He’s the one who saves lives.  She refuses to be saved.  But some risks are worth taking…

Marcus Stone has built his life around one rule:  Never fail again.  As Haden Creek’s search-and-rescue specialist, he’s known for his focus, his instincts… and the walls he never lets anyone cross.

Until Autumn Reed crashes into his world.  Literally.  When the fiercely independent adventure photographer gets lost and injured on a solo hike, Marcus finds her—and carries her to safety.

But Autumn doesn’t want to be rescued.  Determined to prove herself, she refuses to let Marcus—or anyone—tell her what she can or can’t do.

But when her next assignment pushes her into dangerous terrain, Marcus can’t walk away.  Not when he knows exactly how easily things can go wrong.  He offers to guide her.  She refuses.

He tries to keep his distance.  She gets under his skin anyway.  And somewhere between breathtaking landscapes and near-misses… something begins to change.

Because beneath Marcus’s control is a man who cares too deeply.  And beneath Autumn’s independence is a woman who’s tired of facing everything alone.  But when one reckless decision puts Autumn in real danger, Marcus must face the past that still haunts him—and risk everything to save her.

This time, failure isn’t an option.  Because this time… it’s her.

Titles in the Haden Creek Hearts series include:  The Rancher’s Second Chance ~ The Doctor’s Second Chance ~ The Firefighter’s Unexpected Love ~ The Sheriff’s Snowed-In Temptation ~ The Bartender’s Fake Girlfriend ~ The Chef’s Unexpected Love ~ The Cowboy’s Second Chance ~ The Lodge Boss’s Secret Heart ~ The Rescuer’s Unexpected Love ~ The Rancher’s Secret Child ~ The Bookseller’s Convenient Marriage ~ The Grumpy Lawyer’s Christmas Romance ~ The Sheriff’s Forever Love ~

This is a no-spice romance, perhaps with closed-door or fade-to-black scenes. Tension and kisses might be involved.

Title:  The Rescuer’s Unexpected Love
Series:  Haden Creek Hearts #9
Author:  Davina Harrison
Published:  April 21, 2026
My Rating:  4.5 stars

The Rescuer’s Unexpected Love is the ninth title in the Haden Creek Hearts series and brings us two fiercely stubborn people, Marcus and Autumn, who each has very good reasons for how they act… yet both want something that scares them more: each other.

I will always love a romance with a strong, protective man and an equally strong woman fighting for her independence… in a dangerous way.  Marcus and Autumn’s story is intense in many ways, not only because of the dangerous situations they find themselves in, but also because of their inner conflict and the reasons they do what they do.  Frankly, I completely understood their reasons. This story is well-written, engaging, and emotional.  From a charming small town where everyone knows your business to the dangers of the mountains, I was completely engaged from beginning to end.  If this sounds like your kind of romance, then you’d enjoy this one.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. I chose to leave a review with my personal opinion of this book.*

This title is available on Amazon