PROTECTING DAKOTA (SEAL of Protection #9 / Sleeper SEALs #1) by Susan Stoker-Review and Excerpt Tour
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About the book: Release Date September 5, 2017
PROTECTING DAKOTA
Dakota James’s life has become the stuff of nightmares. The leader of the Ansar al-Shari’a terrorist group has become obsessed with her, determined to take her as his wife. On the run, she’ll have to pin her hopes on the retired SEAL charged with finding and stopping Aziz Fourati before he can carry out plans to bomb more US airports.
Recently recruited to join a sleeper SEAL team tasked with fighting terrorism on US soil, Slade “Cutter” Cutsinger, with the help of some Special Forces friends, has located the one woman who can identify the deadly Ansar al-Shari’a leader. That was the easy part. Keeping her safe proves more difficult than anyone ever imagined.
When she and her new friend, Caroline, are kidnapped by the terrorist group, Dakota can only pray Cutter and the SEALs will reach them before they’re taken out of the country—and away from Cutter forever.
** Protecting Dakota is a part of the SEAL of Protection Series. It is also in the “Sleeper SEAL” connected series. Each book is a stand-alone, with no cliffhanger endings.
Each book in this multi-author branded series is a standalone novel, and the series does not have to be read in order.
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REVIEW: PROTECTING DAKOTA is the ninth installment in Susan Stoker’s contemporary, adult SEAL of PROTECTION romantic, military suspense series focusing on a group of current and former Navy SEALS. This is forty eight year old, retired SEAL Slade ‘Cutter’ Cutsinger, and forty three year old, primary school principal Dakota James’s story line. PROTECTING DAKOTA is also the first installment in the multi-authored SLEEPER SEALs anthology series. Each book in the Sleeper SEAL series can be read as a stand alone, and the series does not have to be read in order.
NOTE: PROTECTING DAKOTA contains scenes of graphic violence and sexual assault that may not be suitable for all readers.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Dakota and Slade) PROTECTING DAKOTA focuses on the protection of Dakota James. Dakota is on the run; in hiding; and the only surviving witness to a terrorist bombing at LAX. The leader of the terrorist organization known as Ansar al-Shari’a, Aziz Fourati, has declared war on the US targeting airports around the country, and has made it known that he is determined to take Dakota as his wife. Enter Slade ‘Cutter’ Cutsinger, a retired Navy SEAL who has been recruited by a Sleeper SEAL unit whose missions are dark, off the records, and in no way connected to any other government agency. What ensues is the search for Dakota James, the building relationship between Dakota and Slade, and the fall out when the mission and Dakota’s whereabouts have been compromised by an unknown source.
Dakota James loves her job as a primary school principal but threats against the people and children she loved forced our heroine on the run, trying to stay one step ahead of a mad man determined to make Dakota his wife. Slade Cutsinger’s call back to ‘active duty’ brings our hero up close and personal with the military’s new Sleeper SEALs unit of retired SEALs-a unit where each mission requires a single SEAL to extract or protect on his own. Seeing Dakota’s images immediately sparks interest in our retired Navy SEAL-a longing to be part of a relationship with a woman to love.
The relationship between Dakota and Slade is one of immediate attraction; a story of insta-love, and I mean INSTANT love between two people pulled together by circumstance and threats. The $ex scenes are sensual but limited; mostly implied with the exception of the final erotic scene between our leading couple.
There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Dakota’s father Finnegan James; Slade’s Retired Navy Commander Greg Lambert; Navy SEAL Matthew ‘Wolf’ Steel and his wife Caroline, Kason “Benny” Sawyer , and Wolf’s commander Patrick Hurt.
PROTECTING DAKOTA is a fast paced, story of suspense and romance. The premise is energetic; the characters are spirited; the romance is passionate and engaging.
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Sandy
Until he could get Dakota out of Rachel and back where he had cell phone reception to call Tex and make sure they were still in the clear, he wasn’t going to take any chances.
Instead of returning to the bar, Slade leaned against the side of the A’Le’Inn and kept watch over the trailer while Dakota showered. He might be going overboard, but he didn’t think so. She’d been dead to the world when he’d opened the passenger door to her car that morning. She hadn’t even twitched when he’d shut it, either. If he could sneak up on her that easily, so could anyone else. And the thought of Fourati or any of his followers getting their hands on her made him want to hit something.
“I’m ready,” Dakota called out in response to his knock. “Come in.”
Slade turned the knob and entered the small but cozy trailer. As far as accommodations went, it wouldn’t win any traveler awards, but for this town it was downright palatial.
“I saved part of my donut for you,” Dakota told him somewhat shyly.
If he hadn’t already been halfway in love with her, that would’ve sent him over the edge. He knew how much she treasured those maple-frosted pastries…her dad had made it more than clear that no one touched her donuts. “You go ahead, sweetheart. It’s been a while since you’ve had a treat.”
She eyed him for a long moment and he thought she was going to either comment on the use of the endearment, or refuse to eat the pastry he could tell she wanted by the look in her eyes, but she finally shrugged and gave him a small smile.
New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Susan Stoker has a heart as big as the state of Texas where she lives, but this all-American girl has also spent the last fourteen years living in Missouri, California, Colorado, and Indiana. She’s married to a retired Army man who now gets to follow her around the country.
She debuted her first series in 2014 and quickly followed that up with the SEAL of Protection Series, which solidified her love of writing and creating stories readers can get lost in.
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