Some scars tell stories of survival. Some secrets aren't dark—they're devastating.
When Ember Winters tries to save socialite Aria Holbrook from a brazen daylight kidnapping, she's caught in the crossfire and taken captive alongside her. One reckless act of heroism throws her back into the nightmare she thought she escaped years ago, forcing her to face the childhood trauma she's spent a lifetime trying to forget.
Enter Blaze Hawkins of Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists—ruthless, commanding, and hiding scars of his own. The rescue should have been get in, save the hostages, get out. But one look at the fierce survivor with sea-glass eyes changes everything. She's no damsel in distress—she's a force of nature who's survived hell and emerged stronger.
As a sadistic crime lord's obsession with Ember threatens to destroy them both, they discover their pasts are intertwined in ways neither could have imagined. Now they're on the run, hunted by a man who's spent years building an empire of human trafficking and corruption. A man who sees Ember as the one who got away—and wants to finish what he started.
With danger closing in and betrayal lurking around every corner, Blaze and Ember must decide if they can trust each other with their secrets... and their hearts. But in a world where trust is a weapon and love is a liability, the wrong choice won't just break their hearts—it'll get them killed.
Sometimes the greatest act of bravery isn't surviving—it's letting someone in after life has taught you to trust no one.
A raw, emotional romantic suspense - A fierce heroine who refuses to break - An alpha protector who's met his match - Explosive chemistry that defies all reason - Heart-wrenching emotional trauma - Edge-of-your-seat suspense - Soul-deep connection forged in crisis - Protective instincts that border on possession - A love worth dying for—or killing for
This gritty, emotional romance explores survival against impossible odds, the healing power of trust, and how love can bloom in the aftermath of trauma. When two broken people find each other, they either shatter completely or forge something unbreakable.
Content This romantic suspense contains themes of human trafficking, childhood trauma, violence, and steamy scenes. Recommended for mature readers who prefer their happily-ever-afters hard-won and their romance raw and real.
Ellie Masters is a USA Today Bestselling author and Amazon Top 15 Author.
In addition, she's a wife, military mom, doctor, and retired Colonel.
She writes romantic suspense filled with all your sexy, swoon-worthy alpha men. Her writing will tug at your heartstrings and leave your heart racing.
Born in the South, raised under the Hawaiian sun, Ellie has traveled the globe while in service to her country. The love of her life, her amazing husband, is her number one fan and biggest supporter. And yes! He's read every word she's written.
Great start to a new series, Delta Team. Amber's story is heartbreaking and all the children lost or forgotten through the system. What Blaze and Amber went through it's a miracle they survived. Get ready for edge of your seat reading and action around every corner. HEA.
This is book one in The Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists: Delta Team series and it is Blaze and Ember’s story and omg it is definitely a must read but have your tissues ready because you are definitely going to need them. Ember has had a very difficult and traumatic childhood and still suffers from all the bad memories that sometimes takes her away but now making her homemade candles it gives her some comfort while being able to make a living and keep a roof over her head which is important to her but while selling her candles she sees a woman being kidnapped and realised that it was Aria Holbrook who is a socialite but when Ember goes to try and help save her she is attacked as well and taken along with Aria. Blaze is a guardian and part of the Delta Team and loves his job which sometimes keeps his ghosts and demons away that still haunt him from his past but when a new mission arrives Blaze is ready because he realised that it is now a race against time to find and rescue Ember and Aria before it is too late. When Blaze and the team go to rescue Ember and Aria they encounter more than they ever bargained for and it will take all there firepower to keep everyone safe and alive. When Blaze and Ember finally meet the connection between them is so strong and it will take everything that he has to protect Ember and the others while getting them to safety. When they realise that evil forces are at play and even more danger arrived which pulled them in to a very dangerous situation and neither know if they are going to be rescued in time and get out alive so that they can have the future that they both want and deserve after everything that they have both been through and before it takes away everything that they want. The twists and turns keep coming at a break neck speed and will have you on the edge of your seat while holding your breath and it will take you on the biggest rollercoaster ride of your life and there will be danger, drama, suffering, suspense, kindness, kidnapping, pain, dark memories, abuse physical and mental, strength, friendship, hope, a love forged by darkness, coming into the light while starting to heal the cracks piece by piece while eventually moving forward after so much pain, suffering and trauma. Ellie Masters is a incredible author and writer and she certainly knows how to pull her readers into the story while keeping there attention throughout and her descriptions throughout the book makes you feel like you are there living through it all and I can’t wait to read the next book in this amazing series.
