SNIPER’S PRIDE is the second book in the ALASKA FORCE SERIES and a nice continuation from SEAL’S HONOR. It was great to be reunited with the men who make up Alaska Force. All are former military who had trouble acclimating into their previous civilian lives or just chose not to. This is Griffin’s story, along with Mariah, the snooty society woman from Atlanta who he thinks is only fleeing from a figment of her imagination and is in no way in any danger. Boy, is he proven wrong!

As the story unfolds, it takes a lot of twists and turns. We begin in Atlanta and are taken on a circuitous route to get from there to Alaska, where Mariah flees to escape imminent danger from her husband, or so she believes, after two attempts on her life. As we get to know Griffin and Mariah, their lives couldn’t be any more different. He wants nothing but for her to go back to her nice life in Atlanta. As she burrows under his skin, little by little the chemistry between them flares. When he’s ultimately proved wrong about her safety, all bets are off!

I loved learning both their back stories and watching them take one step forward and two back. Seeing Mariah trying to figure out who she really is was fun to watch. She’s definitely a lot stronger than she ever thought.

The story is filled with danger and adventure, replete with military ops and a mystery to solve of whodunit. I like the descriptions of Alaska, a place I hope to visit someday. The interactions between Griffin and the rest of the operatives are interesting to watch, especially when they see what he can’t. There is a fast pace to the story with a surprising ending. The epilogue (that takes six months later) includes a happily ever after that’s sweeter than I expected. I look forward to continuing this series. Next up is SERGEANT’S CHRISTMAS SIEGE.

I’ve only read the first two books in this series by Ms. Crane. She also writes books under the name Caitlin Crews. I have added many more books she’s written to my ever growing TBR pile. I can’t wait to read more of her books, no matter which name she uses!

SNIPER'S PRIDE is Book Two in Megan Crane's Alaska Force series and centers around a former Marine sniper turned security expert and a former trophy wife in an exciting take on an enemies to lovers story.

Mariah instantly becomes ensnared in a reader's heart when a second trip to the hospital with Anaphylaxis in a short time period leads her to fear for her life from her high powered estranged husband. We go along for the ride as she flees town and searches out help to keep her alive.

Griffin is a hard nut to crack. He seems cold and unfeeling and even almost mean, but almost immediately upon meeting Mariah you can perceive a connection between the two of them.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a happily ever after between an unlikely pair, and who enjoys intrigue along with their romance. I'm looking forward to more to come in the series.

Title: Sniper’s Pride
Series: Alaska Force Book #2
Stand Alone Title: yes
Author: Megan Crane
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Blurb: 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...
Favorite quote(s): “Now I’m offended that you think I need to….what? Talk about my feelings? What’s next? Are you going to give me a unicorn stuffed animal? Are we going to make friendship bracelets?”
Thoughts: This was an ok book for me…it was enough to keep me interested and reading, however a few little things bothered me about it. For example, Mariah just calling up some random group for help without even knowing anything about them really. Mariah character wavered between brave and a simpering mouse. Griffin was gruff and fought the pull of their connection up until the bitter end – and still at the end didn’t seem fully on board with their relationship. The ‘bad guy’ just seemed over the top and somewhat unbelievable.
The writing was good and is mainly what kept me reading, but the book won’t be one that stands out in my mind a few weeks down the road.
Rating: B

I read the book SEAL’s Honor and liked it but didn’t love it. However this author’s style worked for me, so I grabbed this one.

I liked this book better.

This book starts out with Mariah leaving her husband. He’s tried to kill her twice, but she can’t prove it, and she’s frightened. He’s rich and powerful and his family is besties with the police.

Mariah is in her new apartment trying to survive, and to start fresh. But her husband David can’t let that happen. I actually really love how she finds out about Alaska Force. She’s on youtube watching conspiracy videos and falls down the rabbit hole, as one does. She watches one about this group that no one knows much about but they save people and she needs saving. She looks them up and eventually finds an email address.

That’s how she finds herself planting a false trail to Greece but really heading to Alaska.

When Griffin sees the ice princess get off the ferry, he knows he isn’t going to like her, or this mission, one bit. That chip on his shoulder stays there, even as Mariah hacks at it. But Griffin doesn’t believe that she’s really in danger. He thinks she’s just going through a messy divorce and is being dramatic. But meanwhile, Mariah keeps hacking at his icy exterior, knowing she’ll find an if not gooey center, a slightly less frozen one.

