Once again, Megan Crane has crafted a romantic suspense novel that that kept me on the edge of my seat while also giving me the heart-tugging emotion my romantic heart desires. For you adrenaline junkies, don't worry, there's plenty of heart-clenching action, suspense, and danger in this one. But it's expertly balanced with an emotionally-satisfying relationship that is by no means a given. These two have a lot of issues to work through.

I loved the dynamic between Bethan and Jonas. Two kick-ass members of Alaska Force, they are, literally, lethal weapons. They are also complex people with a history that colors their current relationship, such as it is. Even though they're teammates, they are neither friends nor lovers. In fact, they (especially Jonas) avoid one another as much as possible. So what does Crane do to them? Why, she throws them into an undercover operation at Bethan's family wedding, posing as a couple, with national security at risk, of course. I mean, really, what could go wrong?

Special Ops Seduction is another page-turner that I did not want to put down. The suspense gets more intense with each chapter, eliciting gasps, hand wringing, and, at one point, actual begging to please allow the characters to find a way out of their predicament. As a counterpoint to that, we have the gradually changing romantic relationship between Jonas and Bethan as well as an individual growth arc for each of them. There is much healing that needs to occur before they can claim happiness together. I enjoyed the dichotomy between the highly trained soldier, ready to kill to protect their country and the soft, squishy, center they ultimately discover they each hold for the other. I also appreciated the fact that the author gave them the necessary time to reconcile these two halves of themselves. The secondary cast provide humor, tension, complex family relationships, and a truly evil villain with a diabolical plan...and an unexpected connection to our hero and heroine. Crane did an exceptional job of weaving the many, seemingly disparate, threads of this story into a compelling journey with breath-stealing and life-threatening surprises around every corner and I was there for every single bit of it.

I don't know what Megan Crane has planned next but, after reading the Alaska Force series, you can bet it will be on my must-buy list.

*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

Special Ops Seduction wowed me in a big way with some of my kryptonite: an ice cold hero who can barely engage with the heroine because of his *very* reluctant feelings for her; a nuanced, standout heroine who’s a physical powerhouse & the only female on her special ops team; fake dating (!) for the job; & a pivotal sex scene that’s an exquisite mix of steam & emotion.

I ate this one up with a spoon.

Bethan Wilcox is immensely capable. She’s worked very hard for her military & special ops accomplishments & while she loves what she does, she’s also drawn a thick line between how she comes across in public & her outrageously soft, cushy home.

If Bethan is secretly decadent, Jonas Crow is—to no one’s surprise—ascetic inside & out. He’s stoic to the extreme & afraid of having good feelings, especially when they’re sparked by Bethan.

Pretending to be a fake couple for an op really shakes them up in the best possible way.

Megan Crane really has her pulse on every emotion I wanted wrung from me with this one; when I say that this ending made me happy. Well. Jonas has denied himself for so long that when he finally reaches out I wanted to cheer. Or cry. Or both.

Sexy, thoughtful, & with leads I adored, this book is practically wrapped with a bow for all lovers of romantic suspense.


CWs:


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Chemical warfare plot line. Also, the hero almost dies before the story begins & he didn’t want to be saved. There are flashbacks.

5 ⭐️. Special Ops Seduction is available now. Thanks to Berkley Publishing & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC & to Berkley for inviting me to be part of the blog blitz. All opinions provided are my own.

Loved the intensity of this romance!

Bethan's battlefield encounter with Jonas years ago is the one thing Jonas wants to forget, despite the fact she is now working for the company he helped build. Then one mission happens to bisect with her military family, and the best approach to the mission is for her to attend her sister's wedding with Jonas along as her date.

I absolutely adored Bethan in this story. She's not afraid to tell Jonas exactly what she sees in his heart, yet there's no anger or animosity, just lots of patience and understanding. Let me tell you, this approach throws Jonas way off his game and he just doesn't know what to do with a woman who sees right through him.

The action and suspense are top-notch throughout the story, while the pacing beautifully alternates between the romance and mission danger. The last part of the book was so emotionally draining but I loved every bit of it, and nearly swooned at the HEA. This is exactly the kind of romantic suspense story I love to read, and I highly recommend it. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

I'm pretty new to Megan Crane's work, having only read a couple of books by her. Special Ops Seduction is included in that number, and reading the last book in this series is what brought me back to it. This one is a fake romance that's anything but. Jonas and Bethan have terrific chemistry and their feelings for each other come through loud and clear. There's also a good bit of suspense and excitement, and the way Crane balances it all out is impressive. Romantic suspense is one of my favorite romance tropes, but it can be tricky. Too much either way can shift the story, sometimes for the worse, but that's not a problem here at all. This 5th Alaska Force novel is a solid mix of romance, suspense, and danger with characters you genuinely want to root for.

