The Protector by Susan Stoker

From New York Times bestselling author Susan Stoker comes a sizzling suspense about the romance that blossoms between two strangers during a snowstorm and the stalker who threatens them both.

Riggs “Chappy” Chapman didn’t expect to be disrupted at his remote cabin in the woods. But when a stray dog arrives on his porch, he winds up finding a stray woman, too, trudging through the snowstorm in search of shelter. His military days may be behind him, but Chappy is hardwired to protect her from the storm and whatever it is she’s running from.

Carlise Edwards didn’t expect her car to break down in the Maine wilderness. All she wants is to escape whoever is stalking her back home. There’s no way anyone’s going to find her and Chappy deep in the forest, especially not in dangerous weather. But she finds it hard to mind the circumstances when the company is this stimulating.

As the snowstorm rages, Chappy and Carlise find that, despite the cold, they can generate plenty of heat of their own… but there’s more than just natural dangers lurking in the woods.

 

 

Book 1
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~ Also Available with KindleUnlimited ~

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the first book in a new series, and I am delighted that there are four guys, so plenty more goodness is already promised for the future! There is some world building, but done so intrinsically to the story, that the reader just slips into their world; from the funny way they decide what to do once they leave the military and where they will do it – classic humour.

Riggs has taken himself off to his private space to have some downtime, and ends up with not one, but two unexpected cabin guests in a snowstorm. How that comes about is already pretty dramatic, but there is definitely more angst through the book, which had me tensing up more than once. Stoker led me down a few dead ends, but I love getting so stressed about what is going to happen next – as well as enjoying the humour, the nursing skills demonstrated, and the obvious chemistry.

Carlise proves herself to be a really good person, and a very patient, understanding, and resilient one too. If she were being interviewed for the role of perfect partner to Riggs, she could not have done better – and we really get to enjoy that fact as she survives the questioning of his friends. I shall say no more!

I am really looking forward to the next installment, as I already care for these guys.


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

Chappy is living his best life with his best friends. But when the past becomes too much in the present, he heads off to his forest hideaway. Sometimes he just needs a place of peace and nothingness. During one trip, he knows a snowstorm is heading his way, but he has enough supplies to last until he can get back to town. Plus, he knows his friends would come dig him out if need be.

Carlise is lost. She isn't sure which way it up right now and she's running scared. When she takes off and figures that she'll just head willy-nilly to get away, she doesn't expect to get stuck in one of the biggest snowstorms. With little to no options, she knows that staying in her car would mean death, and takes her chances at walking to find a house or town.

Almost frozen, Carlise is saved by a starving dog. The dog also gets Chappy from his flu-induced resting time to figure out that someone is needing help and Chappy is able to find Carlise in time.

These two are both a little bent and in need to love and support.

And while I will say that the Stoker books that I truly love have this exact main character combination, this one was a little lackluster for me. I figured this story out well before the conclusion, so that was disappointing, and I didn't feel that this had the chemistry that most Stoker books have.

But while I was slightly meh about this story, I do like that the characters banded together and that there will be further books where we get to see them again. Maybe they will grow more on me with time.


Veronica – ☆☆☆
Carlise is running from a stalker after splitting with her abusive boyfriend, and ends up stuck with Riggs, a complete stranger, in his cabin in Maine while a storm rages around them. I do like this kind of forced proximity scenario. I was impressed by how Carlise deals with her situation, taking it all in her stride, doing what needs to be done, especially given she is a city chick. Riggs is such a good guy, I felt like she deserved a good man like Riggs after what had dealt with in the past.

The Protector is a mix of romance and danger and there is a little twist, which I did see coming. I particularly enjoyed the climax of the story, and seeing the stalker get what was coming to them was quite satisfying. The story is predictable and, at times, a tad sappy but I didn’t mind it at all. I liked how easy this story was to read and that it required nothing more from me than just the pleasure of enjoying the love story, which I definitely did. I’m looking forward to reading more of this series.

 

 

New York Times, USA Today, #1 Amazon bestseller, and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author, SUSAN STOKER has a heart as big as the state of Tennessee where she lives, but this all American girl has also spent the last eighteen years living in Missouri, California, Colorado, Indiana, and Texas. She's married to a retired Army man (and current firefighter/EMT) who now gets to follow her around the country.

She debuted her first series in 2014 and quickly followed that up with the SEAL of Protection series, which solidified her love of writing and creating stories readers can get lost in.

Connect with Susan Stoker

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Facebook Group: Susan Stoker's Stalkers

 

 

ARC provided by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided with a free copy of The Protector (Game of Chance #1) by Susan Stoker to read and review.