Just as it seems her “accidental” cases of allergic reactions to shellfish that nearly killed her were truly just accidents, it turns out they weren’t. Mariah wasn’t just some trophy wife in a marriage that went south. She’s right, and she’s in need of Alaska Force’s help. But it may be too late for that. She’s already gone.

A quick warning: Mariah is still technically married when Griffin and she have sex. This normally is a hard nope for me, however, she’s already served divorce papers to her awful cheating ex, and she’s been separated from him for a while. I didn’t consider it a cheating issue.

I felt this book held up the plot twist better than the previous one did, and I liked this plot twist a lot too. The action was intense, the love and romance were believable, and the bad guys were bad. I think this author’s voice and style work for me. I am really looking forward to the next book in the Alaska Force series.

***ARC courtesy of the publisher Berkley Books

Sammy’s review of Sniper’s Pride (Alaska Force, Book 2) by Megan Crane
Romantic Suspense published by Berkley 07 May 19

I need to tell you upfront, I simply love this series. The men of Alaska Force are grumpy and obstinate and very sexy and tough and maybe a little damaged. The women of this series have a backbone, determination, and a lot of patience. While this book came close to Book 1 in terms of LOVING IT and I will go back and re-read it, it almost followed Book 1’s ingredients too closely. I did notice it and I would rather each book dealt with how each individual deals with their issues. It didn’t take away from enjoying this story, but I think if Book 3 travels along the same setup toward the end, the shine may be dulled.


Mariah McKenna is from the wrong side of the tracks. Lucky for her she met her very wealthy Prince Charming while working at her family’s diner. David Abernathy Lanier is from old money. What a great trophy wife to have on his arm, not to mention a good story to tell people, all the while planning his political career. After Mariah finds David in bed with the house staff, she has had enough and files for divorce. Mariah finds herself in the hospital with a deadly allergy to seafood, after a dinner she attended. At first she second guesses all her thoughts and she chalks it up to an accident by the wait-staff. It’s the second time she finds herself on the brink of death that she can no longer dismiss that her estranged husband just might be trying to kill her. Mariah also likes to watch conspiracy videos on You Tube. It’s there she remembers hearing about a group of men in Alaska who can help with these kind of situations. Mariah hunts down the video and sends an email that she thinks her husband has tried to kill her twice. She immediately gets a response back with the location for her to meet them at.

Mariah makes her way to Grizzly Harbor, Alaska. It’s almost spring, yet there’ still a bite to the air. It’s also a sleepy town comprised of tourists and the people who call this harsh yet beautiful place home. Mariah steps off the ferry and makes direct eye contact with the most gorgeous yet cold man she has ever laid eyes on. She puts on her very crafted mask that she’s been honing for the last ten years married to David, and with it firmly in place, casually walks up to him. Griffin Cisneros is now really annoyed, Not only does this fool woman show up like a princess in the wrong clothes for such a harsh environment, but, dammit, she looks like his ex-fiance who dumped him to marry his best friend. Things are not looking so good for Griffin. He has made standoffish an art form, building little compartments and walls to distance himself from everyone. Of course, Griffin is there to ask her a ton of questions and to make sure she’s on the up and up. He takes Mariah to the Inn and tells her, after he speaks with his team, he will let her know the outcome of Alaska Force taking her case.

Of course, Alaska Force votes to take her case on and that makes Griffin very unhappy. Griffin unhappy means he’s going to be surly and mean. It also means Mariah will fall back on her training into old money society. Griffin thinks he knows her, and Mariah is glad to prove him wrong each and every time. Their chemistry is palpable. You also know Griffin is going to be a hard nut to crack. Meanwhile, Mariah could have sworn she saw someone watching her from the alley. Alaska Force puts the guys on watch detail, while they follow up with everything Mariah has told them. During this time Griffin and Mariah are playing a game of who’s gonna crack first. I love this part of the book where she breaks down all his misconceptions. I also love that she isn’t afraid to go after what she wants, especially because she came so close to death twice. When Mariah finally breaks down a few of his walls, it is glorious.

