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First in Line #5
Beyond Protection: MM Christmas Romantic Suspense
Cormac "Mac" McCabe made history as Major League Baseball's first openly gay MVP. Now he just wants a quiet Thanksgiving with his cousins in Seattle—a chance to escape the spotlight and heal from a bruising breakup.
But when a stalker's obsession disrupts the family’s Thanksgiving dinner, Mac's cousin, Michael, hires Eamon Price, a bodyguard haunted by a past failure that cost a client her life.
Eamon's job is keep Mac safe. What he doesn't expect is Seattle's Christmas magic—or Mac himself. Between holiday lights, family dinners, and stolen moments on a Christmas ship cruise, professional lines blur into something neither man planned for.
When the stalker strikes a week before Christmas, Eamon must face his demons and Mac must fight for the man who's been protecting him all along.
Swoony Christmas romantic suspense where danger meets magic, and love means learning to be brave together.
But when a stalker's obsession disrupts the family’s Thanksgiving dinner, Mac's cousin, Michael, hires Eamon Price, a bodyguard haunted by a past failure that cost a client her life.
Eamon's job is keep Mac safe. What he doesn't expect is Seattle's Christmas magic—or Mac himself. Between holiday lights, family dinners, and stolen moments on a Christmas ship cruise, professional lines blur into something neither man planned for.
When the stalker strikes a week before Christmas, Eamon must face his demons and Mac must fight for the man who's been protecting him all along.
Swoony Christmas romantic suspense where danger meets magic, and love means learning to be brave together.
- GenresM M Romance
318 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 19, 2025
15 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
November 20, 2025
Movie-worthy story with action, intrigue, and love; a must-read action romantic story
Beautifully written, with fast-paced action and a genuine threat against an outspoken professional and out baseball player, Declan Rhodes has created a page-turner that is mysterious, threatening, and intriguing.
Winning the Most Valuable Player designation, Cormac "Mac" McCabe attracts significant attention for his baseball play, and even greater attention when he comes out as the first openly gay MVP. Some of this attention is from a stalker whose language echoing museum conservation and invasive intrusion into his personal space prompts his family to call for help. In this series profiling the McCabe family and their lovers, it is Michael who hires Eamon Price, whose work as a bodyguard has been profoundly impacted by a failure that resulted in a client's death. For Michael McCabe, this mistake has strengthened Eamon's resolve to act correctly and to be discerning in his choice of cases.
The threat against Mac is considered severe, and Eamon develops a close bond with Mac, learning about his public attention following his coming out, as well as privately about a bruising breakup.
The predator, who sends text messages indicating Mac's deterioration involving his family, becomes a concern when Eamon assumes the role of protector. Eamon's growing affection for Mac is recognized as dangerous. Ultimately, they uncover the identity of the stalker, who at one point, enters his aunt's home where he is staying when others are absent. She owns a cabin in the woods she plans to take Mac to, in hopes of helping him recover from his current life.
Mr. Rhodes' writing effectively conveys the fear experienced by Eamon and Mac due to the stalker's persistent surveillance of them and the McCabe family, as well as her meticulous planning for Mac's recovery. The plot, which could be adapted for film, progresses well, is logically constructed, and sustains suspense about what may occur next. A scene at the renowned Seattle fish market is almost cinematic, capturing the organized chaos of the market and the suspense of the stalker's next move.
Some mysteries resolve rapidly after a buildup, sometimes diminishing the impact. However, this story leaves many questions unanswered, fostering a healthy respect for the author's adept writing that portrays genuine growth in some characters and a blossoming romance between two men who truly need each other.
While I am saddened that the McCabe series, "First in Line," will be concluding, our characters will continue to be part of a new series titled "The Guardians."
Beautifully written, with fast-paced action and a genuine threat against an outspoken professional and out baseball player, Declan Rhodes has created a page-turner that is mysterious, threatening, and intriguing.
Winning the Most Valuable Player designation, Cormac "Mac" McCabe attracts significant attention for his baseball play, and even greater attention when he comes out as the first openly gay MVP. Some of this attention is from a stalker whose language echoing museum conservation and invasive intrusion into his personal space prompts his family to call for help. In this series profiling the McCabe family and their lovers, it is Michael who hires Eamon Price, whose work as a bodyguard has been profoundly impacted by a failure that resulted in a client's death. For Michael McCabe, this mistake has strengthened Eamon's resolve to act correctly and to be discerning in his choice of cases.
The threat against Mac is considered severe, and Eamon develops a close bond with Mac, learning about his public attention following his coming out, as well as privately about a bruising breakup.
The predator, who sends text messages indicating Mac's deterioration involving his family, becomes a concern when Eamon assumes the role of protector. Eamon's growing affection for Mac is recognized as dangerous. Ultimately, they uncover the identity of the stalker, who at one point, enters his aunt's home where he is staying when others are absent. She owns a cabin in the woods she plans to take Mac to, in hopes of helping him recover from his current life.
Mr. Rhodes' writing effectively conveys the fear experienced by Eamon and Mac due to the stalker's persistent surveillance of them and the McCabe family, as well as her meticulous planning for Mac's recovery. The plot, which could be adapted for film, progresses well, is logically constructed, and sustains suspense about what may occur next. A scene at the renowned Seattle fish market is almost cinematic, capturing the organized chaos of the market and the suspense of the stalker's next move.
Some mysteries resolve rapidly after a buildup, sometimes diminishing the impact. However, this story leaves many questions unanswered, fostering a healthy respect for the author's adept writing that portrays genuine growth in some characters and a blossoming romance between two men who truly need each other.
While I am saddened that the McCabe series, "First in Line," will be concluding, our characters will continue to be part of a new series titled "The Guardians."
November 22, 2025
Cormac “Mac” McCabe, Major League Baseball’s first openly gay MVP, seeks refuge with family in Seattle after heartbreak. His quiet Thanksgiving is shattered by a stalker, prompting his cousin to hire Eamon Price, a bodyguard burdened by past tragedy. As Eamon protects Mac, holiday lights, family warmth, and a Christmas ship cruise spark unexpected intimacy. But when danger escalates just before Christmas, both men must confront fear and vulnerability—discovering that love and courage are inseparable.
I loved this story where love, trust, and holiday magic transformed fear into courage and protection into intimacy. I loved the way that found family and belonging were shown via Mac’s cousins, and the warmth of family gatherings emphasises the theme of chosen and biological family as safe havens. I also liked that even though Eamon was initially an outsider, he found belonging through trust and intimacy, reinforcing the idea that love creates new forms of family. The mystery of the stalker and the way that was woven into the story was great for the danger and drama, which ramped up as the story progressed, drawing the two men closer together. The emotions and feelings were big and easy to feel and understand. This was an MM story with mature content.
I loved this story where love, trust, and holiday magic transformed fear into courage and protection into intimacy. I loved the way that found family and belonging were shown via Mac’s cousins, and the warmth of family gatherings emphasises the theme of chosen and biological family as safe havens. I also liked that even though Eamon was initially an outsider, he found belonging through trust and intimacy, reinforcing the idea that love creates new forms of family. The mystery of the stalker and the way that was woven into the story was great for the danger and drama, which ramped up as the story progressed, drawing the two men closer together. The emotions and feelings were big and easy to feel and understand. This was an MM story with mature content.
November 22, 2025
This story built on the tension, almost from the beginning, which works really well when one of the main characters has a stalker. It starts out as just creepy texts, but gets more concerning as the story progresses. Mac and Eamon are both a little bit broken, but they also both see each other. It made their interactions interesting and it was lovely watching them both show each other their real selves. This is listed as book 5 in a series (and I'm guessing each of the cousins got one of the four prior books), but it read quite well as a stand alone story. A good choice if you're looking for something Christmas themed, but a bit darker than a lot of the fluffy Christmas romances out there.
