From a tragic past… attraction to Rachel tempts him to cross it.
To a dangerous present…
Rachel gave up her dream of becoming a nurse, but she still craves marriage and a family with all her heart. Josh seemed like the answer—but now she’s hiding a secret that could destroy those hopes, too. She doesn’t dare accept help from anyone, not even the handsome police officer who steps in to help her. But Ian’s kindness makes her feel things she can’t ignore…
Can they create a new future?
When Ian’s past shows up on his doorstep, his world is thrown into chaos. He’s determined to protect those he loves, but can he protect his own heart? Does Rachel have the courage to leave Josh? Can she convince Ian to let down his walls and forge a new future together?
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Protecting His Heart: a Lawson Family Novel (Lawson Family Series Book 2)
By: Tracey Cramer-Kelly
5 out of 5 stars
The story Protecting His Heart: a Lawson Family Novel (Lawson Family Series Book 2) by Tracey Cramer-Kelly is an amazing romance book. It pulled me in from the beginning and I found myself not wanting to put it down until I had finished the last page. The story takes you on an emotional ride and had my emotions going up and down the entire time I was reading. I loved reading about the characters of Ian and Rachel. Rachel is a woman with a secret. She is one that wants marriage and a family and believed that Josh was the man to provide that. Her secret doesn’t even let her accept help from a police officer who is kind to her. Ian is a man that had a bad childhood. He has his best friend’s family to thank for his escape. He finds himself tempted by Rachel. What does the future hold for Ian and Rachel? Will Rachel leave Josh? Will Ian trust Rachel with his heart? Read this book to find out. Ian and Rachel are characters that I grew to care about with each chapter that I read. I wanted them to be happy. I also enjoyed reading about many of the additional characters that interacted with Rachel and Ian. The book includes a past that shows up, danger, and forgiveness. I highly recommend reading it.
This story centers around Ian and Rachel.
Ian McCleary is a cop whose aim in life is to protect those in need . His childhood was one of abuse and thanks to the Lawson family, he he was able to experience some of what he was missing as a child.
Rachel has always wanted marriage , kids and “picket fences” but it seems it’s not in her future. Besides, she has her own secrets.
Their story is at times heartbreaking, and will definitely pull the strings of your heart.
The characters are perfect in their imperfections and complexity.
In addition to the romance , kudos go to the author for bringing into the forefront the fact that domestic abuse is very real. Whether it’s parents and their children, or couples etc.
Another well written story by the author.
I was entrusted a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
Protecting His Heart: A Lawson Family Novel by Tracey Cramer-Kelly is book two of the Lawson Family Series. This book can be read as a standalone but the series is so good you just have to start with book one. This book is very well written and once I started it I couldn’t put it down. There are many elements to this book. There was a bit of suspense that definitely kept me on the edge of my seat while reading.
Rachel has dreams for her life just like anyone else. She’s also given up dreams like a lot of people. She won’t give up on the idea of marriage and a family though. She thought her boyfriend was the right before for that dream but it turns out he may not love her like she loves him. That doesn’t stop her from being loyal and forgiving though. Ian moved back to town as the town Sheriff determined to protect the people. He didn’t have the easiest past and it seems to still haunt him at times. Will Rachel and Ian be able to fight their demons?
The characters in this book are so relatable and realistic that you would swear you know them. I couldn’t get enough of this book!
Protecting His Heart by Tracey Cramer-Kelly is the second book in the Lawson Family series.
I enjoyed catching up with Jamie and Kira as well as getting to know Ian and Rachel. This family gives me the warm fuzzies and makes me wish my family was more like them.
Ian has been Jamie’s best friend since they were kids and grew up more like brothers then friends, especially after that horrible night when Ian was twelve. Ian has a lot of anger with some guilt mixed in from his childhood and he needs to learn to let it go.
Rachel’s story is unfortunately not a rare one. Maybe one day it will be. She allowed her dreams to be put on hold for this guy and kept giving him chance after chance. I found myself questioning her and why she kept going back though I know he tore her down time and time again so she felt she deserved it.
Though the subject of domestic violence is a tough one, I think it was handled well in this book.
I’m really looking forward to the next chapter in this series.
PROTECTING HIS HEART is book 2 in the Lawson Family Series and while I think this could absolutely be read as a stand-alone, there are a lot of references made to the Lawson Family as a whole so I think it would be helpful to read book 1 first.
