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CEP #2

Unbreakable Hearts

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Citadel Executive Protection (CEP): New York City’s top-rated security agency that hires and assigns only the best of the best for each case.

Tilly Maxwell is a freelance photographer in New York City who happens to take the right photo at the wrong time. While on a shoot, she captures in the background of one of her pictures a man who’s just committed a murder. A man whose perfect crime has now been foiled because of chance. Because of one ill-timed click of the camera, a photographer must be silenced, and Tilly’s now on the run for her life.

John Osby, Oz, an ex Army Ranger who is now one of CEP’s best, is shocked to see Tilly when she calls on the agency needing help. Talk about a blast from the past. They attended high school together and he remembers her as the quiet, adorably awkward and somewhat nerdy photographer he'd had a crush on, but because their lives were so different, he didn’t dare cross the line with her, except for one drunken kiss. But now they're older, she’s blossomed into a real beauty and he intends on crossing any line he can to protect her… and have her as his own.

A woman who adamantly guards her heart encounters the one man who may be able to break down her barriers. When the past collides with the present, boundaries will be pushed and unbreakable hearts will be tested to the limit.

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Published April 26, 2014

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419 people want to read

About the author

Harper Bentley

24 books1,178 followers
USA Today Best Selling author Harper Bentley writes about hot alpha males who love hard. She's taught high school English forever, and although she’s managed to maintain her sanity regardless of her career choice, jumping into the world of publishing her own books goes to show that she might be closer to the ledge than was previously thought.

After traveling the nation in her younger years as a military brat, having lived in Alaska, Washington State and California, she now resides in Oklahoma with her teenage daughter, two dogs and one cat, happily writing stories that she hopes her readers will enjoy.

You can contact her at HarperBentleyWrites@gmail.com, Harperbentleywrites.com, on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @HarperBentley
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5 stars
98 (33%)
4 stars
92 (31%)
3 stars
74 (25%)
2 stars
28 (9%)
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4 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
Profile Image for Sheryl C. Nash.
2,019 reviews432 followers
April 28, 2014
LOVED IT!!! Harper Bentley, you KNOW how long I had been waiting for this and you knocked it out of the ballpark for me! OMG, can anyone say EXPLODING OVARIES??!!! John aka Oz was just so Alpha and a dirty talker to boot and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED HIM! Yet with all those dominating qualities, he was just so SWEET on Tilly... *LE SIGH*.

And now I CAN'T WAIT to read about Gunner and Quinn (I freakin' LOVED her!!) next! Hurry and write their story, woman! LOL!

Profile Image for F loves to read.
107 reviews
April 28, 2014
YIPPIEEE!!! the fabulous Harper Bentley did it once again. what a great read!!! I absolutly loved the first one in the series and couldn't wait to read more about these hot CEP guys. and let me tell you, Oz totally lived up to the hype. ;) this book has all the elements I love in a perfect read: a swoony hot hero, a loveable heroine, snark, some great humor, lol moments, mystery, a creepy felon, great friends AND a sweet second chance romance. ♥ pure win for me. I adored the story of Oz and Tilly, they were simply meant to be together. so happy they got their second chance at love!!! I salute you Harper for writing another amazing book! ♥ thank you so much!
Profile Image for Samantha.
10 reviews3 followers
May 14, 2014
This book incorporated all of the elements to make it a five star read! Humor, action, and a hot love story. I loved Tilly and Oz..The chemistry between them was amazing. I couldn't get enough of this story. Well done, Harper Bentley you created a captivating story that I fell in love with once again!
Profile Image for Mariann {at} Belle's Book Bag.
549 reviews167 followers
October 9, 2014
Such a cute story. Loved Tilly and John. My first read from Harper and definitely not my last. Interested to read the next book about Gunner and Quinn. Loved Tilly's brother, Jeff, and hoping to read more about him.
Profile Image for Talltree.
2,081 reviews25 followers
no-dnf-zzz-avoid
April 24, 2016
DNF

around 30%, the H/h hadn't still met each other yet and I had to read the POVs of at least 3 other people apart from h/H...lost my patience
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Trish Bedroom Bookworms.
390 reviews23 followers
May 12, 2014
Trishswirl Even though I wasn't in love with the first CEP novel, Being Chased, I was still pretty excited to get to the 2nd, Unbreakable Hearts. Partly because it's a Harper book and you already know how I feel about her, and partly because the hero is named Oz and that really pleased me. (Just go with it.)
The book was full of surprises. Some because it's actually a very suspenseful book and some because it did not follow a traditional plot line at all (in a good way, IMO) and left me guessing a lot. I really liked it!

