thebookdisciple
Written on Jun 4, 2019
The Mountain Mercenaries series continues with Defending Harlow and I must say this: I'm glad the characters in the book brought up the misnomer of "mercenaries" since that is not at all what they do. It has really bothered me for the entirety of the series (check out the excerpt for Harlow asking this exact question). Defending Harlow also has a different tone than the previous books. Harlow isn't being stalked, she hasn't been kidnapped and held for a year in a foreign country, or anything as horrific as the previous heroines have been subjected to. Her story is more the story of the shelter and what happens there. It gives the book a very different tenor because the extreme danger isn't as omnipresent. I thought I wouldn't like Defending Harlow as much since I really enjoy the suspense aspects of stories, however it wasn't really an issue.
Lowell (aka Black) and Harlow went to high school together. Harlow had a huge crush on Lowell; but he graduated and they went their separate ways. Now its 10 years later and they both end up in Colorado and their paths cross. Harlow is a chef but instead of getting a job at a swanky restaurant, she becomes the chef at the women's shelter that has been a background in this series. I admired Harlow for being willing to move to a different state and take a totally different, unorthodox job simply because it makes her happy to help others. Harlow has had a terrible history with dating and now has sworn it off (yeah....you know how that is going to go!). Her dating history was a bit over dramatic in my opinion. I get it-she had bad luck. But the stories were outlandish and it kind of made me roll my eyes a bit. But, I'm a cynical bitch, so maybe its just me.
Lowell isn't my favorite "mercenary". He doesn't ever see him self settling down and having kids. He wants to pursue something with Harlow, but he sees it as a relationship with a future end date. His friends all point out to him that doesn't seem likely, and if that IS what he thinks, he is a dick because it will hurt Harlow in the end. Does this deter him? No. That action made me less enamored with him. I get it-no one goes into a relationship thinking that on day one this is the one they will marry. But, going in with a termination in mind isn't great either.
As I mentioned, the suspense in Defending Harlow isn't really about Harlow exactly. Its about the shelter. I thought the motivation of the "bad guy" was pretty obvious but I could see how the mercenaries were struggling to figure out who would be doing all this. These women have some crazy exes, the shelter is in a bad neighborhood, and there were a lot of external factors. Overall, I thought this plot line was good and a nice detour from the previous books in that sense. If you like second chance romances, ex military men, and a touch of mystery, Defending Harlow is a good pick for a weekend read!
- POV: 3rd
- Tears: no
- Trope: second chance romance, ex military
- Triggers: Some of the women in the shelter were physically abused. While it doesn't occur in the story, it is mentioned and discussed.
- Series/Standalone: stand alone (you really don't need to read the previous books since this one is a departure)
- Cliffhanger: no
- HEA: yes
The Crimson Point series by Kaylea Cross, The LOST series by Cynthia Eden, Hidden by Rebecca Zanetti...then you will probably like Defending Harlow!
A Mountain Mercenary’s Sneak Attack with Author Susan Stoker
Defending Harlow is book 4 in the Mountain Mercenaries series. Each book features one of the men who were recruited by the mysteries “Rex” to work on his team to help rescue kidnapped women and children. In this book we meet Lowell “Black” Lockard who was a Navy SEAL before he became a Mountain Mercenary. He joined the group because after his stint in the Navy, he realized that he was happiest when he was being useful, helping others. He’d been close to his fellow SEALs when he’d been on active duty, but somehow he was even closer with his fellow Mountain Mercenaries.
They worked together, they played together, and they simply enjoyed spending time with each other both during missions and when they were living their lives in Colorado Springs.
Black loves that his friends have found women that completed them. Gray met Allye when he rescued her from a boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and they had to swim for hours to safety. Ro met Chloe when her brother was holding her hostage in his house and was about to pimp her out from his strip club. And Arrow met Morgan when they’d been down in the Dominican Republic to rescue a child who’d been kidnapped by her non custodial father. Turns out, Morgan was one of the most famous missing people the United States had ever had, and she’d been held for over a year before she’d accidentally been found by the Mountain Mercenaries.
He loves that his friends are happy, but realizes that he is…bored. He wants someone to laugh with. To talk to at the end of the day. To break the routine of his life. He envies his friends for having that.
Meeting Harlow is a turning part in Black’s life. She makes him laugh and he’s intrigued more than he’s ever been by a woman before. And realizing they went to the same high school once upon a time makes him even more curious. But there’s a problem…Harlow has had bad date after bad date and she’s sworn off dating forever.
But Black won’t give up. He decides to “trick” her by refusing to call what they’re doing as ‘dates.’ They’re just “hanging out.” And the more he spends time with her, the more he likes her…and vice versa. Harlow will have to decide whether or not to take a chance on Black, and he’ll have to figure out how to neutralize the threat looming over Harlow and the women’s shelter she works at or else the semantics of what they’re doing will be a moot point, because someone might end up dead.See full review on The Book Disciple