Guard against any danger.
Especially if it comes from within.
Detective Matteo Garza doesn’t just do the job—he is the job.
He’s learned the hard way that work and pleasure can’t co-exist.
So when his little sister’s best friend accidentally uncovers a money laundering scheme led by one of Remington’s most cold-blooded criminals, Garza vows to keep things strictly business as he keeps her safe.
No matter how much the quirky mathematician makes him feel things best left buried.
No matter how much she makes him want.
Delia Sutton knows she’s not like most people, just like she knows she needs to forget her ages-old crush on Matteo and focus on survival.
But the closer they get, the bolder she becomes— the more she breaks down his carefully crafted barriers to discover the man beneath.
Danger is closer than either of them could possibly imagine and no one can be trusted.
Delia needs a guardian to fight by her side, and Matteo will do anything to protect her.
No matter who the enemy is.
| Title: | The Guardian |
| Author: | Kimberly Kincaid |
| Series: | The Intelligence Unit (Book 1) |
| Pages: | 320 |
| Category / Genre(s): | Contemporary Romantic Suspense |
| Trope(s): | Best Friend’s Brother / Sister’s Best Friend Nerd Romance Law Enforcement Romance |
| Point of View: | Third Person, Past Tense |
| Location: | Remington, USA |
| HEA: | ✔️ |
| Release Date: | 9th March, 2021 |
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An enjoyable, adventurous romp
I’ve previously read and enjoyed Kimberly Kincaid books and this story is another set in the fictional world of Remington where many of her book series are based. Despite that, this is only the second book in the Intelligence Unit series, about a group of cops, and while it stands alone, there are a lo-ot of characters who either have already had their stories or likely will get one. Having not read the book previous to this one (The Rookie) and very few in the Remington world, I was a little baffled but ultimately understood and enjoyed this one without any previous knowledge.
Heroes like Matteo Garza are always my favourite – a grump who isn’t looking for love until it hits him unexpectedly, right between the eyes. He was probably the poster child for grumpy heroes but Delia managed to soften him up just a touch, which made my heart happy.
I liked Delia a lot and felt she was well written yet at times she annoyed me just a little. She’s a quirky, nerdy genius – which I loved – but when she started on her little thought diversions it was a teeny tiny bit exhausting.
“Heroes like Matteo Garza are always my favourite – a grump who isn’t looking for love until it hits him unexpectedly, right between the eyes.”
Garza and Delia have a nice, simmering heat and tension between them which goes into full combustible mode on occasion. I liked them together and believed in them as a couple – especially enjoying the way the pair accepted the other as they were, but still challenged the other.
The suspense element of the book was fun and, to my mind, reminded me of the way a TV crime show is plotted, with everything finally coming together and falling in place in the end. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat but it was an enjoyably interesting and adventurous romp.
Ms Kincaid has a very unique voice. It’s like she’s talking directly to you and you can almost physically feel the excitement and love she has for the storyline, characters and world she creates. Sometimes there’s a mass of information coming at you at any one time, but once you attune to her wavelength, you absorb the details as fast as you’re reading them.
Anyone who knows my reading habits knows that I adore an epilogue. While this one has one, it focusses more on setting up the next book than giving us some insight into the happily ever aftermath of Garza and Delia. That was a little bit of a shame but I suppose it says something when the story is satisfactorily concluded but you still want more. An enjoyable, adventurous romp and 4 stars from me.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review *
USA Today best-selling author Kimberly Kincaid writes romantic suspense that sizzles and contemporary romance with heart and heat. Equal parts action and emotion, her firefighters and first responders always save the day.
When she’s not finding adventure with her husband, three daughters, and naughty Whippet, Olive, she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to éclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book.
Kimberly’s series include Remington Medical, Station Seventeen, The Line Series, Cross Creek and her brand-new Intelligence Unit series. All titles stand alone for easy reading.
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The Intelligence Unit Series:
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