Oath of Valor: Personal Protectors Book 3, Brittany Cournoyer

One drunken night brought two men release, but it also brought with it some awkward consequences when they reunite in a hospital room.  Larry is adept at sinking deep into a role for his job with the FBI and dealing with the worst of the worst of society, but his role as father and caretaker?  He's lost beyond all reason in how to carry those out.  For Elliot, that night between them was unforgettable, at least the parts when the alcohol haze lifted.  He never expected to see the man again.  But when guilt and heavily masked concern make Larry offer his home to Elliot as he recovers, they begin a dance that can only end in romance or homicide.  Except someone else has murder on the mind when Elliot overhears a crime during an accidental call to the hospital.  If Larry can't do his job at the same time as coming to terms with his feelings for Elliot, they may not have a chance at a future.

Elliot's snark and sarcasm were playful, flirty, and amusing when we met him in Promise to Shield.  None of that spark is gone here, but it is muted when he finds himself increasingly frustrated by Larry's dickish behavior as well as the threats he receives.  I loved that he found himself by the end and that none of Larry's actions harmed or changed all that made Elliot, Elliot.  His fire and his past rounded him out and gave him depth.  I wish he had more zingers for Larry, though; that he would have put Larry in his place more often with how much vitriol came from the silver fox's mouth.  Aside from that, Elliot shone in this story and by finding his place among his chosen family, he became whole and at peace.

Larry was so full of unkind justifications, anger, avoidance, and just plain old meanness.  I knew there was something softer and kind under all of that, but we didn't actually see any of that until probably the 75% mark of the book.  I found that more disappointing than I can say.  Why we spend so long soaking up all the hurtful things, the awful things he spews any time he feels threatened, I'll never know.  While he is amazing once he gives in and finds his heart with Elliot, it took so long to get there that I almost don't care.  I honestly kept rooting for him because of Elliot.  I liked Larry as much as I didn't.

The overall story was good and fit quite well with all the other characters from this series that we've come to know.  I wasn't a fan of, again, how long it took to get to the sweeter side of things.  I'm all for a hard-ass finding love and the softer side of themselves by the end of a dramatic story, but when we don't get a good enough glimpse that they have that lighter side in them until the book is pretty much ending, I find my focus waning.  There's a balance between set-up of the romantic fall and the fall itself that needed to be reassessed here and hopefully when we get Ross and Dane's story that's taken into account.  I'm still a fan of the series and will definitely be back for more.

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