THE PROTECTOR (Game of Chance 1) by Susan Stoker -a review

THE PROTECTOR (Game of Chance 1) by Susan Stoker-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 14, 2023

Riggs “Chappy” Chapman didn’t expect to be disrupted at his remote cabin in the woods. But when a stray dog arrives on his porch, he winds up finding a stray woman, too, trudging through the snowstorm in search of shelter. His military days may be behind him, but Chappy is hardwired to protect her from the storm and whatever it is she’s running from.

Carlise Edwards didn’t expect her car to break down in the Maine wilderness. All she wants is to escape whoever is stalking her back home. There’s no way anyone’s going to find her and Chappy deep in the forest, especially not in dangerous weather. But she finds it hard to mind the circumstances when the company is this stimulating.

As the snowstorm rages, Chappy and Carlise find that, despite the cold, they can generate plenty of heat of their own…but there’s more than just natural dangers lurking in the woods.

•••••

REVIEW: THE PROTECTOR is the first instalment in Susan Stoker’s contemporary, adult GAME OF CHANCE erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on a group of former US Special Forces soldiers (Callum ‘Cal’ Redman, Kendrick ‘Bob’ Evans, Jackson ‘JJ’ Justice, Riggs ‘Chappy’ Chapman) who own and operate a tree service, search and rescue, Appalachian Trail maintenance company called Jack’s Lumber. This is thirty-four year old Riggs ‘Chappy’ Chapman, and thirty year old book translator Carlise Edwards’ story line.

Told from third person perspective THE PROTECTOR follows the building romance and relationship between thirty-four year old Riggs ‘Chappy’ Chapman, and thirty year old book translator Carlise Edwards. Three years earlier, Riggs, Callum, Kenrick and Jackson found themselves imprisoned by a group of terrorists. In between their torture and waiting for a rescue, the foursome made a pack to quit the army, and start a company of their own. Fast forward to present day, Riggs ‘Chappy’ Chapman is looking forward to some lone time, having ventured off towards his own cabin in the backwoods of Maine, where he will encounter his future in the guise of Carlise Edwards. A snow storm has his this particular area of Maine, and Carlise, on the run from an abusive ex, had to abandon her car when an accident left her stranded and alone.Wandering in the ice and the snow, Carlise will be found by a mangey dog, and what appears to be a very sick man. Enter Riggs ‘Chappy’ Chapman, the man with whom Carlise will fall in love. Riggs is sick; the winter flu has taken hold, and three days will pass before Riggs realizes he has probably survived with the help of the woman he found. What ensues is the quick building romance and relationship between Riggs and Carlise, and the potential fall-out as Carlise past returns to finish the job.

Carlise Edwards has a stalker, a stalker she believes to be her abusive ex-boyfriend but with no wifi or cell service, Carlise finds herself worried for the people she left behind. Without the help of Riggs ‘Chappy’ Chapman, Carlise probably would not have survived but their mutual attraction finds our couple professing their love within days of arrival. Riggs Chapman never expected to come face to face with another lost and wandering soul but Riggs suspected Carlise was hiding a secret, a secret that is about to threaten the life of the woman with whom Riggs is falling in love.

The relationship between Carlise and Riggs begins as a rescue but quickly turns into something more. Carlise spent three days nursing Riggs back to health, three days in which Carlise battle her attraction to a man she knew nothing about. Riggs knew immediately that Carlise is the woman that calls to his heart, and our hero is determined to claim Carlise as his own. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Riggs fellow, formers US Special Forces teammates: Callum ‘Cal’ Redman, Kendrick ‘Bob’ Evans, Jackson ‘JJ’ Justice, as well as Carlise mother; her friend Suzie, and Riggs and Carlise foundling dog ‘Baxter’. Callum Redmon’s story line is next in THE ROYAL.

