I read this book back in the beginning of the year and gave it 2 stars due to the lack of character development and plot depth. While it was a quick read and seemed like my kind of story, I found myself constantly rolling my eyes, feeling annoyed with how everything was thrown together. It lacked emotion and detail, making the characters feel distant and impersonal. The storyline had potential but wasn’t fully utilized, leaving me disappointed overall.

#Hunted #NetGalley

This is a good book. The two main characters are Lelia and Clint. Lelia is a divorced mother. Clint is an ex Seal and owns a gun range. Lelia needs a gun for protection. She goes to see Clint. He starts the paper work to buy a gun. Lelia’s ex husband starts making claims on her and her son. Clint offers her protection. She and her son go to Clint’s house. They fall in love.

3/5 ⭐️ This book was good, quick read that I finished in one sitting. While I enjoyed the storyline, it felt like it was a bit of a rush to the finish line. I wish we got to see more of Clint and Leila's relationship over a longer period of time. Overall, it was entertaining from front to back! I would be interested in checking out the next book in the series to see if there is more character/relationship development.

Thank you to Relay Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

When Leila enters Clint’s gun shop and asks to buy a gun, he sees the fear in her eyes! As an Ex Seal he feels those protect hormones kick in, but were those the only hormones kicking? Leila only wants to protect herself and her son, from her abusive ex, but she finds the kind of protection that money can’t buy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

If you love a quick read with an overprotective ex-military man and an independent women, this one’s for you.

My first read by this author, I don’t always love third pov so it took me a minute to get into it. It was a little predictable but I did enjoy it anyways!

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC through NetGalley. My review is my honest opinion on this book ✨

A big thank you to NetGalley and Relay Publishing for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is the first in a new series. I found the book to be predictable but I did enjoy that Clint had a different type of job. I liked Leila, and was surprised that she didn't have a better support system. This is a super short read. 3 stars

I read this book back in January. I rate it a 2 star for the lack of character development and plot. It was a quick read. The story line sounded like it was my type of story that I enjoy, however I kept finding myself rolling my eyes, and just being annoyed at the whole story line. I felt it was kind of just thrown together without much thought.

Clint Backwater, a solitary man, finds his life transformed when he takes on the task of protecting Leila Ortiz and her child from her vengeful ex-husband, a gang member recently released from prison. Despite initial doubts about their unconventional meeting, Clint and Leila's relationship evolves as they navigate the challenges posed by her ex's threats. While the story captivates with its intense situations and engaging characters, some aspects, such as the immediate trust formed between Clint and Leila, may stretch believability. Despite these reservations, the book offers an emotional rollercoaster as readers root for the couple's eventual union, though some may find the chemistry between them lacking compared to other works by the author.

Lelia is a strong mom who wants to protect her son. I like that she is determined to do what she has to,.to keep them.safe. I love that Clint falls first and that he is determined to.protect and take care.of Lelia and her son. The story moves logically and easily and is interesting and held.my attention. The writing is smooth and easy to read and follow.

⭐ - 4/5
🔥 - 2.5
🧮 - highly recommend
💜 - Tropes: military, single parent, romantic suspense
📚 - Standalone or series: This an interconnected standalone, book 1 in a series

It's been a minute since I read a military romance, so I snagged this one! The blurb interested me quickly.

Clint - He was an interesting character, pretty intense. Having gone through a bit of trauma of his own in his past career, he tends to keep an eye out. It's become his second nature. Because of this, he's more receptive to the way people are when they come into his store. That made me like him a bit more. His ability to pick up on his surroundings is what drew him to Leila. I loved that he was a strong character who sticks to his convictions and morals. He was a great match for Leila. He wanted to take care of her and her son, without being an overbearing person like the situation she was in before. It touched my heart when he took the time to give little man something so special from his childhood. They seemed to connect from the store.

Leila - This woman has been through it. With an ex who not only ruled her life, abused her, and tormented her from the beginning, she now has to deal with so much more. The fact she held it together as much as she did is very commendable. Her absolute fear was so valid! If I were in her position, I would have gone to the lengths to do what I needed to. Her dedication to making sure he was safe and ok was awesome. I loved how she did everything she could. I understood her on several levels as well because of what she had gone through. All of those feelings just sit and fester.

