Series: Alaska Force, #2
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: May 7, 2019
Source: Penguin’s First to Read Program
Rating: ★★★½

Return to Alaska’s Grizzly Harbor where danger strikes with arctic precision and love thaws the coldest hearts in the newest romantic suspense from the USA Today bestselling author of SEAL’s Honor.

After Mariah McKenna lands in the hospital with a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction she knows she didn’t cause, she realizes her cheating, vindictive husband would rather have a dead wife than a divorce. Afraid that he will succeed in killing her next time, Mariah goes to Grizzly Harbor to hire one of the Alaska Force special operatives to help her survive long enough to finally live a little.

Griffin Cisneros traded in a comfortable future for boot camp, where he learned the virtue of patience and focus—skills that served him well as a Marine sniper. Few things get to him these days, but something about Mariah’s mix of toughness and vulnerability gets right under his skin. Until it’s clear she’s the one thing in the world that might melt the ice in stoic, reserved Griffin, whether he likes it or not.

If he can just keep her alive…

SNIPER’S PRIDE is the second installment in the Alaska Force series, based around a group of former military men who are now special operatives helping people in need. I love books (especially romances) that are set in Alaska, so I knew I had to grab this one.

Mariah is going through a very bitter divorce, and after a couple of attempts on her life, she heads to Grizzly Harbor, Alaska, and hires Alaska Force for protection and to figure out who’s out to get her. Mariah was a tough, courageous woman doing what it took to survive. She’s specifically assigned to Griffin, a former Marine sniper who sees himself more of a machine than man, hurt in the past and hardened by his military career.

I particularly enjoyed the mystery/suspense side of this book. Mariah’s predicament was so scary, and there were plenty of exciting and nail-biting moments. On the other hand, the romance between Mariah and Griffin was so-so. It took a long time to feel any chemistry between them, and Griffin’s stubborn dislike of her and thinking he’s not capable of a relationship with anyone was trying.

Overall, I liked my introduction to Alaska Force, and I was rooting for Mariah the whole way. I would love to take a peek at the rugged, chilly island that Grizzly Harbor sits on, somewhere on Alaska’s southern coast. Next up is SERGEANT’S CHRISTMAS SIEGE set to release in the fall, and I will definitely be picking that one up!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book through Penguin’s First to Read Program in exchange for an honest review.