Friendly Fire by Jemma Westbrook

Rating: 4/5
Tropes: Damaged Heroine; Security Force; Forced Proximity; Slow Burn
PoP: 64%
Series: Alaska Security Team Rogue Book 7
POV: 3rd Person

Jemma Westbrook never disappoints me. She gives me exactly what I Need in a story, and one thing I truly love about her books is the fact that none of her heroes or heroines are without issue. This one especially, focuses on the mental wellbeing of Elise. When you first meet Elise in the series, she is strong personality that you think has everything worked out and is a strong presence. Then you fully meet her in this book, and you realize that she puts on a great show but is truly struggling to belong and have a good self-worth. Abe has his work cut out for him with Elise because of somethings that transpired with them in the previous book. But I love the way in which Westbrook travels this road wit these two. Elise is never “healed” from her issues but is allowed to be a better version of herself. 

Abe himself has struggles, but a big part of his is self-inflicted because of the “reality” that he saw himself having. I love this series and the fact that the group of women are strong, intelligent, no-holds-bar women who know their worth apart and together. They are a group of women who find themselves individually in their books but realize that they are a force to be reckoned with as a group. These books work better when you read the sequentially because there are over-arching storylines that make more sense when you read them in order, but you could read them as standalones if you wish. 

My one issue with the book that I wanted more of and why I gave this a 4 and not a 5 is that I wanted a little more from Elise and her backstory. I wanted to understand her motivations of self-harm and that reality a little more.