This was a slow burn, but once they became a couple it got very steamy. Chappy was a very interesting character. Very mellow and protective of everyone. Carlisle is a gentle soul. I felt like I was in the mountains with them. The setting was extremely descriptive. I loved Baxter the pit bull. It was a good read. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I received a copy for review, but I was not obligated to write a good review. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy.

My rating 3.5 stars.

General Thoughts: This book was better than I expected. I knew nothing about the author or really the book. The title and synopsis were enough to catch my interest. But I had low expectations.

Pretty quickly I realized that this author could write! I enjoyed the characters, the plot, and the pacing. Riggs and Carlisle were great characters, and I enjoyed getting to know them.

Very solid. And I’m excited to see what comes next for this author.

This was another home run for Susan Stoker. I absolutely was hooked when I read the first few pages. You feel so much for the characters and you want all of the four men to find their happy ever after. You won’t be able to put the book down and you will be determined to figure out who is the stalker. I was given an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the thriller/suspense aspect of the story more than I enjoyed the romance. That's not to say that there wasn't some heat - there was! But the insta-love, ooey gooey, 'have my babies after knowing me a week' trope makes me cringe. Personal 🚩 vibes. I'll keep Baxter tho 🐶

3.5 ⭐️s. The trope isn't my favorite, but the writing, pacing, and overall story was enjoyable!

Firstly I would like to say thank you to Net Galley and Montlake for my eARC 🤍

This is the first book in the Game of Chance series and it was good! It had just enough spice mixed in w the thriller aspect for me. Riggs “Chappy” is a former POW. He’s decided to hunker down in his cabin in the wilderness for some alone time. His solitude is interrupted by an abandoned dog, insisting he follow him. The dog leads him to a woman walking down his lane in the middle of the snow storm of the century. Carlise is trying to find some peace of her own after breaking up w her abusive ex, and put some distance between herself and her crazy stalker. They’re forced to spend the foreseeable future together until the storm passes and things sure heat up quickly. ❄️ 🔥

This was a quick read for me and I found myself not wanting to put it down. I recommend this book if you’re into insta-love, forced proximity tropes. I’m giving bonus points for the author using a pitbull too! I feel Baxter was an essential piece of this story. The Protector pub date is 03/14/2023. 🎉

I dedicated a post on my bookstagram to this book, check it out here:
www.instagram.com/akersofpages

I also posted a review on goodreads, check it out here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5284829270

This novel starts off by telling the back story of JJ, Cal, Bob, and Riggsn which helps to set the stage for the story of "The Protector". I feel that this new series has the best of Ms. Stoker's novels with strong heroes who have struggles of their own and a plucky heroine with needs, but still a lot of fight which she needs and uses. This novel also feels fresh because these characters find a unique way to protect and defend. It hits all the feels and shows how commitment and honor continue to make the world a better place.
I highly recommend "The Protector" not only to fans of Ms. Stoker, but anyone who enjoys a good HEA with a great storyline.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a great romantic suspense. Stalker hot on her trail, she runs to escape and finds herself lost and in a wreck in the middle of nowhere during the snow storm of the season. Determined to find help, she finds a stray dog, who leads her right to Riggs cabin. Riggs battles an illness and his own past to protect his new love. Together they face their fears, their pasts and her stalker to find a forever love.

ARC provided in exchange for honest review.

I absolutely loved this story! If you are one to enjoy insta-love then I would recommend you read this. It’s a quick and easy read that I contains some spice.

Definitely a cute and uncomplicated instalove, woman-in-peril novel by the prolific Susan Stoker. It's worth a read if your like those tropes, though it may not knock your socks off.

Former POW Riggs (Chappy to his friends) is a Maine-based lumberjack-slash-winter-stuff expert who has gone to his secluded cabin for a bit of R&R. He hasn't been there long before a barking dog leads him to Carlisle, who lost herself in a storm while fleeing a stalker from back home in Cleveland. Forced proximity (though not really forced as they instantly feel all connected and stuff) enables them to spend lots of quality time together. It's only a matter of time before Carlise's recent post catches up to her.

A far as suspense goes, it's pretty mild. The mystery is really easy to figure out and the set up for the climax a breeze to spot. Most of the story is Riggs and Carlise being all moony eyed and enjoying lots of sexy time. That is, not all that much happens. Even so, they're both decent characters worth reading about. We also get to meet Riggs' three BFFs (and co former POWs) and even get at least two of their stories teased. Prince Cal is up next, and even though I found this story to be a little predictable, I'll definitely pick up Cal's book and possibly JJ's and Bob's when they come out.