***I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.***
***I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.***
November 20, 2025
ARC review
I have read a few of the books in this series and they are all brilliant. I'm in love with the whole McCabe family. It's still one of my favourite series and the author is also among my favourites.
Mac is the cousin, but he did grow up with the four brothers. So when Thanksgiving comes around he'll come home like the rest of them. This year is different because of a stalker who is progressing and following his every move. That's when Eamon Price make his entrance, hired to protect Mac from the danger.
Both men are struggling with experiences from the past, but together they learn to let go and trust in each other. There is a deeply felt love growing between them, a love that is worth risking everything for. In the McCabe family you don't just gain a romantic partner, but an entire family that will protect and love you with all they got.
I have read a few of the books in this series and they are all brilliant. I'm in love with the whole McCabe family. It's still one of my favourite series and the author is also among my favourites.
Mac is the cousin, but he did grow up with the four brothers. So when Thanksgiving comes around he'll come home like the rest of them. This year is different because of a stalker who is progressing and following his every move. That's when Eamon Price make his entrance, hired to protect Mac from the danger.
Both men are struggling with experiences from the past, but together they learn to let go and trust in each other. There is a deeply felt love growing between them, a love that is worth risking everything for. In the McCabe family you don't just gain a romantic partner, but an entire family that will protect and love you with all they got.
November 23, 2025
I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved the two MCs, Mac and Eamon. The storyline revolves around a person who stalks Mac. Eamon is hired by Mac's cousin, Michael, as a bodyguard. Eventually, feelings start to develop between Mac and Eamon, but Eamon tries to steer clear of them.
I felt the story dragged out too much, and as all authors do, the villain, Venessa Kensington, gets away with a slap on the wrist. If it were me, she should've been sent to prison in solitary confinement—no contact whatsoever with anyone, no privileges at all.
I felt the story dragged out too much, and as all authors do, the villain, Venessa Kensington, gets away with a slap on the wrist. If it were me, she should've been sent to prison in solitary confinement—no contact whatsoever with anyone, no privileges at all.
December 22, 2025
I wasn't impressed which is sad because I really liked the other books in the series.
They didn't shut the fucking curtains until 67%!! YOU HAVE A FUCKING STALKER!! She sent several messages and PHOTOS telling them she was watching them. Yet, these fucking morons(SORRY NOT SORRY) were always standing or looking out the windows...even Mac the guy they were supposed to be protecting. They knew she was parked out there because her car was mentioned several times. Then suddenly at 67% it is a problem?
They were reactive and not proactive and it pissed me off.
The 2 stars are for the encounter with stalker lady and the ending.
I know this shit seems nit picky but it is frustrating to put time into reading a book for it to turn into a dud.
Im going to rewind a little. In the 1st chapter Mac got a stalker message. Michael notices something is wrong and they chat about it. Eamon is called in to become Mac's bodyguard.
When he arrives he notices the stalkers car parked on the street.
There is a bunch of talking and more messages show up. The protection begins. There is an attraction between MCs, finger touch sparks....
They decided the best way to protect him is to stay at Ma's house. The threats keep coming and they don't do shit about it.
Mac gets stir crazy and they head to a private gym to workout....She shows up and sends a photo and a message....The book it home.
Then next day Mac is again stir crazy and they hit a coffee shop. She shows up and adds a baseball ornament to a tree...They flee to a farmer market to hide in plain slight. Of course she follows and physically bumps into him...he thinks nothing about it until she sends a message and photo....OH NO...🙄
They again flee but this time back to Ma's..
They sit at Ma's a couple more days....
Eventually Ma reminds them of their Christmas boat cruise and demands everyone goes because it is tradition. Stalker girls somehow hears their plans and sends a text telling them she would be there.....They go knowing she is going and instead of actively looking for her the MCs have a heart felt moment and kiss. One the stalker witnesses. They see her and attempt to get her. She vanishes but again sents a text and photo. Somehow escaping when the boat docks.
Can they get anymore incompetent?
There were several contradictions with in the story.
****They installed cameras and motion detectors twice in the same house... Did they forget they were already installed or did they add more? It was written like they were installing them for the first time both times. I know for a fact they had motion detectors installed because a possum tripped it during their first kiss page 142/3.
Eamon complained about old locks chapters after the new locks were installed.
27% page 86 ....cameras were installed....
Eamon's POV
"The new deadbolt made a different sound from the old one—the precise sound of metal catching metal, meaning it would hold. I tested it twice, then checked the camera feeds on my laptop: the front porch, side yard, and the back alley. Nothing moved except the neighbor's cat"
57% page 182 POV
Eamons POV
"The storm door squeaked. Just the wind. But it reminded me—three access points, old locks, vulnerabilities everywhere."
At 65% page 207
Eamon's POV Installing cameras again.....
"Hey." I kept my voice low. "You doing okay?" He didn't turn.
"How many motion sensors?" "Twelve exterior. Six more going in."
"Cameras?" "Four. Covering all approaches." He nodded. His fingers tapped against his thigh—one, two, three, four, repeat.
***Eamon is having trouble staying professional so he drives 3 hrs to Michael's for some clarity. He calls Marcus to watch Mac. He arrived at Michael's around 1247am.
***How is the stalker in 2 places at once?
Page 116
Eamons POV
"So I'd called Marcus. Made sure he came armed, protecting his boyhood home."
Michael's house after 1am. Luna the dog growls...
Eamons POV
" I crouched. Swept the flashlight along the ground. Three more prints. Leading from the tree line to the fence, then back again. Someone had stood there. Watching the house. Long enough to shift their weight multiple times. The prints pointed toward the kitchen windows. Toward where we'd been sitting." ..............
***later that morning.....no specific time given.
Michael emerged, face troubled. He handed me the phone. "Marcus needs to talk to you. About Ma's house." I stepped into the living room. "Marcus." "Eamon." His voice came through tired but steady. "Someone tried Ma's back door last night around 3 AM. The handle rattled twice. By the time I got there, whoever it was had left."
Eamon immediately heads out but has to stop due to rain. He gets a text
" My phone lit up—unknown number.
"Lovely evening for reflection, Eamon. The rain does make people contemplative. I've been contemplative too—about timelines, about proximity, about the way you look at him like you could protect him from me. You can't. Three weeks is now two."
I put the truck in gear. Rain and darkness. And a stalker who knew my name."
Mac's POV
"Someone had tried Ma's door at 3 AM, rattling the handle. They tested the lock. And Eamon had been two hours away."............
****So how was she watching him at the truck stop and rattling a door knob at Ma's place...Plus the foot prints at Michael's. Around 1am.
There is a 3 hour drive between places.
*****Same conversation different results pages apart with no inner thoughts to the contrary***
Eamon's POV. Page 282
"Christmas Eve. Just under a week from now." He(Mac) settled back in the chair, reaching out for my hand. "If you behave."
Six days until I could leave this room. Seven until Christmas with a family that had claimed me without giving me a choice.
I wanted to be claimed.
"I'm okay with that," I said. Mac's hand tightened on mine.
Page 285
The doctor stopped by for evening rounds, checked the shoulder, and asked about pain levels. "You're healing well. If this continues, we'll discharge you on Christmas Eve. We'll send you home with pain management instructions and PT instructions, and you'll have a follow-up in a week. Sound good?"
"Yeah."
"Christmas Eve," Mac said. "Ma's already planning. Christmas dinner. The whole family. She wants—we want you there."
My throat felt tight. "I don't know—"
"I know it's a lot. I know we're overwhelming. But—" He paused and then dropped into a quieter tone. "They decided. No vote allowed."
They didn't shut the fucking curtains until 67%!! YOU HAVE A FUCKING STALKER!! She sent several messages and PHOTOS telling them she was watching them. Yet, these fucking morons(SORRY NOT SORRY) were always standing or looking out the windows...even Mac the guy they were supposed to be protecting. They knew she was parked out there because her car was mentioned several times. Then suddenly at 67% it is a problem?
