Welcome to Valentine Bay!Ella Fletcher spent all of high school in love with the boy next door–her best friend, Donovan. It was never more than that, but she fooled herself into believing friendship was enough.Donovan Valentine knew he could never make a move on his best friend Ella. After all, she depended on him. He was the only stable man in her life. If denying his feelings was the price he … feelings was the price he had to pay for protecting hers, then he was more than willing to pay it.
Celebrating their high school graduation, they drunkenly took part in a marriage ceremony using fake IDs. But now, fifteen years later, it turns out that the IDs weren’t so fake, and neither is the marriage.
When Donovan returns to Valentine Bay to straighten things out, will this accident turn into the best thing that ever happened to them?
*** Standalone romance with HEA and no cliffhanger ***
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Protecting My Heart by Melanie Shawn is a laugh out loud contemporary romance. Ms. Shawn has provided readers with a well-written book. The characters are phenomenal and the dialog is outstanding. Ella and Donovan got married during a drunken post-high school celebration in Vegas. They shrugged it off thinking it didn’t count since they used their fake ID cards. It only took 15 years to learn they had used their real ID and were married. Donovan and Ella’s story is loaded with drama, humor and spice. I enjoyed reading Protecting My Heart and look forward to reading more from Melanie Shawn soon. Protecting My Heart is book 1 of the Valentine Bay Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
Love the Valentine Bay books! And this was a great start to the series <3
Book Review: Protecting My Heart
Author: Melanie Shawn
FIVE STARS
Best friends all through school, Ella and Donovan, went to Vegas with a group of friends and fake ID’s right after graduation to celebrate. But what happens in Vegas, doesn’t always stay in Vegas. What happened that night would definately come back to bite them in the butt, 15 years later.
Ella has grown up and matured, still single, she now owns her own art shop in Valentine Bay and she wouldn’t change a thing, or would she.
Donovan, a secret service agent dedicated to protecting the President of the United States, alway set to protect those that need him yet he feels responsible for his parents deaths and so many other things that is family has had to endure in the five years since his parents died.
There are some questions surfacing about security clearance for Donovan and some things have been uncovered from him time in Vegas 15 years ago. Can Donovan and Ella clear them up before Donovan loses his job?
This book is great. You will definately feel all the feels.
Kelli Harper
Vegas Sweetie
Ellie & Donovan go with friends to Vegas after high school and before college. They both wake up looking for coffee. So is with her friend Gen in when her friend jokes where was her wedding ring. Donovan was going to get coffee when they see each other. Now 5 years later she gets a visit from the feds to ask about it, his background check for clearance is up and they question him also. They thought they used fake ids.
Book readers try this book when you get à chance it,s was very good reading for me hope other book readers will like it to James Montford.
WOW!!! Oh WOW!! I don’t know how the amazing duo of Melanie Shawn is able to keep writing better, improved, and a sexier story than their last book, but they did it with the first book in their new Valentine Bay series, Protecting My Heart, which I just loved. Ella Fletcher and Donovan Valentine were next door neighbors, best friends, and in love with each other, but would never act on those feelings. On a graduation trip to Vegas, using fake ids, Ella and Donovan drunkenly get married. Believing they weren’t legally married, they used fake ids right, they return to living their lives. Fast forward fifteen years and we find out what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas. It turned out that these two used their real ids and are really married. Whatever are these two going to do? Can they admit their true feelings and allow this accident to turn into the best thing that ever happened to them or will they continue to deny their feelings?
Through their amazing and brilliant writing Melanie Shawn did an outstanding job tackling this love story and introducing their fans to a new town, Valentine Bay. I genuinely enjoyed reading Protecting My Heart and was so glad that Melanie Shawn found a way for Ella and Donovan to figure out what was truly, most important for each one to be happy. I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to reading the next story in the Valentine Bay series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
This book is the beginning of a new series by these talented authors. This time they take us to Valentine Bay, hometown of the Valentine brothers and their matriarch grandmother.
Donovan Valentine and Ell Fletcher were best friends since childhood. As they grew older, they fell in love, but never telling the other one how they felt.
After their HS graduation, a trip with friends to Vegas leads to a “false” wedding, or so they thought.
Donovan , now a Secret Service Agent finds his clearance renewal has hit a snag. Apparently he is still married and needs to resolve this before he loses his job.
Upon his return things gets interesting with Ella.
The story was sweet and heartwarming, with moments of sadness for whom they were, and their past experiences. But it’s mostly a story about family and the love for them, about finding balance in life, about letting go of guilt, which tends to be unfounded and about finding your soulmate.
Looking forward to more stories in this series.
I was gifted a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
What goes on in Vegas, stays in Vegas! Well, unless you are a secret service agent going through a security renewal & a paper snafu brings to light something from years ago. Graduation, close friends, fake ids & lots of alcohol combined and ended up in a marriage everyone thought was fake. Hazy memories had best friends assuming they’d gotten married using their fake ids so it would be invalid, right? Ella & Donovan had feelings for each other they hadn’t acted on until the alcohol striped away the inhibitions. Now, Ella has agents questioning her & Donovan is facing a threat to his security clearance. Now that they are face to face again for the first time in years, are the feelings still there?
Protecting My Heart is a perfect title for this book! Ella & Donovan have both been cautious & hid there feelings so their hearts weren’t on the line. They were so afraid of losing the friendship, they didn’t want to admit to stronger feelings. Both characters are strong for other people. Neither of them have managed to have a significant relationship over the years. The interactions between Ella & Gen were hilarious. Gen is the supportive best friend, outspoken & a little wild. The interactions between Donovan & his family bring an explanation into why he’s stayed away so long & why he thinks his job is more important than anything. Overall, this is a HOT start to a new series with sexy characters, intense love scenes & lots of heart.
I absolutely loved Protecting My Heart!
Take a bunch of high school graduates, fake id’s, & lots of alcohol, in Las Vegas,
& you’ll wake up the next day with a horrible hangover, & a marriage license. Ella & Donovan, grew up as neighbors,
& best friends. They’ve always had feelings for each other, but kept it to themselves. Fast forward 15 years, when your past
catches up with you. Donovan works
for the Secret Service, protecting the President. When paperwork work shows he is married, & that he never disclosed it,
his security clearance is in jeopardy.
Donovan needs to return to Valentine Bay, to straighten everything out. What he
doesn’t know is that the “Men in Black”,
have approached Ella, at her art gallery
in town. It been five years since
Ella & Donovan have seen each other.
I really enjoyed reading this story!!
A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE!!!