Protective Instincts

The Precinct: Brotherhood of the Badge #1

by Julie Miller

Two people who share a past—and a determination to protect one little boy—find themselves facing off with a killer!

Kansas City has no better guardian than Sawyer Kincaid. The decorated police officer has a family legacy to uphold and a reputation that none could rival. Until one distress call ignites the most personal case of his career. He’d saved Melissa Teague’s life once—long before she had a son. The boy would be safe with Sawyer, but she isn’t so sure how she could bear his presence again. A man that powerful— however gentle—scared her, no matter how right Sawyer fit. But this time her protector would not walk away, not with his family’s lives on the line. This is his sworn duty.

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, Suspense, Harlequin, Police, Mystery

Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

USA TODAY Bestselling author Julie Miller writes breathtaking romantic suspense. She's won a National Readers Choice Award and two Daphne du Maurier Awards among other prizes. She was also honored to receive a Career Achievement Award from RT BookReviews and has been a finalist for many national and international awards. Her books have appeared on the USA Today, Publisher's Weekly, Amazon and BookScan Top 100 Romances bestseller lists.

Writing about Kansas City cops, Julie has crafted bestselling, award-winning books for Harlequin Intrigue. In addition, Ms. Miller publishes romantic suspense books with a military twist. Millions of copies of her books have been sold in print and digital formats around the world.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. There are two stories going on in this book. It starts with the murder of Sawyer's father, by a currently unknown assailant. He had worked with John Kincaid in the military and appears to have something he needs covered up. The other story is that of a jailbreak involving Melissa's ex-husband, an abusive man who wants Melissa back. Sawyer had met Melissa when he was doing undercover work and had been attracted to her then. He felt guilty because he had been unable to prevent an attack on her by her then husband. When he finds out about the escape, he jumps in to act as her protector. I liked both Sawyer and Melissa. Sawyer is a big guy who can be very gentle or very intimidating. His desire to protect Melissa goes deeper than just his job. He is intent on doing whatever is necessary to keep Melissa and her son safe. It bothers him that she is so skittish around him, but he understands the reasons. I loved the way he bonded with her son and had a lot of fun watching him play with the boy. I liked the way that his family got involved with them also. Sawyer was not happy with the FBI agent who was in charge of the manhunt and the way that he was handling the search. There were some great parts with Sawyer vs. Holt and the way that Sawyer would come out on top. I liked the way that Sawyer's feelings for Melissa came back so quickly and how wonderfully gentle he was with her. Melissa was great too. She was determined that she would never be dependent on a man again after the way she had been so deceived by her ex. She has learned to be strong and independent, but she tends to refuse help when she really should take it. She knows she is attracted to Sawyer, but doesn't trust herself. She is also wary of his size and temper before she realizes that he is nothing like her ex. I liked the way she worked to save herself at the end when she was taken by her ex, and how it helped Sawyer take him down. The mystery about Sawyer's dad's death was intertwined with the escaped cons, and we're left waiting to read the next book in the series to find out more.

[Apoorva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe I'm being over-zealous. Maybe this book deserves 4 stars too, like the rest of the books in the Precinct series. But for right now, I'm giving it a 5 solely based on the fact that Sawyer Kincaid may be one of the best men in fiction. Any man who is kind and understanding and respects women and knows his limits and understands the meaning of consent is a true fucking man who deserves these 5 stars.
Also, let's hear a fuck yeah for his patience? FUCK YEAH.

[Misty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

I just finished reading this book and it was awesome from beginning to end! The characters are interesting and the dynamic between them was captivating!

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Ti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story line and great hero. Writing is a bit choppy - suspect it is editing though. Sex scenes are way tame and don't measure up to the heroine's trauma.

[Paula Legate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good book. It is part of a series, but I read it as a standalone.

[Hannah Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can differently say that I am a BIG Fan of "Julie Miller" I love her books so much and enjoy them without a doubt!
I am 3 chapters away from finishing this book, I do now believe I've figured out who the bad guy "Boss" is I think it is "Mr. Bill Caldwell" I think he is the one who had "John Kincaid" Killed and is the one who is now telling "Ace Longbow" What to do. I just love reading Julie's books!

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another hit

Once again, Julie Miller nailed it. This has the right amount of Romance, action and hot alpha cop. I loved Sawyer's story. Get this book today. I truly love all this authors books. You will to. I highly recommend this book and series.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julie Miller and her "The Precinct" series is starting to become one of my favorite authors and series in the Harlequin books.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little on the short side, but I enjoyed it. I'm a sucker for single moms, their sweet kids, and alpha males. And for as much as I like the Taylor clan, the Kincaids ain't too bad either.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

First read July 2014.
Reread.