One night brings them together. Another night tears them apart.Grace Miles misses her easy friendship with Asher, but growing up means growing apart. And really, how could he fall for her when they spent their childhood getting muddy in the creek and splitting sticks of gum?But this summer, something feels different. If Grace didn’t know better, she’d think Asher was flirting with her. Those dark … flirting with her. Those dark eyes, hard body, and wicked smile make her insides swirl and her heart dare to hope for things she’s convinced herself she’ll never have.
Falling for your best friend shouldn’t be complicated, but for Asher Bailey, loving Grace is anything but simple. The road to romance isn’t smooth thanks to his pack of wild brothers who are protective of the girl next door, a take-no-sass grandmother, a small town where gossip is a spectator sport, and a feud that spans generations.
But Asher realizes his feelings are too big to ignore. Loving her isn’t the risk. Losing her would be.
And one night, one kiss, changes everything.
Finally admitting their feelings is the beginning of their happily ever after. Until their fairy tale love story is tragically interrupted, and neither of them will ever be the same.
Author’s note: Lifelong soulmates, ridiculous pranks, brother shenanigans, and a feuding town. Protecting You is the Bailey Brothers series origin story. Be there when it begins and fall in love with this wild band of unruly brothers.
The Bailey Brothers is meant to be read in order, and Grace and Asher’s story concludes in book two, Fighting for Us.
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Check out this Small-town family series, full of brotherly pranks and shenanigans!
This story starts out with everything. The childhood friend we all need to get us through some of our most awkward times. A first love you loved so much you didn’t think you could have. Families so broken yet that’s what made them so loyal and imperfectly perfect. Then love finally finding it’s home where it always belonged, where it had always been. Just in time to weather it’s first major challenge. And of course your challenge as a reader is to follow up in Fighting For Us. But don’t worry the supporting characters make Asher and Grace’s story that much more worth it. From his four brothers who range from broody, sweet, daredevil, to closed off. To Grace’s four year old brother Eli who adores Asher and his family. And then there is Gram who is amazing, she’s raised these boys like only a strong centered person could do. I can’t wait to dive into book two.
This is a great kick off to a new small-town family series. It’s heartfelt, sexy, ticks all the feelings boxes and it’s funny on top of it. Don’t miss out!
A heartfelt romance with a small-town feel. Can’t wait for book two!
A steamy, heartfelt, small-town romance.
I’m new to Claire, but this looks great! Grabbing now.
Small town brothers series, super satisfying!
A prologue to Grace and Asher’s story, how they come about from being friends and neighbours to finally, lovers. But then something happened that brought us to the next book, Fighting for Us.
I got more captivated when what happened to Asher happened. It was so sad what happened to them just as they started dating and letting their feelings be known to each other. It truly intrigued me into reading more to know what happened to Grace and Asher.
A great start to the series!
Asher and Grace have been friends since they were little kids. One summer they finally admit their feelings for each other and it’s a natural progression for them to start dating and then become engaged. The two of them were adorable together as kids and perfect for each other as adults.
This novella was a great introduction to the characters and small town of Tillikum. It set up so many things I am looking forward to seeing in future books. The highlight here, of course, is getting to see the beginning of Asher and Grace’s love story and learning what happens that tears them apart. I cannot wait to see what happens in book two and how they find their happily ever after.
Thank you to the author for providing an ARC for an honest review.
Wow! What a story! I literally didn’t think my heart was going to make it through to the end. This story is sweet yet heart wrenching. What happens when you realize that the love of your life has been in your life since you could remember? Happiness? A forever kinda love? You would think so but one fateful night forever changed the lives of Grace and Asher. Can their love withstand the test of time? Great first book!!
Well, well, well. If it isn’t all my feelings ganging up on my heart because Asher and Grace are stirring them into a frenzy!
This is, technically, a prequel to Fighting For Us – and one I would not skip! So much of who these characters are and the dynamic of their relationship is laid out here and reading FFU without it would be a travesty. The events in FFU are 100% more meaningful and impactful if you read this book because it really lays the groundwork for Grace and Asher (and the other characters too).
