. That wasn’t a man who was only interested in saving damsels in distress just for the hell of it, and I honestly don’t know what the author was trying to accomplish apart from an unnecessary delay to the HEA that was obviously on the cards.
That part cost the book half a grade point, and if anyone who reads it can explain what the hell happened there, I’d really appreciate it! Otherwise, Delta Force Defender is a fast-paced, entertaining and suspenseful read; I liked the rapport among the Alaska Force members, the evocative descriptions of the various locations and, apart from that late-book huh? moment, the romance is nicely done.
July 10, 2020
Alaska is calling me…
This romantic suspense series is set in beautiful Alaska and couldn’t wait to dive into Caradine and Isaac’s story! If you’ve read this series then you know all about the gruff and almost curmudgeonly. While never vicious, she had the perfect level of abruptness and sarcasm, zinging her barbs with great skill. Isaac was always there to catch those slings and never seemed to mind all that much. Diving into what was going on behind those stoic faces was everything I’d hoped for…
“She had no idea what to do with the opposite of an attack. She had no idea what do with family.”
There was no shortage of explosions, whether physical ones or within eye-opening conversations. Caradine had spent years trying to be aloof, not realizing she had been pulled into the Alaska Force family against her will. She may have gone kicking and screaming, and the fight wasn’t quite over. What she did come to realize was when her past found her, she was not alone…
There was an intensity to the story that shone in each page as the plot raced from one action-filled, often gut-wrenching, scene to another. It was easy to feel all the conflicting emotions between the main characters as they fought and argued from beginning to end. An ensemble cast reminded me why I enjoyed this series so much as humour, camaraderie and straight up testosterone meant I was hanging on every word… ~Diane, 5 stars
This romantic suspense series is set in beautiful Alaska and couldn’t wait to dive into Caradine and Isaac’s story! If you’ve read this series then you know all about the gruff and almost curmudgeonly. While never vicious, she had the perfect level of abruptness and sarcasm, zinging her barbs with great skill. Isaac was always there to catch those slings and never seemed to mind all that much. Diving into what was going on behind those stoic faces was everything I’d hoped for…
“She had no idea what to do with the opposite of an attack. She had no idea what do with family.”
There was no shortage of explosions, whether physical ones or within eye-opening conversations. Caradine had spent years trying to be aloof, not realizing she had been pulled into the Alaska Force family against her will. She may have gone kicking and screaming, and the fight wasn’t quite over. What she did come to realize was when her past found her, she was not alone…
There was an intensity to the story that shone in each page as the plot raced from one action-filled, often gut-wrenching, scene to another. It was easy to feel all the conflicting emotions between the main characters as they fought and argued from beginning to end. An ensemble cast reminded me why I enjoyed this series so much as humour, camaraderie and straight up testosterone meant I was hanging on every word… ~Diane, 5 stars
July 7, 2020
Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Delta Force Defender
Alaskan Force #4
By: Megan Crane
REVIEW ☆☆☆☆
Fourth in the Alaskan Force series, but the first I've read, Megan Crane's Delta Force Defender brings the action. From page one I was intrigued by the underlying mystery, but the story took a surprising turn after a shocking event. We pick up in Grizzly Harbor, Alaska some years later, and again, the action is non stop. Caradine is a woman living under a false identity, haunted by a tragic past, in this off the map town. Now, she is fleeing for her life. Issac, a potential love interest, gets a call and assembles his team. Believing Caradine to be dead, Issac is secretly devastated. Fortunately, he soon realizes Caradine is alive, but she is not the woman she appeared to be at all. Who is she, really? I love the fast pace and what's waiting around the corner feeling of the story. There is a sense of urgency that drives the narrative and the characters. Caradine and Issac are a passionate couple. She is fiercely independent but drawn almost helplessly to Issac. He is an alpha male and longs to protect and possess Caradine. Now, she is on the run from her troubled past, and by his pursuit of Caradine, Issac is in danger as well. If they want to survive, Caradine must come clean about everything. Numerous twists and turns and wanting to know the answers kept me on the edge of my seat. I was rooting for Caradine and Issac all the way because I was truly invested in their outcomes. You'll be hooked, trust me! Don't miss this thrilling and propulsive mystery from Megan Crane!
Delta Force Defender
Alaskan Force #4
By: Megan Crane
REVIEW ☆☆☆☆
Fourth in the Alaskan Force series, but the first I've read, Megan Crane's Delta Force Defender brings the action. From page one I was intrigued by the underlying mystery, but the story took a surprising turn after a shocking event. We pick up in Grizzly Harbor, Alaska some years later, and again, the action is non stop. Caradine is a woman living under a false identity, haunted by a tragic past, in this off the map town. Now, she is fleeing for her life. Issac, a potential love interest, gets a call and assembles his team. Believing Caradine to be dead, Issac is secretly devastated. Fortunately, he soon realizes Caradine is alive, but she is not the woman she appeared to be at all. Who is she, really? I love the fast pace and what's waiting around the corner feeling of the story. There is a sense of urgency that drives the narrative and the characters. Caradine and Issac are a passionate couple. She is fiercely independent but drawn almost helplessly to Issac. He is an alpha male and longs to protect and possess Caradine. Now, she is on the run from her troubled past, and by his pursuit of Caradine, Issac is in danger as well. If they want to survive, Caradine must come clean about everything. Numerous twists and turns and wanting to know the answers kept me on the edge of my seat. I was rooting for Caradine and Issac all the way because I was truly invested in their outcomes. You'll be hooked, trust me! Don't miss this thrilling and propulsive mystery from Megan Crane!
July 8, 2020
Review posted on Got Fiction? book blog
I’ve really enjoyed this series! This book is Caradine and Isaac’s book and if you haven’t been following the series, Caradine is the owner of one of the few restaurants in Grizzly Harbor, Alaska. She cooks what she wants, opens when she wants, and she bans people from her restaurant whenever they get on her nerves. She’s in her thirties and grumpy and prickly and she’s been quite a character.
Isaac’s been in love with her since he met her. He knows she’s pushing people away on purpose to avoid any emotional entanglements, and he’s okay with that. He figures she’ll come around eventually. After all, they really seem to work well in the bedroom, so he figures one day she’ll quit kicking him out right after and tell him why she pushes everyone away. Meanwhile, his job running Alaska Force keeps him busy enough, and he’s patient enough, he plans to wait her out.
Caradine has no plans to tell Isaac anything. Ever. She’s come close to telling him and that scares her. She can’t have any friends or emotional attachments because one day she might have to bail and run, leaving everything behind. Leaving friends behind hurts, Also, they tend to look for you when you’re missing, and she may have to go missing one day.
The day comes that Caradine’s past catches up with her, and what she doesn’t realize is all those messy emotional attachments? She has them. And they have her. They aren’t letting her ghost them, and she has no idea what she’s got.
Isaac tracks her down and tells her flat out that he’s going to help her and that’s that. But he also listens to her, he doesn’t just throw her over his shoulder and kidnap her…okay, well he actually did do that, but after that part, he listened to her. The only reason he didn’t listen earlier is that she wasn’t talking. But he went along with her plan, and once her plan was set in motion, he took her back to Alaska which is really where the romance picked up. Once everything is out in the open, Caradine is surprised to see just how much her found family cares about her. She really thought she didn’t have any friends because she was prickly and cranky.
Caradine is stubborn, but she’s not stupid. She was very willing to listen to Alaska Force, she understood that she could become a liability if she strayed from the plan. I liked that a lot. I also liked that once her secret was out in the open, while she wasn’t as mean as she had been when she was deliberately pushing people away, she was still prickly and grumpy. I liked that she didn’t suddenly become all sunshine and roses, because we all fell in love with cranky Caradine. That was part of her charm. I also really liked Isaac’s mostly endless patience with her. There was a part towards the end that I didn’t see coming, but Caradine handled it well, and I liked how she pushed Isaac past his own comfort zone to see what he truly wanted. He’s so used to fixing everyone’s problems to escape his own, and she didn’t let him get a pass on his own issues and feelings.
