Austin Pritchard forced into retirement after going awol to help his sister and save his best friend in the previous book when they find themselves in a battle. Now that he isn’t part of the military anymore he is having a hard tome figuring out what to do with his life now and the demons that haunt his head from the things he has seen/done, is making it difficult for him to find peace. He sets off to hike some trails in Mexico trying to get his head right, but what he doesn’t expect is finding Mikayla. Mikayla is a botanist studying a rare plant in Mexico, she works hard and is blown away when she stumbles upon Austin this handsome man she has an instant attraction to. There is a lot of action especially when Austin has to help save Mik’s life and he is falling fast and hard for this woman. I loved that we got to see Austin reaching out to Second Sights and Hidden Agenda asking for help when he doesn’t feel like he is worthy of these guys they make sure to constantly let him know he is part of their family. Austin will probably always have nightmares but I was happy to Mikayla helps keep them at bay and that he is slowly starting to come around and fix things between himself and Trevor. Another great read, a perfect start to a new series, and I can’t wait to read Griffin’s story. ( )

My favorite part about picking up a Patricia D Eddy book is knowing that I'm going to be lost in its story within the first couple of pages. The action will pick up almost immediately and the world around me will cease to exist (that is, until you hear "Mooooommyyyyy" break your stride).

Rogue Protector - the first in an offshoot from the Away From Keyboard series - stayed true to its origins with fierce heroes, sassy counterparts and an inevitable rabbit hole of trouble. It tells the story of the former Major General Austin Pritchard as he attempts to learn who and what he's left with after retiring from military life. Thinking that he may find the answers in nature, he heads to Mexico to hike the trails and instead finds himself captivated by the lovely Dr. Mikayla Salim, who happens to be there researching a rare plant that she hopes can help in the fight against Parkinson's disease. Little do either of them realize that her research will land them both in the crosshairs of corruption, where Austin must once again become the man he knows best in order to protect the woman he's falling for.



I absolutely adored Mikayla. As the daughter of Syrian parents who moved to the United States before she was born, Mik was able to avoid the harsh realities of living in a war-torn country. Despite that, knowing that Austin had seen and experienced far more horrors than she could ever imagine, she didn't shy away from the demons she knew he had buried deep within the surface. Austin, too, was an admirable hero, whose biggest fault was seeking perceived flaws in himself. Past mistakes, misplaced intentions and the horrors of his time spent knee-deep in war haunted him, but Mikayla worked to help him see past the man he kept seeing in the mirror.

This was every bit as enjoyable and binge-worthy as any of the books in the Away From Keyboard series, and I loved, loved, loved the glimpses we caught of Ryker, Wren, Dax and the rest of the family we've become so familiar with. While I received a free advanced copy from the author in exchange for an honest review, this book has already been on preorder since the moment it became available. I would absolutely recommend the book (and the origin series) to anyone who loves romance, suspense and fierce, addictive characters.
( )