Book 6 in Alpha Team: Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists · Romantic suspense · Reads as a standalone · Guaranteed HEA
About the book
Maria Rossi has spent her entire life hearing the whispers. Crime family. Mafia princess. Dangerous bloodline. She never believed any of it. If her family were involved in something criminal, she’d know. Wouldn’t she? As heiress to the prestigious Belvedere Hotel, Maria knows everything that happens under her roof. Or so she thought. When her best friend disappears, Maria begins digging for answers. And finds Liam Hunter.
Dangerous. Controlled. Infuriatingly handsome. A man she immediately assumes is the enemy. She isn’t entirely wrong. Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialist Liam Hunter has one mission: Take down the Rossi crime family. He came prepared for violence, deception, and betrayal. What he didn’t plan for was Maria. Because Maria is clearly innocent. Untouched by the darkness surrounding her family. And Liam hates being the one forced to shatter her world.
But he needs her.
Getting close to the Rossis means getting close to Maria. Which means pretending to be something he’s not. Her boyfriend. What begins as a tactical deception quickly becomes far more dangerous. Because Maria is smart, loyal, and impossible not to protect. And the deeper Liam goes undercover, the harder it becomes to remember where the mission ends and something real begins. As secrets unravel, Maria learns the people she trusted most may be hiding devastating truths.
The family she loves may be built on lies. And the man she’s falling for? He’s the one sent to destroy everything. Now Liam must choose between the mission he swore to complete and the woman he never meant to love. Because enemies are closing in. The stakes are deadly. And loving Maria may be the most dangerous choice of all.
Tropes, heat and content notes
- Tropes: fake dating, protector hero, mafia family secrets, forced proximity, undercover romance, innocent heroine
- Heat: spicy
- Point of view: dual first person, present tense, Liam and Maria
- Ending: a happily ever after, with no cliffhanger
- Content notes: organized crime, a missing friend, betrayal, violence. Adults 18+.
Where it fits in the series
Rescuing Maria is book 6 of 6 in Alpha Team: Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists, the first team in Guardian Hostage Rescue Specialists.
- Before it: Rescuing Jinx (book 5).
- After it: Bravo Team, the next Guardian team.
Questions readers ask
Can I read Rescuing Maria as a standalone?
Yes. Liam and Maria's story is complete in this book. Each Alpha Team book follows a different Guardian, so reading in order lets you meet the team one man at a time.
How spicy is Rescuing Maria?
Spicy. The fake relationship stops being fake.
Does Rescuing Maria end on a cliffhanger?
No. Liam and Maria get their happily ever after.
Is Rescuing Maria in Kindle Unlimited?
Yes. Every Alpha Team book from Rescuing Zoe on is in Kindle Unlimited.