In romantic thrillers, the villain is usually a true bad guy. But what if the villain is truly as innocent as he looks? In “Claiming Sarah,” Susan Stoker poses that question to the readers and then also provides an answer.

Sarah Butler is arguably the nicest person you can meet. A nurse by profession, she really wants to help people and stays true to her Hippocratic Oath. So, it is hard for her to accept that someone is after her. But she has to because the anonymous gifts she had been receiving are proofs that she has a stalker.

Enter Cole Johnson, gym owner and trainer. He is willing to train Sarah in self-defense and more. The attraction between them is off the charts. To use a famous line from a famous movie, Sarah and Cole had each other at hello.

But, they are far from their happily ever after. Sarah’s stalker was still at large, and they don’t have any clues if he is dangerous or not.

Having read several books by Susan Stoker, I know that there is an element of surprise in the story, something that is truly unexpected. Yet, once you finished the book, you realized that she had been giving readers clues.

“Claiming Sarah” is not an exception. The villain had been known from the beginning but there were enough twists that with it was time for the conflict part of the story, I was surprised. It was so subtle that I missed the twist and found myself in the middle without warning.

If you’re confused by my statement, I’ll explain.

Because I’m a reviewer, I have become anticipatory. I finish an average of two books a week – one I actually read and the other one, I listen to. At any point in time, I have at least 4 books figuratively open.

Through the years, I have become very good at following the plot and have gotten very good in predicting when the big dramatic moment will be. In “Claiming Sarah,” because the villain was unexpectedly an innocent, I was taken unawares.

So, I’m so happy to say that “Claiming Sarah” and Susan Stroker made me humble and forced me to pay attention. Ha! Ha! It’s good to be reminded that life is full surprises.

That said, “Claiming Sarah” is a good read. It’s subtle yet powerful and most important of all, it teaches us that nice always win in the end.

“Claiming Sarah” is Rated T for Teens. Parental advise strongly advised for some sexual content and some violence.

Story

Claiming Sarah

Title: Claiming Sarah

Author: Susan Stoker
Release Date: September 10, 2019
Publisher: Montlake

Summary

Sarah Butler isn’t flattered. She’s angry and unnerved. She’s been getting intimate gifts from a man she barely knows. Nothing threatening yet, but there’s just a weird vibe she can’t ignore. Her recourse is Ace Security. Their solution: self-defense lessons at Rock Hard Gym with a personal, hands-on instructor. One look at the bearded, tattooed, green-eyed alpha is enough to take Sarah’s breath away.

Cole Johnson is definitely the man for the job. He’s eager to train her. Eager to get closer. And when it comes to Sarah’s instincts, Cole knows she’s not imagining things. He’s also not imagining the intense attraction between them—and his desire to protect her is growing. But so are Sarah’s fears, the worst of which come true when she disappears.

Enlisting the help of Ace Security, Cole will stop at nothing to find the love of his life . . . before she vanishes forever.

Title: Claiming Sarah

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