I feel like with this series you get both the feel of a small town romance and an intense romantic suspense, the author blends the two well. With the found family trope, you really get a happy ending. Not just a happily ever after between two characters, but one with the whole of Alaska Force. I can’t wait for more in this series.
***Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley
I’ve really enjoyed this series! This book is Caradine and Isaac’s book and if you haven’t been following the series, Caradine is the owner of one of the few restaurants in Grizzly Harbor, Alaska. She cooks what she wants, opens when she wants, and she bans people from her restaurant whenever they get on her nerves. She’s in her thirties and grumpy and prickly and she’s been quite a character.
Isaac’s been in love with her since he met her. He knows she’s pushing people away on purpose to avoid any emotional entanglements, and he’s okay with that. He figures she’ll come around eventually. After all, they really seem to work well in the bedroom, so he figures one day she’ll quit kicking him out right after and tell him why she pushes everyone away. Meanwhile, his job running Alaska Force keeps him busy enough, and he’s patient enough, he plans to wait her out.
Caradine has no plans to tell Isaac anything. Ever. She’s come close to telling him and that scares her. She can’t have any friends or emotional attachments because one day she might have to bail and run, leaving everything behind. Leaving friends behind hurts, Also, they tend to look for you when you’re missing, and she may have to go missing one day.
The day comes that Caradine’s past catches up with her, and what she doesn’t realize is all those messy emotional attachments? She has them. And they have her. They aren’t letting her ghost them, and she has no idea what she’s got.
Isaac tracks her down and tells her flat out that he’s going to help her and that’s that. But he also listens to her, he doesn’t just throw her over his shoulder and kidnap her…okay, well he actually did do that, but after that part, he listened to her. The only reason he didn’t listen earlier is that she wasn’t talking. But he went along with her plan, and once her plan was set in motion, he took her back to Alaska which is really where the romance picked up. Once everything is out in the open, Caradine is surprised to see just how much her found family cares about her. She really thought she didn’t have any friends because she was prickly and cranky.
Caradine is stubborn, but she’s not stupid. She was very willing to listen to Alaska Force, she understood that she could become a liability if she strayed from the plan. I liked that a lot. I also liked that once her secret was out in the open, while she wasn’t as mean as she had been when she was deliberately pushing people away, she was still prickly and grumpy. I liked that she didn’t suddenly become all sunshine and roses, because we all fell in love with cranky Caradine. That was part of her charm. I also really liked Isaac’s mostly endless patience with her. There was a part towards the end that I didn’t see coming, but Caradine handled it well, and I liked how she pushed Isaac past his own comfort zone to see what he truly wanted. He’s so used to fixing everyone’s problems to escape his own, and she didn’t let him get a pass on his own issues and feelings.
I feel like with this series you get both the feel of a small town romance and an intense romantic suspense, the author blends the two well. With the found family trope, you really get a happy ending. Not just a happily ever after between two characters, but one with the whole of Alaska Force. I can’t wait for more in this series.
***Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley
August 22, 2020
3.5
i don't even have a review at this point im just reading these to cope
i don't even have a review at this point im just reading these to cope
July 12, 2020
There have been hints of something going on between Caradine and Isaac for most of the series. I really liked that with this book we finally get their back story. I think it funny that they have been having a secret affair the whole time. You would have thought the AF guys would have figured it out as they are a bunch of busy bodies. lol
Caradine's past was crazy and explained so much about her. I'm glad that it came out, that she had the guys at her back, even if she didn't want them at first, because there are no better people to help her out. Getting to the happy ending took them a lot of places, Caradine discovered a lot about her family, some really good, some not so much. But in all things, Caradine did what she wanted and found a way to help make herself safe, the guys were along for the ride.
I liked how this one ended, liked that Caradine called Isaac out on his crap and together they are facing the future.
Caradine's past was crazy and explained so much about her. I'm glad that it came out, that she had the guys at her back, even if she didn't want them at first, because there are no better people to help her out. Getting to the happy ending took them a lot of places, Caradine discovered a lot about her family, some really good, some not so much. But in all things, Caradine did what she wanted and found a way to help make herself safe, the guys were along for the ride.
I liked how this one ended, liked that Caradine called Isaac out on his crap and together they are facing the future.
July 8, 2020
Delta Force Defender by Megan Crane is the 4th book in her fantastic Alaska Force series. I was thrilled to see that the two people we waited for, Caradine and Isaac, were the leads in this book. 😊
Isaac Gentry, a former marine, is the head of Alaska Force, the special ops firm (former military/mercenaries/police) that helps those in need. Over the previous 3 books, we have seen Isaac’s and Caradine’s attraction to each other, even though she comes across as snarky and distant.
Caradine Scott, has lived in Grizzly Harbor for 5 years, and runs the local Water’s edge Café in town. She keeps to herself, not allowing anyone to be close to her, with those understanding that she is hiding secrets. Though she tells Isaac that she hates him, they both act on their lust for each other on occasion, but that is as far as it goes.
When there is an explosion at the café, Caradine ups and runs away, since she suspects the people she has been hiding from have found her. Isaac is desperate to find her, and help her; and when Isaac is determined to use all of his contacts, he finds her and brings her back to Grizzly Harbor. The Alaska Force team, and Grizzly Harbor residents show a lot of love to Caradine, which she has a hard time handling. But her true identity is revealed, with everyone is shocked that she is the daughter of a powerful mafia gangster, who was killed 10 years ago, with Caradine (Julia) having thought to be dead, but she escaped. Caradine does not want anyone’s help, fearing that they will all get hurt; but Isaac and the team plan to protect her and find who is trying to kill her.
What follows is an exciting, intense, suspenseful, intriguing story, with a romance that we rooted hard for, as well as a few revelations that caused Caradine to protect someone else. Despite Isaac and his team helping, Caradine puts herself into danger a number of times, in her need to protect others. There were a couple of surprises, as we raced to the climax to fight the real culprit, with Isaac determined to save Caradine at any cost. Will Caradine’s stubbornness push her away from Isaac?
I really loved Isaac and Caradine, and prayed they would find a way to be together. The secondary characters of this series are awesome, as we do get to see our previous heroes. Delta Force Defender was a great addition to this series, and very well written by Megan Crane. If you enjoy romance suspense, with lots of action and suspense, you need to read this series.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
Isaac Gentry, a former marine, is the head of Alaska Force, the special ops firm (former military/mercenaries/police) that helps those in need. Over the previous 3 books, we have seen Isaac’s and Caradine’s attraction to each other, even though she comes across as snarky and distant.
Caradine Scott, has lived in Grizzly Harbor for 5 years, and runs the local Water’s edge Café in town. She keeps to herself, not allowing anyone to be close to her, with those understanding that she is hiding secrets. Though she tells Isaac that she hates him, they both act on their lust for each other on occasion, but that is as far as it goes.
When there is an explosion at the café, Caradine ups and runs away, since she suspects the people she has been hiding from have found her. Isaac is desperate to find her, and help her; and when Isaac is determined to use all of his contacts, he finds her and brings her back to Grizzly Harbor. The Alaska Force team, and Grizzly Harbor residents show a lot of love to Caradine, which she has a hard time handling. But her true identity is revealed, with everyone is shocked that she is the daughter of a powerful mafia gangster, who was killed 10 years ago, with Caradine (Julia) having thought to be dead, but she escaped. Caradine does not want anyone’s help, fearing that they will all get hurt; but Isaac and the team plan to protect her and find who is trying to kill her.
What follows is an exciting, intense, suspenseful, intriguing story, with a romance that we rooted hard for, as well as a few revelations that caused Caradine to protect someone else. Despite Isaac and his team helping, Caradine puts herself into danger a number of times, in her need to protect others. There were a couple of surprises, as we raced to the climax to fight the real culprit, with Isaac determined to save Caradine at any cost. Will Caradine’s stubbornness push her away from Isaac?