My Review: I have been enjoying this series, I love the cast of characters and the found family/ band of brothers element. While I have been enjoying the series, they have been enjoyable but nothing that blows me out of the water until this book. Crane has been building the mystery around Jonas for the whole series and the tension with Bethan has been building as well, obviously it had implode at some point. I was a little frustrated that there was so much mystery and hush, hush surrounding their backstory but I am glad I was made to wait for it to be revealed. I loved the tension between Jonas and Bethan, then the forced proximity of the mission just intensified it. I have to admit, I fell hard for these characters and this was such a difficult book to read even though I knew where it had to end up as a romance book. I can't tell you how many times I was near tears, happy, frustrated, sad, painful tears on their behalf. I wish I could go back and savor this book again for the first time, it was that good.

My Rating: I knew I would enjoy this book but I just was not prepared for Jonas and Bethan! This book took me on such an emotional ride and I loved every minute of it. I give it a rating of Four Paws and a Stump Wag!

Special Ops Seduction is my first book from Megan Crane and her Alaska Force series. I had no problem reading this book before the previous ones but it did make insanely curious about all of the characters.

Bethan was an incredibly brave and strong heroine and I loved seeing how she interacted with her team, especially Jonas. She stayed stoic, never letting him see how he affected her when he was standoffish and sometimes just downright rude to her. But as readers we got to see that he did in fact push her buttons more than she let on and the tension that came from that was amazing. It had me rooting for them to finally give in to each other and for Jonas to stop being so stubborn when it came to her.

The mix of suspense and romance was done really well in my opinion and there was never a dull moment in this story. Jonas and Bethan made me fall for their characters easily and their connection was evident on every page which sucked me in. More than that the mystery of who they were after kept me intrigued and glued to my Kindle all night long and had me dying to find out how their story would end. Overall, this was a great book and one I highly recommend reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed Bethan and Jonas’ amazing story in Special Ops Seduction by Megan Crane, book five in her Alaska Force series. This story had me on the edge, lost within, and not putting it down, as I drank in each page. Alaska Force is not the first time Jonas and Bethan have worked together. Like all members, both had been in the military and first met after Bethan pulled an injured Jonas from the wreckage of an IED explosion. She provided cover and protected him until he could be extracted. You might think he would have been grateful, instead he acts hostile towards her; he doesn’t like that she saw him at one of his weakest points, so he keeps her at arm’s length. Now the two of them are forced to work together on a mission to uncover fatal secrets that end up being tied to their past. Working together, as a “fake” couple, heats up the attraction and chemistry between these two to at least sizzle level.

Bethan is an interesting character. She rebelled against her father, was one of the first women to make it through Army Ranger school, was strong and independent, yet was a girlie girl inside; having the inside of her cabin painted pink with frills. She has closed herself off, not allowing others to see this part of her. Since their first meeting, Bethan has cared about Jonas, feelings that have grown over time to an attraction that she works hard to hide. Jonas had an awful childhood and was never taught how to love; at least by example. He doesn’t need anyone in his life, let alone give in to the feelings and magnetism he has for Bethan. Jonas has always been good at saving the world but this time he needs to save Bethan; if she doesn’t save him first.

Ms. Crane wrote an intense, emotional and exciting romantic suspense filled with sizzling chemistry, magnetism, wonderful dialogue, and endearing characters that is not to be missed. This story grabbed me and did not let go until I reached the end. I highly recommend Special Ops Seduction to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

*4.5 stars*

Railing against love….

The Alaska Force series has become one of my favourite military-esque reads. Whether it is threats to themselves or their country, these brave men and women may prefer to be off the grid but they are always front of line when danger calls…

Jonas and Bethan had complicated history. With their families, with their own relationship. Both top of their fields, smart, strong and committed to duty, watching them skirt around each other with military precision was beyond entertaining. Was it as simple as man vs woman? Maybe. But it also wasn’t easy when Bethan forced Jonas, and herself, to dig through all the layers and find out what they were scared of.

Full of action and intrigue on an international scale, once again this tight-knit band of brothers (and sisters) in arms sorted it with humour, dedication and maybe some wine… So good!

