Former Navy SEAL Mason Hughes locked his heart away years ago after a devastating betrayal. Now his iron control serves him well on dangerous missions…until a high-stakes operation in Dubai brings him face to face with the enigmatic Calista Ventura.

Calista is on a mission for vengeance, and the last thing she needs is the tempting distraction of the infuriating yet irresistible Mason. But when their missions become dangerously entangled, she finds herself relying on his lethal skills to stay alive.

As they work to expose an international trafficking ring, the heat between them becomes impossible to deny. Mason’s protective instincts war with Calista’s need to handle things alone. But in a world of deadly secrets and powerful enemies, trusting the wrong person could be fatal.

When Calista’s past catches up with them both, they’ll have to decide if the chance at love is worth risking everything they’ve fought to protect.

Titles in the Downrange series include:  Fixed Asset ~ Fallen Hero ~ Direct Action (9/2026) ~

Trigger Warning

This story may contain language, violence, and/or sexual situations intended for an adult 18+ audience.

Title:  Fallen Hero
Series:  Downrange #2
Author:  Riley Edwards
Published:  March 24, 2026
Publisher:  Montlake
My Rating:  4.5 stars

Fallen Hero is the second title in the Downrange series.  This is the first time I’ve read this author’s work (that I recall), and I definitely enjoyed the world they created, with characters who felt realistic and believable.  I will go back to pick up the first book and look forward to the third title in September 2026.  I would say, frankly, if you can pick up Fixed Assets before Fallen Hero… do that, for there were so many reasons that I had wished I’d followed my own rule of “read the series from the beginning if possible”.  It’s not because you won’t enjoy Mason and Calista’s definitely intense relationship; you will, but there are other factors that help make some things more understandable, in my opinion.

I found Calista and Mason’s story to be hot and intense from the very start, and it only grew more so throughout.  Because this is an intriguing Romantic Suspense with some trigger warning vibes, I’m simply going to say that I enjoyed the heck out of this book, regretting that I didn’t make the time to read the series in order.  The villains are vile to the ultimate degree, the danger is very real, and the solidarity of Mason’s team is to be envied.  Mason and Calista do fall hard for each other, yet they both have serious trust issues that need to be addressed before anything close to a forever relationship is possible.

Fallen Hero is well-written, intense, emotional, intriguing, and steamy.  It’s full of dangerous situations, some that could have been ripped from a news headline.  The characters are believable… even when something appears odd, I still had no problem believing it.  If you love strong characters, tensions you can feel through the pages, and a story that will capture your imagination, then you’d enjoy this one.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley, and I sincerely thank the author or publishing house for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This title is available at Amazon