I have turned into an "Ellie Masters-ohlic/addict" time and time and time again I pick up one of Ellie books and she grabs hold of me draws me right inside, breaks me apart in so many ways and I trust, no I pray she's going to fix me when I finish reading. There is something about the way Ellie Masters writes that is a heavy duty magnet to me. I know I'm going to hurt, I know the subject matter will be extremely tough, I know I'm going to get angry, I know I'm going cry ugly tears, i know each book will tear me apart in different ways, but still I cannot resist reading her books. Rescuing Ember is the first book for Delta team and is everything I've said above and more.
Ember, our FMC is to all intents and purpose a "forgotten child" who landed up "in the system", bounced around from family to family, finally leaving her traumatic childhood behind, making and sellings candles to earn enough money to survive. Ember is a survivor, she doesn't run from adversity, she ran straight into trouble when she witnesses a kidnapping in progress and tries to save to women, Aria, from being taken. Unable to stop the kidnapping, Ember gets taken along with Aria and unbeknown to her it will take her back to a place in her childhood she thought she had got away from.
The kidnapping sets of a chain of events and the Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists, aka Delta Team, are tasked with rescuing Aria. Tracking down CCTV fottage, the team very quickly see Ember had stepped up to try and prevent it, so know they are rescuing two women. Blake, one of Delta team, can't take his eyes off Ember when he see's her on the screen, he is drawn to her in a way that you just can't describe.
Rescuing Ember and Aria is only the start. Blake and the team know they have only scratched the surface of what happened and why. Ember is now firmly back in the crosshairs of a sadistic sex/child trafficker. She's on the run with Blaze, the connection between them is more than just an insane chemistry, it's something that connects them both as survivors of childhood trauma. But learning to trust each other, knowing that loving each other is weakness that can and will be expolited, is the hardest thing they have to do.
Their survival is not guaranteed, finding them, destroying the beast and his army that took them, rescuing not just them but the children is not going to be easy for the Guardians. Through all the anger and tears, strength and love shine through and Rescuing Ember gives you is a fiery, action packed, thrilling introduction to Delta team leaving you wanting more.
I've read Ellie Masters' LaRouge Triplets series a while ago, and I found Asher's book needed a lot of work but loved Body's book. Cage's book, on the other hand, was extremely boring. And although I've seen all the "Saving (someone)" books before, this is the first one I decided to read ...
I love romantic suspense. If done properly, it makes for a very good read. With this book, however, I was confused about what genre the author was going for: suspense, or romance. The two never came together for me; the balance was just off.
On the romance side, the MMC (Blaze) and FMC (Ember) spent more time apart than together. They only met at the 24 / 25% mark. Then they only spent a few hours together before being ripped apart again - not sure for how long as the timing element was missing. What I do know is that quite a few chapters were devoted to them being tortured by the bad guys. It just went on, and on, and on, which was overkill.
For the above reason, I found the relationship development lacking - there was no opportunity or time for them to really get to know each other. A lot of background was given on Ember, but by the end of the book, I still didn't know who Blaze was. The only things we were told was that he was raised in an abusive home, and that he was a player.
Although I liked Blaze's early realization and acceptance of Ember being "the one", his character did not have much substance. Similarly, I appreciated Ember's strength, but at the same time felt that she was sold as too altruistic (who feels sorry for and feed rats after they tried to have you as a meal, or risks your life for someone who looks down on you?). That was a bit hard to believe. I must admit, though, that I liked how Aria repaid Ember for her good deed in the end - that was a nice touch.
I picked up a few discrepancies, but the glaring one is Ember (while reminiscing about her past) gave away the fact that she liked fires, and she liked starting them. She supposedly started the fire at the Children's Home, but later, the bad guy copped to starting the fire, and Ember completely forgot that she was the one who started it ... The other one that did not ring true was Blaze being this professional, experienced rescuer, but (1) allowed the vagrant to leave the room they were hiding in after paying him to keep quiet and (2) let Ember convince him not to phone his team until he rested. Both these "mistakes" led to them being captured in my view.
