Missing in the Mountains

Fortress Defense #2

by Julie Anne Lindsey

To protect her family, she’ll need to trust a man from her past…

When Emma Hart witnesses her sister being kidnapped, the only person she can trust to keep her and her baby safe is army vet turned security expert Sawyer Lance. He immediately offers his help but is shocked to meet her young son—a boy who looks a lot like him. To protect their reunited family, Emma and Sawyer will have to find the kidnapper before he strikes again.

The Fortress Defense
Deadly Cover-Up
Missing in the Mountains

From Harlequin Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.

Genres: Harlequin, Romantic Suspense, Romance

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 9, 2020

About the author

Julie Anne Lindsey- Hatcher is an award-winning and bestselling author of cozy mystery and romantic suspense. She’s published more than sixty novels as herself & under the pen names, Bree Baker, Jacqueline Frost & Julie Chase, for various publishers, including Kensington, Harlequin, Sourcebooks and Crooked Lane Books. When she's not writing the stories that keep her up at night, Julie stays busy in Kent, Ohio with her three amazing kids and shamelessly enabling friends. Today she hopes to make someone smile. One day she plans to change the world.

Be sure to check out NOT QUITE BY THE BOOK, Julie's latest work of contemporary fiction, written under her birth name, Julie Hatcher.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. Would I give anything less to a book by Julie Anne Lindsey? I absolutely loved this book. I love how Sawyer instantly melts when he finds out about Henry. I did not want this book to end. It was that good.

[Brooke Blogs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read and enjoyed Ms. Lindsey's cozy mysteries and decided I had to check out her romantic suspense. I was immediately swept up in Emma and Sawyer's story. I loved the suspense as well as the second-chance romance aspect. There was a good balance between action and romance. The story felt exciting and believable. I look forward to reading more romantic suspense from Ms. Lindsey.

[H.M.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Missing in the Mountains is the 2nd of (so far) 3 Fortress Defense mysteries / action novels. I’m a huge fan of Julie Anne Lindsey and I bought this along with Deadly Cover Up in anticipation of Marine Protector. While these books all work as stand-alone books, I’m the type who likes to binge-read a series from the beginning to I can get to better know all the characters.

This is the second of Lindsey’s Harlequin Intrigue novels I’ve read, since I’ve mostly read three different Cozy mystery series of hers. What I like about her books is that they’re more intense than the average cozy which is perfect for this book. While it has elements of romance and elements of mystery, it’s a more intense version of each mixed with lots of action and gritty but likable characters.

This time, get to meet Sawyer, who helped Wyatt out the end of Book 1. In this book we get more of his back story to reveal why he never came back as he originally intended after his last deployment. When he accepts a protection detail, he’s surprised to find his client is actually an ex-girlfriend who needs his help to find her kidnapped sister - as well as inform him of a big surprise.

Action-filled, the 2nd book in this series doesn’t disappoint.

Definitely a fun read with some great edge-of-your-seat action and suspense. If you’re looking for a good escape for an evening, I recommend picking this up!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watch the Livestream Discussion

https://youtu.be/u7Gdj2pXkKw

5 stars on a Julie Anne Lindsey book... are we surprised? Nope.

I loved Sawyer and Emma and little baby Henry. I love when the big strong alpha hero finds out he's a dad and just melts for his little baby!!!! My heart!!!

Tropes: Second chance romance, secret baby, military hero, tortured hero, alpha hero, bodyguard

Summer Fling Readathon Prompt: Category Romance

[Jo-Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this series. The mystery, action and romance grab you right from the start in each book. They can be read as stand-alones but once you read one you will want to find out what happens to each of the men. Missing in the Mountains is Sawyer Lance's story.

Sawyer had a brief romance with Emma just before he was deployed. He expected to be gone for 6 weeks but he didn't get back for about a year. What he went through was horrible. He thought of Emma all the time when he was away but thought it best not to contact her when he returned because he was a mess. Turned out that wasn't a good idea.

After seeing her sister be abducted, Emma called the Police. When they moved too slowly, she called Fortress Defense not expecting Sawyer to answer the phone. When he met with her to help find her sister he was surprised to see it was Emma. And she had a surprise for him!

This book had a wonderful ending that left me smiling. If you like action-packed romantic mysteries, I highly recommend it.

[Emma Nickerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay first of all… 10/10 would read again. I started and finished this book in about 6 hours, it was so heart wrenching and a page turner that I couldn’t put down. watching sawyer and emma’s relationship rekindle and get so much stronger while searching for sara was so heart warming. there were several instances where I wished the author would have gone into more detail with the romance instead of leaving us on the edge at the end of a chapter, only hinting at what happened. however, the wonderful suspense-filled storyline and plot layout made up for it. DEFINITELY recommend to all suspense and romance lovers.

[Books and Spoons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense investigation to kidnapping and money laundering that escalates into much more, involving frantic action kept me on my toes. But it was the passionate, ardent and ah so adorable second chance romance that swept me off my feet. Julie Anne Lindsey writes the best kind of entertaining binge reading stories that take your mind off the present and into a riveting adventure. Highly recommended!

[Paula Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emma Hart witnesses her siste Sara get attacked and then kidnapped by a masked intruder. She calls Fortress Security for help, and this puts her in touch with Sawyer Lance. As it turns out, he's the father of Emma's baby, conceived after a month long courtship. Emma thought Sawyer wanted nothing to do with her and the baby, as she couldn't get in touch with him. As it turned out, he was captured and held prisoner while on tour. He vows to keep Emma and the baby safe while they try to figure out what Sara got messed up in that led to her being kidnapped, and try to find her.

