I discovered Samantha Chase years back through a random giveaway, and ever since I've been eyeing her books and hoping to be able to jump back into them. Lucky me found one free on iBooks and I was jumping for joy! What a day!! I had the chance to sit down and read this while I was waiting about one day AND I AM SO HAPPY. This writer and her co-writer are FABULOUS.

Anywho, onto the real content. You get the point that I love chasing down books by authors I've loved before. It's kind of obvious at that point! Loyalty to my fave authors and series is a must. Good content = great reading!

I will say, the characters in this book weren't super likeable to me. Harper and I are not on the same page, but I did like reading all about her story. It's basically a guilty pleasure read for me. I didn't agree with a large majority of the decisions or sometimes creepy vibe, yet I still needed to finish this book. I was so enchanted and sunk into the book without a doubt. It was hard to break away from my little binge read. So here we are... Me enjoying a book that really doesn't vibe with me...

Harper's brother died, and now she realizes she may be falling for his best friend. Typical trope - army brother, long lost friend, protect the girl, romantic pasts questioned - the good stuff. It's the HEA type romance I needed, even if it felt cheesy and done before. But that's what I wanted, so that's what I got! There's definitely sad parts - Gavin dying and the grief after that is heartbreaking. Everyone has dealt with some loss, and you can feel that the authors have dealt with that through their spectacular writing.

Levi and Harper's relationship feels real enough. I did think it felt kind of stalker-ish off the bat, but that's just how the writing made it feel for that first chapter. The ages didn't seem to match up, but eventually you figure out the age difference isn't that big (it's just the poor wording). Protective man Best Friend's Sister = trope of the year for me apparently.

Overall, it was a fun little read! It packs the romance, gets a bit R rated and will meet the needs of those trope lovers.

Three out of five stars!
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Protecting His Best Friend's Sister (The Protectors) by Samantha Chase & Noelle Adams  
Protecting His Best Friend's Sister is tragic, suspenseful and emotional romance. Harper and Levi's love story is one of pain, regret and danger. History has not been kind to their hearts, but perhaps grief could give them a second chance. Between her suspicions and his feelings of guilt, shared grief over a fallen loved one is the one commonality they share. Or that either will admit to. Can love for her brother and his friend save them? Or will her quest for answers prove her undoing? The first person narrative, the intense attraction along with the thrill of danger all combine to deliver a poignant, romantic and turbulent second chance story.  ( )

Samantha Chase is an author that has been a regular go to for me in the past year.
What I find most appealing about her stories is that she appeals to a basic human need. The characters she creates are searching for the things we all crave: acceptance, hope and love. My familiarity with her writing is what drew me to The Protectors series. Duty Bound is a heartbreaking story. Levi is dealing with so much guilt, pain and upheaval from a traumatizing loss. Harper is suffering through the grief as well having loss her brother. Her search for answers leads her to the one man she believes can supply her with the truth. What ensues is a relationship that neither expected and secrets that could destroy the fragility of it all. Duty Bound is a little bit of a new direction for me in that it is a romantic suspense and although I have read a few, they were not written by Ms. Chase. This story is all that a reader could hope for in a good book. ( )

A happy moment contrasted with a somber devastating moment. Harper in cutoffs & a tank top while Levi charged her tire contrasting with Harper standing beside her brother Gavin's gravesite. Four close friends standing together feeling lost & missing the fifth. How do you survive & go on? How do you adjust to life outside of the military when people expect you to be the same when so much has changed?

This book was surprisingly emotional. There was the despair & horror of four young friends burying their best friend, Gavin. Levi & Gavin had grown up together & met Sebastian, Declan & Cole in boot camp. The experiences there & while deployed wound around the five and made them a family. After losing Gavin, they are home & having trouble adjusting. Levi has always had feelings for Harper but now feels guilty for even considering anything.

There was the disbelief & refusal to accept the situation of Harper. The is accurately portrayed by Harper insisting there's a cover up & that she wasn't getting the entire truth. There were times that her attitude comes across as rude & almost bullying. She's so determined to be considered strong & independent, she can't politely accept help & really doesn't listen to what others are telling her.

The main focus is on Levi & Harper wth the supporting characters adding depth, realism & direction. They are fighting the obvious attraction for different reasons. With the mysterious threats,the plot takes some unexpected twists & turns. If you like contemporary romances with intense attraction & hot sex & a mystery running through out, you need to give this one a shot! ( )

A copy was received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars

This is a book that is written by two authors and I feel that they did work well together.

Harper is searching for answers for her brothers death, but in doing so brings trouble to herself

Levi is trying to get Harper's attention, there is a weird relationship between these two.

This was a very quick read, at times I did feel that there could of been more to the story to fill it out a bit more. This is a HEA. ( )