I thoroughly enjoyed Claiming Sarah. It felt fresh and new and yet solidly a Susan Stoker romance. I was drawn into the story quickly and felt an immediate kinship with Sarah. she and Cole felt like real people, the dialogue was believable yet romantic and the romance was so tastefully hot, hot, hot!
In the suspense department, I liked the way Ace security characters were rolled into the story. They were organically and smoothly introduced. Each one within character if a bit intense at times. I also enjoyed the evolution of the suspense plot.
The story had alot of heart and depth that spoke of the authors personal knowledge of life and it showed. I like reading books that show life lessons and experience without preaching.
Susan Stoker is on my autobuy list both in kindle and audio.
5 stars!!!!!
NetGalley arc received for honest review.

I thought Claiming Sarah was okay story. I know Cole is a character from previous books, and since I haven't read them, I don't have an insight of his character before now, but my first impression is he's a jacka$$, it took me abit to warm up to him. I liked Sarah, she was strong character, she's been dealt some hard knocks but she's still moving forward. It usually doesn't bother me when things happen and the outcome isn't what I expected, but in this instance there's no way this would happens. I know, I know it's fictional.

I received this book from Netgalley

This was the last book in the Ace Security series but can easily be read as a standalone. Sarah meets Cole when she looks to take self defense classes because she's creeped out by a man leaving cards and gifts at her home after being told no. Cole is co-owner of a local gym. He is immediately attracted to Sarah and wants to help her. While it was a nice finish to the series, the plot--woman is stalked/kidnapped then saved by alpha male-- seemed a bit repetitive after the other books. This was more of an insta love story. Sarah was super nice--almost too nice. It was hard to believe she hadn't cultivated any friendships by age 30. However, it was nice to see her grow over the course of the story. Cole was a possessive alpha male. I'm not a big fan of the repeated "you're mine!" line. He is serious about protecting her though.

This book was 3 stars for me. I did like that it completed the series and included an epilogue featuring all the previous couples.

Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake Publishing for an advance ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t know if I can tell you how much I enjoyed this book, but I am going to try. Sarah Butler is afraid. Someone has been delivering cards, letters and now gifts to her home. She finds out that the son of her former patient is her stalker and is referred to Rock Hard Gym and owner Cole Johnson for self defense lessons. When Cole meets Sarah, he knows he has met his fate. Sarah is a wonderful, positive character even though life has not always dealt her the “best of hands”. Cole is friends with the men from Ace Security and his desire to keep Sarah safe will be his priority. As they begin to fall in love and danger continues to follow Sarah, can Cole keep her safe? Sarah gains strength from Cole while Cole begins to see the positive side of life from her. Wonderful story and character with updates on previous Ace Security characters. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

I am so happy Cole got his own book! I loved everything about this book from beginning to end. What a wonderful way to wrap up this series. Susan Stoker is a master at romantic suspense giving me everything I could possibly want in a story. Cole is an amazing and protective hero, not to mention sexy, and everything Sarah needs in her life whether she knew it or not. And Sarah is just perfect for him too in so many ways. I love them together! When Sarah seeks out help for self defense lessons because of a stalker she is not sure how to take at this point, she finds herself absorbed into an amazing group of men and women who want nothing but to help her feel safe and start living her life again. Cole and Sarah both fit in so well with the Ace Security family and I was happy to get more of them in this story as well.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.

After receiving letters and gifts from a man who won't take no for an answer Sarah goes looking for help and she gets it in the form of Cole. Owner of a gym who starts by helping her with self defense but falls for her quickly and helps her in anyway possible. What I liked in this book is that while it is definitely an insta-love story it was done so well. Neither character was perfect and weren't expected to be. Great characters, easy to read love story to kept me entertained throughout.

This book tells of a beautiful love at first sight. A loving all good heroine and an all bad guy who helps her with her stalker.. However we do learn that they are not quite as good and bad as they seem.

The story also covers a grown man with learning disabilities who has been told by his dying mother that he needs someone like the perfect Sarah to look after him w hen she dies. I felt that this part of the story was quite touching.

Although I felt the novel was quite samey to other books in the genre I did enjoy reading it.

I was given the book by Netgalley and the publisher. This is my voluntary review.

Another super fantastic book by Susan Stoker. Her signature alpha man and a woman in need. Loved the story and all the twists it took.

4 Star Review of Claiming Sarah (Ace Security #5) by Susan Stoker
When Sarah Butler starts receiving unwanted gifts and letters she goes to the police who dismiss her concerns about a stalker. So she goes to Ace Security who recommend she takes self defence lessons at the Rock Hard Gym with Cole Johnson.
I didn’t realize going into Claiming Sarah that it is the final book in the series and there were times that I was a little lost as to what had transpired in the previous books; however despite this I did enjoy this story.
As with other books I have read from Susan Stoker, this one was well written and the characters were strong. Cole is definitely an alpha, protective man who will do whatever it takes for the woman who captures his heart, Sarah.
The attraction and chemistry between Cole and Sarah is almost off the charts as Cole struggles to teach Sarah and protect her from her unwanted admirer. Will danger pull these two apart or will Cole and the team from Ace Security be able to save Sarah in time?
Claiming Sarah is a steamy story with suspense, drama and some humour which was an enjoyable read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley

I would love to be more like Sarah. Sarah is a kind, warm, forgiving and generous type of woman. She sees the good in people and likes to think that things will work out. However after receiving scary notes and gifts she is beginning to fear for her safety. She makes a call that will change her life.

Cole is a man who owns a gym and while he likes to watch people better themselves however the first meeting with Sarah doesn't go as planned and he is forced to fix it immediately. How Sarah responds to Cole interests him and he is smitten.

This book was suspenseful in a very different way. It doesn't take long to both Sarah, Cole and us as the reader to find out who the stalker is. However, its the unknown of if/when he will strike that makes this book different. In most books, they are just a faceless, nameless person but in this book they are front and center.

The compassion that Sarah feels for the people around her is amazing. There is a section in the book that talks about how Sarah and Cole complement each other. Sarah sees the light where Cole sees more dark and because of this they are both protected.

I have really enjoyed this series. I also liked when the guys showed up from the previous books and we get a "where are they now" type of scene.

Cole was way more than I was expecting. I never really got the feel of him as a side character in the other books in the series. I ended up liking him a lot. He was protective and really went after Sarah when he realized she was it for him. I love it when a man knows what he wants and goes for it.

You can't hate Sarah's character. Talk about one of the nicest heroines. I really loved the message her character brought. She hasn't exactly had the easiest life but her adoptive dad's raised her right. Who better to know how to handle hate than gay men who adopted a little girl. They taught her to always fight with kindness. It sounds cheesy but the author showed examples of this behavior in the story and I have to say, it takes a strong character to truly live that way. I want to be more like Sarah.

I've really enjoyed this series. The first book in the series is what introduced me to Susan Stoker and I am happy to have found another author I truly enjoy.

It grabbed my attention and focus so strong I could not put it down. Susan Stoker weaves an intriguing and drama filled contemporary romance with Claiming Sarah, filled with entertaining and colourful characters!! It’s that kinda story that pulls you in and doesn’t let you go. You end each chapter eager to start the next and are sorry when the last chapter ends!! So of course I had to keep flipping the pages late into the night!! You can’t help but love this story!! This is a keeper....get it...read it....love it!! Happy reading!!

I wasn't sure I was going to like this book when I began reading it. The instant attraction between the characters had me thinking it was going to be a boring, cutesy read.
I ended up really enjoying this novel. It was refreshing to have two characters get along so well with out all the relationship drama. There is some suspense and my favorite, a happily ever after ending.Thank You NetGalley and thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read this novel early.

With an exceedingly protective alpha hero who falls fast and hard, this suspenseful book is fast-paced in all regards. Interesting and immersive writing makes the pages fly by, meaning fans of the series (or those reading this as a standalone) will get caught up in the story. Claiming Sarah follows the titular character, a nursing assistant who tries to see the good in the world. She’s been receiving unwanted gifts from an unstable man, leaving her feeling vulnerable. Sarah begins taking self defense classes from Cole, a tattooed, rugged gym owner, and the two share an instant attraction. Cole takes on the role of protector, helping Sarah feel secure and loved.

There’s a lot to like about the book - the writing is great and both characters are easy to root for. I loved that Cole was such a good guy, falling for Sarah so fast it shocked me. If anything, it’s his intensity that’s the book’s biggest weakness. I love a good alpha hero, but he stepped it up another level and came on reeeeeal strong. That being said, they have a sweet and sexy connection that’s hard to deny - I just wish things hadn’t escalated so quickly. Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Both fans and new readers will find this to be a satisfying conclusion to the series.

Sarah Butler's first impression of Cole Johnson is less than flattering. Accidentally overhearing a conversation he's having with someone else about Sarah, she takes off out of his gym deciding she doesn't need his help. Realizing what happened Cole chases her down to apologize, lucky for him Sarah is kind, forgiving and gives him a second chance. After all, she really does need self defense classes since she has a stalker. Feeling like Cole is the only one who's taking her seriously, they enlist the help of Ace Security. The bad news is, the situation is as serious as they thought.

Cole certainly didn't waste anytime locking Sarah down, the plot moved quickly as did the characters feelings for each other, if you like insta-love, this book is for you. It's what I like to call a Hallmark suspense, yes it had a suspense to it, but it wasn't overly stressful like some can be. I did feel sad for Sarah and how she felt completely alone after her dads passing. There was a small twist that I didn't see coming but I feel like I should have, maybe I was too distracted by Cole sharing his all feelings, that would be a really nice real life trait. I have to admit I was concerned about what was going to happen to Owen. This book brought up a great point, about people falling through the cracks in the system if the guardian hasn't planned for their future. If you haven't read the others in the series first, you may feel a little lost in all of the other backstories, however, this book was really strictly about Cole and Sarah.

When you read a Susan Stoker book you expect an alpha male to find his forever love. She will be vulnerable but have an unwavering strength which inspires him to be a better man. Claiming Sarah has all of these components but with a twist. Sarah's compassion under dire circumstances is something to be admired. I don't want to spoil the ending but Cole received an angel when he connected with her. This is one of my favorite Susan Stoker books and I've read over thirty of them.

A little spoiler in this review.
Sarah refers to herself as "just Sarah" in the beginning. To Come there is no such thing as "just" when it came to Sarah. I'm pretty sure it was love at first sight for Cole.
I kept thinking "shame on Owen's mother". She knew that she was dying and did not have a plan in place for her son. You need to have a plan and a back-up plan when you have a child with special needs. Other than that, I liked Owen and Sarah's book.

I love this story.. It was sweet and tough all at the same time. Cole was instantly in love with Sarah and wanted to protect her from the situation she was in. Even when things went sideways they never gave up on each other. I loved how he was tough and tender and just a dog gone good hero. Sarah was sweet and cared deeply about people. I found her a little naive at times and I think they could have reassured each other a little less but absolutely loved this 5 star story. Even though it was the last in the series it is completely stand alone.. This is one you won't want to put down so get ready for an all night read!

Sarah Butler is angry and uneasy because of the gifts she keeps getting from a man she barely knows. After getting no help after reporting these incidents to the police she seeks help from Ace security. Logan Anderson recommends that she go for self-defense lessons at Rock Hard Gym with hands-on instructor Cole Johnson. Her first encounter with Cole leaves her unimpressed.

Once Cole makes amends to Sarah for his abruptness he knows he is the right one to help her with self-defense training. Talking with Sarah Cole is positive that her instincts about her stalker are correct. There is a strong attraction between them that neither tries to deny. And when Sarah's worst fears become a reality and she disappears Cole does everything within his powers to keep his promise and find her. With the help of Ace Security he lets nothing get in his way of finding the woman he loves.

This looks like it's the final novel for this series. Would love to see another spin-off or a continuation.

I have to say that Cole and Sarah's story happens to be my favorite in the entire series so far. They all have been great but this one was just better. This author does such a phenomenal job in her storytelling. You have the developing Romance, the suspense that keeps you at the edge of your seat trying to figure out what's going to happen next, and then the delight of revisiting with the characters from the previous three stories. In my mind that keeps the reader always wanting more from the author towards the next book in the series.