Chad and Britt’s story was a really fun read. Suspense, spice, and women saving themselves. I love how even with the alpha men characters, it wasn’t over the top and Britt was still her own person. The mystery was also great and kept things interesting.

Great beginning for a new series. A bit different from the Rescuing books she normally writes. Still has the strong hero and heroine. A slower pace with more romance and spice. Still has that suspense but not as intense. 4 ex soldiers who are brothers move back home to help their mother after their dad dies. This is Chad and Britt’s story.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you for allowing me to review

4.5

This was a fun start to a new series by Stoker! I always enjoy her books but series starts can be kinda hit or miss for me, especially the ones that are less connected to her over-arching Stoker Aces world! This did not disappoint however!

Our FMC, Britt, is briefly living in her car after her ex-boyfriend ran off with her money shortly after the two of them move to Maine. This is where our MMC, Chad Young, meets her and quickly is intrigued enough to bring her back home to his mom and their family's Lobster Cove business/home. Chad's father has recently passed away and although Chad and his brothers are in the process of moving back home, there is a lot of work that needs to be handled with the variety of businesses on their family's land. Lobster Cove consists of the Young's family house, two guesthouses that they rent out to tourists, an auto shop, and a boat dock. The Youngs quickly hire Britt on as a guesthouse housekeeper and overall companion to the recently widowed Mrs Young. Things start going wrong almost immediately after Britt has been hired though and the Youngs will have to track down who is behind things.

As is typically the case with romantic suspense stories, the romance develops super quickly. I don't always love it but have seen a recent trend from Stoker so I kinda anticipated it and thought it was still well done. I was much more into the speed of things after some of the action had picked up more, but the start was still pretty insta-love.
I really enjoyed almost everything about this book though! It kept me entertained and engaged, with enough side characters to really flesh out the small town in Maine and make it come alive! There's a few side characters that have me thinking they might be future romantic interests to the other Young boys in later books and I'm excited to get to know more of the town than just Lobster Cove itself since this was a fairly isolated story in terms of the settings. The suspense part was fairly obvious, even before we get a bit of a villain POV, but I think that it was still plenty suspenseful and entertainingso no complaints from me!

Fairytale-like romance with a bit of drama thrown in. Lobster Cove is certainly an idyllic spot that everyone would want to live in - so a nice brain break for a weekend or holiday.

A fantastic and riveting start to this series. Loved this love story and its compelling storyline, wonderful characters, heart, intrigue, and sizzle. I really enjoyed it from beginning to end. Looking forward to SS’s next book in this series!

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. Chad and Britt met by accident and slowly fell for each other. The usual MO how Susan stokers books work. A new series starring five brothers that moved back home after their fathers passing.
Though Britt is a little out of her element, she slowly grows on the Young family and vice versa. HEA in sight, you wonder what could possibly go wrong along the way… But, do not wonder, the author’s got you covered. A very sweet story about family, standing up for each other and - of course - love.

I'm excited for this new series! I love that it's based off four brothers and the location sounds amazing based off the author's descriptions. I also loved how Chad and Britt met. She's down on her luck and he comes right in and saves the day. But even better... she ends up saving the family. I really enjoyed getting to know this family and I'm excited for the next book.

I really enjoyed *The Soldier." It’s the first book in a new series, and now I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

The story takes place in a small town in Maine. Chad Young comes back home after his dad dies. He and his brothers are all in the military, and their family owns rental cabins, a mechanic shop, and boat storage. Chad was a sniper in the Army, but now he’s trying to help his family and adjust to life at home.

Britt Starkweather moves to Maine with her boyfriend, but then he steals all her money and leaves her behind. She ends up living in her car with no job, no home, and nowhere to turn. That’s when Chad steps in. He fixes her car and brings her home, and his mom offers her a job and a place to stay. I loved how they took her in and made her feel like part of the family.

The romance between Chad and Britt is slow and sweet. There’s a bit of suspense too. Britt discovers someone is stealing from the family business, and it leads to a dangerous situation.