THE PROTECTOR is a story of betrayal and vengeance, jealousy and madness, family, friendships, relationships and love. The fast paced premise is intriguing and captivating; the romance is seductive and intense; the characters are energetic, charismatic and charming.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Protector by Abigail Owen – a Review

The Protector by Abigail Owen – a Review

 

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Description:
The cousin of the High King, Lyndi Chandali has lived with the constant threat of being pawned off as a political prize. A rare, female-born dragon like Lyndi can’t trulymate—not in the way it counts. Which is why she’s kept her distance from a certain sinfully delicious Beta. Instead, she’s built a life for herself giving orphaned dragons in the Americas a home.

As Beta of his team of enforcers, Levi Rowtag is a fighter first, last, and always. His job is to protect—his team, the shifters in his territory, and the stubborn woman hell-bent on fighting with him at every turn. He knows from the moment they first meet what she’ll never accept—they are destined to be mated.

But with the kings at war, the enemy is now coming for Lyndi. Worse, he’s coming for her orphans, too. He’ll have no choice but to defy his king and go rogue if he has any hope of protecting them all…and finally claiming his mate.

Each book in the Fire’s Edge series is STANDALONE:
* The Mate (prequel)
* The Boss
* The Rookie
* The Enforcer
* The Protector

 

Review:

The Protector by Abigail Owen is the 5th book in her Fire’s Edge series.  I’ve read all the previous books (and loved them) so I’m happy that we are going back to see the guys in this series. It’s on the same time line as her other series (Inferno Rising Series) so we get a few crossovers (again I’m a happy bunny)

We get going with a blast from the past, we get to see how the clans are formed and how this team comes together…. 

Dragons usually live in clans and mostly live with their own colour (we have six clans—gold, blue, white, red, black, and green, and only recently based in America, they’ve come from Europe and Asia originally) 

But under the new rule of their king Pytheios, the King of the Red Clan, and the defacto High King (took the throne to govern the rest of the clans) of all dragon shifters. He wants them to guard the New World) Levi and his team the Huracáns are to settle permanently in America. The Huracáns should consist of two members from each of the clans, twelve in all. But for some reason the King had never sent more…..it’s was just the five of them…. Levi, Finn, Rune, Titus, and Deep (their leader) and Calla, Deep’s mate. 

His team are enforcers (they uphold the laws of dragon kind) 

Rule number one among his kind was humans should never learn of dragon shifters’ existence! 

Levi meets the lovely Lyndi when her brother Drake (his book is the Enforcer) asks to join their team. Levi’s dragon has gone berserk, it wants Lyndi for its own!! 

Lyndi Chandali is never going to mate (female dragons can’t produce babies) so if and when she mates, it’s going to be more of an alliance rather than a love match! Well, she’s not having that, Lyndi would rather be single and alone than marry for the sake of an alliance! So she’s thrown all her love and affection into giving a home to orphaned dragons, she teaches them how to shift a d how to survive, the kids love her, and she loves them, she’s be content if it wasn’t for a certain gold coloured dragon. He makes her long for more, but if she can’t have young, what’s the point of a female dragon?! (Human women who have a mark on their body will turn into dragons and become mates, and they are either hunted and forced into a mating competition or if they are lucky, they will helped and guarded and treasured by their mate) 

You don’t need to read the previous books to enjoy this one, but if your going to read the series, then it is best to start at the beginning as there are a few things you need to be aware of.

The alliance (the governing council) want the Huracán team disbanded, (they don’t answer to the council and they’ve stolen mates for other dragons!) so there are plans to set wheels in motion and disband them. And If a dragon doesn’t have a mate by a certain age, then an illness sets in (they slowly turn into stone) King Pytheios has that disease, but he’s not about to give up his throne (that’s where the spin off series “Inferno Rising” comes in) but it impacts this series too. The dragon clans are dividing and picking sides for an all out war! 

I loved this book, it was great catching up with the Huracán team. Really liked the prologue, as I’ve read the other books in this series and I was curious how the team came about. The banter between the team had me chuckling they work well as a team, but have become more like brothers over the years. 

Levi, the teams Beta has watched as team members have died, mated and turned rogue (see I told you it was a good series) but through it all his feelings for Lyndi have never changed….The story then goes to the present day…… 

The war between dragon clans is escalating (dragon clans are warring with each other over mates and the tyrannical rule of King Pytheios) and the call for dragons to return to their clans has been issued. Levi knows he doesn’t have much time left before he has to return to the Gold King. Can he finally tell Lyndi how he feels about her? 