As I prepare to write this review, I realize that this story had no sex and no cursing (if there was any it was minimal enough that I overlooked it). This is the story of family of choice vs family of origin, redemption, forgiveness and love.
This is a quick book. There are some scenes that involve DV which I think could trigger some and was actually surprised that there wasn’t a little bit of a warning. The main characters are two people dealing with demons, some in the past and some in the present. Each is dealing with it in their own way.
I think the way the author navigated a very tough subject was done well. It wasn’t overly glorified and it shows that people do come out the other side with some resiliency, outside help, and the support of good friends.
I look forward to future installments of this series.
Protecting His Heart is the 2nd book in the Lawson Family Series by Tracey Cramer-Kelly. This book can be read as a stand-alone, however in my opinion you would enjoy this book more if you read Calling The Curveball first as these characters and the rest of the Lawson Family are introduced there.
I just knew that I was going to find this book heartbreaking from the knowledge you gain about the 2 main characters in the first book. Police Officer Ian McCleary was taken in by the Lawson family when it became obvious that his father was physically abusing him. Ian can’t help being drawn to the beautiful Rachel when he suspects that her boyfriend Josh is abusing her, both verbally and physically.
I loved the interactions between Ian and Rachel particularly as their feelings towards each other grew. Ian is desperate to get Rachel away from her abusive relationship and does everything in his power to do so. I also loved the interactions with the rest of the family. It was great to see Jamie and Kira again and get an update on their relationship. The more I read of Ben Lawson, I really can’t wait to see what the author has in store for him. I’m thinking it might be an explosive read.
This book will take you through just about every emotion possible. If you are like me, you may need to keep some tissues handy – just in case you get something in your eye.
I thoroughly recommend this book, it’s definitely worth the 5 stars.
Protecting His Heart (Lawson Family Series,#2) by Tracey Cramer Kelly. This is the second book in the Lawson Family Series and also the second book by this author that I have read.
Ian is a police officer who was saved by his best friend and his family. He has a horrible childhood and is now back in his hometown to protect and serve. And that is exactly what he has planned. Especially when it comes to Rachel.
Rachel wanted to be a nurse and have a family but gave all of her hopes and dreams up for Josh. When things become worse with Josh, she knows that she has to get out. When Ian comes in and helps her, this might be her chance, but when a part of Ian’s past comes back, will he be able to let her in and lower his walls?
Can they both put their past behind them and move forward it will the past always pop back up and haunt them???
Protecting His Heart: a Lawson Family Novel (Lawson Family Series Book 2) by Tracey Cramer-Kelly is a sweet emotional romance story that will pull on the ol’ heartstrings. The story and the characters have a depth to them that is both broken and loving. There is a lot of power to forgiveness and once achieved it leads to healing. It touches on the darker side of life where one of our characters has a past that continues to haunt him into adulthood. The other has learned there is a better life out there if only to reach out.
Ian has grown up as part of his best friend’s family where he learned what love and happiness is. He feels being a cop helps due to his horrible childhood but hoping to help the one person who needs it the most turns out to be harder than he ever imagined. When he comes face to face with his past he doesn’t know what he should feel.
Rachel wants a happily ever after but knows what she has now is anything but, but how does she get out of the mess she is in now and survive doing so?
The story is well paced and well written and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Protecting His Heart: a Lawson Family Novel (Lawson Family Series Book 2) by Tracey Cramer-Kelly
5 Stars
So I loved this story..Some parts were a bit hard to read and that’s because they felt so real and dealt with things that I just know really go on in this world and that is just reality.
I must mention that I completely appreciated that this book wasn’t packed full of hot scenes..Don’t get me wrong I like those too but it was a nice break having all the content in this story be an important part of the story.
I love the Lawson family, and the part they played in Ian’s life made me love them even more. His past was rough and the life he made for himself was possible because of them and when his past pops back up on his doorstep the journey through hurt and truth and forgiveness was written beautifully.
Rachel was full of hopes and dreams that just were not within her reach with the circumstances she was living with, this was so sad and made me angry more than once. Thankfully a kind and loving police officer decided to care enough to offer assistance, helping her realize she deserved so much more.
This was an awesome story..Short and quick yet full of content making it a complete and in some places an edge of your seat kind of book. I had all the feels while reading this one and truly can’t wait to read more from this author. It was also nice being able to check back in with Jamie and Kira, it made me want to go back and read their story again.
Awesome…Loved it!!
Protecting His Heart was a great 5 star read and book two in the Lawson Family series.
Once I started I didn’t want to put it down.
