Betraying a man whilst he is in a war zoning fighting for our country is pretty low. This is exactly what Bennett's wife, Valarie does to him. She also acts as if it is no big deal; as if he was the one who is wrong. Taking a person off a war zone does not mean their fighting tendencies are immediate turned off. For Bennett, one heated moment causes a regret that can not be easily overcome. Like most ex-cons, it is difficult to get a job after he's done his time. Luckily for Bennett, he is taken under another's wing and runs a bar. When an old friend asks him to help save his fiance, Bennett does what he did best... blow shit up.

Bennett considered that a one time favour. Now, his buddy's company is looking to hire him. Accepting a job in the Rescue Ops team at Night Eagle Security would fill a missing piece for Bennett. He isn't made for inaction. But how can he trust them just as how can they trust a felon? This part of the story really bugged me. As a felon, Bennett can not be carrying a gun. In this story it made it sound like it was no big deal. This is a fallacy. In the States, especially those who have done time like Bennett, felons can not own a fire arm and he shouldn't really be caught with carrying one. Especially as his crime is most likely classified as domestic violence, even if it technically wasn't. This is where it was fuzzy. This little bit of wtf-ery pulled me out of the story and I had to keep reminding myself to get over it. I digress.

This tale is about Bennett's redemption by protecting and saving Sayward. Sayward is a Colombian immigrant who is hiding from the drug cartel. She's also autistic and a hacker. I liked Sayward. She is quirky and I also happen to know people with autism. For me, Sayward is pretty mildly impacted and it is nice to see her perspective. Her interaction with Bennett is plausible and kind of cute. Their romance is stilted and awkward which is a bit of a stereotyping of autistic people, but it worked. I found Sayward's hiding and fleeing the sexy alpha predator Bennett to be quite amusing.

The plot device in this story was a bit weak for me. The second it was explained how and why Sayward came to the States, her father's death is suspect. And more suspect is her brother's journey to bring her to her father's funeral. This is a train wreck spotted miles away. And no one is clued in but the reader. Said reader may be yelling at the characters to watch out. All advice is unheeded as the characters can not hear the reader and the reader may experience extreme frustration. To say I knew how this would all turn out within 25% into the book would be an understatement. Still, I girded my loins and stuck to it. I really wanted to scream "I told ya so" but really, who would I be saying it to? I did feel like smacking these Rescue Ops guys across the head a few times because for a private security company, they were pretty darn clueless. My guess is when it is one of their own, they are completely blindsided.

Nevertheless, I did enjoyed the suspense and gulped this story down in one sitting. This romantic suspense is recommended to readers who enjoy quirky females who need the protection of a dinged up alpha male.

I loved this book. It was just that simple. It was different from other books I have read in that Sayward is on the Spectrum. She was one of my favorite characters. Even with her dislike for social settings, this woman is a fighter and she is spunky. Then we have Bennett who I am so thrilled we are getting. He was so intriguing and I loved the chance to get to know him better.

The writing was as per usual wonderful. The story is unique and has a good amount of suspense and heat. It just had a different feel from other books and I loved it. I can't wait to get more of the NES's stories. Each one just gets better and better. The best part is each book is a standalone. If you want the most out of the stories though I would recommend reading them in order. I would highly recommend this series and this book.

Romance with major suspense mixed in. This unusual story is about a new member of a Special Ops security firm, Bennett, and Sayward already a member who has Autism. They share a connection right from the start and it only continues to grow despite her aversion to touch. Through in the mix a drug cartel and trip to Columbia and you have one serious, heart-stopping read.