Overall Rating: 4.5 stars- Kept telling myself “just one more chapter.”
Tilly Maxwell is a freelance photographer in New York City who happens to take the right photo at the wrong time. While on a shoot, she captures in the background of one of her pictures a man who’s just committed a murder. A man whose perfect crime has now been foiled because of chance. Because of one ill-timed click of the camera, a photographer must be silenced, and Tilly’s now on the run for her life.

John Osby, Oz, an ex Army Ranger who is now one of CEP’s best, is shocked to see Tilly when she calls on the agency needing help. Talk about a blast from the past. They’d attended high school together and he remembers her as the quiet, adorably awkward and somewhat nerdy photographer he'd had a crush on, but because their lives were so different, he didn’t dare cross the line with her, except for one drunken kiss. But now they're older, she’s blossomed into a real beauty and he intends on crossing any line he can to protect her… and have her as his own.

A woman who adamantly guards her heart encounters the one man who may be able to break down her barriers. When the past collides with the present, boundaries will be pushed and unbreakable hearts will be tested to the limit.

Now, I feel like I need to say that this is less romance novel than it is suspense with some romance thrown in. That actually surprised me. Not in a bad way at all because the suspense was good. Plus our hero and heroine don't actually even connect until almost 50% into the book so even though you know it's coming, you keep thinking "When? Now? Now? WHEN?" and it adds to the suspense.
"She was so finished with him that there needed to be a new word for finished."

Tilly and Oz knew each other in high school, but don't reconnect until he's installing an alarm in her house after she is robbed. I must say, that particularly scene was so much fun. It was written in such a way that I could almost hear the swelling music in my head. And then Tilly was a dork and I couldn't help but laugh again.
"Tilly had left her glasses in the quarterback's hands like some weird, nerdy version of Cinderella."

Actually, I did quite a lot of laughing. For a novel that features some pretty dark subject matter (rape, murder, sex slavery, to name a few.) the book itself didn't feel dark or heavy because there is a lot of comic relief. Most of that comes in the form of Tilly's best friend, Quinn. I think Quinn might be featured in book 3 and if so, I CAN'T WAIT because I loved her. She delivered a one-liner so funny that I literally laughed until I snorted. Then I had to put my Kindle down and email Harper to tell her how hard I'd just laughed.
"Well, you can catch up with his dick inside you, you know." Quinn said, blunt as ever.

Overall, it wasn't perfect. Because our couple doesn't meet until halfway into the book, I found myself wishing for a little more time for their relationship to mature. They really rushed things. Of course, there was drama at play (no spoilers!) that rushed those things along, too, but I would have liked a little more. Of course, that might have meant more smut, too which I would not complain about. Let's just say that Oz is a world class dirty talker. Tilly and I are both big fans. Yum!
"And get yourself another fucking car. PT Cruisers are for pussies."

But outside of that minor complaint, I very much enjoyed the book. The writing (as always) was top-notch. I loved all the characters, and it felt very real to me. I'm definitely looking forward to the 3rd book in the series. Though I'm glad it's not out yet because I spent entirely too much time ignoring my family yesterday because I was sneaking away to read one more chapter here and there.
"Wanna take you out, Tilly. Wanna show you off to everyone, let 'em know you're mine."