I really loved Isaac and Caradine, and prayed they would find a way to be together. The secondary characters of this series are awesome, as we do get to see our previous heroes. Delta Force Defender was a great addition to this series, and very well written by Megan Crane. If you enjoy romance suspense, with lots of action and suspense, you need to read this series.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
July 5, 2020
-- Read this review, and others, on my blog at www.hookedbythatbook.com --
Caradine Scott is the prickly and unapproachable owner of the Water’s Edge Café in Grizzly Harbor, Alaska. Isaac Gentry is the leader of Alaska Force’s special ops team, and Caradine’s secret lover. There is no denying the sparks between them, but Caradine refuses to let Isaac become closer to her. Then one day Caradine’s past comes knocking in the form of a bomb at her café, and Isaac chases her on her escape across the country. He catches her, of course, and has the time of his life trying to convince her to trust him to take care of her and her problems.
The book starts off with a lot of suspense and mystery, and the fast pace continues from there. Caradine’s story is intriguing and I was definitely invested in finding out who is after her and how it all will end. She had a very hard time trusting Isaac and his motivations. And even when she started to let him in more, she didn’t lose her sharp edges or her sharp tongue. She also struggled to let the people of Grizzly Harbor in so that they can love and support her the way they want to. But in the end she grudgingly opened herself to Isaac and her friends. Isaac had some issues of his own, and even though he appeared to be more open than Caradine, he also kept a big part of himself closed off, and Caradine called him on it.
With plenty of action and intrigue, this book drew me in right from the start and kept my attention all the way to the end. I was really rooting for Caradine and Isaac, and really hoping that she can find a way to live a life free of fear. I can definitely recommend this if you are interested in romantic suspense.
Thank you to Berkley for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Caradine Scott is the prickly and unapproachable owner of the Water’s Edge Café in Grizzly Harbor, Alaska. Isaac Gentry is the leader of Alaska Force’s special ops team, and Caradine’s secret lover. There is no denying the sparks between them, but Caradine refuses to let Isaac become closer to her. Then one day Caradine’s past comes knocking in the form of a bomb at her café, and Isaac chases her on her escape across the country. He catches her, of course, and has the time of his life trying to convince her to trust him to take care of her and her problems.
The book starts off with a lot of suspense and mystery, and the fast pace continues from there. Caradine’s story is intriguing and I was definitely invested in finding out who is after her and how it all will end. She had a very hard time trusting Isaac and his motivations. And even when she started to let him in more, she didn’t lose her sharp edges or her sharp tongue. She also struggled to let the people of Grizzly Harbor in so that they can love and support her the way they want to. But in the end she grudgingly opened herself to Isaac and her friends. Isaac had some issues of his own, and even though he appeared to be more open than Caradine, he also kept a big part of himself closed off, and Caradine called him on it.
With plenty of action and intrigue, this book drew me in right from the start and kept my attention all the way to the end. I was really rooting for Caradine and Isaac, and really hoping that she can find a way to live a life free of fear. I can definitely recommend this if you are interested in romantic suspense.
Thank you to Berkley for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 29, 2020
Caradine Scott has spent the past ten years hiding from her criminal family’s past after an explosion almost took her out. She has been playing a persona as a crabby take no prisoners owner of the local café where the denizens of a remote Alaskan town, Grizzly Harbor, like to hangout including one particular ex special-ops man who enjoys a prickly relationship with Caradine. Now it seems she has been outed and the criminal elements are after Caradine again in a deadly way.
Isaac Gentry heads up a group for other ex-military who needed a home and a mission after surviving the vagaries of war and a grueling life. They specialize in difficult and dangerous situations protecting the vulnerable and rescuing those who need it. When Caradine goes on the run, Isaac is determined to find her and learn everything he can about her past while protecting her despite what she wants. Caradine has no interest in acquiescing to Isaac’s desires and does her best to outwit and outmaneuver this man whom she considers infuriating and irritating though she is quite attracted to him. Their relationship has been all sparks and sparring until now; however, a lot of Caradine’s behavior comes from her life on the run as well as her very difficult upbringing. She has been protecting herself for a very long time.
Isaac is determined to help Caradine for a variety of reasons not the least of which is his intense attraction to her. He has a lot of ghosts of his own to deal with from his military past; however, despite the obstacles, Isaac wants Caradine in his life. They go through some difficult and fraught situations and as neither are easy people, Caradine and Isaac have a lot of work to do to resolve her situation as well as their issues as a possible couple. This is the fourth book in the Alaska Force series, but this story can be read as a standalone.
Isaac Gentry heads up a group for other ex-military who needed a home and a mission after surviving the vagaries of war and a grueling life. They specialize in difficult and dangerous situations protecting the vulnerable and rescuing those who need it. When Caradine goes on the run, Isaac is determined to find her and learn everything he can about her past while protecting her despite what she wants. Caradine has no interest in acquiescing to Isaac’s desires and does her best to outwit and outmaneuver this man whom she considers infuriating and irritating though she is quite attracted to him. Their relationship has been all sparks and sparring until now; however, a lot of Caradine’s behavior comes from her life on the run as well as her very difficult upbringing. She has been protecting herself for a very long time.
Isaac is determined to help Caradine for a variety of reasons not the least of which is his intense attraction to her. He has a lot of ghosts of his own to deal with from his military past; however, despite the obstacles, Isaac wants Caradine in his life. They go through some difficult and fraught situations and as neither are easy people, Caradine and Isaac have a lot of work to do to resolve her situation as well as their issues as a possible couple. This is the fourth book in the Alaska Force series, but this story can be read as a standalone.
June 30, 2020
WOW!!! I thoroughly LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, Caradine Scott and Isaac Gentry’s amazing race for justice and love in Delta Force Defender by Megan Crane, book four in her Alaska Force series. This story had me on the edge, lost within, and not putting it down, as I drank in each page. Two extra strong characters, vowing to never let anyone close or to cede control to another person become involved in a relationship of love, desire, and fear.
Caradine barely escaped an explosion that killed most of her criminal family, changed her name as she sought a new life, determined to never let anyone get close to her. For the last few years she runs the Water’s Edge Café in a rugged little town on the edge of nowhere. After a career in the military, as a commanding officer he once was in the Marines and beyond. Isaac returned home to Grizzly Harbor where he created and commands Alaska Force; a group of former military personnel doing special ops, like they did when they were still in military. Isaac and Caradine have a love/hate relationship; which is a challenge neither can ignore. When Caradine’s old demons locate her, her cafe isn’t the only thing that blows up. Her past ends up pushing them together, and closer to accepting a future that’s been teasing them all this time. They just have to survive long enough to enjoy it.
Ms. Crane wrote an intense, emotional and exciting romantic suspense filled with sizzling chemistry, magnetism, wonderful dialogue, and endearing characters that is not to be missed. This story grabbed me and did not let go until I reached the end. I highly recommend Delta Force Defender and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Caradine barely escaped an explosion that killed most of her criminal family, changed her name as she sought a new life, determined to never let anyone get close to her. For the last few years she runs the Water’s Edge Café in a rugged little town on the edge of nowhere. After a career in the military, as a commanding officer he once was in the Marines and beyond. Isaac returned home to Grizzly Harbor where he created and commands Alaska Force; a group of former military personnel doing special ops, like they did when they were still in military. Isaac and Caradine have a love/hate relationship; which is a challenge neither can ignore. When Caradine’s old demons locate her, her cafe isn’t the only thing that blows up. Her past ends up pushing them together, and closer to accepting a future that’s been teasing them all this time. They just have to survive long enough to enjoy it.