MINE TO SAVE is the third instalment in Diana Gardin’s contemporary, adult RESCUE OPS romantic, suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for Night Eagle Security (NES). The Rescue Ops series is a spin-off from the author’s Battle Scars series and several characters cross over for cohesion and familiarity. This is former Special Forces explosive specialist/ bar owner Bennett Blacke, and computer hacker Sayward ‘Viper’ Diaz’s story line. MINE TO SAVE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Sayward and Bennett) MINE TO SAVE follows the building romance between computer hacker and NES agent Sayward ‘Viper’ Diaz, and new team member and former Special Forces explosive specialist Bennett Blacke. Years earlier, Sayward’s mother was killed by the Columbian cartel, and in the ensuing years Sayward’s father has kept hidden his daughter’s whereabouts. Fast forward to present day wherein Sayward’s father has been murdered, and her brother Marco has come looking for his sister to give her the news. Enter Bennett Blacke, NES’s new security agent, and the man who volunteers to play bodyguard to the woman that calls to his heart. What ensues is the building romance between Bennett and Sayward, and the potential fall out as the Columbian Cartel have placed a target on the Diaz family-a target aimed at our story line heroine.

Sayward Diaz was diagnosed with autism-lowest end of the spectrum- at the age of two, and therefore struggles with differences that separate her from everyone else. With a keen knack for computer hacking, Saywar is the perfect IT guru for the NES Security firm. Unable to look people in the eye, and afraid of people’s touch Sayward finds her savior in the newest member of the NES team-Bennett Blacke-a man who is willing to risk his life to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love as the Columbian Cartel sets its sights on Sayward Diaz. Bennett Blacke is the ideal man for the job as his patience and understanding go a long way to ease Sayward Diaz through the uncomfortable social and personal interactions.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Saywards’ brother Marco Diaz; NES boss Jacob Owen; Grisham Abbot and his fiancé Greta (Saved by the Seal), Dare Connors (Last True Hero) Jeremy ‘Brains’ Teague and his wife Rayne (Sworn to Protect); Ronin Shaw; bar manager Kandie; as well as the requisite evil Pablo Suarez who seeks vengeance against the Diaz family.

MINE TO SAVE is a story of family and friendship; revenge and betrayal; romance and love. The premise is intriguing and enjoyable; the characters are colorful, dynamic and real; the romance is passionate and seductive. MINE TO SAVE is a wonderful addition to Diana Gardin’s RESCUE OPS romantic suspense series. My only complaint is the amount of redundancy and repetition throughout the story.

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So Bennett had me melt. The way he learned about Sayward’s autism and what to do for her. How he respected her boundaries but also learned how to get close and have her feel safe. But how he respected her and protected her no matter what. He was fierce with his feelings and protection of Sayward and it was sexy and sigh worthy.

Here Bennett is trying to find balance in his life. Fear of turning into the man he was with anger he couldn’t control but also knowing his life is missing something, he agrees to join a mission when Sayward asks him. Why? His attraction to this woman and how she intrigues him. Little does he know the mission will be Sayward herself and protecting her from a past that wants to swallow her whole.

Sayward is one that stays to herself. She is lonely but knows that her family at Rescue Ops is there for her. The only person that she doesn’t stiffen around when the touch her is Bennett. He makes her feel safe and it confuses her. She is also insecure because of her feelings towards him. While this is happening, her brother comes back into her life and danger follows. Now her past is coming to her present and may change her future. She is in danger and is uncomfortable with getting help. She is also stubborn and wants to do what is right. Somehow her whereabouts are known and they shouldn't be and her life is in peril. It is Bennett that keeps her grounded and feeling safe. He is the one that risks everything for her. He makes mistakes but does all he can to make up for them. He shows her his love and respect.

The story of Sayward and Bennett is filled with danger, intrigue and love. We see Bennett find his place and at home with Sayward. Sayward finds someone who makes her feel safe and their journey to a HEA is a dangerous one. They make mistakes, let insecurities come into play but also fight to get back to one another. The characters are ones you like and some you feel for. Their story and attraction is sweet and hot and Sayward and Bennett just have you in their moments from the beginning.

3 1/2 Stars out of 5
The author writes from the two leads different points of view and each chapter is titled with the who will be speaking to keep readers from getting confused.

I enjoyed the author created a female characters who has issues more than broken home and past. She struggles with Autism. The author was able to capture the intelligence and the compulsions a lot of people with autism have. She made Sayward very likable and Bennett very caring when his past said otherwise.



