Review: The Scouts (The Order #3) by Kasia Bacon

Soldiers. Lovers. Soulmates.

Lochan and Ervyn—an assassin and a sharpshooter—remain in service to the Queen as part of an elite reconnaissance unit.
The Scouts are ghostlike. Elusive. Deadly.
They strike at enemies of the Crown without mercy. They get the job done, leaving no loose ends or witnesses. When Magic Supremacists threaten the safety of Elven Country, they do their duty—whatever it takes.
Lochan and Ervyn belong to each other, but will serving together as comrades-in-arms strengthen their bond as lovers or tear them apart?

The Scouts is the third book in the Order Series. In this volume, Ervyn loses control, Lochan stops fighting his feelings and Verhan… well, remains Verhan.

Recommended reading order: The Mutt, The Highlander, Twenty-One Arrow Salute, The Scouts.

TAGS:
Military, Soulmates, Hurt/Comfort, Humour, Snark, Banter, Moody vs. Possessive, Mine-Mine-Mine, We-Belong-Together, Magic, Adventure & Fantasy Romance.

It’s no secret that I adore Ms. Bacon’s world of The Order, and this long awaited sequel to Ervyn and Lochan did not fail me. If you’re new to this universe, my recommendation is to read in publishing order starting with The Mutt.

In case you didn’t know, Ervyn and Lochan are soldiers in the Scouts, the best of the best of the Queen’s elite defense, doing the impossible missions that only a very select few can accomplish. This time around, they’re trying to stop magic supremacists from causing havoc on the kingdom, and they are in desperate need of intel. The thing is, in order to get said intel, it will put their relationship to the test.

I admit at first that I was a bit disgruntled to find out that this starts technically 2.5 years after The Highlander, because I really wanted to see all the details of Ervyn and Lochan’s burgeoning relationship. Though they are definitely committed now, both still harbor that deep buried fear that maybe, just maybe, they’re not good enough to keep the other. So, when this important mission throws a potential wrench in their dynamic, it puts them in a tailspin of insecurity, doubt, and jealousy. What it also does is allow the reader to bask in some delicious emotions, as well as some very intimate scenes between these two strong, capable, and lethal men, who only show vulnerability (rarely and sparingly) to the other. Unf! I love when that happens!

Instead of whetting my appetite, Ms. Bacon has only served to make me hungrier, and it will be a very long, torturous, pining wait for the next installment because though she leaves things not necessarily on a cliffhanger, there’s just enough of a hint of more challenges ahead for Ervyn and Lochan. For now, be reassured that this had plenty of action and suspense, swoony feels, romantic smexy, and a deeper peek into their touching, intense relationship, ending with these two solidly confident in each other’s love. I have no doubt we’ll be put through an emotional ringer in the future for other reasons, but the payoff will be well worth it, the tease here, always making you want more. So much more.

Brava Ms. Bacon! Thank you so much for this, and I’m just putting it out there that I’m still eagerly waiting for all your other stories that need to come out, in the event you were wondering and weren’t sure of my wants and needs and desires. *wink*