Mine To Protect

by A.D. Sano

A man searching for his sister. A killer who has sworn to protect him. Forced together by chance, they plot to take down a human trafficking ring while fighting the undeniable attraction that burns between them.

Tristan Hines is desperately searching for his teenage sister who disappeared six days ago. When he's caught breaking into the home of a suspected human trafficker, he thinks his life is about to end.

Cade "King" Kingsley kills bad guys for a living. He's about to take out his mark when he's forced to intervene to save Tristan’s life. Before Cade can eliminate the threat, the target identifies Tristan and alerts his associates.

Now the other traffickers want Tristan dead and Cade has him sequestered at a safe house. While they work to break up the operation that has Tristan's sister, the two find themselves in close quarters and unable to resist the sexual attraction that burns hot between them.

Will they be able to find Tristan's sister before it’s too late? And will they ever see each other again after she's found?

Mine To Protect features a tattooed bad boy who's a little rough and an insecure hero who’s eager to please. If you like forced proximity, "touch him and d**" vibes and a little bit of kink, get your copy of Mine To Protect by A.D. Sano on Kindle.

* Morally gray character/Vigilantes
* Forced proximity
* One bed
* Grumpy/sunshine
* Found family
* Possessive/protective MC
* Touch him & D**
* A little k*nk

NOTE: while a review indicated the book ends on a cliffhanger, this is NOT accurate. The reader confused the ending of this story with the teaser for the next book.

Genres: M M Romance

Kindle Edition

First published February 19, 2026

About the author

A.D. Sano, lover of dogs, chocolate, coffee and sassy comebacks, is a native of Maine but now lives in Indiana. A lifelong reader (yes, flashlights under the covers and all), she's been hooked on romance since early adulthood due to her idealistic, softhearted, and somewhat unrealistic sentimentality. Ever since her third-grade teacher gave her a gold star on her "book" about a twenty-foot-long bumblebee, she's wanted to be a writer, but life had other plans (and also, she needed money, because capitalism), and she now writes part-time and dreams of retiring early to be a full-time author. (See above re: idealistic and unrealistic.) She has written fanfiction for years and is now channeling that passion for MM into stories with original characters. When she's not reading, writing or rewatching Heated Rivalry for the billionth time, she spends her time being bad at hobbies, like painting, smiling at work, and pretending like she wants to be out in public.

Reviews

[Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sano Strikes Again: Mine to Protect - A New, Steamy MM Romance to Devour

Y’all bitches ready? Because I don’t think you are. Grab a drink, get comfortable, get your emotional support person/animal/object ready, because Mine to Protect is a wild ride, but it’s so worth it.

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 5/5
Re-Readability: 📖📖📖📖📖 5/5

Spoilers ahead: read at your own risk. I've blocked off a portion of their climax during the time in the safe house. The remainder is fairly tame and doesn't give away major plot devices... too much.


Tropes:
🔥Forced Proximity
🔥One Bed
🔥Opposites Attract
🔥Grumpy/Sunshine
🔥Found Family
🔥Organized Crime/Vigilante Justice
🔥Kidnapping/Human Trafficking
🔥Mild Kink, Heavy Spice (Dom/sub, orgasm denial, breath play)
🔥Fake Dating
🔥RABID SQUIRRELS.


Trigger Warnings:
References to foster care and prior inappropriate touching on behalf of a foster parent, rougher sexual encounters, kidnapping, human trafficking, allusions to possible forced drug use, enough fucking sexual tension to melt the icecaps (although, is that really all that hard now?).


Mine to Protect is a new, steamy MM romance written by A.D. Sano exploring the attraction between our MMCs Cade and Tristan, all the while trying to rescue Tristan’s younger sister Natalie from a human trafficking ring, losing some things, and gaining others along the way. It’s a Sano romance, so you know there’s going to be a major climax that throws everyone for a loop.

“He ran a hand through his hair, then faced the red-haired man. His golden-brown eyes brimmed with fear, and his hair stood up at odd angles, probably from the discarded balaclava at his feet. He was cute, with full pink lips and a light smattering of freckles across his cheeks. He looked innocent, attractive. Fuckable.”

