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BOOKWORM REVIEW: Protecting You by Lena Hendrix


RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
STEAM: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

I wasn't sure if it was possible, but the Chikalu Falls series keeps getting better and better. This time, we get small-town enemies Cole and Maggie.

Petty is their favorite color, and they pretty much have a light show in that color every time they get in close vicinity to each other. No one in Chikalu can seem to figure out how they went from best friends in high school to being at each other's throats (not in a good way) for 15 years. 

Some speculate that it has something to do with the deceased father of Maggie's teen daughter, but their falling out seems to be one of the many secrets that we, the readers, uncover with them.

I have to say that Cole and Maggie are my favorite couple of the series. I am a sucker for enemies-to-lovers, so their petty banter and the underlying tension were my jam. The story toggles back and forth with flashbacks to their childhood, so every present interaction is given more depth and meaning. When that growing tension finally implodes, Lena Hendrix definitely brings the heat. Hear me out: I know spicy scenes with handcuffs can be cliché, especially with Cole being a cop, but that scene is just **chef's kiss** and you would not want to miss it.

I adore their interactions with Maggie's daughter Lottie. The adversities Maggie had to overcome as a single mom speaks to her strength and resilience, and it is no wonder she can lock horns with Cole for 15 years without skipping a beat. I also love that there was a strong connection between Cole and Lottie way before this phase of Cole and Maggie's relationship, and we get to see how that started and its wonderful progression.

As always, we fall even deeper in love with the rest of Chikalu. The couples from the previous books play their important parts as the support system that Cole and Maggie need. 

The hunt for the [eggplant] bandit comes to a stunning conclusion in this book, and it was a plot twist I most definitely did not expect but thoroughly enjoyed.

I am not sure if this is the last we will see of Chikalu, but I have definitely enjoyed the series. If you're considering this book, it works well as a standalone. If you want to get a full experience, I definitely recommend reading from the beginning.


  

ABOUT THE BOOK

I never should have slept with Colin McCoy. 

When I moved to my sister’s small town, I was looking for a fresh start—no more shallow relationships, no snotty fake friends, and definitely no charming, dirty-talking musicians. 

We had a fun, red-hot night together and we agreed that hooking up was a mistake, a one-time thing. But when my dream bakery location happens to be right next door to his bar, every day I’m forced to see that chiseled jawline and remember the feel of his incredible body on mine. 

No. I’m starting over. I have rules. No more bad habits, definitely no falling in love. No matter how hard he tries, hooking up with him again would prove I’m the flake everyone expects me to be. 

But here I am, stuck between wanting to make something of my life and wanting to grab him and make another delicious mistake. 

Get Your Copy (Free with Kindle Unlimited) → https://amzn.to/3f4CMWD

MEET LENA HENDRIX


Hi! I'm Lena Hendrix & I write hot as sin contemporary romance novels. My love of romance started with sneaking my grandmother’s Harlequin paperbacks & now I write stories full of heart, humor, and plenty of strong Alphas with marshmallow insides-I like my coffee hot and my heroes hotter!

I live in the midwest with my husband, three children, and two derpy Australian Cattle Dogs. When I'm not writing or devouring new novels, you can find me hiking, camping, fishing, and sipping a spicy margarita!

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