Order of Protection is a sexy contemporary that feature two lost souls with trust issues. Henry is rebuilding his life after a disastrous marriage and a stint in rehab for alcohol abuse. Win has other issues including eating issues. These two are terrific together if they can get past their issues. I really enjoyed this fast paced, steamy story.

One hot lawyer coming right up!!

The Courting Justice novels were ones I hadn't read of Lexi's because I didn't know where they fit and I wasn't sure if I would enjoy them.... well I cannot believe I waited as long as I did because this series was fabulous. Set in the "future" compared to all the Lexi Blake books that are out now (though that will change very soon) I loved all the links that Lexi made to the McKay-Taggart world.
And now to the actual story... I loved this take on reality TV stars and the impact of media influencing murder trials. Win and Henry were great together and the true story of what happened to the "Million Dollar Baby" all those years ago was one I didn't see coming! A definite reread and highly recommended!!

Couldn't get into this one. Try again when things aren't so crazy and it will be easier to focus.

I've been hooked on Lexi Blake since I picked up my first M&M book of hers. But her latest books just haven't been doing it for me (except Remi's). Yet I continue to read every new one she puts out in hopes that I can recapture the love I felt when I first started reading her. Unfortunately, this book was a whole heaping of hot mess.

There were things that were so far-fetched (AKA the ending. Which made ZERO sense IMO)...

Spoiler

Really? These two brainiacs put a baby in a lifejacket and set her adrift in the ocean with their fingers crossed she wouldn't drown? Or die from dehydration? Or, you know, get eaten by a shark? I don't know about y'all, but that seems like a really iffy plan to me. What if she had never been found? Then they would have still been out an heir! AND how did the ship captains wife know the ship had sunk? Because she couldn't reach him by radio?? Ahhh...maybe the radio just stopped working?! AND...the ship captain never sent out a distress single when their ship was going down? AND...they were sailing on their way to Bermuda when the ship sank in a storm. How exactly did these two get the baby out to the shipwreck site to leave her in the immediate aftermath of a storm?

There were also things that annoyed the hell out of me. For example, Henry is just six months out of rehab, and I am pretty damn sure relationships are frowned upon for the first year after getting sober. That aside, he NEVER goes to an AA meeting? Never talks with his sponsor? She is a recovering anorexic, yet NEVER goes to see her therapist? She is accused of murder, and he is thrust into a high profile case, yet neither ever need to have a chat with their sponsors to help them cope? And yes, maybe that is me being nitpicky, but it is the smalls details that can derail a book.





On top of that, the first 40% of this book was a major snoozefest. Nothing happened but a ton of inner dialogue. I felt no connection between Henry and Win. I found it impossible to believe that Henry wouldn't have recognized Win right away given he was married to an actress and lived in LaLa Land surrounded by the entertainment industry. She was a famous heiress that was on a super popular reality show. I mean...COME ON. Things did pick up at the 40% mark, but then Henry turned into this giant whiney a$$hole, and I hated him. I get he was butthurt she didn't tell him who she was (although she never actually lied about who she was either), but if anyone understood that things are not always portrayed accurately in the press, it should have been him. But...NOOOO. This douche acted like she murdered a litter of puppies and buried them in his backyard! "You lied to me...whaaa." "You betrayed me...whaaa." <-- HOW he came to THAT conclusion, I have NO idea since she never actually did a single thing to him. He just kept whining about it over and over and over again. I spent most of the last half of this book wanting to throat punch him and tell him to GROW THE F-CK UP.





On the positive side, I did like Win. She was a super sweet heroine. I thought she should have told Henry to go f-ck himself on several occasions, but I didn't get the doormat vibe from her...thankfully. I also liked the secondary characters of David, and especially Noah Lawless and Micheal Malone. Plus we get cameos from a couple of guys from the M&M series (Chase and Remi). So yea, a bit of a mixed bag with this one.

Order of Protection opens on the beach and as we meet our main characters, we also get a bit of backstory for each. Henry and Win are both fresh out of rehab - him for alcohol and her for anorexia, and they're both trying to get on with their lives. The scene of their first meeting is witty and fun and there seems to be some chemistry between this sexy older man and the attractive young woman he brings in out of the rain (literally).

