Reviews with content warning for Violence - Protecting What's His

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Protecting What's His by Tessa Bailey

7 reviews

savvyrosereads's review against another edition

funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Rating: 3/5 stars

Derek is a homicide cop in Chicago who is entirely unprepared when Ginger Peet and her little sister move in next door…with a bag full of stolen money and a complicated past to leave behind.

I really love TB books on audio, and this was no exception—it was a fun, cute, spicy, quick read, and while it will ultimately not be particularly memorable I still enjoyed my time reading it. Derek and Ginger made a good couple, and while I thought the suspense/danger elements were a bit rushed, I thought they added a fun twist to the plot. I did feel like this one focused mostly on the spice and had very little plot to work with, so be aware of that if it’s something that will bother you!

The audio narration for this one was probably my least favorite of the TB’s I’ve read, and the FMC’s accent drove me up a wall. As much as I enjoy the audios, this might be one where I’d recommend a physical read.

Fortunately, the narrator was changed for the novella (PROTECTING WHAT’S THEIRS), and this did make it a more enjoyable listen. This didn’t have a ton of substance to it, but was a cute look at Ginger and Derek’s relationship a year later and a nice way to cap off their story!

Overall recommend these two for entertaining fast listens, but there are also MUCH better TB books out there that I’d prioritize first!

CW: Mild violence/kidnapping; sexual harassment

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avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

In this mostly spicy romance while Ginger is running from her past, she runs right into a cop, the last thing she needs. While Derek, a police lieutenant, isn't looking for love and has some semi-unusual sexual interests.
This wasn't quite as spicy as I imagined it would be, but still spicier than most contemporary romances. The book overall was pretty good. I really liked Willa the little sister.
I, however, didn't like the

virgin part of the storyline

it sort of made sense with Ginger's character but is a bit overdone.
Overall it was pretty good, though Derek was too alpha male for my tastes, in his violence and need to basically mark Ginger, this book would be approached differently if written today, not a decade ago, I'm sure.

Narrator Rating: 3 stars
I'm not sure if it was just the speed I listened to or something else, but she sounded like she had something in her mouth at times, her speech was just odd.

Extra ratings: Fluff - 1/5 Heartfelt- 4/5 Helpful-NA Horror- 0/5 Inspiration- NA Love aka Romance-4/5 Mystery-0/5 Predictability- 4/5 Spice- 3.5/5 Suspense- 0/5 Tear 1.5/5 Thrill- 0/5 Humor-2/5

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cc_shelflove's review against another edition

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I honestly expected this to be straight trash, but it actually turned out to be way better than I initially thought. The plot was pretty solid for a romance novel. What was unfortunate was that many parts were glazed over to fit in some other stuff… you know what I mean. Why are we sacrificing plot for sex? Can’t we have both? I cringed a little bit when Derek told Ginger he wanted her in his bed during their second encounter, but there ended up being some growth in their relationship, even in such a short book. Overall, it was not terrible. I’m a little shocked at my analysis. 😂 Book two is a ‘maybe’ from me.

“Ginger would want him safe, but she would never ask him to change his lifestyle or give up the job he loved.”

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allingoodtime's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

While I was quickly immersed in this story and greatly enjoyed the book if I’m being honest, I would have enjoyed it more ten years ago when it was first published. Instead, every slightly shady thing that happens around Derek and his job as a police officer felt icky to me.

Derek is actually a really good guy. He’s an aggressive alpha, but that is separate from him being a cop. His alpha tendencies and Ginger’s response to them are some of the best parts of this story. I’m not going to spoil things, but a few parts made me wrinkle my nose.

Luckily, this story has a lot going for it. Ginger and her sister Willa are great together. They made me laugh and cry. Ginger holds so much on her shoulders and Willa sees that so she, in turn, is holding a lot in so as not to put more on Ginger’s plate. It’s a beautiful relationship.

As for Ginger and Derek, they have instant chemistry. As much as they drove each other crazy, they couldn’t deny their connection. Ginger has a lot of walls up and has every reason to not trust that someone in law enforcement will be okay with her past. Derek lives and breathes his job but quickly realizes he wants to make time in his life for Ginger and her sister.

This was my first Tessa Bailey book and I’m glad I finally decided to pick one of her stories up.

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