Smut Factor: 4 stars- Smokin’ Hot!
Character likability: 4.5 stars- He’s my book boyfriend and I want to BE her.
Storytelling: 5 stars- I wake up thinking this really happened.
Writing and editing quality: 5 stars- Excellent!
Profile Image for ~Nichole~  Sizzling Pages Romance Reviews.
1,716 reviews626 followers
October 19, 2014


Sizzling Pages Romance Reviews

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4 Love of Oz Stars for Story &
10 Sizzling Hearts for Heat.


This book was written in a way that was very different for me. POV from several different characters and quite a very very long wait until the Hero and Heroine even interact. But it was pretty engaging and interesting so I kept reading once Oz and Tilly finally meet I was HOOKED.


Oz is really an amazing character. He is funny, proud and loyal. One filthy dirty talking hero that just heated up my Kindle. His bossiness made me tingle and there wasn't a thing about Oz that I didn't love.


I loved him. When a guy just makes up his mind and claims his woman that is they guy for me. Tilly was so cute in her inexperience but Oz brought out the little vixen inside.

Some action, suspense and even some comedy made this one a really sweet read.
Profile Image for Angela Deforge.
48 reviews14 followers
June 4, 2014
Tilly Maxwell is your typical plain jane, photo nerd and always has been since high school. She never took any risks with her heart except in the exception of the high school quarterback John Osby aka ‘Oz’. She had the biggest crush on him all through school but besides one drunken kiss at a party one night she was pretty sure he didn’t return her feelings. Tilly went on to start her own photography business and never fell in love but for 10 years has always thought back on that kiss. When Tilly is out doing photos for the Thanksgiving parade she unknowingly takes a photo of Graham Hightower leaving the scene of a crime that he painstakingly planned out. This causes Tilly’s life to be threatened so her brother hires a security company to install an alarm system in her house. When the alarm tech shows up it’s no other than Oz himself, and he is even sexier than she remembered.
Oz hasn’t had an easy go of things. He was your typical bad boy jock with the police record to prove it but he was always haunted by a girl with teal eyes that used to take his pictures for the yearbook. Oz couldn’t believe after 10 years he has ran into Tilly again and this time he plans on grabbing on with both hands to keep her. The only problem is that Tilly has her heart so protected by a wall from losing two of the most important people in her life that he doesn’t know if he can break it down.
So this is a suspense romance but it’s not your typical who done it. Harper Bentley was able to keep you on the edge of your seat while also giving you insight to what every character was doing. You get to go in the head of Tilly’s exboyfriend (who I’m pretty sure was dropped on his head a few times..lol), the ‘bad guy’ and his cronies and also the two main characters Oz and Tilly.
I fell in love with Oz from the start, he is all man!! He went from a hard-headed youth who played by his own rules to an honorable man who served his country and when he was unable to do that anymore he went on to protect the public from the scum of the earth. The dynamic between Tilly and Oz is super sweet and OMG HOT!!
Even though I was thrown off by the fact that there was no real mystery, this book had me needing to see what happened next. Miss.Bentley has done a wonderful job at writing this book and I cannot wait to read some more from her!
Profile Image for Brianna at Renee Entress's Blog.
3,918 reviews118 followers
June 3, 2014
***I RECEVIED AN ARC IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW***

While this is the second book in a series, it can be read as a standalone because I did not read book one prior to reading this book and had no problems with following the story.

This is the story of Tilly and Oz. Tilly is a freelance photographer in New York trying to make something of herself. She grew up in a household of men who grew up to be cops, until eventually losing her father to the job, so it is only natural that she is less than experienced in the dating area. One day while working a parade in downtown New York City, unbeknownst to her, she shoots a murder being taking place. What happens next will put her on the ride of her life with a blast from the past...

In walks Oz. Oz is a former army ranger now turned security professional. When the a man calls wanting extra security for his sister, he is all too happy to take the job. What he doesn't expect is the girl who has haunted his dreams from when he was in high school to be his next new client. When Tilly and Oz see each other again, sparks fly. Both had crushes on each other in high school and shared a passionate kiss but he was the popular jock and she was not so popular so she ran from Oz. After the tragedy of her dad, she pretty much withdrew.

