Sandy S.
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4.25 stars—THE DEFENDER is the fourth instalment in Donna Grant’s contemporary, adult SONS OF TEXAS erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on the Loughman group of ex-military specialists. This is Russian Bratva captain Lev Ivanski, and former CIA operative Reyna Harris’ story line. THE DEFENDER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion. SOME BACKGROUND: While on assignment overseas, all three Loughman brothers are called home to Texas to discover that their beloved Aunt and Uncle have been murdered, and their Navy SEAL father Orrin is missing. The US government (or someone claiming to be) has tasked the brothers in locating their Black Ops agent father; and the retrieval of a biological weapon known as Ragnarok. Now that Ragnarok had been destroyed, the Loughman family will face another threat from a rogue group of former military operatives, many of whom have already infiltrated high levels of government and other organizations. Told from several third person perspectives including Lev and Reyna THE DEFENDER follows Lev Ivanski as he goes undercover to prevent the assassination of one of Ukraine’s top political figures, an undercover operation that fails miserably when the group known as the Saints succeeds in their endeavor to take the politician down. Finding himself trapped, our hero becomes the willing prisoner of former CIA operative Reyna Harris, a woman working deep undercover within the Saints organization. What ensues is Reyna and Lev’s dangerous journey through Europe to America as our couple goes underground in their attempts to stay one-step ahead of the Saints. Reyna Harris had been working with the Saints for close to five years but was unable to take down the organization from her current position. On the run Lev and Reyna would find themselves the target of the very people they had hoped to destroy themselves. The relationship between Reyna and Lev is an enemies to lovers wherein Lev, for a short time, becomes our heroine’s prisoner. Working closely together Lev and Reyna would become one another’s guardians and protectors while on the run, a closeness that turned into something more. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including patriarch Orrin Loughman, Owen and Natalie (The Hero), and Cullen and Mia (The Protector), Wyatt and Callie (The Legend), as well as the mysterious Maks,Lorraine, Anatoli Kozel, and several members of the group known as the Saints. THE DEFENDER is a story of betrayal and vengeance; of secrets and lies; of power and the fight for control. The premise is intriguing and engaging; the characters are energetic, colorful and strong; the romance is seductive. THE DEFENDER is a fascinating and captivating addition to the SONS OF TEXAS series.
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Debbie Diem
The Defender is a nail-biting romantic suspense by Donna Grant. Ms. Grant has provided readers with a well-written book populated with a spectacular cast of characters. Lev travels to Kiev for his boss to protect a politician from the Saints. Reyna, working with the Saints, captures Lev. Lev and Reyna's story is packed with drama, bits of humor, spice, action and suspense. I enjoyed every page of this book and look forward to my next book by Donna Grant. The Defender is book 4 of the Sons of Texas Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger...but it does hook you to want to read the next book in the series. I voluntarily read a complimentary copy of this book that I received from BookFunnel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.