Embrace the Suck by Giulia Lagomarsino

 

Title: Embrace the Suck

Series: an OPS Protector Romance Book 8

Author: Giulia Lagomarsino

Genre: Romantic Suspense/Protector Romance

Release Date: April 24, 2023

Cover Design: T.E. Black Designs

Photographer: Reggie Deanching RplusM Photography

Cover Model: BT Urruela

Embrace The Suck is book 8 in the OPS Protector Romance series and should be read in order.

I should have just stayed home.

I thought I could get away and relax.
But that was scrapped the first day when Dash and FNG followed me on vacation.
It was supposed to be a trip to reset my brain.
To get away from all the women flooding work, desperate to be involved and blow stuff up, throw knives, and eat shawarma with the resident psychopath.

But they weren’t the worst part of the trip.

No, that would be the woman that shouldn’t have ever stepped foot in a desert.
Whining and complaining were not supposed to happen on this trip.
But it did.
I should not have had to fight off a rabbit in a yurt.
But I did.
And that bighorn sheep…

But that was only the beginning of the worst vacation known to man.
Then there were bullets, enemies coming from all directions, and the sexiest, most annoying woman directly in the center of it.
And I had to protect her.

They say vacation is fun.
They’ve never been on one with her.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My review:

Thumper was tired of seeing his teammates finding women who always caused trouble.  He thought they should have found women who had no interest in their jobs or who would bother them on a job.  After their last mission, he was ready to get away and have some peace and quiet.   Thinking he had escaped; he went to Arches National Park to do some hiking on his own, but Dash and FNG followed him.  Then he encounters Bree, who is way out of her element, out roaming the desert by herself.

“Someday, you’ll meet a man who calms the fear inside you.  He’ll take every worry and care out of your world and put them on his shoulders to bear the burden.  When you find that man, never let him go.  He’ll protect you with his life, and make sure you never have to suffer another day in your life.”

Bree had worked since high school to achieve her goal of working in finance.  She devoted her entire life to her work and is ready for a promotion.  Except her boss is afraid she will burn herself out, so he was making her take a vacation.  Her sister advised her to go somewhere she would normally not go.  So, Bree decided to go hiking in the desert, only to discover she was not made for the outdoors.  Completely out of her comfort zone, she is determined to prove to Thumper she can do it.  But once bullets start flying, Bree must rely on Thumper to keep her safe.

Embrace the Suck is the eighth book in the Owens Protective Services series.  I love this series, but I didn’t care for this book as much as the others.  The humor and suspense were there but the characters in this book were not a favorite of mine.  Thumper’s character was too bland and not as outlandish or notable as the previous books’ characters.  In the beginning, I didn’t care too much for Bree and her complaining, but she did finally redeem herself and find her backbone by the end of the book.  Overall, this was not my favorite book in the series, but I definitely look forward to Johnny Wood’s story in the next book.

“Can I ask why you came here instead of…a spa?”

“A spa would have been nicer,” she panted. The path took a steep decline and she grabbed onto a boulder, leaning against it as she tried to breathe. “It’s so hot out here. I could be in a sauna right now.”

“A sauna is hot too.”

“I know that, but it’s good for your skin, your lungs…” She waved her hand in front of her face. “I feel faint.” She glanced up at the rising sun. “Is it just me, or is that sun really bright?”

Her flushed red face would be sexy if she were under me in bed, but out here in the sun, it only showed her intolerance for any kind of exertion. “It’s barely up yet. How do you expect to survive hiking out here?”

She pulled a water bottle from her pack and chugged it. “I’m always up for a challenge. Granted, this one is not exactly what I’m used to, but I’m no quitter.”

She stood, shoving her water bottle into her pack at the same time. But she was off balance and fell sideways, screeching as she fell and started to roll down the hill.

I pursed my lips and nodded as she tumbled in a very ungraceful manner until finally coming to a stop when the ground leveled out. “That seems about right.”

I'm a stay at home mom that loves to read. Some of my favorite titles are Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Horatio Hornblower. I started writing when I was trying to come up with suggestions on ways I could help bring in some extra money. I came up with the idea that I could donate plasma because you could earn an extra $500/month. My husband responded with, "No. Find something else. Write a blog. Write a book." I didn't think I had anything to share on blog that a thousand other mothers hadn't already thought of. I decided to take his challenge seriously and sat down to write my first book, Jack. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing. From there, the stories continued to flow and I haven't been able to stop. I hope my readers enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them. Between reading, writing, and taking care of three small kids, my days are quite full.

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