Lyndi has loved Levi from the moment she saw him, but he wouldn’t look at her as a potential mate for two reasons, one she can’t have young and two, she will be used as a pawn for a political marriage, so why should Levi look at her? But the team is splitting up and returning back to their Kings, and Lyndi is scared that not only will she lose her orphans, but she’ll be made to marry a dragon King of Pytheios‘s choosing. 

The action as usual is fast paced and frenzied. The storyline is very engrossing (I couldn’t put it down) and catching up with the team made me want to go reread their stories again (which I did) 

Levi and Lyndi’s story was just heartbreaking, you could see they were meant to be together, you could see they would be happy. But they’ve been kept apart by rules ….. female dragons are barren!! So, that didn’t mean she couldn’t be happy! Oh hell no! Ever since that first moment in the first book of this series, I have wanted her to get a story…… and here it is ? you’ve had glimpses of how they both feel about each other in previous books. So to finally have their story I had to cheer. 

Fighting their feelings for one another was getting harder and harder. But admitting those feelings (it was like squeezing blood out of a stone!) was even scarier! Levi has to get Lyndi to admit to her feels and to want to fight for their future. But fate may have a different path for them, she’s to be married off to another King! The only course of action for Levi is to leave his clan and King. To go rogue usually carries a death penalty! But Levi is willing to risk it. 

I must have ridden that rollercoaster through the whole of this book, the ups, the downs, and then throwing you for a loop! It was a wild ride, and I’m so glad I got to share this ride with them. 

So do they get a happy ending? Well…. no…. you need to go read this yourself. 

Highly recommended read. 

Reviewed by Julie

Copy supplied for review

 

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The Protector (Games People Play #4) by HelenKay Dimon-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway Tour

THE PROTECTOR (Games People Play #4) by HelenKay Dimon-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway Tour

THE PROTECTOR
Games People Play #4
by HelenKay Dimon
Release Date: July 31, 2018
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic, romantic suspense

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 31, 2018

Salvation, Pennsylvania. The commune located in the small town was advertised as a modern Utopia: a place to live, share, and learn with other like-minded young people. Cate Pendleton’s sister was one of them. Now she’s dead—and Cate won’t rest until she finds out who killed her. Stonewalled at every turn, she approaches a DC Fixer for help and ends up with Damon Knox, a mysterious man with a secretive past. But Cate soon discovers that she not only needs Damon, she wants him, which isn’t good—for the attraction brewing between them will only lead to complications that can turn into danger . . .

Damon has tried to erase the hellish memories and the evil that happened in Salvation ever since he left a long time ago. Still, he can’t turn his back on Cate. As Damon works with Cate to uncover her sister’s killer, he finds himself drawn to her more and more. But how will she feel about him when she learns about his connection to the place?

Joining forces to uncover the truth, they must stay one step ahead of a cunning killer who’s bent on not being exposed.

•••••

REVIEW: THE PROTECTOR is the fourth full-length instalment in HelenKay Dimon’s contemporary, adult GAMES PEOPLE PLAY erotic, romantic, suspense series focusing on a tight knit group of life-long friends, known as the Quint Five whose business it is to investigate and ‘fix’ whatever has gone wrong. This is Damon Knox and Cate Pendleton’s story line. THE PROTECTOR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Cate and Damon) THE PROTECTOR follows Damon Knox as his latest assignment working for Levi Wren is to return to a place that all but destroyed his life. Cate Pendleton’s sister ‘died’ under mysterious circumstances while living and learning at the Sullivan Compound in Salvation Pennsylvania, a cult-like compound whose secrets lie hidden behind locked gates and armed guards. Having approached Levi Wren for assistance in uncovering the truth Cate learns she is to work with a man whose own secrets are closely related to the Sullivan Compound where her sister had died. Enter Damon Knox, the man with whom Cate will fall in love. What ensues is the fake relationship between Damon and Cate, and the potential fall-out as Cate and Damon are targeted for sins of the past, sins that wish to remain buried along with the dead.