The story its self failed to pull me in leaving wondering the purpose of the story and the characters. For the first several chapters the story pulled along dragging readers with it. Mine to save I found lacking in pace which caused this reader to stop reading.



Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Foever Yours

I've thoroughly enjoyed every Diana Gardin book I've read. Mine to Save was exactly what I expected and more. I love that Sayward struggles with autism. Gardin does such a good job with Sayward's point of view which was so different from any romance heroine I've ever read. She made Sayward very sympathetic, sexy, incredibly likable and a great match for Bennett. I love that Bennett is not only attracted to Sayward but so gentle with her. He understands what she needs when her instinct is to resort to her coping behaviors. He never pities her or makes her feel bad about herself. He instead makes her feel safe and gives her a life as a vibrant, sexual women she never dreamed she could be.

Gardin does a really good job of creating prior military Alpha males who are also kind and caring. Even when he doesn't believe it about himself, Bennett is a really good guy. He's also very competent in a crisis and fits right in with his initially reluctant teammates.

This book had all the elements of a good read - gripping suspense, fun banter, a sexy main couple and the happily ever after I expected. I can definitely recommend it to any lover of romance, military, and suspense.


reviewed by Jem

This is the third book in this series by this author. This book is just as amazing as the others. Another excellent romantic suspense story, you won't want to put down. This story is well written, with an engaging story line. The characters are complexed and very interesting. I can't wait for more in this series and by this author in the future.
Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book

sayward díaz is not your average romantic heroine, after all it's not every day your lead character is on the low end of the autism spectrum. sayward has problems reading social cues, and she's never understood the need for physical intimacy, but something about bennett blacke calls to her. and when he says she's beautiful, she's stunned to realize that he makes her feel that way.

he's a man who has been through unspeakable stress, violence, danger. and while there is a darkness that resides deep in his soul, the way he cherishes everything about sayward in mine to save is totally worth swooning over. he's a man who whose ptsd is sparked by betrayal. loving someone, giving over that much trust to another person feel unthinkable, but he doesn't hesitate with sayward. even when he knows that being with her could set off all his triggers he knows that being without her is not an option.

they just work together so beautifully.

sayward's life is at risk, her past with a columbian drug cartel has caught up to her in wilmington. and bennett will do everything in his power to keep her safe. he would lay down his life, because she is everything to him. from the moment he realizes she is in danger he keeps her in his sights. she belongs to him from that moment. and even though sayward tries to deny it, tries to fight it, the truth is she loves how he makes her feel. she knows he will always protectt her. that if she were lost, bennett would always be the one to find her.

i really loved these two leads. i loved their story, i loved how they see each other, i loved how they fall in love. my only complaint is that i've never met a columbian who'd name their kid sayward or james. i mean, i guess it's possible, but those are not at all spanish names. and they sound really weird in spanish . i loved sayward's columbian heritage, but it didn't feel entirely authentic because i kept thinking in order to have that name one of her parents had to be american. and this was a thread that i had to ignore because it was going to drive me crazy to pick at it.

**mine to save will publish on december 8, 2017. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/grand central publishing (forever yours) in exchange for my honest review.

I read the first 2 book in the Rescue Ops series earlier this year and I loved them so much that I just couldn't wait to get my hands on this third book.



Mine to Save is Bennett's and Sayward's story and I admit I absolutely loved this book just as much as the previous books.



This book (and the series) has suspense and I was hooked from the beginning.




You don't have the read the previous books in the Rescue Ops series.



I am giving this book 5 out of 5.

Mine to Save is the story of Bennett Blacke, who thought his time working with special ops was over. He is now a bar owner and ex con. But, an offer from NES could bring him back into the fold of security and rescue, giving him a chance to use his skills honed in the military. That chance could bring him back to a dark place that landed him in prison though.

Sayward is a computer hacker for NES. She was rescued from Columbia when her family was targeted by a drug cartel. Jacob, the head of NES has made sure Sayward was safe and taken care of. However, she just received word that her father has died and she is planning to return to Columbia. The danger is that the son of the cartel leader who kidnapped her may still be looking for her.

Sayward is on the Autism spectrum. As a special education teacher, I am very critical of character portrayal with disabilities. While the author said Sayward was on the low end of the spectrum, her character portrayal is more mid spectrum. She has the social struggles of someone with Aspergers, but some of her emotional issues and behaviors are more severe than a low spectrum Autism diagnosis. Would that bother anyone who ISN'T a special education professional? Probably not. The author uses the classic, stereotypical symptoms of Autism that people are familiar with.

Overall, the plot of Mind to Save was interesting and the relationship between Sawyward and Bennett was engaging and entertaining! These two have more baggage than LAX so seeing them wade through it all was satisfying.

When Bennett is offered a trial position with Night Eagle Security he is hesitant about taking it, full well knowing some of the men who will have his back, have doubts about him and his abilities, and are questioning how much he deserves the shot. But before Bennett can say no to the deal, and send them packing, Sayward Diaz gets involved and he just can't say no to her, especially when he learns her life is in danger. The thought of something happening to her and him not being there to help prevent it is more unnerving than he cares to admit... so he agrees to give it a shot, and winds up finding far more than he ever expected to.

When it comes to computers Sayward Diaz can handle anything that they throw at her, when it comes to people unfortunately that is not the case, people scare her, unnerve her, and leave her feeling downright uncomfortable... well except one person anyway. The moment Bennett comes into her life she begins to experience things she never knew were possible, he understands her need for distance, her paranoia about being physical, and he accepts it, but also helps her to understand the benefits of it too. Their relationship is a little unconventional, but it works for them, so they embrace it as best they can, all while trying to keep themselves safe from the cartel that is determined to hunt Sayward down.

Mine To Save is an emotionally rich story about two troubled souls that come together in desperate times and wind up finding a missing piece of themselves that they had no idea needed to be found. The moment these two appeared on the page I was taken with them and their beautifully crafted, yet sometimes tragic, story, it had Ms. Gardin's trademark emotional depth, and nail biting action, but it also had a very palpable feel to it that I just could not ignore. Since meeting Bennett and Sayward in a previous installments and learning all their little intricacies I was anxious to see how they would blend together, how they could function as a couple, and I have to admit I was pleased with their pairing. This might just be my favorite installment to this series yet, it had everything special that the previous installments had, but this one just spoke to me on a different level, and left me so moved...and also left me quite anxious to see what is in store for these characters in the next addition!
Highly recommend this one, it is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat the whole way through!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.

Gahhh!! Anyone who knows me knows that Romantic Suspense is my jam. It provides the thrills I love and the swoons and chills on the romance front that I need! That is exactly what we got with Mine to Save. I loved Sayward and Bennett's connection and could not get enough of their story.

I loved that Sayward was also an atypical heroine and that the author was not only able to highlight her profound intelligence but her compulsions as a person living with Autism. It was so amazing to see Bennett love her regardless of their differences and was able to breach her walls and need to distance herself from people. Likewise I loved that Sayward
helped Bennett feel for someone again after the betrayals in his past.

All in all this was a great story and I look forward to the next novel in this series. I would like to thank Netgalley and the Forever Romance Team for an advanced copy of this novel for an honest review. Bravo! 4 stars! ~Ratula

Mine to Save is my first book by this author and I have fallen love. I love the way to book keeps you intrigued and trying to guess what's going to happen. Her writing style is just perfect. Sayward was an amazing character, I loved her from the beginning, Bennett may have been a little stand offish at first, but he was the perfect match for Sayward. I love this book and can't wait for more.

A superbly written thrill ride. I couldn't put it down. Enjoyed!

good book. from start to finish. I must admit, loved the heroines name-totally unique

This was a unique romance novel. You've got Special Forces guys retired and working for a protection agency, well that's not new. But for the first time the leading lady has Autism and also works for the agency as a computer tech. She doesn't like to be touched and has a hard time reading peoples cues, other small things that let us know that this is not going to be the run of the mill protection romance novel. Maybe because of this, is why I liked it so much. Mine to Save, kept my attention throughout the whole book.