The Defender
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4.1 • 8 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Their love knows no borders.
And neither does the danger hunting them.
Lev Ivanski has spent his life in the shadows, loyal to a fault and lethal by design. A man forged by violence and discipline, he serves without question—until a mission changes everything. What begins as a job becomes something far more personal, pulling Lev into a war where nothing is clear and no one is safe.
Reyna Harris is no stranger to danger. An elite operative who has lived too long under false identities, she’s survived by trusting her instincts and keeping her heart locked down tight. But when her cover is blown and the world turns against her, Reyna is forced to rely on a man as dangerous as the enemies hunting her.
Thrown together across borders and battle lines, their connection ignites—intense, consuming, and impossible to ignore. Every fight brings them closer. Every escape strips away another layer of control. And as the threat tightens its grip, Lev must decide how far he’s willing to go to protect the woman who’s become his reason for fighting.
Because when loyalty is tested and love becomes the ultimate risk, Lev will stand between Reyna and the darkness—no matter the cost.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant delivers a gripping, globe-spanning romantic suspense filled with deadly secrets, relentless danger, and a love worth fighting for in the fourth book of her Sons of Texas series.
Customer Reviews
4.5 stars-intriguing and engaging
4.25 stars—THE DEFENDER is the fourth instalment in Donna Grant’s contemporary, adult SONS OF TEXAS erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on the Loughman group of ex-military specialists. This is Russian Bratva captain Lev Ivanski, and former CIA operative Reyna Harris’ story line. THE DEFENDER can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion.
SOME BACKGROUND: While on assignment overseas, all three Loughman brothers are called home to Texas to discover that their beloved Aunt and Uncle have been murdered, and their Navy SEAL father Orrin is missing. The US government (or someone claiming to be) has tasked the brothers in locating their Black Ops agent father; and the retrieval of a biological weapon known as Ragnarok. Now that Ragnarok had been destroyed, the Loughman family will face another threat from a rogue group of former military operatives, many of whom have already infiltrated high levels of government and other organizations.
Told from several third person perspectives including Lev and Reyna THE DEFENDER follows Lev Ivanski as he goes undercover to prevent the assassination of one of Ukraine’s top political figures, an undercover operation that fails miserably when the group known as the Saints succeeds in their endeavor to take the politician down. Finding himself trapped, our hero becomes the willing prisoner of former CIA operative Reyna Harris, a woman working deep undercover within the Saints organization. What ensues is Reyna and Lev’s dangerous journey through Europe to America as our couple goes underground in their attempts to stay one-step ahead of the Saints.
Reyna Harris had been working with the Saints for close to five years but was unable to take down the organization from her current position. On the run Lev and Reyna would find themselves the target of the very people they had hoped to destroy themselves.
The relationship between Reyna and Lev is an enemies to lovers wherein Lev, for a short time, becomes our heroine’s prisoner. Working closely together Lev and Reyna would become one another’s guardians and protectors while on the run, a closeness that turned into something more. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including patriarch Orrin Loughman, Owen and Natalie (The Hero), and Cullen and Mia (The Protector), Wyatt and Callie (The Legend), as well as the mysterious Maks, Lorraine, Anatoli Kozel, and several members of the group known as the Saints.
THE DEFENDER is a story of betrayal and vengeance; of secrets and lies; of power and the fight for control. The premise is intriguing and engaging; the characters are energetic, colorful and strong; the romance is seductive. THE DEFENDER is a fascinating and captivating addition to the SONS OF TEXAS series.