Meanwhile, someone is getting very close to Mariah and manages to kidnap her right from under their noses. This is because Griffin feels the threat to her on Grizzly is minimal. The bad guy gets the jump on the new guy and takes Mariah, by force, out of Alaska and back to Georgia. Griffin is beside himself. He and his team go wheels up and follow behind to rescue her. Things come to a head, and Griffin says his good-byes to Mariah. He likes things in their little compartments and he doesn’t want the complications of him actually feeling something for someone who could break his heart. Mariah is clear to him about her feelings and she will not beg him and she will not call him. She feels she deserves better, and I fully agree with her. Of course, Mariah has a knack for the stock market and Everly (wink wink) asks her to come back to Grizzly to help her to invest money. Mariah has been there a week and hasn’t seen or feel Giffin anywhere in her vicinity until he does. It’s so good! All his fears, hopes, dreams, and allowing Mariah to hold them in her heart and Griffin trusting her not to hurt him. So damn good. With that said, I left out a lot of the plot, because that’s the suspense part and you need to be shocked and surprised while you read.

This was a great installment in this series, and I can’t wait to read the next book out in November!

Grade:B+

I really enjoyed Seal's Honor by Megan Crane, so I was excited that NetGalley gave me access to her latest, Sniper's Pride. The chemistry Crane lights up on the pages and the suspenseful plot lines will keep readers hooked. Mariah is the quintessential heroine -- strong yet vulnerable, admirable yet imperfect. She was easy to get to know and was very likable. Griffin is tough, strong, (mostly) unflappable, stoic, and every bit the hero. I loved when he finally let his walls down and let himself care for Mariah in the way both of them knew they were destined to. And the ending was beautiful. My only issue: I really didn't like how Griffin treated Mariah when they first met. I get that he was guarding himself and didn't trust her, but she went from fleeing an abusive husband to dealing with Griffin being a total jerk at times. I was beyond thankful when he finally pulled his head out of his tuckus! Oh, and the sniper scene near the end -- deep sigh! Thank you, Megan Crane, for another great read.

✦Review & Giveaway: SNIPER’S PRIDE (An Alaska Force Novel) by Megan Crane https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-b7A
►Enter Giveaway (Paperback) ➢ http://bit.ly/2HwgETT
Publication Date: May 7, 2019
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated 5 Stars

This book took a hold of me right away and never let go. I related to Mariah and rode this crazy journey with her, rooting her on and understanding her attraction to Griffin. He was all that my imaginary heroes are. Handsome, strong and capable – yet holding himself back because of a tortured soul. I’m glad the author didn’t overly accentuate their inner struggles yet wrote them in a way that I could believe and feel the emotional pull when it all comes together.

As my readers know, I love a good group dynamic and the camaraderie that makes me wish I was a part of it all. This installment came closer to that, and hope future books delve deeper. I like caring about the heroes to come. I also enjoyed that the bad-guy and motive kept me guessing until the end. It was a fun read and I can’t wait to visit the Alaskan Force again!

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

~*~*~*~

Kindle https://amzn.to/2TsNIRd

✦SEAL'S HONOR (An Alaska Force Novel, Book 1) by Megan Crane
Review 4 Stars https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-aWB | Kindle https://amzn.to/2Em1tOv

Oh WOW!!! I thoroughly loved, loved, loved, Mariah and Griffin’s amazing love story in Sniper’s Pride by Megan Crane, book two in her Alaska Force series. We are introduced to Mariah McKenna on page one as she is getting out of 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 flees town to travel to Grizzly Harbor to hire one of the Alaska Force special operatives to help her survive long enough to be able to enjoy life. When Griffin Cisneros sees Mariah, who he is assigned to meet, he believes she’s a rich and wealthy princess who only wants to be pampered. He is determined to send her home not believing she needs their help. Mariah is truly not what he thought or expected. After growing up dirt poor, she’s friendly to everyone and determined to hide how scared she really is. Griffin’s biggest issue, despite denying it, is his attraction to Mariah, and not just because she looks similar to his ex-fiancé. Griffin thinks he’s a machine, able to do the job he knows he’s good at and not worthy of the love a woman. After a night of hot sex melts the frozen Griffin he believes he has lost control of his life. Griffin is forced to leave his watch on Mariah and help with another case and its unexpected threat. It is at this point the suspense and surprise occurs, with Mariah’s life not just being in danger, but is on the line. The Alaska Force team, including Griffin, moves into action, locate Mariah, and save her from a very dangerous situation. It was amazing watching the Alaska Force in action as they battled and rounded up the bad guys in order to save Mariah. All of them are surprised by the person truly responsible for the threats on Mariah’s life. Mariah’s second return to Grizzly Harbor is truly not to force her attention on Griffin. Instead, it gives Griffin the opportunity to open his eyes and truly see his feelings for Mariah and his need to keep her safe and in his life.