Ian is Jamie’s best friend (Book 1) and a very dedicated police officer. It’s been three years since he has returned to his hometown. Ian has some things in his past that he can’t quite get over.
Rachel has dreams like every woman, to be married and have children. Something has happened that is causing her to feel that her dream will never come true. When she meets Ian things start to change.
Ian is catching on to Rachel and knows something is off. As they get closer, feelings start to develop. What will happen if Rachel’s secret comes out? Can she have what she has always desired with Ian or will the past get in the way?
Overall I really enjoyed this book, there were several unexpected twists and turns. My emotions were all over the place. I will warn there is some sensitive content It can be read as a stand alone, although I highly recommend reading from the beginning. All of the secondary characters added a great element to the story. I loved seeing some of the characters from the first book. The author pulls you right in with her writing, you feel like your right there in the story with them. 1-click and get started today on this great series.
Protecting His Heart is the second book in Tracey Cramer-Kelly’s Lawson Family Series. I fell in love with her writing when reading the first book so I was excited to pick up the second book! You can read it as a standalone but if you like the Lawson family as much as I do, I promise, you will pick go and pick up the first book after finishing this one so do yourself a favour and start from the beginning!
Protecting His Heart is the story of Ian McCleary who was taken in as a boy by the Lawson family who showed him what a real family is, and of Rachel who is in a relationship that is slowly destroying her life … The writer has given us a story that touches upon a very sensitive subject matter that is the foundation to Ian and Rachel’s story but she is not blowing it out of the proportion. She gives us the backstory and she handles the characters with such a care and love … She shows how one can find their way out and how much they need the support of the ones who care for them and who meet them!
I loved learning more about the Lawson family and their friends and I am looking forward to the next story in the series!
Protecting His Heart: A Lawson Family Novel by Tracey Cramer-Kelly is the second book in the Lawson Family Series. This book is emotional and heart wrenching while also being sweet and loving.
When I read the first book I knew the series was shaping up to be good and this book does everything to keep this going. I found this one to be more emotional than the first and I think that is due to the subject matter. I connected with these characters in a completely different way to the first book.
The story had great depth to it as well. I was drawn in immediately and it really felt like I was there with everyone. I knew what I wanted to happen with the book but really was sure how the author would go about getting there. The whole book was well paced and written brilliantly. I really cannot wait to see what else is to come from this series.
This is the second book in the series and I liked it just as much as I liked the first one. The author writing is good and I was entertained throughout the whole book. It was fast paced so alot of things happend but that worked really well in this book. The main characters were extremely likeable and I was rooting for their happy endings despite the demons they are were facing. I am looking forward to reading more by this author and I would recommend this to a friend!
Happy Reading!
Protecting his Heart, is book two in the Lawson Series by Tracey Cramer-Kelly. This Christian Romance was such a good read, that I found myself reading this in one sitting. I was drawn in by the characters, the love story, and the healing power of forgiveness. Ian, with the help of his best friend’s family was able to grow and have a good life. Being a cop is something that he loves, and his simple life is thrown when he meets Rachel things change. Rachel wants a family and wants a happy marriage, and When Ian steps up to help her his kindness shows her so much. Both Ian and Rachel have pasts that need to end before they can see what love lays ahead of them!
This five star read was so good and the only thing I didn’t like was the length. I was so drawn into the story I wanted to enjoy them a little longer!!
This book, Protecting His Heart, is the second book in the Lawson Family Novel series written by Tracey Cramer-Kelly. As usual, I am an advocate for reading a series in order. This book can technically be read as a stand-alone book, however there are parts that you will not grasp the emotional importance of if you do not read the first book. Tracey’s writing was excellent as usual and her characters were perfect. I met Ian and Rachel in book one and I fell in love with them even then.
Ian has come up from a rough past, he has made something of himself and it doing well as a small town cop. Rachel is currently in a relationship with someone who is no good for her and she has made too many sacrifices for him. As Ian and Rachel reconnect, things just start happening for the both of them. It’s a roller-coaster ride of emotions and actions. This book kept me entertained from start to finish. It will give you all the feels and make you think about some important things in your own life… like taking chances and forgiving others who have wronged you. You should definitely add this book and book 1 (Calling the Curveball) to your reading list.
