I liked the plot set up in this book, and I knew I'd like Violet and Anton since we met them already in Roman's book, but this one is more of a prequeI liked the plot set up in this book, and I knew I'd like Violet and Anton since we met them already in Roman's book, but this one is more of a prequel and the backstory to how they met.
But - this book felt super short. I wish we had gotten more pages of Violet and Anton together, of Violet and Roman getting to know each other (since in this one they're a bit prickly but in Roman they're already chummy)... maybe more of what happened between this book and Roman's (after "the incident").
Loved the concept and couple, though. It was bodyguard romance meets forbidden meets "he works for your dad".
Also! Like 20% in I was like "why does this book feel different?" -- it's in 3rd person! I checked and others in this series and her others are all in first. ...more
"We're alike in a lot of ways. Disciplined. Har-working. Unemotional. People respect that in a man. But with a woman, they say you're cold or harsh." "We're alike in a lot of ways. Disciplined. Har-working. Unemotional. People respect that in a man. But with a woman, they say you're cold or harsh." "People say that about [Dante], too." "They don't hold it against him, thought."
We've known Riona since book one - she's the middle sister of the Griffin family (hero of book 1 / heroine of book 2). She's always come across as cold, impatient, mean.
I think readers can treat "mean heroines" unfairly. It's normal to have an unlikable hero in a book - a bully, someone who's rude or harsh... but often for a heroine they're "not relatable" or "too mean". Since I see some of myself in Riona (impatient, standoffish, unemotional) and some of my husband in Raylan (the sweet, charming, trying-to-make-you-smile parts) - I do have a soft spot for her/them.
This book felt like a bit of a departure from the other books in the series - maybe because a good chunk wasn't set in Chicago. I love a bodyguard romance so Raylan being a strong and protective hero was yum... them heading back to his family's ranch in Tennessee was also yum (I don't read a lot of western/cowboy romances but I'm always reminded how much I enjoy them when books have pieces of that). ...more
Not my fav, not my least fav from Onley. I liked Javier and Bowie separately, I liked Javier’s revenge and badass attitude, I liked his uncle and auntNot my fav, not my least fav from Onley. I liked Javier and Bowie separately, I liked Javier’s revenge and badass attitude, I liked his uncle and aunt… but this book was just okay.
TW: MC was raped and has PTSD, violence, murder, stalking...more
I adore Onley James and her MM romances - I like the relationships she crafts maybe because I’m obsessed wI don’t have a ton to say about this series.
I adore Onley James and her MM romances - I like the relationships she crafts maybe because I’m obsessed with the trope of “big tough man protects the one he loves”.
I really liked Preacher, the wise and zen-ish man we met in book one of the series, who spent 20 years in prison for murder. I liked his instant chemistry and protective instincts towards Memphis and his younger brother Knox. I liked his dogs!
If you’re into MM romances with a dreamy protective hero, I would suggest to start with Onley’s Necessary Evils series, then move to Elite Protective Services. It’s out of order (the order is Elite > Time Served > Necessary Evils) but that’s just my fav series order.
CW: SEVERE past abuse, PTSD, hospitalization, dog fighting, abuse, attempted murder...more
Ahhhhh I loved this one! I think I may have liked this book more than book 2 (Shep/Elijah)? Or maybe I like Jackson/Day better? I don’t know but thereAhhhhh I loved this one! I think I may have liked this book more than book 2 (Shep/Elijah)? Or maybe I like Jackson/Day better? I don’t know but there was something so wonderful about them, I couldn’t put this one down.
Jackson is the owner of Elite Protection Services. He cameod in book 1 but we haven’t really seen him since then. The ex-partner (cop) of his dad comes to him for a favor: to protect the young man who witnessed a powerful District Attorney get murdered… virtually. Because the young man in question is a cam boy.
Dayton aka Day is… so complex. So hurt. So fragile. So sensitive. He has a big “keep away” sign plastered to his forehead and does his best to lash out first to protect himself. He grew up in an abusive home and has dyslexia and another disability that prevented him from learning to read, but he’s so smart and learned how to adapt to survive and be successful.
