The “Game of Chance” warriors, survivors of enemy captivity, are slowly finding their normal in the civilian life, vanquishing one demon at a time, building relationships and finding love along the way.

Kendrick Evans, aka Bob to his mates, still strives to face danger, gets his adrenaline rush by going on rescue missions without his team watching his six. One such mission is to rescue archeologist, Marlowe Kennedy imprisoned in Thailand on false charges of drug trafficking.

A simple archeological dig turns into a nightmare for Marlow Kennedy, when she’s betrayed by an associate and imprisoned in the walls of Thailand. With her brother pulling strings, her only hope now is “The Hero”, aka Bob, who is tasked with rescuing her.

The rescue mission to break Marlowe out of prison may be a success, but the road home is filled with frightening bumps and painful suffering. Hoping to make the escape easy, Marlowe and Kendric end up as husband and wife and as things come to a head, his teammates come through with a royal intervention, making their entry into homeland less of an ordeal.

Two courageous souls, bound by circumstances, and fated to be together, have one final demon to vanquish to cement their future.
Susan Stoker brings another heartwarming and courageous story of two wonderful people meant to be together.

Thank you NetGalley, Susan Stoker, and Montlake Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I LOVED this book. I am a huge sucker for romance books and series. As I was reading this book, I realized I need to go back and read book 1 and 2! If you enjoy romance series, you will like this book! Lots of action but still filled with lots of love. Excited to read the rest of the Game of Chance books and others by Susan Stoker

This might sound a bit sappy, but I cried so much during this book. I thought I was cried out after the last book in this series. The injustice, the escape, the injuries and the story itself just got to me. I have no doubt what happens in this story is typical and that we never see the end game. Susan knows how to pull out all of the stops with non-stop action and witty banter. I love these guys and girls. Amazing.

JJ and April’s book is next and with the little preview, whew!!! I don’t know if there is a book with Tex as the main character, but I think he needs one if not.

(4.5)Game of Chance series is my favorite! I recommend reading in order. This is book 3. Kendric (Bob) (ex military)and Marlowe (anthropologist). We are captured (no pun intended) from the beginning. Fast paced, action, hold your breath moments. Action continues, we get a little steam, some heart warming as well as heart wrenching moments and we make it back to the states. I get the self doubt, and I appreciate that it is not carried on through out. Each time they wonder they speak up. WIN! Just like adults do or should do in the real world. I loved seeing the gang together and I really like the tenacity and strength of Marlowe. Kendric pushed all the right buttons for me. Thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you for the arc! I freely volunteer my thoughts and opinions. #TheHero #GameofChance #SusanStoker #Montlake #NetGalley

Bob is t ready to give up the adventures, but this might just be his last one, Marlow is in so far over her head she doesn’t know how to get out, but here brother sends Bob to help. While the risks are great if they work together they just might get home again.

This was a really quick read for me because the book was pretty faced paced and captivating

Several scenes made me swoon for Bob, he felt like the perfect balance of alpha male and a total simp

Tropes: one bed, forced proximity, marriage of convenience, insta love, hurt and you’ll die 💕


Thank you to Netgalley and Susan Stoker for the eARC!

Book 3 of the "Game of Chance" series follows Kendrick "Bob" Evans as he goes to do a prison break in Thailand. He's not in the military anymore, but hasn't settled down to civilian life the same way his friends have. So he does side jobs rescuing people. This time it's Marlowe, who was set up with drugs in Thailand and thrown in jail for life. She's been there for a month and pretty much figures she's going to die there when suddenly everything changes.

The book starts strong and fast with a prison break and escape across Thailand, so things are intense and Marlowe and Kendrick bond pretty fast. They're good together, Kendrick is impressed at how well Marlowe accepts whatever gets thrown at her and doesn't freak out. When he gets hurt, she steps up and saves them both. Things slowed down a lot once they got back to the States, and I wish there had been a way to keep the higher level intensity the book started with. Although considering it started pretty high, I'm not sure that was possible. The downside to an instalove book gets highlighted here, which is that once things slow down you get a lot of "does he/she really want me?" variations. The second-guessing of how well things were going between them got a bit old for me. The plot did pick up at the end when we got Marlowe in a jam again.

Overall this wasn't my favorite of the series, but still worth reading. The pacing was a bit off and while I quite enjoyed the characters, I still didn't connect with them as much as I wanted to. You don't need to have read the other books in the series to read this one, although I do recommend them.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Suspenseful with a globetrotting hero named Bob...

Bob is out of the military but can't quit it. He still is freelancing.
Marlowe is accused of a serious crime and she and Bob need to fake it as a married couple to suss out the culprit.
Action packed with plenty of drama.
Recommend.