Julie Anne Lindsey really is quite the dependable Intrigue writer these days. Her plots are not overly complicated, but she keeps the pacing constant from start to finish. There was always something happening here, so I never got bored. She also does a good job of showing how Emma and Sawyer communicate. They actually take the time to discuss the issues between them. The book's blurb had me worried about a secret paternity subplot, but thankfully that wasn't the case. There was a good reason (if a bit far-fetched) for Sawyer to be unaware he was a father. The big drawback was, unfortunately, Emma herself. She was constantly crying or on the verge of crying (like, every ten pages), and didn't seem to do much else but hide when things got dangerous. One of the more useless Intrigue heroines, sad to say!

All in all, a decent romantic thriller that provides a quick, entertaining read.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: This rant has nothing to do with Missing in the Mountains. It just happens to be the first Harlequin Intrigue I read after the cover redesign.

I am annoyed by Harlequin Intrigue's new tagline. "Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served." The third sentence does not match the first two. Why change from "Verb noun" to "Noun verb?" Why change the verb tense? I'm sure my English teachers would have marked me down if I had done this in a paper.

[Katie Mettner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Missing in the Mountains was my first Julie Anne Lindsey, but it won't be my last. I loved this intrigue that was a wonderful mystery infused with a sweet second chance romance. From the first paragraph, you felt the suspense building. Emma's sister, Sara, knew something was coming for her, and she didn't want Emma and her four-month-old son, Henry, to be caught in the crossfire. Instead, when that something comes for her, Emma witnesses Sara be abducted by a man all in black. She hears his voice, but that's the only identifying feature she has of him.

Sawyer Lance is haunted. Haunted by the memories of his time in the Army and the men who died there. Back home and building a new life, he doesn't expect to get a phone call from the woman he left behind over a year ago, begging him to help her find her missing sister. The biggest surprise is yet to come for him, though, when he meets Henry for the first time.

Finding a new purpose in Emma and Henry, Sawyer does what he does best, protects and serves. He will help Emma find Sara and keep baby Henry and her safe while he does. Things don't always go as planned for him and more often than not they're caught up in a situation that is all danger and suspense, leaving you breathless to see who lives and who dies. The culmination of the story is perfectly paced and expertly executed in a way that keeps you turning the pages long into the night.

In the end, I loved the sweet HEA and the promise of a new couple and new mystery to come in this series. If you love a second chance romance expertly weaved into a suspenseful kidnapping and murder mystery then you don't want to skip Missing in the Mountains!

[Tammy Lunsford - Escape to Books By Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another great mystery by Julie Anne Lindsey. I am never disappointed in anything she writes. Emma Hart is hidden in a closet with her baby while listening to her sister being tormented and then kidnapped. She is later shocked when her help comes and it is her baby’s father, Sawyer. The shock is evident for Sawyer as well since he did not know he had a son. The race is on to find her sister and figure out why her sister was kidnapped. It is a fast paced action story and a race against the clock. This is a great mystery with a romantic edge, as well as a story of forgiveness and acceptance. You will never be disappointed with anything Julie Anne Lindsey writes!

[Toth Jo-Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating book to read. In a sense its a second chance romance for Sawyer Lance and Emma Hart. Its a mystery with alot of suspense in it. It has a body count in it as well, some manage to live barely. But the mystery as to why this is happening is a little surprising considering the reason why. It makes putting the book down for the need for answers is there. The ending ties up lose ends and has answers to why things we're happening. I'm going to look for the next one. For I'm hoping for a certain character in this book gets a happy ending. J

[Melissa May · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book, and I hope more books are coming in this series. Good romance and thrilling suspense.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Livestream discussion
https://youtu.be/u7Gdj2pXkKw

[Megan_the_book_witch Morrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. I can’t wait to read the others. The ending is a surprise ;)

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good quick read. Nice palate cleanser after reading some heavier books.

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful romance story

[Harlequin Books]

Categories
Mystery & Detective, Thriller, Romantic Suspense
Miniseries
Fortress Defense (Book #2)

[Harlequin Books]

Categories
Mystery & Detective, Thriller, Romantic Suspense
Miniseries
Fortress Defense (Book #2)

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as a part of Who Picked This Book? Bookclub Liveshow on Nicole's Channel with her & JenJen chatting all about this book as well ask Marine Protector (book 3): https://youtu.be/u7Gdj2pXkKw

[Paula Legate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was seriously one of the best books that I have read in a long time. It had it all. It had love at first sight, second chance romance. Chemistry so hot that she had to suck on ice cubes to cool off. She was the Yen to his yang. It also had intense action. The bad guys were playing for keeps in this book. Someone broke into the house Emma shared with her sister Sara, then kidnapped Sara. After calling the Police, Emma called a private security firm. She had no idea the father of her baby worked there. When she called, she expected someone else to answer the phone. Sawyer and Emma had spent time together before he left on a deployment. Emma had called his phone to let him know she was expecting, but never got a phone call back. The deployment was a bad one to say the least. It turned out that Sawyer was gone a lot longer than expected. His phone service was tuned off. He had only been back in the US for a short amount of time when Emma called needing help. He was a natural dad. The way he bounded with his son melted my heart. He also protected both mother and child while searching for clues. He vowed to find Sara. I lost track of the action scenes throughout the book. It seemed like something was always going on. The end of the book was extreme. I was on the edge of my seat. If I was a nail bitter, I would have chewed them off. I hope I didn’t give too much away. This book is a must read.

[Mary Sewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. A very gripping story, many twists and turns. Held my interest all the way. Loved the Western parts thrown in. Suspenseful in places. Interesting parts on Native American customs.