His to Defend - Sharon C. Cooper (HRS #2166 - Jan 2022)

A romantic reunion…threatened by their past.
 
Amina Kelly broke Sergeant Maxwell Layton's heart when she married his best friend. But the detective never forgot her…or the sizzling attraction they never acted on. Years later, while Maxwell and Amina work together to find her ex's killer, Maxwell finds his desire for the nurse stronger than ever. As he puts his life on the line to keep Amina safe, Maxwell realizes that the greatest risk of all might be to his heart.

Terrific blend of romance and suspense that hooked me from the very beginning. Amina met Max and Jeremy on the same night, spending time first with Max. They really hit it off, but he got called away while she was in the ladies' room. So he gave a note with his phone number to his best friend, Jeremy, to deliver to her. Jeremy, the snake, moved in on her instead, and Amina was left feeling that Max had blown her off. By the time Max realized what happened, it was too late - Jeremy had conned Amina into believing they were in love. Heartbroken, Max stayed away as much as possible. It didn't take Amina long to realize her mistake, and she quickly divorced Jeremy. But the damage was done. Max and Jeremy's friendship was over, and he and Amina avoided each other.

As the book opens, Max rides along with Jeremy in his patrol car. As Jeremy's boss, Max has the unenviable task of making Jeremy realize that he's in danger of losing his job. When they get a call about a disturbance at an apartment complex, Max's instincts tell him something is wrong - just before Jeremy is shot and killed. Shocked and devastated by the loss of his former friend, Max knows he should be the one to tell Amina. I liked their shared sorrow over the loss of a life, even though neither one liked Jeremy any longer. 

The questions and suspicions start as soon as the police department begins its investigation into what happened. Max's instinct proved correct when it became evident that Jeremy had been a target. As the investigation progressed, it became increasingly evident that neither Max nor Amina knew Jeremy at all. When Amina became the target of a mugging, and then her home ransacked, they wondered what sort of trouble Jeremy brought to her door. I was fascinated by the progression of the investigation and the revelations that came out. At times it seemed as if events were tied together, and others seemed random. As Max and the others closed in on the truth, Amina found herself at the mercy of a desperate crook. I was impressed with Amina's presence of mind during the situation and loved Max's steadiness in2 solving the standoff. There was one surprise yet to come that I didn't see coming until just before it happened. 

I loved watching the relationship develop between Max and Amina. Both of them are kind and honorable people. Max respected Amina's marriage and stayed away despite his feelings for her. Even after the divorce, he kept his distance. Amina's hurt over Max's early actions led her to fall under Jeremy's spell, and by the time she knew the truth, it was too late. After Jeremy's death, they could no longer deny the attraction between them. Max's protectiveness kicked in with the attacks on her, but he wasn't overbearing about it. I liked that he appealed to her common sense. I loved watching them get to know each other better and discover how much they had in common. Max was very careful not to push Amina too fast, even though he knew from the beginning that she was the only one for him. There were some very sweet scenes between them, from movie nights to cooking. I loved watching the attraction build also and loved the bubble bath scene. The ending was terrific, as they finally got the future they should have had before.