Tilly still doesn't know she took pictures of a crime so she is in for the ride of her life trying to stay safe after being stalked and her house broken in too. She thinks it may be her recent ex boyfriend Doug who just cant accept they are broken up (& yes he is bat shit crazy with a crazy mom too). So when she is kidnapped, what will Oz do?

As Oz tries to keep Tilly safe and Tilly tries to fight her feelings for Oz, it is only a matter of time before things heat up between these two. I really enjoyed bother characters and thought they had a lot of chemistry.

This book is told from 4 different POVs which I am not typically crazy about but it helps with the story. You have Tilly's, Oz's, Doug's and the "bad guy".

Will Oz be able to keep Tilly safe? Will Tilly and Oz be able to get their HEA with each other?
Profile Image for Gretchen Anderson.
348 reviews75 followers
August 24, 2014
WOW! There seems to be a lot going on in this book. In a very good way. It’s got an amazing build up where the characters build and you try to figure out how it’s all going to intertwine. It’s sooooo good!

Tilly is really just a now beautiful dork at heart. She was a nerdy dork during high school and although she came into her own and is now a beautiful woman….she still feels like that same nerdy dork. Tilly owns her own photography business, which was a given since she’s always had a camera in front of her face. She has one favorite high school memory….John kissing her at a party. She had to leave that school right after that and never saw him again. Until now.

Oz (John) is installing some security at a home where he vaguely recognizes the name but can’t place it. He’s dealing with a guy that’s friends with another guy…etc. Word of mouth is great advertising. Then he see’s her. His Tilly. He’s thought of her many many times over the past ten years and she’s seriously still very beautiful. He waits no more than about 10 minutes before asking her out.

The problem is that Tilly doesn’t do relationships and she knows that John will definately be a relationship. Will she go out with him? Can she finally lower the walls around her heart just a little to see if something can become more for her?

The reason for the security is that she’s had someone break into her home. Her brother, Jeff, is overseeing the installation wanting the best. Someone is desperate to make sure her pictures are destroyed. To what ends will they make this happen? Can she be protected fully? Is anything a guarantee?

I loved this book! It’s a mystery and romance all rolled into one. With HOT guys too boot!! Tilly’s innocence and John’s Alpha Male Sweet Protectiveness…..well they are perfect for each other.

I didn’t realize that there was a book 1, so I would consider this a standalone. I can normally tell within the first 10%! It’s a pet peeve of mine to not read books in order. I can tell you that I'll be reading that book too!!! This one is so good!! Thank you Harper Bentley for such a wonderful series!!
Profile Image for Sheyla ✎.
2,023 reviews652 followers
June 6, 2014
 photo UnbreakableHearts.jpg
After losing two people important in her life, Tilly Maxwell has decided not to fall in love. Ever. She has dated only people she knew she wouldn't fall in love with.

She did care for a boy when she was in high school. She was the shy nerdy girl and he was the star quarterback.

John "Oz" Osby works for CEP. He is a bounty hunter, and when the job takes him to see someone from his past he knows this is his second chance to make it right.

Inadvertently, Tilly's life is in danger after taking a picture at the wrong time, but thankfully Oz is the right guy to protect her.

I really liked this one. Tons of suspense with romance in the mix. The building of the story was methodical. At times I felt like I was reading a James Patterson book. Although, the humor made the difference.

Oz was all alpha. I laughed so hard with some of the one-liners. Tilly was very likable and sweet.
I'm a sucker for second chance romances so I knew I was going to root for their happiness.

The CEP books are so different than Harper's True Love series, but I can't wait to read the next one. I know it's going to be so good.

Keep them coming Harper.

