A Wall Street Journal bestseller.Danger rises and love is threatened in New York Times bestselling author Susan Stoker’s fourth book of the Mountain Mercenaries series.Lowell “Black” Lockard, former Navy SEAL, has watched his fellow Mountain Mercenaries settle down with the women of their dreams, but he’s convinced he doesn’t need love. Then he gets a call from Harlow Reese—a chef at a local … call from Harlow Reese—a chef at a local women’s shelter—and begins to reconsider his decision.
After being continually harassed by a local band of punks, Harlow asks Lowell to give the women of the shelter lessons in self-defense. She doesn’t expect him to take such a special interest in her safety, but he insists on escorting her to and from work, never taking no for an answer. Not that Harlow minds the personal touch…especially when it’s coming from her former teenage crush.
Despite her long history of bad dating luck, seeing Black again makes Harlow rethink her self-imposed celibacy. Easy on the eyes and hard to forget, the man has morphed into an alpha stud. And Harlow may be exactly the type of woman Black is looking for. Making her feel safe isn’t only a duty; it’s a pleasure. But the threats are escalating. The motives are a mystery. And as the danger burns almost as hot as their passion, there’s much more at risk than their hearts.
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I’m so sorry her dates were jerk offs. One really was!! But she found a good man without knowing she was even dating him. Good read.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Avid Reader –
M/F Romance
While it’s not necessary to read the previous books, I would recommend them. They are all fantastic and it gives you insight into the Mountain Mercenaries that you would otherwise not understand.
This is Lowell’s book. I love that he is getting a story. He’s calm when necessary but finds that he feels a little lost at the moment. When he reconnects with someone he went to high school with, he can’t help but be attracted. When she calls and asks for his help, he’ll stop at nothing to make sure that she’s safe.
Harlow is a great main character. She’s strong, but also knows when to lean on those around her. She has an amazing heart and you get to see it shining through her character at every turn. I love how she defends the kids and knows how to help the women. I also love how she sees Lowell.
These two have some steamy moments, but overall, while there is some mystery, this was much more relationship oriented than the previous books. I missed the fast pace, but still found this book very enjoyable.
I can’t wait to see what happens next. These are fantastic!
Triggers: Stalking, Arson
Ruthie –
This is the fourth book in the series, and I would recommend that you read them all, as they are all fabulous. I think you would understand Lowell and the Mountain Mercenaries far better that way, but you could read this and enjoy it as a standalone.
This is a slightly different book to the previous ones, as Harlow is not under threat in the same way as the women in the previous stories. She works as a chef in the women’s refuge home. She unexpectedly meets Lowell there, far from their childhood home in Kansas. The guys all support the refuge when they are needed. And Harlow determines they are needed when men start to harass the residents and their children.
Sadly these troubles are only the beginning, and as Lowell realises just how important Harlow is becoming to him, he has to step up and keep her and the others safe – and find out who is behind the threats. In involving the rest of the Mountain Mercenaries, we get to learn a bit more about the illusive Rex. He is distracted and not giving them the support that they are used to, so events there too also come to a head… more of which I am guessing we will discover in the next book.
Harlow is a lovely person, and the scenes with her and the children in the refuge kitchen are beautifully written. She is so tuned in to their needs and how to help them in difficult circumstances – it is inevitable that Lowell will fall for her hook, line, and sinker! He deserves his happily ever after, and that the couples formed in previous books are along for the journey is a lovely touch. The women supporting Harlow as she enters the Mountain Mercenaries world leads to some fun too.
Another Mercenaries man has found his reason to be, and Harlow is a great addition to the Mountain Mercenaries family.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Defending Harlow (Mountain Mercenaries #4) by Susan Stoker to read and review.
I am totally mesmerized by the stealthiness of Lowell and his beautiful delivery of non-dates to win the heart of Harlow. Loved it!
Harlow has given up on dating, she’s had so many terrible, and some positively atrocious first dates, it’s just not worth it anymore. She ran into Lowell ‘Black’ Lockard as he volunteered at the women’s shelter where she’s one of the chefs. She had a crush on him in high school, but they are both very different now. She had asked for his number since she wanted to take gun safety lessons at his shooting range.
Black was surprised when Harlow calls him, he thought she changed her mind about the lessons. Although he finds out there is something else bothering her. She is being harassed by men near the shelter and so are the women and children who live there.
As the guys start stepping up with more security at the house, Black also steps up his game. He wants to date her but somehow he has to convince her it’s not a date.
Black plans many ‘surprises’ for Harlow in the process of protecting her. So much fun and the whole not dating thing kept made me chuckle every time.
I thoroughly enjoyed her bad date stories, they made me yearn for that HEA. It was great seeing the rest of the crew while also finding out some surprises, plus learning more about the mysterious Rex.
