When firefighter and paramedic Edie Lang arrives to battle a wildfire in southeast Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, she's dismayed to encounter the man who ruined her life in just one night. Their reunion doesn't make helicopter pilot Josh Campbell any happier than Edie is. Despite their efforts to ignore each other, the sparks between them have not diminished, but neither intends to let them flare again.
When one of them is gravely injured, the two discover their passion runs deeper than either of them could have imagined and they have Dr. Stefan Harper to thank for that chance.
Dr. Harper is happy to have given the couple a second chance, but realizes through Josh and Edie as well as his good friends Val and Griff that what's missing from his life is love.
Nancy Northcott’s childhood ambition was to grow up and become Wonder Woman. Around fourth grade, she realized it was too late to acquire Amazon genes, but she still loved comic books, science fiction, fantasy and YA romance. A sucker for fast action and wrenching emotion, Nancy combines the romance and high stakes she loves in the books she writes.
Her debut novel, Renegade, received a starred review from Library Journal. The reviewer called it “genre fiction at its best.” Nancy is a three-time RWA Golden Heart finalist and has won the Maggie, the Molly, the Emerald City Opener, and Put Your Heart in a Book.
Married since 1987, Nancy and her husband have one son, a bossy dog, and a house full of books.
Well, this little novella certainly did its job. Although, it is considered book 1.5 in the Protector series, it almost reads like a precursor. This book really whet my appetite and I promptly went out and purchased the book 1 and pre-ordered book 2.
I liked the main characters. It is easy to feel their regret and loss. I should have been insulted by Josh's sexist thinking, but his explanation of his experience shaped his views, not misogyny. I don't necessarily agree with him, but Edie's argument is more forceful. I enjoyed that part of the story.
Additionally, this book makes me very curious about the secondary characters (the primaries in the other books). I'm dying to know more about Valeria and Griffin (book 1). How did they meet? How did Grif lose his powers? Clearly, Dr. Stefan Harper also has a story to tell. And who are these ghouls? Where did they come from? What is the origins of the mage/ghoul conflict? What kind of powers does each group have? Who are the demons in relationship to each group? Why are there traitor mages?
Clearly I have some questions and I'm looking forwarded to diving in...
Edie Lang and Josh Campbell are both in high risk careers. But it isn’t their careers that are about to threaten their lives. Having had a one night stand makes their unexpected reunion while fighting a wildfire in the Okenenokee Swamp very uncomfortable. Circumstances beyond their control and a menacing magical object will put them in much closure quarters. Time is now their enemy and if a cure isn’t found they both might be drained dry. When your time might be counted in hours and days instead of years, feelings and passions from the past are rediscovered. But can they overcome what drove them apart in the first place.
This was an intriguing and interesting novella length story. I was not expecting the magical influences and the paranormal aspect but the twist was delightful. With all novellas, it is difficult to build deep emotional connections to the characters in such a short time but with such an engaging premise of magical community it was a pleasurable read. I will be looking forward to more from The Protectors Series.
This copy of Protector was given to me by Hachette Book Group, GRAND CENTRAL PUBLISHING, FOREVER in exchange for a honest review.
Edie Lang and Josh Campbell are both people with dangerous jobs and that is the crux of this story. They are attracted and repelled by each other for reason that become clear as you read but the spark of their romance (or lack thereof) becomes boring and tedious as the book wears on and I gave serious thought to just adding it to a list of books I did not finish.
The paranormal aspect of this story was almost missing from the first few chapters completely and was minimal for most of the book, this was more about the on/off romance of the 2 main characters.
It did pick up towards the ending and the last few chapters were worth holding on to the book long enough to finish but all I can say is that there is a spark missing from this book and the fact that the actual book ended at the 70% mark on my Kindle was a bit disconcerting.
I give it 3 Stars because it did manage to hold my attention and the end of the story was good (not great) but since I can't exactly put my finger on why it lacked appeal to me it is a good short reading experience to take to the a waiting room :)
Love the mages and the world Nancy Northcott is building with this series. A great novella, with a romance between two relatable characters--and one that managed to be both sweet and spicy! Really interested to read more in this series!
