Criminally Yours: A bodyguard romance

by Rebecca Chase

400 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 24, 2026

Reviews

[Amanda Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
HEA ✅️

Second chances are always tense for me. I LOBE THEM... but... Depending on who did what, I never know if I will be as forgiving as the characters. I have no idea if the offender will make up for it in my eyes. If the author fails to make me feel that then I can't enjoy it like Inwant to. ***Let me put your mind at ease right now. ***
Strike and Millie are obsessively fantastic! Yes, mistakes were made. But man oh man do these two work it out. Once they remember their friendship the truth is hard to hold back. Once its out there is no stopping this love story. Its beautiful.
The way Rebecca handles her character's mental health is ALWAYS beautiful to me and a huge huge reason I adore her books. These two characters have heavy baggage thanks to needing each other, the time they spent apart, and the circumstances that have made them into the two people we find thrust back into each other's lives now. How they act and react to help the other is so great. No one is wrong or shamed. It is just an honest example of meeting someone in their darkness and sitting with them until you find a bit of light together. Things like this are why she is an automatic "add to cart" author for me everytime.
But! Lets not forget that while this amazing romance is reigniting with second chances, forced proximity, touch her and unalive moments, hurts and healing, protective Alpha cinnamon roll energy, and more... there is also a crazy suspense plot unfolding. Millie needs Strike and his team. Her life literally depends on it and I could not put this book down until I made it to the very last page.

I am in love with this book and its 100% lovable characters. (In case that wasn't clear.) :)

[Maddy Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ 3🌶️

Thank you so much, Rebecca, for letting me be part of your street team! There are so many exciting books to come, and this one was such a little treat. 🥹💛

In the words of Millie:

“I can’t wait to get home, take my bra off, put my pyjamas on, and have a book in my hand.”

The opening of this book sets you up perfectly for the emotional rollercoaster that’s to come. It’s the ideal mix of tension, suspense, and a beautiful rekindled second-chance romance.

I read this as a standalone, so you definitely don’t need to read the first book beforehand. That said, after getting little glimpses of Liss and Bear’s relationship, I can safely say you’ll probably want to! The found family in this series is absolutely wonderful.

“Just me and Strike in one fucking tent.”

Strike, what a MAN. 😮‍💨 I mean, who doesn’t want their own brooding bodyguard?

Millie and Strike were such a brilliant pairing. They balanced each other so well. Millie starts the story incredibly guarded and struggles to trust anyone, but watching Strike slowly break down her walls while lowering his own was one of my favourite parts of the book.

“Millie, I don’t care if it takes a lifetime, but I’m going to prove that whatever you give me is enough for me.” 🥹

Overall, this was a fabulous bodyguard romance packed with tension, suspense, swoony moments, and plenty of heart.

And can we just take a moment to appreciate that Rebecca really knows how to write a spicy scene 🌶️👀

Tropes:
🛡️ Bodyguard Romance
❤️‍🔥 Second Chance Romance
🏕️ Forced Proximity
🔎 Romantic Suspense
💞 Found Family

Microtropes:
🎖️ Ex-Forces MMC
⛺ One Tent
🖋️ Secret Tattoo
📚 Romance Book Lover FMC
💍 Fake Engagement
💕 Nicknames
👀 “Eyes on Me”
🥺 Who Hurt You?

[Sara Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Rebecca for letting me be a part of her street team for Criminally Yours and allowing early access to the ARC. I am super grateful.
I can tell how much thought and heart and soul goes into her books because she makes the characters so incredibly real and relatable.

Strike and Millie were neighbours and best friends growing up, until he broke her heart and left. Ten years later, they run into each other and the sheer heartbreak and betrayal pouring out of Millie is undeniable, but there’s no time to get into it because she’s in trouble and she needs Strike’s help.
Strike wants nothing more than to tell her the truth. To tell her what made him leave ten years ago. But that’s not as important as keeping her safe right now. She is his only priority and always has been.

This is the second book in the Closest Protection series where both can be read as standalones. Book one follows Bear and Liss, book two follows Millie and Strike. Both are bodyguard romances that link together and tackle real life issues, with a sprinkle of action and crime in there (they are bodyguards after all!) and are full of banter and undeniable chemistry. I rated both books 4 stars but I was more emotionally invested in this one and found myself relating more to the MCs issues of past insecurities and anxiety which hit me right in the feels.
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well as if the temperature outside here in MA wasn’t hot enough this July day, I just finished “Criminally Yours” by Rebecca Chase.

