I have really enjoyed this series and this book was another great read. I found myself going back and forth on who could be the kidnapper and eventually guessing correctly, but close to the ending. It was a book that I couldn't put down, I had to know what happened.

This is a stand alone, but if you want to know the characters and some of their story, it would help to start with the first book.

Susan Stoker managed to keep me on the edge of my seat once again with Defending Morgan. Being held captive in a foreign country, being abused and violated for over a year, Morgan was still protecting a young girl who had been kidnapped from her mom. Archer is sent to find the little girl but gets an enormous surprise when he discovers Morgan is there too and there is no doubt that he will be taking her with him too.

I loved Archer and Morgan's tale and couldn't put this book down.

The Mountain Mercenaries latest mission is to rescue a little girl who has been snatched by her father and hidden in the Dominican Republic. Arrow is startled to find an American woman guarding her from harm and discovers she is Morgan Byrd who went missing a year ago. Morgan impresses Arrow with her bravery and resilience whilst escaping and she learns to trust him with her life. Seriously intense romance set against a backdrop of a thrilling mystery. The first time I’ve read one of Susan Stoker’s stories, I need to catch up. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As always, Susan Stoker has crafted another great story. "Rescue" books are one of my favorite genres and this book is a quintessential "rescue" book. Drama, suspense, and romance -- three things that, in my opinion, enhance each other, especially when they are presented as in Defending Morgan. I also appreciated the approach taken regarding what Morgan went through while a captive. Details are given tastefully, allowing the reader an idea of what happened without going into extreme detail. The ladies from the previous books also make an appearance and are very supportive in Morgan's recovery process. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the "rescue" book genre, as well as to those who just enjoy a good story.

This had all of the Susan Stoker alpha goodness. Morgan’s rescue, the logistics of how/where Morgan was to recover, and the mystery of who facilitated the kidnapping kept me glued to the pages. Around the 50-60% mark it started to slow down as I pretty much already figured out who was responsible. Arrow was a little too perfect and I found it hard to believe that these elite private soldiers would miss the most obvious clues as to who the kidnapper was. I dropped a star for that. Justice was most definitely served though and the HEA was satisfying!

I received a complimentary copy of this book and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

I loved this book. I adore all of Ms. Stoker's stories. She gives such a wonderful background information that prior characters that show up feel like old "friends". I loved the dual POV format here. I haven't been through what Morgan did so seeing her thought process really helped me to fully understand her actions. I love all of the men of the Mountain Mercenaries. They are such strong confident alphas but are tender, loving men to their women.

I wish that there were more to the rescue scene then were but the plot was a good solid one that carry me throughout and made it hard to put down. You can really feel a part of the story like you are right there with the characters. I was sad to see this end but I eagerly look forward to Black's story.

A word of warning though, the ordeal that Morgan went through in her captivity was not given any descriptive details BUT it may trigger a reaction to some.

This is one series that I am definitely enjoying. The stories are fresh and exciting with enough suspense to keep my heart beating fast and keep me engaged. A rescue operation in the Dominican Republic yields an unexpected reward for the mountain mercenary team. Morgan, a missing person who has been missing for a year is found along with the young child they've come to rescue.
Kane is unexpectedly attracted to Morgan even as they spend up and close personal time as they try to evade the kidnappers and figure out a way to get Morgan out of the country successfully. As they return stateside and Morgan is reunited with her parents the question that haunts her? who hated her enough to target her and hold her in the awful conditions that she's been held in? The answers to these questions as the plot thickens and the answers are clear will chill you.
The path to the conclusion and answers is sweet romantic with lots of fun and humor thrown in.

Books don’t get any better than this exhilarating edge of seat romance where protection leads to passion. Arrow and Morgan are strong, vivid characters that come to life as they draw readers into their story with their blistering chemistry and scorching passion. Arrow is a sexy, former SEAL that makes heart pound in desire while Morgan is a strong, courageous woman that readers can identify with and most would love to take her place beside Arrow. The relationship is full of emotional turmoil that stems from Morgan ordeal and from Arrow’s issue with the situation which tugs at heartstrings and warms the heart with the sweetness and intensity of the relationship blossoming between them.

The story has a fast pace that keeps the adrenaline pumping suspense building throughout ensuring that readers don’t want to miss not one little detail. Mountain Mercenaries form a rough and sexy group of alpha males that make wonderful book boyfriends and choosing just one of them would be extremely hard but Arrow may just be the one to edge in front of the others as he takes on his most dangerous mission of his life. Readers can help but become embroiled in the suspense that takes place nor can they hold back their surprise during the unexpected turn of events that take place during the conclusion of this exhilarating read.

Action packed, sexy, fun and exciting adventure filled with thrilling danger, witty banter and undeniable passion..... loved every heart pounding twist and turn in this engaging journey. This story had me hooked from the beginning and begging for it not to end.