Another exciting edition to the Alaska Force series. I wondered how the author would handle the surly Jonas, sure that Bethan would be up to the task…and she was. I like her. She’s strong and capable, an over-achiever in a “man’s world”, yet human and likeable. Too many times a woman is made out to be a bit witchy to show strength, Bethan held that line quite well. Although they made a great couple, I couldn’t understand her feelings for him until almost midway into the story. He was such an ass to her, and his reasons never made sense to me. Thankfully, his inner self showed through and made him worthy.
The suspenseful story was intriguing and provided some fun action. I completely enjoyed how their romance blossomed during their joint mission to her family home. That was my favorite part of the book and had me wondering quite a bit about the antagonist. I must admit that I never did figure out the bad guy’s motivation regarding Bethan and Jonas…but I enjoyed the read none-the-less.
One of my favorite aspects of this series, is the group dynamics of the Alaska Force Team. The camaraderie seems effortless and pulls me into them, caring about them, and wishing I were part of it all. It was a fun read, leaving me anxious for the next installment.

Jonas Crow joined Alaska Force after a military career that turned his already wounded soul even darker. Working former armed forces operatives, Jonas and the group take on difficult and dangerous missions around the world to protect, rescue, and defend those in dire straits. Jonas’s taciturn and dour nature have served to keep everyone at arm’s length especially the one woman who can get through his defenses. Bethan Wilcox saved Jonas’s life years before which is something he has never forgiven her for because Jonas does not want to be beholden or vulnerable to anyone. Since she joined Alaska Force, Jonas has done his utmost to pretend they have no history or connection.

Bethan grew up with an air force general for a father; she has spent most of her life rebelling against him while becoming one of the first women to make it through Army Ranger school. Her relationship with Jonas since joining the team has been continually prickly mostly because of Jonas’s hostile attitude. When their mission involves pretending to be a couple at a family event for Bethan’s sister, emotions break loose on both sides. Someone attending the party has a deadly and disastrous plan that will cause major world havoc if this person is not stopped.

For Bethan especially, being back in her family mansion and dealing with that drama plus her feelings for Jonas is quite an emotional ride. The festivities prove quite a challenge taking her from purely work mode to figuring out the dynamics not only with her kin, but Jonas as well. Jonas believes he neither deserves nor can have anything but his job. This mission takes them on a journey far beyond the logistics of preventing a horrific terrorist style incident. Book five in the Alaska Force series, this story has all the intense action and dire situations expected as well as Jonas and Bethan’s developing attraction, equally resisted on both sides, and quite complicated relationship.

Special Ops Seduction is the fifth novel in Megan Crane's Alaska Force series, it's the fourth book in the series I've read, and in this reader's opinion, it's the best novel in the series to date, and it gets a 5-star rating.

My complaints about the unlikable heroine's in books #3 and #4 don't apply here--I simply loved Bethan, the oldest daughter of a 4-star Air Force General, from a very wealthy family, but one who never seemed to fit into the niche her family expected. Instead, she joined the army, eventually becoming the first woman to successfully complete brutal Army Ranger training. After a mission gone horribly wrong, she managed to save the life of the only person to survive the attack on the convoy--a badly wounded Jonas Crow, whom we've met briefly in the earlier novels, and Bethan managed to keep him alive and safe until rescue arrived the next day.

Bethan applied to and was eventually accepted as a member of Alaska Force, and was surprised to discover that Jonas was already a member of the team. He sent her away as soon as he arrived at a hospital after their rescue. To say he wasn't happy to see her is putting it mildly, and he's been avoiding her and giving her the cold shoulder ever since. Bethan assumes that Jonas didn't take being rescued by a woman well, and that he can't seem to get past it, so she puts on a brave face and does her best to avoid him whenever possible. Sadly, she's strongly attracted to the taciturn man, but manages to keep it to herself, at least until Jonas volunteers to escort Bethan to her sister's wedding, as her date, since she's the maid of honor.

I've been craving more character development in the previous couple of Alaska Forced novels, and we get it in spades in this one. We learn why Jonas is as uptight and closed-off in detail, and his life before joining the military is the exact opposite of the life of privilege and elegance Bethan was born into, and the week he spends among her family, seeing their wealth, their amazing home which looks more like a luxury resort hotel, and spending time pretending to be Bethan's boyfriend forces him to be closer to Bethan than he's been in all the years since she saved his life, and his walls of resistance to her start to crumble.