Let’s meet the first of our MMCs – Cade “King” Kingsley.

Hey, Siri! 🗣️ Play Hotter than Hell by Dua Lipa. 🎵

Cade is my baby boo. That’s my bouncing, beautiful boy. I will burn the world down to nothing but soot and ash for him and it still wouldn’t be enough. I have a think for broken men, and my baby Cade is Broken with a capital B. Growing up in foster care, Cade’s been through a lot and is ready for his soft landing. He finds it in the unlikeliest spot, when getting ready to interrogate a lead in a human trafficking ring. We experience instalust when Cade first takes in Tristan’s appearance, and it grows into a tension that ultimately burns over with tension, there’s a combustion when they’re together, and it burns into an inferno. (See what I did there? I refuse to answer just how many times I’ve read those three chapters.)

Cade grew up without a family, without love, and without tenderness. He’s the grumpiest of men, and oh, surprise! He’s also a cold-blooded assassin. But one with a code. He doesn’t harm innocents, and he wipes the Earth of those that do. Without doubt, without hesitation, without any qualms. Cade doesn’t experience soft emotions. He’s a violent man with a violent past, and he isn’t looking to change that.

"You've done it before? Killed someone?"
"Yeah. It's my job."
"What?"
"You heard me."

"So, what are we looking for then? Rabid squirrels?"
That got Cade's attention. "Can that happen?" He looked horrified, and Tristan almost felt bad for the joke.
Almost.
"Oh, yeah. They go crazy, launching themselves at people's faces and scratching at their eyes with their claws. Most people get rabies from squirrels. I learned that in college."
Cade gaped at him, then looked around anxiously for any of the killer rodents. Tristan burst out laughing. Cade slowly turned his head back to Tristan and glowered.
"You're hilarious," he snarked, then continued striding around the clearing, maybe on the lookout for bloodthirsty bunnies or ferocious foxes.

Really? This is what you’re terrified of, Cade? How the mighty have fallen.

Now, let’s meet my sugar plum cinnamon roll muffin man, Tristan Hines.

Hey, Siri! 🗣️ Play You Are My Sunshine by Christina Perri or something. 🎵

As Cade assessed the chances of dying from rabies, Tristan stopped in a clearing and scanned the area, gasping softly.
"What?"
Tristan moved forward carefully. "It's a small copper butterfly. It's pretty rare to see them; they're an at-risk species." Cade crept up behind him and examined the creature. It just looked like any other butterfly to him.
"How do you know what kind it is?"
"We learned all the names, Natalie and I, from this big book my mom had. I remember when Natalie was too young to read, she would point to the pictures and ask me to tell her what kind it was. My mom loved butterflies, was obsessed with them," Tristan answered, not taking his eyes off the dancing insect. He smiled as he spoke, though Cade wasn't sure if it was because of the beauty of the memory or the butterfly.

Tristan. Tristan, Tristan, Tristan. If I’m on my knees for Cade, I’m on my heart for Tristan. Does that make sense? I’m pretty sure it doesn’t, but Tris is my little warm, glazed honey bun. Whether the glaze is from a frosting bag or Cade doesn’t make much of a difference to me. He’s a sweetie pie. He’s a selfless, kind, soft man. He’s my everything. Similar to Cade, he hasn’t had the best introduction to life. Parental abandonment, and then the loss of another parent to a terminal illness, but he hasn’t lost his spark for life or his love for others. When Tris loves, he loves hard. See: his mission to get Natalie back. His inner voice is diametrically opposite from Cade’s, but they’re having the same thoughts and processing the same emotions, just in their own ways.

And, he’s a little shit! He’s cheeky. He’s confident. He knows what he’s doing, and he does it on purpose. If you look up “shit-eating grin” in the dictionary, you’re going to get hit with a picture of Tris smiling up at Cade after he wins one of their banter exchanges. Do I see a little bit of myself in Tris? Not at all, and that’s part of why I love him so much. If I would burn the world to ash and dust for Cade, I would make the world a better place for Tristan, so he has somewhere nice and warm to come home to after a long day at the television station.






Now, the denial of feelings? Chef’s kiss. The internal battles Cade has trying to justify his emotions, convince himself that he’s remaining detached and professional, and that things with Tristan are limited to their time in the safe house? Oscar-worthy. Grammy-worthy? I don’t know. I don’t keep up with pop culture. It deserves every award. You slowly see him lose the war with himself throughout the first third of the book, and every dent Tris makes in his walls had me kicking my feet and shoving my face in a pillow to scream. My partner and cats are about to put me up for adoption if I read this again. And they mean it. But I can’t stop. I’m obsessed with Mine to Protect, and you should be, too.

🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️
The spice? Is it hot in here or is it just Cade? Grab some ice cream, maybe a milkshake, a smoothie, anything that’ll cool you down. Turn the air conditioning on. Set the fans to max. The spice isn’t hot, it’s scorching. I want Cade to spit in my face and call me pretty. That man could walk me like a dog and my fake tail would be wagging the entire time. It’s what I’m now terming Sano Smut, because it makes me want to act up. I’m a trans man, I don’t ovulate. But I ovulate for Sano Smut. I’m on birth control, but sometime I feel like I have to check to make sure I’m up-to-date after I read their encounters. Dom/sub, orgasm denial, sensory deprivation, breath play, everything is here. And there are a few things I’m looking forward to seeing in the sequel.

"You wanna know so fucking bad, Tristan? You wanna know what I want? What I'd do to you if I could?"
A burst of electricity crackled through Tristan's body, and he wasn't sure if it was from fear or arousal.
Or both.
His mouth was so dry, he couldn't force out words, so he dipped his head, silent permission — or maybe a plea — to continue.
Cade's voice was low and gravelly when he spoke.
"I want to hurt you. I want to own your body, brand it, cover it with teeth marks and bruises, use it as I see fit. I want to fuck your mouth until you can't breathe, until tears stream down your face. I want to hold you down and choke you while I fuck you, while I split you open. And I want you to like it, to be so desperate for it that you beg me for more."
He paused for a heartbeat before he added, "But you wouldn't like it. You wouldn't beg me for more. So just. Let it. Go."
Time screeched to a halt as Tristan sucked in ragged breaths, his heart hammering furiously in his chest. He felt hot and flushed and tingly all over.
And his dick was hard.

But, again, this is Sano Smut. This is going to be some of the filthiest shit you’ve ever read. But it’s going to have that emotional connection, and that vulnerability, and the intimacy that you can come to expect from her emotional sex scenes. Will you cry? I don’t know, I’m a crybaby. Did I cry reading Mine to Protect? I’ll plead the fifth. Peep the track listing on the soundtrack. You should be able to piece together what chapters gutted me and left me a hollow husk of a man and what chapters pieced me back together.

And, shoutout to Annabeth: I was ready to ram your head through a wall multiple times. But, you're a real one for all that you did throughout the novel. You can stay. For now.


There's a plot twist that I don't think people will be expecting. And it flips the world upside for those involved. How far is Cade willing to go to protect his charge? How far is Cade willing to go to get back what's his? How far is Cade willing to go to protect, shelter, care for, and love Tristan once he realizes the inevitability of the two of them? I can spoil shit, but that's no fun.



Don't walk to Amazon to pre-order your copy. Don't walk to Sano's website for your signed copy. Run. Doctor's orders. 👨🏻‍⚕️

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Murder of innocents is wrong. Murder of monsters is justice."

This book has everything, you guys: mystery, danger, road trip, forced proximity, and only one bed. TWICE! Oh, and spice, don't forget the spice because it is hiiiigh.

Tristan and Cade are accidentally forced together during a botched break-in. Tristan is there to find his missing sister, and Cade is planning to take out a criminal involved in human trafficking. When everything goes sideways, they are forced into hiding to protect Tristan from the syndicate that now knows who he is.

