Defending Morgan by Susan Stoker

Protection leads to passion in New York Times bestselling author Susan Stoker’s dangerously hot Mountain Mercenaries adventure.

Dispatched to the Dominican Republic to rescue a kidnapped child, former Navy SEAL Archer “Arrow” Kane makes a startling discovery: another hostage—Morgan Byrd, a very beautiful and very well-known missing person who disappeared off the streets of Atlanta a year ago. She’s brave, resilient, and unbroken. All Arrow wants to know is why she ended up in a shack in Santo Domingo. All he feels is the desire to protect.

Morgan is done being the victim and is determined to find out who hates her so much that they want her gone—but not dead. Until then, she has Arrow, an alpha stranger who’s offering a warm and safe place to hide. But as the passion between them flares, so does the fear that whoever took Morgan will do anything to get her back. For Arrow, protecting this woman with a mysterious enemy is the most dangerous mission of his life. And it’s worth every beat of his heart.

Book 3
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Amazon Audiobook  ~  Audible
~  Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Thriller, Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

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.

Also Available in the Mountain Mercenaries Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Amazon Audiobook  ~  Audible
~  Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

For reviews & more info, check out our Defending Allye post.

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Amazon Audiobook  ~  Audible
~  Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

For reviews & more info, check out our Defending Chloe post.

Susan Stoker is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author whose series include Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes, SEAL of Protection, and Delta Force Heroes. Married to a retired army noncommissioned officer, Stoker has lived all over the country—from Missouri to California to Colorado—and currently lives under the big skies of Texas. A true believer in the happily ever after, Stoker enjoys writing novels in which romance turns to love. To learn more about the author and her work, visit her website or find her on Facebook.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Defending Morgan (Mountain Mercenaries #3) by Susan Stoker to read and review.