Four years since publication, can you believe it? My apologies for not getting to this earlier — time makes fools of us all, and here we are.

Longtime followers and friends of mine know that I may not be a top romance reader, but I can’t help but include a holiday romance each year. Particularly one heavy on the steamy Christmas love story! This year I read Sergeant’s Christmas Siege which had everything—Christmas, romance, steam, danger, intrigue. It was full of the romance giggles I get when things make me blush. A delightful Christmas romance to make you forget any woes the holidays bring you!

Kate Holiday is one of the top state troopers in Alaska and is waiting ad a café for someone from Alaska Force to meet with her. She has been sent to investigate a group of former commando soldiers in Grizzly Harbor. Kate’s childhood was not easy—she escaped a family that was heavily enmeshed with a cult. As a teenager, Kate was the one who had to turn her family into authorities and break up the cult, leaving Kate alone.

Templeton Cross is assigned to meet Kate at the café that day, and the meeting starts poorly. Templeton wants to explain to Kate that they are hired to help people, but Kate doesn’t believe him. She picks up on his flirtatious banter and insists they return to headquarters. But when Kate’s plane is blown up, everything changes. As Kate learns to rely on Templeton to save her, feelings begin to develop between the two. People from her past surface, and Kate realizes she needs to trust Templeton if she wants to survive.

Templeton is an all time character. Like with any good romance, he is very attractive. But since this is a book and I can’t see him, I have to say what I really found attractive was his personality. How could any of us (let alone Kate) not fall in love with Templeton? This was definitely an action-packed, unique story that kept me interested. I liked that it was heavier on the action plot than the romance, but the romance was well-crafted and enjoyable.

A great addition to my holiday romance collection!

Kate Holiday is an Alaska State Trooper - a trooper's trooper if the truth be known. Escaping from her family's abusive cult at the age of 15, Kate has built a successful life for herself. She's a workaholic, especially when cults are an issue.

Templeton Cross is a former army ranger. He's joined with a few other special operators to form Alaska Force, a small private force providing assistance when other sources fail.

When Alaska Force is implicated in some explosive arson cases, Trooper Holiday is sent to investigate. When a dead body is discovered aboard her plane, the case becomes personal.

Kate's father and some family members are serving life in prison based on her testimony, but others have served their terms and others were never charged in the cult's crimes. Could they be the source of the fires?

I highly recommend this title to anyone who loves strong heroes and romance. Due to graphic romance however, this title is unsuitable for younger readers.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a free digital copy of this title to review from Net Galley.

#ASergeant'sChristmasSeige#NetGalley

Book three in the Alaska Force series and this one deals with Alaskan State Trooper Kate Holiday. I enjoyed the sparks between Kate and Templeton, and I also enjoyed the story line too. I did wish the romance wasn't so slow to develop, but it did get interesting at times. Throw in a little mystery and suspense and you have an enjoyable read.

It was nice to be back in Alaska with SERGEANT’S CHRISTMAS SIEGE, the third book in the ALASKA FORCE series. I hope there will be more.

Although the book is set at Christmas, there doesn’t seem to be anyone too excited to celebrate it. This is Kate and Templeton’s story, and they are two professionals…until they let their guard down.

She’s an Alaska State Trooper who likes to bring down cults due to her upbringing. It’s a little scary meeting up with some of her family members since she’s definitely estranged from them, and for good reason. Kate meets Templeton when she’s in Grizzly Harbor to look into the group called Alaska Force, of which he’s a member. There have been some unexplained crimes in the area. They don’t hit it off when they first meet, though they are more alike than they think.

There seems to be danger around every corner along with the sizzling attraction between Kate and Templeton. The reader will be reunited with characters they’ve met in previous books. The author’s scenic descriptions are spot on, and the characters are well developed. The suspense is well done, as Kate and Templeton, along with members of Alaska Force, try to figure out who is really behind all the crimes being committed.

The pacing made the pages fly by, and the ending tied up everything while managing to take me by surprise. I hope there will be more books in the series since there seems to be more story to tell.

I’ve read and enjoyed books written by Ms Crane and Caitlin Crews, another name Ms. Crane writes under. I look forward to reading whatever either of them write next!

