Ruthless Protector (Lawless Kings, #4‪)‬

3.75 stars--RUTHLESS PROTECTOR is the fourth instalment in Sherilee Gray’s contemporary, adult LAWLESS KINGS erotic, romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for the King Agency doing personal protection and security, private investigation (corporate and domestic), high-risk fugitive recovery, missing persons and kidnapping investigations. This is King Security PI and former police officer Jude Wayland, and waitress/exotic dancer Willa Hartley’s story line. RUTHLESS PROTECTOR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual first person points of view (Willa and Jude) RUTHLESS PROTECTOR follows the acrimonious relationship between King Security PI and former police officer Jude Wayland, and waitress/exotic dancer Willa Hartley. Jude Wayland knows something is going on with his new tenant: mysterious strangers, and threats against her life, as well as her most recent venture into the world of exotic dancing find Jude going into protector mode as it pertains to the independent and untrusting Willa Hartley. The sole provider for her eight-year old niece Tilly, Willa becomes desperate enough to take on a position at the local exotic dance club, desperate enough when threats of another nature come knocking at her door. What ensues is the building relationship between Jude and Willa, and the potential fall-out as Willa continues to keep secret the who and why behind to threats to her life, and our heroine’s inability to trust threatens her relationship with the man that she loves.

Willa Hartley’s need for independence, and her inability to trust promote an aura of unfriendly and harsh. Our heroine’s aggressive attitude and unwillingness to ask for help threatens not only her life but the life of her eight-year old niece, and in this, she is a difficult heroine to like and accept. A little bit of TSTL (too stupid to live) syndrome does not make for an enjoyable character. Willa’s character development is questionable until the very end, and someone points out the truth of her actions against the man that she loves. Jude Wayland knows loss, and it is this loss that exaggerates his need to protect Willa and Tilly, an exaggeration that brings with it too many heart breaking memories of the past.

RUTHLESS PROTECTOR has a colorful cast of secondary and supporting characters all of whom interact with our story line couple. From fellow exotic dancers, the local cartel, the men and women who work for the King Security Agency, and the requisite evil with many faces, RUTHLESS PROTECTOR is a character driven story line about family, friendship, betrayal and love. The premise is engaging; the leading characters are broken and charismatic; the romance struggles in the face of our heroine’ s inability to trust or ask for help when it is needed the most.

Excellent story, excellent writing. Thoroughly enjoyed your book, SG.
Catherine M
ps: I’ll have to go back and find books 1,2 and 3.