Their journey was an interesting one. There was a good amount of back and forth as Leila tried to make decisions to not only her and Thomas safe, but also Clint. They had a constant dark cloud hanging over them. I will say that I appreciated that the author handled the issues with gun safety pretty well. very commendable! I would have liked to see the wrap-up of their story be a little bit extended. It seemed rushed in the sense that everything happened so fast to end everything that was holding them back. Overall though, good story and if you're looking for romantic suspense, this is a good one to grab.

A quick, easy and enjoyable read that I finished in one sitting, I liked the characters and thought the chemistry was good

Hunted is an interesting read, I did feel that with all the tension and desire that had built since Clint and Leila had met, the writing of the bedroom scene was a bit boring. If you like reading romance books with strong independent women and over protective sexy Ex-Navy SEAL with a HEA ending then I would suggest checking out Book 1 of SEAL Endgame series.

I would like to thank Relay Publishing, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Clint has had a rough life and he is finally getting used to being alone and owning his gun store. When a beautiful woman comes into his shop wanting to buy a gun he knew she was in trouble. Clint is determined to help her out and protect her adorable boy Thomas. Things get dicey when her car is destroyed in the parking lot where she works. Clint offers to let her and her some stay with him at his house. At least this way he can keep them safe. Will they be able to make it? I was given an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love a military hero (hey- I married one!) and I love protector stories. Clint and Leila’s story was a great read. Clint’s protectiveness was great, but I appreciated that Leila was feisty and wasn’t a completely incompetent damsel either. She is a mama bear that would do anything to protect her cub.

Firearm safety was emphasized and on point and the author did her research to make things accurate. Thanks NetGalley for providing this book to review! I’ll definitely continue the series.

This book was just "meh" for me... it didn't really grab my attention and I struggled to stay invested. There were some minor errors that distracted me and I just couldn't overlook them. In the very beginning of the book it's obvious that Leila is a victim of domestic violence - she is (duh) being "hunted." So why would she go into a "small room" with a man she doesn't know at a gun range and allow him to close them in the room? That doesn't track. Once inside his office he "took a seat behind his desk" and she "sat in one of the chairs in front of it." Then just a paragraph later he he "seats himself behind his desk" and gestures for her to "have a seat." (um..... weren't they already seated?) It was minor flaws like this that could have been taken care of in editing that distracted me from the bigger picture. There was even an instance where Clint's name was misspelled. The sentence referred to "Cline." I can't.
There was some spice, some romance, some suspense - but overall.... just not enough for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Relay Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This novel is about Leila. She is determined to keep her young son safe from her ex husband. Leila meets a former Navy Seal when she’s trying to buy a weapon to protect her son and herself. He teaches her how to properly use the weapon, This story is engaging from the start. There’s drama with a bit of romance and spice. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

This book was a VERY fast read compared to books i usually pick up. I think this book definitely could’ve been a 4 or 5 star read if it was longer and the characters relationship and plot didn’t feel so rushed. Regardless, for a short romance it was pretty good. Protective male lead for a single mom with an adorable kid is always going to get me what can I say.

Clint Blackwater is a former Navy Seal who owns a gun store and fire range that is inside of the store on the outskirts of Vegas. One a woman comes in wanting to buy a gun and he can tell that there is more going on with her story, but she does not go into it. Lelia Ortiz has found out that her ex-husband is out of prison is wants to do anything to keep her and her son safe. A good story that has two people finding each other but both need to let down the guard.

Clint is content with his life. He owns a small gun shop that gives him enough income to live comfortably. He isn't looking for love so he is surprised when he is drawn to Leila and her young son. He wants to spend time with them and he wants to protect them when he learns they are in danger.

This is a very short story so the author doesn't have time to allow the characters to develop and grow. The author does manage to work in details about their backgrounds to help the reader understand some of their actions. I thought Clint being content with his life was a good introduction because then all of his actions in the rest of the book were totally driven by his attraction to Leila. The author introduces the fact the Leila was young and naive when she met and married her ex-husband which made her actions following their divorce make a lot of sense. The bad guy is probably the weakest part of this story. I would have liked it if he was a little more well rounded but it wasn't that sort of story.

This is a contemporary romance that takes place in Nevada. It is the first in a new series. I will read more from this author in the future.

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

This was definitely a fast read and a good one. This is the first book in the series and there was romance, suspense and action all rolled into it. I would certainly recommend this and loved the ending.