Megan Crane’s Sergeant’s Christmas Siege is the second Alaska Force romance I’ve read, nabbing this second one after loving the first, Sniper’s Pride. (Let me take a moment to say that I missed out on the actual first in the series, Seal’s Honor. My reading order is not the series order if you’re keen to check them out.) In comparing the two, I would say that Christmas Siege was heavier on suspense than rom and I definitely enjoyed Sniper’s romance more. But Crane sure can write and, therefore, it’s always pleasurable to follow her protagonists’ journey. In this case, with a hero and heroine consistently, relentless verbally sparring, a dearth of tender moments, made for a romance that could’ve used some ramping up. Alaskan state trooper and investigator, Kate Holiday, arrives at Grizzly Harbor, where Alaska Force runs its save-the-vulnerable operations. Kate suspects they’re a paramilitary group with nefarious purposes, only one of which is to upstage conventional law enforcement, such as her own outfit.

To understand Kate’s antipathy towards Alaska Force, her iciness, suspicions, the reader has to understand her childhood. For the first 18 years of her life, Kate was at the cruel whim of her survivalist parents. The reader also has to understand how Kate escaped from them, testified against them, and made law enforcement against groups similar theirs her life’s mission. Kate’s childhood and her adult confrontation of her family make for the brunt of the novel.

When cooled, collected, lethal Kate arrives in Grizzly Harbor, Alaska Force’s commander, Isaac Gentry, sends his biggest, most lethal, and lethally charming “soldier” to meet with her, the Mississippi-drawling sweet-talker, Templeton Cross. It isn’t long, however, before a body left in Kate’s hydro-plane sees Templeton convince her that Alaska Force is neither to be suspected, or feared. They’re being framed and it might just be that her family, even from jail, may have more to do with any danger to her, or their state than Isaac, Templeton, or the rest of Alaska Force’s men and women.

The strength of Crane’s latest Alaska Force novel lies in her evocation of the Alaskan landscape and weather. I particularly loved her descriptions of Templeton and Kate’s airborne journeys, as well as their early-morning runs. The runs were full of verbal sparring. This “banter” could be entertaining at times, but Kate has such a chip on her shoulder and Templeton is such a laid-back, grinning behemoth that I had a hard time warming up to them. There isn’t a moment when Kate doesn’t let up her antagonism. Except in the bed-sport, of which there isn’t much (which was a wise choice on Crane’s part, given her leads) and then, Kate spends a lot of time regretting it. There’s tons of mental lusting, though, if you enjoy that. Templeton drawls and charms; Kate snaps and confronts. The three-year-long HEA comes whiplash fast in some ways and too slow in others, as we’re told about a lengthy long-distance thing. I can’t say I warmed to Sergeant’s Christmas Wish as much as I loved Sniper’s Pride, but I do enjoy the ambiance of the series overall. I’m also super-curious to see what Crane will do with her next hero, the enigmatic Alaska Force leader, Isaac Gentry, and the curmudgeonly Grizzly-Harbor café-and-diner owner, Caradine Scott. I’ll definitely be back for the next installment and hope my romance sweet-tooth is satisfied. Sergeant’s Christmas Siege, with Miss Austen’s help, is “almost pretty,” Northanger Abbey.

Megan Crane’s Sergeant’s Christmas Wish is published by Jove Berkley. It was released in October 2019 and may be found at your preferred vendor, along with the previous two in the series. I received an e-galley from Jove Berkley, via Netgalley.

In this Alaska Force novel, we see that those bands of brothers we love here in Romancelandia don’t always get away with their off-the-books ops. Even though they’re the good guys, there are consequences to things blowing up.

Kate is an Alaska State Trooper who barely survived growing up in a cult and then escaping at age 12. She’s very by the book, and she is very good at knowing the difference between people who just want to live off the grid, and people who live off the grid to hide from the law. So it’s no surprise she’s sent in to check out the group made up of former military personnel and to figure out why so many things keep exploding around them.

Templeton is sent in to charm the state trooper who is going to be investigating him. His job is to show her that they’re just a bunch of aw shucks ma’am do-gooders. Which to be fair is mostly true. But Kate sees through his relaxed southern charm persona right through to the Special Forces soldier beneath. And Templeton loves that about her.