Ms. Crane wrote an intense, emotional and exciting romantic suspense filled with sexual chemistry, wonderful dialogue, and endearing characters that is not to be missed. This story grabbed me and did not let go until I reached the end. I highly recommend Sniper’s Pride and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Today, I had book hangover from staying up too late to finish Caitlin Crews’s Sniper’s Pride. Given it was a back-to-work Monday morning, it took a heck of a lot of coffee to keep me amiable and functional . Was it worth it? Did I love it? I’m not sure.

Sometimes, I read a romance novel not to have to think about those plague-y things that wake you up in the night and leave you with heart palpitations and morning-after disquiet — if you ever do manage to fall back asleep.

In the cooler light of day, wolfing down Crews’s romance left me the way overindulgence in Haagen-Dazs’s Espresso Chocolate Cookie Crumble does, vaguely nauseated with questionable self-respect. Sometimes though, a feral spinster needs to leave the world behind and Crews’s novel hit the sweet spot. With a day’s work done, a dinner-full stomach and some halfway decent rosé, I can think about my response to Sniper’s Pride with more dispassion. Crews is a talented writer; she has a smooth, quick, moving way with words and tropish twists along the way that surprise and delight. I disliked some of Sniper’s Pride‘s content and yet loved the sheer heroine-vindication and HEA-fulfilling development of its core relationship.

The novel opens with the heroine surviving a second attempt by her soon-to-be ex-husband to kill her by planting anaphylactic-inducing seafood in her food. After ten years, Mariah McKenna has left her psychologically abusive husband; the murder attempts see her running from Atlanta, circuitously, to Alaska, where Alaska Force’s ubermen lend their ex-military expertise to protecting the vulnerable. Mariah needs help and she needs their ubermen help especially. Her hero is gruff, icy, “I feel nothing” former Marine, Griffin Cisneros. The set-up is familiar: bodyguard hero, vulnerable heroine who grows to confidence and self-assertion, lots o’ baddies, and a hero who gives all to the mission and nothing to himself, who feels nothing except for what is too much to bear, that is, what he feels for the heroine.

On some level, this was ugh; on another, because the world isn’t a nice or safe place, the uberman fantasy Griffin offers, aloof, protective, icy sniper, man without a heart, a calculating machine who operates solely on loyalty to his “band of brothers” and honour, is emotionally satisfying. I kind of hated the glorification of the military “loved I not honour more” code, but I was sucked in. I enjoyed how Mariah went from victim to hear-me-roar woman, to a sense of self-worth and purpose. And throughout, even when Mariah was at her weakest, I loved her wry sense of humour. Even Griffin eventually won me over, if only for his more conventional ice-man-melts because of what the heroine makes him feel. And the feels, they were thick. The suspense was wicked suspenseful; the baddies were positively evil and I was gleeful when they got their comeuppance. I thought Crews did this clever twist with the notion of pride: as Mariah gains hers, it’s a good thing; and, as Griffin concedes his, it’s a good thing: and that is the stuff of which their HEA is made.

Military glorification aside, it’s a page-turner. The heroine is aces and her vindication is feminist, class-associated, and personal. She defeats her husband, his betrayals and humiliations of her as “white trash”; she gains strength, purpose, a career, and a devoted, sexy hunk. (There’s also an eye-rolling reversal to her fertility issues, which goes with the military glorification ugh-a-thon.) Miss Austen and I, spinster-sisters, enjoyed it. If you can overlook the problematic bits, you will too. Sniper’s Pride is part of my stretching-to-the-doom-of-time ARC TBR, so I’m glad I’ve reviewed it.

Caitlin Crews’s Sniper’s Pride is published by Jove Books (Berkley). It was released on May 7th and you can enjoy it from your preferred vendor. I received an e-ARC from Jove (Berkley) via Netgalley.

(For those to whom these things might be of interest, the fingerless gloves were unravelled and restarted. My tension is better and they’re looking a tad less, um, misshapen and voluminous. Maybe.)