Ms. Crane wrote an intense, emotional and exciting romantic suspense filled with sizzling chemistry, magnetism, wonderful dialogue, and endearing characters that is not to be missed. This story grabbed me and did not let go until I reached the end. I highly recommend Delta Force Defender and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
July 7, 2020
4 1/2 STARS!
Secrets exposed! With book four in her Alaska Force series Megan Crane brought my favorite couple yet in DELTA FORCE DEFENDER. The tension is high from the very first page and setting off on adventure for answers really sets the stage for an action packed journey for Caradine and Isaac.
Caradine hates everybody ... or so she wanted us to believe. She's been living a gruff, in your face lifestyle in Grizzly Harbor, Alaska for five fun filled years now and it's all of a sudden crumbling down around her.
Isaac plays the friendly boy next door persona to the town he grew up in, but behind the scenes is a takes no prisoner mercenary if the situation calls for it. He only has one weakness ... and she's hightailing it out of town letting him believe she's dead!
I highly recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who loves a close knit group of military guys who band together when they leave the service to help those who need it as they slowly find their happily ever afters. The series is growing stronger and more fulfilling with each new book.
Secrets exposed! With book four in her Alaska Force series Megan Crane brought my favorite couple yet in DELTA FORCE DEFENDER. The tension is high from the very first page and setting off on adventure for answers really sets the stage for an action packed journey for Caradine and Isaac.
Caradine hates everybody ... or so she wanted us to believe. She's been living a gruff, in your face lifestyle in Grizzly Harbor, Alaska for five fun filled years now and it's all of a sudden crumbling down around her.
Isaac plays the friendly boy next door persona to the town he grew up in, but behind the scenes is a takes no prisoner mercenary if the situation calls for it. He only has one weakness ... and she's hightailing it out of town letting him believe she's dead!
I highly recommend this book and the entire series to anyone who loves a close knit group of military guys who band together when they leave the service to help those who need it as they slowly find their happily ever afters. The series is growing stronger and more fulfilling with each new book.
July 22, 2020
Review: DELTA FORCE DEFENDER by Megan Crane https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-bwj
Publication Date: July 7, 2020
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated: 4 Stars
I enjoyed this installment in the Alaska Force series, though it did not blow me away. Isaac was the hero I wanted to get lost in, yet in some ways the story fell short. I scored it a 4 because yes, it took me on a fun ride, but I just didn’t believe Isaac’s feelings for Caradine. She was far too caustic, secretive, and pushed him away too much to believe his growing love. The reason for her hiding did not make sense. I don’t want to give away the mystery, so will not voice the parts that made me say “what?” on more than one occasion. Now that I said that, I did have fun with the Alaska Force team. Their group camaraderie is easy and believable, and the Alaskan community is a place that I would love to live. Combine those things with a thrilling suspenseful drama, and you have an enjoyable book.
*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.
~*~*~*~
Kindle https://amzn.to/3iAycjd
Publication Date: July 7, 2020
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated: 4 Stars
I enjoyed this installment in the Alaska Force series, though it did not blow me away. Isaac was the hero I wanted to get lost in, yet in some ways the story fell short. I scored it a 4 because yes, it took me on a fun ride, but I just didn’t believe Isaac’s feelings for Caradine. She was far too caustic, secretive, and pushed him away too much to believe his growing love. The reason for her hiding did not make sense. I don’t want to give away the mystery, so will not voice the parts that made me say “what?” on more than one occasion. Now that I said that, I did have fun with the Alaska Force team. Their group camaraderie is easy and believable, and the Alaskan community is a place that I would love to live. Combine those things with a thrilling suspenseful drama, and you have an enjoyable book.
*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.
~*~*~*~
Kindle https://amzn.to/3iAycjd
August 20, 2020
Melissa contributed this review to Really Into This
Check out all of our reviews at https://reallyintothis.com
Happy Reading, friends!
Special thanks to Berkley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.
Caradine was born into a mafia family. She thought she finally had her exit but she just can't escape them.
There is definitely some nice action scenes to keep you on your toes. While reading, I'm questioning does the hero really love her or does he fall in love who he thinks Caradine is? She has to kind of play a character to hide herself from her mafia family. This really adds a lot to the story.
This one is fun. High energy, a quick read & I read it as a standalone.
Check out all of our reviews at https://reallyintothis.com
Happy Reading, friends!
Special thanks to Berkley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.
Caradine was born into a mafia family. She thought she finally had her exit but she just can't escape them.
There is definitely some nice action scenes to keep you on your toes. While reading, I'm questioning does the hero really love her or does he fall in love who he thinks Caradine is? She has to kind of play a character to hide herself from her mafia family. This really adds a lot to the story.
This one is fun. High energy, a quick read & I read it as a standalone.
February 14, 2021
Pacing is great and kept me reading. The protags had some good banter going. But the protect you for your own good hero and former military special ops security firm setting for any romance series must be a thing of the past ... my thoughts at the blog post below:
https://missbatesreadsromance.com/202...
https://missbatesreadsromance.com/202...
June 23, 2020
Delta Force Defender is the fourth book in Megan Crane’s Alaska Force series. It can be read as a stand-alone but I definitely recommend reading the series in order.
In this book we finally get Isaac and Caradine’s story! We met both characters in the first book and have seen them in every book since. I’ve been curious about their relationship from the beginning of the series so I was super excited to finally get some insight.
This book was so worth the wait! I don’t want to spoil anything so I will just say it was not what I expected. I mean that in the best way! I read this book in a day because I could not put it down. This series in fantastic and this is my new favorite. I cannot wait for the next Alaska Force book!
In this book we finally get Isaac and Caradine’s story! We met both characters in the first book and have seen them in every book since. I’ve been curious about their relationship from the beginning of the series so I was super excited to finally get some insight.
This book was so worth the wait! I don’t want to spoil anything so I will just say it was not what I expected. I mean that in the best way! I read this book in a day because I could not put it down. This series in fantastic and this is my new favorite. I cannot wait for the next Alaska Force book!
December 9, 2020
This book was interesting to read! A little bit of action and romance made it easier to really enjoy it. Caroline has a secret lover who is the leader of the Alaska forces special ops team but she refused to let Isaac become closer to her. I really enjoyed the mystery of this book because I was really invested in finding out who was after her and how it ended. I really got to bond with his luck because she has trust issues like me. Even though this is the fourth book I felt like it was okay for not reading the other ones but, I will be reading all of them now.
August 17, 2020
This is one of my favorite books of 2020! Every time I read a series like this, I'm always looking forward to reading about the big boss and what drives him; and Isaac Gentry is everything you love about someone in his position: smart, capable, well-liked and respected by his team but also very much human and he meets his match in Caradine Scott, the gruff cafe proprietor.
Caradine has cultivated a reputation for being unfriendly but when her past comes calling, she realizes that she does have friends in Isaac and his team and despite her denials, was very in deep with him.
From the wild beauty of Alaska to the world of organized crime in Boston, two very strong-willed and independent people have to figure out how to lean on each other, accept help from others and let down their guard to accept love and affection, and it is quite an interesting ride, but one you won't want to miss.
I've been in an unusually long book slump and re-reading my favorites has not helped much, until this book. It was like a super-charged shot of caffeine that woke me up and had me rushing to read up the rest of the series. Plus, the story is set in one of my favorite places: the rugged beauty of Alaska. The author's descriptions of the locale make you feel like you are there and honestly got me thinking about taking a trip there to experience it for myself.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely mine.
Caradine has cultivated a reputation for being unfriendly but when her past comes calling, she realizes that she does have friends in Isaac and his team and despite her denials, was very in deep with him.
From the wild beauty of Alaska to the world of organized crime in Boston, two very strong-willed and independent people have to figure out how to lean on each other, accept help from others and let down their guard to accept love and affection, and it is quite an interesting ride, but one you won't want to miss.
