Threat of Danger was my first book by Dana Marton and most certainly be my last. It was a well-written, well-plotted, crime thriller/romantic suspense. There's excellent chemistry, entertaining side characters, and a satisfying second-chance romance to enjoy. Not to mention the excellent twists that keep you guessing and hooked on the story from the first chapter. Highly recommend!

Dana Marton writes some pretty powerful thrillers and the second book in her Mission Recovery Series does keep you at the edge of the seat. With an interesting plot, Dana weaves an intense story between Jess Taylor and Derek Daley, a traumatic event giving them a past together, and a present that brings them together years later with a killer still on the lose.

A definite worthy read!

Guilt was a living, breathing thing. Guilt could tie you tighter than ropes, and he should know. He had extensive experience with both. He’d been the captive of a madman, along with Jess, for three days that had felt like an eternity. Then, this past year, he’d been a POW in Afghanistan, the prisoner of insurgents, for six torturous months. Yet it had been the three days with Jess that had broken him in ways the insurgents could never accomplish.

Threat of Danger by Dana Marton is both romantic and chilling. It is set in the small town of Taylorville, Vermont, and recounts the tale of two sweet and innocent young lovers who are kidnapped and assaulted by a serial killer. They are extremely lucky and survive – and go on to live separate lives, individually stronger from their ordeal. Until one day, they meet up again in their hometown where the killer has never been caught.

Threat of Danger is the second installment in Dana’s Mission Recovery series, but it can be fully enjoyed as a stand alone read. There’s only a quick mention in passing of the hero and heroine from the first book within this tale so there’s no reason not to jump right in with this fabulous read if that is your preference.

This story focuses on Hollywood stuntwoman Jess Taylor and ex-Navy SEAL and author Derek Daley. As a teenager, Derek was Jess’ dreamboat. Sadly, on their first real date, they were kidnapped by a psychopath. Over three days, she was tortured while Derek was tied down and forced to watch. They were both understandably crushed by the experience. Shortly after, Jess fled from every reminder of her previous life to LA where she attended therapy and became a successful stuntwoman, gaining focus and strength. However, when Jess’ mother falls, she reluctantly returns home after a decade away to be there for her and to keep the family’s maple syrup business on track.

Derek also left the area after their life-changing experience. He joined the Navy and the SEAL program. His military career came to an abrupt end after a helicopter crash which also involved six months as a POW. He returned home and took up writing as a form of therapy which then morphed into a career as a bestselling author of thrillers. When he learned that Jess has returned home to assist her mother while she recuperates, he fears that the woman he’s always loved will be hurt by the plans he has set in place.

Sadly, all these years later, young girls are still disappearing and the aura of danger is pervasive. Will the two defeat their demons once and for all and can their romance be rekindled?

Threat of Danger is told from the POV of both the villain and the captives thus taking readers into the mind of a disturbed individual while painting a picture of his victims’ perseverance. You can feel the connection between Derek and Jess from the get-go. Their characters are richly developed and easy to connect to. I liked how Dana intentionally incorporated coping techniques in their tale. For instance, her trainer taught her “restate and reframe” stunts, which evolved to become her life’s mantra.

Following please find a few of my favorite lines from Threat of Danger:

Within the magnificent cathedral of the Vermont forest, the joy of young love sang.
---

The bones changed everything.
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“You can’t see it, but you gave me a raging hard-on.”
“One-track mind.”
“It’s a good track.”
---

“I’m a Navy SEAL. Nobody will hear me coming.”

Dana is one of my favorite authors. She writes exceptional stories in multiple genres. Notably, one of her books has placed in my list of top ten favorite reads each year since I discovered her.

If the word “rape” is a major trigger for you, you may want to veer away from this read. Just know that the author doesn’t dwell upon the event. Yes, parts of the story are hard to read. Violence against women does occur. But, know that the emphasis herein is not on being a victim, but on dealing with the aftermath, and becoming a stronger person after going through a traumatic near-death experience. Dana handles the episode in a sensitive and thoughtful way.