I loved Chad's family. The brothers are great, and they adore their mom.

The romance wasn’t too fast or too cheesy, and there was just enough action to keep things exciting. I liked that Britt had a tough past but stayed strong and kind. Chad was loyal and protective without being over the top.

If you like small-town stories with sweet romance, family love, and a little mystery, you’ll probably like this one too.

Chad Young and his brothers have returned to Lobster Cove after their father died. They are all in different branches of the military. Chad was a sniper in the Army. Their family has rental cabins, mechanic shop, and boat storage. Britt Starkweather came to Maine with her boyfriend. After a couple of weeks, he stole her money and left her and went back home. Now she has no money, no place to live and no job. Britt is living out of her car when a worker from the lumberyard threatens to call the cops if she doesn’t leave. The only problem…her car won’t start. Chad hears the man yelling and offers to see what’s wrong with the car. After fixing it, Chad invites Britt back to the house. Chad’s mom Evelyn offers Britt a job and a place to stay. Britt is grateful and takes them up on their offer. Britt starts setting up a program for the mechanic shop and finds some discrepancies. Chad’s parent’s long time friend is stealing from them. When he’s confronted, he has his son mess with Evelyn’s car. When that doesn’t work Camden, the son, kidnaps Evelyn but Britt sees it and jumps in the back of the truck. Can Chad and his brothers find them before it’s too late?

First in a new series and it’s excellent. Chad is loyal and protective and loves his family. Britt had a rough childhood. Her mother worked all the time and wasn’t a good mother. But that makes Britt a better person.
- Steamy
- Little action
- A Mama who is wanting grandbabies

* VOLUNTARILY READ AND REVIEWED FOR NETGALLEY *

Great start to the new series

I love a small town story and this book does not disappoint. It based in Maine and I adored the setting for this book and the lobster references.

The book starts with Chad Young returning home following his father’s death and Britt who has been abandoned by her boyfriend after they had moved to Maine for a fresh start.

I enjoyed how Britt was able to take a chance when Chad offers her a fresh start of a job and a place to stay. The suspense was there and I thought it was weaved into the story well. I thought how the relationship developed was well paced.

It was a great read from start to finish.

I am looking forward to reading the next 3 books in this series

A slow-burn romance kicking off Susan Stokers new series. It delivers on family values, healing, trust, and an unexpected love surrounded by family. A bit of a departure from SS’s military action that we have grown to enjoy. It flows smoothly and very believable, with just enough heat to keep things moving without taking over the heart of the story. Chad’s mom is truly delightful along with his brothers. A light mystery that adds a bit of tension without taking over the romance. I’m looking forward to the next book in this series!

Spice Level: 🌶
Trigger Warning;
Very Mild on page violence
Child neglect(in a conversation of the past)
Car accident

The Soldier is a sweet strangers to lovers romance with a little spice thrown in. Britt has been through so much by the time she meets the family, I love how they just adopted her so quickly. Chad is such a sweet man, and the heaps of respect and love those boys have for their mama is just lovely! Evelyn has to be my favorite, sweet and sassy old woman that she is, shes so fun! I'm usually weary about stories where the MMC and FMC fall fast, but reading about Austen and Evelyn's love definitely showed why Chad was so quick to fall. The spice was minimal, but it felt just right for this story.

I think the only real thing I didn't like was the conflict with the villain. That part did feel like it could have been fleshed out a bit more, I think that would have given more impact to the situation.

Over all the plot was great, it was well written, and I will definitely be looking out for the next books to read more about the other Young men!

Thanks so much to Montlake for providing this book for review via NetGalley!

*All opinions are my own*

First, thank you to author Susan Stoker and NetGalley for providing this ARC for my honest review below:

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, I was a tad worried based on the book cover that this novel could fall more towards the Harlequin romance genre than would be to my liking, but I was more than surprised by this gem of a story. I felt from the very beginning it was filled with heart and family, including found family. I quite literally could not put this down!