GUUURRRRL.

I don’t know how she does it, but Rebecca has this amazing knack to give her characters incredible emotional depth while also giving these multi-pepper spice scenes that carry the full emotional weight of the characters with her. It’s truly remarkable how well and seamlessly she pulls this off.

We meet Strike and Millie when circumstances bring them into a situation where he becomes not only her estranged teenage best friend/romance, but also her present-day bodyguard. As the story unfolds, we walk with them through every stage of their reunion and healing (both together and as individuals) towards their happily ever after. The supporting cast are exactly the kind of friends and found family you want there supporting you through rough times.

If second chance romance with an undercover cinnamon roll MMC and an FMC that discovers she’s a badass is your jam, don’t sleep on this book

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Regally Binding, I knew I was going to love this story.

Although both Millie and Strike / Caleb were both dealing with their own struggles, they ensured that they were there for each other and slowly began to break down each other's walls, even though Millie was having to deal with her life being put in danger.

So beautifully written, you could just feel the tension between the both of them and could sense that they both still had feelings with each other.

This book kept me gripped throughout, especially near the end, when things started taking a turn for the worse for Millie, and you wondered how she was going to get out of those situations.

Love Rebecca's writing and do hope we'd get a book about some of the other characters in this book, especially Stal.

❤️ Bodyguard Romance
🖤 Second Chance Romance
❤️ Romantic Suspense
🖤 Forced Proximity
❤️ Touch Her and Die
🖤 Miscommunication (only a little bit)
❤️ No Third Act Break Up
🖤 Spicy / Kinky
❤️ Found Family

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Criminally Yours by Rebecca Chase delivers a romantic suspense story packed full of heart-pounding action, emotional depth, and a romance that refuses to let go. In this novel, we are introduced to the FMC Millie and the MMC Strike, two people who have a history that added emotional weight to the story. Their reunion is filled with unresolved feelings, lingering heartbreak, and the kind of tension that made every interaction meaningful. One of the things that stood out to me about this novel was the suspense that Chase added into the story. Overall Criminally Yours was another addictive installment in the Closest Protection series with memorable characters, sizzling chemistry, and a gripping suspense plot.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley. Thank you both for giving me the chance to read this novel and share my honest review of the novel!

[Louise Hobbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly, thank you, Rebecca, for providing me with an ARC and for letting me be part of your street team!

I haven't actually read book one, but I'm happy to say this can definitely be enjoyed as a standalone. I really liked the characters and genuinely felt the connection between them. It was beautifully written, and the tension between them was palpable throughout.

I love Rebecca's writing style. It completely pulls me into the story, flows effortlessly, and is so easy to read. There's just the right amount of description to bring the setting to life without slowing the pace.

I also really enjoyed the side characters. They were involved just enough to add depth to the story without taking the spotlight away from the main characters.

After enjoying this so much, I think I'll definitely be going back to read book one soon!

[Elizabeth Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic book from Rebecca Chase, filled with excitement, spice, and swoon-worthy book boyfriends.

When Millie witnesses a stabbing, her life is thrown upside down. She finds herself under the protection of a troubled bodyguard, Strike. Only Millie knows him as her first love, Caleb. Millie is a quiet book girlie with most of her life lived inside the pages of her favourite stories, so what happens when she finds herself in her very own spicy romance?



This is the second book in the Close Protection Series, and it was fantastic. It really upped the stakes and had drama around every turn with a fantastic twist. My heart was in my mouth plenty of times, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages.

[c.m.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!! This book was great! I loved Millie and Strike. Millie starts out pretty introverted. She works as a counselor but loves just being home reading books and talking to her bookish friends (so relatable). Strike is a bodyguard who use to be in the military. They grew up together as neighbors, best friends and more. This is a second chance, slower burn, romantic suspense. I equally loved the romance and the suspense of this book. The suspense kept me on my toes and made it so hard to put my book down. However, the romance was perfect. I loved how well matched Millie and Strike were. My favorite thing was how they supported one another. They brought out the best and made sure each other had a voice. The side character were an added bonus. I loved the other bodyguards, Lyss, and the town members. This book also has amazing mental health rep.

Thank you so much Rebecca for the ARC!