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher and Netgalley. I'm writing this review voluntarily, and it reflects my honest opinion. Thanks!

The Protector

Thanks NetGalley for access to The Protector.

This book had a little more of the thriller genre in it than I thought it would! I enjoyed that because the romance piece was more predictable. Chappy/Riggs is the typical ex military, super macho, alpha male main character with the instinct to protect what’s “his”. Charlise stumbles into his cabin in the woods after fleeing her stalker that might also be her abusive ex.

There was a lot of insta love and immediate trust between the characters I just couldn’t get behind. I’m a slow burn kinda gal! Chappy’s friends and business partners were a good touch to break up the monotony of two people alone in a cabin the whole book. Baxter, the pit mix, was hands down the best part of the story!

#bookreview #romancebooks #kindle #netgalley #netgalleyreads #bookstagram #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher, for the eARC of this book!

It's been a while since I've read a damsel in distress military romance, and I'm glad I started with The Protector!

Carlise (and yes, I did constantly add an extra l just like the character mentioned) was the perfect mix of strong and needy. When we meet her, she's escaping a stalker and lost in the Maine woods during a snow storm. Her car ends up kissing a tree, and rather than waiting in it to freeze to death, she bundles up and goes out in search of help.

Riggs (who I can't refer to as Chappy without thinking about the robot movie) isn't your typical alpha male. He's ex-military and a former POW, yet he has no problem talking about his feelings, asking permission to touch his woman, or reaching out when he needs help

When the two finally meet, Carlise gets to prove her mettle by taking care of a sick Riggs then lets him take care of her when things get tenses with her stalker. It's a wonderful give-and-take relationship that they have with neither constantly trying to be in control. The only mildly cringey aspect of their relationship (that some readers will really enjoy) was how quickly they seemed to fall in love and talk about wanting babies. It didn't work for me, but I know it will for diehard romance fans.

The Protector was a quick read. I found myself not wanting to put it down and do normal household chores and look forward to the next book in the series!

Weirdest quote from the book: "I about crapped my pants."
Best quote from the book: "If you're hungry, I'll feed you. If you're cold, I'll bring you some blankets. If you're scared, I'll keep you safe, and if you're happy, I'll do whatever I can to keep you that way."

Susan Stoker has done it again! Which is no surprise. Her books are always incredible and it's why she has become one of my all-time favorite authors. I'm so excited about a new series of a team of military men and how they find love. Susan Stoker is able to flawlessly blend romance and suspense into a book that you can't put down once you start it. I loved the new characters that have been introduced in this series and I cannot wait to continue reading about each one of them.

Riggs likes to get away from the hustle and bustle of the town he and his friends live in now. Even though it's a small town, sometimes he needs his alone time to just decompress. But then Carlise stumbles into his space and Riggs can't help the instant connection he feels with her. The romance between them was a little quick, but understandable because right off the bat, Carlise takes care of Riggs when he gets sick. That alone is enough to create a bond quicker than typical. Add to that they are trapped in Riggs' cabin when the storm outside is continuing. Of course, the two of them are going to get close quickly. Especially with the instant connection they have. I actually loved that it was just the two of them for a good portion of the book because it meant the entire focus was on them and their points of view. It was kind of like the reader was isolated right there with them.

But, naturally, there is so much more going on than just two people trapped together and falling in love. The reason Carlise ended up in Riggs' space in the first place is that she crashed her car doing her best to get away from her stalker back home. A stalker she assumes is her ex. And when she tells Riggs about what's going on, naturally his instinct is that he is going to protect this woman with everything he has no matter the cost. And I loved every word of this book.

It had all of my favorite tropes, grumpy and sunshine, sunshine protector, small town, military men finding love, you name it and it was in this novel. I basically devoured it and immediately wished I hadn't. Only because I wanted it to last even longer. Now I will have to sit in anticipation for the next one. And we got just enough of the other characters to leave me eager for book number two in this new series. Although I think I may be the most eager for JJ and April's story. They introduced both of these characters and I have a feeling that their story is going to be the last one in this series. Way to keep me hooked even more! I cannot recommend this book enough!

I really enjoyed The Protector. I read it in a few sittings. It feels like your watching a romantic suspense movie which I really liked. It has some fun tropes, small town, close proximity a bit of one bed. It was a fast paced read with some insta love thrown in which in all honesty I liked and the characters do question it which I liked. I can't wait for the next book.

This was a decent start to a new series! I loved the relationship Riggs and Carlise built in such a short amount of time. Her caring nature was such a perfect mix to go with his need to protect.

