Code Name: Ember

I received a gifted ALC/ARC via The Author Agency and am voluntarily writing this review. CODE NAME: EMBER is the first book in the new JAMESON FORCE SEATTLE series by Sawyer Bennett. Cole Mercer, a former special forces veteran, protects journalist, Tessa Ward, investigating deadly wildfires while their past romance rekindles in the thick of danger and corruption. This is a spicy, open door, first person, dual POV, contemporary romantic suspense that includes tropes such as Second Chance Romance, Forced Proximity, Bodyguard/Security Romance, Investigative Journalist Heroine, Ex-Military Hero, Alpha Protector Hero, Touch Her and Die, Found Family Team Dynamic, and Slow Burn Rekindling. This was an enjoyable story which fit well within the mold of the rest of the JAMESON FORCE novels. Both Tessa and Cole are likable, relatable characters who have to grow and learn to see the other’s perspective in order to reach the HEA they lost the first time around. The relationship rekindled quickly when they were in each other’s pockets, and while the story doesn’t express intense emotion, the couple struggle, reconnect, experience the third act breakup, and then grow and resolve their conflict. I was frustrated that their central issue was the same one that had parted them the first time. Why make the choice to reignite the sparks of their relationship if they would reach the same impasse all over again? But they each moved from their non-negotiable positions in the long run. The narrators, Steven Dexter and Kelsey Navarro Foster, did a great job bringing this audiobook to life. They communicated the nuances of their characters’ emotions and created distinct voices for the characters. The recording also worked well at multiple speeds. I recommend this novel for readers/listeners who enjoy bodyguard romantic suspense novels.