Cate is desperate to uncover the truth about her sister’s death but years of searching for the truth have the people living and working at the Sullivan Compound worried when our heroine arrives in town with Damon Knox. Damon is a man who is unable to let go of the past but finding himself in Salvation, Pennsylvania stirs up too many memories for himself and the people who remember what happened years before.

The relationship between Cate and Damon begins as a business arrangement that must present as a fake romance in order to get past the people in charge. Damon believes himself empty and cold, unworthy of love having been betrayed by the people from his past. Cate suspects Damon’s inability to let go of the past stems from his need for closure thus facing his demons means facing the man who destroyed his life. A fake relationship with Cate forces Damon to reveal the truth, and in doing so allows our hero to forgive himself for what happened in the past. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The colorful secondary and supporting characters include Levi Wren, Wren’s second in command Garrett McGrath and Trevor Gault (of the Quint Five); as well as several members of the Sullivan Compound-Leader Steven Sullivan, brothers Roger and Vincent, and Steven’s assistant Liza.

THE PROTECTOR is a story of suspense, romance, betrayal and revenge. The premise is entertaining; the romance is seductive and compelling; the characters are charismatic and dynamic but the lack of any significant background information regarding Cate or Damon was a bit disappointing especially as it concerned Damon and his years spent in the Sullivan Compound; or what it was he actually did for Levi Wren. THE PROTECTOR is an interesting, spicy and intriguing tale of determination and grit.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
The Fixer
The Enforcer
The Negotiator
The Pretender
The Protector

Copy supplied by Edelweiss

Reviewed by Sandy

I am not a hero, Cate.” He tried to pull away.
She held on, resting their joined hands against her chest. “Never said you were. You’re a flesh and blood man.”
And this close, she could smell the soap on his skin and see the darker streaks in his green eyes.
“Very much so.” His breath seemed to hiccup.
“So . . .”
When his voice trailed off she got a taste of what it felt like to have someone drop the end of important sentences like she often did. But she didn’t think he tried it or that he was playing games.
“Now you’re the one who should finish the sentence.” Her voice came out in a breathy whisper.
“We’re in a tense situation. Stress sometimes disguises itself as something else.”
The words crashed into her brain, wiping out every other thought. She pulled back a bit, but kept holding his hand. “What are you talking about?”
His gaze traveled over her face now, landing on her mouth. “How much I want to kiss you.”

Goodreads /Website /Twitter /Facebook /  Tumblr | Instagram | Pinterest

HelenKay Dimon spent the years before becoming a romance author as a…divorce attorney. Not the usual transition, she knows. Good news is she now writes full time and is much happier. She has sold over forty novels and novellas to numerous publishers, including HarperCollins, Kensington, Harlequin, Penguin Random House, Riptide and Carina Press. Her nationally bestselling and award-winning books have been showcased in numerous venues and her books have twice been named “Red-Hot Reads” and excerpted in Cosmopolitan magazine. She is on the Board of Directors of the Romance Writers of America and teaches fiction writing at UC San Diego and MiraCosta College. You can learn more at her website: www.HelenKaydimon.com

NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the tour provider.

To celebrate the release of THE PROTECTOR by HelenKay Dimon, Pure Textuality PR is giving away one paperback copy of the book!

LINK: https://www.subscribepage.com/TheProtector

GIVEAWAY TERMS & CONDITIONS:  Open to US shipping addresses only. One winner will receive a paperback copy of the The Protector by HelenKay Dimon. This giveaway is administered by Pure Textuality PR on behalf of Avon Romance.  Giveaway ends 8/14/2018 @ 11:59pm EST. Avon Romance will send the winning copies out to the winner directly. Limit one entry per reader and mailing address. Duplicates will be deleted.

 

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The Protector (Sons of Texas #2) by Donna Grant-a review

THE PROTECTOR (The Sons of Texas #2) by Donna Grant-a review

The Protector

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 3, 3017

EVERYTHING’S HOTTER IN TEXAS

When Marine Force Recon captain Cullen Loughman learns that his father’s been kidnapped, he will do whatever it takes to find him. In order to achieve his mission, Cullen will need to team up with the best of the best—someone who just happens to be the most stunning woman he’s ever laid eyes on…

This isn’t the first rodeo for ex—Air Force pilot Mia Carter. Still, Cullen’s bad-boy good looks and charm are distracting her from duty. . .and it appears that the feeling is mutual. As Mia and Cullen make their descent into a dark, dangerous world, their attraction reaches the boiling point. But is their desire worth the risk when a ruthless enemy is waiting in the wings—or will their Lone Star love conquer all?

••••••••••

REVIEW: THE PROTECTOR is the second installment in Donna Grant’s contemporary, adult THE SONS OF TEXAS romantic suspense series focusing on the Loughman brothers-Navy SEAL Owen; eldest brother Delta Force Colonel Wyatt, and youngest brother/Marine Force Recon Captain Cullen- and their Navy SEAL / Black Ops father Orrin Loughman. This is Cullen Loughman, and former Air Force pilot Mia Carter’s story line. THE PROTECTOR can be read as a stand alone but for cohesion and backstory I recommend reading the series in order as each installment continues upon the events of the previous story line as the brothers search for their missing father.

SOME BACKGROUND: While on assignment overseas, all three Loughman brothers are called home to Texas to discover that their beloved Aunt and Uncle have been murdered, and their Navy SEAL father Orrin is missing. The US government has tasked the brothers in locating their Black Ops agent; and the retrieval of a biological weapon known as Ragnarok.

Told from three third person perspectives (Cullen, Mia and Orrin) THE PROTECTOR picks up immediately and runs parallel to some of the events of book one continuing the search for Orrin Loughman, and the people involved in the patriarch’s torture and abduction. Cullen Loughman is the youngest sibling and as such was protected from much of their father’s earlier life, and their mother’s brutal murder; but Cullen is determined to uncover the whereabouts of the man he hasn’t spoken to in a very long time. Enter Mia Carter, Orrin’s special mission pilot, and the woman with whom Cullen will fall in love. What ensues is the search for Orrin Loughman, and Cullen and Mia’s attempts to stay one step ahead of the Columbian Cartel, the Russian special forces army, and the US government.

The relationship between Cullen and Mia is one of immediate attraction but Cullen is all about locating and rescuing his missing father. Not one to easily trust, Cullen suspects Mia knows more than she is willing to admit perhaps to the point of being involved in Orrin’s capture. The sexual attraction and tension is palpable; the push and pull of sexual energy is heightened on the run with the search for Orrin Loughman. The $ex scenes are intimate and seductive.

The world building continues to focus on a biological weapon now in the possession of the Loughman family; and the hunt for Orrin Loughman before it is too late. Throughout the series the reader is taken behind the scenes to Orrin’s location as a he suffers to protect his family and country.

All of the previous story line characters (Owen and Natalie -The Hero book 1, Wyatt, Callie, and Orrin) continue to play secondary and supporting roles. Major General Yuri Markovic returns as Orrin’s captor; General Davis knows his time is limited: and Dr. Kate Donnelly takes a special interest in Orrin Loughman. I am hoping for a story line or novella between Orrin and Kate. There are a large number of Russian military and covert agents, as well as the many faces of the requisite evil including a multi-national organization known as The Saints.

THE PROTECTOR is a complex story of romance, action, suspense and adventure involving secret agencies, espionage, biological warfare, and government lies. The premise is engaging and intelligent; the characters are colorful, passionate and animated; the romance is provocative and encouraging. THE PROTECTOR is an exciting and imaginative installment in Donna Grant’s SONS OF TEXAS romantic, suspense series.

Reading Order and Previous review
The Hero
The Protector
The Legend (June 2017)

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

About The author

donna_grant_newDonna Grant is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the sizzling Dark King series featuring dragons, immortal Highlanders, and the Fae.

She was born and raised in Texas but loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her throughout the United States as well as to Jamaica, Mexico, and Scotland. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna’s Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding.

Despite deadlines and voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two children, four cats, and one long haired Chihuahua.

