Review: Stand & Deliver (Men of Haven #5) by Rhenna Morgan

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Stand & Deliver (Men of Haven #5) by Rhenna Morgan
Purchase link: Amazon

Rhenna Morgan has done it again with Stand & Deliver. She's given us a story filled with emotion and intensity, heart and passion. This story will make your heart clench then soar. Sit back and get punched in the gut by the sensation that is the Men of Haven.

I don't know why I was feeling uncertain when I started reading this but at the opening pages I was not sure if I'd like Gia or Beckett, and I was uncertain how I'd feel about the story. I should not have worried. Ms Morgan did not disappoint at all. Beckett and the Men of Haven were everything I have come to love. Their alpha maleness. Their unfailing loyalty. Their love of their family. Their willingness to go to bat for one of their own. I love the fact that Ms Morgan is unapologetic about her men being men, in all the alpha, chest-thumping glory. It’s all "melt Deanna into a puddle of goo" stuff. While I loved Beckett and enjoyed Mia, it's when the men are together doing what they do best that gets my heart pounding.

So Beckett. I adored Beckett. He was stunning. Demanding but gentle. Pushy but tender. Arrogant but protective. He's all the things I love in a hero. Beckett's been attracted to Gia for as long as he's known her. He's kept his distance because he's seen her shoot all the other men who've approached her down. But then he gets his opening and he swoops in, and he doesn't give up in the face of Gia's opposition. I loved his determination and doggedness, and sheer tenacity in the face of Gia's resistance. Seeing her down to her core and offering her the safety and protection she doesn't think she needs, along with the freedom to be herself. I gotta admit he's a little highhanded at times with the way he treats Gia but he does it to get past her barriers. Frankly, if he treated me the way he treated Gia, I would have caved inside of a minute. What woman doesn't love knowing she's cared for, protected, safe, and loved? I loved that he knew she was his from the start and he wasn't afraid to claim her, bring her into the fold of the family, and show her the kind of love and affection she's been missing.

“I don’t play games at work. If you’re on the primary and calling the shots, I’ll have your back. That goes without question. Always.” This time it was both eyebrows that hopped high. “You mean that?” “Absolutely.” ... He held her face steady at one side and got nose to nose. He should have gentled his voice, but what came out was all him. The unvarnished raw man under his barely civilized veneer. “When we fuck you absolutely will not have the lead. Ever.”

She already knew about the brotherhood and how tight they were as a family. Knew how they guarded each other’s backs and looked out for the women they loved. She’d just have to adjust to what it meant to be one of the ones being protected. No small feat given she spent her days looking out for other people. He’d have to talk with Sylvie and Ninette about that. Maybe see if they couldn’t work her from a female perspective and help her see being cared for wasn’t a bad thing.

You know the whole uncertain thing I mentioned earlier? It had a lot to do with Gia because she's such a ball buster. She's tough as nails and has struggled for years to gain the respect of her peers as a woman in a man's game. She's had to claw her way up through prejucide, sexism, and fighting the old boys network. Underneath her tenacity and her hard exterior though, she's feminine and all things girly. And her confidence comes at a cost. From fighting to gain the approval of her cold and demanding father to fighting her way into a man's world, and never letting her guard down. Beckett was a shock to her system. He offers a safe haven, a protection, and an affection she's never known in her life, and she has a hard time letting go and just being. I loved that Gia was mature, confident enough to know when to give in, and allowed herself to trust. She becomes even stronger under Beckett's care and the Haven family's unconditional acceptance. She may have started out strong at the beginning of the story, but her strength and self-worth was blinding by the end.

“...You’ve helped my brothers and their women. You let go on this and let us return the favor, you’ll find another kind of freedom.” He kissed her forehead, stepped back and slid her coffee back in front of her. “You find the courage to face what I’m offering on both fronts, you’ll never be safer.”

“That’s my girl.” A shudder moved through her, the simple, praising statement and the approval in his eyes eliciting warring responses she didn’t have a clue how to process. No one talked to her that way. She couldn’t let them. Couldn’t risk ceding control to anyone. And yet the delicious, deep velvet of his voice whispered across her skin. Pushed her physical response higher and dared her to try.

“I was a lot like you, once upon a time.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Still am.” She studied Gia’s face. “The difference between now and then is I’m not alone anymore. I have family. I have strong sons with solid moral compasses who know what it means to protect and provide for the women they care about. I have strong daughters who can hold their ground when they need to and can give their men safe haven when it’s needed.” Her gaze drifted to Sylvie and her smile softened. “And I have a best friend who’s stood with me for longer than I probably deserve.” She looked back to Gia. “I told you when you were with us because I remember how hard it was to be strong and to try and come to grips with the fact that I didn’t have to be anymore. But I also told you when you were with us so you’d have absolutely no doubt.” She covered Gia’s hand and squeezed. “You’re not alone anymore either.”

With this book, I didn't want it to end because it was so delicious, but at the same time, I couldn't read it fast enough to see what happens. The ending was every bit as satisfying as I'd hoped. And now I have the next book to look forward to.

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