Desire & Protection

by Heather Marsala

A fast-moving, cinematic psychological suspense driven by subtext and subtle tension. For readers who value emotional restraint, moral complexity and close attention to nuance.


Inside the unraveling of a detective's life lies a silence that hides more than secrets—it guards the past he's never faced.

Roman Viento is a homicide detective abruptly reassigned to New York after a life-threatening confrontation that nearly pushed him into a spiral rooted in his childhood. The move feels like protection, until he's sent back to Chicago, straight into everything he tried to outrun. What he's asked to do when he returns changes everything. A deeper betrayal pulls him into a web of corruption where justice and survival blur beyond recognition.

He slips back into the role he's mastered—surreptitious, strategic, and emotionally sealed. But the past isn't finished with him. Aniella Fasquelle is ambitious, kind, and unprepared for the shadows she's about to enter. She notices the fractures he swore didn't exist. And Eli, a boy from the shelter with questions Roman's been avoiding, drags the past he fought to keep buried into the light.

Both could shatter the control that's kept him alive. One through love, the other through truth.

Tense, addictive and quietly explosive, Desire & Protection is a gripping debut about trauma, betrayal, and the cost of letting someone in.

Genres: Romance, Mystery

272 pages, Paperback

Published January 20, 2026

About the author

Heather Marsala is a former business manager turned romantic suspense author whose work explores the collision of desire, trauma, and transformation. With a voice marked by restraint and psychological depth, her stories unfold in layered, slow-burn tension. She resides in Massachusetts and writes for readers drawn to haunted characters, moral complexity, and narratives that reward attention. Desire & Protection is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, huge congrats to Ms. Marsala on her debut! 🫶🏼 Bravo, girl!
I’m giving this 4 stars because—excuse me, ma’am—you cannot just leave me hanging on a cliffhanger like that!! This better turn into a series, trilogy, duet… something, please!
Roman is such a solid guy, not gonna lie. He’s got some serious trauma and demons he needs to unpack, but deep down, I know there’s a heart of gold in there. Aniella and Eli are absolutely going to be his saving grace—she’s the soft landing he desperately needs, and Eli brings the pure joy to balance it all.
Aniella… girl, girllll. I adore how sweet she is, but sweetie, when you’re stepping into the middle of that bullpen chaos, you gotta rough up a little! 👏🏻 Still loved her though.
I wish there had been more intense passion between the two—it felt like we could’ve used a bit more heat. The pacing was super quick, with lots of flashing between scenes, but it all flowed cohesively regardless.
I just really hate being left on that cliff… I need more! Give us at least a duet! 😩

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

For starters CONGRATS on your debut novel!

I absolutely adore Romans character! Definitely in my top 10 MMCs. The friendship between him & Scott was my favorite thing to read! Aniella was my favorite right from the beginning of the story!

It’s a slow burn BUT the action starts right from the 1st page so you automatically get locked with Roman. I love how in depth you got with the detective side of it and made it easy for all the readers to understand (it definitely made it more interesting for me)

The book is intense and addicting. It took me 3 days to read it because I didn’t want to take breaks! BUT I am going to pretend that you didn’t leave me on such a cliffhanger. I just sat there and stared at the screen waiting for more words appear for about 3 mins!

It was such a roller coaster of emotions in the best possible way

** Super happy for you and the release of this book! Can’t wait to see what you do next!

[Lupita_333 (on a break) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Romans past was tragic. It was saddening to read about how much it affected him far into adulthood. I liked Aniella but she wasn’t as detailed as Roman.

There wasn’t much chemistry between Roman and Aniella when it came to their relationship.

The ending was so intense and so good. I loved how it ended.

I didn’t like the writing style of tell not show and how dialogue heavy it was.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Myrrowyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, where do I start. This was an interesting read for sure.
I loved Roman, his wit and sarcasm was great, his relationship and banter with Scott was hilarious.