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The Protector by Jodi Ellen Malpas-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

THE PROTECTOR by Jodi Ellen Malpas-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

The Protector Banner

THE PROTECTOR
by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Release Date: September 6, 2016
Genre: stand alone, adult, contemporary, romantic, suspense

The Protector

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / B&N / KOBO / ibooks / Google / Indiebound

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 6, 2016

People think they have Camille Logan nailed: daddy’s girl; beautiful, spoiled young woman with her father’s bank balance to fund her lifestyle. But Camille is determined to have a life free from his strings. Out on her own, she’s made mistakes, including one that found her clawing her way back after a stint in rehab and plenty of bad press. Now, after fighting so hard to be independent and happy, she finds her life threatened as a result of her father’s ruthless business dealings. Caught between resentment and fear, Camille prepares herself for the measures her father will take to protect her. But nothing could prepare her for the ex-SAS sniper who crashes into her life.

Jake Sharp resides in his own personal hell. He was distracted from duty once before, and the consequences were devastating–both personally and professionally. He vowed never to let that happen again. Accepting the job of bodyguard to Camille Logan isn’t the kind of distraction from his demons he should take. Women and Jake don’t mix well, yet protecting the heiress seems the lesser of two evils. But Jake soon discovers that she isn’t the woman she’s perceived to be. She’s warm, compassionate, her presence settling, and his duty to protect her soon goes deeper than a well-paid job, no matter how hard he fights it. He needs absolution. He comes to need Camille. But he knows he can’t have both.

•••••••

REVIEW: THE PROTECTOR by Jodi Ellen Malpas is a stand alone, contemporary adult romantic, suspense story line focusing on former SAS (Special Forces) sniper Jake Sharp, and model/fashion designer Camille (Cami) Logan.

Told from dual first person points of view (Cami and Jake) THE PROTECTOR focuses on Jake’s latest assignment-to ‘babysit’ a twenty five year old heiress. When new threats from an unknown source are directed at his only daughter Camille, billionaire British businessman Trevor Logan hires former SAS sniper and bodyguard Jake Sharp to protect his daughter from potential harm. What ensues is the building forbidden relationship between Cami and Jake, and the investigation into the threats against Cami who may have become collateral damage in her father’s personal and private war.

Jake Sharp is a damaged soldier both physically and emotionally following a devastating loss of men in the Afghanistan war, and civilian life finds our hero a reluctant bodyguard for a woman he believes to be a spoiled, rich and narcissistic princess. His fears are not far from reality as our heroine is continuously on the run and pushing all of Jake’s over-protective, alpha male buttons. But Jake hides a secret that is destroying his life-PTSD and a past he refuses to acknowledge. Cami is a cover model and aspiring fashion designer; a woman who fell for the wrong man and paid the price in more ways than one. Cami believes her father has crossed a line with his need to protect his youngest child but our heroine is completely unaware of the threats against her life, and the fall –out of her father’s affairs.

The relationship between Camille and Jake begins acrimoniously-Cami wants nothing to do with a live in bodyguard, and Jake has to fight his need for control as Cami is committed to continue her life as though nothing else mattered. As Jake, and his ‘keeper’ Lucinda begin to do a little investigation of their own, Jake knows that Trevor Logan is hiding the truth behind the threats against his daughter’s life, and Jake will be targeted when his relationship with Camille becomes personal. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and intense.

THE PROTECTOR is a fated story line that follows many diverging paths with plenty of back story, and an ex-boyfriend who may or may not have some help with his need for revenge and desire to get what he wants. Jake is a man haunted by his past-a past that he knows must be faced before he can move on with his life. His secret, once revealed, will change our hardened bodyguard into a different man.

Jodi Ellen Malpas’s THE PROTECTOR has moments of action, suspense, mystery and drama. The premise is intriguing; there is plenty of sexual tension between our leading couple; the characters are numerous, colorful and animated but many seem to be out of place within the story line context. The conflict resolution was a little rushed-solved too easily and rather quickly; Jake’s past comes full circle as he must face who and what he left behind.