Sometimes a reading gem is just around the next book shelf…

And Sniper’s Pride by Megan Crane was just such a gem for me! Mariah McKenna was running for her life and even under the critical watch of Griffin Cisneros she was finding her way….

I loved Mariah’s quick wit and quiet sarcasm as she pressed every button Griffin had. His stoic manner didn’t know what to do with her other than denying there was any spark between them, and pushing her away… The back and forth between them was beyond entertaining and made a perfect contrast to the suspense that swirled around them. A mortal threat was still to be determined but the real danger was to Griff’s sanity…

The shenanigans of all the characters in Grizzly Harbor were a hoot and brought lightness to the intensity of the plot. Mariah fit right in with her go with the flow attitude and openness, despite her situation. Griff was a little harder to warm up to but he was worth a bit of patience. A twist to what could have been a straightforward plot elevated the story even more. Put it all together and it was a great story with characters that were unforgettable.

My first step now is going to the beginning of the series and then stalking every title by this author I can find! ~Diane, 4.5 stars

A great suspense that will have you losing track of time! Mariah McKenna is probably one of my favorite leading female characters in a book this year. I enjoyed her strength, while being able to show a slight vulnerable side - it only made her more human to me.
Griffin Cisneros is definitely the tough guy that wants more action out of his job, but what he doesn't expect is to fall for the one he fought against protecting. Definitely the ideal book boyfriend that every reader dreams about, the book is worth it just for these two characters.
The action and suspense are incredibly intense and well-written. I'm getting the first book right away and can't wait for the next one in the series to release. Highly enjoyed this fast-paced suspenseful romance and will be adding it to my collection!

In this second book of the Alaska Forces series, Mariah McKenna uses the research she has gained to flee to an Alaskan town for help. She knows of a special ops force there, and she feels that they are the only ones who can protect her from her husband. For the second time in a very short time, she nearly lost her life and is certain her husband is trying to kill her. She has filed for divorce but Mariah knows that he will not simply let her go.

Griffin Cisneros takes on the case. As a former marine sniper, the special ops team can certainly use his special skills. He is not happy being the major player when it comes to keeping Mariah safe. He doesn't believe the danger is real and wants more action that he hopes he would experience in his job.

While Griffin does his job to the best fight whatever danger may be presented to Mariah, he has another fight on his hands. He must somehow resist her allure. His team and his work is rather elite, and the image he projects is part of his fiber. Being involved in a romantic relationship is something that Griffin cannot imagine happening any time in the near future.

Sniper's Pride was an excellent read. While the romance between Griffin and Mariah was inevetible, the suspense was at an all-time high. While the danger was ever-present for Mariah, she had tremendous strength and her character was developed marvelously. Griffin was tough on the outside and it was a delight waiting for him to soften up towards Mariah, I had just read the first book in this series, SEAL's Honor, which was terrific, and this was as well. I look forward to continuing this series. The next book is Sergeant's Christmas Siege, scheduled for release in November.

Many thanks to Berkley Books and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have been somewhat adventuresome these past two months experimenting with new authors. I jumped into this one without realizing that it's the second in a series though I had not trouble keeping up and enjoying the story. I will definitely be looking for more books in this series.
Mariah McKenna has a severe shell fish allergy which has never given her any problems until she leaves her abusive husband of ten years looking for a divorce. Scared out of her mind, she latches on to a but of late night trivia that has her reaching out to Alaska Force for help. Having made her way to Grizzly Harbor and the special forces team of retired operatives she should feel safe except for her protective body guard who generates strong feelings that are anything but safe.
Griffin does all he can to keep Mariah at arms length even as she makes friends and creates a semblance of a life in Grizzly Harbor. Except Mariah burrows in deep into the heart he doesn't have and strives very hard to ice over. Then she's kidnapped on his watch. Now all bets are off as Griffin and his team race against time to rescue Mariah before harm can come to her.
This book has all the ingredients I like in a story. Strong brooding hero with a chip on his shoulder, a sassy heroine who will not let fear rule her life, crisp dialog, off the charts chemistry and a sweet romance. Ms. Crane is definitely on my keeper list as I look not only for the first book in the series but other books written by h

Sniper’s Pride is a romantic mystery thriller that will keep you guessing till the end.