The story and writing were good, but there was no balance between the romance and action.
This book starts with the rescue of socialite Aria. When she is taken in the middle of the day off the street Ember, who is selling her candles feet away, tries to help and is also taken. Ember has seen a lot in her 20 plus years. She's been through so many foster care homes and finally aged out after not being able to find a family. She's only ever been able to depend on herself but will fiercely defend and help others so when she see's someone trying to take Aria she jumps into the fray without hesitation.
Aria's father hires Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists to get Aria back but there's something a little slimy about this guy. We don't find out in this book but I suspect it's coming so hold tight! The team finds where Aria (and Ember) are being held along with other people and kids and gets them out but not without a little creativity and help from Ember.
Blaze on the DELTA team is helping to lead the rescue and after locking eyes with Ember starts to feel an immediate connection and desire to protect. They are holed up at a safehouse when the kidnappers find them and attempt to get Ember back. A race through the city and both Ember and Blaze are taken and tortured.
We find out in the story that the connection between the kidnappers and Ember goes back to when she was a child and her involvement in Aria's kidnapping reunites Ember with a crime boss who has plans for her.
This is another great read in the Guardians HRS series.
I received an advance review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
First, every one of the stories in this series is the same, just with swapped out YA heroines and locations. I say YA because apparently it's impossible for this author to write a female lead over the age of 23. Blech.
Any story with Snidely Whiplash as the villain can't be that good. There's a whole lot of "Well, well, well," and no joke, "Tsk tsk." WTH? And a lot of talk like a fake movie bad guy like "One would think," "Comfortable, my dear?" And "My patience is wearing thin." And let's not forget "My, my, my." Just a boatload of crappy dialogue.
Plus, any story where the bad guys have infinite capabilities beyond freaking magic and never seem to die is not a good story. It's a called-in effort at best. Lots of seriously hackneyed dialogue that we've all heard one million times, even in cartoons, is the best we get here. This guy is such a bad old stereotype that I can't believe he's not stroking a white Persian cat while he tells the good guy how he's going to kill him. So bad.
Oh, and the FMC makes candles for a living. They're supposed to be some kind of metaphor or something. Although she keeps describing the same three candles, like they're the only ones she knows how to make. "Lavender for peace, cinnamon for warmth, eucalyptus for clarity." I don't get it. I'm not sure that a female lead could be made more pathetic than this one. Even the $ex is cold and without any real romance.
I had to stop at 67%. Really, this isn't a good Bleach. Readers deserve much better.
A flicker of light can be a beacon of hope, that is how Ember sees the candles that she makes. After a traumatic childhood in foster care and then on the streets, it is creating the candles which keeps a roof over her head with the hope that things will get better. When a split second decision to help socialite Aria Holbrook as she is.being kidnapped puts her back in a world she thought she had escaped, Ember knows that she has to hold onto that hope. When rescue comes on the shape of the Guardian Hostage Rescue Team, it is Blaze that catches her eye. Blaze has had his own traumatic and difficult childhood and recognises himself in the determination that Ember shows. When they find themselves on the run and being hunted they have to lean on each other. Captured and tortured, it will take every bit of strength and determination to survive as they realise that love can be a weakness as well as a strength. Determined to escape and rescue the children that are also being held captive, Ember holds onto that flame of light, her beacon of hope in her darkest of times. Ellie Masters has created another masterpiece. The first in the Delta series and I can't wait to read the next installment the series. Jam-packed with drama, action and suspense, this is a beautifully written story that will have you on the edge of your seat.
Wow! Where to start? Rescuing Ember captivated me from the opening pages until the very last word. A word of warning: don't start this book if you've got other things to do. It's simply "un-put-down-able" start to finish. The intensity, suspense, tension and danger are ramped up to a level that will have you on the edge of your seat, hanging onto ever word as you wait to find out what happens next. You get to meet the members of Guardian HRS Delta team anf off course other familar Guardians are present.