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Sandy

The Protector Teaser

Watch the book trailer HERE

About the author

Jodi Ellen MalpasBritish talent Jodi Ellen Malpas sold hundreds of thousands of e-books of her passionately erotic trilogy This Man before landing a major US publishing deal and sailing straight to the top of the New York Times bestsellers chart in a few short months. Success quickly followed in the UK, with thousands of readers falling head-over-heels for the devastatingly handsome Lord of the Manor Jesse Ward and his feisty counterpart, Ava O’Shea, as all three books became major Sunday Times bestsellers. This was followed by further success with her second series One Night, which introduced the irresistibly enigmatic M.

 

Jodi was born and raised in the Midlands town of Northampton, England, where she lives with her two boys and a beagle. She is a self-professed daydreamer, a Converse and, mojito addict, and has a terrible weak spot for Alpha Males. For more information, visit Jodi online at: www.jodiellenmalpas.co.uk, or www.facebook.com/JodiEllenMalpas, or www.twitter.com/JodiEllenMalpas.

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Protector (The Protector 1.5) by Nancy Northcott-a review

PROTECTOR (The Protectors 1.5) by Nancy Northcott- a review

Protector

Amazon / Barnes and Noble/KOBO

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 5, 2013

When firefighter and paramedic Edie Lang arrives to battle a wildfire in southeast Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp, she’s dismayed to encounter the man who ruined her life in just one night. Their reunion doesn’t make helicopter pilot Josh Campbell any happier than Edie is. Despite their efforts to ignore each other, the sparks between them have not diminished, but neither intends to let them flare again.

When one of them is gravely injured, the two discover their passion runs deeper than either of them could have imagined and they have Dr. Stefan Harper to thank for that chance.

Dr. Harper is happy to have given the couple a second chance, but realizes through Josh and Edie, as well as his good friends Val and Griff, that what’s missing from his life is love

**************

REVIEW: PROTECTOR is a short novella in Nancy Northcott’s The Protector’s series focusing on a magical group of protectors and guardians known as the Mage. The Mage are a gifted species of people who source their power from the elements but their enemies-the ghouls-suck the life force and power from the mage to survive. In PROTECTOR the ghouls, with the help of mage power, have developed a weapon that connects with the mage and in doing so, will slowly deplete their victim until nothing is left.

In PROTECTOR firefighter Edie Lang and pilot Josh Campbell battle forest fires as well as each other in a struggle with life and death. Returning from a recent fire, both will find themselves weakened and unable to remember certain aspects of their latest job. It is only when they begin to piece together their memories do they uncover a possible cause to their shared illness and loss of power.

Josh and Edie have a past-one that is mired in miscommunication and Josh’s reluctance to accept Edie as a woman capable of fighting fires. His worry and need to protect carries onto the job when he is unable to separate the woman that he loves from the fire fighter entering dangerous territory. As well as battling the unknown cause of their loss of power, Josh and Edie battle each other in a test of wills.

PROTECTOR is a welcome storyline that leads into Nancy’s next instalment in The Protector series. Dr.Stefan Harper is the resident Mage physician who has been unable to extinguish the memories of the woman he had given up years before, and in Protector, there is a build up to his story. Protector is a fast paced, interesting storyline about two strong willed and capable heroes, who have issues of control when it involves the other. When it looks likes neither is willing to compromise, one must step forward and relinquish his need to protect above all else.

Reading Order
1. Renegade (November 2012)
2. Protector (March 2013)
3. Guardian (July 2013)

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Nancy and Marissa have offered a deleted scene and some background information on the heroine of PROTECTOR

DELETED SCENE from PROTECTOR by Nancy Northcott

Wildland fire plays an important role in Nancy Northcott’s novella, Protector.  Firefighter Edie Lang and helicopter pilot Josh Campbell almost had a one-night stand three years ago, but Josh backed away.  Now they’ve met again while fighting a fire in Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp.

This scene would have come near the end of the story.

Edie drove the Pulaski’s hoe blade in the sandy, grassy soil and pulled.  She frowned into the trench she and her hotshot crewmages had dug, making sure it was clear of plants and flammable debris.  Focus was critical, but the job didn’t distract her enough, today, to get her mind off Josh.  Or the woman he’d stood so close to in the chow line.

