cover image The Hero

The Hero

Donna Grant. St. Martin’s, $7.99 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-1-250-08339-5

Grant (Dark Alpha’s Demand) delivers an adrenaline-fueled combination of heat and heart in her stellar first Sons of Texas contemporary military romance. Orrin Loughman is kidnapped by the Russians after he steals a powerful biochemical weapon from them, and they don’t care who they have to kill to get it back. Orrin’s sons, who happen to be two Marines and a Navy SEAL, converge on their father’s Texas ranch to strategize how to rescue him. Owen Loughman is shocked to find his first love, Natalie Dixon, standing ready to help. He’d said good-bye to Natalie 14 years earlier to keep her safe; after his mother was murdered by his father’s political enemies, Owen swore he’d never put anyone he loved in harm’s way again. Even as Owen dodges multiple murder attempts, he soon realizes he can’t live without Natalie—but can they stay alive long enough to enjoy their reunion? Grant grabs the reader by the throat early on with a plausible and suspenseful plot, characters readers will root for, and snappy prose, and she doesn’t let up until the cliff-hanger ending. This first-class thrill ride will leave readers wanting more. Agent: Natanya Wheeler, Nancy Yost Literary. (Dec.)