When He Guards (Protector & Defender 5) by Cynthia Eden-review
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 30, 2025
He made a fatal mistake.
He lusted after the wrong woman. Let his need take over. Cassius “Cass” Striker knew that he should have never touched the sexy FBI agent, but he gave in to temptation and had the best one-night stand of his life with Agnes Quinn. It should have meant nothing. He should have been able to walk away…
He can’t walk away. If he does, she’s dead.
His enemies know about Agnes, and they plan to use her against him. He’s the leader of one of the most notorious motorcycle clubs in the US. His name stirs fear into the hearts of nearly everyone…and he has a giant target on his back. Those who want to bring him down have been looking for a weakness to use against him—they think they found that weakness in the form of Agnes. Now he either saves her or he watches her die.
She doesn’t need saving, but it’s super sweet of him to try.
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REVIEW:WHEN HE GUARDS is the fifth instalment in Cynthia Eden’s contemporary, adult PROTECTOR AND DEFENDER romantic suspense series. This is president of the Night Strikers MC Cassius ‘Cass’ Striker, and FBI agent Agnes Quinn’s story line. WHEN HE GUARDS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information form the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.
NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.
Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Agnes and Cass WHEN HE GUARDS follows FBI agent Agnes Quinn as she goes rogue searching for the man who destroyed her life. Believing she will find her target amongst the Night Strikers MC, Agnes goes in undercover only to discover not everything is as it appears to be. Working alongside Cass, Agnes becomes a target for who she is and what she knows, a target whose contacts are dangerous and dark. Meanwhile, Cass Striker has declared himself guardian and protector of our story line heroine, claiming Agnes as his own, a claim that doesn’t not go over very well with the Night Strikers MC.
The world building is detailed and complex as the MC find themselves at odds with one another; betrayal has been building for a very long time, and vengeance is about to place our couple in the direct line of fire.
The relationship between Cass and Agnes begins as a seduction but Cass knows immediately that Agnes is not whom she claims to be. Agnes wants to find a killer, a killer with a specific tattoo, a tattoo that continues to give Agnes nightmares and tears. Cass considers himself a monster but a monster who has fallen for our story line heroine. The $ex scenes are passionate and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
There is a large ensemble cast of questionable, secretive and dangerous secondary and supporting characters including the return of Agnes Quinn’s boss Grayson Stone (When He Defends), FBI Agent Malik; Agnes’s brothers Ryan and Nash; several members of the Night Strikers MC, and a host of game players, taking aim at everyone involved.
WHEN HE GUARDS is a story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, power and control, madness and mayhem, obsession and murder, family and love. The character driven premise is action packed, detailed and dramatic; the romance is seductive; the characters are desperate and determined.
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Sandy
