"I know this about you, Ned. You don't give up. You don't surrender. And yeah, thats a good thing. Until it comes to God. See, He doesn't need a partner, bro. He needs a solider, a warrior, someone who sets himself behind God, not equal with Him. You two are not co-leaders. And you're not supposed to be--that's what He means by 'Come to Me all who labour and are heavy laden. I will give you rest.' You don't have to carry the answers, or even the troubles."
Ned Fraser is used to being the one with the answers. As a Navy SEAL, he's the one who will risk his own life to save others. But this time he's screwed up. Big time. He never dreamed his pre-mission fight with his fiance, Shae, would end in her disappearance. Oh, and she didn't just stop taking his calls--she's been kidnapped by a human trafficking ring.
Shae Johnson is a patient woman. After all she's spent the past four years following Ned around the world while building her career as a freelance graphic artist and waiting for the day he would finally slow down enough to propose. That day has finally come, but Ned doesn't seem to be a fan of the new friends she's made while he was on his latest mission. Sure, Dana is a guy and somewhat over-friendly, but he's harmless. Right? Or maybe not. Because when she stomps off after an argument with Ned, Dana is there to whisk her away. And not on a romantic vacation like she was having with Ned. Nope, she's off to Russia, and then to Siberia.
But Ned isn't going to give up. Not with everything they've been through. Not even if it mean's betraying his country.
Wow. This book! Every chapter is jam-packed with suspense, faith, and romance. The plot is solid and the non-stop action kept me glued to the pages. I love that the story unfolds throughout the series, and we don't just see each character for one book. I especially enjoyed the side story with Hudson and Iris; I can't wait for their book now! Oh, and Creed. I need to see where SMW takes him asap.
Ned is the kind of hero who is larger than life, and will stop at nothing to protect the ones he loves. He really struggled with relinquishing control and trusting God with Shae, but his character grew so much throughout the story. I loved seeing Shae as an adult! She's come a long way from the scared teenager back in the Montana Rescue series and is now a strong woman with a big faith in the God who is present even in the darkness. I'm a big fan of how Susan May Warren weaves in characters from her previous books and thoroughly enjoyed seeing some of my old favourites play a role in this novel.
I can't recommend this novel enough. If faith-filled romantic suspense is your thing, you won't want to miss Ned! And the rest of the series, or anything that Susan May Warren has written, honestly. I definitely recommend reading both Fraser and Jonas before picking up Ned, but, honestly, you'll probably want to go back to the Montana Rescue series for the full backstory on Ned and Shae. And while you're at it, you might as well keep going and read the Montana Marshalls, Global Search and Rescue, Sky King Ranch, and The Epic story of RJ and York series to really get all the pieces of the plot pulled together. I know, it sounds like a lot of reading, and you could easily read just this one series and get the gist of it, but I guarantee you won't regret it.
*As a member of the launch team, I received a complimentary copy of Ned through the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My positive review is not required.