Fantastic book that sucked me in from the very beginning. Emily is a professor of Russian language at a local university. She also works as an interpreter. As the story opens, she is just finishing a translating job at the Russian embassy. It doesn't go well, with the ambassador storming out. Emily is escorted out of the embassy in a hurry, while the man she translated for is detained. On her way out, she sees another man who looks familiar being escorted in. Confused and uneasy, she rushes to her car. Her uneasiness is justified when she is nearly run off the road twice in a short time and spots a car following her. When that car also tries to run her off the road, she calls her friend Grace to tell her what is happening. Grace immediately asks Declan to help her friend.

Former Marine Mustang is one of the men of Declan's Defenders. He is the closest to Emily's location when Declan calls on him for help. He arrives on the scene just in time to keep Emily from being kidnapped or killed and whisks her off to the Defenders' headquarters on Charlie Halvorsen's estate. As the team tries to figure out why Emily is being targeted, Mustang plans to stick close to Emily to keep her safe.

I was glued to the pages of this book as it's nearly nonstop action to keep Emily alive. Emily initially has no idea why someone is out to kill her, while the team believes that she saw something she doesn't realize the importance of. Things become both a little clearer and more complicated when Emily receives a visit from the ambassador's daughter, Sachi. The tension increases when the PI that Emily interpreted for is a victim of a hit-and-run attack, and the attacker then goes after Emily and Mustang, who are saved by the timely arrival of the other team members. A suspicious photograph provided by the PI before his accident gives a hint of the issue, which is confirmed by information from an unexpected source. When Emily and Sachi are taken, it's a race against time to save them. The final confrontation had me on the edge of my seat (and up WAY past my bedtime) as Mustang and the rest of the team raced to the rescue. I loved that Emily didn't just wait around for Mustang to show up but took an active role in her own rescue. What she uncovered along the way was horrifying, and she didn't back down from doing what she thought was right. The ending was a nail-biter and a close call for all of them. There's an interesting twist in the epilogue that connects this story to the earlier two in the series. It will be interesting to follow it to the end and see what it all means.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Emily and Mustang. Mustang was impressed and intrigued by Emily from the first time he met her. The sparks flew between them immediately. Mustang doesn't want anything to distract him from protecting Emily, and he's afraid that giving in will do so. Emily has been so focused on her career that she doesn't have much in the way of experience but is ready to explore what is happening in spite of the danger. Mustang can't deny the need to make sure she is safe, and "sticking like glue" to her side increases the intensity of his attraction and makes it harder to resist. I liked the back-and-forth between them as Mustang has to balance her safety with her stubbornness in certain situations. Though the word "love" comes up quickly, I got the feeling they will still take the time to develop their relationship. I look forward to seeing them in future books. ( )

Full Force by Elle James

Harlequin Intrigue, Declan’s Defenders #3. Part of an overall Arc. So not a cliffhanger for this couple, but strings left hanging.

Emily is running for her life when Mustang jumps in to save her. Literally. He tackles her. I’m wondering why he didn’t say who he was before taking her to the ground but she probably wasn’t in a listening mode. She’d just be run off the road, chased and then shot at.
Mustang is an ex military marine and one of Declan’s security team. He’s the closest when Emily made her frantic call for help. Together they work to figure out why Emily is being threatened.

I like reading about women who can stand on their own. Emily is certainly that. Independent, and willing to fight her own battles. Or seduce a marine. Whatever it takes!
Medium on the heat range. ( )