Asher and Grace are the definition of best friends to lovers, and they are everything you would hope your first love would be like (the rest of us aren’t usually so lucky, but we can live vicariously through them)! Next door neighbors, best friends, and an entire life of caring for one another.
The dynamic is so sweet, particularly when you can see how far back it goes. In some form, they’ve always loved another. Even as children, Asher was quick to step up and be there for Grace when she needed him – even when he didn’t understand the power his actions had and he was driven by just wanting to make her smile and feel better. Their bond is like no other and seeing it slowly evolve into something more as they get older is beautiful.
The love story is so beyond what I was expecting and I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Then something happens that ends up separating them for an extended amount of time and your heart will split in two for him and for Grace and you will want to shake your fist at the sky, demanding justice for him.
I received an advance copy of this book and chose to review voluntarily.
I. Love. This. Book. And I love Asher something fierce.
Asher and Grace grew up together being best friends. They grew apart once graduating from high school, which they both secretly regret, and finally reunite between college semesters. Sparks fly immediately from their first encounter. Asher is a protector and Grace is the sweet girl next door. Things were going great for the two lovebirds, they were planning their life together when tragedy struck, forcing the two apart.
This is a small-town friends to lovers novel and it is most definitely worth the money! This book is a precursor to fighting For Us so it does leave a little bit of a cliffhanger. Fighting For Us comes out a week after Protecting You so not much of a wait!
I received this free eARC novel from the author. This is my honest review.
This is my first book by this author and I definitely loved what I read! I may have to go read the companion series to see some connections between characters, but I certainly want confused during this book at all.
I loved the Bailey brothers. They all have their quirkiness and hilarious moments. I loved how honest Asher was with his feelings for Grace. Once he realized he had a chance it was game over for Grace. He knew what he wanted and he knew he had a shot, so he went all in.
Seeing them finally be together after years of keeping silent was great, and it shows that true love still prevails.
Though that terrible thing that happened at the end was gut wrenching and I about lost it because I can’t read about that subvert. I don’t blame Archer at all for what he did, but it has a terrible cost.
I have a feeling the next book is going to be Grace chasing after Asher this time, which I’m not a fan of, but hopefully I’m wrong.
I’m really glad I got a chance to read this eARC and got to experience this author for the first time, and I’m looking forward to more!
This is essentially a long epilogue, but it has to be read to understand the 2nd book Fighting for Us. This is a sweet story on how two soulmates come together and how the world throws them a curveball.
Okay, I love a good love story but I certainly want to make sure it’s our there since I’ve seen it mentioned a handful of places that people wish they knew before reading other books. Trigger Warning: Attempted Assault
Now that that’s out of the way. Oh my gosh! Asher and Grace’s love story is every beautiful thing it could be. His family is lovely and her small family is doing remarkably well for being left in the dust by that jerk Mr Miles. They were so cute together, being best friends all the time before they fell in love.
The scene when Asher finally tells his brothers that he’s going on a date with Grace is probably my favorite because I could just see the whole scene play out. The dialogue and the way CK writes just puts you in it. This is a short story and I finished it quicker than I thought! So glad this is only the beginning. *claps and rubs hands together*
This is the first book of The Bailey Brothers series and kind of the first book of Asher and Grace duet.
With this book we are introduced to the Bailey’s family or how their grandma says: the wild pack of wolves. There is five brothers: Asher, Evan, Levi, Logan and Gavin. And I simply loved how Claire made them so difference in personality, but their love for each other and character are the same. Every thing in this book made me love them and I honestly can’t imagine a better way to start a series.
Asher and Grace are neighbors and best friends since they were kids. He was always protecting her. As they start to grown up, their feelings started to change but neither wanted to mess their relationship or their families bond. Until one day he can see everything clear and his undying love for her can be ignored anymore.