Life knocked Ember Winters and Blaze Holbrook down early in their childhoods but being survivors they rebounded stronger than before. They have the scars to prove it. Ember turned adversity into strengths. She's street smart with an exceptional sense of survival and an uncanny ability to avoid or escape trouble. Blaze sees himself in Ember and his interest is piqued from the moment he sees her running toward trouble rather than away from it. A hostage rescue turns into a nightmare for these two. They work together as a team every minute of their ordeal even when things are at their darkest. Blaze knows Ember is his "one" but she's reluctant to go all in because life has let her down so many times before. A new life awaits her if she'll take the chance.
I kicked off the New Year with a bang, diving into Rescuing Ember, the latest installment in the Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialist series. As part of the Delta Team, this story follows the fierce and protective warriors who risk everything to rescue those in danger. Ellie Masters has solidified her spot as one of my favorite authors, and it's easy to see why. Her storytelling grips you from the start, making it impossible to put the book down. Even when I wasn't reading, my mind stayed invested in the story. Rescuing Ember tells the tale of Ember and Blaze, two characters with names that perfectly reflect their personalities. When Blaze, a Guardian and protector, is dispatched with his team to rescue a socialite and the woman who tried to save her, Ember, sparks fly. As their eyes lock, the spark of attraction between them ignites a fiery chemistry. As the story unfolds, Ember and Blaze face heartache, terror, and brutality, but their strength, fierceness, and survival instincts shine through.
Awesome book. So hard to put down. Darker than most books but such a compelling read.
This was about Ember, a true survivor who is taken while helping another woman who is kidnapped, and the Guardian Delta team which includes Blaze who saves them.
This is a hard hitting look at human trafficking. But in saying that it is a story of hope and survival. Ember has an extremely hard life but she keeps the faith and then when the hard times hit, she had someone to hold on for.
Blaze is caring and sweet but also understands more than most what Ember has gone through. Stories that are similar, they find commonalities that bond them.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. It really rang true the sentiments behind it that comes out towards the end. It's a beautifully written book and a mesmerising plot that makes you want to keep reading to see what happens.
Ember is a "street rat"; a child thrown away, discarded. Tempered in the crucible of horrific abuse, Ember refuses to give into despair. Tiny in stature, Ember has a gigantic, giving soul that refuses to just stand by and allow evil to triumph...
" In the window’s reflection, I catch a glimpse of us—the elegant predator and his prized possession, but beneath my carefully crafted mask of submission, beneath the designer clothes and styled hair, a different truth burns. He thinks he’s taming my fire. He doesn’t realize he’s giving it fuel to burn." - Ember
An intense conflagration of danger and desire, Rescuing Ember lights an ever growing flame that quickly becomes an inferno swirling with deadly secrets and hidden dangers. Surprises abound and the plot twists and turns! Loved it!
“Sometimes,” he says, his eyes reflecting the tiny flame, “all it takes is one spark to change everything.” Forrest Summers
This is the first book in the Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists: Delta Team. Rescuing Ember had my attention from the first page. Ember unknowingly puts herself in the middle of a terrible situation. Lethal people are determined to get their hands on her, but she doesn't know why. Doing a good deed leads to very real and dangerous consequences. Enter Delta Team of The Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists. Blaze sees her picture and something happens. He knows they have to rescue her... no matter what. Blaze and Ember are drawn to each other, even though they fight it. With everything they went through, it is truly a miracle they survived. They never gave up on one another. They are some daunting obstacles standing in the way of their HEA. It's a race against time for Delta Team to get to them. This book had me turning pages so fast, my brain struggled to keep up. Definitely a 5 star read! Sorry, no spoilers. I received this ARC and here is my honest review.
With character names of Ember and Blaze you have to know this will be incendiary! Ember escaped bad foster situations early on and scrapes out an existence by making and selling candles. She sees a woman being kidnapped, and in an effort to help gets kidnapped herself.
Blaze is a member of Delta Team of the Guardian Hostage Rescue. Both women are rescued, but the kidnappers will not give up, and they are not targeting the “high value” woman, but Ember!
It will take all the street smarts of Ember and the technical savvy of Blaze to stay out of the hands of these perpetrators. Fast-paced, scintillating, exciting and has all the team, Rufi and bumblebee drones working at full capacity. Absolutely stunning!
