Lexie Green hasn’t thought about Pierce Cagle in years. So when the popular boy she knew in high school shows up in the middle of the Somali desert, part of the SEAL team rescuing her and a coworker from kidnappers, she’s more than a little shocked. But her surprise turns to awe, then awe to respect…and attraction…when he saves her not once, but twice before they make it safely back to a US Naval ship. Before she can blink, he’s gone from her life again, but not before an emotional goodbye and a promise to keep in touch.

Pierce “Midas” Cagle hasn’t thought about Lexie in years. Though he’s not surprised in the least to learn that the shy, kind girl he knew is now an international aid worker, serving the poor both at home and abroad. His attraction to the woman she’s become, however…that’s definitely unexpected. He hates leaving her behind after his mission, but Midas is more thrilled than he can say when she chooses the Hawaiian branch of Food For All for her next assignment. 

Their chemistry is just as strong as it was in Somalia, and neither Lexie nor Midas has ever been so happy. Nor could they possibly suspect someone is outraged that Lexie made it out of the desert alive.

Finding Lexie

A Second Chance Wrapped in Suspense

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: ❤️💙💚💛🖤
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 😋😉😎🤯
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration 

Characters and Plot Summary

Finding Lexie immediately pulled me in because Susan Stoker gives Lexie Greene and Pierce “Midas” Cagle a history without pretending they were secretly childhood sweethearts. They knew each other during their senior year of high school and were paired for an English assignment, but they were never particularly close. Fifteen years later, Midas is part of a SEAL team sent to Somalia to rescue two hostages, and he is stunned to discover that one of them is Lexie. She is working for Food For All and has been held captive with her coworker, Dagmar Brander, after their kidnappers increase the ransom demands.

The rescue sequence was one of my favorite parts because the reunion happens under genuinely terrifying circumstances. Midas recognizes Lexie almost immediately, while she needs a moment to realize who this heavily armed SEAL is. He protects her during the escape, including getting her onto the helicopter, and their emotional connection starts developing after they survive the initial ordeal. I also liked that Lexie’s difficult childhood and dyslexia are part of her background without completely defining her. She has built a life around helping other people, even though she has very little family of her own.

Highlights and Limitations

The biggest strength for me was Lexie’s personality. She is kind without being completely helpless, and her instinct to look for the good in people becomes important later. I especially enjoyed seeing her settle into Hawaii and become part of Midas’s world rather than simply becoming the protected heroine who waits around for him. Her friendship with Elodie and the scenes involving the women gave the story some warmth between the more dangerous moments.

I also loved the contrast between the Somalia rescue and their quieter Hawaiian scenes. Watching Midas and Lexie do ordinary tourist activities and figure out what their relationship might actually look like gave me a chance to become invested in them as a couple instead of just watching another rescue romance unfold.

The suspense kept things moving, particularly when the danger follows Lexie back to Hawaii and someone begins targeting her. However, I did think the villain was the weakest part of the story. The motivation felt disproportionate to the circumstances, and I wanted more development there. I also occasionally felt that Midas and Lexie’s romance moved faster than their actual relationship development justified. Their chemistry is obvious, but I would have enjoyed a little more time watching them fall for each other.

Narration

Emma Wilder, Teddy Hamilton, and Noel Harrison make a strong team. Emma Wilder gives Lexie a warmth and vulnerability that fit her personality particularly well, while Teddy Hamilton brings the confidence and protective intensity I expect from Midas. I especially liked how the narration handled the transition from the tense hostage rescue to the lighter Hawaiian scenes. That contrast helped the story feel like more than nonstop military action.

The performances also made the SEAL team camaraderie enjoyable. There is enough personality in the supporting cast that the team feels like an actual group rather than interchangeable soldiers. The narration was one of the reasons the audiobook remained easy to stay immersed in, even during some of the slower romantic sections. Reader feedback on the audiobook similarly highlights the performances and the team camaraderie.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed Finding Lexie quite a bit. The Somalia rescue grabbed my attention immediately, but it was actually the quieter relationship moments in Hawaii that won me over. Midas remembering the shy girl from high school and discovering the woman she became was especially sweet, and Lexie’s optimism made her an easy character to root for.

My one real reservation is that I wanted the suspense villain to have more depth and the romance to breathe a little more before becoming so serious. Still, those issues did not outweigh how much I liked Lexie and Midas together. The combination of second-chance familiarity, military romance, danger, friendship, and a heroine who genuinely wants to make the world better made this a satisfying listen for me. If you enjoy Susan Stoker’s protective SEAL heroes and strong found-family dynamics, this is definitely one I would recommend.