When firefighter and paramedic Edie Lang arrives to battle a wildfire in southeast Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, she's dismayed to encounter the man who ruined her life in just one night. Their reunion doesn't make helicopter pilot Josh Campbell any happier than Edie is. Despite their efforts to ignore each other, the sparks between them have not diminished, but neither intends to let them flare again.
When one of them is gravely injured, the two discover their passion runs deeper than either of them could have imagined and they have Dr. Stefan Harper to thank for that chance.
Dr. Harper is happy to have given the couple a second chance, but realizes through Josh and Edie, as well as his good friends Val and Griff, that what's missing from his life is love
REVIEW: PROTECTOR is a short novella in Nancy Northcott’s The Protector’s series focusing on a magical group of protectors and guardians known as the Mage. The Mage are a gifted species of people who source their power from the elements but their enemies-the ghouls-suck the life force and power from the mage to survive. In PROTECTOR the ghouls, with the help of mage power, have developed a weapon that connects with the mage and in doing so, will slowly deplete their victim until nothing is left.
In PROTECTOR firefighter Edie Lang and pilot Josh Campbell battle forest fires as well as each other in a struggle with life and death. Returning from a recent fire, both will find themselves weakened and unable to remember certain aspects of their latest job. It is only when they begin to piece together their memories do they uncover a possible cause to their shared illness and loss of power.
Josh and Edie have a past-one that is mired in miscommunication and Josh’s reluctance to accept Edie as a woman capable of fighting fires. His worry and need to protect carries onto the job when he is unable to separate the woman that he loves from the fire fighter entering dangerous territory. As well as battling the unknown cause of their loss of power, Josh and Edie battle each other in a test of wills.
PROTECTOR is a welcome storyline that leads into Nancy’s next instalment in The Protector series. Dr.Stefan Harper is the resident Mage physician who has been unable to extinguish the memories of the woman he had given up years before, and in Protector, there is a build up to his story. Protector is a fast paced, interesting storyline about two strong willed and capable heroes, who have issues of control when it involves the other. When it looks likes neither is willing to compromise, one must step forward and relinquish his need to protect above all else.
I picked up Protector on a whim because I hadn’t heard of this author before and figured I’d check out a shorter novella before I invested the time in a full length. I liked the mage aspect that this series provided but I have to say I thought there would be more action then there was. Edie and Josh have a prior history from a few years before the novella starts. They were an “almost” item but Josh backed off, took off, and Edie marginally moved on. She still carries a torch for him but has tried to avoid him as he has her. They are thrown back together when a forest fire requires helicopter pilot Josh to drop firefighter Edie off in a remote location to save some fellow firefighters. Edie happens upon a magical box that attaches itself to her and Josh and drains all their magic. As they scramble to find out the origins of the object that is slowly killing them, the raw emotional connection they share flares to life once more.
My biggest problem with Protector was that it felt very slow when usually novellas are all about fast, trying to get information in as quick as possible. There are large stretches of time where seemingly nothing happens as Edie and Josh fight the pull they feel towards each other. Because of that I didn’t really feel connected to them. I admit I wanted to skim often. Characters from book one do make an appearance but the author isn’t real intent on giving much of a back story instead focusing on the evolving relationship of the main characters. So there are things that I didn’t quite understand with the ongoing story arc. I did enjoy when Edie and Josh finally succumbed to their feelings. The love scenes are tame so it should appeal to several levels of romance readers. Josh and his ongoing attitude of not wanting to become involved in a relationship with a woman who has a dangerous job was a highlight for me. I liked seeing him finally understand that he couldn’t control his response to Edie and that he had to compromise.
Northcott seems to ramble endlessly in her attempts to set the scene and convey the emotion but in the end it fell flat for me. I think if you enjoyed books one, then you will enjoy this one. However this isn’t a series I would continue.