Threat of Danger is an intense, emotional and inspirational read about second chances. It is teeming with love and forgiveness and ranks as another hit out of the ballpark for me. As the story opens, their past is admittedly darkly tragic, but their future is yet to be written. I highly recommend Threat of Danger to anyone who enjoys well-written and perfectly-plotted romantic thrillers.

THREAT OF DANGER by Dana Marton. Well, Ms. Marton certainly knows how to grab her readers and take them for a ride. The danger level is high in this one. I found myself on the edge the whole time. Jess and Derek went through a harrowing experience whey they were young. Now, years later they reconnect but is danger still lurking? Jess, a stuntwoman, lives life on the edge and Derek, no stranger to danger as a former SEAL, now is a best selling author. Of course, reunions aren't always happy and easy and these two have the history to make it a tough one but Ms. Marton takes these two on a journey that had me turning the pages eagerly and anxiously to see what would happen next. If you enjoy a story that has a couple that are strong yet vulnerable, and a bad guy causing havoc, this is the one for you. (received ARC for honest review)

I have chosen not to read and review this tile. While the blurb drew me to the story, I was not engaged with the characters or the way the story was written.

I appreciate the opportunity to review this early title and am looking forward to the next title through your company.

Thanks,
Laura

I really enjoyed this book and could not wait to read it after reading and enjoying the previous book in the series. You don't want to miss Jess and Devon's book this book was amazing and scary and will have you hooked and on the edge of your seat I picked it up wanting to read the first couple of chapters before bed but could not stop reading it. A super read I would recommend it to all.

Oh. My. Goodness! What a horrific bank story for a couple to have. I'm not giving anything away, but seriously whoa.
I've always enjoyed Dana Marton's books. This was a good read as well.

Dana Marton is a fairly new author to me, the only novel of hers I'd read until now was the first book in her Mission Recovery series, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but Threat of Danger absolutely knocked my socks off as an excellent, well-written, and well-plotted novel of romantic suspense and it get 5 stars from this reader.

Ten years ago, teenage lovers Jess Taylor and Derek Daley were losing their virginity to one another in a small, abandoned cabin in the woods, when they were abducted by a masked, sadistic madman, brought to his camper, and in the case of Jess, stripped, bound, raped, beaten, starved and tortured, while Derek's role was to watch helplessly and impotently from the sidelines, also tightly bound. After 3 days of horror, Derek managed to get loose, save Jess, and in the ensuing chase, drown their captor, or did they? His body was never found, and Jess and Derek were forever changed and haunted by what happened to them, but they refused to be victims.

After healing from her overt wounds, Jess fled her family home in Vermont and went to the other side of the country, Los Angeles, where she became a strong, talented movie stuntwoman. Derek entered the military, eventually becoming a Navy SEAL, until 6 months of capture and torture at the hands of insurgents ended is military career, leaving him with scars, a limp, and PTSD. Eventually he purged himself of his bad memories by becoming a well-known writer of mystery/thriller novels.

Ten years later, Jess is finally back in Vermont, somewhere she didn't even visit for her father's funeral. This time it's her mother's broken hip that brings her back home. Derek is already there, waiting to appear at his hometown bookstore with the release of his latest bestselling novel. He's never forgotten what happened 10 years earlier, and he's certainly not forgotten Jess, although the Jess who returns to Vermont isn't anything like the Jess who left, and Jess is shocked to discover that Derek is still around, living in his hometown rather than glitzy New York. She's prickly as all get out, and seeing Derek again brings back memories of their horrible experience and her shame that Derek witnessed her at her worst. It also revives Derek's feelings of helplessness and guilt at being unable to stop their attacker, and the suspicion that since his drowned body was never found, that he's still among them, hiding in plain sight, because every two years or so, another teenage girl disappears.

I loved that Ms. Marton set the novel in my adopted state of Vermont, and that Jess's family has long been in the maple sugaring business. The author nailed everything about the process so well, that I could practically smell the maple sap boiling. It's a harsh setting in March--gray, cold, dark and snowy and that atmosphere is something I know so well, and it added a touch of realism to this stark story. I also loved the fact that Jess and Derek didn't immediately fall into each others arms and that both had tried to deal with what they experienced 10 years earlier in their own way. I also liked the strained relationship with Jess and her mother, and her shock at discovering that her mother was now seeing her former high school principal.

There's a lot more going on in Taylorville, Vermont than first meets the eye, and as far as romantic suspense novels go, this one is a real nail-biter, and it grabbed me from from the very first page and kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning. I loved the tension, I loved the mystery, and wow, what a climax that I never saw coming! It was a great read, it cemented my Dana Marton fandom, and as long as the issues dealt with in this novel aren't triggers for you, it's one I highly recommend.

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

✦Review: THREAT OF DANGER (Mission Recovery Book 2) by Dana Marton https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-aP3
Publication Date: June 5, 2018
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated 5 Stars

This story kept me captive and wouldn’t let go. I’ll admit that I had my doubts in the very beginning, but then the mystery began to unfold. It was a nice combination of edgy fear and hometown comfort blended together to make a smooth flowing story. Jess and Derek not only had to deal with the psychological impact of their past trauma, rekindling their old relationship, and real-life issues – there was a serial killer on the loose. It all came to a boiling point that had me clenching my teeth. I loved this romantic thriller.

*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

~*~*~*~

Kindle https://amzn.to/2srS67B

✦Book 1: SILENT THREAT (Mission Recovery Book 1) by Dana Marton
Kindle http://amzn.to/2Eq3ENd | Review 4.5 Stars https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-ayv

This is a standalone Romance thriller that is complex and very well written. Instead of a secret rendezvous by two young adults they are kidnapped and tortured for several days. JESP vowed never to be a victim again is spent her life becoming in powered while Derek fun of his aggression in the military and turned into an author trying to write out his demons . As adults, can they come to terms with their past, forgive one another is the demon from their dreams. I enjoyed the characters complexity and the evolution of the story.

This is the second book in this series by this author. This is a romantic thriller read, which will keep you hooked till the last page. This story is full of angst, mystery and love. Amazing characters, which you just like from the first page. I can't wait to read more from this amazing author in the future.



Highly recommended

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars

A second chance romance and a second encounter with a serial killer combine in a story set in a small town in Vermont. The result is alternately sweet and terrifying. It is an exciting read with well-developed characters and a beautiful sense of place.

After a terrifying incident in college, Jess made sure she would never again be a victim. Ten years later, she is a successful and fit stunt woman with a pretty scary skillset. Similarly determined to never let the past repeat itself, Derek became a Navy SEAL. But when Derek and Jess both return to their hometown, they realise that the past hasn’t finished with them.

I loved the contrasts in this book. I can’t think of anywhere more peaceful than Jess’ family’s maple syrup farm in rural Vermont. Tiny hints of the predator who was never found play out against Jess’ quiet family dramas. Similarly, Derek’s reclusive life as an author contrasts starkly with his experiences as a SEAL and the thrillers he writes. For most of the book, it is impossible to untangle Jess’ PTSD and paranoia from her current fears.

Jess and Derek are kinda perfect together. I love that the conflict between them is about the past events Jess still associates with Derek – leaving their relationship free from unnecessary angst. They feel like adults and they communicate like adults.

The thriller part of this book starts slow and explodes near the end. Parts of the story were crazy scary. I liked that I didn’t figure out the whodunnit until almost the end – and that there were clues that I missed along the way. I really enjoyed this book.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆
Triggers: Kidnapping, torture, rape

When the worst time of your life is coupled with what you hope to be the best night of your life and you survive, you tend to run as fast and as far as you can when you get away. That's what happened to Derek and Jess.

They survived but it changed them. Some people believed they made up the entire thing, others believed them but were accusing all the same.

Jess begged her parents to sell the land and move, but they refused, so she left and never looked back. She never wanted the notoriety or the publicity and every time a story ran in the local paper about what happened, she turned inside herself a little more. She didn't even return to town for her father's funeral because of her fear of the local press.