Fresh tears stung her eyes. Scowling, she blinked them back.  Idiot.  Stupid, overly sensitive, girlish idiot.  Josh has a right to flirt if he wants to. Maybe he hadn’t been, but the way he and that woman–that very pretty woman–stood so close had seemed like flirting.

His behavior was officially no longer her problem.  Once this fire was out and the various crews working it went their separate ways, she wouldn’t see him again.

So what if his muscular build, light brown hair and smiling hazel eyes were seared into her heart?  She could cope.  She was good at coping.

At least now she’d made the hole fourteen inches deep, down to pure soil.  She moved right and started again.  They had to stop the fire from jumping out of the peat and into this sandy area with its oily saw palmetto ground cover and slash pines.  Fire would devour this stuff like a kid with candy, racing through it and toward the houses near the road.

“Edie?”  The voice belonged to Jenny Martin, one of the two other women on the Three Pines Hotshots crew.  The tall brunette peered into Edie’s face.  “You okay?”

“Yeah.”  Edie kept her focus on the sandy soil she was turning.  “Smoke’s bothering my eyes.”

Jenny dug her own Pulaski into the ground.  “You sure it’s smoke, not Captain Gorgeous in the flight suit?  I saw the way you looked at him.”

Busted.  Edie sighed.  “Jenn, it’s confusing.”

At least the guys taking down pines wouldn’t hear them over the growl of their chainsaws.

“Maybe,” Jenny said, “but he watched you walk away, and he didn’t look happy.”

That was some comfort but not much.  “Unfortunately, he’s not unhappy enough to do anything about it.”

Shaking her head, Edie stretched.  “That should do it here.  Let’s see if they need us to help take down trees.  I’m in the mood to watch things crash.”

“Oh, crap!”

Edie barely heard Jenny over a sudden roar.  The dry trees to their left were crowning, fire rushing up the trunks and spitting out debris.   At the same time, the peaty ground fifty yards away erupted in flame.

Hell.  Fire could travel underground for long distances and erupt in peat that had seemed clear.

Edie’s eyes met Jenny’s in agreement.  They had to fall back, and fast.

The two women grabbed their gear and ran for the road, only to find the flames roaring on either side of it.  They and the two men nearest them were cut off

Edie set her jaw.  Her magic could hold back the flames for a while, but only that.  And the super-heated gases in the air were a problem all on their own.  The hotshots needed a helicopter pickup, and fast.

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Character Profile: Edie Lang
Protector by Nancy Northcott

Wildland fire plays an important role in Nancy Northcott’s novella, Protector. Firefighter Edie Lang and helicopter pilot Josh Campbell almost had a one-night stand three years ago, but Josh backed away. Now they’ve met again while fighting a fire in Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp.

Edie is the woman Josh could’ve loved but lost. Or, as Edie would put it, she’s the woman he chickened out on.

Of medium height, blue-eyed and with blonde hair she keeps short during fire seasons, she’s a wildland firefighter. Edie and Josh met when they worked on the same helicopter-based firefighting crew in Wyoming. Edie left that job to join the Three Pines Interagency Hotshot Crew out of Ft. Collins, Colorado.

A love of the outdoors drew Edie to wildland firefighting. She enjoys hiking in the wilderness.

Here’s a look at Edie writing an email to her mom:

“Don’t know how long we’ll be here in Georgia. The Okefenokee is a peat bog, and drought has left a lot of that peat exposed as well as making everything easier to burn. And lots of it is.

“I saw somebody I didn’t expect yesterday. That guy I told you about, the helicopter pilot in Wyoming, is here. I don’t know where he’s working now, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t think I’ll have to deal with him.”

Edie frowned at the screen. She’d better not have to deal with him. Josh was as good-looking as ever, with that killer smile, light brown hair, and drool-worthy bod. But three years of not seeing him killed the irritation and, yes, okay, hurt of the night that almost was.

Of course he’d had to answer his pager, make that emergency drop of retardant on the fire. But no one had forced him to say he’d find her when he finished. And he shouldn’t have said it if he wasn’t going to do it.

So no, she wouldn’t deal with Josh if she could possibly avoid it.

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