Now this is a novella that didn’t hold anything back. I’m all for short and sweet, especially when I’m expecting it. When a story is short, sweet and packed full of drama, romance and adds to the overall story arc in the series, that’s even better. Protector delivered that and then some.
I was totally enthralled with both this series and Nancy’s writing when I read Renegade, the first book in her The Protectors series. Protector takes place a little while after Renegade ends. There’s a lot more to the story than is covered in the book description, but you’ll have to read it for yourself to understand. Josh and Edie’s story is worth the time, honest. They are both really strong characters that fit in perfectly with the characters that have already been introduced. You won’t be lost if you don’t read Protector first, but you’ll be missing out on meeting a great couple. Not to mention a few important things happen in Protector that you might want to learn about before you start Guardian. (Trust me, it’s another one of those ‘do as I say, not as I do’ moments.)
Even though this is Josh and Edie’s story, it not only gives us a few updates on Val and Griff, it’s also the perfect lead in to Stefan and Mel’s full length book, Guardian. This is one series that I have definitely put on my radar.
For a glimpse of The Protectors and a taste of Nancy Northcott’s writing, you can check out her free reads that are part of the series on her website. Enjoy!
Protector falls between Renegade and Guardian, scheduled for release on July 2, 2013. Northcott returns the reader to the fascinating world of the benevolent mages in the Southeastern Collegium headquartered in Wayfarer, Georgia, on the edges of the mysterious Okefenokee Swamp. Northcott’s worldbuilding is sufficiently detailed even in this short form to create multi-dimensional place that is fantastical enough to appeal to the imagination and sufficiently grounded in the real to make suspension of disbelief easy. Her characters are strong and richly developed, and the stakes are high enough to keep the story compelling.
While the focus on the novella is on Edie and Josh’s story, Stefan is not the only familiar character who appears in the story. Readers who liked Renegade will enjoy seeing Griffin and Val again, and Stefan, a character I found fascinating in the first book, becomes even more so in Protector. I eagerly anticipate his story in Guardian. It’s a reunion tale too, my favorite trope. If you like a mix of fantasy and romance, or even if you’re a fan of character-driven romance willing to broaden your reading experience, I recommend this series.
This is the first time I’ve read this author and I was pleased. This is a nice paranormal novella. In this world magic and mages and their negative counterparts exist and they live hidden amongst the human population. The mages protect the unknowing world from dark entities.
This is a second chance romance between two mages, one a firefighter and the other a helicopter pilot who have run across each other again after a few years and in doing so have come afoul of magic. It is up to mage doctors to save them before their magic is drained and they lose their lives.
This novella is part of a series but can stand-alone though characters whose story has already been told do appear and the author did set the stage for the next character’s story without interfering with this one. Considering there was no world building it was easy to follow the paranormal tangents from the storyline. The romance was sweet and we got to learn what had happened in the past that thwarted a relationship at that time but I can’t say that I felt the chemistry between them. The head doctor I found to be an extremely interesting character whose story will be told in the next book and the included excerpt left this reader wanting for more.
This is a novella. That about sums it up for me. I really enjoyed book 1 in this series. I was sort of meh about this novella.
The Protector is the story of Josh and Edie. They have known each other on and off for years. They worked together a few years ago before Josh transferred to the Wayfair, GA area. Right before Josh's transfer, he and Edie almost "did the deed". Edie thinks Josh is a jerk because he didn't finish the deed and Josh is trying to protect Edie because he doesn't think they can have a successful relationship. They end up being affected by a magical curse. They are forced to spend time together as the doctors try to figure out how to save them. Edie is very smart and intuitive and she figures out Josh's hang-up with having a relationship.
There is a little tension as they talk and get to know each other. There is a little sexual chemistry as they get to know each other. This was a nice little story. A small taste of the series but not nearly as satisfying as the first book. What the novella lacked was depth and connection. I wanted the characters to fight, love, preserve and win but instead they just ended up together like I thought they would.
