At first, I thought it was just paranoia.

It wouldn’t be the first time, after all. Ever since that night two years ago, I’ve never felt completely safe. So I convinced myself the strange sense of being watched was all in my head. My PTSD flaring up just as it had in the past.

Then I was nearly run off the road on my way home from work, and as much as I wished it was just a coincidence, I knew it wasn’t.

I could go to the police, but I wanted someone I trusted to help me.

So I called Rafe. My brother’s former teammate and best friend. And—though I’d never let on for a second—the man who’d held my heart ever since I met him.

As soon as Eden told me she was in trouble, I dropped everything to help her.

“Maybe it’s nothing,” she told me. “But things have been happening.”

I didn’t need to hear more. If Eden needed me, I would be there. And if someone was bothering her, I’d teach them that they messed with the wrong woman. Because as a bounty hunter and former Green Beret, I’m the last person they want to piss off.

When I arrive in Portland to find Eden terrified and in danger, every protective instinct comes roaring to the surface. And I’m furious that someone would dare try to hurt her.

I’m not the white knight I always thought Eden deserved. Far from it. But I’m a dangerous man when someone I care about is threatened. And Eden? I’ll do anything to protect her.

Protected from Malice is a slow burn friends-to-lovers story with a morally grey hero who’ll do anything to protect the people he loves, a brave and intelligent heroine, a team of Army veterans, thrilling twists, and plenty of sweet and steamy moments. No cliffhangers and a happily-ever-after guaranteed!

TW- References to prior SA

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Review by Twinsie Melinda
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

In the beginning I thought Eden was going to be a meek quite character but that was not the case I learned that when she was trying to get away from who ever was chasing her one night. Eden is actually one of the stronger characters I have read in a while with everything she has been through. I absolutely loved Rafe really one phone call and he was on his way to help his former teammate and best friends’ sister. He was amazing with Eden even helping her with panic attacks. The way all the guys are with Eden was amazing especially when she was telling them everything that happened to her.

Eden has been holding in what happed to her in the past. She doesn’t want to burden her brother, Indy, as he is dealing with his own issues. There is Rafe who she has had her eyes set on for a long time but there can be nothing there because he is her brother’s best friend. Rafe will send Eden text messages or make the occasional call to check in but she has a feeling he does it because he feels he has to not because he wants to. The Chemistry between these two was incredible.

We get to see new characters in this book and I would love to know more about all of them. This was a wonderful start to a new series I cannot wait to read more about this group.
 

Gia Cobie is an Amazon best-selling and award-winning author living in upstate New York with her husband and pets. She loves writing about protective heroes and the strong women they fall in love with.

In her spare time (when she has any!), Gia enjoys reading and spending time in the Adirondacks, and also has a weakness for reality romance shows, wine, and buying way too many books!

Follow Gia for updates on her latest releases!

A lost bet. A grumpy lawyer.
A Christmas cooking class with the woman he’s secretly wanted since the day she came to town.

After losing everything in a Ponzi scheme, chef Mia Bianchi trades New York skyscrapers for her grandmother’s log cabin restaurant in Sugarville Grove.

Determined to start fresh, she hosts a holiday cooking class—partly to share her love of food, partly to make friends in her new town.

Logan Hayes doesn’t lose bets… except the one that lands him in Mia’s class.
He’s admired her quietly for months, but now he’s standing beside her at the stove, flour on his shirt, realizing she’s even more irresistible up close.

Each lesson brings more banter, more warmth, and more moments neither of them want to end.
And when they team up to give a struggling family the Christmas they deserve, the grumpy lawyer and the guarded chef find themselves at the center of something bigger than they ever imagined—community, connection, and maybe even love.

A slow-burn, clean and wholesome holiday romance filled with small-town charm, holiday magic, and a love that will warm your heart long after the last page.

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Wine isn’t the only thing aging in Stone Bridge—secrets are, too.

After nearly two decades chasing adventure across the globe, Riley Callahan never expected to return to Stone Bridge, California. But when her father dies under suspicious circumstances, she has no choice but to face the ghosts of her past—both the family she left behind and the man who broke her heart.

Her homecoming is anything but welcoming. Tension with her siblings runs high, old wounds refuse to heal, and the town she once longed to escape still holds its secrets close. None more so than Bryson Boone, the boy she once loved who is now the successful owner of Stone Bridge Winery. He’s built a life rooted deep in the land she abandoned—one that’s now tangled in the mystery of her father’s death.

As Riley searches for answers, she unearths long-buried truths about her family and the town itself, uncovering a past darker than she ever imagined. And the more she digs, the clearer it becomes—someone doesn’t want her to find the truth.

With danger closing in and old passions reigniting, Riley must decide if she’s still the girl who runs… or if it’s finally time to stand her ground, fight for the truth, and maybe even risk her heart.

