ARC provided by the Publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Locked, Loaded and Sealed is action packed, filled with romantic suspense, and a happy ever after.

It's a harlequin. It follows the harlequin pattern happy ending, this is why people read harlequins. I enjoy the author but it's still the same formula for all harlequin. Patrons love harlequin.

For me, the only reason I've given it 3 stars is because I liked the dialogue between the two main characters. The story line itself did nothing for me. I wasn't interested at all in what they had to do or meet, and the only reason they seem to come out of it alive is through a lot of luck, especially since everyone involved seems to have died.

I didn't find the 'crime-novel' aspect of this novel very believable. But it's worth a read, purely for the relationship between Austin and Sophia.

Locked, Loaded and SEALed by Carol Erikson is a romantic suspense in the Red, White and Built series. The book was written well and the cover is eye catching; however, it just didn’t pack the punch I was expecting from one of Carol’s books. The action begins as Sophia finds her mentor dead and his office ransacked. The police suspect suicide but she refuses to believe that. Austin is a Navy SEAL sniper who had helped her mentor years ago and was being sent back to ensure his safety. He doesn’t make it in time and receives permission to protect Sophia after an attempt on her life is made.
In the time they spend together they develop a relationship. I liked that Sophia took the initiative in the physical relationship. I am a fan of military suspense books, but this one was missing that chemistry that draws you in to love the characters and anticipate their relationship taking it to the next level.
Sexual content: one very descriptive scene, other scenes not as descriptive
Violence: Someone kills her mentor, and is trying to capture her,

After a tough childhood Sophia is at a better point of her life working along side a doctor who believed she was capable of more. Unfortunately after coming back to the office on night she finds the office ransacked and the doctor dead on the floor. There is more to his death and there are people who believe that Sophia knows more then she lets on. Austin who was supposed to watch over the doc is now looking after Sophia until the person who is after her caught.

You know what after reading that you know its gonna be a good action packed, mystery thriller and it really was. This book was fast paced with small moments of rest before the characters had to go off running or hiding from who was after all the while trying to figure out what was the doctor into before his death. I loved that there was so much going on that I had a hard time putting down the book. I loved that Sophia was a strong character and although she went through plenty of bumps in the road while growing up she met someone who genuinely believe in her worth and she did well for herself. I loved the romance between the two and the story was unique, fun, and interesting.

4 1/2 STARS!

Exciting from the first page and filled with lots of mystery and a touch of romance to grab our attention. The characters are a pleasure to get to know. The ending seemed really abrupt, but we did get a small look into what happened afterwards with an epilogue. Looking forward to more to come in this new series!

Navy SEAL Austin Foley was sent on special assignment to protect a doctor who had put himself in danger previously to help the good guys, but before he can make it there, the doctor winds up dead and his protege Sophia Grant is in danger!

Sophia has no idea what the killers think she may have. She didn't know anything about her mentor's secret mission and can't give them secrets she doesn't have! As bodies start piling up, they race against danger to try to figure out what information got the doctor killed and how they can stop the terrorists. Along the way, Sophia and Austin grow close and can't imagine walking away from each other when this whole mess is over ... will they get the chance to see what the future holds or will the bad guys find them first?

I realized the second I started this book I was going to have to put reality out of my mind and enjoy the ride Carol Ericson. The story has action, romance, some great funny lines and a feisty female who readers will get behind.but remember to suspend disbelief.
The characters were very sympathetic and likable not to mention for once the male Seal wasn't a superhero just a regular guy doing the job he was called to do.
Very easy, fast enjoy read.
Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the Advance Copy.

The intense cover makes promises that the story delivers, and delivers well. I was mesmerized by the escalating tension and danger, the constant deadly attacks making it real and gruesome, someone really was after Sophia Grant, was willing to go to the extreme measures to find out what she knew, and for unknown reasons. The fact that even the characters themselves were not sure what the information was, that they were supposed to have, that had made them the target, gave desperate, fear-filled intensity to the tale, and kept me on my toes.
Sophia Grant had had a horrific childhood. As the little bits of facts of her past are revealed, I was craving more information about her. She had made a remarkable job to survive and make something of herself, despite the circumstances. I admired her, her guts and the bravery she demonstrates in the story.
Austin Foley had grown up in a big, loving family in Wyoming, and had the good old-fashioned family values, he had true gentleman manners and was willing to protect Sophia from any attack in any way he could. His kindness and gentleness with Sophia won me over. The attraction between them was intriguing, the passion they had for each other was fervent yet it was the tenderness and caring that made the feelings take root and bloom.
I enjoyed the story immensely, the fierceness of it, the uncertainty, the courage of the characters, and what they were willing to do and sacrifice to catch the terrorists. I wish there would have been a bit more about the characters themselves, even though the epilogue did open up a little bit more insights to them.
Delicate, poignant romance blossoming in the middle of a savage, violent, and fatal action-filled tale.
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

This was a riveting thrill ride from start to finish. The book begins with Sophia finding her friend and mentor, a Pakistani-born doctor, dead in his ransacked office. Austin Foley is a Navy SEAL sniper who helped get the doctor out of Pakistan and away from the terrorists who wanted him dead; his guilt over failing to save the man a second time drives him to protect Sophia and together the two of them team up to find out just what was worth killing for.

In the process (because this IS a Harlequin) they fall for each other, of course. It's a very believable, action-packed romance and I have no hesitation in giving it five stars. I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

‘Locked, Loaded and SEAled’ is a terribly cheesy title—even for a Harlequin’s category book—as it made me think of Christmas come early with guns involved. Which is really the furthest from what anyone can guess what the story would be about without reading the summary. Yet I’m still a mixed bag after finishing the book, mostly because because the parts that stretched my ability to suspend disbelief: a SEAL operating on home soil, finally taking a shot at a perp, yet not really getting intro trouble for it, to begin with. The leeway that Austin Foley had for a ’normal’ SEAL, his sudden insertion into the accidental role of bodyguard and even his dealings with the CIA/spec ops (we aren’t exactly told how it worked) made his involvement a little too convenient, and I simply felt the connections seemed tenuous and threads that were seemingly unrelated never quite clicked into place as they were supposed to.

Still, it was an easy read, with characters that were sort of sympathetic and likeable, though it dangerously skirted the instant love part after a few days of meeting and non-stop investigation. Austin did thankfully shape out to be more like a regular guy than the Marvel superhero (as spec ops characters are typically portrayed) but Sophia however, felt like a loose cannon or a wild card at times, her behaviour making it impossible to guess how she’d react to any given situation. So while Austin was easier to take in, there were times I was left scratching my head when Sophia said or did something I didn’t expect.

In short, there were bits that I liked and bits that still had me frowning in scepticism. But because it ended with some kind of huge leap in logic and in Austin/Sophia’s relationship, I finished the book wondering if I’d really missed something after all.