Got a little bit of an emotional tugging around the 86% mark that I didn’t at all see coming.

This was ALMOST a four star read for me but what really irked me was the ending.

The ending floored me. Nope. Never in a million years would I have thought …

I will be vague because this is the type of ending that should be kept secret IMO.

It was a fade to black scene where it’s seems fairly clear what’s going to happen but since we don’t finish the scene perhaps I’ve been tricked. The ending almost felt like a cliffhanger so I’m not sure how to feel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ok I took a moment to sit in my thoughts. I reread the last chapter, then I reread the final page a couple times and I marinated on. I even went back to NetGalley.. I don’t see mention of this being first book in a duet/trilogy etc. So I will look at this strictly as a standalone and now I’m devastated. So thank you Ms Marsala, I’m ruined.

I retract my previous above statement of my rating, this is absolutely a 4 star read to me because of all the emotional damage I took.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this ARC. Opinions are my own.

[Catharine · Rating 4 out of 5]

As per the NetGalley description, “Desire & Protection” is predominantly set in Chicago—with a brief nod to New York that amounts to a couple of short scenes before we’re firmly back in the Windy City. Location, though, is not where this book gets its depth.

Heather Marsala builds her characters the interesting way: through actions, silences, and emotional tells, rather than laborious physical description. It’s a confident choice, and one that pays off. Her understanding of people—their blind spots, their defences, the things they refuse to look at—comes through clearly on the page.

That insight gives the novel a strong, brooding atmosphere and an emotional weight I honestly wasn’t expecting. This is the kind of debut that doesn’t shout for attention; it trusts the reader to keep up, and that restraint works very much in its favour.

My thanks to NetGalley and Heather Marsala for the ARC of “Desire & Protection” by Heather Marsala.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desire & Protection pulls you in immediately on the first page, and absolutely destroys you on the last. This book did an excellent job pooling all different emotions and will make you laugh, cry, and feel every moment in between. Im a Police Officer myself, and I was very impressed with how the author demonstrated the behaviors and “cop-talk” amongst all characters within the district. For a debut novel, the author was also incredibly creative with her subliminal messages that reveal themselves in later chapters. Roman and Aniella’s characters are both equally unique, and their chemistry combined with interference from events that unfold throughout the story constantly keep you in suspense. I’m not a big reader and typically enjoy movies instead, but I’m so glad I gave this a shot because I’ll be thinking about this cliffhanger for days!

[Ting · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am absolutely thrilled that I had the opportunity to have read the advanced reader copy (ARC) of 'Desire and Protection.' The book is captivating and above all just well put together. You could definitely recognize the author's dedication and research into this book. The details of the police work were spot on.

This work of art enraptured me to the utmost level as it is an unadulterated masterpiece. I recommend this to anyone who desires a good read and wants to just be lost in the imagination of another world.

[BAMF_Book_Nerd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heather Marsala’s debut novel, Desire & Protection, is slated to be released January 20th. I would highly recommend adding this to your TBR as you won’t want to miss this fast-paced read that kept me on the edge of my seat, second-guessing everything I thought I knew.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Sally Cail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desire & Protection already sounded very intriguing from the description, and it still managed to exceed my expectations. It grabbed me right from the first page, and I had trouble putting it down with each chapter. I’m going to read it again as soon as possible, and I can’t wait for others to read it as well. I’m very impressed with this author, especially where this is her first book ever!

[Megan Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great first novel!!! Finished in about 3 days and I was eager to keep turning the page. Left us on a huge cliffhanger where I needed a minute to process but I don’t know whether I was mad about it or if I actually loved leaving it up to the reader lol.

I cannot wait to see what’s next for this author. I will definitely be following 👀

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desire and Protection is a book that will leave you wanting more. The characters are relatable with tons of personality.

[Isabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is okay, and the story has potential, but I didn’t care for the ending. It felt unresolved for a book that isn’t a series, which left me disappointed.