Derek has lived with the guilt of not being able to save Jess from the torture and rape. Not only could he not stop it, he had to watch it. He was to live to tell everyone what had happened there, in that tiny camper. Except they got away.

Ten years later, she's back because of her mother's failing health and she really has no choice. Over the years, both she and Derek have matured but have never forgotten that fateful night that changed everything for them. Although they suspect the killer is still out there, they just don't realize how close he really is.

A very good book that keeps you guessing until the very end.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Thriller
Triggers: Kidnapping, torture, rape, stalking

Jess and Derek have a shared traumatic experience. They were just teenagers, but it left a mark on both of them so deep that they both had to get away. Jess ran as fast and as far as she could – despite her family choosing their business and their way of life, Jess knew that if she stayed, she'd forever be known as the victim. Derek ran, but in a much more "save the world" type manner. After joining the armed forces, he realizes that he is much better off writing and entertaining.

When Jess' mom has a bad fall, she has no choice but to return to the town that is in each of her nightmares. However, once there, she realizes that she can fit in both worlds. Despite having a horrible experience in her young life, coming home does have a certain comfort.

Derek is trying to live his life, but when he realizes Jess is back, sees that there is still a major attraction there, he can't help but see if he can rekindle what could have been. He is now a successful author and a part of Jess' family, since she was gone so long.

These two dance around the mystery of their abduction and torture – is the killer truly out there? Will anyone believe them this time? Who else must go missing in order for their story to be taken seriously? Both Derek and Jess believe that their kidnapper is still at large, however, the evidence to support that is thin.

This story kept you guessing and didn't disappoint. The secondary characters were also well developed and added a great depth to the story. I can't wait for more.

I really had trouble getting into the book initially and getting caught up in the emotions of the characters. The storyline was good, but it just didn’t stand out in my mind amongst other books in the genre. The blurb was great, but overall the book just fell flat for me.

Teenagers trysting in the wood, little did they realize that they were a target of a serial killer. Fortunately they got away but the incident has threatened and overshadowed their lives. Now she's a Hollywood stunt woman who lives life on the edge, he's served his time in special forces now retired to become a famous author. When she finally returns to her home town after years of absence the killer is still waiting for the one who got away. Will things end differently this time around?
As Jess goes around the small town rekindling old friendships and old memories not necessarily of the good kind, Derek tries by turns to get her to leave or stay close so he can protect her. He knows the serial killer is still out there making small kills to keep his appetite whetted as evidenced by the bones he collects on his daily rambling. The police and the local news paper is not convinced that they have a serial killer, the few local teenager disappearances being explained as runaways. The readers know the truth through the experiences of the young teenager who waits in vain for a rescue from her beloved parents even as she longs for death to free her from the depravity of the killer who has her in his grasp.
It is inevitable that Derek and Jess's strong chemistry leads them to the night that had been interrupted by a serial killer while they were still in high school. When circumstances repeat themselves and Jess willingly surrenders to the killer to save an innocent will she once again be successful in getting away? With a nice touch of the supernatural, the story plays out in a small Vermont town keeping the readers engaged, adrenaline pumping and rooting for the killer to get his comeuppance.
Ms. Marton spins an excellent tale and I for one am a fan.

Threat of Danger was a fantastic read with a gripping suspense plot and an amazing second chance at love romance.

For Jess Taylor and Derek Daley, experiencing first love ended in tragedy when they were kidnapped and tortured by a serial killer. While they managed to escape, they never could forget what happened and fled their small Vermont town. When a family emergency pulls Jess from her job as one of Hollywood’s best stuntwomen back to her hometown, she realizes now is the time to put everything behind her once and for all. Running into Derek though was not part of the plan, nor was confronting the feelings that still linger between them. But as the two are inevitably drawn together, a killer is moving increasingly closer.

In the years since Jess fled her hometown, she has spent her time building up her career as a stuntwoman and has become one of the top women in the business. She refuses to allow herself to ever be afraid again and has a mantra of “restate and reframe” to make herself see any situation in a new light. I enjoyed seeing a heroine with an unconventional career and admired how much time and energy Jess put into her work.

