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Warm Springs Trilogy #3
Protecting Home
The town’s favorite troublemaker, Avery Hamilton, is all grown up and has returned to Warm Springs—this time to stay. She used to envision following in her grandfather’s footsteps and opening her own general practice. But, that dream was before. Before she made the mistake that derailed her life, a mistake she’s tried hard to put behind her. Returning to the one place she loves most in the world will help her heal, but not before the man she’d left waiting forces her to confront her past. Everyone’s favorite cop, Nick Holloway, has his sights set on making detective, but when the one woman he thought could’ve been the one blows back into town, his world tilts on its axis. While focused on his future, his life starts to unravel, both professionally and personally. And, the one person Nick never saw coming is the one who hates him enough to stop at nothing in order to ruin his life. Even if that means hurting the people he loves. Nick and Avery must find a way to let go of their pasts to secure a future, but if the man out for revenge has his way, they may not get the chance.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 14, 2015
15 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Christina Kirby
17 books57 followersThis author is also published under the pen name Kirby Hall.
Christina Kirby is the author of the Warm Springs Trilogy, A Face In the Crowd, A Light In the Dark, and writes YA under the name Kirby Hall. She holds a degree in Public Relations from Auburn University and is currently a stay at home mom to two sons. An avid reader of romance and obsessed with good TV, Christina likes nothing more than to talk pop culture with other fans. She also believes a copy of Entertainment Weekly and a chocolate chip cookie can cure anything.
Christina Kirby is the author of the Warm Springs Trilogy, A Face In the Crowd, A Light In the Dark, and writes YA under the name Kirby Hall. She holds a degree in Public Relations from Auburn University and is currently a stay at home mom to two sons. An avid reader of romance and obsessed with good TV, Christina likes nothing more than to talk pop culture with other fans. She also believes a copy of Entertainment Weekly and a chocolate chip cookie can cure anything.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 1, 2016
“Protecting Home” by Christina Kirby is the last book in her “Warm Springs” trilogy, set in the small town of Warm Springs, Georgia. Our heroine, Avery Hamilton, is from the small town, but could also be considered an outsider because she completed her medical degree and residency in Atlanta before coming back home to ‘settle down’ professionally and escape past wounds that have made her doubt her judgement. While our hero, Nick Holloway, is the town favorite and cop who has never strayed from his loyalty and commitment to serving the people of Warm Springs. However, Nick also has a past wound that haunts him which, and unbeknownst to him, includes the villain, a man bent on destroying Nick’s life in the same way Nick destroyed the villain’s life.
Kirby creates a cast of characters you cheer for and a small town you want to move to and discover your own happily ever after.
*** SPOILER ALERT****
Small town, contemporary romantic suspense is a new genre for my reading taste and I’ve had to think about how romantic suspense is similar/different from other romance genres. For example, the presence of an antagonist is more central to the story (and perhaps creating/maintaining romantic tension) than in other genres. In my opinion, the villain seemed more sympathetic to me than the hero/heroine and I wanted him to be introduced earlier on…maybe start the story with him? Could there be two inciting events? One inciting event is Avery’s return back to Warm Springs and the other inciting event is the villain learning his girlfriend is going to be taken off life support. The villain had been this shadow in Nick’s life until the villain learns about his girlfriend…then, the clock begins to tick. I also argued with myself about whether the villain’s goal, motivation, conflict (GMC) was also stronger/clearer than the hero/heroine’s. There is a fine balance for how much the author should reveal to the readers, but I wanted to know why Nick wanted to be a detective. What could I (the reader) identify with as a motivational drive within Nick that continued to drive him even though everything else in his life was falling apart?
And this is entirely my preference, but I like tension/conflict in the stories I read and I just wanted there to be MORE in “Protecting Home”. The first 25%-30% of the book, everything seemed to be going okay for the hero/heroine. Avery reunites with grandmother, Honey, and settles in to her new job at the hospital. What? No. Avery is supposed to be this rebel, this square peg who never quite fit into the round hole of Warm Springs and I wanted to read more examples of this. Do the folks see her as Big City big mouth? Do the hospital administrators start to grumble when she starts all of her sentences with, “Well back in Atlanta, we did it this way…”, maybe everyone’s favorite/respected doctor surprises Avery in locker room and she gives him a kick to the solar plexus. Sure, she drives a motorcycle, but that’s not rule breaker enough for me. And maybe she went skinny dipping one night, but I needed something I (as a reader) could identify with – and what other reason is there than work (again, my opinion). It makes sense that for some readers, they’ll identify with Avery’s love for her family and awkward show of feelings with her brother (I loved that scene, BTW) than her workplace, but since it was such an integral part of her character, I wanted MORE conflict here. I wanted her to fundamentally doubt that she could fit back in Warm Springs. That low point when you’ve started a new job and you think maybe you should’ve stayed unemployed. And the same doubts go for Nick. Here is a man whose devoted his life to the police force and is preparing to take the detective’s exam. He’s done everything by the book his whole entire life, but now following the rules are not working for him. In fact, his entire life is falling apart in front of his eyes.
I wanted more of this life destruction! I know I’m evil, but I was surprised Nick was so calm when the Chief not only told him he failed the detective’s exam, but that he also failed a drug test and was suspended. I was so glad Ryan stood up for him, but why did Nick take this devastating news so calmly? I thought it made him appear guiltier. This was the end of his dream! What if word of his failed drug test got out to the rest of the department *and* the town. People talk…especially in small towns. Oh, and I bet the Chief’s wife is bird that likes to chirp. Everyone was so nice in Warm Springs…too nice and I wanted to pick around the edges of this small town until something/someone foul floated up.
