This was the first book from J.M. Madden that I picked up to read and after finishing I know it definitely won’t be the last. I went for this book because not only do I love a Marine romance but I loved that idea that the author went down a slightly different curve and had our hard arsed rugged hero wounded, physically in a wheelchair and mentally locked into his own private little world. John Palmer is your typical hot alpha male but he also has a depth to his dark past and wounds that some books in this genre don’t quite manage to get right. He can be awkward, hot headed and closed off but we get to see him grow into something more as Shannon manages to draw out his inner loveable softness.The heroine of the story is Shannon Murphy who has plenty of fight in her own right. Shannon works alongside John and other wounded service men at Lost ‘N’ Found Investigative Services so when she finds herself in a rather precarious situation with a monster from her past she wisely takes the offer of their expertise to keep her safe and to determine who is putting her life in danger and why. The more time that John and Shannon share together after he moves into her house to protect her, the more the feelings that both share for one another but that both have been hiding since they first met come rushing to the surface.As the battle to keep Shannon safe and alive rages on so does the battle of romance between her and John as she tries to show him she loves him and he’s worthy of that and he tries to fight the feeling that he will never be good enough for her. I loved that the story line was easily believable helped along by the fact that John never had a miracle moment where Shannon cured him of all of his physical and mental wounds left over from his time at war. There are plenty of hot steamy moments and twists and turns to keep you guessing about the bad guys to make this a very entertaining and enjoyable read. I will definitely be reading the rest of the books in this series. Great story, well written with good character development. I really liked it.Shannon is the office manager for a unique security agency run by former military men, most of they injured in one way or another. One of the owners, John, is in a wheelchair. And despite his prickly personality, she has been strongly attracted to him since starting to work there a few months ago.Now suddenly, some slightly strange things are happening to Shannon which are bringing up concerns about a dangerous person from her past whom she believes is safely incarcerated.Shannon is a lovely heroine, she has so much heart. She brings food and treats to the office for the guys. She's the only woman in the office and the guys like and respect her. Some of them are damaged in ways that make them avoid women, but Shannon "gets" them and treats them like normal.The relationship between Shannon and John is sweet and sexy. The suspense plot is very well done.I loved watching John and Shannon come together, it made me swoon. I do wish there was a little more beyond the last chapter, but considering it's a series I hope there will be updates on them in future books.
What do You think about Embattled Hearts (2013)?
Excellent series!!! Enjoyed John and Shannon's story. Would recommend this book/series.
—rritchie
I love this book and can't wait to read more.
—natpascoate
Is a great book to read forever and ever
—amy12102
