Believing Ben

Elite Forces HEAT #1

by Harper Cross

Break my heart once, shame on you. Break my heart twice, there'll be hell to pay.After one steamy, sexy night on a beach, my best friend’s brother left me high and dry. Now seven years later, I'm in trouble up to my naughty bits, and the only man who can save me is the one man I can never believe again.

***Book 1 in the brand-new, steamy protector romance series from the author of the Agents of HEAT series.

Genres: Romance

286 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 18, 2024

About the author

I spend most of my time writing, reading, and binge-watching great stories, especially those full of romance and adventure. When I’m not immersed in fictional worlds, I pursue physical challenges like studying Krav Maga and trying to achieve the perfect crow pose. I also drink too much coffee, not enough red wine, and just the right amount of bourbon.

I live with my fabulous family, which includes my spoiled and demanding overlords, collectively known as The Cats.

The Agents of HEAT series is complete with the release of book 5, BABY TAKE ME HOME!
https://harpercrossbooks.com/books/ba...

Get ready for a brand-new series in the HEAT universe! Entire series will be released in 2024.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFGCG5FK

Join my reader community and get free bonus content on Ream Stories:
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Read opening chapters of my books: https://harpercrossbooks.com/books

Reviews

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

My brain is still so busy chewing over everything that happened in this book, I kind of don’t know what to say about it now that I’ve finished reading. I loved this pair. I love that we haven’t seen the last of the Agents of HEAT. And I love that we’re finding more family connections within the ranks of the agency now. But most especially, I loved that this was a second chance for Ben and Savannah. The tension started from the moment the book opened and it only kept ratcheting up further with every page turned. I’m not entirely sure what this new mysterious enemy means for the Elite Forces of HEAT, but I’m already dying to find out.
I received a complimentary advance copy of this book through Hidden Gems Books.

[Alyssa Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of this book!

•military romance
•second chance romance
•best friends brother
•forced proximity
•one bedroom/one tent 🫣
•pregnancy scare
•older fmc
•summer fling

******Mild spoilers*******

Overall I really enjoyed this book! Ben and Savannah met through Ben’s sister, Mai, who is Savannah’s best friend. He started to really notice her in high school (she was 2 grades older) and they had their fling the summer after he graduated. He doesn’t tell her that he has signed up for the army until the day he leaves which is when he breaks things off with her. 7 years later Savannah’s business partner sends her an ominous text telling her to get out of town asap. She calls up her friend Mai who instructs her to head to the airport where someone will be there to meet her. And what do you know? It’s Ben!! They spend several days driving so they are cooped up in the car together. Eventually they stop at a hotel and share a room where they hookup again for the first time in 7 years. Ben apologizes and explains his reasoning for cutting and running when he left that summer. Savannah forgives him knowing that later that day she will be dropped off with Mai and her and Ben can just have the closure they never received and move on. But…… Mai is caught up with something and can’t pick Savannah up 🤪 so she’s stuck with Ben even longer!

Ben takes a temporary contract with the government agency helping Savannah even though he was cutting ties with any government organization after getting out of the army. He didn’t want to let Savannah out of his sight after finally being with her again. Long story short her business partner got wrapped up in a cult???!???!! And was doing some major money laundering behind her back. A team is put together to get to the bottom of it and in the end Savannah is able to start rebuilding her business with Ben by her side!

I typically dislike the pregnancy trope, but I loved the pregnancy scare in this book. I felt like it fit well with the way Savannah was acting and then we learned about a little fantasy Ben had at boot camp. I really liked that the author made it a scare and didn’t actually have Savannah get pregnant in the middle of all of this chaos!

I will definitely be reading Kyle’s story when it comes out!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harper Cross is a new-to-me author, and Believing Ben is my introduction to her writing. This is the first in Cross's Elite Forces HEAT romantic suspense series, which is a spin-off of her Agents of HEAT series. I must admit that I was a tad wary about starting with this book because it being part of a spin-off meant that there was a high probability that there would be recurring characters from the previous series. Fortunately, I didn't feel like I was missing any sort of pertinent information, albeit I was curious about the aforementioned characters, and I was able to follow everything that was happening in the new book.

When Savannah Lindstrom realizes the trouble her business partner has gotten himself into now includes her, she does the only thing she can and that's ask for help from her best friend, Mai Hayes, who was part of a covert ops team. Mai's solution, however, was one Savannah wasn't prepared for. Benjamin Hayes is Savannah's ex. The former Army Ranger had his pick of jobs post-military time served, but he couldn't say no when his sister asked for a favor. Knowing that Savannah was the one in danger has Ben's protective instincts on hyper drive. But will she be able to trust the guy who broke her heart years ago?