To escape their town, Derek joined the Navy and became a SEAL, a career that was cut short after a helicopter accident left him with a permanent leg injury. In the years since leaving the Navy, Derek has returned to his hometown and has become a bestselling thriller writer using past experiences to create authentic and exciting stories. I thought it was pretty cool to have the hero be a writer as that’s a profession I don’t see for the male lead very often.

Jess and Derek’s relationship didn’t start out well upon meeting again ten years after the tragedy that tore them apart. For Jess, Derek was too closely tied to what happened that she has a hard time facing him. And for Derek, he sees Jess being back as too dangerous as he believes the person who kidnapped them is still around. It becomes obvious very quickly though that they both still love each other and ultimately those feelings push aside any doubts they have. Jess and Derek do have great chemistry and there are some incredibly sexy scenes between them.

The suspense plot in this book is very well done and was my favorite part of the book. The mystery of who the killer was and how many crimes did he commit were quite interesting. While it is mentioned what happened to Jess and Derek ten years ago when they were kidnapped (TW: torture and rape), the events don’t appear on page with the exception of their escape. When the killer’s identity was revealed, I was quite surprised by who they were but felt it worked well for the direction the story went.

I enjoyed Threat of Danger even more than the first book in the series and I’m hoping there will be more books in the series in the future. I would recommend this series to fans of romantic suspense with some harder hitting topics.

Jess Taylor and Derek Daley survived a harrowing experience at the hands of a serial killer, but in the end, both couldn't handle staying in their small Vermont town. However, when Jess's mom hurts herself, Jess returns home to take care of her. Yet, Derek is back in town too and Jess is determined to keep her distance. Except that's hard to do when bones are found, leading Jess and Derek to believe that the person that once hurt them is back too? Will they finally be able to put a stop to a serial killer or will the pair lose their second chance at happy ever after?

I've read quite a few of Ms. Marton's books, but this story is the best of the ones I've read. It was utterly captivating and thrilling due to the incredible main characters, the fast-paced plot that encompassed plenty of suspense and a good dose of romance, and extremely entertaining dialogue that had me reading quickly, determined to discover what the killer would do towards the end. The way this story started was exciting because of what the heroine is doing, but it was from the moment the hero and heroine come face-to-face for the first time where this story really comes alive, as being around Derek is a painful reminder of what happened in the past. Will Derek be able to win Jess over?

As for the dialogue, it was intense due to the main characters back stories and everything they go through when the inevitable confrontation with the serial killer occurs. Will they come out on top against the bad guy? Moreover, both the main characters have done well for themselves with the heroine becoming one of Hollywood's best stuntwomen and the hero being a former Navy SEAL turned best-selling author. Really, they haven't let what happened to them in the past hold them back, even though they're both still haunted by it with Derek being unable to protect Jess and feeling as though he let her down.

With the heroine, she's a fighter, resilient, courageous and I liked that she gave the hero a chance, even though it's not easy for her to be around him in the beginning because of everything that happened. I also liked the close relationship she has with the secondary characters, especially Kaylee, as she's the little sister Jess never had and she would do anything for the girl. While the hero, he's been through so much, but I liked that the good and the bad has made him the strong, formidable man he is. I also liked how determined he was to protect Jess this time around, even though she doesn't need protecting. She now knows how to protect herself and won't go down without doing everything she can to survive. Yet, what I liked most of all about the hero is his kind and caring nature and that he would do anything for those he cares about, which is proven by everything he does for various secondary characters as well as Jess.

Overall, Ms. Marton has delivered a highly entertaining and enthralling read in this book, which had me hooked from beginning to end and where the chemistry between this couple was as strong now as it was in the past; the romance was wonderful, as these two find their way back to each other; and the ending had me worried for the main characters, but had me liking how everything turned out for Jess and Derek because they're meant to be. However, it was the epilogue that wrapped this story up nicely because the hero and heroine have come so far, especially when it comes to their careers and their relationship. Certainly, Jess couldn't hold out on giving Derek the answer he wanted to a very important question. I would recommend Threat of Danger by Dana Marton, if you enjoy romantic suspense, second chance romances or books by authors Kat Martin, Laura Griffin, Trish Loye and Toni Anderson.