Cade's childhood trauma drives him to defend innocents; Tristan's work as an investigative journalist and his sister's disappearance push him to uncover injustice. They're stuck together trying to uncover a criminal enterprise that is kidnapping women while also trying to keep their hands off each other.

There's a lot of downtime when you're hiding out from assassins, what are a couple of fellas supposed to do? Each other, of course! This doesn't *quite* qualify as a one-handed read, but there are some sections, you guys.. dang. SPICY!

I read the book in two days, and it only took that long because my job got in the way. It's fast paced, even with their prolonged downtime at a safe house. The MMCs have depth and nuance and their histories have clearly marked them in indelible ways, but the men find ways around and through their trauma. There are some topics that might be hard for some people to read about so please check trigger warnings.

This is the first book in a series; I don't know how many are planned total.

I received a free copy from the author.

[Bobby's Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god, this book was SO GOOD! I couldn’t even put down this book! This M/M DARK ROMANCE between a GRUMPY ASSASSIN and a man who he vows to protect after they search the disappearance of his sister! I loved Cade and Tristan’s slow burn love story and can’t wait to read the next book soon! Would definitely recommend if you want a spicy and sexy M/M Romance!

[Makayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omgosh. This story was so hot, so intense. Once I got started, there was no putting this down. I am in love with Tristin and Cade. Their attraction was undeniable. The suspense and tension in this had me on the edge of my seat and fanning muffled all at once. This was intense and downright spicy. I’m definitely not mad about that. I love the way these two came together. The plot was great, and the pacing was perfect. This was such an amazing story.

[Zoë Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3rd person, past tense, dual PoV
Cade 'King' Kingsley (29), vigilante assassin
Tristan Hines (25), television reporter / investigative journalist

These two were great. I loved how fierce and fearless Tristan was in trying to find his missing sister almost as much as I loved how ruthless and honourable Cade was in the pursuit of justice. A morally grey MC who will literally torture and kill for his man is a diamond in the ruff indeed. I enjoyed the character development and depth and appreciated that both characters have had fairly traumatic events occur in their pasts that inform who they are in the present. The supporting characters all added depth to the story, especially Annabeth, who was channeling Calliope from the Necessary Evils series with her hacker skills and camaraderie with a group of assassins.

I adored the meet-cute as I'm a sucker for a good knight in tarnished armor moment; it amuses me to no end when a reckless character needs a quick, somewhat reluctant rescue. The first couple chapters were filled with heart-pounding excitement, as Cade whisked Tris to safety.

The pace slowed down considerably when Cade and Tristan reach the remote safehouse and I wish that the change in pace had come hand in hand with some serious bonding, but it became rather monotonous, with Tristan attempting to bridge the gap with a reluctant Cade giving only small scraps of himself. As Cade was so closed off (understandably so) the entire time (six days) they were at the cabin it made me feel like their entire relationship hinged primarily on their physical compatibility - and woo boy were they compatible. Don't get me wrong, there was some softening and some bonding, but not nearly enough to justify the ILY we get barely a week after meeting.

I think one of the things I enjoy the most when reading a story like this is seeing the characters work together to solve the issue at hand and what we got was essentially them hiding out together for most of the book while the team does all the leg work. I was certain with Tristan's background he was going to be able to contribute to the investigation in a meaningful way, especially when he revealed that he thought his mentor was killed investigating the mystery of the missing girls some months prior and that he believed the police might be involved to a certain extent, but this plot point isn't explored further. As a result it feels like the characters are along for the ride of their story instead of being masters of their own fate.

This is a hard one for me to rate because aside from the sexy scenes, which were excellent (I have a real obsession with the claiming and marking that went on in this book), the cabin scenes (which take up 50%-ish of the book) landed the book firmly in three star territory for me, with an action-packed beginning and end that were more of a four-star read. I highlighted a number of passages and enjoyed the story so I'm going with four stars for this debut author as I am looking forward to reading their next book.

While this does end with an HEA-ish for the MCs and stands alone well, there is a dangling plot thread or two and teaser for the next book of series in the back that lets the reader know that the next book of the series will feature the same couple. While it doesn't affect my review, it is my personal preference to know this information in advance (if it's going to be an ongoing series or has a certain number of planned books, etc.) so I can decide whether to dive in now or backburner it until it is complete and binge.

I was given an ARC and voluntarily wrote an honest review.

[LC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder, mystery, and love. It’s a great combination that makes for a great story.

Tristan is a reporter. He’s stumbled onto a case of missing women that hits home when his sister is taken. He’ll do whatever needs to be done to find her even breaking into homes. He isn’t expecting to get caught or have a gun held to his head. Being rescued by a supremely hot man? Definitely not on his bingo card.

Cade is a watcher. He rescues the helpless and serves up justice to their violators. When he sees someone breaking into his target’s home, he decides to wait it out and then runs to the rescue. While he doesn’t get all the information he was hoping for, he might have just walked away with something more important.

This book is so suspenseful. Tristan and Cade are two opposites that attract. One is a vigilante and the other a reporter. The entire time they are together, Cade is protecting Tristan from an unknown monster while slowly falling in love with him. For Tristan love is easier, he knows what it means to be loved. Cade doesn’t have the same frame of reference. His reticence is actually adorable as he is so romantic without realizing it. I wish the second book was out already. I enjoyed watching Tristan and Cade come together. I love how Cade is determined to keep the siblings safe. I’m looking forward to what happens in book two.

[Nicola Clements · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome read!

I was recommended this author on tik tok, they are an indie author.

This book took my breath away and I tore through it 🤭

The two MMC are Cade and Tristan, their relationship is so sweet.

Cade takes 'care' of evil people, when he's in the middle of a job, he comes across Tristan who is looking for his sister. His sister has been taken by vile people and together Cade & Tristan start trying to track her down.

Once I started reading, I had to keep on with it, the story is very well written by a new Indie author and I can tell you....it's going to a huge hit.

The pace is perfect and each chapter rolls beautifully into the next one.

Fantastic book, so please give it a try 🫶📚

[Jaqueline Doldersum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will blow your mind. Cad is a killer with a code. He only kills bad people. And protect the good.
One night, on the job. He has to save Tristan. The Redhead looking for his sister.
Forced to stay in a tiny safehouse together.
There is not much the can do. And there is only one bed.
During there stay, they are getting closer and closer.
In the mean time. Cade is confused and dealing with his past.
Tristan is feeling guilty for getting feelings.
While searching for his sister.
This book got it all. Action, spice, emotional support. A book you can't put down.

[Chelsea Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chef’s Kiss!

Such a good book! The plot was great and suspenseful with twists and turns. And the intimate scenes were STEAMY!! Can’t wait for the sequel!

[Brian_Kindle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too Slow

This story started off interesting with Cade staking out a house of a sex trafficker. When he’s about to make his move to capture the trafficker and interrogate him about his victims, he discovers that Tristan has broken into the traffickers house before him. Tristan is there trying to get information about his missing sister. He’s discovered by the trafficker and Cade ends up rescuing him and they both eventually escape to a secluded cabin while Cade’s hacker friend investigates a computer they found at the trafficker’s home.

I stopped reading this book near the 25% mark because absolutely nothing happens. Everything that could help their investigation is being held up waiting for the hacker friend to crack the encryption of the computer they found. The characters are bored out of their minds which in turn makes the reader bored. Nothing interesting happens because Cade is a closed book, so there’s also no character growth or development of their relationship. The story wasn’t entertaining enough to keep me interested.

I really wanted to like this book because I liked the author’s overall writing style. It was easy to read and flowed nicely, but the pace and plot development left a lot to desire. This looks like the author’s first book and I hope they release more books in the future, but this one was not for me.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got the pleasure of Beta reading this and fell in love from the start. From the start you can see this is going to a heart pounding book. Tristian's sister is missing and he is determined to find her. Enter Cade, a man who works with a group who steps in.
These two end up at a safe house with only one bed. The attraction is instant and when they finally give in, I'm surprised they didn't light the house on fire. The goal finding Tristian's sister finding love was never meant to be in the equation.