5 Star
Protecting His Heart: a Lawson Family Novel (Lawson Family Series Book 2) by Tracey Cramer-Kelly is a wonderfully written Book that I couldn’t put down once I started reading. This story has love,forgiveness and some suspense. My emotions were all over the place but I loved this book just as much as the first one. Rachel and Ian ,she has a secret that she can’t tell .Ian is a cop who grew up in a rough house . What does the future look like for these two? Can Ian trust Rachel with his heart? Find out what happens next in this absolute must read. I can’t wait to read more from this Author.
4 Stars
Protecting His Heart is the second book in the Lawson Family series by Tracey Cramer-Kelly. It is a really great small-town/contemporary romance, with emotion, drama, connection, family, and forgiveness.
I really enjoyed the first book in the series, ‘Calling the Curveball’, so when I saw this one, I just knew I had to read it too. This story could be read as a standalone, but as there are some recurring characters, who you will want to ‘meet’, so I really recommend reading the first book before beginning on this one.
Ian McCleary is a police officer who has worked hard to get where he is. He is dedicated to his job and takes his responsibilities seriously. Ian is Jamie’s best friend (Book #1) and holds a special place in the Lawson family. But still, he has some baggage from his past that even though he has come so far, a part of him is still a little ‘stuck’ by his experiences. He had been living and working in the big smoke but made the move back to his hometown three years ago. Over time he can’t help but notice things about Rachel he wished he didn’t. It brings out his protective nature- because he knows from firsthand experience what it’s like to live with that burden. But he’s determined to keep things professional, he really can’t afford to cross that line.
Rachel holds a dream of marriage and starting a family. But that doesn’t seem possible now, not with the secret she’s been hiding. She’s given up so much, and things don’t look too bright. She feels alone, but she’s too worried to ask for, or accept help…. Then along comes Ian, a Police officer who shows her some much needed kindness. So, what happens when feelings become involve? What happens when her ‘secret’ is revealed? What happens when the past returns? Can Ian and Rachel learn to trust again, and take a chance on love? Or will their past/s snatch away any chance at a future together?
This story includes some sensitive subject matter, which played an important part in the foundations to the storyline- but was not used gratuitously. It was used to develop some of the backstory of these complex characters- who have experienced more than their fair share of hurt. The author handled the sensitive nature of these topics with care, but she didn’t gloss over the impact it has on its victims. I also appreciated how she ‘helped’ the characters work through their issues and find a way to sort them out.
I though this story was a little heavier on the emotional content than the first book, but it has been a while since I read it- so maybe this one is resonating with me more due to there being 12 months between reading the first book, and picking up this one.
I also loved ‘catching up’ with previous characters and seeing how and what they are doing. I love the Lawson’s and I am really looking forward to reading all the books in the series, and getting to know all these characters a little better. They really are coming to feel like ‘old friends’ of mine, ones I would love have over for a BBQ and drinks. If you’ve read the first book, you will know exactly what I mean- and if you haven’t read these books yet, once you read them you will understand what I am getting at.
This may only be my second read from Ms. Cramer-Kelly, but I feel like I’ve known her and enjoyed her writing for years. She has such an easy, warm, and fluid style which entices you further and further into the story. That coupled with the wonderful characters, and the great storyline- and it makes it difficult to put down.
Thank you, Ms. Cramer-Kelly!
Protecting His Heart by Tracey Cramer-Kelly a four-star read with all the feels. This is the second story in the Lawson Family series, and you don’t have to have read number one first, but I would say to as they are both great. This is great, it just pulls you in and makes you care so much about Ian and Rachel, the dynamic of their relationship is strong and will surprise you at times. Ian is a cop and he has a past, he knows how damaging secrets can be, but Rachel has a secret that she can not afford to share. Your emotions will be all over when you read this one, so be warned you won’t want to put it down.
Yet another Lawson family novel. Yet another book that got me in ALL THE FEELS. Cramer-Kelly does a masterful job weaving a tale of love, forgiveness, redemption, and suspense in a seamless way. I connected instantly to the characters and found myself, once again, loving every page in this series installment. I wasn’t sure this would be able to live up to the first book but it absolutely did. Loved every single moment spent reading this book!
Protecting His Heart: a Lawson Family Novel (Lawson Family Series Book 2) by Tracey Cramer-Kelly
5 stars
Let me start by saying it helps to read book 1 to get to know the family dynamic and what some characters in this book have been through before this takes place.
We follow Ian, a police officer and adoptive child of the Lawson family. We get his backstory in this and what a heartstring puller.
And we also get a look into Rachel’s life and my heart broke for her.
These two have so many things going against them from past and present demons, but can they forge ahead stronger together?
I can’t wait to read about Ben next!