In addition to the wedding festivities, other members of Alaska Force are involved in covertly studying some of the guests, since not all of them are quite what they appear to be, and what they, Bethan and Jonas soon uncover about one of the guests sets them off on as deadly and dangerous a mission as the team has yet become involved in, and when the action heats up (outside of Bethan's bedroom, that is), this novel becomes one heck of a thrilling action and suspense novel that was impossible to put down, which is why I'm writing this review at 6:00 a.m., having just finished reading it.

The life and death race to the finish of this novel was a complete mind-blower for this reader, and there was no way I could simply fall asleep with all of it (including the HEA ending) still spinning in my head--so be forewarned, this is not a novel you will soon forget, nor will you soon forget two of the most memorable characters in this series. Bravo, Megan Crane, you knocked this one right out of the park!

I voluntarily requested an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

Opposites attract and that's definitely true here. Jonas Crow is a special forces operator but he's been shaped into a weapon way before he set his foot into the army. Bethan on the other hand is a true princess, daughter to a 4 star general brought up on a beautiful estate in Santa Barbara. Regardless of her upbringing, Bethan is one of the first women to go through ranger school and is a special operator who competes as an equal with the other men on the Alaska Force team.  She also has the dubious honor of having once saved Jonas's life which seems to be the reason why he hates her and keeps his distance. Then they're teamed together on an operation that takes them to her own backyard.
Bethan feels like she has to compete all the time and therefore hides her softness and femininity from her male teammates but also from the wives and girlfriends who are fast becoming her own inner circle. However all bets are off when she's on home ground as matron of honor at her sister's wedding and dressing like a princess in soft flowing gowns and fancy shoes. Jonas Crow while still keeping her on a pedestal is floored by his lust and other softer emotions she raises in him.
The stakes however are high. They are at her sister's wedding in search of a traitor who has kidnapped a scientist with the formula for a deadly strain of anthrax. A scientist that they once rescued and lost again. Bethany is haunted by a promise that she made to the scientist's sister promising safety. It's bad enough that they can't find the scientist but then they find that there may be personal elements to play that go back to the pivotal event when Bethan saved Jonas.  Someone sure has a hard on for them amongst other things.
Can they run down the clock, rescue the scientist, save themselves and bag the bad guys. Settle in for a wonderful thrill ride and see how it all comes together. This series has been superb. Each story has been that perfect bead on a string of pearls. If my vote counts I certainly hope we're not done with the Alaska Force team even though the key people have found their HEAs.

A very excellent romantic suspense, particularly re: the enemies to lovers/hero doesn’t have feelings tension going on. Overall this series has been a success for me!

First off I want to say huge  thank you to the publisher Berkley Publishing Group , the author Megan Crane , and to NetGalley for inviting me to join the blog tour for this book as well as letting me read and review it. As soon as I saw the invite to this I had to say yes, because its part of one of my favorite suspense romance series, so far of this series thanks to the publishers I've read and loved books 1 (SEAL's Honor ) and book 4 ( Delta Force Defender) and i know that this one was going to be just as good, because we once again get to go back to the small town of Grizzly Harbor and get to revisit
with Alaska Force to see what their getting into . Other thing I loved was this time around we got Jonas's story and his forever happiness with his love interest Bethan .What else can I say other than it was exciting, intense, suspenseful .

Special Ops Seduction by Megan Crane is the 5th book in her wonderful Alaska Force series. I have read every book in this series, and each book has been equally good, with wonderful couples. In Special Ops Seduction, we meet our heroine, Bethan, as she is part of the Alaska Force team sent on a mission to rescue a scientist and his sister.

Bethan Wilcox is a former Delta Force soldier, and the first woman to complete Army Ranger training. Years ago, Bethan saved a soldier’s life, on one of the Delta Force missions. After she finished her Army Ranger training, she applied and was accepted to become part of the elite Alaska Force Ops team; as Bethan was tough, and equally as good as her fellow male teammates. Her only problem was that Jonas, one of the three original men who started Alaska Force, treats her with disdain.

Jonas Crow, our hero, is a loner, and even his teammates wonder why he is so cold and ungiving to Bethan. We do learn later, that Jonas was the man Bethan saved in Afghanistan, and he does not like that she is the only one who knows about her saving his life, which he can’t cope with; even though Bethan keeps that secret from his past. I will say early on I was not a fan of Jonas, as he was so nasty with her.

