This was a nice quick enjoyable read. Basically a good way to pass time and relax. ( )

I can tell most folks don’t agree with me on this book but what the heck here goes my review. This book is not romantic – raunchy maybe – but definitely not romantic. I was not thrilled with the language in this book. There is a lot cussing and not just when Derek is using dirty talk to get Ginger in bed.

I feel mislead by the title in I was expecting a CR that resulted in of course the need for the guy to save the day. That is not what I got. Most of what Derek does that I think the author finds romantic is being obsessive with some borderline stalking. His jealously is so annoying that I just didn’t like him.

Ginger is portrayed as this strong independent female, your basic good girl from the wrong side of the tracks who will do anything to keep her sister safe. That is not what you get. She doesn’t take crap off anyone which I like unless its Derek and he basically walks over her because she finds him too sexy to resist.

So for me it was just an average book that was saved by the relationship between Ginger and Willa.

The narrator, Alice Chapman did a good job with the voices and with the Tennessee accents but a lot of the characters from Chicago still had a little bit of a southern twang to them. ( )

Protecting What's His
4 Stars

When a stash of money falls into her lap, Ginger Peet doesn't think twice. She packs up her sister and relocates from Tennessee to Chicago. But temptation lurks in the big city in the form of her next-door neighbor, hunky police lieutenant Derek Tyler, who is determined to discover everything there is to know about Ginger - the good, the bad and the naughty.

Light and fun with likeable characters, a steamy romance and a relatively angst free plot.

Ginger and Derek are smokin' hot together although his overbearing alpha-male attitude, dominance and possessiveness may irritate some readers.

The secret keeping trope, which is usually a huge turn-off, actually works well here perhaps because Derek knows that something is up with Ginger from the start.

One minor issue is Ginger's TSTL moment toward the end, which is an obvious plot device to begin wrapping up the storyline. Nevertheless, it isn't too bad given that this is Bailey's debut novel.

In sum, a quick and spicy read and I look forward to reading more from this author.
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FAV QUOTES:

“Get your shit.”
Ginger recoiled. She’d already made the choice to leave with him, but his high-handed tone infuriated her, made her want to change her mind. “You can’t just demand I leave in the middle of my shift!”
“I can shut this place down with one phone call. Give me a reason to do it. Please.”


“Derek’s turbulent gaze met hers briefly and she read his silent question there. She nodded at him once to assure him she was unharmed. Then without warning, he slammed Nacho’s head against the bar with such force that Ginger jumped back to escape the blood spurting from his nose. Even the crunch of cartilage breaking could be heard over the pulsing music.”


“How can you be so jealous of other men, Derek, when you know there’s only been you?”
“Baby, I’m jealous of men who haven’t even seen you yet.”

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I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I loved the witty exchanges between Ginger and Derek. ( )