This was a really good read. It had second-chance romance feels and had touches of action and suspense. Savannah and Ben certainly had chemistry and the rekindling of their romance was full of heat. Figuring out what was really going on with her company made for some interesting reading. Suffice it to say that her ex-business partner was a bit nuts. It was clear that Ben would do just about anything to ensure that Savannah was safe and that whatever danger was present would be dealt with. Overall, Believing Ben was a four-starred read, and I'd be quite happy to read the second Elite Forces HEAT story.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ben and Savannah. Break my heart once, shame on you. Break my heart again, there’ll be hell to pay. He left her heartbroken and she will never let anyone do that to her again. She has a company and a business partner, The company is failing and her partner is in bed with some very nasty guys which puts me in the crosshairs. She's contemplating killing him herself if they don't do it first. And the only person I can ask for help is my best friend Mai. She's out of country so she calls her brother Ben. When she tells him she has a friend who needs help. The off grid kind. That meant they were in a fishton of metric trouble. Ben left the army, where he was a leader of a rapid response team .His sister said she's at the airport now and will meet you at the baggage pick up I just need you to bring her to me so my team can take care of her. He was scanning the baggage area and when he saw a leggy brunet that was scanning the area he knew this was his mission and when their eyes met, he was going to kill his sister and Savannah headed towards him with a scowl on her face. They weren't flying they were driving. Alone with him for two weeks. Alone with her for two weeks. There's great world and character building. Their story is exciting and challenging and captivating. There's lots of action, danger, misunderstanding, suspense, and the characters will have their challenges along their emotional journey. Great start to a new series.

I received a free copy of this book viia Hidden Gems and am voluntarily leaving a review

[Sharon Grow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Savannah Lindstrom, co-founder of L&M Rare Spirits, is worried. Her partner, Devlin Masters, is missing, and so is their money. Devlin told her to run, so she is relying on help from her best friend, Mai a former Army Ranger. Waiting for Mai, she is met by Mai’s brother, Ben who has recently retired from the Army Rangers. Savannah and Ben had once been romantically involved; she was serious, thought that he was, but he left to join the military. After she receives a veiled threat, they soon realize that Devlin has put her and their company in danger. When Ben delivers her safely to Mai’s team, HEAT, he agrees to a temporary assignment with HEAT. He has no intention of leaving her! Ben felt his family always expected him to move on, to never find his “place” in life, but he knows that he wants his “place” to be with Savannah. As he hopes to prove to her that he is ready to commit to her, to their love, he becomes a target from the group that Devlin is involved with. Will Ben get his chance for a future with Savannah, or has he left it too late? An amazing suspense and action story with many engaging characters from past stories and I hope future ones! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

[Lavender · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars
Favourite blurb: "All that time, he'd kept the secret that my boyfriend had marked his territory like some sort of alpha male protecting his female in heat."

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

As seen from the title, it is about someone from special ops and is a modern story.

Her working partner cheats the Female main character and the partner runs away, leaving her to run away from danger. She went to her best friend, Mai who operates a group of militarily trained personnel.
Therefore, her ex-boyfriend is charged with protecting her.
Then they join the team of people that is her best friend and ex-boyfriend's sister group of militarily trained special ops to find out what happened to the business partner. Then I skipped pretty much some of it because it was just dealing with them finding out what happened to the partner. Nothing much happened, no character or romance went on. Do note that there is some spice in chapters 11, 15 and 29, at least those that I know of. The main reason for his running away from the female main character is weak and not as explored as I wished.

I admit I am in a hurry to finish this but I find the story to be boring and don't grip my attention when I am scanning through the pages.

It didn't hold my attention. I recommend some more drama, romance, misunderstanding and action.

Thanks to HiddenGemsBooks for this copy of ARC.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read some of this author’s work in the prior HEAT series, so I was interested in the ARC when it was offered by Hidden Gems. This book starts when HEAT team member, Mai recruits her brother Ben to help her best friend, Savannah. Little does she know how well they already know each other, but that ended poorly many years ago.
Since completing his military service with the Army Rangers, Ben is moving back to the States and a job in Chicago. Savannah has found herself on the run after her business partner’s problems are more than just losses on a balance sheet. They meet up and drive across the country to get to the HEAT compound and try to figure out how to keep Savannah safe. As they work with the other HEAT operatives, they find their feelings for each other might not be in the past.

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in a new series and this is Ben and Savannah’s story.
Savannah is in trouble when her business partner is involved with some questionable people, and he is now missing and so is all off their money. Savannah knows she can only ask one man for help and that is Ben, who is her ex, and who broke her heart. Can Ben get Savannah to trust him to help her?
This is a well written action packed, emotionally charged story, with danger, suspense, mystery, intrigue, heartbreak, trust issues, engaging characters, romance, undeniable chemistry, second chances, twists, romance, and love, which leads to an entertaining and steamy addictive page turner.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.