In this third book, when the Mountain Mercenaries go into the Dominic Republic to rescue a child. Archer one of the rescuers realizes that the other person in the room is Morgan Byrd. She has been missing for a year and she is standing in front of the girl protecting her. Archer is immediately attracted to her, by her strength and resilience. The team splits up and Archer and Morgan go a different way to throw off the guards. The guards though are tracking them and not the girl. Morgan is keeping up with Archer all the way and it takes a little over twenty-four hours before they make it back with their team. It still takes a little while before they make it back to the U.S. Once on the ground Morgan’s parents who are divorced each want a piece of her along with the press. She wants to hide and spends time with Archer and trying to make sense of everything. Meanwhile, the team is working on who would want to kidnap her and hold her for over a year without offering a ransom. The story goes along and you begin to wonder as well. When you get to the end and find out I must say I was totally shocked. As for Morgan and Archer, they have much work to do even though they love each other. I found this to be a very good book.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I first became aware of Susan Stoker when I read Protecting Caroline. Reading through that series I found the writing to be mediocre, repetitive, and a bit hit and miss. And yet I did care about the characters, she hooked me there, and so I kept reading the series because I wanted to see what happened to them.

Since then, I have continued to read Susan’s books and I am pleased to see her writing has improved and that she has listened to some of the constructive feedback. The stories are still somewhat repetitive but a bit better and she still does a great job at hooking you in and making you care about the characters.

Defending Morgan is third book in the Mountain Mercenaries series. It was an enjoyable read even though Morgan went through some horrible things. Susan wrote Morgan’s captivity very well, it really brought out my empathy and compassion for her. I am glad that Susan also included therapy as part of Morgan’s recovery. In one of her other books, there was no therapy after a similar situation and the heroine immediately jumped into bed with the hero and it was quite unrealistic and off-putting. Despite the trials and tribulations, she had, she remained a very strong woman. I loved how protective of Nina she was and was saddened when Nina returned to her mother because it meant Nina and Morgan were separated.

Morgan and Arrow had an enticing relationship, he was very understanding, caring, and most importantly patient in the aftermath of Morgan’s harrowing experience.
I suspected who the villain was going to be although I hoped I was wrong, the reasons for what they did was super lame and made me so angry. Although that’s very true to life, some people do bad things for very stupid reasons!

The one thing that really roiled me was this quote from one of the other characters, “If he wants to protect me by not letting me watch the news and by doing his best not to talk about the missions he goes on with his friends, I’m okay with that because it means he loves me.” When it comes to missions, I can understand that it’s not possible to talk specifics, but you should communicate with your partner AND if a grown ass woman wants to watch the news then who the heck is some man to decide that she shouldn’t?! Susan Stoker is not a feminist and it really shows, sometimes I can overlook it but sometimes it makes me want to scream.

Overall, I am finding the Mountain Mercenaries series to be much more compelling than the SEAL of Protection series and I am looking forward to find out more about the mysterious Rex and the other characters.

This is the third book in the Mountain Mercenaries series.

In the Dominican Republic to rescue a little girl kidnapped by her father, Archer Kane, AKA Arrow, and his team find more than just the little girl. Morgan Byrd, who has been missing for about a year, is there protecting the little girl. Now Arrow and his team must find a way to get Morgan home and find out who wants her gone, but not dead. Morgan is also struggling with what happened to her and with her feelings for Arrow. She has also moved to Colorado Springs to help Nina with her therapy while getting some of her own. Can Morgan and Arrow find the kidnapper before its too late? Will Morgan feel strong enough emotionally to give Arrow a chance?

I have really enjoyed this series and this book was another great read. I found myself going back and forth on who could be the kidnapper and eventually guessing correctly, but close to the ending. It was a book that I couldn't put down, I had to know what happened.

This is a stand alone, but if you want to know the characters and some of their story, it would help to start with the first book.

This book gave me the protection/danger vibes I've been craving, and it did this well. But it was missing the heart and connection that is important in any romance book, and had enough problematic elements that I couldn't fully appreciate the great protection tropes I wanted to concentrate on.

Arrow and Morgan weren't the most compelling couple, and I'll attribute that to a lack of romance-building that wasn't just Arrow calling Morgan beautiful constantly. There was a lot of emphasis on Morgan's beauty as value, and comments on her bravery and other characteristics felt a lot like placation for the reader. From the beginning, she was described as brave because she didn't cry or complain, as most other women would in her situation—which I felt was a pretty messed up stance to take. There was also a problematic moment where another member of Arrow's team said that if Morgan's kidnappers could hurt her, despite all her Disney princess beauty, then they are truly evil. But her beauty doesn't add value to her life; had she been plain, their crimes wouldn't be lesser.

