Description
He’s the man she needs now
Cade Thatcher is on his way to a mountain retreat when he picks up a hitchhiker. Skittish and withdrawn, River Robertson is obviously running from something. Cade is supposed to be rehabilitating from injuries he endured in Afghanistan, not taking on new duties. But he feels responsible for River, and his instinct to protect her overrides his fears about what he can do with his shattered body. When the cult leader obsessed with River tracks her down, Cade will push himself to the limits to keep her safe.
From Harlequin Intrigue: Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.
Discover more action-packed stories in the Warrior Peak Sanctuary series. All books are stand-alone with uplifting endings but were published in the following order:
- Book 1: Protective Assignment
- Book 2: Protective Lawman
- Book 3: Protective Refuge
- Book 4: Protective Warrior
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Sexual Content - 2/5
2/5
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Violence - 2/5
2/5
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Language - 0/5
0/5
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Drugs and Alcohol - 0/5
0/5
Summary
Protective Assignment is the first book in Janie Crouch’s Warrior Peak Sanctuary series. I’m a fan of Crouch and have enjoyed several of her books, but unfortunately, this one didn’t resonate with me as much as some of her others.
My biggest struggle was with River. I had a hard time connecting with some of her decisions, particularly when she put herself in situations that seemed unnecessarily risky. At times, I also felt that her thought process and actions weren’t always consistent, which made it harder for me to become fully invested in her character.
Cade, on the other hand, was a character I really enjoyed. After being severely wounded during his military service, he comes to Warrior Peak Sanctuary to heal, where his brother works as a physical therapist. I could empathize with Cade’s struggle to find purpose and figure out what comes next when the life he had planned is no longer an option. His journey added an emotional depth to the story that I appreciated.
While Cade and River’s romance wasn’t my favorite of Crouch’s pairings, I did enjoy watching Cade’s story unfold and seeing the beginnings of the Warrior Peak Sanctuary world.
Interestingly, one of the things that has me most excited about continuing the series is a glimpse we get of the next couple. The heroine kisses her brother’s best friend and her brother is NOT happy about it. 😊 Their brief appearance in Cade and River’s story was enough to make me very curious about what happens next. I’m definitely continuing the series just to see how that situation plays out!
Content Notes: The romance is mostly clean. There is one closed-door intimate scene with no explicit details.
Overall, Protective Assignment wasn’t my favorite Janie Crouch novel, but I’m still a fan of her writing and intrigued by the Warrior Peak Sanctuary series. Sometimes the first book simply isn’t the one that hooks you and I have a feeling book two might be the one that does for me.