[Faye Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Criminally Yours is a second chance, bodyguard romance and while it's book 2 in the Closest Protection series, you don't need to need book 1 to get into this one. The first few chapters of the book did a good job of introducing the main characters of book 1 as side characters here, and since they tell distinct stories, everything made sense without reading book 1.

Criminally Yours is a fast paced book, but that might also be the reason why I couldn't really get into it. It wasted no time in getting going into the plot, and it progressed quickly, but I couldn't sink into it properly.

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, Rebecca has done it again!! what an absolutely amazing read this was! I was absolutely hooked! Millie and Steike had my heart🥰I absolutely loved Legally Binding and Criminally Yours was just as good!I loved Millie and her book lover heart🥺 and Strike was the best, we love a protective(touch her and die) MMC😉 Rebecca absolutely knows how to write spice, I swear the chemistry between Millie and Strike was on fire🔥The friendships, the storyline, the characters, I was just obsessed😍 It was also great to read about Liss and Bear again🫶🏻Rebecca was one of the first authors I ever arc read for and im so glad I found her amazing books! cannot wait for the next one!🩷

[Brooksen Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Criminally Yours* had the kind of tension that makes it hard to look away. Millie and Strike’s history gives every interaction an emotional edge, and putting them together again when her life is in danger makes the stakes feel even higher. I loved the combination of danger, unresolved feelings, secrets, and that undeniable pull between two people who clearly never stopped caring. The second-chance romance and forced proximity worked so well together, and I found myself wanting to know whether they could survive both the threats around them and everything standing between their hearts. I’ve left a review because I genuinely enjoyed the emotional intensity of this story.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing and suspenseful romance story that is filled with danger and a second chance at love. I wasn't satisfied until I finished the last page and it was worth it. Millie is in danger and the only man that can protect her is the man that broke her heart. Strike and Millie still have undeniable chemistry between them, but the past hurts had to be healed first. The couple's close proximity has ignited their longing and passion for each other.

The high levels of action and the red-hot chemistry between the couple kept me engaged throughout the whole book. The plot was very well written I definitely enjoyed reading this book.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first part of this book. It had a second-chance romance, danger, and a decent plot. Unfortunately, it all went downhill from there.

The story became scattered and felt like it was trying to do too much. The middle of the book suddenly shifted into steamy scenes that seemed to take over the story. I also never really connected with the characters, and their interactions became repetitive and, at times, boring.

This book had a lot of potential, but in the end, it just wasn’t for me.

[Jessica Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not normally a big fan of third person books but the way Rebecca writes it just sucks me in and i completely forget that its in third person.

I am a big fan of every single trope in this book, for me it is the perfect recipe for a good book.

I read this book without reading the others and was blown away with the fact that it still made sense to me without having to read the other book in the series.

My favorite quote is “I can’t wait to get home, take my bra off, put my pajamas on, and have a book in my hand.” because so many of us can relate.

[erikoreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so intrigued by Strike when he came up in Book 1, Regally Binding. Who is he? Who hurt him?? Why is he the way that he is??? We get the answers to these questions and more in Criminally Yours, out today! 💪🏼

A forced proximity, second chance, bodyguard romance, the book starts with Millie witnessing a violent crime, and then the criminal pursues her to keep her quiet… but she makes it back to her parents’ house and Strike, her neighbour / first love / the guy who broke her heart 💔

They go into hiding (kind of) in a small Cornish town, pretending to be newly weds 😂 while Strike, Bear and the team try to get control of the situation… 👀 Millie is a counsellor, and we find out quite a bit about all the characters…

I know this is Book 2 of 2 of the Closest Protection Duet, but I really want this to become a series with a book on everyone! I really like this ensemble cast, so glad Bear and Liss are in the book. And I think Stal, Nails and Luke should get their own books too 🥹🙏🏼

[Kheyra Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It had the perfect mix of romance, suspense, and second chance feelings that kept me turning the pages. I loved watching the main characters reconnect while dealing with danger and old emotions, and the chemistry between them felt real. The story was fast paced, easy to get into, and kept me invested from beginning to end. No spoilers, just a really fun read.

[Elisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Adore Strike and Mixie’s second chance at love and my oh my… Strike… he had me dreaming about my own bodyguard romance! It’s all in the details and wow has he outdone himself for Mixie! Thanks again Rebecca for the advanced copy, it was a real pleasure to read!

[Dena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Personally couldn't get into the book.
Felt like to much was happening at once and felt the characters didn't have much chemistry.