The Hero is the third book in Susan Stoker’s amazing romantic suspense series called Game of Chance. The story has amazing, well developed characters, intense chemistry and a fantastic storyline that is written from the third person point of view of the hero and heroine.

Former Marine Kendric “Bob” Evans has been sent to Thailand to rescue archaeologist Marlowe Kennedy, after she was framed and arrested for drug trafficking. Her escape and their journey out of the country is filled with peril and only the fact that they travel as husband and wife are they able to evade capture. Despite safely arriving in Maine, Marlowe can’t start over without clearing her name and finding out who frame. Together with Kendric and her new found friends, they work together to catch the culprit. But will they be able to save Marlowe when she’s taken? Read it and find out.

Stoker did a phenomenal job of combining the elements of suspense, drama and romance in order to keep the reader hanging on and on the edge of their seats of this beautiful story of trust, love and perseverance. The chemistry between Kendric and Marlow was evident from the start, but it was the trust and deeply emotional bond between them that made them my favourite couple in the series so far. I love the men of Jack’s Lumber and I can’t wait to read JJ and April’s story.

This arc was kindly provided by Montlake, through Netgalley. Everything said in this review is my honest opinion.

3⭐️ Marlow is wrongfully imprisoned in Thailand and Kendric saves her out of a prison, and takes her on this journey to the border and back to America. On this journey they get ✨married✨ and fall in love with each other.

I found that there was lots of insta-love in this book, and didn’t think it was very realistic. When they got back to America, they moved rather fast and I didn’t feel any real connection between them. Honestly they should have gotten to know each other better.
The friends were really great! Loved the sort of found family aspect of this.

Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend to someone who wants a short-ish romance with a rescue mission and protective mmc!

This is a series that keeps getting better with each book. I have been wanting to know “Bob’s” story since he was first introduced, and this was great. I loved the connection between him and Marlowe. Thus had action, romance, heat, and heart. The perfect afternoon read!

What a great novel that captures you from the beginning, full of non stop drama, action, suspense and romance it makes you laugh and cry. The Hero is the third instalment of the Game of Chance series. I enjoy reading how Susan’s series connects the books with history and friendships/brotherhood. The women are independent and strong and the men are protectors but with a soft side. Kendrick and Marlowe connection and insta love was well written they are great easy to love characters, which made such a great story. I can’t wait for the final book of the series, we have waited for this love story for a while.

I would like to thank Montlake, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this complimentary copy for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#TheHero #NetGalley

High stakes, touch her and find out, with a side of insta-love AND the cutest pet names ever? How could you go wrong.

When Kendric is off on a rescue mission, his connection to Marlowe is instant as he does practically everything he can to get her out of prison after being framed and back on American soil. Y’all — when they inevitably arrive back home his friends came through in such a huge way and had me deep in my feelings.

This book was non-stop action from the beginning up until the very end, after all, the action didn’t stop when he rescued her. It continued onward as Kendric continued to assist her in the fallout; her name and reputation still needed cleared and the people to blame brought to justice.

This book had me on the edge of my seat and their chemistry was wonderful and palpable.


Thank you to Netgalley and Susan Stoker for the eARC!

Outstanding action-adventure romance!

All my favorite things in one book! Insta-love, high stakes, road trip, touch-her-and-die, adorable nicknames, I absolutely adored this amazing book!

Kendric - Bob to his friends - is on another rescue mission, but this one is far from the usual. His connection with Marlowe was instant and palpable, and completely necessary to the success of the barely-planned rescue. Marlowe had no idea what to expect, but she was smart enough to be ready for anything, and that's just what Bob brought - anything and everything to get her out of that foreign prison and safely back on US soil. This was such a joy to read - everything about their long journey home just cemented their connection and showed how deep a love connection can be right from the start.

Only to get back to the States, Bob needs a little help from his friends, who come through for him and Marlowe in a huge way. Then there's still the matter of clearing her name and bringing justice to the one who set her up in the first place. All of this plays out in an intense, can't-put-the-book-down non-stop action sequence that kept me up all night until I was finally rewarded with their sweet, sweet HEA.

