This is a lovely story. I enjoyed the chemistry between Characters . I highly recommend this book. Totally worth ☆☆☆☆☆

My rating 4..75. I really liked this engaging romance with danger and military elements.

Annie Murray is a calm, ecotherapist who loves her strays. She is using her unique therapy skills at a rehab center for vets while she gathers resources to open an animal sanctuary. She cares for unusual pets like abandoned baby skunks, two llamas, an injured donkey and more. But Annie has other ‘strays’ she doesn’t want, like an ex-boyfriend who is having trouble understanding the words “not interested” and a stalker who might be her ex or someone more dangerous.

Cole Makani Hunter is a former Navy Seal who has lost his hearing and the use of one arm. He isn’t really interested in the rehab work but he has been sent in undercover. Once he meets Annie and experiences her tough, take no guff attitude, Cole finds his protective instincts are kicking into gear. Cole is a large man who could imitate Annie, but she stands her ground with him.

The very beginning of the story is a little slow but soon Cole is introduced as a character and the banner, rapport and tension quickly pickup. I was drawn in by these characters and their vulnerabilities and strengths. I had never heard of ecotherapy but really like the idea and it was fun how the author used that with Cole’s reluctance. I also appreciated how the author portrayed the problems a deaf man would face, especially one trained as a seal to have super situational awareness. There is emotion through the story, fear, distrust, insecurity, loss and some love and joy. The protagonists may have been reluctant to see themselves together but fortunately that changes along the way.

Although this isn’t action packed, there is strong tension as harmful acts toward Annie escalate. The author provides short glimpses of a twisted villain, but the person isn’t revealed until near the end. The writing is direct and moves at a good pace. I hope to read more by this author. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy a good romantic suspense.

I received this ebook through NetGalley.

4 Star

I was pulled right into this story. The story has laughs, secrets, suspense, danger, grief, and heartbreak.

This is Annie and Cole’s story. Cole is on an undercover mission at a rehab center for vets. While there he needs to solve a case. He is at a little disadvantage as he lost his hearing and can’t use his right arm but his ex-commanding officer sent him on this mission, so he will try as hard as he can to solve the case. Annie is working in the Rehab place even through her dream is to open an animal sanctuary out of her home. When she finds herself in danger she thinks she knows who is after her. But is she correct? Or is there more then one person after her? What happens when Annie and Cole get closer? When danger comes to the rehab place will she be able to turn to Cole for help or will his secrets he is keeping make her run away and end up straight in the danger zone? Will these two make it out of danger or are they about to both lose everything?

I was able to connect with the characters and the story was a great read.

I recommend this book.

Sadly I had a hard time trying to connect with these characters.

Annie Murray is an eco-therapist, using nature to heal those afflicted with mental wounds you cannot always see and physical wounds which probably can never disappear. Peace-loving Annie’s dream is to open an animal sanctuary for those four-footed friends who need a place to belong. She is sunshine, lightness and fresh air. Cole Hunter is none of those things. A wounded, now former Navy Seal, he is hurting, he is dark and beneath the facade of strength is a broken soul. Sent to a rehab in Broslin Creek, PA run by a former soldier Murphy Dolan, Cole is not happy at being forced to “commune with nature” by the hippy nature therapist. But soon Cole’s mission at the rehab comes to the fore - someone is selling military secrets to the enemy abroad and that traitor is in their midst at the center. And as things heat up between Cole and Annie, so does the danger!

First off, I am hard-pressed to think of another author that has so skillfully mastered the art of the first sentence. Ms. Marton has managed to snap you to attention with the very first line in this book! The plot in intriguing and I was mesmerised to find out who the traitor was. The characters were well-drawn and the setting captured my interest as well. As always, I love the way this author writes, and this book was no exception to that.

Then you have Cole and Annie. At first blush is seems to be an “opposites attract” dynamic, but do be fooled, as the contrast between Cole and Annie is not so black and white as one thinks! For all her soft goodness, Annie has a steel core stronger that the tree trunks she loves to lean against. Annie has felt loss, has felt pain and chose a different way to deal with it than Cole has. And Cole - beneath muscles and a scowl lies a good, loyal heart with a touch of softness thrown in. Cole doesn’t want to be drawn into Annie’s world, but he is. And the bond these two develop winds up bringing out the best in each. I found the romance side of the book touching, real and satisfying!