My con is I wished more happened with the stalker. I think that would have really added to the suspense factor.

The Protector is the exciting first book in Susan Stoker's new Game of Chance series.
Riggs "Chappy" Chapman and his military team have left the army and moved to Maine to start over.
He has just headed up to his cabin in the woods for some me time before a big storm, when he hears a noise outside. He finds a skinny dog, and follows him, until he comes across someone heading his way. It turns out to be a woman, and he invites her back to his cabin to get out of the storm.
Carlise Edwards has fled Cleveland and her stalker. And has ended up lost & crashing her car in Maine.
She follows Riggs back to his cabin, where he passes out, and she takes care of him while he's sick.
The storm rages on, and these two become close, neither can deny their instant connection.
This was a great book, and it kept me guessing until the end. I cannot wait for the rest of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for an advance digital copy of this title for review. All opinions are my own and are honestly given.

Plot: On the run from her stalker, Carlise is rescued by veteran Riggs after she crashes her car in the remote Maine woods. The two fall in love as a snowstorm forces them to take shelter at Riggs’s cabin, but when Carlise’s stalker reappears, they must do all they can to keep Carlise safe and fight for their future.

Thoughts: This author is new-to-me, but I was interested by this premise and the title was Read Now, so I decided to give it a shot. The action in this book moves along at a quick clip, but I think I would describe this book as a contemporary romance with intrigue rather than a romantic suspense. I’m not sure this one totally came together for my personal taste— the plot and characterizations were a bit thin. I think there could be a good story here, but it could use some fleshing out to give readers a better sense of the storyline and the characters’ motivations. I also didn’t love that men and women alike frequently called women they didn’t like ‘bitches’— it felt very misogynistic and unnecessary and took me out of the story whenever I came across it. For readers looking for a quick read on a winter’s evening or fans of Stoker’s other works, I’m sure they’ll enjoy The Protector. This one just didn’t quite work for me, although we have many of Stoker’s other books in digital formats, so it’s possible we might still purchase based on patron interest. 2.5 stars.

3.75/5 stars! The premise of this story was tantalizing and the promise of a protective ex-military MMC had me running to this book. Per usual when a dog is present, Baxter stole the show for me. I liked Riggs but found Carlise to be a confusing character. She is on the run from an ex who is stalking her but warms to Riggs very quickly for someone with a traumatic romantic history. It wasn't a huge issue for the story but really called the believability of the character into question. The twist at the end was interesting and unexpected.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

There are times when insta-love trope is a hit and this is one of those times.

Tropes;
1. Forced proximity
2. Sunshine x sunshine protector (the title is a giveaway lol)
3. Small-town romance

This story is about our main character Carlise, who is currently on the run from a stalker back home. With no set destination in mind, she drives around and finds herself stranded in a middle of a blizzard. She is shortly rescued by a dog, and a man who was led to her by said dog. The man aka Riggs takes her back to his cabin where he quickly passes out, and is nursed back to health by our heroine. Right off the bat you can tell that the attraction is mutual, and it was deliciously sweet!

I enjoyed this book so much! It was a fairly easy read, the pacing was good, and the leads had amazing chemistry. Riggs aka Chappy is so understanding and sweet, he takes the role of a "protector" quite seriously, without coming off as an overbearing asshole, which is a hard feat to achieve in modern-day romance setting. I also love how considerate he was of Carlise's abuse and trauma, and how at every point he checked in on her and asked for her consent. He did not pressure her into giving up her history and patiently waited for her to open up to him eventually.

I really bought into the romance and i thought they were good for each other. As for the "plot-twist" of this story, I definitely had my suspicious and it was confirmed lol (won't be spoiling much here!)

I would recommend checking out content warnings of this book as it deals with stalking, abuse from past relationship, and childhood trauma.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

You can always count on a delightful read by Susan and this is no exception. I loved the prologue and how she set up this story and those to come. Riggs and Carlise were great together from beginning to end - taking care of each other when needed while understanding what was important to each other. What a great start to what will be another amazing series.

First off, I Really enjoyed this book. It opened my eyes to the trials of being in the military, the bond of those who serve together, and stalking. The beginning was intense and I loved how it was portrayed with such detail. The way Riggs met Carlise (didn't care for this name) was an adorable fate-directed meeting.

Quickly after they meet, Riggs falls sick and Carlise takes great care of him. His overprotective friends add great depth to the story. When he gets better, the friendship formed between Riggs and Carlise is smooth and natural. When danger comes knocking, her protector is ready to do whatever it takes to save her.

This story included cute extras with dogs, blankets, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. These realities help the story feel real. I adored this book.