I can’t express enough how beautiful their love was and how exciting was to read their relation since they were kids and then from best friends to lovers. Their love was pure, beautiful and raw. Like they were destined to be together.
This is a story about friendship, family, an epic love, but also made me had a lot of butterflies in my stomach at some moments and some despair and heartbreaking at others.
I started reading this book knowing that at the end there were some “cliffhanger” that would be tragic and devastating for them. But I didn’t know that I would feel so heartbroken and I was screaming with each page how they didn’t deserve to go through any of that.
The beautiful thing about Asher and Grace is that they both love each other to the moon and back, and while Asher did what he had to do to protect Grace and allow her to have a future, she could never gave up on him. They just don’t have only a past, they have forever.
Claire made a smart move with this book, because now I can’t wait to read Fighting for Us which releases on May 28th. Just a few more days and I can finally read their happy ending! Until then I’m with Asher’s cousin Chuck and the #FreeAsher campaign.
Claire Kingsley is an author where whatever she puts out, I’m picking up because I know I don’t be disappointed and Protecting You wasn’t any different.
Protecting You was the pure essence of what a friends to lovers story is made of.
Grace was…well the woman is a rockstar…the ultimate ride or die.
Asher was a swooner from the beginning and I was a total goner.
The unknown, the second guessing, holding everything in because you’re afraid of rejection, the uncertainty of not knowing if the person you’ve known your whole life feels the same?
Claire Kingsley, I felt that…all of it…as if I was the one facing the reality that I was in love with my childhood friend.
Family, love, sweet kisses, heartwarming moments, laughter, heartbreak…
I mean this story truly gave me all the feels, from A-Z.
I can already tell these Bailey Brothers are about to take us on one hell of a ride and I can’t wait. I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book.
What a great story that gives the background of Grace and Asher. Now we know how things tie into the Miles family. This was a great story that drew me right into it, great characters. You just want things to turn out right for Grace. It does have a big cliffhanger but they next book is coming soon and will take care of this for us all. Excellent storytelling by Claire Kingsley!
Wow, Claire did it up right! 5 perfect s!!
I’ve been looking forward to the Bailey’s for what feels like years now, at least when we met her in the Miles Family series, and Claire Kingsley did NOT disappoint!
I have never read an origin story before, at least not one where I was at least half in love with one of the people being introduced as THE couple in the series, so I admit I was a little apprehensive. I’m not big on Cliffies (cliffhangers) unless there is a decent reason for one. Plus, I didn’t know why Asher had gone away. What if I didn’t like him, or what if I felt like he got what he deserved?
This book though? It is perfect! Hram telling Grace to keep her eyes open was my clue, and from them on I felt like I was waiting for the Hammer to drop on Asher and Grace’s happiness. And boy did it ever drop, right in the middle of their happiness, Ms. Kingsley managed to make me cry in the same paragraph with both happiness and grief.
I’m glad there are only eight days left, so I’m not twisting in my own misery, wondering if Asher has made it through. I’m not worried about Grace, she’s a Miles, and after everything else she’s already gone through she’ll handle this just fine. Five perfect s for a book that not only gave me a great new couple to fall in love with, but also made me care very deeply for a young man taking the only steps he knows to keep his family safe.
HEA Interrupted
Claire Kingsley starts this story by submerging the reader in Grace and Asher’s bond. Their friendship started in childhood and grew day after day. They were the constants in an ever changing world.
Asher and Grace eventually open their eyes to the fact that what they want is more than friendship. Their romantic relationship blossomed rapidly. Deepened by lifelong love, it immediately felt like they were destined for forever.
The love between Asher and Grace was effervescent. They brought out the very best in one another. Dreams felt like they were within reach, but in an instant their world was blown apart. A moment of terror and panic ends in relief and also in tragedy. I was gutted by the ending of this book. However, I was also left with hope. Grace won’t let this disruption be the end of her and Asher’s story, even if she has to fight Asher himself for their HEA! This is an action packed, emotional, and alluring start to the Bailey Brother Series. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book.