Mariah was married into the southern social elite. When she discovers her verbally and emotionally abuses husband’s infidelities, once again, she walks out of that life and pursues a divorce. Her husband, a political hopeful and society prince is vindictive and said he would rather see Mariah dead. That is when the, twice in one week, accidental shellfish poisoning has Mariah thinking someone is out to kill her. Knowing if she runs, she will be running for the rest of her life, Mariah discovers Alaska Force.

Alaska Force accepts her initial request and Mariah must make her way to Grizzly Harbor and right into the sites of sniper, Griffin. Griffin is an Alaska Force member, and everything about Mariah throws Griffin off his game. She appears very similar to his ex-financee, she is not showing any signs of destress and she is driving him crazy.

Slowly Griffin must see that his own personal bias is playing a strong part in his objections toward Mariah, besides she is pushing him to pass all the walls he’s built around his life.

Crane writes a strong mystery that had me stumped right up to the reveal. Griffin’s convoluted feelings towards Mariah leads to some great reading. You can’t wait for the ice princess to melt the frozen sniper’s heart.

I received this ARC copy of Sniper's Pride from Berkley Publishing Group. This is my honest and voluntary review. Sniper's Pride is set for publication May 7, 2019.

My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: Megan Crane
Series: An Alaska Force Novel (Book 2)
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: May 7, 2019
ISBN-10: 0451491513
ISBN-13: 978-0451491510
Genre: Military Romance | Action | Adventure

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Snipers-Pride-...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/snip...
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Sniper's Pride by Megan Crane is the second story in the author's exciting Alaska Force romantic suspense series, about ex-military operatives who use their skills to solve deadly problems – and end up finding women willing to be their partners when the dust settles.

Mariah McKenna is sure that her soon to be ex-husband is trying to kill her. After ending up in the hospital twice recently with anaphylactic shock from an unknown food source, she's desperate for help. Contacting the Alaska Force, a shadowy group she'd heard about from an internet source, she sends them a succinct message, and their response is just as brief – get to Grizzly Harbor, Alaska and they'd take it from there.

Griffin Cisneros likes his quiet, relatively solitary life. He's an ex-marine sniper who uses his skills to keep his Alaska Force team whole and successful in their missions. When Mariah shows up, it's his turn to be lead on the mission, but it doesn't mean he has to like her. She reminds him superficially of his ex-girlfriend who had ditched him after his last tour of duty (conveniently before the wedding invitations had been mailed out), with her big blond hair, and sweet Southern voice. Mariah has a backbone of steel and a will to survive as evidenced by her willingness to seek out Griffin and his team. His job may be to keep her safe – but will the risk to his heart be too great?

What an exciting and intense read! This is one of those stories that will keep you hooked until the very end. Mariah's fear is palpable, and there is a suspenseful vibe from the beginning as she realizes that she isn't safe anywhere that her almost ex-husband David can reach her. She lays a false trail to get to Grizzly Harbor but even there, things happen to make her wary. The only time she feels completely safe is when Griffin is by her side. He is so different from her emotionally abusive husband that even when he's being stoic and grumpy (his normal state of being) she knows that he has a kind heart and would never treat her ill.

Griffin and Mariah develop a solid trusting foundation from the start and it eventually leads to a more intimate relationship with a very sexy night together. They are very different people, definitely an opposites attract type of couple. Mariah grew up in a poor rural family, pulled out of that life by a man who should have been her Prince Charming but was in fact the villain of her story. She became a society wife but it came with a great cost, one she could no longer bear which precipitated her desire for a divorce and her current status as a woman on the run. Griffin has a loving family back home, but his tours of duty and his sniper skills have turned him into a man with emotions frozen under the surface, until Mariah breaks through that ice. Freed from her former life, she can finally show her warmth and her true self to Griffin and his friends and it gives Griffin a taste of what he could have if she were to stay.

But Mariah isn't the only mission in hand for the Alaska Force and when their attention is distracted, Mariah's situation turns dire. The second half of the story is a real page turning, intense and action packed jump from one scene to the next as Griffin fights for Mariah, and their possible future together. Mariah has had enough of men's expectations and knows what she wants for her life. It's up to Griffin to show whether he's worthy of her love.

The author does a great job with the Alaskan setting in this series, conveying the crisp air and peaceful tranquility of Grizzly Harbor with its unique and likable quirky characters in a very believable fashion. There are some great scenes with Griffin and the Alaska Force teammates that hint at some future story ideas, and all of the men on the team are definitely worth getting to know. If you like action, sexy romance and a healthy dose of suspense, I highly recommend Sniper's Pride. I'm looking forward to the next in the series!