This is debut novel from this author and they nailed it! This book reached in and held on. Once I started, I didn't want it to end. Cade and Tristian are such well written characters and the chemistry between them was explosive. This book had me on the edge of my seat. Knowing that there is a second book (how could you do that to me AD Sano?!?!) I kicked my feet since I was not ready to leave these characters behind. This is more of a HFN than a HEA. There is a preview leading into the next book.

Overall, this book was everything! I cannot wait to reread this book and it has become one of my top books.

Thank you AD Sano for allowing me to Beta read this book. This review is entirely my own.

[SNik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Standalone. Forced proximity. Light BDSM. Found family. Dual POV. Heed content warnings.

While searching for clues about his missing sister, Tristan is rescued by a young but skilled vigilante assassin. Cade agrees to help find Tristan’s trafficked sister and protect Tristan, but their mutual attraction becomes difficult to ignore.

Danger, capable main characters, super steamy interactions, and two men that stumble across their special person. Cade is a man that isn’t sure what love is but is willing to do anything to protect Tristan, and Tristan matches Cade all the way with his own dedication and desire to keep Cade close. I enjoyed all of Cade and Tristan’s interactions, and the fact that we get some background for them as they fall quickly really helped their relationship development. Cade and Tristan were sweet together, Cade had realistic hesitations, and Tristan was honest with all of his feelings laid bare to Cade. I believe the author plans a sequel which I look forward to, and I would be very interested if some of Cade’s group of vigilantes got their own stories as well. Overall, a really entertaining read with likable characters. 4.5 rounded up

[Bluemoonchild · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y'all.

A.D. Sano is a new-to-me author and when I say they packed it all into this book? They packed it ALLLL. Tension? Check. Spice with a bit of kink? Check. Forced proximity? Check. A 'bad' guy who's actually pretty endearing? Check and check. This book starts with high stakes and, even during their downtime, the tension continues. Tristan's desperation to find his sister adds the emotional weight, while Cade brings in that oh-so-glorious 'touch him and die' energy.

The forced proximity in the safe house is hot in the best ways, and the chemistry between the characters is intense. There are layers of vulnerability from both characters, making both of them relatable and believable. Yes, Cade is a killer. But his protectiveness and possessiveness over Tristan has him slowly letting his guard down, and when he does? Let the fun begin.

Between the suspense of the plot and the fire of their connection, this book had me hooked from page one.

[I received an advanced copy of this book. All reviews and ratings are my own.]

[Dominique · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.9 ⭐️

For it being a short timeframe, a lot happened in this book. I didn’t realize it until the end of the book when Cade mentioned it. I liked the fact that the story was so good that you don’t realize how much time has really passed in the book.


I always enjoy the though him or die scenes, especially when Cade for his revenge.

After all Tris and Cade with through with Natalie, I’m glad they got their HEA. Cade definitely deserves it. I can’t wait for the second book!

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tristan is a reporter who is searching for his sister that he is sure was kidnapped. Cade is a vigilante that rids the world of scum like those who kidnapped Tristan's sister. A chance meeting has them falling for each other while keeping Tristan safe and searching for sister. I looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Amy Magness · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book via TikTok. I was searching for MM authors without a lot of following. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I was hooked. The spice was 4.5/5. The writing was well done. The character development was great. There were a few (very few) moments that felt disjointed, but I have no doubt each book will only get better.

[YourTrustedPlotDevice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was an entertaining experience! Definitely worth indulging in your next train or plane ride: the chapters flow easily, there's plenty of intrigue and mystery to go around, and the main couple is easy to root for!! An enjoyable read !!

[Ivy Glaze · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has everything - a passionate MC on a quest, a gruff, protective MC, delicious forced proximity, a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and the perfect amount of spicy kink. Can't wait for book 2!

[Sarah☀️ Somerville]

DNF @ 32% - So they’re stuck in a safe house with nothing to do besides long for each other longingly and chop wood. They might be antsy but I’m just plain bored.