Kate is prickly, seems uptight, but really she’s controlled. No grey areas, black and white only. Templeton loves her all the more. But he needs to show her that life is full of grey areas, and Alaska Force operates in one.

But in the mean time, all of the events that attracted the troopers’ attention and focused in on Alaska Force, may have been a distraction for something bigger. Something that has very little to do with Alaska Force and everything to do with Kate.

This book had very little about Templeton. It’s all about Kate, which was mostly okay, it worked…until the ending. Each of these books so far has had a major family element, both found and blood. And the family reunion at the end could have used a bit of backstory. So much focused on everything else happening in the story, that there wasn’t enough in my opinion.

That being said, I love this series, and I enjoyed Kate and her prickly self. I also like that even though she loosened up a bit in the end, she never really lost that sense of self that she maintained throughout the book. I think that’s important since it was such a huge part of who she was.

This is a series that I enjoy and look forward to with each release.

***ARC courtesy of Berkley Romance via Netgalley

Brought to you by OBS reviewer jerjen

Kate has been sent to Grizzly Harbor to learn all she can about a group of off-the-radar soldiers. She is to go and try to figure out if they have been behind a series of crimes, and if so, bring them in for justice. Templeton is good at keeping secrets and charming his way out of anything. He is loyal to his group and will not let Kate destroy his group. What follows is a head on collision of two people that can not afford to lose.

The characters are well developed, well rounded and three dimensional. Kate and Templeton are intense, serious, take-no-nonsense people. Kate is a by-the-book state trooper and Templeton is more of a take-things-as-they-come person. But people should not let that attitude fool them. Kate has had a very bad upbringing, being raised by a cult. Both have a lot of baggage and things that they would rather not remember. Both of them are damaged and they both feel that they cannot be happy, nor do they deserve to be happy. Slowly they start breaking down walls learn to trust again. I really enjoyed the bickering and banter between the two.

The author is very talented in creating suspense with just the written word. There were a lot of twists and turns that had me changing my mind a few times. There was a lot of action going on within the pages of this book and it was fast paced, which I enjoyed.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted women’s contemporary. And if you are looking for an action filled Christmas read, you should like this one.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

***Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
A sold romantic suspense, especially during Christmastime.

Excellent romantic suspense - thrilling pacing, ruthless bad guys (my fave!) and cranky heroines. I love the twist, normally we get grumpy heroes and sunshine heroines, this one flipped that trope on its ear and I'm here for it! Fun read, loved it!

This book was listed in my Christmas themed round-up on Frolic back in December.

I have been waiting for Templeton’s book since this series started and Crane does not disappoint. Kate is the perfect counterpoint for the charming former Army Ranger. Templeton and his Trooper are the perfect Christmas read, or anytime read if you are looking for solid romantic suspense.

Holiday-themed romantic suspense…

Christmas is a time for family, which is why Kate has been hiding from the holiday for years. Given her history it is no wonder she’d rather work than face her memories. A string of ‘accidents’ has brought her to Alaska Force and the men and women who may or may not be the enemy…. Templeton’s warm personality and carefree façade fooled everyone he met, as he hid his intelligence and very serious commitment to his team. To his family…

I loved the sparks between these two as they wittily bantered, sparred and bickered while investigating yet another deadly incident. Kate refused to believe he was one of the good guys and he was going to convince her otherwise. Whether teasing or protecting her, he was the one person she never saw coming….

Life in Alaska was not for the faint of heart and they weren’t the only ones hiding things. Rocked by one shocking discovery after another, Kate was forced to meet her past head on even when it was the last thing she ever wanted to do. Luckily, she had Templeton at her side and her back…

The story was emotional, suspenseful and kept me guessing until the end…. Another great addition to the series!

I really enjoyed this Alaskan set romantic suspense novel! Though books with a cult theme aren't my favorite, there isn't too much time spent dwelling on what Kate went through as a child, and I found the mystery of what was happening in Grizzly Harbour with Alaska Force an interesting one that kept me guessing while events unfolded. Kate and Templeton are both characters who are wary of trusting strangers and the evolution of their romance is a believable one. I enjoyed the camaraderie between the Alaska Force veterans too. It's a solid addition to the series.

Ok, I was not really a fan of Kate. She was too serious and refused to think outside black and white. On the other hand, I absolutely loved Templeton! He was rugged and seriously sexy. The story was really interesting and Kate’s history were fascinating. It took me awhile to get past her personality, but when I did the story was awesome. All the action and adventure that Kate and Templeton get up to kept me thoroughly engrossed. The high impact conclusion was wonderfully written and quite shocking. This book was definitely worth the read.

She’s a straight-arrow, by-the-rules Alaskan State trooper so Kate Holiday’s objective when it comes to investigating a local band of secretive commandos in remote Grizzly Harbor is clear – disband Alaska Force and arrest them, but she didn’t count on the diabolical temptation of Templeton Cross. He’s always been good at keeping his game face on and his emotions hidden, but working with Kate brings memories of losses, Templeton prefers to keep locked up tight. With pressure mounting and Christmas drawing closer, it’s a given that someone is going to get hurt.

This ‘Alaska Force’ romance is a slow burn romance that requires a lot of hard work as both parties are determined not to give in to their emotions, the electrical chemistry or the heat building up between them, but it seems the more they fight it, the harder they will fall. These strong, vibrant characters captures hearts and provides a delightfully entertaining courtship that makes readers chuckle. Lots of emotions – not matter how much the hero and heroine try to keep them locked down – flow the pages as Templeton and Kate try to uncover who is behind some mysterious incidents that surround the Alaska Force.

The plot is fast paced and full exciting events and snaky commentary that builds thrilling suspense and adrenaline pumping excitement through the story which keeps readers on the edge of their seat from beginning to end. Some ‘What the… twists and turns keeps readers guessing and a hero that spends his time trying to convince his careful, wary trooper that there is more to the holidays makes readers hold on tight to this intense, satisfying and entertaining holiday read.

I came into Sergeant's Christmas Siege looking for the Die Hard of Christmas romances. And it delivers that, almost to a fault. It's mostly suspense, and light on the romance (even by slow burn standards). That said, Alaska State Trooper Kate Holiday is one of the more interesting romance heroines I've read lately. She's unusual in that she starts and ends the book in basically the same place emotionally: all business. I laughed out loud when she said, "I saved myself. Again." It's refreshing that for once it wasn't the love of a man that showed a woman the light.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Review: SERGEANT’S CHRISTMAS SIEGE (An Alaska Force Novel) by Megan Crane https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-biD
Publication Date: October 29, 2019
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated 4.5 Stars

At first, I wasn’t sure if I would like Kate. She came across as a bit of a bitch with too much rambling about how she felt about groups of men in Alaska. But the author gave enough insight into her thoughts, and enough outward glimpses of her vulnerability to Templeton, that I understood his attraction to her. They fit rather well together and managed to break down each other’s relationship barriers in a smooth believable manner.

The story was also one that kept me glued to the pages. It wasn’t an action-packed-shoot-em-up, nor was it just a boring investigation. It was a riveting combination of the two, leading to an exciting climax. I enjoyed this installment and can only hope that Isaac is the next Alaska Force member in the crosshairs.

*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

Kindle https://amzn.to/2BzN4KO

Who doesn’t like Alaska in the winter? Most people, probably. But there are a select few who like to live off the grid, and don’t want to be bothered with other people’s business. Megan Crane gives readers a taste of Alaska and a taste for the rugged men of Alaska Force with the third novel in the series, The Sergeant’s Christmas Siege. Full of heart pounding suspense and plenty of intrigue readers will find this one hard to put down.

What I liked:

As with the other books in this series Crane proves that she clearly knows how to write about powerful men who are not willing to accept defeat. The men of Alaska Force are former military men who know a lot about brotherhood and loyalty. Templeton Cross may seem like a smooth talking charmer but he is not a man to be messed with. I loved his rugged exterior and his inner humor. He was a lead character that exuded self confidence and never let that get in the way of his vulnerability. Templeton’s relationship with Alaska Trooper Kate Holiday starts out rocky but gives off some sparks right from the beginning. Crane definitely knows how to write a good leading man.

I loved the Alaska setting and Crane makes her story that much more authentic with her descriptions of the landscape and the people who choose to live in this remote corner of the world. Alaska takes on its own character and nuances in this book and readers will find it captivating even if they don’t want to brave the winter months there.

One of the best parts of this book for me was the non stop action and the mystery that surrounded what was happening. Kate believes Alaska Force to be some kind of fringe survivalist group or maybe even a cult. Her past experience with that kind of lifestyle was nothing less than fascinating. It certainly takes family drama to new lengths and provided a perfect backdrop to the current situation Alaska Force finds themselves in. Crane’s depiction of life after a traumatic childhood was brilliant!

What I didn’t like:

This one was heavy on the suspense and a little light on the romance. There are a couple of hot scenes but it seemed to me that it took a long time getting there. Kate and Templeton are obviously attracted to each but this one was a real slow burn. Kate just couldn’t seem to put down her job long enough to let her heart soften. Predictable because of her past but a little disappointing for such a good man, like Templeton. It was still iffy to me in the end if they would really survive.

When you see the title of the book and the cover you expect a little Christmas cheer. Not so much with this one. Though it was set during the holidays that’s about all you get as far as a Christmas romance.

Bottom Line:

I liked this one a lot for the suspense and intrigue but it lacked a little as far as romance goes. If you are a reader who enjoys a good Christmas read this might not be it, but if it’s a great leading man and plenty of suspense that gets your motor running this one has you covered.

A by the book Alaskan state trooper and a maverick ex-special forces thrill seeker! not exactly a match made in heaven or is it? Ms, Crane delivers a story that checks all my boxes with its wonderful blend of thrilling suspense, passion and strong emotions. Grizzly Harbor, Alaska and it's Alaska Force residents are to be a great destination this winter.
Kate is dispatched to Grizzly Harbor to check out the various reports of accidents and fires that seem to link back to the Alaska Force team. Templeton Cross is the one who's scheduled to meet with her and answer her questions. From the get go there are sparks as the two of them seem to hit it off on the wrong foot.
Two damaged individuals thrown together just in time for the holidays forge a strong bond as they fight against their very natures and yet team up to get to the bottom of the forces that have brought Kate to Grizzly Harbor. Could it be that it has nothing to do with the Alaska Force team and every thing to do with Kate's past.
Not only is their chemistry off the charts but what really got to me with this book is the deeply emotional center which the author plays like a well tuned instrument. I'm a fan of this perfect blend of action adventure and romance and wonder how come I have not read the author before Book 2 in this series. I loved all the moments with the couples from the earlier two books and the camaraderie of the team. I can't wait to see all the guys find their HEA.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Templeton and Kate’s suspenseful story in Sergeant’s Christmas Siege by Megan Crane, book three in her Alaska Force series. Alaskan State Trooper Kate Holiday has been sent to Grizzly Harbor over the holidays, Kate’s least favorite time of the year, assigned to investigate, disband and arrest Alaska Force. This is after a number of fires have popped up around the state, usually in storage units owned by Alaska Force, and some unexplained boat explosions. Former Army Ranger Templeton knows how to charm while hiding his emotions, especially in combat. From the start, Kate and Templeton rub each other wrong yet their magnetism and attraction is still strong. One could light the winter Alaskan skies with the electricity that arcs between them. Yet, there is so much more to this story than sexual attraction.

Kate is a product of her upbringing, never having interacted with anyone outside her family before fleeing their compound. She is a by-the-book State Trooper who only believes in good and bad, law followers and law breakers, things being black or white. She’s a very strong person, rigid and stand-offish; who others find difficult to warm up to. Templeton is perfect for her. He is able to make her laugh with his dark humor, pull out her vulnerability and hidden qualities while being respectful of her law enforcement abilities. He was also protective of her while not trying to overstep her authority or weaken her power. Kate and Templeton both carry a lot of emotional baggage; much of which is dealt with while dealing with the mystery and danger surrounding them on their journey to find the truth.

Ms. Crane wrote an intense, emotional and exciting romantic suspense that is not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with sexual chemistry, suspense, a dysfunctional family, heartfelt, and endearing characters giving Kate and Templeton a chance at love, happiness, and a future neither expected. The suspense element in this story kept me guessing and the vivid descriptions of the Alaskan winter was the perfect background for the events to play out. I highly recommend Sergeant’s Christmas Siege and I’m eagerly looking forward to the next book in the Alaska Force series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.