Although this book is labeled “Mission Recovery #1,” the story is set in Broslin Creek, the site of Ms. Marton’s Broslin Creek series, so there was a certain “familiarity” built in to this book. I loved the ending - for all the roughness and mystery surrounding the story, it had a tender romance at its heart! A+

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

I just LOVED this book. It was full of action and suspense. It kept me guessing through out. The characters are wonderful. I fell in love with Cole and Annie. I loved the fact that the author described the two main characters and that neither one were considered "attractive". The beauty was the heart and soul of the character not the typical physical that is so all over in books. It makes me feel good to see that even "plain Janes" like myself have a place in books!!! I was really hated to see this story end. It was so engrossing. It will have your emotions all over the place. I highly recommend this book to anyone. It will be one that you will want to read over and over.

This is the first book in the series and was overall a super read.while I did find it a little slow in places don't let that put you off once it picks back up it is a great read.I really liked Annie she was a fantastic character and I really did like her and Cole together.A really great start to the series and a good romance with a little action and excitement thrown in.

Nothing seems to be going Annie’s way. Her endless cycle of bad luck was just something else she was trying to work through. Having poor taste in men she was hesitant to enter into another relationship. Having Cole as her patient was something that would change her in more ways than she could possibly imagine. As he slowly worked through the haunting images that continued to play through his mind he begins to heal from serving his country. An excellent tale on how the military protect our freedoms at tremendous cost to themselves.

I haven't a clue why or how I've not read a book by Dana Marton until now, but when I saw the opportunity to request an advance reader copy of the first book in a new series, I thought it was the perfect time to start reading her, and I'm very glad I did, because this one book has turned me into a fan, and it gets 4-1/2 stars from this reader.

To begin with, there are two engaging main characters, Annie Murphy, ecotherapist (the first time I've ever heard of such a profession), and rescuer of injured animals--skunks, pot bellied pigs, a donkey, cats, dogs, and pretty much any creature you can imagine, was endearing from the start. Then there's Cole Makani Hunter, a great, big, tattooed hunk of a former Navy SEAL sniper, a wounded warrior who lost his hearing and the most of the use of his right arm after he survived a helicopter crash, was captured and brutally tortured for 6 months before escaping, and, who has the PTSD to prove it. His physical description made me see him as a cross between Jason Momoa and John Cena--but somewhat scarier than both of them.

Although Annie and Cole first meet at a rest stop early on, they aren't actually introduced until Annie goes to her job at Hope Hill, a treatment facility for wounded warriors, where Annie works as an ecotherapist, using the natural, peaceful surroundings of hills and woodlands, birdsong, and the rustling of leaves to allow her patients to find a calm center, meditate, and let the peace and serenity of nature work its wonders on their troubled souls. Cole's deafness poses a problem--it doesn't allow him to hear the birds, or the rustling of leaves, and at first he doesn't think much of ecotherapy in general, calling Annie a tree-hugger, but he slowly becomes both intrigued and attracted by the kindness and peace of being around Annie. Annie too, finds Cole both appealing and intimidating, but he's a patient and she's his therapist, and any interaction between them beyond therapy is inappropriate and they both know that.

Add into the mix Annie's ex-boyfriend, Joey, who's been stalking her since their breakup, and who appears to be escalating, because dead animals keep turning up near the edge of Annie's property, fences are torn down and damaged, and, unbeknownst to her, people around Annie are dying, and she feels she's being watched. Cole too, senses danger and wants to protect Annie, while keeping her in the dark about his real reason for being at Hope Hill, and I'll keep you in the dark about that too, since I don't do spoilers, but I will tell you that Cole isn't all he appears to be, and Annie's stalker may or may not be who we're led to believe he is at the outset, and there is no shortage of possible suspects.

The twin mysteries interwoven through Silent Threat kept this reader guessing until the exciting conclusion of this engaging, charming, and emotion-packed novel of romantic suspense, and it certainly made me a fan of Ms. Marton's writing. It was a very well-written novel, with strong, troubled and interesting main and secondary characters, and if you're not already a fan of Ms. Marton's work, it may turn you into one, just as it did for me.

Published 1/25/2018:

He scissored his legs, pulled hers out from under her, and brought her to the ground. Then, on some stupid impulse, he rolled on top of her to immobilize her, like he would have with an enemy combatant.
She stared up at him, wide-eyed, her long hair spread over the carpet of autumn leaves. She was soft against all his hard places.
“Maybe I could get into this one-with-nature business.”

Silent Threat by Dana Marton is a riveting tale of sexy romantic suspense. Dana is one of my favorite authors and her books never fail to ratchet my pulse while pulling on my heartstrings. This is the story of ecotherapist Annie Murray and wounded warrior and former Navy SEAL Cole Makani Hunter. She’s being stalked and he’s in recovery rehab.