***** I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book *****
Wow! This is quite a heart stopper! Ember has been living on the streets since the age of 12. She never knew her father and her mother was an addict. After one of her foster fathers made advances, she fled and learned to survive on her own. Aria, a young socialite, is kidnapped near Ember's corner where she sells her homemade candles. Her efforts to help only lead to her being taken as well. Blaze and his team are sent to rescue them but it doesn't go well. This story is so exciting and intense! Blaze and Ember run for their lives from a gang engaged in drugs, prostitution, and human trafficking. Ember has buried secrets from her past, but they come back to haunt her. Both have had unfortunate childhoods and need to be loved. Beautiful characters and fantastic plot. Great read!!
Ember was young woman who faced all the perils of foster care and came out as a survivor, making a meager living selling candles on a New York City street...and when she sees local celebrity. Aria Holbrook, being abducted, she rushes to help, but ends up being taken by the kidnappers also...Blaze is former SEAL, who was recruited by Guardian Hostage Rescue after his service with SEALS ended, also having grown up with an abusive parent and had his own issues with foster system...both are protectors. Hired to rescue Aria, also meant rescuing Ember, springing Delta team into action...but you will need to read this roller-coaster story to see what happens to this unforgettable pair. Reader beware, shows a dark, edgy underbelly of the city and a criminal organization capable of devasting their victims in this thriller. I voluntarily read this book through an Advanced Reader Copy.
Author Ellie Masters continues her streak of delivering jaw-dropping stories with hot special ops men with a protective gene that needs to be fed. She throws just the right amount of romance in there to spice things up.
This time it's Delta team who is called upon for a stateside rescue mission, but the story takes a puzzling turn that takes the reader on a shocking roller-coaster ride that will have your heart pumping and your gut wrenching. Rescuing Ember is action-packed, suspenseful, and unpredictable.
Get ready for another amazing addition to the Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists series. This one gets a top billing from me. Absolutely and unequivocally one of her best yet.
This is such a powerful story and I absolutely loved it. There are parts that are so raw and brutal that it was hard to read, but there were also parts that were so heartwarming they restore hope. I had tears in my eyes at the end and that little surprise in the epilogue was wonderful and so special. This is an evocative book and the writing is superb, the reader feels every word. There are no down times just relief and change of emotion. It is different to most of the Guardian series in that none of the action takes place at Guardian H.Q and only Mitzi is directly involved. This is my favourite so far and can’t wait for the next one, it is an incredible read that captures the reality of living on the streets and what being a runaway means.
When you're reading this story you're going to feel despair, Strength, and bonding. The characters were outstanding Each 1 had their own personality and was well defined in the story. You feel their weaknesses and their strengths And you ride a ride along in the story And you ride a ride along in the story clapping for the good and booing the bad. The author has a way to weave so much emotion into this book it took me 2 days to finally finish itPeriodontist I read 1 other book in this series and I've gotta say she keeps a constant Weigh with her words that just keeps strong you into the story until it's finished and you want more.
I LOVED this story! I was quite upset I had to put it down for 2 days as I had no time to finish. It is really a page turner that you will want to read in one sitting. Ember and Blaze are wonderful characters and are perfect together and whether it was deliberate or not I think it is great that their names both relate to fire and fire is a prevailing part of the storyline. The book is not fluffy - it is hard and gritty but shows you that determination, persistence, hope and love can sustain you in really dark times. Those dark times tempered Embers backbone of steel that allowed her survive. This is a love story that makes you cheer in the end! Read this book - you won’t regret it!
A take on the Little Match Girl story, Ember sells candles on the street corner. When she sees a woman grabbed she jumps in to help and finds herself taken as well. Blaze is a member of Delta Team Guardian Hostage Rescue and is tapped to help when the father of the socialite who disappeared hires them. When Blaze sees her picture he has an immediate attraction. And when they meet, that attraction only grows. There is a lot of mystery and suspense in this story, but the attraction between these characters just jumps off the page. I really enjoyed this story and I'm definitely looking forward to more story from the Delta team.
