Ruthless Protection

Ruthless Protection
by Em Petrova

Release Date: Available Now

My review:

“Ruthless Protection” is the action-packed second book in the ‘SEAL Team Blackout’ series by Em Petrova. It’s a contemporary romantic suspense story with plenty of steam, some humor, and lots of action.

Gia Watson is a Homeland Security agent with an extraordinarily sharp mind. She researches, tracks, and analyzes terrorist behavior and predicts future attacks. She’s devoted to her duty and career above all else. Montgomery Sparrow gave up his living identity to instead serve on the top-secret Team Blackout. In addition to sacrificing his identity, he’s given up the chance to have a wife and family of his own someday because life as he knew it no longer exists. When a mission brings Gia and Montgomery together, the power of the attraction between them shocks them both. As the tension of the case they are trying to solve increases, the tension caused by the powerful pull between them also increases. Issues of loyalty and trust are important in this story, as are double standards faced by women in the workplace and in the world in general.

Gia and Montgomery were excellent characters. I especially appreciated how much he valued her intelligence and analytical skills, which were sharper than those of the prestigious military minds around her. He’s a hot alpha hero but he’s not a misogynist in any way. The story takes place in a relatively short time frame, but both lead characters grow and change because of their shared experiences and interaction with one another. I thought the ending was well-done; it suited the characters and their story. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series, about Team Blackout member Ramsey. He’s an intriguing character, plus certain mysteries were left unanswered in this story and I suspect we’ll learn more about them in future books.