2021 Best Of Part 2: Romantic Suspense
I love a good year in review. There’s something so satisfying of seeing it all laid out there, to be able to reflect on the journey, and hopefully to help others find a couple great reads. Like I’ve mentioned I’m approaching 400 titles read this year, which is pretty wild if you ask me, and totally fine if you’re speaking to my therapist.
I’m still reading (🙄obviously) at the time of writing this blog, so we might have a couple late editions, who knows. Below I’m going to call out my fave reads of the year, continuing with the Romantic Suspense sub-genre and will do my best to sell-em’ to y’all.
(Disclaimer: this is *my * best of 2021 reads, not books that were published in 2021!)
Ah romantic suspense, brought to you by insta-love and trauma bonding.
A trope that I would not be down with IRL. Some of these guys are domineering-alpha-male-buttholes that would be exhausting to have to compromise with in the face of any danger. And if you also just squint a little you can easily look past the whole military–industrial complex thing some of these books have going on.
*Shrugs in man wearing a uniform*
Are these perfect, no. Are they enjoyable enough to get into, yes absolutely. But, in Romancelandia, I am feelin’ it, all of it.
Also, please don’t tell my therapist, we’ve really been making strides.
Securing Zoey by Susan Stoker
Book 4 of the SEAL of Protection series, that couples a Navy SEAL and a woman in some sort of danger, and I eat these up like a loaf of sourdough during PMS. Childhood friends are reunited on a float plane that is hijacked and crashes in the Alaskan wilderness. Bubba had never been one of my favourites on this SEAL team but something about seeing him in his element in the woods worked for me.
Securing Kalee by Susan Stoker
Book 6 of the SEAL of Protection series, that couples a Navy SEAL and a woman in some sort of danger, and I eat these up like a loaf of sourdough during PMS. This book is tangentially linked to an earlier book in the series (#3) so y’all might want to read that one first for context. SEAL goes back into hostile territory (alone and against the wishes of the Marines) to save a woman he knows was left behind.
Check the trigger warnings, as some of the trauma might be hard on some readers. Okay I have no idea why this one got under my skin the way it did. But more than 7 months later I still think about these two, and how obsessed with physical touch consent Phantom is for Kalee.
Shielding Kinley by Susan Stoker
Book 2 of the Delta Team Two Series, that couples a Delta soldier (think SEALs but deeper undercover) and a woman in some sort of danger. This one was a journey, and arguably other than Kalee in Securing Kalee, the FMC goes through the absolute wringer throughout the book.
Shielding Aspen by Susan Stoker
Book 3 of the Delta Team Two Series, that couples a Delta soldier (think SEALs but deep undercover) and a woman in some sort of danger. This was a refreshing take on these “damsels in distress” books where the FMC (Aspen) is a badass army ranger medic, and without spoiling, is an absolute HERO throughout.
Breaking Point by Pamela Clare
Investigative journalist is kidnapped by a cartel during a violent ambush, and meets a captured deputy U.S. Marshal. These two work together to GTFO and away from their captors and are racing across northern Mexico to sneak back into the states and to safety. There is some SA on page, so definitely read with caution and check the trigger / content warnings.
Uncharted by Adriana Anders
Book 2 of the Survival Instincts series, and yet again we have another great romantic-life-threatening-adventure in the wilderness. Okay I will say I did find it a little weird to be *spoiler alert* reading about a genetically altered virus that would take out the world’s population, but it the romance though! Leo and Elias were so awesome together, and we love competence porn don’t we folks? When someone is just so freaking competent in what they excel at, whew. *fans self* also a cute dog.