The Guardsman

From New York Times bestselling author Susan Stoker comes a pulse-pounding novel of romantic suspense, where a brooding Coast Guard vet offers the only safe harbor for a woman hunted by her past.

In this intensely emotional finale to the Alpha Cove series, a guarded young woman and a Coast Guard vet must defend against her deadly past while opening themselves up to the possibility of love.

Jordan Ward is cursed. Raised in a nightmare, now living on the run, she’s not known peace since testifying at her violent brother’s murder trial a decade earlier, unable to settle with his vow of revenge haunting her every step. She doesn’t expect her stay in Rockville, Maine, to last any longer than all her other temporary homes…or be any less lonely…until a reluctant call for help to a man she barely knows changes her life.

Knox Young is blessed. The former Coast Guardsman has three of the best brothers anyone could ask for, and they only get closer after returning to their beloved home in coastal Maine to help their widowed mother. In fact, the family has expanded, with all of his brothers finding their perfect partners. Knox is thrilled for them all, but he has no plans to give up his freedom, ever…until a shy coworker catches his attention and changes his fate.

When he learns Jordan’s secret, Knox’s protective instincts surge, then swell when her brother’s threats spill outside his prison walls. But Jordan is no damsel in distress, and in the end, it may be Knox who’s saved…in every way possible.

Content warning: This story contains references to past trauma, including sexual assault (off-page), and depicts graphic sexual situations. A happily ever after is guaranteed, but the path includes a couple of dark moments. Please read with care.

© 2027 by Susan Stoker. ℗ 2026 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.