A thrilling, suspenseful story from beginning to end!

My words just can't do justice to describe how fantastic I think Threat of Danger is. I'm a big fan of Dana Marton's work and I think this book is her best one yet. It's gritty and compelling and so suspenseful that I found myself holding my breath in places. It's also romantic and a wonderful second chance story.

The blurb is really good and it would be stupid for me to go on and on about this book – it's so, so good but I don't want to give anything away. At lot of time in romantic suspense/mystery books I can spot the bad guy fairly early on but not in Threat of Danger. Dana skillfully kept her cards to herself and when all was revealed – WOW!

If you enjoy romantic suspense/thrillers don't pass this one up.

I should also mention that while it's the second in a series the only connection I saw to book one was a brief reference to the main couple from that book. No worries at all about reading this as a standalone.

Threat of Danger is a well written, fast paced and sexy as hell suspense romance. Has a great storyline with well developed characters, a hot alpha, unexpected twists, drama, undeniable chemistry and explosive scenes the the book. This book will have you on the edge of your seat and totally glued to the pages, you will find it hard to put down once you start reading and leave you wanting more. Totally recommend this book to all book lovers out there

I enjoyed this book much more than I expected. I love a good mystery, but typically prefer romance novels. This book combined both, although I was much more interested in the mystery than the romance. It took me a little longer than normal to read since I wasn't deeply committed to the storyline at first, but once I made it to the halfway point, I didn't want to put the book down.

Jess is now a Hollywood stunt woman, but she was once a teenager girl in love with Derek, who later became a Navy SEAL and is now a best-selling mystery author. They had one intimate encounter that was forever shadowed by them both being kidnapped and Jess being tortured and raped before they escaped a murderer. She left town after that and Derek joined the Navy. Now it's years later, Jess is back home to help take care of her mom that has broken her hip and it's the last place she wants to be since it brings back bad memories. Derek is also still living in the small town and Jess really wants to avoid him to help stave off the hurt she remembers.

So this book follows their rekindling of a friendship with some intimate moments thrown in at the end, but most of the book is surrounding trying to figure out who the murderer is that seems to still be killing young women. There were a lot of sad moments and I was heartbroken a couple times by things that were happening to characters we grew to love. I was really pulling for a happy ending for all, but I guess it's inevitable that an author breaks our heart with some things.

Now, I did figure out who the killer was pretty quickly. It seemed a bit obvious to me, so that lessened some of the excitement at seeing 'who did it' by the end, but the reveal was done in a way that left me on edge and wondering what would happen next.

I must say that Derek and Jess were incredibly strong and determined individuals. I had a lot of respect for them and was happy to see that they came to some peace in the end and were living their best life now.

Falling in love can be a deadly proposition in this pulse-quickening Mission Recovery novel from the New York Times bestselling author.

Jess Taylor and Derek Daley were in the throes of first love in a small Vermont town when they were kidnapped by a serial killer. They escaped his clutches—but not the trauma of the unsolved crime. With their lives changed forever and their romance cut short, they went their separate ways to exorcise their fears.

Jess is living on the edge as Hollywood’s hottest stuntwoman. It’s no longer terror thrumming through her veins. It’s adrenaline. Derek is a former Navy SEAL spinning his ordeals into heart-pounding bestselling thrillers. But when Jess is called home on a family emergency, she must face the past—and face the man she left behind, who is just as haunted and, like her, still so much in love.

Now, as an old flame reignites, Jess and Derek are taking advantage of second chances and putting their bad memories behind them. But here, in the quiet town of Taylorville, a killer is getting a second chance as well.

****************************************************************************************************

Okay - I really enjoyed the first book...That's what made me want this book, but this book just had me blah...blahing all over the place. It was just so slow setting up the story and it should kind of come with a warning. Not because it's slow lol but because of the themes. I also don't like internal monologues that seem to go on forever but that's just me. I wanted to hit myself with a bat and that was just to wake myself up...That seems so harsh.