Deacon's Defender: Protect and Serve Book 2, Pandora Pine

I loved and was intrigued by Ozzy from the moment we met him in Gunnar's Guardian so I was super stoked to get his story next, especially with the tragedy that we were left facing at Gunnar's conclusion.  While not what I expected, Deacon's Defender gave us some cheesy, some tender, some hot, and some surprising moments that culminated in a pretty good story that fit with the series.

Ozzy has a lot on his shoulders and isn't truly coping well.  Thanks to a fantastic family he's able to see a light at the end of the tunnel of his grief and frustration, but it's Deacon that helps him find that light.  Deacon brings out feelings and hopes in him he'd thought he'd never feel again.  After having disappointment after disappointment in his romantic life he'd pretty much given up on finding his person and when a horrid order from his superiors forces him to get closer to Deacon he's surprised to find that an unfortunate situation brought him something good.  But guilt and shame and suspicion are muddling the path forward and it was so hard to watch him suffering and falling in love at the same time.

Deacon was a little harder for me.  I wasn't charmed by him at all and felt little connection with him.  While his attributes seem to be a match for Ozzy, it's really Ozzy that carries the story.  The suspicions are valid and it was nice to see that Deacon supported the initial questions after a bit of justified frustration, but I found myself very bothered by his declarations to be wiped out by his dramatic reactions.  I wished that I loved him as much as I'd grown to care for Ozzy.

Finding the arsonist was both predictable and also a surprise.  Predictable because we could see the character that would likely be written in as the culprit once other secrets were revealed, but surprising in the way it played out because it seemed quite over the top.  I can't say it was my favorite reveal and it didn't really feel organic to the overall story, but instead it was a way to make it way more dramatic, as if it were competing with the horrors we witnessed in Gunnar's Guardian.  I'm hoping the next brother's story flows a bit better than this one did and while I'm not looking for the chaos of Book 1, I do hope it flows organically like it did.

$4.99 on Amazon

Hot on the trail of a crazed arsonist, Fire Captain Ozzy Graves has been ordered to stick close to the number one suspect in the string of deadly fires; mild-mannered newspaper reporter, Deacon Fairbanks.

Spending time with Ozzy is a dream come true for Deacon, who’s been in love with the ornery captain from afar. Deacon’s wildest dreams become reality when Ozzy asks him out.

The new relationship burns hot, but there’s trouble in paradise. Each of the lovers is keeping a devastating secret that could not only threaten to send Ozzy and Deacon’s fledgling relationship down in flames, but the entire city as well.