In Protector, author Nancy Northcott delves a little deeper into the magic, rituals and dangers that surround the mages of Southeastern Georgia. This one-off from her debut story Renegade tells the story of two brand new characters who make their livings risking it all for others, yet neither one seems to find the strength within to take that same risk for their heart’s desire.
Edie Lang is a member of a Wyoming hotshot crew assisting the firefighting efforts within the Okefenokee Swamp, an area of Georgia governed by the Southeastern Shire Collegium. On top of her knowledge of wildfire suppression, Edie is a medic trained to work with the Helitack crews to fly into inaccessible areas within a fire to rescue injured firefighters. Her current assignment puts her into direct contact with pilot Josh Campbell, a man she hadn’t expected to meet again. Their working relationship is strained to the breaking point because of an intimate moment shared between them years before, with Josh disappearing afterwards without an explanation or good-bye.
3.5 Stars Ok first... Did you know this was a paranormal novella? Well I didn’t based on the synopsis and in the beginning I was confused. I had not read book one (actually I didn’t even know there was a book one until after I read this one). But once I read a bit I was able to understand what was going on. Apparently in short... There is a paranormal hospital for mages which is not a witch but has magical powers. Now something happens to Edie and Josh which is why they end up in the hospital.
Ok now that you have the correct synopsis.... I really enjoyed this short story. It was a well written story with a full story in a small amount of pages. I enjoyed the story of Edie and Josh. I have to say I am not sure about the story of the doctors but I will honestly say I think that it because I have not read the first in the series. You could tell a lot had been explained prior so I did feel that I was missing a bit of information but was able to enjoy the story besides that. I think anyone who likes romances with a magic twist will enjoy this one.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars - I didn't read book number one in The Protectors series but I am a huge fan of mages and I thought that the premise of magical protectors was promising - and I was really looking forward to seeing mage firefighters after reading the cover blurb.
So I ended up a bit disappointed because I was expecting a story revolving more around the firefighting and instead the magical leads - who came close to having an affair in the past - are victims of a magic sucking artifact that force the past almost lovers into very close proximately. And since the magical drain will eventually cause their deaths, the impending doom was supposed to overcome the hero's reservations about the heroine's dangerous calling to win the pair a HEA, but I didn't buy it.
The end result of all of the above was a pairing that wasn't very memorable - I thought that the next up leading man was far more intriguing than the lead here - and on the whole Protector ended up more on the side of 'okay' for me.
Despite the short length, this story had all the fabulous aspects of her full length novel. This story could have been rife with the complaints of traditional romances--miscommunication leading to misunderstandings, influences from outside sources keeping lover apart--but instead was filled the type of emotional action I enjoy reading about. Edie and Josh called each other on their stupidness and made the other stop and think. Which was the best part of this story. The paranormal element was good, who doesn't enjoy mages, wizards, and ghouls, but the best part was how Edie and Josh communicated with one another.
*review copy provided by author/publisher for honest review
Firefighter and paramedic Edie Lang didn’t want to be on assignment with helicopter pilot Josh Campbell, especially after the last time they were together. There was no doubt Josh wanted Edie, but he was not interested in a commitment with someone whose career choice puts them in danger, no matter how much he wants her. When Edie becomes infected by an unknown source and whatever it is affects Josh, both find themselves sequestered and fighting the overwhelming chemistry between them.
I love this series so far! The world that Nancy has created is really unlike anything I've read before! This Novella was action packed and even though it was short, it left me feeling like I had read a full length book. I hope that we will get to see more of Edie and Josh in the books to come because their chemistry was GREAT!!! I am really excited to see where this series will go! Definitely recommend this book!
This such a moving story I really loved it and meeting up with Griff and Val and the reat of the charactes was great I am loving this series and am really looking forward to the next one in the series
3.5* It was good to have a glimpse again of Griff and Val and now I'm quite eager to read Stefan's story. About the main story, it was nice but Josh annoyed me a lot with his attitude. I can understand his feelings butI didn't like his reactions.