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

This was a hit the ground running mystery/suspense with a second chance romance thrown in. When you think your former fiance' was truly a criminal and sent to prison it's hard to change your mind about all you thought you knew. Hang on tight because Josh and Natalie have a lot to learn about each other in the five years they have been apart and danger is still following them.

Loved the HEA ending and the twists and turns this book takes on. Loved who Sylvie turned out to be and who could resist little Henry. Sylvie had quite the shock at the end of the book as well. Hope to hear about her story as well. Definitely a book I would recommend.

4.5 stars

This book is a gripping romantic suspense novel featuring redemption, a secret baby, and a second chance at love. Josh Stafford, recently released from prison after serving five years for a crime he didn’t commit, returns to find that his former fiancée, Natalie Croft, has been raising their son—a child he never knew existed.

Natalie, devastated by Josh’s confession years ago, has tried to move on, focusing on her family’s jewelry business. However, a series of thefts at the store forces her to hire a security company, unknowingly bringing Josh back into her life. When her mother and son are kidnapped, she has no choice but to work with Josh to uncover the truth and save their loved ones.

The novel is a fast-paced thriller with unexpected twists, emotional depth, and family drama. Lisa Childs masterfully balances mystery, romance, and suspense, keeping readers engaged until the very last page.

This story is equal parts family drama and mystery. The child abduction that brings Josh back into the life of his ex is chilling but it is also pivotal in changing lives. Natalie and Josh were once in love and planning a live until Josh took the fall for something he did not do. There is a lot to unpack in the story about Josh's motives for going to jail and her secret. The secret child trope is one I have a problem with even though it is often played out. I just have a hard time putting myself in the shoes of someone who could keep a secret like that which made relating to Natalie difficult.
Child abduction can be triggering for some but for me it is so chilling to read about because it is ripped from the headlines. There is some action bringing the boy back to his family and yes they need to become a family for him.
I have read Lisa Child's books before and would recommend the Bane Island series. I thought this book was a touch dry in places and really disliked the beginning. I like something to hit the fan on page one but this book start with checking in on characters from other books. It take a while to get going and I only stuck because of Bane Island. It wasn't bad, it did have suspense and second chance love but it was lacking that something extra to set it apart. I would give the book about 3.25 and recommend Lisa Childs but maybe not this book. If the secret child trope does not bother you, you may find it more enjoyable than I did.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin - Romance | Love Inspired Suspense for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Engaging and entertaining romantic suspense. Second chance romance and a kidnapping. Lots of family issues. I have not read the previous books in this series. Maybe one of them. Obviously, this can be read as a standalone and still be thoroughly enjoyable. I did skip over the intimate scenes. Interesting variety of characters. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

I hate to say even though I enjoy romantic suspense I'm not a huge fan of the secret baby troupe or surprise we have a kids. because 90 % of the time it doesn't work because the reason she keeps the secret is stupid. I mean unless he's somewhere where he can't communicate there's ways to tell him. So the only reason you shouldn't tell him is if he's a horrible person and if that's the case this wouldn't be a romantic suspense.

Hostage Security is a well written romantic suspense. Fast paced edge of you seat plot that will keep you turning the pages.

Hostage Security is part of the Bachelor Bodyguards series. The story focuses on Natalie and Josh who were college sweethearts until an unfortunate series of events that leads Josh to plead guilty to crimes he did not commit in order to protect those he loves. The story picks up with Josh’s release from prison when he begins working for a security company. As part of his job, he enters Natalie’s life again. If that isn’t shock enough for Natalie, a robbery takes place at her family’s jewelry store and her son - also Josh’s son, is kidnapped. They must find a way to put their past behind them as they work to find their son. This is an action packed romance full of suspense and excitement. It definitely is easier if you read the prior books in the series, but you can get away with reading it as a standalone.

Unfortunately I won’t be finishing this book. I was really hoping it would be similar to an old Harlequin romance book I read in high school called License to Marry. I could tell in the first few pages that I just wasn’t going to be able to get into this one. Maybe because it is such a late book in a long series, the format of getting everything caught up really put me off. Is a brief and uninteresting summary of who everyone is completely necessary? It just made me realize early it isn’t a book for me.

Thank you for the opportunity.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Wow. This is the first book I have read by Lisa Childs... and you can guarantee it will not be the last.

From the very first, I was wrapped up into the lives of Natalie and Josh. This book is wrapped in mystery of missing diamonds and abduction, a beautiful love story, and a dad who didn't know he had a child, yet risked everything to find the son he had never met. I finished this book in a day. I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend this one!!!!!

Excellent book. I couldn’t put it down. My heart was racing.
Josh is out of prison for a crime he didn’t commit, but he had to what he had to do. It was for the right reasons, but he missed so much. He left Natalie Croft behind at a price now he’s paying for. He gets a message that he doesn’t understand, but soon learns the truth. He’s beside himself with worry, and won’t stop until he finds what he lost. He also hopes to recover another person he never stopped loving.

Missing diamonds. A kidnapped child and his grandmother. This series of tragic events is what brings ex-con now security expert Josh Stafford and Natalie Croft back together. However, news that Josh is the father of Natalie’s son Henry will have to wait to be celebrated. Either Josh turns over the diamonds or Josh will lose the son he never knew existed.

However, Josh has no idea what diamonds are missing and who took his son. Blind faith and blind trust just might be the only factors that get his son back safely. Although the thought of a second chance with Natalie would bring him true happiness, finding Henry is the first priority.

Natalie is desperate for her son and her mother. Her love for them holds no bounds. Despite her past with Josh, is this the type of love she feels for him?

Although I only came into this long-running series with this title, I was easily able connect with Josh and Natalie in this story.

Many thanks to Mills & Boons Heroes and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

As much as I was hoping to get into this one, I simply could not get into this story. Which is a shame since secret baby and/or single parent stories seem to be my favorite lately and this one featured both tropes.

A 3.5 stars story
This story centers around Josh Stafford and Natalie Croft. While in college, these two fell madly in love and were planning their future together. That all changes when Josh pleas guilty of a crime he didn’t commit in order to protect someone in his life. His greatest regret was telling Natalie, the woman he loved, that he didn’t love her. All to keep her safe.
This devastated Natalie. Especially since she was pregnant.
Five years have gone by, and now Josh is out for good behavior and working as a security specialist for the Payne Protection Agency. This first assignment has him working as a guard at Natalie’s family jewelry store.
When diamonds go missing and he finds out that he has a son, Josh will do everything in his power to keep Natalie safe and find the boy that has been kidnapped.
Will Natalie realize that his lies were to protect her? Will Josh and the team find the boy in time? In the end , will Natalie , Josh and their son Henry become a true family or will the past keep them apart?
I have to confess that when I chose this book, I hadn’t realized it was book 14 of a series . A series I had not read making it difficult to follow the large number of characters from previous stories that were unknown to this reader.
Lastly, though Josh was easy to like, Natalie took me a while to warm up to her.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley an Harlequin. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

This was a very interesting book with lots of characters. At the time I started reading I didn’t realize this was book 14. It was a little confusing not having the backgrounds of the other characters. It was fascinating to follow the clues. I would like to read the other books. 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.

He’ll risk anything, To save the child he didn’t know he had! Good book! This book had suspense, intriguing, murder, mystery, a good who done it and a few crazy twists and turns! The story was interesting, it wasn't one of my top favorite but still worth reading! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!