This review will be posted at Harlequin Junkie and feedback updated with the link. It will be posted at Goodreads when the blog link goes live. It will also be posted at Amazon during release week.

Mariah is afraid that someone is trying to kill her just last month she somehow ate seafood which she is deathly allergic to. Well she is in the hospital again and they barely saved her this time, she decides to get help in the form of the Alaska Force because she is afraid her husband is trying to kill her.
Griffin who is part of the Alaska Force is in charge of seeing if Mariah really has a person wanting her dead or some princess fantasy. Griffin takes one look at her and decides she is just looking for attention but he doesn’t plan on giving her any but the minute his back is turned she is gone.
Griffin is one tough guy and Mariah getting through some of the outer shell is really entertaining and the rest of the characters are entertaining also.

I don’t want to say I was surprised by how much I loved this book but... I honestly was a little surprised. I liked the first book in this series (you don’t have to have read it to enjoy this one!), but didn’t love it. It did, however, pique my interest for the rest of the series, and now, this one has absolutely sold me on Alaska Force.

Griffin and Mariah’s story is wickedly suspenseful and really quite sexy. Though it occasionally falls into the same internal-monologue-laden style as the first book, here it worked well to give us insight into what our protagonists were thinking and feeling. I did still occasionally wish for more dialogue, and to see some important moments rather than learn about them later, but for the most part, I was very intrigued and invested in Sniper’s Pride. Especially the ending. O_O

There is so much to love about Sniper’s Pride. The beautifully described scenery, the pluck of Mariah and the alpha heat of Griffin, the brothers-in-arms mateship of the Alaska Force team, and the heart-pounding story all come together to great effect, and honestly, I cannot wait for more of this series.

A great book with lots of intrigue and a bit of romance. We have our hero is a bit stuck on the way he sees his life. He is convinced that he is a machine and that is why he ex-fiancée married his best friend. Our leading lady is in fear for her life. She as had two bad reactions to a known allergy that she has steered clear from for years in two weeks. She knows she will not survive a third attempt so she reaches out to an unknown group to help protect her from her high society husband. Needless to say sparks fly and she make our hero question things and I was grateful to be along for the ride.

I picked up the first book in this series, Seal's Honor, and was instantly intrigued by the excerpt of Sniper's Pride at the end.

Mariah McKenna has had two severe allergic reactions that she doesn't think is a coincidence. She winds up contacting Alaska Force after hearing about them, from all things, from s survivalist's YouTube video. She does get a response and does her best to bury her tracks on her way to Alaska.

The pride in the title is referring to Griffin, who prides himself on being emotionless and more of a machine after he returned home to his fiancee after a tour and she announced she was in love with his best friend because Griffin had changed too much while serving his country. Outside of the team, he has no friends and only visits his family at Christmas.

Mariah grew up poor and surrounded by chaos in rural Georgia. Her soon-to-be-ex swept her away and tried to erase every element of her past and personality in order to be the perfect trophy wife; but as far as he's concerned, she didn't live up to her end of the bargain because she couldn't have kids despite years of trying to get pregnant. When she catches him having an affair again, it's time for her to move on. Mariah had a secret income source (using her spa money on stocks) to make sure she could leave and have her own income if needed.

In Alaska, Griffin is assigned to Mariah's case. At first, he doesn't really take her dilemma seriously because of limited evidence; also she makes him feel things and he's uncomfortable. He dislikes the (surface-level) things that remind him of his ex even as he keeps falling for her. Over time, Mariah starts to enjoy being safe in Alaska and they don't have evidence that anyone has tracked her. So of course, as they start to wonder about it, she is kidnapped.

Sniper's Pride has a great balance of suspense and two people falling for each other despite themselves. It's not enemies to lovers, more two people who are attracted and don't want to be. She's still married and on the run, he's focused on not feeling emotions. Of course they're inevitable! Sniper's Pride is an enjoyable read. It's also a lot more practical than some falling in love during dangerous situations and they actually work on their relationship after the threat has passed instead of automatically riding off into the sunset.

Megan Crane's novel incorporates a fabulous combination of suspense, conflict, and romance. It was an enjoyable read! I look forward to more books in the Alaska Force series.