Talia Shaw has spent her adult life working as a scientist for a big pharmaceutical company. She’s focused on saving lives, not living life. When her lab is broken into and it’s clear someone is after the top secret formula she’s working on, she turns to the one man she can trust. The same irresistible man she turned away years earlier because she was too young and naive to believe a sexy guy … like Shane Landon could want her. Shane Landon’s bodyguard work for McKay-Taggart is the one thing that brings him satisfaction in his life. Relationships come in second to the job. Always. Then little brainiac Talia Shaw shows up in his backyard, frightened and on the run, and his world is turned upside down. And not just because she’s found him naked in his outdoor shower, either. With Talia’s life in danger, Shane has to get her out of town and to her eccentric, hermit mentor who has the final piece of the formula she’s been working on, while keeping her safe from the men who are after her. Guarding Talia’s body certainly isn’t any hardship, but he never expects to fall hard and fast for his best friend’s little sister and the only woman who’s ever really gotten under his skin.
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Talia Shaw is a brilliant scientist who’s just putting the finishing touches on a top secret formula she is working on to treat congenital heart defects, possibly resulting in longer and more fulfilling lives for those born with them. She’s spent her entire adult life working towards a cure since she lost both parents at an early age to heart ailments. When she gets a call from her lab assistant on a rare day off, however, Talia immediately knows something is wrong. When she goes in to check it out, she realizes her lab has been wiped clean her work and there is somebody in the building looking for her. With her brother out of country, the only person she trusts to turn to is her old high school crush, Shane Landon.
Former cop turned bodyguard, Shane Landon works for the McKay -Taggart security firm. He tried a relationship once, but no woman wants to be with a man who works crazy hours at a dangerous job so his marriage ended leaving him to become even more focused on his job. When his best friend’s sister turns up in his yard looking terrified, Shane is thrown for a loop. Not only does he wonder why she is on the run, he’s also remembering the brainiac turned crush who tutored him through high school chemistry in ways have him thinking about more than work for the first time in a long time.
With an unknown threat tracking Talia and her research, it’s up to Shane to keep her safe while getting her to her old college mentor who holds the final piece to Talia’s formula before it’s stolen away.
Carly Phillips meshed her world perfectly with Lexi Blake’s McKay-Taggart crew! Talia is not only crazy intelligent, but she is also completely fearless when it comes to keeping her research safe. All she wants to do is save lives and she proves her brilliance, courage, selflessness and integrity throughout this story. Shane is an alpha and a protector by nature and he doesn’t think twice about helping Talia when she shows up at his door or in pulling in his boss, Ian Taggart and the rest of the crew when needed.
Both Talia and Shane have baggage when it comes to relationships and focusing on anything but their work. But, being on the run forces them to learn so much more about one another than they did in high school and sparks fly between this would be couple. Talia’s no longer the too smart shy girl she was in high school and she has no problem letting Shane know that she’s ready for more. I actually loved that it was Talia that had to be the aggressor, as Shane was truly relationship shy after his failed marriage.
While the romance was hot, I really enjoyed the suspense built around the would be theft of Talia’s research. There is no down time in this book as pulse pounding adventure pushes both the plot and the couple’s relationship forward. As a bonus, fans of Lexi Blake will absolutely love the scenes with Ian Taggart which were perfectly written.
This novella was thrilling! 5 stars for Carly Phillip’s His to Protect
HIS TO PROTECT in instalment 2.5 (and novella) in Carly Phillips’ contemporary, adult, BODYGUARD BAD BOYS romantic suspense series, and a part of the multi-authored cross-over series Masters and Mercenaries by Lexi Blake. This is McKay-Taggart bodyguard and security specialist Shane Landon, and scientist Talia Shaw’s storyline. HIS TO PROTECT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.
Told from dual third person perspectives ( Talia and Shane) HIS TO PROTECT focuses on the protection of scientist Dr. Talia Shaw. With the development of a new heart drug on the horizon our heroine is targeted for the formula by an unknown source. Desperate for help, she calls her brother Tate, who calls in a favour from his childhood friend. Enter McKay-Taggart bodyguard Shane Landon, and the man with whom Talia will fall in love. What ensues is a cross-country road trip wherein our couple find themselves in the direct line of fire, as the struggle to stay one step ahead of the people intent on taking them down.
The relationship between Talia and Shane is one of second chances, of sorts. Talia has been in love with her brother’s best friend for most of her life but Shane has kept his distance in respect of his best friend’s younger sister. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense.
HIS TO PROTECT is a quick read; a suspense-filled, sexy and edgy story line. The premise is dramatic and energetic; the romance is intimate and provocative; the characters are inspiring and engaging.
“I promise you, I’m going to make it worth the wait.”
Lexi Blake has come together with an AMAZING group of authors to bring us the Lexi Blake Crossover Collection. It’s pairing one of my favorites, the Masters & Mercenaries Series, with some of your beloved series from authors we all love and adore! Two different worlds come crashing together, giving fans something extremely special to read about.
I was so HAPPY to see Carly Phillips’ name on the author list! She is bringing us Talia and Shane’s story in HIS TO PROTECT. Who doesn’t LOVE a good bodyguard romance, am I right?! And trust me when I say, Carly Phillips’ knows how to make us fall head over heels with her gorgeous and alphalicious bodyguards. This best friend’s little sister, second chance romance will have you SWOONING from head to toe. Talia is extremely relatable and endearing and Shane is SMOKIN’ HOT and protective. Together, these two are PERFECT for each other. I loved the banter and their dynamic was so entertaining. HIS TO PROTECT is short and sweet, but it’s bursting with romance and charm. I couldn’t put it down!
This was a terrific read. I could not put it down. It was fast moving and the characters were interesting and had a great backstory. Talia is a scientist for a pharmaceutical company that she found a breakthrough medication that others don’t want her to have so she needs protection which brings her bac to Shane, her brothers best friend and her crush from their childhood, who is a bodyguard for McKay-Tagart. When they go on the run they find out they both still have chemistry and both decide to just have what time they have together. But somehow whoever is after Talia they keep finding them. There is always something being going on in this book. Thee was so many twists and turns and the ending was great. Carly Phillips did not disappoint in this book. I highly recommend this read.