I've been in an unusually long book slump and re-reading my favorites has not helped much, until this book. It was like a super-charged shot of caffeine that woke me up and had me rushing to read up the rest of the series. Plus, the story is set in one of my favorite places: the rugged beauty of Alaska. The author's descriptions of the locale make you feel like you are there and honestly got me thinking about taking a trip there to experience it for myself.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely mine.
April 8, 2020
Another winner in the Alaska Force series - this is Caradine and Isaac's story. Isaac is the leader of Alaska Force, ex-military men and women who go on special ops where they're needed. He's had a love hate relationship with the snarky owner of the only restaurant in town, Caradine, for awhile. Isaac knows she has secrets but then so do most people who live so far off the beaten path. When her past comes to town trying to kill her, he realizes how much she means to him. Caradine doesn't want anyone's help but Isaac won't take no for an answer. Lots of action, suspense, and romance made this book hard to put down. Recommended.
July 8, 2020
Let me start out by stating that I am a fan of Megan Crane's novels, and Delta Force Defender is
the fourth title in her Alaska Force series, but only the second title in the series I've had a chance to read, and while I absolutely loved the setting, the men and women of Alaska Force, especially the hero of this novel, Isaac Gentry, I had a really difficult time warming up to Caradine Scott, the heroine of this novel, which is why I can only, in good conscience, give this novel 4.5 stars, rather than the 5-star rating I would have given it had I ever come to actually like Caradine.
As usual, Ms. Crane captured my attention and interest from the very first page of the prologue, with 2 sisters, Julia and Lindsey, who are the much abused daughters of their sociopathic, criminal father, as they manage to be outside their home when an explosion blows the place to smithereens. This is their chance to finally free themselves of their violent family, but the question remains--did the blast kill everyone else? Not waiting around to find out, Julia and Lindsey run for their freedom.
As Chapter One opens, Isaac Gentry, leader of the Alaska Force, is awakened by a phone call, informing him that the Water's Edge Cafe, in Grizzly Harbor, Alaska, his home town, which is owned and operated by Caradine Scott, is on fire after someone tossed a Molotov cocktail through the front window. Isaac, who has secretly been sleeping with the snide, sarcastic, prickly, and super-secretive Caradine, can't get there fast enough, because he knows that Caradine lives upstairs, above the cafe.
Their relationship, if you can call it that, is strange. Neither character will admit to having feelings for the other, and while it's clear that Isaac seems to want more than just sex out of their relationship, it's clear that Caradine doesn't. When it becomes apparent that Caradine got away from her burning building in time, it seems that she's now on the run, with Isaac and his band of ex-military, ex-Special Ops men and women, are hot on her trail, with Isaac wondering why, in the past 5 years, she hasn't ever opened up to him or anyone else in town, and wondering what she's running from, what she's hiding and why.
Prepare yourself for one heck of an exciting, non-stop, novel of tense romantic suspense, something Ms. Crane does so well. You're going to encounter many mysteries along the way as prickly and snide Caradine, unwillingly accepts Isaac's help as she tries to discover who tracked her down to Grizzly Harbor, how the mysterious "they" found her, and why they blew up her cafe. It becomes clear to Isaac and his men that Caradine Scott is an alias, and the mystery of what she's hiding and why she's running isn't revealed immediately, and certainly not by her.
It was hard not to fall in love with Isaac Gentry, since he's everything you want in a sexy, handsome hero. But sadly, I couldn't for the life of me, figure out what he found so appealing in a woman like Caradine--cold (outside of bed), remote and secretive. While we get more of her story as the novel progresses, I kept hoping to see her soften up and open up to Isaac, who is doing the best he can to protect and defend her, all while she repeatedly lies to him, puts herself in ever more dangerous situations, repeatedly evades him, and ignores his attempts to help her. To say that I was angry with Caradine for almost the entire length of this novel is putting it mildly. I thought that Isaac deserved someone better, even as his own demons and fears were eventually revealed.
There's plenty of danger, plenty of suspense, plenty of violence, plenty of sex, and plenty of secrets to be revealed in this exciting novel. Although this is the fourth novel in the series, it reads just fine as a standalone, and despite my personal issues with the heroine, it is nevertheless one exciting and addictive read.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
the fourth title in her Alaska Force series, but only the second title in the series I've had a chance to read, and while I absolutely loved the setting, the men and women of Alaska Force, especially the hero of this novel, Isaac Gentry, I had a really difficult time warming up to Caradine Scott, the heroine of this novel, which is why I can only, in good conscience, give this novel 4.5 stars, rather than the 5-star rating I would have given it had I ever come to actually like Caradine.
As usual, Ms. Crane captured my attention and interest from the very first page of the prologue, with 2 sisters, Julia and Lindsey, who are the much abused daughters of their sociopathic, criminal father, as they manage to be outside their home when an explosion blows the place to smithereens. This is their chance to finally free themselves of their violent family, but the question remains--did the blast kill everyone else? Not waiting around to find out, Julia and Lindsey run for their freedom.
As Chapter One opens, Isaac Gentry, leader of the Alaska Force, is awakened by a phone call, informing him that the Water's Edge Cafe, in Grizzly Harbor, Alaska, his home town, which is owned and operated by Caradine Scott, is on fire after someone tossed a Molotov cocktail through the front window. Isaac, who has secretly been sleeping with the snide, sarcastic, prickly, and super-secretive Caradine, can't get there fast enough, because he knows that Caradine lives upstairs, above the cafe.
Their relationship, if you can call it that, is strange. Neither character will admit to having feelings for the other, and while it's clear that Isaac seems to want more than just sex out of their relationship, it's clear that Caradine doesn't. When it becomes apparent that Caradine got away from her burning building in time, it seems that she's now on the run, with Isaac and his band of ex-military, ex-Special Ops men and women, are hot on her trail, with Isaac wondering why, in the past 5 years, she hasn't ever opened up to him or anyone else in town, and wondering what she's running from, what she's hiding and why.
Prepare yourself for one heck of an exciting, non-stop, novel of tense romantic suspense, something Ms. Crane does so well. You're going to encounter many mysteries along the way as prickly and snide Caradine, unwillingly accepts Isaac's help as she tries to discover who tracked her down to Grizzly Harbor, how the mysterious "they" found her, and why they blew up her cafe. It becomes clear to Isaac and his men that Caradine Scott is an alias, and the mystery of what she's hiding and why she's running isn't revealed immediately, and certainly not by her.
It was hard not to fall in love with Isaac Gentry, since he's everything you want in a sexy, handsome hero. But sadly, I couldn't for the life of me, figure out what he found so appealing in a woman like Caradine--cold (outside of bed), remote and secretive. While we get more of her story as the novel progresses, I kept hoping to see her soften up and open up to Isaac, who is doing the best he can to protect and defend her, all while she repeatedly lies to him, puts herself in ever more dangerous situations, repeatedly evades him, and ignores his attempts to help her. To say that I was angry with Caradine for almost the entire length of this novel is putting it mildly. I thought that Isaac deserved someone better, even as his own demons and fears were eventually revealed.
There's plenty of danger, plenty of suspense, plenty of violence, plenty of sex, and plenty of secrets to be revealed in this exciting novel. Although this is the fourth novel in the series, it reads just fine as a standalone, and despite my personal issues with the heroine, it is nevertheless one exciting and addictive read.
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.
November 8, 2020
openbooksociety.com/article/delta-for...
Delta Force Defender
Alaska Force, Book #4
By Megan Crane
Author Website: megancrane(.)com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer jerjen
Synopsis:
Return to Alaska’s Grizzly Harbor where danger strikes with arctic precision and love thaws the coldest hearts in the new romantic suspense from USA Today bestselling author Megan Crane.
After an explosion that should have killed her, Caradine Scott barely escaped her criminal family by leaving her old identity behind her. These days she runs the Water’s Edge Café in a rugged little town on the edge of nowhere, vowing never to let anyone close to her again.
Isaac Gentry is back home after his career in the military, playing the part of an unassuming local in Grizzly Harbor, while also overseeing Alaska Force’s special ops work as the leader and commanding officer he was in the Marines and beyond. He has better things to do than obsess over a woman who claims she hates him, but every glimpse he gets of the vulnerability beneath her prickly exterior is a distraction…and a challenge he can’t ignore.
When Caradine’s demons catch up with her, her café isn’t the only thing that blows up. Her past pushes them together, and closer to a future that’s been waiting for them all this time. They just have to survive long enough to enjoy it. (Goodreads)
Review:
Caradine has been working at the Water’s Edge Cafe for quite some time. But she always knew that the day would come when she would be forced to leave. She planned for it and practiced until she knew exactly what to do. So when the Cafe has an explosion, she is prepared to leave and never look back. She goes on the run again and she eventually thinks that she is safe and has outrun those who want to harm her. She should have known better where Isaac Gentry was concerned. He is the head of the Alaska Force’s Special Ops and a pain in her side since she met him. He will not stop until he finds her and finds out why someone bombed the Cafe.
Isaac is a loyal person and he has always had a soft spot for Caradine. He thinks that she has a soft spot for him, but she will never admit it. She has decided a long time ago to never let anyone get too close, because then she will be vulnerable and this is not acceptable. But fate has another idea and they find themselves thrown together, to figure out Caradine’s past and their future. Can they do it in time to get their happily ever after or is that not in the cards for them?
The characters are well rounded and well developed. Caradyne can be sarcastic and mean and after a while I got a little tired of it. I know she used it as a defense mechanism, but I just wanted her to stop. That is only my opinion and others may not agree with me.
The action is non-stop as they try to figure out who is after Caradine and how to stop them. The author is very talented in descriptive writing and through most of the books, I felt like I was watching all the action taking place. She is also very talented in creating tension in the written word and the suspense was very real.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted romantic suspense. This book has a great story, engaging characters and enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Delta Force Defender
Alaska Force, Book #4
By Megan Crane
Author Website: megancrane(.)com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer jerjen
Synopsis:
Return to Alaska’s Grizzly Harbor where danger strikes with arctic precision and love thaws the coldest hearts in the new romantic suspense from USA Today bestselling author Megan Crane.
After an explosion that should have killed her, Caradine Scott barely escaped her criminal family by leaving her old identity behind her. These days she runs the Water’s Edge Café in a rugged little town on the edge of nowhere, vowing never to let anyone close to her again.
Isaac Gentry is back home after his career in the military, playing the part of an unassuming local in Grizzly Harbor, while also overseeing Alaska Force’s special ops work as the leader and commanding officer he was in the Marines and beyond. He has better things to do than obsess over a woman who claims she hates him, but every glimpse he gets of the vulnerability beneath her prickly exterior is a distraction…and a challenge he can’t ignore.
When Caradine’s demons catch up with her, her café isn’t the only thing that blows up. Her past pushes them together, and closer to a future that’s been waiting for them all this time. They just have to survive long enough to enjoy it. (Goodreads)
Review:
Caradine has been working at the Water’s Edge Cafe for quite some time. But she always knew that the day would come when she would be forced to leave. She planned for it and practiced until she knew exactly what to do. So when the Cafe has an explosion, she is prepared to leave and never look back. She goes on the run again and she eventually thinks that she is safe and has outrun those who want to harm her. She should have known better where Isaac Gentry was concerned. He is the head of the Alaska Force’s Special Ops and a pain in her side since she met him. He will not stop until he finds her and finds out why someone bombed the Cafe.
Isaac is a loyal person and he has always had a soft spot for Caradine. He thinks that she has a soft spot for him, but she will never admit it. She has decided a long time ago to never let anyone get too close, because then she will be vulnerable and this is not acceptable. But fate has another idea and they find themselves thrown together, to figure out Caradine’s past and their future. Can they do it in time to get their happily ever after or is that not in the cards for them?
The characters are well rounded and well developed. Caradyne can be sarcastic and mean and after a while I got a little tired of it. I know she used it as a defense mechanism, but I just wanted her to stop. That is only my opinion and others may not agree with me.
The action is non-stop as they try to figure out who is after Caradine and how to stop them. The author is very talented in descriptive writing and through most of the books, I felt like I was watching all the action taking place. She is also very talented in creating tension in the written word and the suspense was very real.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted romantic suspense. This book has a great story, engaging characters and enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat.
July 5, 2020
The beginning of this book captured my attention and pulled me into an interesting story. I haven't read the previous books in this campaign series and that wasn't a problem. I learned about Alaska Force and the small town of Grizzly Harbor along the way. I was mostly interested in the mystery that was Caradine Scott and that kept me turning the pages.
There are a lot of alpha males in this book, Isaac being chief among them. It's clear Isaac and Caradine have or have had a relationship though it seems neither of them will admit it, even to the other. Isaac is a calm man that just gets calmer when things get bad but Caradine has him rattled. He spent 20 long minutes believing she's dead and he's not going to let her forget it. But then she ran.
Alaska Force men (and one women) are all ex-military that don't quite fit in other places. They fix problems with no solutions. Caradine has one of those problems but she isn't willing to let them fix it. It's all about who stays safe and what's chasing her. Then there's the little matter or who she actually is.
While I really liked Isaac, I wasn't a fan of Caradine. She poked at Isaac just to get a reaction and while some of that is fun she got on my nerves. Some of it was her trying to be in character because she is on the run. I get that but sometimes it's too much. Really, I was fine with her until near the end of the book when she poked him some more. It was where I drew my line. I'd had it with her. I think I stopped caring about whether she got the guy.
On the other had, I did want Isaac to get the girl. Isaac is a man with lose in his life. He has fought for everything and doesn't really know how to stop fighting. He needs to figure out if he wants to have a life with another person. It's a lesson he learns the hard way and at the hand of a lot of that poking from Caradine. That may have been my real problem. She poked him where it hurts a little too hard. I know it came from love but I just didn't appreciate it.
The story was pretty good. There was some unknowns that needed to be flushed out. I enjoyed that part of the story. Who was doing what and why. A little suspense, though really mystery. There was some action when things went south a few times. All of that was enjoyable. There was this touch of chic-lit in there about figuring what's important and what you actually want. That's the part that I didn't really enjoy. I felt like that part was too contrived. It came after the climax and felt like a delaying tactic. I guess it was so the characters could grow and develop. But it felt out of place to me. I wish that the issues that Isaac was struggling with were more integrated into the story itself and not left to the end.
Don't get me wrong, it was an enjoyable read. I may go back and read more from this series.
There are a lot of alpha males in this book, Isaac being chief among them. It's clear Isaac and Caradine have or have had a relationship though it seems neither of them will admit it, even to the other. Isaac is a calm man that just gets calmer when things get bad but Caradine has him rattled. He spent 20 long minutes believing she's dead and he's not going to let her forget it. But then she ran.
Alaska Force men (and one women) are all ex-military that don't quite fit in other places. They fix problems with no solutions. Caradine has one of those problems but she isn't willing to let them fix it. It's all about who stays safe and what's chasing her. Then there's the little matter or who she actually is.
While I really liked Isaac, I wasn't a fan of Caradine. She poked at Isaac just to get a reaction and while some of that is fun she got on my nerves. Some of it was her trying to be in character because she is on the run. I get that but sometimes it's too much. Really, I was fine with her until near the end of the book when she poked him some more. It was where I drew my line. I'd had it with her. I think I stopped caring about whether she got the guy.
On the other had, I did want Isaac to get the girl. Isaac is a man with lose in his life. He has fought for everything and doesn't really know how to stop fighting. He needs to figure out if he wants to have a life with another person. It's a lesson he learns the hard way and at the hand of a lot of that poking from Caradine. That may have been my real problem. She poked him where it hurts a little too hard. I know it came from love but I just didn't appreciate it.
The story was pretty good. There was some unknowns that needed to be flushed out. I enjoyed that part of the story. Who was doing what and why. A little suspense, though really mystery. There was some action when things went south a few times. All of that was enjoyable. There was this touch of chic-lit in there about figuring what's important and what you actually want. That's the part that I didn't really enjoy. I felt like that part was too contrived. It came after the climax and felt like a delaying tactic. I guess it was so the characters could grow and develop. But it felt out of place to me. I wish that the issues that Isaac was struggling with were more integrated into the story itself and not left to the end.
Don't get me wrong, it was an enjoyable read. I may go back and read more from this series.
July 10, 2020
3.5 Stars
Caradine is hiding out in a small town Alaska but her past quickly finds her. She does what has come natural to her and that is run. However, the man who she has shared her body with in Alaska is not going to let her go so quickly.
First mistake is that I didn’t read the other books in the series. This starts off where all of the characters know each other and have some sort of history. The main characters are in a relationship though the heroine denies it. Immediately after discovering her café exploded, the hero, Isaac, is trailing after her, relieved she is still alive. He is obviously pissed that she just ran off without telling him all of the trouble she is in. It takes a moment to get in a groove in the story since I didn’t read the other books.
Outside of my own hiccup, the story flows well. There is action and movement from the first page until the end. I enjoyed the banter between Isaac and Caradine. Though let’s take a moment to discuss Caradine. I could have loved this so much more if she didn’t hold back. Granted, she is running for her life, she can’t disclose any information about her real identity but there comes a point where she needs to open up more.
She fights Isaac every step of the way. She is not affectionate unless it is during sex which sometimes she uses to distract him so he can’t help her fight off the bad guys in her life. After a while the snarky and sarcastic remakes made her seem juvenile and not like the cold woman she wanted to portray.
There is suspense and the mystery surrounding who wants to harm Caradine is finally revealed. I think that could have been more fleshed out. It kind of moved quickly after Caradine finally told Isaac the truth and it all seems easy to get the bad guy.
Of course, this book is loaded with hot alpha males who are all a part of this special ops team. I am eager to go back and read the other books in the series.
~ Samantha
Caradine is hiding out in a small town Alaska but her past quickly finds her. She does what has come natural to her and that is run. However, the man who she has shared her body with in Alaska is not going to let her go so quickly.
First mistake is that I didn’t read the other books in the series. This starts off where all of the characters know each other and have some sort of history. The main characters are in a relationship though the heroine denies it. Immediately after discovering her café exploded, the hero, Isaac, is trailing after her, relieved she is still alive. He is obviously pissed that she just ran off without telling him all of the trouble she is in. It takes a moment to get in a groove in the story since I didn’t read the other books.
Outside of my own hiccup, the story flows well. There is action and movement from the first page until the end. I enjoyed the banter between Isaac and Caradine. Though let’s take a moment to discuss Caradine. I could have loved this so much more if she didn’t hold back. Granted, she is running for her life, she can’t disclose any information about her real identity but there comes a point where she needs to open up more.
She fights Isaac every step of the way. She is not affectionate unless it is during sex which sometimes she uses to distract him so he can’t help her fight off the bad guys in her life. After a while the snarky and sarcastic remakes made her seem juvenile and not like the cold woman she wanted to portray.
There is suspense and the mystery surrounding who wants to harm Caradine is finally revealed. I think that could have been more fleshed out. It kind of moved quickly after Caradine finally told Isaac the truth and it all seems easy to get the bad guy.
Of course, this book is loaded with hot alpha males who are all a part of this special ops team. I am eager to go back and read the other books in the series.
~ Samantha
September 29, 2020
3.5 stars
Caradine is hiding out in a small town Alaska but her past quickly finds her. She does what has come natural to her and that is run. However, the man who she has shared her body with in Alaska is not going to let her go so quickly.
First mistake is that I didn’t read the other books in the series. This starts off where all of the characters know each other and have some sort of history. The main characters are in a relationship though the heroine denies it. Immediately after discovering her café exploded, the hero is trailing after her, relieved she is still alive. He is obviously pissed that she just ran off without telling him all of the trouble she is in. It takes a moment to get in a groove in the story since I didn’t read the other books.
Outside of my own hiccup, the story flows well. There is action and movement from the first page until the end. I enjoyed the banter between Isaac and Caradine. Though let’s take a moment to discuss Caradine. I could have loved this so much more if she didn’t hold back. Granted, she is running for her life, she can’t disclose any information about her real identity but there comes a point where she needs to open up more.
She fights Isaac every step of the way. She is not affectionate unless it is during sex which sometimes she uses to distract him so he can’t help her fight off the bad guys in her life. After a while the snarky and sarcastic remakes made her seem juvenile and not like the cold woman she wanted to portray.
There is suspense and the mystery surrounding who wants to harm Caradine is finally revealed. I think that could have been more fleshed out. It kind of moved quickly after Caradine finally told Isaac the truth and it all seems easy to get the bad guy.
Of course, this book is loaded with hot alpha males who are all a part of this special ops team. I am eager to go back and read the other books in the series.
ARC provided in exchange for honest review.
Caradine is hiding out in a small town Alaska but her past quickly finds her. She does what has come natural to her and that is run. However, the man who she has shared her body with in Alaska is not going to let her go so quickly.
First mistake is that I didn’t read the other books in the series. This starts off where all of the characters know each other and have some sort of history. The main characters are in a relationship though the heroine denies it. Immediately after discovering her café exploded, the hero is trailing after her, relieved she is still alive. He is obviously pissed that she just ran off without telling him all of the trouble she is in. It takes a moment to get in a groove in the story since I didn’t read the other books.
Outside of my own hiccup, the story flows well. There is action and movement from the first page until the end. I enjoyed the banter between Isaac and Caradine. Though let’s take a moment to discuss Caradine. I could have loved this so much more if she didn’t hold back. Granted, she is running for her life, she can’t disclose any information about her real identity but there comes a point where she needs to open up more.
She fights Isaac every step of the way. She is not affectionate unless it is during sex which sometimes she uses to distract him so he can’t help her fight off the bad guys in her life. After a while the snarky and sarcastic remakes made her seem juvenile and not like the cold woman she wanted to portray.
There is suspense and the mystery surrounding who wants to harm Caradine is finally revealed. I think that could have been more fleshed out. It kind of moved quickly after Caradine finally told Isaac the truth and it all seems easy to get the bad guy.
Of course, this book is loaded with hot alpha males who are all a part of this special ops team. I am eager to go back and read the other books in the series.
ARC provided in exchange for honest review.
July 14, 2020
I’m going to rank discovering a new author I enjoy as high on my list of pleasures. I read a lot of romantic suspense but hadn’t ever read Megan Crane until Delta Force Defender. This intense enemies-while-lovers book maintains an explosive kind of chemistry between the leads; it’s action-packed & feels unique & I look forward to reading more by the author.
Cafe owner Caradine has a big chip on her shoulder & resists the efforts others make to befriend her. Though she’s been lovers with Isaac, the owner of Alaska Force, for years she keeps things casual & is even routinely fairly mean to him.
Then one night Caradine disappears & Isaac has to piece together what happened to her and her damaged cafe. He drags Caradine’s secrets from her & her past slowly comes to light as he tries to keep her safe.
I’ve never read a book where the heroine is quite this antagonistic toward her lover before. Honestly, at times it was refreshing and at others, frustrating. Meanwhile, Isaac retains a level of patience with Caradine that keeps their dynamic feeling pretty one-sided for a while—a fact which Isaac himself seems pretty aware of on at least one occasion.
I appreciated how Crane writes Caradine as someone who is often unlikeable & dons an abrasive persona like a suit of armor—I think it’s important to write heroines as complicated &$ imperfect—but there are moments when their combative relationship started to wear on me.
Still I really enjoyed this suspense read & the cast of secondary characters is really intriguing. If you like a kinda meandering path to HEA with an unconventional, exciting hero/heroine dynamic (I was very surprised by one scene in particular 😅) then I recommend you give this one a try!
Thanks to Berkley & Edelweiss for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.
Cafe owner Caradine has a big chip on her shoulder & resists the efforts others make to befriend her. Though she’s been lovers with Isaac, the owner of Alaska Force, for years she keeps things casual & is even routinely fairly mean to him.
Then one night Caradine disappears & Isaac has to piece together what happened to her and her damaged cafe. He drags Caradine’s secrets from her & her past slowly comes to light as he tries to keep her safe.
I’ve never read a book where the heroine is quite this antagonistic toward her lover before. Honestly, at times it was refreshing and at others, frustrating. Meanwhile, Isaac retains a level of patience with Caradine that keeps their dynamic feeling pretty one-sided for a while—a fact which Isaac himself seems pretty aware of on at least one occasion.
I appreciated how Crane writes Caradine as someone who is often unlikeable & dons an abrasive persona like a suit of armor—I think it’s important to write heroines as complicated &$ imperfect—but there are moments when their combative relationship started to wear on me.
Still I really enjoyed this suspense read & the cast of secondary characters is really intriguing. If you like a kinda meandering path to HEA with an unconventional, exciting hero/heroine dynamic (I was very surprised by one scene in particular 😅) then I recommend you give this one a try!
Thanks to Berkley & Edelweiss for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.
November 25, 2020
Caradine Scott has a lot to be angry about and a lot to hide away from. Thankfully, Isaac Gentry - the owner/commander of Alaska Force - refuses to give up on her. He sees through her veneer to recognize that there's more to her than just her surly comments. Caradine pretends not to care about anyone, but everyone in Grizzly Harbor - specifically those in Alaska Force - can tell how much heart she truly has, especially the surlier she gets. When her past comes back to haunt her, Alaska Force and the town of Grizzly Harbor are there to protect her. Because, even if she doesn't want to admit it, she's a part of their family now. No matter how hard she tries not to be. And Isaac promises to protect her at all costs, even when her past threatens all of them.
Thoughts: This is probably my favorite Alaska Force series book to date! Caradine is kind of unlikable at times, but it's understandable when readers get to know her better and get to know her history. And Isaac is just a total sweetheart in soldier's clothing. There were scenes where their words towards each other were really biting, and I thought to myself about how I'd probably never forgive my husband if he said something like that to me, but in true romance novel fashion it all works out in the end and misunderstandings are either forgotten or forgiven. Which is totally fine for me because I love a good HAE! These two characters work so well together, and I absolutely adored how Caradine's friends rallied around her even though she cringes at the thought of their hugs. The suspense was on-point, the action was practically non-stop, and the chemistry was off the charts!
Thoughts: This is probably my favorite Alaska Force series book to date! Caradine is kind of unlikable at times, but it's understandable when readers get to know her better and get to know her history. And Isaac is just a total sweetheart in soldier's clothing. There were scenes where their words towards each other were really biting, and I thought to myself about how I'd probably never forgive my husband if he said something like that to me, but in true romance novel fashion it all works out in the end and misunderstandings are either forgotten or forgiven. Which is totally fine for me because I love a good HAE! These two characters work so well together, and I absolutely adored how Caradine's friends rallied around her even though she cringes at the thought of their hugs. The suspense was on-point, the action was practically non-stop, and the chemistry was off the charts!
July 2, 2020
When a casual relationship becomes a dangerous adventure!
Isaac and Caradine have a snarky, hate-to-love dynamic that is mostly fought out between the sheets. After five years of a seemingly normal frenemies-with-benefits arrangement, her past comes roaring through their small town, sending her on the run with him close behind.
It's a good thing that the private security/special forces team he founded specializes in rescuing women from exactly this kind of situation. Or it would be, if Caradine would accept their help. What started to look like an unusual "captive narrative" morphed into a "family meeting" scene that cemented the assignment and was nearly heartbreaking in its honesty as Caradine struggled with feelings she's buried for the past decade.
There's plenty of action in this suspenseful romance, but the story never strays far from the core relationship that is steadily peeling back their layers and demanding that they both push past their comfort zones to admit that they desperately need what they fear the most.
Isaac and Caradine are intensely, intimately romantic, and I couldn't get enough of them! Even though the story starts after the romance has begun, it still manages to encompass the entirety of their relationship and leaves no emotional stone unturned. There's a bit of an extended "No! You can't leave it like this!" section, but be assured, they do get their HEA in the end. It's completely unlike any book I've read before, and I highly recommend it. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Isaac and Caradine have a snarky, hate-to-love dynamic that is mostly fought out between the sheets. After five years of a seemingly normal frenemies-with-benefits arrangement, her past comes roaring through their small town, sending her on the run with him close behind.
It's a good thing that the private security/special forces team he founded specializes in rescuing women from exactly this kind of situation. Or it would be, if Caradine would accept their help. What started to look like an unusual "captive narrative" morphed into a "family meeting" scene that cemented the assignment and was nearly heartbreaking in its honesty as Caradine struggled with feelings she's buried for the past decade.
There's plenty of action in this suspenseful romance, but the story never strays far from the core relationship that is steadily peeling back their layers and demanding that they both push past their comfort zones to admit that they desperately need what they fear the most.
Isaac and Caradine are intensely, intimately romantic, and I couldn't get enough of them! Even though the story starts after the romance has begun, it still manages to encompass the entirety of their relationship and leaves no emotional stone unturned. There's a bit of an extended "No! You can't leave it like this!" section, but be assured, they do get their HEA in the end. It's completely unlike any book I've read before, and I highly recommend it. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
July 10, 2020
After Caradine Scott survives an explosion that should have killed her, she nearly escapes her criminal family by leaving everything behind (including the old her). She now runs the Water's Edge Cafe in the middle of nowhere in hopes that no one will find her again.
Taking on a new identity for Caradine is easy, she's been doing it as long as she remembers. She knows not to let anyone in, that is until Isaac Gentry walks into her life - the only man she's wanted to be honest with. Isaac is another Grizzly Harbour local, who's back after a career in the military, and oversees the Alaska Force special ops.
When Caradine's past catches up to her, Isaac will stop at nothing to take down who or what is trying to take her down.
I was so here for the connection between Caradine and Isaac, I loved the way they constantly argued and seemed to hate each other at times (it gave me slight enemies-to-lovers, trope vibes). I enjoy enjoyed the level of steam in this book, it wasn't overdone but wasn't a fade to black either.
That being said, I wasn't a huge fan of their characters - I understood that it was done plot-wise, however, I struggled to find a connection to them. Caradine's anger and coldness were hard to side with at times, I understand that she was just trying to protect herself, although they both had their flaws (I wasn't fond of Isaac's mentality of 'needing' to save her) I still enjoyed the story.
Taking on a new identity for Caradine is easy, she's been doing it as long as she remembers. She knows not to let anyone in, that is until Isaac Gentry walks into her life - the only man she's wanted to be honest with. Isaac is another Grizzly Harbour local, who's back after a career in the military, and oversees the Alaska Force special ops.
When Caradine's past catches up to her, Isaac will stop at nothing to take down who or what is trying to take her down.
I was so here for the connection between Caradine and Isaac, I loved the way they constantly argued and seemed to hate each other at times (it gave me slight enemies-to-lovers, trope vibes). I enjoy enjoyed the level of steam in this book, it wasn't overdone but wasn't a fade to black either.
That being said, I wasn't a huge fan of their characters - I understood that it was done plot-wise, however, I struggled to find a connection to them. Caradine's anger and coldness were hard to side with at times, I understand that she was just trying to protect herself, although they both had their flaws (I wasn't fond of Isaac's mentality of 'needing' to save her) I still enjoyed the story.
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