I absolutely raved about the earlier two books in this series, and they really are fantastic, but this one is my favorite of them all. There's just one more to go, and this book ends with an introduction to how JJ and April's story is going to start. I can't wait to read more about this fabulous set of friends! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

This author can keep you on the edge of you seat no matter what she writes. This book was no exception! Marlowe is an archeologist, on a dig in Thailand. When she’s framed for selling drugs she’s tossed into prison. Kendrick aka Bob is the man sent to rescue her! The adventure begins!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Kendric "Bob" Evans has been restless every since he and his buddies got out of the military. While being tortured and imprisoned as POWs they made a pact to stick together and build their own company. But living in a small town in Maine doing tree service work just isn't exciting enough. He needs something more challenging to keep the nightmares away so he secretly takes on rescue missions without letting the rest of the guys know. When he sees Marlowe's soulful, hopeless eyes across the prison fence he knows he'll risk anything to save her. And as they endure many challenges on their way across the border, he grows to love her bravery and spirit. Will he be able to let her go once they're back safe in American soil?
I love that this heroic man finally got his HEA. He's been the most tortured brother of the group with his PTSD throughout the series. He deserves a woman as strong and brave as Marlowe who's just as protective of him. The part in between where they get back to America and the final showdown was a bit slow and repetitive, but overall I liked this book.
Thanks to Montlake through Netgalley for the advance copy of this book. The opinions in this review are my own and given voluntarily.

Susan Stoker is a comfort read author that you can always count on for a good romance story. The Hero gives us ex-military, some thrill and suspense, and covert missions. Perfect book to pick up if you want something to keep you on the edge of your seat with a little heat.

The Hero is action-packed right from the start. Kendric is sent to break Marlowe out of an international prison where she is being held for a crime she didn't commit. These two have an instant connection that continues to build as they face challenge after harrowing challenge to make it back to the US.

Kendric and Marlowe realize that they are perfect for each other and go all in once they are home. There are some loose ends to tie up with the person who caused Marlowe to end up in prison. The third act conflict had me on the edge of my seat.

Susan Stoker does a phenomenal job of packing a lot of emotion and suspense into this story. This is book three in the Game of Chance Series and can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading the first two books because they are amazing. I cannot wait for the fourth and final book.

The Hero is the third novel in Susan Stoker's Game of Chance series, and although I've read the first book in the series, The Protector, I haven't read the second one, probably because of its title, The Royal, since I'm not really a fan of novels about royalty, but Ms. Stoker was kind enough to give us enough backstory on that particular royal, and the previous title that I didn't experience any character confusion, and except for a few too many "I love you" exchanges, this was an excellent read and it gets 4.5 stars from this reader. My other issue is the series title, Games of Chance is misleading--these aren't games, lives are at stake in these novels, but the title doesn't really reflect their content.

This novel starts off like gangbusters with the heroine, Marlowe, an archaeologist, working on a dig in Thailand, who witnesses the theft of some recently unearthed rare and priceless coins by one of the newbies on the dig, Ian West. When she confronts Ian about his actions he promises to return the coins to the place they were found--a big mistake because the next day drugs are planted and found in Marlowe's tent, and she's hauled off to a horrid and abusive Thai prison for life. Thankfully, after spending a month in that awful prison, her well-connected brother arranges for her escape and rescue, and it's then we meet the the titular hero--Kendric Evans, aka Bob.

From that point on, their harrowing journey to get Marlowe safely out of Thailand and into Cambodia where Kendric's friend, the aforementioned royal, can help them return to the U.S. before Marlowe is caught and sent back to that prison as a fugitive. It's non-stop danger and non-stop action from that point on. Traveling at night on small side roads on a scooter, it's also the time for some insta-love, and at one safehouse along the way, it's where the two are forced to marry before they are allowed to spend the night together in a tiny hidey-hole, packed together into the tiny space under the floorboards like sardines.

I've always fallen in love with Susan Stoker's heroes--they're invariably smart, strong, brave, beyong capable, caring, and sexy, and Kendric is no different. It's not hard to understand why Marlowe falls in love with her rescuer, since I usually fall in love with Ms. Stoker's alpha heroes too, and I am looking forward to reading her upcoming novel, The Lumberjack, the fourth book in this series.

But this story doesn't end here with Marlowe's rescue. Once Kendric and Marlowe are safely back in the states, Marlowe wants retribution and justice for all she shuffered due to Ian West, and although Kendric is torn about Marlowe putting herself at risk, the plan is set in motion, but will it be successful? I'm not telling since I don't do spoilers, so you'll just have to read this exciting, sexy, danger-laden novel for yourself. In case you've not read the previous novels in this series, have no fear--it works just fine as a standalone, and I think you'll enjoy it every bit as much as I did.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

"The Hero" by Susan Stoker. Well, when reading a work by Ms. Stoker, one expects action, danger, suspense and love and "The Hero" was full of all of these things and more! I adored the main characters, Kendrick and Marlowe. They were thrown into a scary and dangerous situation that created an unbreakable bond. Ms. Stoker has a knack for writing tales that include lots of non-stop action that lasts throughout the entire read and this was not a disappointment. The story flows effortlessly, the characters develop and become more likable with each page and the writing style is one I enjoy. I recommend reading this book. Note - This is the third book in this series - I have read the first two, but I think it can easily be read as a stand alone. Thank you for NetGalley for the chance to read this story.