I was a touch worried with how quickly the two main characters love story seemed to move thinking eventually the story would have nowhere to go, but I was not let down in the least. For the briefest of moments I worried I was going to find myself frustrated by the miscommunication trope but instead found myself reading a story where the two adults did their best to be open and honest with one another. It was refreshing and really helped me want to root for the two main characters love story. If I were to have any constructive criticism it would be that I needed a little bit more physical descriptions of each of the characters. I loved the imagery the author created of Maine and the beauty of Lobster Cove and literally could imagine the entire setting, but the lack of physical descriptions of the characters made it difficult for me to imagine the entirety of the world and people within it. Regardless, I quite literally could not put this book down. The story line moved seamlessly with a perfect balance of romantic love, love of family, and adventure tinged with the slightest touch of mystery. I also thought the author did a great job setting us up to continue reading the series - How is Kash connected to the Youngs? Is there more to Lincoln and Harper's story? I am eagerly awaiting the alpha cove series to continue! Overall 5 star read from me!

I’m dnfing 20% in. The chapters are really long and I can’t get on with the writing because of it being 3rd person.

Thank you though for the arc

I was excited to see a new book by Susan Stoker posted on Netgally! I have read several of previous mercenary/ military books in the past and loved them all! The Soldier was both similar and different from those. Chad was ex military but it wasn’t his entire persona for this book and Britt both needed help but was also capable of taking care of herself! Lobsters cove sounds like a magical place to visit! I liked that she fell in love with the place BEFORE she fell for the man! Also the communication in this book was great!! It bothers me when a character sees something but doesn’t say anything because they think no one will believe them! Britt is not that girl!! She’s up front and open! Over all this was a sweet and quick read!

Four brothers returning to their small town in Maine to help out their mother after their father’s passing. That starts us off, and we begin with Chad. Britt is in a bad way, left behind when her boyfriend decided to return home, and took all their money. A chance meeting in a parking lot, and these two start their journey to be together. Things develop naturally, as they do spend a lot of time together. Problems are not with each other, but external matters. They grow closer and closer, until their HEA is all but guaranteed <3

I have been reading Susan Stoker books for years now at this point. A really great start to a new series!

Fantastic start to a new series! I loved this book! The characters are endearing and seemed to come to life on the page - from Britt with her hard start in life, to Chad, a genuinely good guy who changes his path in life for his family. Additionally, I'd love to adopt Chad's mom as a member of my family.

When a crisis occurs, shaking Chad and his brothers to their very foundation, the former military brothers rise to the occasion and act must faster than any police department could.

If you enjoy romantic suspense, you will love this book. The author is a master at her craft and on my must read authors' list.

Such a good story!! Highly recommend This contemporary romance centers on Chad Young, a former military man who returns to his family's business in Maine after his father's passing, and Britt Starkweather, a woman abandoned by her boyfriend and left stranded in Lobster Cove. Seeking refuge, Britt accepts the Young family's offer of a job and a place to stay.
steamy romance, small-town charm, and suspense. It has it all. I can't wait for more in the series!!

ARC Review: The Soldier
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

The Solider is a warm, feel-good kickoff to Susan Stoker’s latest series. The small-town atmosphere, the strong sense of family, and the slow-burn between Chad and Britt was great! It’s a story rooted in healing, second chances, and unexpected love.

Chad is the kind of steady, loyal hero you can count on—returning home to support his family after his father’s death—and Britt brings just the right mix of vulnerability and quiet strength. Their connection felt natural and believable, with just enough steam to keep things interesting without overpowering the heart of the story.

Chad’s mom and brothers, add depth and charm. There’s also a light mystery thread that adds a bit of tension without taking over the romance.

Overall, this is a solid start with a lot of heart, a touch of danger, and plenty of emotional payoff. I’m looking forward to seeing where book 2 goes!

Thank you to @authorsusanstoker and @amazonpublishing for sending me an ARC to review!