I liked Annie and Cole a lot. Annie is such a positive influence! She connects well with others. She’s innately qualified to share nature’s health benefits with the vets at the clinic where she works part-time. Her ecotherapy classes help vets reconnect with nature via barefoot walks in the woods and drawing analogies from nature that the vets can relate to their issues. The unique pet sanctuary she runs out of her home goes the extra mile to illustrate what a huge heart she has. Her caring lifestyle extends not just to her patients and pets but embraces those who have wronged her, including her maternal grandfather. When she is assigned Cole’s case, she knows that he will be a challenge for her, but it’s one that she looks forward to!

The last thing Cole believes he needs is a tree-hugging class. But, during their first meeting, he amazingly relaxes enough for a quick snooze – something he’s not been able to do with drugs since he was injured. Despite his reservations about Annie’s unorthodox methods, Cole vows to give ecotherapy a chance. He finds himself drawn to her warm and positive spirit. When she finds herself in danger, Cole becomes her protector. Cole has near total hearing loss, limited mobility in his right arm and a boatload of psychological issues from the trauma of losing his team and being tortured and held as a prisoner of war for six months. He’s been sent to this rehab centre on the premise that he’s there for treatment. That’s true – but Cole won’t admit that he needs help. There’s another reason Cole is there and it’s the reason that Cole adheres to but cannot share. Someone at the centre is leaking secrets to the enemy in Yemen. Cole’s mission is to uncover the staff or patient who is responsible for these transmissions. So, Cole participates in the therapy program and, every chance he gets, he investigates, and spends time with Annie.

Intermingling with our main characters, are a few treasured players from Dana’s Broslin Creek series. For instance, when Deathwatch (Broslin Creek #1), ended, Murphy Dolan and Kate, his girlfriend, had big plans for a veterans’ rehab center. One of Silent Threat’s primary settings is that now-operational Hope Hill Rehab Centre in Broslin, Pennsylvania which offers an array of counseling options including traditional, ecotherapy, acupuncture and meditation.

This book also served to educate me on some serious subjects in an interesting and entertaining way. I learned that American Sign Language (ASL) is the fourth-most-studied language in college now. Studies show that ASL grows your brain. Researchers have documented an eight-to-thirteen-point rise in IQ in kids who study ASL. It makes me want to take some classes in it! In addition, anyone who gardens, can speak for the benefits that being in nature bestow. I had no idea that there was a name for it. Regardless, I was more-than-intrigued by Annie’s ecotherapy methods and want to try a few of the heroine’s tips.

Following please find a few of my favorite quotes from Silent Threat:

He blinked. “Have you ever run naked through the woods?”
“Certainly.” She allowed a moment to enjoy the way his eyes flared.
“Why? His voice roughened, deepened, back to that just-awakened grizzly-bear tone.
“To be one with nature, without barriers. To feel the wind and the moonlight on my skin.”
Several seconds passed before he responded. “You can’t feel moonlight.”
She smiled…
---

“Notice the way the dirt feels under your feet, how great the air smells, how beautiful the trees are, how calm and majestic.”
He snorted, and she could tell he was fighting not to roll his eyes as he asked, “Calm as opposed to what? All the other trees that run around like headless chickens?”
---

“Ninja therapy is a completely different branch. I could never do that. I don’t even like wearing black.”

This story starts off with a bang and the thrills don’t let up till the very end. The tension, suspense and action scenes are heart-arresting. The couple’s romantic relationship is not rushed. It’s a slow-build development with plenty of push and pull from each side and a delight to watch from the sidelines. Their banter is priceless and often left me either laughing or swooning or both. I’ve read the extended epilogue twice – it’s that good. Now, I can’t wait to see where Dana takes this series next.

Well written and an enjoyable story. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more by this author.

Book was not downloaded on to my kindle before it was archived. Unable tor review.

What a wonderful story! Fantastic characters, even the bad guys, and certainly the pets!

When Navy SEAL, Cole, met ecotherapist, Annie, never had a pair been so different. But as time goes on he is learning to appreciate her ways. She appreciates his help.

He has a secret though and while he's trying to make things better for her he's finding out more about her too, but will it be enough to overcome his secret? Can his broken body keep her safe from safe from some random stalker?

I cannot wait to read more!

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fabulous new series! With a less than perfect hero and lots of anxieties to overcome!

Annie is an eco-therapist and is one of the therapists at Hope Hill. She is also the softest hearted person ever! She can't say no to an animal on trouble and as such she shares her home with a donkey, some llamas and a pig...oh and a pack of baby skunks!