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Jen Talty is the USA Today Bestselling Author of Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, and Paranormal Romance. In the fall of 2020, her short story was selected and featured in a 1001 Dark Nights Anthology. Regardless of the genre, her goal is to take you on a ride that will leave you floating under the sun with warmth in your heart. She writes stories about broken heroes and heroines who aren’t necessarily looking for romance, but in the end, they find the kind of love books are written about :).

#1 in Contemporary Western Romance

#1 in Contemporary Romance

#1 in Holiday Romance

#1 in Christmas Romance

#1 in Paranormal Romance

She wants my power. He wants my dragon. And I’m running out of time to stop them both.

A demon attack leads us to Glinda. The dark witch with more blood on her hands than anyone on the Council wants to admit.

While I’m trying to track her down, and find Brutus before someone else does, the Council betrays me. They hire a bounty hunter to take out my dragon. But this hunter is not what anyone expected. Least of all me.

Now I’m being hunted by demons, witches, and one man with a reputation for killing the unkillable.

Can I outsmart them all or am I about to lose my five-ton scaled baby?

Find out what lurks in the shadows of Ravenholde by reading Rain on a Demon’s Parade , the new Paranormal Women’s Fiction series readers are comparing to Shannon Mayer, K.F. Breene, and Victoria Dannan.

One click to continue this Magical Midlife adventure now!

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Lena
Holden James was my everything—my first love, my future, or so I thought.
When he left after our high school graduation, he shattered my heart, and I promised myself I’d never look back.
Now, he’s returned to Lilac Harbor, acting like he can waltz back into my life as if nothing happened.
He says he can explain, but I won’t listen.
I’m stronger now, smarter. I’m not the girl who once believed in forever with him.
He broke me once, and I’ll be damned if I let him do it again.

Holden
Leaving Lena behind was the hardest decision of my life, but I did it for her.
Now that I’m back in Lilac Harbor, I’m ready to make things right.
Lena doesn’t trust me, doesn’t even want to look at me, and I know that winning her back won’t be easy.
But I didn’t come back for easy.
I came back for her, and I’ll do whatever it takes to show her that the love we shared isn’t over.
I’ve waited years for this second chance, and I won’t let her slip away without a fight.

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USA Today Best Selling Author Shaw Hart writes contemporary romance books with tall alpha heroes who are absolutely obsessed with their curvy women!

Shaw loves dogs, tea, and writing filthy-sweet romance books that always end in a happily ever after!

Stay up-to-date with new releases by following Shaw on Amazon.

A freak storm, one-bed in a tiny little tent, and a smoking hot attraction to the mystery mountain man who saved my life? What could go wrong?
Mimi
As I trek out into the wilderness in hopes of an epiphany from my recently deceased mother, I lean into the crazy and hope for the best. When mystery man Clint barrels into my campsite and saves me from a horrible storm, I’m ready to show him my gratitude by handing over my V-card. The trouble is, I didn’t anticipate catching feelings so fast. How am I going to let him walk away in the morning?
Clint
I live in the city and work my dream job, but I’ve never been lonelier in my life. While testing new camping products for Billings Corp., I fall in deep, desperate love with a certain curvy camper. One look at her flimsy tent and I know she’s not prepared for the massive storm headed our way. Running from the cold and rain, I fall headfirst into the steamiest night of my life. Come morning, I’m ready to make her mine…for as long as we both shall live. I’ve never been good at talking to women, and Mimi is no exception. How do I make her mine without scaring her away forever?
Tropes: Forced proximity, one-bed, small-town, mountain man, quirky curvy heroine, HEA
***
What to expect from a Lara London short read: Quirky heroines, sexy men who can’t get enough of them, no cheating, an HEA, and a double dose of heat!

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I purchased this book

This book hot all the things I wanted.  Its short.  Its steamy.  Its sexy.  The alpha is crazy alphie and he gets his woman.  LOL Isnt that what we all want in a novella?

Clint and Mimi ( who I loved what an older character in her 30’s vs a 20 year old) crash into each other while camping.  Mother Nature steps in and they are forced to spend some time together in close quarters.

If you want delicious goodness in a quick read this is a good suggestions.

Lara London has been a romantic fiction fan since her early days reading The Baby-Sitters Club and Sweet Valley High. Grandma and mom provided generational reinforcement by introducing her to soap operas (As the World Turns) and historical romance (“it’s educational”). After years of reading steamy love stories, she finally decided to bring her own smutty romantic stories to the world.

If the forest prince is straight, why does it seem like he wants to kiss me? And will I end up regretting it if I let him?

I spend my mornings working as a barista and my afternoons hiking in the woods trying to find a way into the realm of the fae. Those tricksters stole something from me, and I want it back.