I loved this book! It was amazing seeing Morgan get her happy. Also, seeing the way she was with the child got me in my feels. Watching Arrow and Morgan navigate their hardships was wonderful.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Thriller, Romance
Triggers: Kidnapping, Hints at torture and rape, Attempted murder

Morgan has been missing for a year. She believes she'll die in the hands of people who love to be cruel towards her. Why has she been kept alive? That's the question. One thing for sure, she knows she'll die trying to protect the little girl.

Arrow is hoping for an easy in and out extraction for the small child they were tasked with finding. What he is not expecting is to come across Morgan. She impresses him right away with her resilient nature and willingness to defend the small child who is also being held captive.

The connection that Morgan and Arrow make happens right away. There's really no reason why it happens. While both of them are running, trying to figure out the mystery behind Morgan's abduction, there is a lot of family drama that Morgan returns to.

This book keeps you on your toes. There is a push-pull relationship between Morgan and Arrow. I liked their relationship and how patient they both were with each other.

The hint at what is coming next has me very excited. I can't wait for the next book.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is the third book in the series and is just as good (maybe better) than the previous two. I would recommend that you read them in order, as it will bring out some of the fine detail, but it is excellent on its own too. I am assuming in my review that you have read them.

Morgan's story is beautifully told and has an incredibly shocking explanation. I had to stop reading a few times, because as I started to piece it together, the truth was revealed and the lack of humanity was difficult to take. Brilliantly done, with great originality. After both Allye and Chloe had suffered twice, I was naturally expecting that history would repeat itself, but never, never in that way! I have had to take a couple of days away from the story to gather my thoughts.

As we have enjoyed both Gray and Ro find their happily ever afters, it was an absolute pleasure to watch Archer (Arrow) discover just how love can strike at the most unexpected time, in the most unexpected place. His tenderness, his readiness to lay it all on the line, to give her his honesty and build her trust is incredibly sexy. And for a woman who has suffered as she has, it is the most loving way he could show his feelings.

I am still reeling at the reveal, and thankful of the outcome – cannot wait until the next Mountain Mercenary gets his turn... and I have strong suspicions as to who Rex really is, but hope that one day we all know for sure!


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆☆
I ploughed through the first quarter of Defending Morgan, which is full of action as Arrow and the team try to get Morgan to safety and back to the USA. The pace of the story is good all the way through but there are a few parts of the book full of action and danger and they had me completely sucked in and on the edge of my seat. The mystery of who actually had Morgan kidnapped is well done too.

Arrow and Morgan develop a connection under intense and dangerous circumstances. I like that Arrow falls for Morgan at a time when physically she isn’t at her best because he falls for who she is and not what she looks like. I also loved the way the way the author deals with the physical intimacy between Arrow and Morgan after her kidnapping. Respect is paid to this subject. However, I did think the emotional fallout from Morgan being held captive could have been dealt with more. It was kind of glossed over.

Defending Morgan is exactly what you’d expect from the romantic suspense genre. It was engaging and entertaining and I really had a good time reading it.

This author has many on my TBR list with only having read one before this one. When I was able to get into this one I dance with glee. She has the kind of alphas that have you wishing for one in real time. Arrow does keep your attention in this especially when he finds extra. As you get deeper into this you are also taken over with emotions this one starts. The anticipation also carries you looking for what is next. She gives you the meat and dessert in her novels with I know soon will crave another.

A great enjoyable read kept my attention from start to finish and I’d recommend reading it the author had a way with words that had me hooked can’t wait for more

When I first started the book, I was SO tempted to peek at the end to find out who was bad guy was! But as I kept reading, I was pretty sure I knew who it was. And I was actually right! I loved Arrow and Morgan. Morgan was found unexpectedly during a rescue by Arrow. I loved how tough she seemed, while at the same time she was vulnurable. She had no problem doing what needed to be done, and she was not a whiny or troublesome rescue. She was strong when it counted. Of course she had issues, but they were realistic. She didn't move on quickly with the right person like so many other books. She had some serious issues after what she had been through, but she also new that she needed help. I HIGHLY recommend this book, and then reading the first two books in the series! I cannot wait until the next book now!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book.

“Susan Stoker” never disappoints! Loved this story. Had perfect amounts of romance, drama, adventure and suspense. “Susan Stoker” is one of the authors I automatically buy because I just love her writing. This book was no exception. Another fantastic book, well written, intriguing characters and one amazing storyline. Kept me hooked and a lot more than a 5 star read!! Loved it!! Have too recommend to all romance readers out there, don’t want to miss out on this book.

Arrow rescues Morgan and promptly falls for her. There is no fear that this is a natural aspect of him being her rescuer, they just are in love. A little lag time before falling in love would be better.

That, however, is my only complaint. Morgan's circumstances are puzzling. One of her parents is the likely perpetrator, but who? And why?

Good story that you will love.