Protected by the Ranger

by Lana Love

One protective ex-Army Ranger bodyguard + A curvy rising music star running from a stalker + Forced proximity = A best friend's sister scorching protector romance!

When my childhood buddy and former Army brother asks me to look after his little sister, who I haven't actually met. She's a rising pop star and has a stalker who's getting a little too close.

Of course I say yes. As a member of Ghost Security, protective detail is something we provide. We also will track down and neutralize threats.

Then I see Izzy. Curves like I've only ever dreamed of touching. Blonde hair that begs to be on the pillow next to me.

How am I supposed to *not* claim a woman so gorgeous and talented I'll burn the earth to protect her.

When my team tracks down her stalker, there is only one protect the beautiful and talented woman I've fallen head over heels for. Whatever it takes.

Protected by the Ranger is book 1 in a new series, The Men of Ghost Security. If you like small-town romance with a strong sense of community, featuring military veterans, blue collar alpha men, and the curvy women they can't live without, get ready for a new series you'll fall in love with, because that's what you'll get with the men of Ghost Security. They will do anything to protect and claim the women they love. Steamy HEAs guaranteed.

75 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 2, 2025

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wish Kindle would add a banner or something to alert potential readers when the book is not full-length. I hate settling in to read a nice 300-400 page story where I can get to know the characters and go on a journey with them, only to realize once I've started that it's going to be a wham-baam situation instead.

This book isn't even a novella. It's a novelette. Only 75 pages. And that's not enough time to make me care about the characters and DEFINITELY not enough to to bring the stalker situation to any kind of satisfying conclusion. Also, this story reads like the author whipped it out over a weekend because there are some pretty glaring errors that make it clear no one proofread it before tossing it up on Kindle.

Examples:

"Her thick legs are thick and tanned..." (p. 8)

"I'd love to see you where this" (p.16)


The story goes that Jake is army buddies with Izzy's brother. The brother is still rehabbing from an IED injury so when Izzy reveals she's being stalked and is coming back to their hometown to try to shake the guy off, her brother asks Jake to be her bodyguard. Jake then goes to the VA hospital and sees a woman he describes as "a walking wet dream" talking to the nurse.

The description of her gets pretty repetitive here, which again shows the lack of care given to proofreading. Aside from the quote above when describing her legs, we also go through Jake describing her blond hair and painted on dress and curves, then he goes into the brother's room and Izzy immediately comes in after him and he gives us almost the exact same description again.

So, Jake is in insta-lust with Izzy. She's not nearly as bowled over by him, though. Throughout this very short book we have Jake acting like he would DIE for her, and her acting like he was just a regular good looking guy she'd just met. Which, HE IS. But in a book this short, having one of our MCs going to the full blown "I'd sell my soul for you" levels right out of the gate while the other is not nearly as affected just makes the relationship seem sad. If Izzy had been just as crazy in lust with him, it would have been unbelievable, but at least it would have been balanced.

Anyway, they meet and Izzy gives some lackluster description of her stalker's actions. The most concerning of which was when he sent her a DM of a picture taken INSIDE HER CONDO. He'd laid out one of her outfits and said the quote above about how he'd love to see her "where" it. And that's when she'd decided to cut and run. Another heroine might have, you know, CALLED THE FUCKING POLICE since there was apparently a stalker in her house at that very moment, but not Izzy. She just grabbed her purse and tore off to her home town. Apparently blowing off an interview with a major magazine in the process (Izzy is a famous singer).

Moving on, Jake has his coworkers look into things while he takes Izzy home. The very first time he leaves her alone, with strict instructions not to leave, she immediately takes off. Because she's an idiot. Seriously, she was alone for about 5 minutes before she dubbed herself "stir crazy" and left. And she didn't even, like, try to disguise herself or anything. Lord save me from idiotic heroines.

She goes to her old high school and her old music teacher just happens to be there. Here she finds out that the music department is being cut due to budget constraints. She vows to hold a charity concert to raise money to keep it open. Which is nice and all, but she acts like she'd going to do it, like, tomorrow or something? Like, later on she's arguing with Jake about how she is GOING to do that event, despite the threat of her stalker. But this just doesn't ring true. It takes time to plan and organize an event like that. Time to advertise it so you get the highest turnout. And we've already been told that she can only stay in town for a two weeks, tops, or she'll drop out of the public's consciousness and fade into obscurity. Also, this concert never happens in the course of the story, so it was much ado about nothing.

All this little excursion does, aside from proving that Izzy is TSTL, is send Jake off the deep end. He was so petrified when he realized Izzy had left the house alone and the stalker could have gotten to her that, when he gets her back to the house, he just confesses his feelings and they immediately proceed to having sex. He did worry for about half a second that he was breaking the bro code by sleeping with his buddy's sister, but he was way too far gone on Izzy for that to ever stop him.

Afterward, Izzy gets another DM showing a picture of her at the school so they know the stalker had, in fact, followed her to town and could have grabbed her while she was on her little excursion. Then Jake's coworkers work some tech magic and figure out who the stalker is, and where he's staying. Jake and his colleagues suit up and go threaten the guy, saying if he ever stalks Izzy again, the authorities will never find his body.

This apparently fixes everything and Jake goes back to the house, where Izzy's brother had been babysitting her because they can't trust her not to be TSTL. Here the brother figures out they're sleeping together and is all "what the hell, man?" for a few seconds before he just gets over it and leaves. Then Jake and Izzy have sex one last time. HEA.

All in all, it was a disappointing book for me. Everything was too rushed and too insubstantial. Jake and Izzy had only known each other for 2 days and, while the sex was good, they didn't really know each other at all. So, I don't believe their HEA. Especially not when Izzy was acting like Jake was just a passing fling throughout the whole book. There was also no discussion of how their relationship could possibly work when he's got a job here in her home town and she's got a very busy public life elsewhere.

And the villain was just completely lame and toothless. We never get an explanation of how he got into her condo. Or who he was. Like, Jake and his team had said the stalker had to be someone with insider information on Izzy's schedule for him to be so consistently at all the places she was. But that doesn't turn out to be the case? He's just some obsessed fan?

And Izzy never really behaved as if she was afraid of this guy. Yes, she went back to her home town after he sent the photo from her condo, but she walks around as if she's got all the confidence in the world throughout the book. She's not looking over her shoulder, or searching the faces of passersby wondering if one of them is her stalker. She doesn't tone down her look or wear dark sunglasses to try to avoid being recognized, etc. This is a small town, after all, and she's the local who hit it big. People would definitely take notice of her.

And the way Jake "handled" the stalker was bullshit too. By not involving the police, all Jake has done is let this guy walk away with the knowledge that Izzy's got a crazy and violent boyfriend. To an obsessed fan, that's the kind of situation he'd feel he needed to "save" her from. Or he'd just be jealous that some other man was sleeping with the object of his obsession. Either way, what would happen in reality is that this guy would keep stalking her, only be more discrete about it. The only reason Izzy even knew he was stalking her to begin with was because he kept sending her pictures of it through her DMs. So, he'd probably stop doing that, but keep watching her and waiting for an opportunity to grab her when Jake wasn't around. Then he'd head out to some pre-prepared place to do what crazed stalkers like to do when they finally get their hands on the object of their obsession.

If Jake had actually called the fucking police, this guy would have been arrested for stalking and maybe served some jail time. But here in fiction world we're supposed to believe that a guy who is so nuts that he actually broke into her house just to play with her clothes when she wasn't around, is also sane enough to heed Jake's warning and just leave her alone forever. Sure. I totally believe that...

Just overall kind of a letdown. No one behaved like a real person throughout the story. The plot was full of holes and unanswered questions. The resolution was unsatisfying. Maybe if it had been written as a full length book these issues would have been resolved, but we'll never know.