The reason I gravitate towards psycho romances (which this is not) is because I love the “I choose you, you are mine thing” (in books). And while neither Jackson or Day were diagnosed psychopath/sociopaths, Jackson knows basically immediately after meeting Day that he wants him. He says his mother felt the same thing for his father, and he knows he’ll do anything to have Day and keep him safe. He knows how fragile and scared Day is, and that a proclamation like this would scare him away, so he goes (emotionally) slow.
This series is basically older buff bodyguard protects fragile young man and takes care of him and makes everything better. But like… I’m totally good with that trope. I love that trope. I eat that shit up. Give me 10 more.
CW: child abuse, cystic fibrosis (not MCs), death of a friend, child molestation, sex work, murder/violence, stalking, mention of suicide (not MCs)...more
What does it say about me that whenever I read a book where the hero is a sociopath or psychopath, I’m like… “YES. THIS is my SHIT.” ??
I have to say What does it say about me that whenever I read a book where the hero is a sociopath or psychopath, I’m like… “YES. THIS is my SHIT.” ??
I have to say - Onley James excels at writing these types of characters. Jayne “Shep” Shepherd feels so different from the boys in the Necessary Evils series - because he IS different. He’s a sociopath, not a psychopath, and was raised by a mother who studies both and put him in therapy and trainings from a young age. Although he has killed people, it was while he was in the military - and he says he never had a killing instinct or craved to kill, the way (some of) the Mulvaney boys do. Shep doesn’t feel much of anything for anyone (he knows what he’s supposed to feel and is good at mirroring other people or being fake-charming) … until he meets Elijah.
I loved the writing around Shep’s sexuality. He’s a virgin, because sex has simply never interested him before. In his mind, why would he bring in another person when he can achieve the end result (orgasm) solo? He doesn’t call himself straight or gay because he’s never felt anything for anyone. At one point, he calls himself Elijah-sexual, because he’s the first/only person to get a rise (pun intended) from him. In Shep’s mind, none of this is a big deal - the fact that he’s a virgin, has never done anything with another person (well, that one time in high school where he pretended to be his brother…), gay v straight. He just is.
Elijah is… like a precious flower to me. Which is funny because he’s described as 6’2” and buff, getting hired to play some kind of superhero… so I kind of pictured him like a young Henry Cavill / Matt Bomer?? The prologue was absolutely heartbreaking, and I was furious with his good for nothing mother for the entire book. I wish we had gotten a little more of Elijah’s grandfather and their relationship, but I understand why we didn’t. I had moments where I was like, “Elijah - WHY are you putting up with a woman who treats you like dog shit and never protected you??” but it’s literally all he’s ever known and she’s his only family left.
Anyway, I loved it. Obviously. If you also enjoy a psycho hero who’s a walking IRL red flag but those red flags look like red roses in a book… you will probably like it too.
CW: child molestation/rape, trauma and PTSD, neglectful and abusive parents, violence/torture (off page and recalled), homophobia...more
After reading Damaged, the Necessary Evils novella, I noticed a few call outs to Onley James’ Elite Protection Services series and knew I had to read After reading Damaged, the Necessary Evils novella, I noticed a few call outs to Onley James’ Elite Protection Services series and knew I had to read it. This series was taken off Kindle Unlimited a while ago and I missed out on reading them, and my IG friend Esti gifted me digital copies! Thank you, Esti!!
This had so many tropes I love… age gap, bodyguard, Daddy with a capital D.
I wasn’t expecting to like Wyatt, since I don’t usually identify with super spoiled MCs, but Wyatt was so complex. The prologue totally gripped me. And as we learn about his family and his past, it’s so clear why Wyatt is the way he is and I completely felt for him.
Lincoln felt a tad more one dimensional to me - maybe because he was very much the pragmatic foil to Wyatt’s out of control “wild child”-ness. But did I love him? Yes.
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