After the rescue of the scientist and his sister, they place them in a safe house, which in a short time, they are missing. Isaac pulls the team together to come up with a plan, and it turns out that many of the top generals will be in attendance at Bethan’s sister’s wedding. Her father is a General, who did not approve of her joining the army. She agrees to bring one of the team undercover as her boyfriend, and is shocked when Jonas offers to go undercover.

What follows is an exciting, intense, intriguing and suspenseful adventure, that had us holding our breaths, and a couple that we rooted hard for. Spending a week at her family home, with Jonas was a game changer. Jonas plays the part of her boyfriend, completely different than his normal silent self, and a slow built romance begins; and they became a great team. It was great to watch Jonas’ heart open up and slowly melt. At this point I started to like him and also feel sorry for his past; Bethan was the perfect woman for him. The secondary characters of this series are awesome, as we do get to see all of our previous heroes. There were a couple of surprises, especially when Bethan recognizes who the real culprit is.

Special Ops Seduction was very well written by Megan Crane. The last 1/3 of the books was very exciting and tense as both Jonas and Bethan were in dangerous life-threatening situations, as we raced to the climax. To say too much more would be spoilers, and ruin it for you. If you enjoy romance, suspense, action packed excitement, a great couple, then you need to read this series. Each book in this series can be read as a standalone, but to get to know all the wonderful characters, I suggest you start with the first book in this series.

Bethan Wilcox, one of the first women to make it through Army Ranger school and Jonas Crow have a past history, a history of a life or death situation. Now that they both are members of Alaska Force the past needs to be addressed. Their latest mission: pose as a couple at Bethan's sister's wedding to ferret out information about a missing scientist. This is not an easy mission. I would have liked to have seen a bit more action in this story.

I think one of the reasons why I love reading this series is because the author has perfectly balanced everything that goes on in the story. There’s not too much romance. There’s not too much suspense. There’s not to much angst or issue. It’s all nicely balanced out.

The story is a great example of that. I love her characters and the two are perfectly intertwined. The silent, stern, fierce Jonas and the tough, tender, secret girlie girl Bethan.

Everything is rounded it out with splashes of humor, excitement, delicious romance with the perfect amount of heat, great action, and suspense. Ending with a beautiful wrap up that may even bring a tear or two. Jonas really pulled on my heartstrings especially as the ice slowly started melting. Sigh.

I think Special Ops Seduction is one of my favorite books in the series although they all have enduring qualities. Definitely, these books by Crane are ones to check out even if they are part of a series. I feel you can enjoy them as a standalone.

Bethan Wilcox is the first woman to make it through Army Ranger training. Growing up with an air force General for a father, she went into the army. Years ago she saved a fellow soldier in the desert of Afghanistan. Jonas Crow was in the Delta Forces and they were hit with an IED. He is quiet and very dangerous. He hasn’t forgiven Bethan for saving him and when she joins the Alaska Force, he doesn’t change any. When they rescue a scientists sister and then find him and put them in a safe house, they disappear again without a trace. So the key players are going to be at a wedding in California. The wedding happens to be Bethan’s sisters and her and Jonas go undercover as a couple. Once they figure out who the bad guy is, it’s a countdown to find out his plans.
Now if this doesn’t make a lot of sense, I’m sorry. This book had me confused from page one. Jonas was constantly telling why he could not feel feelings. He was a total jerk to Bethan. Lots of action and suspense and a little bit of sex.

* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for NetGalley *

Bethan is the daughter of a General, grew up to be one of the few women to become an Army Ranger. When she left the Rangers she joined Alaskan Force, but didn't know what Jonas was a member. Jonas is the man she saved during that fateful night their convoy was attacked. Jonas feels that Bethan has seen him while he was weak and he can't get over that. Or so she thinks.

Jonas has spent years being a loner, being what his childhood and the military made him. He rarely shows emotion, but after a week with Bethan's family for a mission he can't seem to get enough of her. This mission turns out to be unlike any other, it takes them back to the one night both of them are trying to forget.

I came into the series late, being that this is the first book I've read in not only the series but by this author. I really enjoyed these two characters. They are both dynamic loaners who essentially need each other to feel complete. I am glad I took a chance on this book/author because I found a new world I could delve into. I highly recommend this book and can't wait to go back and read the previous books in the series and will be anxiously waiting any future books in this series.

Great book and series! This book had everything!! It had intrigue, lots of suspense and tons of action! I highly recommend this book and series! It's well worth the read! Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for sharing this book with me!