“Because you’ve haunted my fucking dreams for the last ten years and I’ve finally found you again and want to see where this goes with us"

4/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It
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Profile Image for Hooked On Books.
1,887 reviews65 followers
May 18, 2014
Unbreakable Hearts by Harper Bentley surprised me, in a good way that is. Tilly is a photographer trying to make a name for herself. Jon "Oz" Osby works for a security company, as a bounty hunter and does in home security. Tilly has been chosen to take pictures of a parade on Thanksgiving Day. After the parade she begins to take pictures of the crowd. Unknowingly, she takes a picture of a person that just committed a crime. After someone breaks into her house, Oz is called in to put up a security system. Tilly realizes Oz is her secret high school crush. They start to reconnect. Tilly also thinks that the things happening to her are because she broke up with her ex and he is now mad. Now Tilly is missing and it is up to Oz to find her in time.


I would recommend this book. It is one of those that you will not be able to put down, and is an easy read.
Profile Image for Gloria Herrera for As You Wish Reviews.
2,181 reviews63 followers
June 4, 2014
Remember that crush you had in High School for the star quarterback? You know the one, the football player that all the girls were swooning over? What if ten years later he comes back into your life telling you he also had a crush on you?

The plot for this book has just this encounter at the heart of this romance. We are given a rundown of what has happened to our characters during the last 10 years. As we learn about their lives, we also learn neither of them really forgot that special crush they had for each other. They were too shy to express their feelings except for that one kiss they shared.

This is more than a love story. This plot includes nefarious characters definitely up to no good. With murders, blackmail, fraud and rape in the wind, our characters must navigate these plot twists and hope their attraction (or is it love?) will prevail.

Profile Image for Alexandra.
433 reviews
August 13, 2016
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I really liked this book.
it's the 2nd in the CEP series, and it focuses on Oz and Tilly .
It's a fast and easy read - it took me only a couple of hours - with an interesting plot, with great characters, who have a very intriguing backstory.
I will definitely be reading more book in the series.
Profile Image for Snigdha Prakash.
883 reviews91 followers
June 23, 2016
I didn't like it.
I just didn't.
I couldn't when I couldn't connect to the characters for even one second.
I could not even see the connection between the two characters themselves at all.
They were in contact ten years ago when they were kids.
Then they meet after ten years and fall in love exactly that day.
And mostly end up declaring as well. They do declare it the next day.
I've read more ridiculous plots and liked them because the writing was good and believable.
This just wasn't.
I wish the author all the success.
This just was not for me.
Profile Image for Philomena Callan Cheekypee.
4,007 reviews431 followers
November 6, 2014
My first book by this author and what a great book it was.

This is more of a suspense story with romance thrown in... That certainly took me by surprise. Oz is the fabulous hot alpha male. Tilly is adorable. Their story is fantastic. The story has so much going on that it had me gripped and I couldn't read it fast enough. Be warned when you start this book you won't want to put it down until your finished.

Looking forward to reading book three and I'll certainly be going back and reading book one. This author certainly knows how to write a great story.
Profile Image for Maria.
926 reviews1 follower
November 6, 2014
Too many POVs incorporated that's making my head spin. Took it long for the MCs to meet and what they said to each other did not even have a back-up story. It looks a lot more of a lie to me. And it was way too easy.
Profile Image for Cecily Bonney.
1,045 reviews5 followers
April 24, 2014
Harper Bentley this book is so freaking good. I loved Being Chased, I really did. BUT Oz....holy crap. I want him, need him, and yes I want to marry him!!!!!

You did an awesome job AGAIN!!!!
Profile Image for Laurie.
958 reviews7 followers
March 31, 2016
Liked this as much as the first. Tilly is a fun heroine and I'll take an Oz any day.
317 reviews3 followers
February 1, 2015
The beginning was slow, with Tilly and Oz not coming face to face until 31% in, but I liked it.
109 reviews11 followers
May 30, 2015
Great book!!

Gotta love the thing that take place to make people connect and fall in love.....I love Oz so much. You can't pass this book up!
Profile Image for Alznuthouse.
95 reviews2 followers
January 23, 2016
Great read

Loved the storyline. I for one appreciated this book having a lot less if any inner dialogue. Great job Harper. Hope u continue this series
Profile Image for Janet.
549 reviews14 followers
November 22, 2016
I do enjoy how Harper writes ..you can hear the character voices in your head

Great read
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