Hoyt carries a lot of baggage from his captivity – scars that cut very, very deep and impact all facets of his life. Because of it, he’s turned away from Hayden and placed a strain on his relationships with his brother & teammates. As a member of an elite special forces team, it is extra hard to face what he feels is his weakness. But when an old enemy brings danger to his door, he has to decide if he’s man enough to face his demons and conquer them. He’s deeply troubled but also a good man, who just needs to find his way to get past his anger and pain.

I don’t know if it is because she is too close to him, but I would think that as a psychology grad student Hayden would have a little more understanding of what Hoyt is going through. She’s understandably hurt by his leaving but she has to know that there is more going on than what is on the surface. Once she does start looking at things a little more objectively though she gets it. But then the bad guys arrive and things get crazy.

I kinda wish there had been more time for Hoyt and Hayden to deal with his issues, however Cross does a great job of keeping the story flowing. First we’re caught up in Hoyt & Hayden’s relationship and then we roll straight into some non-stop action, which kept me glued to the pages right til the last page.

This is the first of the Men of Mercy series that I’ve read but I can definitely tell you it will not be my last. Although I feel like I should warn you that while this one can stand on its own, there are events from the past that come into play along with an underlying plot that will continue on into future stories. Cross does a fabulous job of giving you the details you need as they play into Hoyt’s story and she makes sure that you feel like you got the closure you needed to truly enjoy this one. But it is part of a greater overall story and that may frustrate some new readers. Or give them a whole new set of books to read (like me) :)

(Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review)