From what I read in the opening chapter, I expected a reasonably paced story. Instead, it slows down and a lot of the next several chapters are well, kind of boring, which led me to set this one aside several times. The book does pick up again at about the halfway mark and we begin to get some real suspense going on.

The suspense side of the story was interesting and did keep me guessing, but by that time, I was disconnecting from the romance. Henry's reaction to Win's secret was way over the top, especially considering his past. If anyone should understand the need for anonymity, it should be Henry. Instead, his complaints become tedious. I did like Win's wit and attitude, but when Henry starts acting like a child, I didn't much care if this pair made it work or not. Plus we have the fact that neither of these people, fresh out of recovery, ever feel the need to get help when stress gets high. Even early in the book when Henry wants a drink, he runs instead of contacting a sponsor, friend, therapist, etc.

To sum it up, this first Courting Justice novel left me straddling the fence. There were things I liked and things I didn't, and whether or not I'll continue on with the series remains to be seen.

Към края на годината (преди планирания ми коледен книжен маратон с избрани заглавия) ми се четеше и нещо, което е леко романтично, неангажиращо и същевременно интересно. И тази книга определено успя да ми даде това, което търсех. От всичко, което прочетох като заглавия през 2020 от жанра Romance, мога га кажа, че „Под закрила“ се нарежда като най-доброто дотук от него. Историята се оказа изненадващо вълнуваща, за което спомогна и криминалната нишка, която се заплита скоро. Персонажите на Хенри и Уин бяха интригуващи (адвокат на ръба на провала в кариерата си, след неуспешен брак с филмова звезда и алкохолна зависимост и богата наследница, бивша риалити знаменитост, преживяла анорексия). Отношенията между двамата минават през няколко етапа, които ми харесаха как са конструирани и разгърнати. А напрежението и обратите присъстват до финала.

Оценка около 4.4.

Loved this story! It was full of mystery and intrigue! Then add the Romance and boom you have an amazing story!!

Thank you to First to Read for the ARC I received of this book.

Order of Protection is the story of Henry and Win. They each have been deeply hurt by people and circumstances. Henry has become a little cynical and jaded, and, although that is an aspect of Win’s personality, it is something she definitely keeps in check. In addition to their romance, Win’s friend is murdered and she is arrested for the crime. Henry might be just a little too angst ridden and that part of the story does get a little monotonous. Overall though I enjoyed the book, thought the whodunit was a little predictable but really liked the “whydunnit”. This is the first book in a new series and I’m looking forward to the next book and hope it will be about either Henry’s friend David or Noah.

Action-packed romantic suspense!

This was my first dive into the worlds of Lexi Blake but it will definitely not be my last. I love the way she creates characters and draws you right into their stories. Win and Henry were so much fun to watch. Their meeting was so great and their chemistry shows right off the bat. They both have pasts and something major tries to threaten any future they might have. Watching them navigate secrets, truths, scandals, and mystery, was so addictive!

I love a good romantic suspense story and this one was so much fun! There were some aspects that I guesses and knew were coming but others took me by surprise.

I really enjoyed the This was a great first installment of her new Courting Justice series and I can’t wait to see how it continues with some of the secondary characters from this story. David, an ex-NFl star now lawyer, will have his book next and I can’t wait to see what his story has instore. The character I’m most excited about is Noah Lawless, a brother of the Lawless siblings. They have their own series and while I wait for the next installment of this series, I’m going to go dive into that one!

If you’re looking for a fun and hot romantic suspense that will surprise you and keep you guessing and your attention, look no further. Read this one now!

Grateful to have received a complimentary ARC copy to honestly review.

For some reason I started this book two or three times, but didn't continue reading. Could be because I am a little tired of the "secret identity" trope. Anyway, I finally dug in today and finished Order of Protection. It was an enjoyable and engaging read (I finished it in one sitting). The twists and turns were pretty twisty and the end definitely not one I had seen coming until close to it. It was great to see cameos of familiar characters and great chemistry between Win and Henry.
Overall a fun read I rate at 3.5.
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC.