Rescuing Casey: Delta Force Heroes Book 7, Susan Stoker

Stuck in a hole for almost two weeks, Casey is about to give up.  Her water supply has dried up and so has her hope.  What was supposed to be an enjoyable research trip turned deadly when she was kidnapped along with her three students in the remote jungle of Costa Rica.  Her brother and his Delta Force team are determined to save her no matter the obstacle.  Troy 'Beatle' Lennon is more invested than all of them.  His attraction for his teammate's sister is intense and deep and he's more determined than all the rest to see her home safely.

Yet again Susan Stoker has brought us an amazing heroine.  And she truly is a hero.  She's brave, smart, strong-willed, quick-thinking, resourceful, and tenacious.  She won't let her inner turmoil keep her from returning home.  What happened to her is horrific and with no understanding of why it happened in the first place she's confused and frightened but with her brother's Delta Force team with her every step of the way she won't succumb to her desire to fall apart.  I admired her all the way through the story.  Her grit and ability to think in the face of danger was incredible.

At her side is Beatle.  From the first look at her picture he was hooked.  His admiration and affection for her grows steadily as her brother, Blade recounts story after story of their youth and if he wasn't in love with her before, her smile beaming at him from her prison of mud and filth alone thrust him over the abyss.  He's smitten, enchanted, and absolutely sure that she's the one for him.  With his generous heart and patience he's determined to win her over and convince her that there's no one he wants more than her for the rest of his life.

Their trek through the jungle is fraught with peril and Beatle has a gut feeling that she won't even be safe when they reach home.  From start to end the story was intense and exciting.  Beatle's patience and resolve to keep Casey safe, even from him, was awesome.  I've read other stories where danger in the jungle or on a rescue leads to intense sex during extraction and it never sat well with me because of the inherent psychological issues accompanying the entire ordeal.  Rescuing Casey, however, deals with it in a realistic way.  Yes, there's attraction and desire, yes, there's honest sexual attraction from Beatle, but nothing is ever pushed.  Every bit of the psychological issues are addressed in a way to be realistic and honest.  From Blade's involvement to the pull between Casey and Beatle there's never any question that these men know what happens, what could happen, and what should happen for the best outcome of the rescuee's psyche.

With a hopeful, heartwarming ending I'm in love.  Everything about this story grabbed me and kept me invested in all these men.  The small snippets of what we can expect with Blade, Truck, and Chase are also perfect in giving a small yet complete glimpse of everything that we're going to read about in their stories.  Perfection.  This whole story moved me and I couldn't put it down.

*$5.62 on Amazon!