While the first part of the story were a little slow for my taste, the end of the story definitely made up for it. The end of “Protecting Home” was a fast-paced roller-coaster! I loved all the gory details from the fight scene (I am not a gentle reader) and the romantic resolution.
Things I absolutely enjoyed! – A heroine that knew how to take care of herself in a fight! You go Avery with your bad self, being the hero of the day. I loved the hospital scene and the intimate pep talk from Nick to Avery when she’s called to deliver her sister-in-law’s baby.
Kirby creates a cast of characters you cheer for and a small town you want to move to and discover your own happily ever after.
*** SPOILER ALERT****
Small town, contemporary romantic suspense is a new genre for my reading taste and I’ve had to think about how romantic suspense is similar/different from other romance genres. For example, the presence of an antagonist is more central to the story (and perhaps creating/maintaining romantic tension) than in other genres. In my opinion, the villain seemed more sympathetic to me than the hero/heroine and I wanted him to be introduced earlier on…maybe start the story with him? Could there be two inciting events? One inciting event is Avery’s return back to Warm Springs and the other inciting event is the villain learning his girlfriend is going to be taken off life support. The villain had been this shadow in Nick’s life until the villain learns about his girlfriend…then, the clock begins to tick. I also argued with myself about whether the villain’s goal, motivation, conflict (GMC) was also stronger/clearer than the hero/heroine’s. There is a fine balance for how much the author should reveal to the readers, but I wanted to know why Nick wanted to be a detective. What could I (the reader) identify with as a motivational drive within Nick that continued to drive him even though everything else in his life was falling apart?
And this is entirely my preference, but I like tension/conflict in the stories I read and I just wanted there to be MORE in “Protecting Home”. The first 25%-30% of the book, everything seemed to be going okay for the hero/heroine. Avery reunites with grandmother, Honey, and settles in to her new job at the hospital. What? No. Avery is supposed to be this rebel, this square peg who never quite fit into the round hole of Warm Springs and I wanted to read more examples of this. Do the folks see her as Big City big mouth? Do the hospital administrators start to grumble when she starts all of her sentences with, “Well back in Atlanta, we did it this way…”, maybe everyone’s favorite/respected doctor surprises Avery in locker room and she gives him a kick to the solar plexus. Sure, she drives a motorcycle, but that’s not rule breaker enough for me. And maybe she went skinny dipping one night, but I needed something I (as a reader) could identify with – and what other reason is there than work (again, my opinion). It makes sense that for some readers, they’ll identify with Avery’s love for her family and awkward show of feelings with her brother (I loved that scene, BTW) than her workplace, but since it was such an integral part of her character, I wanted MORE conflict here. I wanted her to fundamentally doubt that she could fit back in Warm Springs. That low point when you’ve started a new job and you think maybe you should’ve stayed unemployed. And the same doubts go for Nick. Here is a man whose devoted his life to the police force and is preparing to take the detective’s exam. He’s done everything by the book his whole entire life, but now following the rules are not working for him. In fact, his entire life is falling apart in front of his eyes.
I wanted more of this life destruction! I know I’m evil, but I was surprised Nick was so calm when the Chief not only told him he failed the detective’s exam, but that he also failed a drug test and was suspended. I was so glad Ryan stood up for him, but why did Nick take this devastating news so calmly? I thought it made him appear guiltier. This was the end of his dream! What if word of his failed drug test got out to the rest of the department *and* the town. People talk…especially in small towns. Oh, and I bet the Chief’s wife is bird that likes to chirp. Everyone was so nice in Warm Springs…too nice and I wanted to pick around the edges of this small town until something/someone foul floated up.
While the first part of the story were a little slow for my taste, the end of the story definitely made up for it. The end of “Protecting Home” was a fast-paced roller-coaster! I loved all the gory details from the fight scene (I am not a gentle reader) and the romantic resolution.
Things I absolutely enjoyed! – A heroine that knew how to take care of herself in a fight! You go Avery with your bad self, being the hero of the day. I loved the hospital scene and the intimate pep talk from Nick to Avery when she’s called to deliver her sister-in-law’s baby.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2017
A great final book
I would say this book was my favorite of the three. Avery and Nicks story kept you wondering the whole way on which way this story would finally end.
I would say this book was my favorite of the three. Avery and Nicks story kept you wondering the whole way on which way this story would finally end.
October 29, 2015
Great ending to a wonderful trilogy! Romance and suspense sprinkled with a few laughs sums up this one perfectly! Makes me want to visit Warm Springs.
April 22, 2017
Protecting Home( Warm Springs Trilogy Book 3) by Christina Kirby
Another great read by Christina Kirby! I read all 3 of her Warm Springs Trilogy series. I have to say that her writing is exceptional! I found myself caught up in each of the characters lives as if I were there with them. From Spencer & Samantha, to Adam & Jenny, down to Nick & Avery! A must read! Great job by Author/Writer Christina Kirby. Thank you.
Another great read by Christina Kirby! I read all 3 of her Warm Springs Trilogy series. I have to say that her writing is exceptional! I found myself caught up in each of the characters lives as if I were there with them. From Spencer & Samantha, to Adam & Jenny, down to Nick & Avery! A must read! Great job by Author/Writer Christina Kirby. Thank you.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews