Susan Stoker

My Review:
What an amazing redemption story this one turned out to be. I will be honest in that I was extremely nervous to read this one here. But wow was it amazingly well written. I never know what to expect when a character you struggle with in a series and seeing them have a redemption story. But Susan Stoker really delivered on this one here. I loved the change that we see in our heroine, and seeing how she wants to change and help others in such a genuine way. We see the heartache, the show more torment, the pain of what she is going through and the need to have some healing. I loved the hero. He is the leader of the SEAL team that rescued her. I loved seeing his commanding presence, but also his attraction and the way he pursues her I swooned so much over. There were many moments within this story that I had feels all the way through. Out of all the books in the series....this one impacted me the most on a emotional level. I do wish we could have gotten a more complete ending......that felt more HEA and less HFN. But it didn't detract from the story for me. show less

My Review (Quickie Vacation Review)

Protecting Fiona is the story that features Cookie's book and i was really excited for this and curious to see how this one would be handled here. I really loved the human trafficking theme in this one, I feel like not enough books focus on this issue and also appreciated the author's notes on this. Protecting Fiona is a story with an unexpected meet cute. Cookie and his team have been called upon to rescue a Senator's daughter who was taken but what they show more didn't expect was to find another woman with her....one they have no clue about but she is American and been there for a longer while. Cookie refuses to leave Fiona. Fiona is a orphan and was in foster care, she has no family or friends that would miss her or even notice that she is gone. Then we see how kind and selfless she is. Cookie and Fiona are honestly just a perfect match. I loved how unified that they are together. The Senator's daughter however was horrid and awful and I wanted to spank her booty lol She was so self consumed. So you see this big difference between her and Fiona. Where Fiona is considerate of others over her, seeing her even save Cookie had me swooning. And I loved how there was minimal inner conflict in their relationship. But we also get to see the PTSD affects of her being taken and I appreciated that it wasn't just fixed. That she had to go through some professional help for it.

Overall I had a blast with Protecting Fiona and I can't wait for more of this series and this author. The more I read Susan Stoker, the more I am becoming hooked into it. show less

Claiming Grace by Susan Stoker
Book #1: Ace Security Series
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 4½/5 stars
My Review:

Hello, Susan Stoker and welcome to my world!! As you already figured out, Claiming Grace was my first Susan Stoker read, and holy hell, am I glad I started here!!

As the story opens, the three Anderson boys, Logan, Blake, and Nathan are standing beside their father’s grave lamenting not only their loss, but the unfortunate circumstances of their shared lives. The boys and their show more father, Ace, spent a lifetime suffering physical abuse at the hands of their wretched mother. Ace’s death was the result of her madness reaching a horrifying conclusion which has left Anderson boys orphaned and looking for a way to help others in situations much like their own. Out of tragedy is born Ace Security, a firm dedicated to helping abuse victims in a wide variety of ways including personal protection, court appearance companions, and rescue should the situation call for it. Never, in a thousand lifetimes could the boys imagine how in demand their services will be and how close to home they will be working.

Coming home wasn’t something Logan Anderson ever saw himself doing, but the chance to reconnect and work with his brothers was too hard to resist. Additionally, coming home means once again seeing Grace, the woman who broke his heart a decade ago. As a teenager, Logan fell hard for Grace and thought she had done the same with him. Time, distance, and a slew of unanswered letters proved otherwise. Seeing Grace again, as a beautiful and curvy woman, is more than Logan could have every hoped for, but talking to her is a cat of a different color. He doesn’t understand how and why Grace abandoned him so many years ago, and the only way he’s going to find out is if he talks to her. Swallowing his pride isn’t easy, but getting answers is worth it.

The answers Logan gets from Grace and her only two friends not only disturb him, but cause him to reevaluate his definition of abuse. As it turns out, Grace has been living her life in fear, in fear of her parents, their harsh words, and threats to the safety of herself and her two friends. Every aspect of Grace’s life, from the moment she was born has been monitored, controlled, and abused by her parents. Any attempt to free herself from their control has resulted in limited physical violence and threats her well-connected, wealthy parents could certainly pull off. Getting away from them is of the highest priority and it’s going to take the help of Logan, his brothers, and her two friends to see to Grace’s safety and security.

The Bottom Line: Holy crap did I LOVE this book!! From the beginning to the end, which I managed in one sitting, I was wrapped up, consumed by this read. All three Anderson brothers are yummy, nerdy, sexy, and honorable which makes their chosen profession so very appropriate. While the book contains information about all three brothers, Claiming Grace is Logan’s story, and what a story it is. Logan must readjust his thinking and call on all his resources to save Grace which creates a real sense of evolution in his character. Grace is likeable character, especially when she takes control of her own life, but this story was all about Logan for me. Grace is a nice compliment to Logan and enhances his character and his life. I see these two being the nucleus of the group as the series continues and each only getting stronger as the series continues. show less

My Review:

Protecting Jessyka was a pretty solid addition, it wasn't my favorite of the series but I still enjoyed quite a bit of it. I think my expectations of this might have been higher than what I received, but that is more than okay. It could have been the audiobook. Everytime I do a book in this series in audio, they tend to not be as enjoyed as when I physically read them. I was really curious about this one because of the abuse and disability that the heroine was living with. This show more book had a interesting premise and I really found it quite interesting to see how these two get together. I liked that the heroine could admit when she needed help and was willing to reach out to Benny when she really needed him. The romance was fairly solid, I just didn't quite feel their connection as much as I would have liked to. I think the biggest disappointment in the story was not learning the reason why the hero got his nickname....I don't think it was ever revealed but with it being audio, its possible I might have missed it. I will say that the plot really kept me on edge, especially with what we see happen in the last act of the story. That kept me on edge and if the first half at been so engaging, this might be a five star for me. But also unlike other heroines in the series, this heroine didn't do much for me. She was solid but didn't wow me like previous heroines like Cheyenne or Fiona. But I do think this is dependent on the reader and what they love and expect from a good heroine.

Overall I found this one to be fairly decent and I can't wait for the next installment. show less