Then I meet Prince Kalle, who has a wicked scar on his face, a sword at his hip, and the rare ability to talk to animals. We form an easy friendship, in part because he’s searching the woods for something, too: his missing brother.

Kalle is tall, dark, handsome, kind, and not into men. I tell myself to smother my budding attraction to him, which is especially difficult to do when our quest has us sharing a very small tent.

Am I just imagining that he’s sending me mixed signals?

Regardless, I need to leave him alone. If Kalle doesn’t find his brother, he’ll have to marry the princess of a rival realm to save his forest from destruction. But losing him might destroy my heart.

Is there any way Kalle won’t have to choose between saving his land and subjects … and me?

Prince of the Northwest Forest is a lower-angst, spicy, male/male urban fantasy romance. Prince Kalle and commoner Justice trek through snowy woods wearing hooded cloaks and carrying lanterns … and maybe falling in love along the way. Expect cute animal sidekicks, cozy visits to the cottagecore homes of wood nymphs, firecat attacks, and revealed secrets. It’s book four of the Runaway Prince Hotel shared world series, where magical royals find love over a cup of coffee. HEA guaranteed.

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USA Today bestselling author Leslie McAdam is a California girl who loves romance and well-defined abs. She lives in a drafty old farmhouse on a small orange tree farm in Southern California with her husband and two children. Leslie’s first published book, The Sun and the Moon, won a 2015 Watty, which is the world’s largest online writing competition. She’s gone on to receive additional literary awards and has been featured in multiple publications, including Cosmopolitan.com. Her books have been Top 100 Bestsellers on both Amazon and Apple Books. Leslie is employed by day but spends her nights writing about the men of your fantasies.

Jillian

They say when one door closes another one opens, right? When the door closed on my marriage, I was fortunate to follow a new dream. One that led me to opening my own bakery in downtown Pine Village. It hasn’t been easy, especially in the offseason, but I make it work. I’m content. Happy.

Then Kameron Markley showed up on my doorstep, begging me to be his fake girlfriend.

It seems like such a simple plan, especially when we’re both getting something out of it. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long before lines are blurred and crossed, and suddenly, the relationship doesn’t feel so fake after all.

Kameron

For the last decade, I’ve poured my heart and soul into my restaurant, turning a small-town space into a top steak house. The building beside mine has been sitting for as long as I can remember, and the owner is finally ready to sell. The only problem is, she thinks it needs to go to a family man. Suddenly, I’m desperate.

That’s when I come up with the wild idea to find a fake girlfriend.

Jillian Kirby fits the bill to a T, and with a little negotiation, we’re able to work out a deal where we both come out ahead. What I wasn’t expecting was it being so easy to be around her. Suddenly, the lie we’re telling does feel like it’s so right. I want it to be real.

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USA Today Bestselling Author Lacey Black is a Midwestern girl with a passion for reading, writing, and shopping. She carries her e-reader with her everywhere she goes so she never misses an opportunity to read a few pages. Always looking for a happily ever after, Lacey is passionate about contemporary romance novels and enjoys it further when you mix in a little suspense. She resides in a small town in Illinois with her husband, two children, and 3 rowdy chickens.

Website: www.laceyblackbooks.com

Email: laceyblackwrites@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlaceyblack

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthLaceyBlack

Matthew Cartwright lost the love of his life. Watching her twin sister live her dream with a found family, he always felt like he was on the outside looking in. He decides to take a position in Texas, returning to his home state.

While bidding his time for the transfer, he has a fling with Rachel Foster, the one woman in town no one likes.

Rachel is a pampered, spoiled, and petty rich girl. Everything that turns him off about a woman. At the rehearsal dinner of her ex-fiancé, she creates a scene which prompts Matthew to give her a ride home. It turns out to be a surprising night for both of them. After casually seeing her for months, he’s ready to start his new life without her.

Following him to Texas, Rachel demands that he give her a chance. When she gets embroiled in a dangerous secret, Matthew must admit his secret fling to the team and save the woman he loves despite her stubborn and willful ways. When she threatens to tell the secret, can Matthew find anything to redeem Rachel, or will she be the death of him?

Amazon

Cassie Colton is a best-selling and award-winning author of romantic suspense, military, and contemporary romance. Always an avid book reader and storyteller, she worked for one of the happiest places on earth. There, she found her love for making magic and happily ever afters.

The Serenity Mountain Series begins her author journey, detailing the lives of former military men and women who have lost their way and found peace on Serenity Mountain. Like in every story, her characters have to fight through adversity to find happiness ever after.

Like life, Cassie writes about character struggles that sometimes become dark before they see the light, but she always provides a happy ending. She believes everyone deserves to find happiness and love because it is the only thing worth fighting for.

She now lives in Virginia with her wonderful family and service dog, Leia. She enjoys gardening, flowers, cooking, and learning about beekeeping.