They were reactive and not proactive and it pissed me off.
The 2 stars are for the encounter with stalker lady and the ending.
I know this shit seems nit picky but it is frustrating to put time into reading a book for it to turn into a dud.
Im going to rewind a little. In the 1st chapter Mac got a stalker message. Michael notices something is wrong and they chat about it. Eamon is called in to become Mac's bodyguard.
When he arrives he notices the stalkers car parked on the street.
There is a bunch of talking and more messages show up. The protection begins. There is an attraction between MCs, finger touch sparks....
They decided the best way to protect him is to stay at Ma's house. The threats keep coming and they don't do shit about it.
Mac gets stir crazy and they head to a private gym to workout....She shows up and sends a photo and a message....The book it home.
Then next day Mac is again stir crazy and they hit a coffee shop. She shows up and adds a baseball ornament to a tree...They flee to a farmer market to hide in plain slight. Of course she follows and physically bumps into him...he thinks nothing about it until she sends a message and photo....OH NO...🙄
They again flee but this time back to Ma's..
They sit at Ma's a couple more days....
Eventually Ma reminds them of their Christmas boat cruise and demands everyone goes because it is tradition. Stalker girls somehow hears their plans and sends a text telling them she would be there.....They go knowing she is going and instead of actively looking for her the MCs have a heart felt moment and kiss. One the stalker witnesses. They see her and attempt to get her. She vanishes but again sents a text and photo. Somehow escaping when the boat docks.
Can they get anymore incompetent?
There were several contradictions with in the story.
****They installed cameras and motion detectors twice in the same house... Did they forget they were already installed or did they add more? It was written like they were installing them for the first time both times. I know for a fact they had motion detectors installed because a possum tripped it during their first kiss page 142/3.
Eamon complained about old locks chapters after the new locks were installed.
27% page 86 ....cameras were installed....
Eamon's POV
"The new deadbolt made a different sound from the old one—the precise sound of metal catching metal, meaning it would hold. I tested it twice, then checked the camera feeds on my laptop: the front porch, side yard, and the back alley. Nothing moved except the neighbor's cat"
57% page 182 POV
Eamons POV
"The storm door squeaked. Just the wind. But it reminded me—three access points, old locks, vulnerabilities everywhere."
At 65% page 207
Eamon's POV Installing cameras again.....
"Hey." I kept my voice low. "You doing okay?" He didn't turn.
"How many motion sensors?" "Twelve exterior. Six more going in."
"Cameras?" "Four. Covering all approaches." He nodded. His fingers tapped against his thigh—one, two, three, four, repeat.
***Eamon is having trouble staying professional so he drives 3 hrs to Michael's for some clarity. He calls Marcus to watch Mac. He arrived at Michael's around 1247am.
***How is the stalker in 2 places at once?
Page 116
Eamons POV
"So I'd called Marcus. Made sure he came armed, protecting his boyhood home."
Michael's house after 1am. Luna the dog growls...
Eamons POV
" I crouched. Swept the flashlight along the ground. Three more prints. Leading from the tree line to the fence, then back again. Someone had stood there. Watching the house. Long enough to shift their weight multiple times. The prints pointed toward the kitchen windows. Toward where we'd been sitting." ..............
***later that morning.....no specific time given.
Michael emerged, face troubled. He handed me the phone. "Marcus needs to talk to you. About Ma's house." I stepped into the living room. "Marcus." "Eamon." His voice came through tired but steady. "Someone tried Ma's back door last night around 3 AM. The handle rattled twice. By the time I got there, whoever it was had left."
Eamon immediately heads out but has to stop due to rain. He gets a text
" My phone lit up—unknown number.
"Lovely evening for reflection, Eamon. The rain does make people contemplative. I've been contemplative too—about timelines, about proximity, about the way you look at him like you could protect him from me. You can't. Three weeks is now two."
I put the truck in gear. Rain and darkness. And a stalker who knew my name."
Mac's POV
"Someone had tried Ma's door at 3 AM, rattling the handle. They tested the lock. And Eamon had been two hours away."............
****So how was she watching him at the truck stop and rattling a door knob at Ma's place...Plus the foot prints at Michael's. Around 1am.
There is a 3 hour drive between places.
*****Same conversation different results pages apart with no inner thoughts to the contrary***
Eamon's POV. Page 282
"Christmas Eve. Just under a week from now." He(Mac) settled back in the chair, reaching out for my hand. "If you behave."
Six days until I could leave this room. Seven until Christmas with a family that had claimed me without giving me a choice.
I wanted to be claimed.
"I'm okay with that," I said. Mac's hand tightened on mine.
Page 285
The doctor stopped by for evening rounds, checked the shoulder, and asked about pain levels. "You're healing well. If this continues, we'll discharge you on Christmas Eve. We'll send you home with pain management instructions and PT instructions, and you'll have a follow-up in a week. Sound good?"
"Yeah."
"Christmas Eve," Mac said. "Ma's already planning. Christmas dinner. The whole family. She wants—we want you there."
My throat felt tight. "I don't know—"
"I know it's a lot. I know we're overwhelming. But—" He paused and then dropped into a quieter tone. "They decided. No vote allowed."
December 5, 2025
This is a perfect conclusion to the First in Line series about the McCabe family men and the ways they protect others. In this case, Mac McCabe is a cousin of the four men featured in the previous books in the series. A gay baseball MVP, he is home for the holidays when he learns he has a stalker, one planning for an “extraction” before Christmas. Alarmed, Mac’s cousin Michael hires Eamon Price as a bodyguard whose one job is to keep Mac safe. Eamon is very capable, but haunted by the death of a client three years ago. Because of that, he is very focused on his job, abrupt and almost cold, until he’s not, as an attraction develops between Mac and Eamon, complicating the assignment. Trying to track down the stalker or disrupt her plans is the focus of the last half of the book, as they work to outwit her surveillance and elaborate plans, making for some nail-biting events set in Seattle in the days leading up to Christmas. The story is full of suspense, a deranged (to my mind) stalker, a close-knit family that rallies around each other in times of crisis, a found family for Eamon, an escalating threat with inherent danger, and an eventual HEA for Mac and Eamon (it is a romance after all).
I didn’t feel like the reason for the stalker to pick Mac as her victim was really explained, I thought many of her texts were really creepy — filled with words and phrases to make my skin crawl, all designed to frighten Mac even more, her planning was so detailed and meticulous, it really surprised me, and her skills in getting close to Mac without detection were impressive, in a very creepy way. As a stalker, she was a master at it. Luckily, Eamon and Mac’s family, along with the police, were able to thwart her plans.
Living near Seattle, I found the world building for the city and the time of year feeling to be on point, I could identify with the Christmas boat cruise, the decorations around town, even the roads and traffic during the snowstorm. Place names, such as the Pike Place Market, brought vivid pictures to mind of times I had visited over the years, especially during the holiday season.
The other place I really connected with the story was the family gatherings over the holidays with the whole family as a tradition, reminding me of growing up and celebrations of Christmases long ago, the feeling of family, togetherness, belonging, and home that the memories represent to me. Those picture were in my mind as I read about this close-knit family and the love they shared, picturing the large family meals, the decorations, and the preparations for Christmas, even while dealing with the threats, creating that touchstone to hold them together in times of stress and danger.
The book held my interest from page one to the end, keeping me engaged and thinking the whole time, identifying with the characters and the feelings of vulnerability Mac faced, the protection and caring from all in the extended family, and everyone coming together when needed to support whichever family member needed it at a given time. I was also rooting for Mac and Eamon to explore the attraction between them, one that seemed to fulfill a need and purpose for both. The action was fast paced, and there was a sense of realism about it, like it could happen in much the way portrayed, with character reactions being realistic and relatable. I’m looking forward to the first book of the spinoff series from this one, and hopefully a reappearance of some of the McCabes from this one.