Cole is still coming to terms with the loss of his hearing and an injury to his arm. He has been in a pretty dark place but when a former commander asks him to undertake a recon mission at Hope Hill after leaked secrets were traced back to the facility, he thinks the whole set up is a lot of baloney. But even this crusty old veteran falls under the spell of Annie and her kinds hippy dippy new age mumbo jumbo!

But there is more than treason afoot. There is also a stalker ex boyfriend and a newer, darker secret admirer that Annie has to deal with. Cole will do what he can but he doubts some of his skills now due to his physical limitations.

Great story. I was a read brain twister, trying to figure out who was doing what. Can't wait for more!

Awesome story!! This book covers many things including Veterans getting assistance when they return home changed, suspense, what real insanity looks like, romance and love. Annie is an ecotherapist who wants to help other human beings in need but also open an animal sanctuary. Cole comes to Hope Hill where Annie works. Unfortunately, he's not there just for therapy but covert reasons as well. Hey, once a Navy SEAL.... Someone's selling confidential information. Annie's life has been difficult and the last is hard to overcome but she'll try to save every living creature she can - even baby skunks. I received a complementary copy of this book via Net Galley and chose to write a review. Awesome job Ms. Martin all the characters added to the story no matter who they were.

Never having read any stories by this author I was quickly surprised by how involved the reader gets with the story. Totally enjoyed the story and the author is now on my list of must buys.

Silent Threat is definitely a good read filled with suspense, intrigue and romance. A peace loving eco-therapist meets a hard ass Navy Seal Cole Makani Hunter, injured, recovering and undercover. Good plot, great penmanship, and enough suspense and intrigue to last until the last page.

A great romantic read with a good story line. What's not to like?

ARC provided by the author and publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
This is my first Dana Morton novel and I was pleasantly surprised. The two lead characters, Cole the wounded Navy Seal who is undercover at Harmony Hill , and Annie, the ecotherapist, there are total opposites but fit each other perfectly. Both characters have secrets in their past that the author alludes to and then reveals as the story unfolds, keeping the reader engaged. The storyline has a good pace, is well developed and has a few red herrings thrown in for interest. I didn't quite get the relevance of the home reno and the collapsing wall other than to have Annie move to Harmony Hill..
I will definitely be looking at this author again for future reads.

Cole Makani Hunter was injured badly in the mission that cost him his best friend. So, in order to start healing and get back to living his life the best he can, he's assigned an undercover operation by his boss in order to find the person responsible for leaking sensitive military information. However, nothing is ever simple, especially when he finds himself falling for peace-loving ecotherapist, Annie Murray; a woman that has her own troubles with a stalker. Will Cole be able to find the information he needs and keep Annie safe, or will he lose Annie before their relationship has a chance to grow into something more?

I've only read a couple of books by Ms. Marton, but I've got to say that I loved this opening book of her new Mission Recovery series, and can't wait to see what comes next for it. Really, there was everything I love in a romantic suspense within this book such as enthralling characters that are so opposite that it makes things extremely interesting; compelling dialogue that was a fantastic combination of suspense and romance; and an entertaining storyline that had me wanting to know whether Cole and Annie would get their happy ever after, especially with everything they go through. Will Annie be able to forgive Cole once she learns his secret? Will Cole discover who Annie's stalker is before it's too late? Will Annie and Cole survive the danger I know was coming towards the end of the book?

With the main characters, both entertained me from start to finish with their back stories and their interactions that had me laughing at the times Cole mocks Annie's therapy methods when it comes to tree-hugging. Moreover, the hero and heroine are both resilient in being able to overcome everything they've gone through in their pasts that's made them the independent and hard-working people they are determined to help others. I also liked how determined the hero was to protect the heroine, even though it's not easy because he can't tell her his secret. While the heroine, I liked how good she is at her job and that she would do anything to help a patient, especially when it comes to handling grief due to what happens to one of the secondary characters.

Overall, Ms. Marton has delivered a really good read in this book where the chemistry between Cole and Annie was powerful; the romance showed how good these two are together; and the ending had me worried for the main characters because of the danger, but had me liking how things work out for the best for this hero and heroine. However, it was the last chapter that wrapped this story up perfectly, because Annie's family curse has finally been broken, which is proven by her being with Cole and their wonderful surprise. I would recommend Silent Threat by Dana Marton, if you enjoy romantic suspense or books by authors Laura Griffin, Zoe Dawson, Lynn Raye Harris and Katie Reus.