[Danielle Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really hoping for a series of books from this one as i absolutely loved it

Was gripping from the start

A cult, A returning ranger and an innocent girl what’s not to love

This thrilling read sees Savanna running from what she doesn’t know just that she’s been told to run by her business partner, luckily for her an old friend is there to help her and while dealing with the threat to her business and possibly her life she realises her old friend is the one that broke her heart and got away.

This was an awesome read and i’d love to read about the other people in this book and there stories whilst possibly hearing more about ben and savanna

[Patricia Baxes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohmigod—I definitely need more stars for this one! This is truly s great read that pulls you in from the first page and keeps you turning those pages for more. The storyline is terrific; the characters are really fleshed out well; the plot twists and turns are fantastic; and the journey to that incredible HEA literally takes your breath away! You definitely need to grab a copy of this book right away! (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and was totally mesmerized by it!) ❤️❤️❤️

[Jennifer Braswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick easy read

This book is about a woman who gets herself into a bad situation and has to rely on her best friend’s little brother for protection. Turns out they had a thing years prior and it ended before either was ready so there is constant tension between them.
It’s a very fast paced story that I finished in a few hours spaced out over two days. I love a series that tells from both views. It also seems that future books in the series will follow different members of the team but we still get to keep up with previous characters in the continued story line!

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

He broke her heart once and it was shame on her but when he does it a second time there will be trouble. She is need of help and he is the only one who can help her, even though she is unsure if she can trust him. Will he help her this time? Can he repair the damage he has done? Will life get better for her finally? See how she get on
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and I want to review

[Tesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Another Acton packed romance to love.

When Savannah has trouble after her, she had to get help but the last person she wants to ask for help is her ex, ex special forces guy Ben.

I loved the fire between Savannah and Ben. The push and pull behind the mutual attraction was immensely satisfying to read. As was the chemistry they had.

Well written, great characters and an amazing plot that had me absorbed from start to finish. Such a fantastic read!!!

[Cherie Melbourne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story got hot and heavy very quickly and eventually we got a bit more out of the story and a bit of action and to find out the reason why Savannah had to go into hiding.
I liked the cast of characters and I think this series could end up a good series if the main focus isn't on the characters getting hot and heavy.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

[Heather Wray · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know it’s a good read when you can totally empathise with one of the characters. Think the author did a great job in getting Ben to realise he was really the only one holding him back. Loved that Savannah despite their past was also one of his strongest advocates.
Book one a great start to the series and looking forward to those to come.

I received a review reader’s copy of the book, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Joan Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loveeee that this new Elite Heat team has alll our fave characters and then some !!! Making Ben's story the first of the series was absolutely fabulous and a great decision, love how his story unfolded with his undying love for Savannah when he did not even believe in himself or his love for her ... Savannah instinctively knew all along that she was doing the right thing in Believing Ben !!

[Becky Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elite Forces HEAT (2 book series)
Book 1
This is the first book of a new series which Ben and Savannah have previous relations and unexpectedly reunite. Gets smexy fairly quickly. I liked the protector vibe. Ready for book 2
I received this ARC and leaving an honest review in return

[Louise Wardell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Won this book on Goodreads. The story line is insteresting, kind of hard to follow all the characters when they keep switching back and forth between first names and sir names.
Ben and Savannah go through a lot.

[Han · Rating 5 out of 5]

** ARC Review **

Such a good book! There was so much action constantly occurring that I stayed involved in the story line from start to finish. Ben and Savannah have an awesome connection together that keeps readers wanting more!

I would recommend this book.

[Ashley McGowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

good suspense and quick read

This was a pretty quick read with a good amount of suspense, who did what, and chemistry between Ben and Savannah. Cross has created an interesting new world of elite forces that should have good books to come.

[Hannah Lovik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah really wasn’t for me and I couldn’t wait to be done. Won in a Goodreads giveaway and used this mostly to extend my kindle streak but the plot was silly and the relationship wasn’t believable at all. Also jail for making my read “lady bits” three times in this, “vomit comet,” and “preggers”!!!!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally recommend this five star story. Lots of twists throughout the book. Interesting well written story with great characters. Grabbed my interest from the first chapter and never lost it.

[Crysti Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

★☆★ REVIEW TO COME ★☆★

[Jennifer Loschiavo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the protector vibe forsure but the book as a whole was just a mediocre spice read.

[Michele Del Rey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Savannah needs help and Ben is the only one to help. Can she trust him? This second chance romance was really good. I liked the story and their amazing chemistry that would get better.