If you’re looking for a good, suspenseful, family-oriented read, I could definitely recommend the entire First in Line series. All are great reads with memorable characters, interesting plots, and HEA for all.
I received an ARC from the author and this is my voluntary review.
I didn’t feel like the reason for the stalker to pick Mac as her victim was really explained, I thought many of her texts were really creepy — filled with words and phrases to make my skin crawl, all designed to frighten Mac even more, her planning was so detailed and meticulous, it really surprised me, and her skills in getting close to Mac without detection were impressive, in a very creepy way. As a stalker, she was a master at it. Luckily, Eamon and Mac’s family, along with the police, were able to thwart her plans.
Living near Seattle, I found the world building for the city and the time of year feeling to be on point, I could identify with the Christmas boat cruise, the decorations around town, even the roads and traffic during the snowstorm. Place names, such as the Pike Place Market, brought vivid pictures to mind of times I had visited over the years, especially during the holiday season.
The other place I really connected with the story was the family gatherings over the holidays with the whole family as a tradition, reminding me of growing up and celebrations of Christmases long ago, the feeling of family, togetherness, belonging, and home that the memories represent to me. Those picture were in my mind as I read about this close-knit family and the love they shared, picturing the large family meals, the decorations, and the preparations for Christmas, even while dealing with the threats, creating that touchstone to hold them together in times of stress and danger.
The book held my interest from page one to the end, keeping me engaged and thinking the whole time, identifying with the characters and the feelings of vulnerability Mac faced, the protection and caring from all in the extended family, and everyone coming together when needed to support whichever family member needed it at a given time. I was also rooting for Mac and Eamon to explore the attraction between them, one that seemed to fulfill a need and purpose for both. The action was fast paced, and there was a sense of realism about it, like it could happen in much the way portrayed, with character reactions being realistic and relatable. I’m looking forward to the first book of the spinoff series from this one, and hopefully a reappearance of some of the McCabes from this one.
If you’re looking for a good, suspenseful, family-oriented read, I could definitely recommend the entire First in Line series. All are great reads with memorable characters, interesting plots, and HEA for all.
I received an ARC from the author and this is my voluntary review.
December 5, 2025
Mac and Eamon . . .
Major League Baseball's MVP, Cormac McCabe ("Mac"), decided to join his cousins for Thanksgiving where he was always made to feel welcomed. Before he entered the house, his phone buzzed and he stood in the rain to read the odd message from an unknown caller telling him she (as later identified to be Vanessa Kensington) had been watching him and providing unsolicited advice about his "condition"! Was this a prank? Then Michael called out for him to come in and stop standing in the rain. Marcus asked how he was, and this time Mac's automatic cover-up lies wouldn't come... and they all noticed and then returned to eating. It had been a rough season for him with 162 games and playoffs and he was exhausted. Then his phone buzzed again and another odd and disturbing message appeared... and once again, the family noticed. A third call came in, and he hurried to the bathroom. Someone was actually close enough physically to describe the color of his current clothing! But when he stepped out into the hall, Michael was waiting and wanted the truth.
Michael noted the professional clinical tone of the messages Mac showed him on the phone and knew how serious this was. Then he sent Mac back to eat while he contacted someone who could provide professional protection from the dangerous stalker. Eamon Price would arrive there by midnight. As soon as dinner was over, Mac's mother Claire led Mac to the kitchen and demanded the whole truth. He brought her up-to-date: someone has been following him for 18 months, taking pictures, documenting, sending messages about how he is deteriorating and needs an intervention. And whoever it is, that stalker is here tonight... right outside. But help was on the way and Mac's family was here for him. The final message from his stalker buzzed: "You smiled for the cameras 14 times this week. Performance requires energy you don't have. When I extract you, you'll never have to perform again."
The author's intricate descriptions gave the reader an accurate feeling of the surroundings and emotional climate, complete with nervous shivers! The writing was awesome and put the reader right in the pages of his book. When the stalker's attack comes, can Eamon put his past failure ending in a client's death behind him? Can he save Mac as the two of them are falling for each other? Will there finally be a HEA for them? Or will the crazy stalker destroy all hope?
Major League Baseball's MVP, Cormac McCabe ("Mac"), decided to join his cousins for Thanksgiving where he was always made to feel welcomed. Before he entered the house, his phone buzzed and he stood in the rain to read the odd message from an unknown caller telling him she (as later identified to be Vanessa Kensington) had been watching him and providing unsolicited advice about his "condition"! Was this a prank? Then Michael called out for him to come in and stop standing in the rain. Marcus asked how he was, and this time Mac's automatic cover-up lies wouldn't come... and they all noticed and then returned to eating. It had been a rough season for him with 162 games and playoffs and he was exhausted. Then his phone buzzed again and another odd and disturbing message appeared... and once again, the family noticed. A third call came in, and he hurried to the bathroom. Someone was actually close enough physically to describe the color of his current clothing! But when he stepped out into the hall, Michael was waiting and wanted the truth.
Michael noted the professional clinical tone of the messages Mac showed him on the phone and knew how serious this was. Then he sent Mac back to eat while he contacted someone who could provide professional protection from the dangerous stalker. Eamon Price would arrive there by midnight. As soon as dinner was over, Mac's mother Claire led Mac to the kitchen and demanded the whole truth. He brought her up-to-date: someone has been following him for 18 months, taking pictures, documenting, sending messages about how he is deteriorating and needs an intervention. And whoever it is, that stalker is here tonight... right outside. But help was on the way and Mac's family was here for him. The final message from his stalker buzzed: "You smiled for the cameras 14 times this week. Performance requires energy you don't have. When I extract you, you'll never have to perform again."
The author's intricate descriptions gave the reader an accurate feeling of the surroundings and emotional climate, complete with nervous shivers! The writing was awesome and put the reader right in the pages of his book. When the stalker's attack comes, can Eamon put his past failure ending in a client's death behind him? Can he save Mac as the two of them are falling for each other? Will there finally be a HEA for them? Or will the crazy stalker destroy all hope?
November 27, 2025
In a story where protectee and protetor lines are blurred, a psychotic stalker is on the loose and family means everything, there is love, compassion and wonder to be found. Declan Rhodes once more delivers a book which blurs lines, hooks the reader and seems to know a worrying amount about methods of preservation!
Mac has made history. When he came out as gay, he was Major League Baseball's first openly gay MVP. It's been exhausting. Playing, fielding demands from his agent, all of it. Now he wants to enjoy Thanksgiving with his family, his mother, aunt, cousins and their other halfs. But it is going to turn from a dream into a nightmare with one text message.
Mac has a stalker, one who knows where he is and how to reach him. One who apparently also has plans for him. His cousin calls in a protector, a bodyguard. Eamon is good at what he does but haunted by a failure. He refuses to make the same mistake again. He will protect Mac and keep him safe.
The family welcome him in. Ma insists on feeding him. They give him a room, space, people to talk to and they introduce him to Mac. There is a spark, an instant one and as Thanksgiving passes, Christmas plans begin, the threat escalates. Mac refuses to be hidden away, Eamon refuses to lose another client. They venture out, the lines between professional and personal blur, the stalker gets eerily closer. When the stalker strikes they are prepared but Eamon must take that extra step to fight his demons.
A romantic thriller with a hauntingly predatory stalker. All is resolved but the ending left me a little empty to be honest. A great story, fantastic levels of detail and would be even better with an HEA that is a little more uplifting.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Mac has made history. When he came out as gay, he was Major League Baseball's first openly gay MVP. It's been exhausting. Playing, fielding demands from his agent, all of it. Now he wants to enjoy Thanksgiving with his family, his mother, aunt, cousins and their other halfs. But it is going to turn from a dream into a nightmare with one text message.
Mac has a stalker, one who knows where he is and how to reach him. One who apparently also has plans for him. His cousin calls in a protector, a bodyguard. Eamon is good at what he does but haunted by a failure. He refuses to make the same mistake again. He will protect Mac and keep him safe.
The family welcome him in. Ma insists on feeding him. They give him a room, space, people to talk to and they introduce him to Mac. There is a spark, an instant one and as Thanksgiving passes, Christmas plans begin, the threat escalates. Mac refuses to be hidden away, Eamon refuses to lose another client. They venture out, the lines between professional and personal blur, the stalker gets eerily closer. When the stalker strikes they are prepared but Eamon must take that extra step to fight his demons.
A romantic thriller with a hauntingly predatory stalker. All is resolved but the ending left me a little empty to be honest. A great story, fantastic levels of detail and would be even better with an HEA that is a little more uplifting.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 19, 2025
Just...wow. I was totally expecting this entry in the series to be good (all the others have been), but I was not expecting it to be so emotional. This time the MC is a McCabe cousin, Mac. An openly gay professional baseball player and also last season's MVP. He's spent his life, since losing his dad at a young age, performing. Mac tightly controls what he lets other people see - quick with a self deprecating joke, charming, perfect. But it's all just hiding the real person and real feelings beneath the mask. He thinks he has to be perfect to deserve and receive love. For the last 18 months Mac has been dealing with a serious stalker who sends him oddly clinical but terrifying text messages and pictures. He goes to his cousins for help, enter the whole McCabe clan. They hire Eamon to serve as personal bodyguard to Mac while they try to solve the situation. Eamon is haunted by his failure 3 years ago to keep his principle safe. Her death has caused him to build thick walls around himself so he's never distracted from his mission again. These two wounded men are instantly attracted to one another and there is no stopping it, even if it is a terrible idea on the surface. I absolutely adored the slow build up then subsequent explosion of these 2 coming together. Eamon having to teach Mac that love is not transactional, and Mac having to coax Eamon into letting himself love again. The previous books were full of action and love, but none had the emotional depth that this one did. I was choked up through many parts of it when you could really feel how hard they were working toward each other. There is still plenty of heart pounding action, but the feelings make it so much better. Totally recommend it.
December 6, 2025
********** Contains Spoilers**********
I really enjoyed this book and I thought that it was a good conclusion to the First in Line Series. I think that it’s cool how Declan includes Playlists at the start of each book, not sure if it’s every book but definitely from this series. I went to Spotify and listened to it while reading Eamon and Mac’s story. Yes, I listen to music while I read from my Kindle as for some weird reason it makes me concentrate a lot more on the words in the book.
This book is about Mac, the younger cousin of the Mason, Michael, Matthew & Miles who’s the first out Major League Baseball first openly gay MVP and Eamon, a bodyguard that Mac’s cousin Michael hires to protect Mac after their family thanksgiving was disrupted by a stalker’s obsession with Mac.
Even though I liked this book, for some reason it didn’t hit as hard for me as the previous four books in this amazing series and I can’t really pin point why that is. Still a really enjoyable book and well worth the read. I just love the McCabe family and seeing them all work together when danger is circling.
I especially liked how the McCabe’s basically adopted Eamon after seeing how well he protects Mac, how he allows Mac to let his guard down and be himself which shows that Mac means something to him, well they mean something to each other.
I’ve pre-ordered the first book in the new spin-off The Guardian Series, First Watch which I’m really looking forward to reading when it’s released, as well as more books from Declan Rhodes in the future. I’d recommend this book, series and author to others.
I really enjoyed this book and I thought that it was a good conclusion to the First in Line Series. I think that it’s cool how Declan includes Playlists at the start of each book, not sure if it’s every book but definitely from this series. I went to Spotify and listened to it while reading Eamon and Mac’s story. Yes, I listen to music while I read from my Kindle as for some weird reason it makes me concentrate a lot more on the words in the book.
This book is about Mac, the younger cousin of the Mason, Michael, Matthew & Miles who’s the first out Major League Baseball first openly gay MVP and Eamon, a bodyguard that Mac’s cousin Michael hires to protect Mac after their family thanksgiving was disrupted by a stalker’s obsession with Mac.
Even though I liked this book, for some reason it didn’t hit as hard for me as the previous four books in this amazing series and I can’t really pin point why that is. Still a really enjoyable book and well worth the read. I just love the McCabe family and seeing them all work together when danger is circling.
I especially liked how the McCabe’s basically adopted Eamon after seeing how well he protects Mac, how he allows Mac to let his guard down and be himself which shows that Mac means something to him, well they mean something to each other.
I’ve pre-ordered the first book in the new spin-off The Guardian Series, First Watch which I’m really looking forward to reading when it’s released, as well as more books from Declan Rhodes in the future. I’d recommend this book, series and author to others.
November 19, 2025
6 pages in, I’m in love with Cormac, 10 pages in, I’m in love with the whole McCabe family, 23 pages in, I’m terrified and want the book to end so Cormac can be safe and live his HEA. And Michael… I loved seeing Cormac through his eyes, it’s such a unique and beautiful perspective. Realistic and almost clinical, but it’s an underlying layer of love that colors it slightly without smudging the truth. The love that holds that family together and keeps it from breaking (I’m paraphrasing here), how Eamon learns to let go and have someone care for him, and truly care for someone in return, protect him out of choice, not duty, protect his everything because he loves him, it’s a truly beautiful journey. I’ve read many of Declan Rhodes’ books, and loved them all, but this one I felt deeper, it felt more raw, more pointed, more emotionally charged. It showed imperfect people, in horrible situations, doing the best they can. It shows them going through the fire, and coming out better, like Claire says: “you both survived the kiln”. And we see that journey, we see their time in the kiln, their pain, their heartache, and their desire to be more, to win against all odds, to stay together, to be strong alone and stronger with each other. I loved how the author portrayed the bad times, the anger, the fear, the uncertainty, because it helps them be better, it makes them more human, more relatable, and it gives me hope that maybe I can survive the kiln as well. This book is truly “Beyond Protection”, it’s a beautiful story, an amazing journey, and I love how the bad isn’t glossed over and the good overemphasized, it’s shown as it is, real, raw, and very true to life. I loved it. And I’m very thankful for the ARC, and this is my voluntary review.
December 4, 2025
ABSOLUTELY READ WORTHY!💕🏺⚾️🔫
I have not read the other three cousins Markus, Michael and Miles’s books so this can be read as a stand-alone.
“Perfection is the outward expression of inner discipline,”
The plot-line was very engaging and suspenseful regarding an unstable stalker who watched and documented the first gay MVP baseball player Mac McCabe’s life for 18 months with escalating concerns and this is where Michael asks one of his contacts Eamon Price to help guard and protect his cousin…
“The repair doesn't erase the damage—it transforms it into something new. Something that remembers what it survived."
The character growth was very strong in both broken characters and showcased their healing beautifully!
The McCabe family was loud, messy, interfering and everything Eamon never knew he needed- an extended family for life!
Mac’s Japanese mother Claire Akiyama McCabe was very insightful and supportive regarding his happiness and also learned something important in her emotional growth.
Ma McCabe was a real Irish mother- warm, loving, supportive and fed her brood like a mother hen!
This was a story about two men who were broken at first like pottery pieces and put back together with a special glue that showcased their visible seams where the light shined through!
I look forward to the spin off series and more of the McCabe brothers and their cousin!
I voluntarily received an ARC from the author for an honest non biased review.
I have not read the other three cousins Markus, Michael and Miles’s books so this can be read as a stand-alone.
“Perfection is the outward expression of inner discipline,”
The plot-line was very engaging and suspenseful regarding an unstable stalker who watched and documented the first gay MVP baseball player Mac McCabe’s life for 18 months with escalating concerns and this is where Michael asks one of his contacts Eamon Price to help guard and protect his cousin…
“The repair doesn't erase the damage—it transforms it into something new. Something that remembers what it survived."
The character growth was very strong in both broken characters and showcased their healing beautifully!
The McCabe family was loud, messy, interfering and everything Eamon never knew he needed- an extended family for life!
Mac’s Japanese mother Claire Akiyama McCabe was very insightful and supportive regarding his happiness and also learned something important in her emotional growth.
Ma McCabe was a real Irish mother- warm, loving, supportive and fed her brood like a mother hen!
This was a story about two men who were broken at first like pottery pieces and put back together with a special glue that showcased their visible seams where the light shined through!
I look forward to the spin off series and more of the McCabe brothers and their cousin!
I voluntarily received an ARC from the author for an honest non biased review.
November 18, 2025
I received a free copy. This review is submitted voluntarily.
I have been reading the author’s books for a long time, and he is among my favourite authors. This series has been different from his previous work in that he has masterfully introduced the suspense element. I could not put this book down, nor previous ones in the series. He successfully inserts that edge of the seat tension right from the start and continues to build it right to the end. Cormac McCabe, a star baseball and the first gay MVP, is being stalked by someone who is looking at him clinically. His cousin, Michael, hires Eamon Price to protect him. Both are broken in different ways, and each contributes to healing the other. The main characters are flawed but are also sympathetic for the reader. The dual first-person POV gives a lot of insight into their thinking. The characters we met I the previous books in the series (Ma, the four brothers and their partners) are there throughout the story and make major contributions to the plot. Mac’s mother Claire is equally important to story development. The plot itself is straightforward but, as mentioned above, the suspense just builds and builds right to the end.
As always, I highly recommend this installment in the series, though I think they should really be read in order.
I have been reading the author’s books for a long time, and he is among my favourite authors. This series has been different from his previous work in that he has masterfully introduced the suspense element. I could not put this book down, nor previous ones in the series. He successfully inserts that edge of the seat tension right from the start and continues to build it right to the end. Cormac McCabe, a star baseball and the first gay MVP, is being stalked by someone who is looking at him clinically. His cousin, Michael, hires Eamon Price to protect him. Both are broken in different ways, and each contributes to healing the other. The main characters are flawed but are also sympathetic for the reader. The dual first-person POV gives a lot of insight into their thinking. The characters we met I the previous books in the series (Ma, the four brothers and their partners) are there throughout the story and make major contributions to the plot. Mac’s mother Claire is equally important to story development. The plot itself is straightforward but, as mentioned above, the suspense just builds and builds right to the end.
As always, I highly recommend this installment in the series, though I think they should really be read in order.
November 19, 2025
A brilliant blend of Christmas warmth, simmering romance, and edge-of-your-seat suspense. Mac who is baseball’s first openly gay MVP just wants a quiet holiday after a painful breakup, but from the first unsettling moment at Thanksgiving dinner, it’s clear the danger tracking him isn’t going anywhere. Enter Eamon, a bodyguard still haunted by past mistakes, whose steady strength and vulnerability make him the perfect, if unexpected, partner for Mac.
Their chemistry is beautifully balanced: tender, cautious, and deeply felt, with the soft glow of Seattle’s festive season wrapping around their growing connection. From cosy family dinners to the magical Christmas-ship cruise, the story gives them space to build trust even as the threat closing in tightens the tension with every chapter. The suspense is wonderfully paced—tight, immersive, and always driving the romance forward rather than overshadowing it.
It’s also lovely seeing the wider cast return; the family bonds add warmth and depth, while Mac’s relationship with his mother stands out as particularly moving. By the time the stalker strikes, I was fully invested, heart in my throat, cheering both men on as they faced their fears together.
A gripping, emotional, and genuinely festive romantic suspense—I absolutely recommend it.
I received a free ARC copy and this is my honest review.
Their chemistry is beautifully balanced: tender, cautious, and deeply felt, with the soft glow of Seattle’s festive season wrapping around their growing connection. From cosy family dinners to the magical Christmas-ship cruise, the story gives them space to build trust even as the threat closing in tightens the tension with every chapter. The suspense is wonderfully paced—tight, immersive, and always driving the romance forward rather than overshadowing it.
It’s also lovely seeing the wider cast return; the family bonds add warmth and depth, while Mac’s relationship with his mother stands out as particularly moving. By the time the stalker strikes, I was fully invested, heart in my throat, cheering both men on as they faced their fears together.
A gripping, emotional, and genuinely festive romantic suspense—I absolutely recommend it.
I received a free ARC copy and this is my honest review.
December 4, 2025
This is the fifth book in the First In Line series. While the overall family is linked through the series, each book features a different couple. This is the story of Cormac “Mac” McCabe and Eamon Price. Mac is the Major League Baseball's first openly gay MVP. His life is always on display. So he hides the real him deep inside to keep himself safe. Recovering from a difficult breakup, Mac seeks the solace of his family. He heads home to Seattle for Thanksgiving with the McCabe clan. When his stalker escalates at Thanksgiving, his cousin hires Eamon as a bodyguard to keep Mac safe. Eamon is still trying to get over losing his client three years earlier when he was protecting her. This is their story. The book is well written and easy to read. I loved how the suspense starts early and continues to steadily increase throughout the book. Both men are similar in that they are both closed off to love. The cost of loving is too high so they build up walls. Thankfully the chemistry between the two of them helps to slowly erode those same wall. I really enjoyed this book. I have enjoyed the entire series so it is worth going back and picking up any books that you might have missed.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 20, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another banger! This is the final installment in the First in Line series and it was just as good as the others!
This is the first and only story where MMC1 is not a McCabe brother but instead a cousin and he is also never introduced in any of the other books.
This book takes place during the winter holiday season, starting off on Thanksgiving and rounding out at Christmas. Cormac “Mac” McCabe is the first openly gay professional baseball player and the media is all over him. When in Seattle visiting the family he discovers he has a stalker and it feels dangerous. The brothers decide to bring in a bodyguard to ensure Mac’s safety and here we meet Eamon Price.
Mac is tired of feeling like he always has to perform for the cameras and doesn’t remember who he was before he started. Eamon struggles with trusting people after losing a client and doesn’t remember what it is like to work with a team. They help one another remember!
Since this takes place around the holidays we do have some obligatory Christmas shenanigans but I think overall it can be read any of the time of year since the overall stalker and romance plot overrides any holiday aspects.
Another great story and it perfectly sets us up for Rhodes new series that will be based on the security firm that Eamon and Mac open at the end of this book!!
Another banger! This is the final installment in the First in Line series and it was just as good as the others!
This is the first and only story where MMC1 is not a McCabe brother but instead a cousin and he is also never introduced in any of the other books.
This book takes place during the winter holiday season, starting off on Thanksgiving and rounding out at Christmas. Cormac “Mac” McCabe is the first openly gay professional baseball player and the media is all over him. When in Seattle visiting the family he discovers he has a stalker and it feels dangerous. The brothers decide to bring in a bodyguard to ensure Mac’s safety and here we meet Eamon Price.
Mac is tired of feeling like he always has to perform for the cameras and doesn’t remember who he was before he started. Eamon struggles with trusting people after losing a client and doesn’t remember what it is like to work with a team. They help one another remember!
Since this takes place around the holidays we do have some obligatory Christmas shenanigans but I think overall it can be read any of the time of year since the overall stalker and romance plot overrides any holiday aspects.
Another great story and it perfectly sets us up for Rhodes new series that will be based on the security firm that Eamon and Mac open at the end of this book!!
November 23, 2025
This book is the 5th in a series of the McCabe family, after the four brothers we now have their cousin Mac, a professional baseball player.
Mac is at the edge of burnout and on top of all, he just acquired a stalker, a stalker with very precise plan for him and enough to push all four McCabe siblings into action.
To keep him safe, he now has a bodyguard, Eamon, a man who doesn't trust others and also not himself fully after he lost a client three years ago.
The instant attraction to Mac is not helping, he is hot and cold, he needs control but also craves the conntection.
Both men have plenty of baggage, Mac grew up trying to be perfect after he lost his father and with not being able to be himself and acknowledge that perfection is not required, he feels drifting.
Eamon can't accept that the death is not his fault, that he is human first and part of that means perfection is not always possible.
I enjoyed the story, the suspense and stalker story was well done but I found sometimes it wasn't possible to follow why they knew where Mac was and how they got so close.
And while Eamon struggled with his attraction and not focusing, some scenes felt a bit too easy.
I will miss the McCabes.
Mac is at the edge of burnout and on top of all, he just acquired a stalker, a stalker with very precise plan for him and enough to push all four McCabe siblings into action.
To keep him safe, he now has a bodyguard, Eamon, a man who doesn't trust others and also not himself fully after he lost a client three years ago.
The instant attraction to Mac is not helping, he is hot and cold, he needs control but also craves the conntection.
Both men have plenty of baggage, Mac grew up trying to be perfect after he lost his father and with not being able to be himself and acknowledge that perfection is not required, he feels drifting.
Eamon can't accept that the death is not his fault, that he is human first and part of that means perfection is not always possible.
I enjoyed the story, the suspense and stalker story was well done but I found sometimes it wasn't possible to follow why they knew where Mac was and how they got so close.
And while Eamon struggled with his attraction and not focusing, some scenes felt a bit too easy.
I will miss the McCabes.
December 1, 2025
The McCabes are back and I am thrilled. Just when we thought our time with our favorite first responder family was over Declan Rhodes brings us a holiday novel featuring McCabe cousin Cormac “Mac” McCabe. Unlike his older cousins, Mac is not a first responder. He is a professional baseball player. He is the first openly gay MVP professional baseball player and the stress of the sport and the spotlight are starting to wear on Mac. He heads home to Seattle to spend a quiet Thanksgiving with his family. Unfortunately, he has a stalker who is open about their plans to kidnap Mac.
While the McCabes pull together to protect Mac, they also bring in professional body guard Eamon Price. He is the ultimate protector but he observes life, he does not live it. While the danger is closing in around them, Mac and Eamon grow closer to each other.
This is a great body guard romance with an interesting story. I have enjoyed every book in this series and they have such unique storylines. I love a strong, supportive family in a story and the McCabes are the best. It was wonderful to read how all of the members of the family worked together to support Mac in their own unique way.
I enjoy Declan Rhodes’ books and I am looking forward to reading his new Guardians series.
While the McCabes pull together to protect Mac, they also bring in professional body guard Eamon Price. He is the ultimate protector but he observes life, he does not live it. While the danger is closing in around them, Mac and Eamon grow closer to each other.
This is a great body guard romance with an interesting story. I have enjoyed every book in this series and they have such unique storylines. I love a strong, supportive family in a story and the McCabes are the best. It was wonderful to read how all of the members of the family worked together to support Mac in their own unique way.
I enjoy Declan Rhodes’ books and I am looking forward to reading his new Guardians series.
December 2, 2025
Mac McCabe, a cousin to the four McCabe brothers, has been invited to spend Thanksgiving at the family home. Mac may be baseball’s current MVP and openly gay, but family time is just what he needs after a relationship goes bad. Staying in a guest room a Ma McCabe’s house, he finds it impossible to hide when he receives a very disturbing text message from a potential stalker.
As the messages keep coming, Michael hires a bodyguard that he knows well to help Cormac deal with it. Eamon drives straight up through the night to get there and settles in the house. The stalker escalates and sends photos taken through the windows, jiggling the back door handle and scaring everyone.
Eamon is suffering under a load of guilt for three years because he lost a client, betrayed by a close associate. He has only worked solo since, but the four McCabe brothers are not going to let that happen this time. Four brothers and their spouses make a team, working together with Eamon to save their cousin.
This is book five in the First in Line series. It is also the lead in to Declan Rhodes spin off series The Guardians. Romantic suspense at it’s finest, with an HEA. I love this whole series and look forward to the next one
As the messages keep coming, Michael hires a bodyguard that he knows well to help Cormac deal with it. Eamon drives straight up through the night to get there and settles in the house. The stalker escalates and sends photos taken through the windows, jiggling the back door handle and scaring everyone.
Eamon is suffering under a load of guilt for three years because he lost a client, betrayed by a close associate. He has only worked solo since, but the four McCabe brothers are not going to let that happen this time. Four brothers and their spouses make a team, working together with Eamon to save their cousin.
This is book five in the First in Line series. It is also the lead in to Declan Rhodes spin off series The Guardians. Romantic suspense at it’s finest, with an HEA. I love this whole series and look forward to the next one
December 24, 2025
Mac is getting messages from an unknown number that he is being watched and needed to get more rest before he breaks. Showed Micheal his cousin who hired Eamon as Mac’s bodyguard the messages tell him that the stalker is very close to him because of what was sent to him. Mac is told that the person has been watching him for at least 18 months and the stalker was going to extract him from where he is. Eamon sees a car around the neighborhood but can’t get close, Mac is being sent pictures of what he is doing at that moment. Then he is told that Eamon was going to be removed just before his extraction. Went to get coffee saw a woman at a laptop then they were leaving he sees an ornament with his baseball number on it, she bumps into Mac and puts a tracker on him. She had on a grey coat and is on their Christmas cruise but too many grey coats, Alex found who she is and the police found all of the evidence she has been collecting. The police went to the place she had ready for Mac but no show because she got in the house he is at with a gun but she gets arrested after Eamon gets shot. Mac retires and Eamon made peace with his past then they start a guardian security.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 6, 2026
'Or maybe— for the first time in longer than I could remember— I felt seen in a way that didn't require me to perform. Seen in a way that wasn't about me at all.
Seen by someone who wasn't looking.'
I loved this book. It was an exciting and suspenseful holiday romance that hooked me from the start and actually made me anxious. Great world building and wonderful characters. I loved both Eamon and Mac. Mac receiving messages from his stalker and knowing he was being watched even from his mom's house amongst his family where he should have felt safe was very unnerving and quickly set the seriousness of the situation. I liked that he recognized he wasn't safe and needed help rather than deny it as happens to some victims in romances with a stalker antagonist. I liked Eamon's mindset- alert, observative, cataloging, and precise. He failing to protect someone one- the two seconds of second guessing cost her her life and now he has walls up. Not wanting anyone to rely on him only to see him fail.
I loved the bodyguard/client dynamic and the way their relationship developed- and grew into something neither could have expected- amid an escalating stalker. Mysterious and nail-biting and had me paranoid. I couldn't put it down. 5 stars
Seen by someone who wasn't looking.'
I loved this book. It was an exciting and suspenseful holiday romance that hooked me from the start and actually made me anxious. Great world building and wonderful characters. I loved both Eamon and Mac. Mac receiving messages from his stalker and knowing he was being watched even from his mom's house amongst his family where he should have felt safe was very unnerving and quickly set the seriousness of the situation. I liked that he recognized he wasn't safe and needed help rather than deny it as happens to some victims in romances with a stalker antagonist. I liked Eamon's mindset- alert, observative, cataloging, and precise. He failing to protect someone one- the two seconds of second guessing cost her her life and now he has walls up. Not wanting anyone to rely on him only to see him fail.
I loved the bodyguard/client dynamic and the way their relationship developed- and grew into something neither could have expected- amid an escalating stalker. Mysterious and nail-biting and had me paranoid. I couldn't put it down. 5 stars
December 6, 2025
I LOVE Declan Rhodes writing style... I will say it again and again and again! AND I love the McCabes! Ma is my favorite of all of them.
This one may be my favorite of this series! The action in this story line starts right away, pulling the reader right in. We first meet Mac, a tired public figure for the MLB, trying to reset himself and find some downtime with his family. Only, downtime is not what he gets...he gets a stalker AND he gets a bodyguard who ends up being the love of his life. Eamon is quiet, introspective, and healing from his past failures. He is hesitant to let Mac in, but Mac is determined to call Eamon his. Their love blooms in between threats to their safety and quiet moments at Ma's house. This was a well won slow burn. I loved that all of the McCabes were involved in the story line, giving the reader a glimpse of their happy endings. I suspect this may be the end of this series and I applaud the author, I fell in love with these characters and his writing at the same time. I look forward to future stories with Declan.
This one may be my favorite of this series! The action in this story line starts right away, pulling the reader right in. We first meet Mac, a tired public figure for the MLB, trying to reset himself and find some downtime with his family. Only, downtime is not what he gets...he gets a stalker AND he gets a bodyguard who ends up being the love of his life. Eamon is quiet, introspective, and healing from his past failures. He is hesitant to let Mac in, but Mac is determined to call Eamon his. Their love blooms in between threats to their safety and quiet moments at Ma's house. This was a well won slow burn. I loved that all of the McCabes were involved in the story line, giving the reader a glimpse of their happy endings. I suspect this may be the end of this series and I applaud the author, I fell in love with these characters and his writing at the same time. I look forward to future stories with Declan.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2025
Ma, her sons and their husbands are back plus their cousin Mac, his mother, and his security guard. Be ready to learn how to not live for others but for yourself with some spice thrown in to add another twist. You’ll also learn a way to take control a panic attack. And on top of that, this is a great thriller novel. How do two similar personalities break though their self-imposed barriers to not only learn who they really are but also to allow the other to see past each other’s boundaries? The stalker is relentless and Rhodes is masterful how he creates the many freakish twists and turns of this psychopath. Tragic pasts, compartmentalizations, denials of self, ethnic precisions, exhaustion from façades and reciprocations. “Sometimes imperfection is the point.” “The repair doesn’t erase the damage – it transforms it into something new. Something that remembers what it survived.” Rhodes hits this one out of the ballpark. The ending will make faithful readers excited. Enjoy!
November 20, 2025
Like everything written by this author (okay I will admit one of favorites) this book wss perfection. The characters, the plot and the supporting characters made for an outstanding story. It blends perfectly romance with suspense. Like every book by this author, I read it in one sitting and hated when it ended. Mac, the former openly gay MLB player, has retired to live the simple life but a stalker is making the not possible. Enter Eamon who is hired to protect Mac. I love that both men have issues to come and both have more walls than Jericho when it comes to love, believing in love, and believe they are worthy of love. When I finished this book, I realized I was emotionally exhausted (in a good way) as sat on the edge of my seat the entire time reading it as I was so afraid they would not find HEA or Mac would be harmed. I loved watching both men trust in themselves and each other to find their HEA.
November 27, 2025
If you’re expecting a Christmas book, I would say it’s more of a Thanksgiving book however the holiday is in the background and not the focus. This book doesn’t need it because this story is so well written. I loved how the McCabe family, who just expected a rowdy, loving holiday dinner turns into a dangerous situation surrounding Mac. Not only is he struggling with his the direction of his life, but trying to deal with someone stalker. The family pulls together to support him even when it got dangerous. Enter Eamon, the bodyguard hired to protect, dealing with his own demons. Together the face the past and in the present, they try to stop Mac’s stalker. Not only was this book suspenseful but emotional. The plot flows easy and the book ends in a twist I never saw coming. I couldn’t wait to get to the end but didn’t want it to end as it developed so well. This book is definitely a must read.
December 27, 2025
This is another Great Book to Read!!. This is the fifth book in the First in Line Series. Cormac McCabe is a Base Ball Player, he is the first openly gay MVP player. He has been playing for ten years, it is now the off season and he is home for Thanksgiving with his family in Seattle. Mac is being stalked and has received several text messages since he arrived at the house he is staying at for Thanksgiving with family. Mac's cousin Michael is calling in someone who can protect Mac. Eaman Price works alone at protecting someone from now on. Three years ago a job went bad and someone was lost and it has taken a tole on him. Will Eamon be able to keep Mac safe from the stalker???? Will Mac let Eamon in past the mask he has up for the public???? What will happen when they are out in public with the family at Christmas time???/.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 20, 2025
Declan has surpasssed his other books with this one!
The mystery is fantastic...if you like to read yours on the edge of your seat and your hands curled into fists...nails creating crescents in your palms.
The romance is embedded along with several exchanges of this close knit family.
A stalker, is 'creepily' letting an MVP baseball third baseman, that he is in their sights.
His cousin hires a bodyguard to protect him.
With a large family around him, including his parents, along with their partners you'd think with their ties to law enforcement and the backing from several in their small community the stalker would easily be caught...
You'd be wrong.
I found myself racing through while at the same time not wanting it to end.
I recommend this book!
I hope Declan continues to add to his mystery bookshelf!
Thanks to the author and bookfunnel for this fantastic arc.
The mystery is fantastic...if you like to read yours on the edge of your seat and your hands curled into fists...nails creating crescents in your palms.
The romance is embedded along with several exchanges of this close knit family.
A stalker, is 'creepily' letting an MVP baseball third baseman, that he is in their sights.
His cousin hires a bodyguard to protect him.
With a large family around him, including his parents, along with their partners you'd think with their ties to law enforcement and the backing from several in their small community the stalker would easily be caught...
You'd be wrong.
I found myself racing through while at the same time not wanting it to end.
I recommend this book!
I hope Declan continues to add to his mystery bookshelf!
Thanks to the author and bookfunnel for this fantastic arc.
November 21, 2025
BEYOND PROTECTION - DECLAN RHODES
This is the final book in the Front Line series, and all of the McCabe brothers appear in this story to help protect their cousin Mac from a stalker.
Mac is a professional baseball player who never lets anyone see his true self, and after so many years performing as the perfect, carefree man, he has finally met his match in Eamon. Hired as a bodyguard by the McCabe family, Eamon is fighting his own ghosts from his past, and has to let go in order to free himself and open his heart to loving Mac and becoming part of his family.
There are a lot of suspense filled moments and some emotional and mental distress caused by the woman who is obsessed with saving Mac from himself and his family. Declan Rhodes engages the reader from the first chapter and keeps you anxiously turning the page to see what happens next. A must read author for sure.
This is the final book in the Front Line series, and all of the McCabe brothers appear in this story to help protect their cousin Mac from a stalker.
Mac is a professional baseball player who never lets anyone see his true self, and after so many years performing as the perfect, carefree man, he has finally met his match in Eamon. Hired as a bodyguard by the McCabe family, Eamon is fighting his own ghosts from his past, and has to let go in order to free himself and open his heart to loving Mac and becoming part of his family.
There are a lot of suspense filled moments and some emotional and mental distress caused by the woman who is obsessed with saving Mac from himself and his family. Declan Rhodes engages the reader from the first chapter and keeps you anxiously turning the page to see what happens next. A must read author for sure.
November 23, 2025
The McCabe family are back and this time Cormac/Mac their younger cousin needs their help. Helping to keep him safe in steps Eamon, haunted by the past, he vows not to let anyone in.
Is was so good to see the McCabe family back together doing what they do best. I read this in one sitting as I did not want to put it down. Reading what Mac was going through with the stalker, made my skin crawl, it was so creepy and whilst I have read other books involving stalkers they have been nothing like this one. The tension started from that first text.
The romance between Mac and Eamon was a slow burn and I enjoyed seeing them get closer and closer, realising that they are perfect just as they are .
Ma was her usual self cooking up a storm and took things in her stride.
A great read for Christmas read full of suspense and mystery
Is was so good to see the McCabe family back together doing what they do best. I read this in one sitting as I did not want to put it down. Reading what Mac was going through with the stalker, made my skin crawl, it was so creepy and whilst I have read other books involving stalkers they have been nothing like this one. The tension started from that first text.
The romance between Mac and Eamon was a slow burn and I enjoyed seeing them get closer and closer, realising that they are perfect just as they are .
Ma was her usual self cooking up a storm and took things in her stride.
A great read for Christmas read full of suspense and mystery
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