
The Broken Protector
Nicole Snow
Publication date: June 22nd 2023
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Starting over isnāt easy when an unexpected hero crashes her plans in this steamy and gripping new small-town enemies-to-lovers romance by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Nicole Snow.
My fresh start turned into a dumpster fire.
Awesome new job. Small town heaven. Friendly faces galore.
Then I strolled into my new home and found the unspeakable.
Just when Iām sure it canāt get worse, Iām ārescuedā by a man who makes me see red for miles.Enter Lucas Graves.
A bossy grump with a badge whoās sworn to keep me safe.
He rocks the scary-hot vibe, he reads too much, and he never misses a chance to give me crap for being a nerdy little cactus who mouths back.
Not the type of man Iād go for in my right mind.
Definitely not the type I should keep trading bruising kisses with.Redhaven, North Carolina has driven me insane.
Why else does my heart race when Lucas gets jealous and overprotective?
How could I think heāll ever share more than another reckless night?
He guards his own battered heart as fiercely as he watches over me.It canāt get more complicated.
Oh, but then it does.
Thereās a razor-thin line between heartbreak and hope with a broken protector.
Heās so wrong for me I could scream.
But Iām not losing sleep over the very real danger Iām in.
Iām terrified that Lucas Graves might be the best thing thatās ever happenedāif heād let us happen at all.This big slice of feel-good small-town romance brings enemies to lovers fire, hilarious sweetness, heart-thumping suspense, and all the butterflies. Smile yourself silly as one big bossy lunk tries to keep his heart and his secrets from the headstrong new girl destined to make him whole.
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EXCERPT:
I canāt stop scowling at his back, pathetically speechless.
Yeah, Iāve got to find a better way to say dick.
Iām not even sure why he riles me up so much.
Probably that juvenile Miss New York nickname and the way he always shows up without warning. Or itās the laughably inappropriate way he got me to stop fixating on the dead girl by teasing me about sleeping on his sofa.
Or maybe itās just that heās so flipping tall.
Iāve been a short stack my whole life.
And Iāve had more than one person try to make me feel small, crowding me out of daring to take up space.
āā¦hello? Miss?ā
Oh.
Trishaās talking to me.
My face goes hot and I whip my eyes back to her, clearing my throat. āSorry. So, about those membership plans?ā
It doesnāt take long before Iām set up with a monthly trial plan. Iām almost shocked at how cheap it is when Iām used to NYC markups on everything.
I couldāve saved even more if Iād committed to a quarterly plan. But maybe Iām thinking about dead bodies, quietly wondering just what my limit is for how many Iām cool with before I panic and hightail it out of town.
Or Iām just being dramatic, and whatās actually on my mind is tree-lined lanes and how nice it would be to jog down them at sunrise, no membership required.
Sighing, I do a quick five-minute set of stretches before I claim one of the treadmills with House Hunters on TV for company.
Iāve barely started a light jog when the menās locker room door swings open and Lucas Graves stalks back out, sans gym bag.
He takes one glance at meāa glance that lingers too long, making me nearly trip on my own feetābefore he looks at the television.
Somehow, he switches the channel over to Better Call Saul before climbing on the treadmill next to mine and gliding into a steady, pounding pace.
Holy hell.
The man goes from nothing to a strong, violent run in under five seconds. Almost like a racehorse bursting out of the gate.
He runs for two solid minutes without even huffing.
This. Is. So. Bad.
My mind goes terrible places, wondering what else his body can do with gym-freak stamina like that.
āI was watching that, you know,ā I mutter when I canāt stand it any longer.
He doesnāt look at me, his mile-wide chest rising and falling in deep, steady breaths.
āSo change it back. Youāve got thumbs, right?ā His gaze stays on his digital readouts as he shrugs.
āUm, yes. I have thumbs. Very observant.ā Glaring, I manage to hold up a thumb instead of another middle finger salute. Iām being nice today.
I shake my head, ready for more of his crap, but apparently heās holding back too.
āSo change it back,ā I mouth, scowling, but then slow the treadmill and step off it.
I brace my burning feet on the floor for a second before I stomp over, grab the remote on a little console table under the TV, and flick the channel back to my show.
I donāt even make it back to my machine before the sound changes, and Bob Odenkirk starts yelling at a couple cartel guys who look like they eat kittens for breakfast.
Yep.
Looks like Iām going to get arrested for assaulting a cop today.
I whip my head up, glaring at the TV, then at Lucas.
Heās got his phone out, not even missing a stride as he taps his screen. I catch a glimpse of the Roku logo.
Oh, that absolute jerk. Heās got an app synced to this TV, and he justā
Argh!
A little growl slips up my throat. Still gripping the remote, I punch the button back to House Hunters, staring at him pointedly the entire time.
Heās still got his head bowed, his face unreadable as the TV changes again.
āOops,ā he whispers. āButterfingers.ā
āButterfingers, my ass!ā I hiss back, stabbing the button again. āDude, do you mind?ā
He spreads his hands.
With his long, easy stride, the motion makes the muscles in his waist pull dangerously tight against his A-shirt thatās finally starting to darken with sweat.
āDonāt know whatās wrong with this damn thing,ā he lies. āItās busted today. Just keeps switching back on its own.ā
Right as he taps his phone again, watching me with a mock-innocent look.
Right on cue, the TV flicks back to his stupid suspense show despite me mashing the button down like my life depends on it.
āYou donāt know whatās wrong with it, huh?ā I canāt believe Iām this annoyed and yet somehow smirking helplessly.
Idiot.
I jab the button againāreally fast this time, stabbing it with my fingertipājust as he hits the button on his screen. The TV starts flickering back and forth like a psychedelic kaleidoscope of noise and color.
āMaybe your thumbās broken,ā I say. āMine are working, last I checked.ā
He glances at his hand languidly then, lifting his thumb off his phone. āMust be. Would you look at that. It should stay now.ā
I snort and hit my channel again, shaking my head as I try to pick up the pace and try to have a normal workout.
I point two fingers at my eyes and then at him.
Iām watching you.
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Delilahās reasons for moving to Redhaven as not only does it allow her to put some distance between her and her last relationship, but she is looking forward to her new teaching job. Her arrival in town wasnāt without its complications as when she arrives at the home where she will be staying she is in for a surprise that results in Lucas arriving at her door.
Lucas has transitioned from his career in the Navy to law enforcement and is a man who is still haunted by the events of his past. When he meets Delilah the sparks fly and despite the animosity and the lack of trust he is determined to keep her safe until they find out who is behind the threats and why.
Although they tried to deny it there is no doubting the attraction between Delilah and Lucas as they take us on a journey filled with intrigue, surprises and romance as they fight for the happiness they both deserve.

Author Bio:
Nicole Snow is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. She found her love of writing by hashing out love scenes on lunch breaks and plotting her great escape from boardrooms. Her work roared onto the indie romance scene in 2014 with her Grizzlies MC series.
Since then Snow aims for the very best in growly, heart-of-gold alpha heroes, unbelievable suspense, and swoon storms aplenty. With over a million books sold, she lives for the joy of making two people fight with every bit of their soul for a Happily Ever After.
Current fan favorites include her Enguard Protectors series, accidental love novels, plus long beloved MC romance thrillers like the Grizzlies and Deadly Pistols.
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