Lots of suspense, intrigue and a few confrontations with more than one person as they find the instigators. With just enough heat in more ways than one.
Harlow Reece is a wonderful chef who happens to have the worst first date history ever. She has found a place where she likes to be, cooking at a woman’s shelter. Lowell “Black” Lockard is an ex Navy SEAL who happen to run his own gun shop and is part of an elite mercenary group. Trouble has come to the shelter and these men take it seriously. Lowell on the other hand makes it personal. It seems that Harlow has crawled under his skin. You will laugh at all the non-dates they go on. When it all comes down to trust, Harlow knows she can trust that Lowell will protect her all the time. Including the ones she cares about.
Susan Stoker creates swoony smart heroes and smarty sexy heroines. This is a stand alone book that takes the mountain mercenaries on a more local mission. A little romance, a little suspense, good dialogue between the guys.
Always enjoy Stoker.
Another great story! Always page turners and action packed with a happily ever after!
Eaay read. I love Susan Stokers book and this series.
Harlow and Black are such amazing characters. Harlow is just starting in a new direction in her career when she meets up again with her high school crush Black by accident. What a great ride this story was.
Harlow and Black are great together
love Susan Stoker. Alpha men with strong women and alot of suspense.
Enthralling!! This story will grab you from the first page and will keep you mesmerized until the end. I LOVED it!! Black and Harlow’s story is fun, sexy, realistic and also heartbreaking. It’s hard to describe this story without giving away spoilers so I am not going to do that. I am going to tell you , you REALLY need to read this story to find out all the intrigue, excitement and just how much Black and Harlow go through to FINALLY get their HEA!!
Now I always know I can never go wrong with a Susan Stoker book but something about his one just really made me remember why I love her so much in the first place. This is book 4 in the Mountain Mercenaries series and it can be read as a stand alone. I highly recommend reading the other books though because they are phenomenal! This one is about Lowell “Black” Lockard and Harlow Reese. Harlow and Black know each other from high school but only as acquaintances and never spoke after graduation. The mercenaries regularly help out at a local women’s shelter and Harlow has been hired as a chef there. So when her and the residents start being harassed, she calls Black to hopefully help them figure out how to be safe. Of course Black goes to help, but he also thinks this is his chance to ask Harlow out. What he doesn’t realize is that his whole life is about to change.
I absolutely loved Harlow and Black!! Harlow cracked me up from the beginning with all her bad dates and Black cracked me up on how he got around it all LOL! I loved all the snippet’s with Rex, and that definitely made me want his story even faster. Black is the epitome of how you want your man to take care of you and the people you care about. I love everything about him and Harlow was the same for me! I truly can’t wait to see how the other members get their own HEA!
Susan Stoker has done it again. Great storyline and engaging read. Alpha hottie, smart caring female lead.
Loved it I always like this type t of story
Harlow is a chef, but she took the job at the shelter for battered women and children in Colorado. She loves the children and helping the women. She’s not slim like the other women, and she has had bad luck dating men. So When she sees Lowell again (knew each other as teenagers), she’s leary of him. But she calls for his help because they are all being harrassed. So the team steps up to do what they do best.
Have loved all the Mountain Mercenaries books so far and this one just has me looking forward to the next one.
Lowell and Harlow
What a story I really loved it… they met in high school then went in different directions years later they meet by chance and wow talk about instant chemistry and they were both funny with their initial denial.
Harlow is a sweet-heart and a true nurturing carer, Lowell is her perfect partner, he supports her and protects her and even manages to sneak non-dates by her…lol
This book was filled with adventure and laughs that really brought to life the seriousness of the threats in Harlow’s life more.
Lowell “Black” Lockard is a Mountain Mercenary. He and his friends rescue woman and children in precarious situations. He’s a former navy Seal. Harlow is a chef at a woman’s shelter. Trouble is brewing and Harlow reaches out to Black. It’s a different addition to the series, as Harlow is not one of their rescues per sey. It’s a common problem right under their noses, but it takes a while as there are a bunch of other variables in play and no one is putting it all together. But, Ms. Stoker pulls out a spectacular scenario near the end of the book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The characters are real, they aren’t perfect and that’s what makes it an awesome read.
I could not believe all the “dates gone wrong” stories, but I loved the hot air balloon addition as that’s what I used to do.
I absolutely recommend this book and ANY book by Ms. Stoker.
Defending Harlow is Book 4 of Susan Stoker’s Mountain Mercenaries series. These books stand perfectly fine on their own but I LOVE the fact that the characters from the previous books still continue to make strong appearances.
This story brings new meaning to “slow burn”. You could feel the heat simmering beneath the surface between Harlow and Black. All throughout their “non-dates”. This was a very enjoyable addition to the series and the back story involving Rex and his missing wife starts to gain more traction. I can’t wait to read what is next!