[Chandra Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the first moment Jake sees Izzy, he’s done for—and you feel it. But instead of diving into a predictable "forbidden romance," Lana Love gives us something more layered. Jake isn't just some over-the-top alpha throwing punches and claiming the girl—he’s torn between loyalty to his best friend and the very real pull he feels toward a woman who’s been through more than she lets on.

And Izzy? She’s not your typical damsel hiding from danger. She’s smart, guarded, and fiercely independent, even when the world feels like it’s crashing in around her. She wants safety, yes, but she also wants to live, to feel normal again. And Jake’s protective instincts? They’re both a comfort and a complication.

Their chemistry is undeniable—you feel it in every sidelong glance, every moment Jake holds back just a little too long, every time Izzy tries not to notice how he looks at her like she hung the moon. But it’s not just about attraction. It’s about the way they see each other. She sees through his gruff edges to the heart beneath, and he sees the strength in her even when she’s afraid.

The turning point? When Izzy does something risky—something that terrifies Jake enough to finally break through the wall he's built between them. That confession? It had my heart in a vise. You can feel Jake’s desperation—not just to keep her safe, but to finally stop pretending he doesn’t love her.

And just when they finally let themselves have each other, life swoops in and reminds them: the danger isn’t over. This part of the book had my stomach in knots, because they’re so close to happiness, and you can feel how much they need it. But what I loved most was how Jake didn’t try to go it alone—he called in his crew, and they shut it down for good.

Of course, the real challenge comes after the danger’s gone—telling Izzy’s brother (yikes) and figuring out how to make a long-distance thing work. But by then, it’s clear: they’re all in. They've walked through fear, fought for their safety, and earned the shot at forever.

[Korkoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Risking it All for Love -
Jake was totally dumbfounded by Izzy’s beauty the moment he laid eyes on her, but finding out she was his best friend’s younger sister who he would be helping deal with a problem, made him curb his attraction. Izzy was only looking for a place to lay low whilst she found a way to deal with her problem, but she wasn’t prepared for the level of protection being received, as she still wanted to maintain a semblance of normality.

Jake on the other hand was trying to balance his immense attraction for Izzy with keeping his best friend’s sister’s safe, but he finally confessed his feelings after she did something that really scared him. Unfortunately, not long after Jake and Izzy finally gave in to their attraction for each other, they had to put a hold on their happiness, the issue they were trying to deal with reoccurred. Jake sought help from his work colleagues at the protection agency and they made sure the problem went away permanently.

However, Jake and Izzy still had to deal with problems of telling her brother and the fact that they lived far away from each other. Luckily, Jake and Izzy were able navigate all the obstacles in their path and get a chance at having the future happiness they deserved. I really enjoyed reading this fantastic, fast paced story with tension, drama, action and lots of passion. This is a definite must read book, that I am happy to recommend.

I received a free review copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rosanne Medill · Rating 5 out of 5]

You want excitement, danger, and super hot passion? Then you really need to get this ebook written by this outstanding author. Izzy is a singer who's career popularity is rising when she starts having a stalker. She goes to her brother and he gets a friend of his Jake to watch over her. When Jake sees Izzy he's totally mesmerized by her knowing who she is and who her brother is. Izzy feels a sense of familiarity with Jake and an undeniable connection that just crackles whenever they're together. But when danger is near will Jake realize how deep his feelings for Izzy really are and what makes it worth it to be together? Can Izzy keep on with her career or will she have to make a choice between singing and building a future with Jake? Will danger get close to Izzy and what happens when her brother finds out about her and Jake? I highly recommend you get this exciting danger filled fiery hot 5⭐️hit to find out the answers to the questions. You will love it. I certainly did.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Angi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 1 of Ghost Security starts off this new series with just the right amount of world building so you get a feel for the characters. Book 1 is about Jake protecting his friend’s little sister, Izzy, from an aggressive stalker. As you’re introduced to the team and what their talents are, Jake and Izzy take their relationship beyond a professional level. These characters are well written, you have a clear view what the next books will be about and you get to enjoy Jake and Izzy’s story. This was a really great book and I’m really looking forward to the rest of the series and learning all about the other guys and their assignments.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Izzy's trying to play down the threat, but her brother, Hayden, sees it and gets best friend Jake to protect her until the situation is dealt with. She's trying to break out as a singer and just had her big chance. Now is NOT convenient. I enjoyed getting to be present for their "heart to heart" talks when the defenses were low. The chemistry between them sings, but safety takes center stage... except when it doesn't. The ability to not accept the extent of a threat is our mind's means of protecting our sanity, and Izzy's been doing it a while. My heart rate even jacked when she pulls some of her stuff! Poor Jake! Love did a great job pulling readers into the emotions of this story.

I voluntarily reviewed a gift copy of this book. Happy Reading Y'all 📚

[Curvy Girl Book Nerd (Jen S) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Izzy and Jake

PROTECTED BY THE RANGER Book 1 of The Men of Ghost Security series. It's a short and steamy, instalove, OTT, age-gap, opposites-attract, curvy girl gets her brother's best friend protector romance. Izzy is a sweet and curvy singer. She is the little sister of Hayden. Jake is a hunky ex-ranger turned private security. He is also Hayden's best friend. When Izzy ends up with a stalker, she comes home. Hayden is still recovering in the VA hospital so he asks Jake to protect her. Jake is drawn to curvy beauty. Can he keep her safe? The chemistry between these two was explosive and the ending was so happy after the danger. I loved it.

[Melissa Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in The Men of Ghost Security series. Jake is ex military who now works security. When his friend asks him to protect his little sister Izzy from a stalker he has an instant attraction to her. I loved Jake and how protective he was which Izzy didn't make easy. I always enjoy ex military stories and really liked all the guys in the book except of course the stalker. Good start to the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jake is visiting his best friend when he asks him to lookout for his sister, she has a stalker. Jake sees a woman and has a instant attraction, not knowing that is his best friend's sister, the woman he is supposed protect.

The chemistry between them is over the top, Jake tries to hold back but Izzy does not make it easy. Can they figure this out between before her brother gets wind of it? Looking forward to the next in the series.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amanda Marlowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jake was a Ranger, he's been invalided out, now he's with Ghost Security, Hayden is one of his team mates, also invalided out. His sister, Izzy, is now a singer but she's rushed home because she has a stalker. Hayden asks Jake to provide protection for her, this is proving difficult as Jake is very attracted to her.
Izzy is attracted to Jake, she doesn't seem to realise how serious her situation is.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Another great short story from Lana.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jake is ex-military and now works at Ghost Security. When one of his teammates asks him to protect his little sister, Izzy, from a stalker, things take some steamy turns. Izzy and Jake are instantly attracted to each other in this instalove, bodyguard romance with a stalker twist. The writing is good, the characters are well done, and the story has danger, suspense, steam, and a great ending. Protected by the Ranger is book one and a great start to The Men of Ghost Security series. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

[Marichus Real · Rating 4 out of 5]

Izzy is a singer with a stalker who is escalating every day that passes.
Jake’s best friend asks him to protect her sister. At first, he was a little upset because he was supposed to be on holiday, but when he learns what the stalker has already done, his need to protect Izzy grows stronger.
I enjoyed reading this book. I love the characters and how their relationship shifts from professional to personal.
Although the story is short, it is well-written.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

The attraction between these two was instant and I liked that Jake was honest with how he felt about Izzy, I will admit that I wanted to shake her a time or two. I liked Izzy's passion for music and that she didn't forget those that had helped her. I enjoyed seeing how Ghost Security interacted and worked together and I liked getting to know the different characters in this.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[QueenMum1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A dangerous level of testosterone and type A personalities."
Jake is best friends with Hayden.
Izzy is an aspiring singer just getting recognition.
Tropes:
Curvy woman, bodyguard, military veteran small town, brother's best friend, protective alpha hero, stalker, forced proximity, HEA romance.

A special thank you to Lana Love and Booksprout for providing me with an eARC book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Iva Krazalkovičová · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohh new series...love them..and tihis one si great...love books about ex military..they are so hot..and posessive...
She has a stalker..serious one..and her brother is in army..so he ask his ex buddy to protect her...
and he will do it..thinking it will be easy..till he sees her in person...and his whole word shifts...

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lucy Chesna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 1 of The Men of Ghost Security
The series starts with Jake protecting his friend’s little sister, Izzy, from an aggressive stalker. Things become harder for these two when attraction becomes more. He finds a way to help her from her stalker, be with her and let his friend know he wants his sister. A great story with suspense, drama and love. You will love it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading Protected by the ranger by Lana Love. It was supposed to be just a favor for an old friend, watch his sister and protect her from her stalker who’s determined to get to her. When he meets her it’s all over he can’t fight the instant attraction he feels for her and the more time he spends with her the harder he falls but first he has to find the psycho who’s after her.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick insta love read with drama and suspense. Izzy is his best friends sister and needs protection from a stalker. When he sees her he is instantly attracted. Now question is does he act on it or just protect her and move on? I enjoyed their story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cynthia Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 1 of The Men of Ghost Security story of Izzy and Jake. That was incredible the drama and suspense had me turning the pages faster, when these two team up in passion they are fire. I can’t wait for the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeannette Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always love a bodyguard romance add insta love and I am sold. This was a quick read following Izzy and Jake and it was a great story. This is a novella so everything moved fast but didn’t feel too rushed to the overall flow of the story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[UnrulyReadr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short, fast pace little to no drama read. The danger was over with before it begin , in an anticlimax paragraph. If you need a quick read, while at the doctors, waiting for a ride or just to kill a little time. This book is for you.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Carlyn Zanidean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book to start off a new series. Izzy was at her whits end needing to get away and figure out what she should do next about her Stalker.
Back at her hometown she finds herself under the protection and watch of Jake, her brothers best friend.
Feelings , chemistry and a connection are instant. She has never felt so safe with someone and knows Jake is the perfect man to help her.

[Jenia Tortora · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Izzy is in danger she runs home to her brother. Unfortunately he’s still recovering from injury and asks his friend Jake to help him keep her safe. It’s a fast paced story with instant attraction and connections that change a favor to love and an HEA that’s perfect.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.e

[Grinning Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

MMC/FMC- Jake and Izzy
Heat- open door, explicit
Series? Y
Safety? Y
Triggers- Stalker, violence, burning breakfast
Tropes- Instalove, Brother’s Best Friend, Rockstar, Former Military, The Lone Ranger, Security Specialist
What I thought- this is a decent protector romance. I feel pretty neutral about it: I wasn’t riveted or excited by it, but it was a pleasant read and well-written.

[Didi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting start this new series featuring Jake and Izzy. Jake is asked to watch over his friend’s little sister because of a stalker. I enjoyed this Instalove that had a bit of mystery, hot alpha security men, danger, humor, THYD vibes, sweetness and hot steamy passion. Fun read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mistie Best · Rating 5 out of 5]

Izzy has a stalker so her brother hires his best friend, Jake to protect her. Jake knows he's in trouble the second he sees her! This was such a sweet story. Loved it and can't wait for more from the Ghost team!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Val · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stalker brings Izzy home, with her brother still recovering in hospital, it is his best friend who takes over her protection.
Jake takes that protection seriously as he falls harder for Izzy.
Izzy learns that protection isn’t control, it’s love.
They chose each other and find their peace.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

A favor for a fellow soldier, will change everything for Jake. Liked the immediate attraction as things just got complicated, when it’s your closest buddy’s little sister. Loved the protective nature and warmth in caring about not just her life, but the importance of her career.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[LA FITCH · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Ghost Security story is great. Jake agrees to protect a friend's sister who has a stalker. The story has instant attraction, mystery stalker, brother's best friend, who could ask for more?.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Debbie Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. I liked how Jake falls for Izzy and his feelings are returned. I really like how Jake and the company he works for take care of her stalker. It was really good what Izzy did for the school music program.