Under His Protection by Katie Reus

(Image found on NetGalley)

"When he just crossed his arms over his chest and gave her an almost challenging look, she blinked in surprise before annoyance surged up." -Katie Reus, Under His Protection

Julieta has worked hard, and now it's time to enjoy it all. But when creepy texts start being sent and rocks start flying can she keep herself safe? Ivan's been watching her from a distance, unsure of how to make his move. He's known for a while that she's the one for him. And when he finds out she's being stalked, his protective instincts kick in. Now will he be able to overcome Julieta's defenses or will he lose her for good? Find the official description on Goodreads.

Under His Protection is the ninth book in the Red Stone Security series, and while it can be read as a stand-alone be prepared to add the rest of the books to your TBR list. It definitely makes you curious about the other books and I'm adding these books to my TBR list.

Under His Protection certainly starts with a bang. It`s got an interesting opening, and one in which you meet both characters although you get a better look at Julieta than Ivan at this point in the book. It grabs reader`s attentions and I was certainly hooked from the very beginning.

There were changes in perspectives that can be misleading, and I was a little confused as there was very little indication when the perspective changed except for the fact that it seems very odd if it was from Julieta or Ivan's perspectives. And the fact that we did get the stalkers perspective definitely led to some misdirection in trying to discover who the stalker was.

I liked both of the characters. Julieta was certainly different, especially her occupation. And Ivan was an alpha male but one who tried to not give orders all the time(although he didn't always succeed). 

Under His Protection was a great read, and I wish it would have been longer! I'm certainly adding the rest of Katie Reus' Red Stone Security books to my To Be Read list.

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Silent Partner by Stan Schatt

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"Frankie groaned. That paper already had published a piece filled with lies and innuendos about her. She could imagine how it would treat the murder of one of its own." -Stan Schatt, Silent Partner

Detective Frankie Ryan has been portrayed as a feminist vigilante. When one of the reporters for the same paper that published the piece turns up murdered, Frankie knows it will be a difficult case.  But when a psychic reporter from that same paper shows up claiming to get visions about events, she finds herself havint to rely on her instincts to find a killer before its too late. Find the official description on Goodreads.

Stan Schatt has created a good detective novel. He gives us plenty of different perspectives from different characters, even ones that may have motives.

Then there were the characters. They felt like real people although I did admit to thinking that Josh was nothing but a reporter that had finally gone around the bend. Although after he was proven right multiple times I had to admit that maybe there was something to his gift. 

Stan Schatt also took on the difficult issue of gender identity, and the effects that many different things could have on people who are Transgender, most specifically. It gave me a new perspective and I love that I was given this chance to see it develop throughout the book.

Silent Partner was a good detective novel, and you should check it out when it's released on September 1st, 2014. 

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His Game, Her Rules by Charlene Groome

(Image found on Goodreads)

"What was the point of coming here today if she didn't have a chance?" -Charlene Groome, His Game, Her Rules

Ty is a Vancouver Warriors player and he's used to getting what he wants. But when the new skating coach shuts down his advances quickly, he's ready to chase her. But Eileen wants to show the men on the team and management that just because she's a woman doesn't mean that she can't play hockey. And a relationship with Ty could jeopardize that. Will she break her own rules or will it be her heart that's breaking? Find the official description on Goodreads.

Okay, so as you already know, I like hockey so when I saw this book on NetGalley I just had to request it. And luckily I was approved to get a copy! So yay, let's get down to the review!

It starts out really well, however I found that the present tense usage in a third person narrative just doesn't seem as comfortable to me as the past tense tends to be. The sentences occasionally sounded choppy and it wasn't a style of narrative that I enjoyed. This made reading the book a little more difficult but it's something that you can get past. Especially when you meet Eileen and Ty.

It seems that each character holds stereotypes in their mind(like any person does have occasionally. And this made them human to their readers. Not only that but I enjoyed as the characters occasionally disproved these stereotypes. It was really fun in the way they did so and it definitely made the book amusing.

There was also plenty of drama to keep the reader entertained. Eileen had numerous threats and she was fighting her attraction to Ty. I loved that Charlene Groome pushed the boundaries with a woman coaching men at a professional level. It was a unique perspective and I like that she was messing around with boundaries that are usually clearly established. 

While the third person, present tense style of writing isn't exactly my thing and it seemed choppy to me, I did enjoy the plot and characters. If you like hockey and a strong female character, than I suggest you at least give it a try!

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