Ellie has created another amazing story. She takes us from survival, to barely surviving, to new connections, the start of happiness, danger, horrible situations, to hope. I laughed, cried, shivered, drew back, put the book down to immediately picking it up again. A favorite quote: "...family isn't just blood," ..."It's who you choose. Who chooses you back." I know when I pick up a book by Ellie, it will take me on a journey. I feel as if I'm in the story dodging bullets or seeing the good and bad happening to her characters. I can almost smell the candle wax or the grunge or what Ellie is describing. I love a found family and a great HEA.
Rescuing Ember features an ex-foster kid named Ember who is a candlemaker by trade because fire is the one true friend that she has had over the years. She comes across Blaze as she falls into danger. He is part of the Delta team in the Guardian Rescue Specialists. This is one of the best books of the entire series. The chemistry between Ember and Blaze pops off the page and the action is top-notch. Whether you are an Ellie Masters fan or someone who likes guys in uniform, you will want to pick this one up and add it immediately to your TBR list.
Rescuing Ember is book 1 in the Delta Team Series, another GHRS Series from Ellie Masters!
Ember is as fierce as they come. Living her childhood in foster care and then on the streets, she has learned that no one will take care of her, she has to depend on herself. Blaze, fighting his own battles, sees just has determined and fierce Ember is and now he looks like he has met his perfect match.
This book has so much of what we expect from her GHRS series. Ellie Masters is one of my one-click authors, regardless of the blurb or the book cover because I know it will be incredible!
This story is gut wrenching for Amber. Her past catches up to her presence, making it seem as if she wouldn’t have a future. Her resilience was amazing, but everyone has a breaking point. I would have broke. But Ember and Blaze each had a spark of hope to keep them going through the worst of times. Bravery like I could never imagine. This is a story that you’ll want to read in one sitting. Great characters. Author Ellie Masters always writes with a life experience or a skill. I’d love to hear how Ellie came to learn of Ember’s career !
This story was on fire and emotionally charged. It really was a puzzle that was being put together. "Stop fighting us." Blaze and Ember are really meant to be together. There are a cast of old and new characters for this Delta team, and there is so much more to come. Ms. Masters is a master at weaving journeys and beginnings for all kinds of characters that we love and don't want to let go of. The candle making, Matchstick Girl is epic, just like being able to make choices and really, learning to take things day by day, living in the moment. I absolutely loved this book.
I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what I got when I started reading this book! The story of Blaze and Ember grips you from the very start and it doesn't let you breathe much until the last page! Whew! I was worn out! There's every kind of "feel" in this book. Fear, pain, lust, love terror, hope, salvation. The Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists: DELTA Team is a well oiled machine! Do yourselves a favor and grab this book! Don't forget to read the Epilogue after. It's awesome, too! Yeowsa! Diane T.
I am absolutely loving Rescuing Ember! From the start, Ellie Masters drops you into an intense edge of your seat story that keeps you riveted to what is happening from the beginning! Ember's story of what she experienced and survived because of her strength and unwillingness to relent shaped her into the person that draws Blaze into her world with the drive to protect her and keep others from trying to extinguish her light. This is the first installment of the Delta Team and definitely excited for the next story in continuation of the series!
Ember was an amazing woman! Rebuilding herself a candle at a time. Finding her way to survival on the streets till... that day! A good deed drags her into something she did not fathom and a past that resurfaced with a vengeance! Meeting Blaze and what caught fire between them. Amazing love and a hard-fought HEA!! I absolutely loved her, and I loved how Blaze felt about her before they had even met! Just a GREAT love story, a war story, and victories all the way around!! So well done!!
Ellie has done brilliantly with Delta team. Ember & Blaze lead us down a sizzling fiery path that has you on edge. Non stop action dodging bullets & survival instincts has you riveted. Absolutely loved the instant connection that sets of fireworks without words between Ember & Blaze. You count the moments to victory as they fight for each other & survival. Fabulous end that melts your heart with snippets to enjoy.
Wow! What a read. This is the start of the Delta team and what an explosive start it is. There is torture in this book and some pretty heavy topics, so I’d read all trigger warnings first. This book will pull you right in from the beginning where you will be hooked. I absolutely loved Blaze and Ember together and there was one point in the book, where I felt sorry for Blaze and all he endured at the hands of the hostiles. A fantastic read nonetheless!