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Protectors #2

Gingerbread

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"I've been hurt too many times...I'm not giving my heart away again."

Alex MacElhaney doesn't know what to do with children. He's more than satisfied with his two English Setters, Molly and Duke, and his fledgling bakery business. But when an emergency with his sister in law's family leaves him in charge of his two nephews in the weeks leading up to Christmas, Alex buckles in for a crash course in parenting.

"A second chance with the one man who unintentionally broke my heart?"

Police officer Kellen Walker's deepest wish is to have a husband and children. The happy families he sees all around him at Christmastime leave him feeling cold and alone. He'll never have that - coming out as gay would break his ailing father's heart. The only thing he can do to combat his loneliness is to throw himself even further into his work, burying his needs in service to others.

"Is their love strong enough to risk everything?"

When Kellen investigates a break in at Alex’s bakery, he comes face to face with the one man who almost tempted him into defying his father and coming out – but that’s in the past. Kellen resolves to do his job and be the friend that Alex wanted all along. But when Alex suggests a Christmas fling, can they both love the other without their hearts getting attached?

Gingerbread is a steamy, standalone gay romance novel, with a happily ever after ending and no cliffhangers. It is set in the same world as Protector - Reed and Logan's story.

223 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 7, 2016

54 people are currently reading
147 people want to read

About the author

Avery Ford

51 books146 followers

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5 stars
145 (30%)
4 stars
160 (33%)
3 stars
122 (25%)
2 stars
34 (7%)
1 star
10 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
Profile Image for Denise H..
3,245 reviews269 followers
November 20, 2016
*** This is a wonderful tale of re-united lovers near Christmastime. ***
It's sweet, mushy, and loving !
Perfect for a holiday romance, with terrific kids,
awesome dogs,
and the love of a cop and a baker.


We see Logan and Reed again, from the book, Protector, which is nice. Alex has returned from Pastry school in Paris and now owns a Bakery.


Kellan is a hunky cop, who answers the 911 - bakery robbery call. Kellan is still closeted to the police and family. We have strong, lovable men, an interesting story with great flow, and very hot sex scenes.


This book is romantic, caring, fun, and heartwarming.

It's like an X-rated gay Hallmark story, and I LOVED it !
ENJOY !
Profile Image for Vfields Don't touch my happy! .
3,500 reviews
December 4, 2016
Okay Kellen, the cop meets the one that got away, Alex. They both want the same thing but they have to find a way to get there out of their own heads. The children, Alex's nephews are used blessedly sparingly but well. I would have loved to have had more Reed time. I felt there were one too many booty calls and wow, I was glad when Kellen pulled his head out of his self-pity-baby boy-thing. I'm giving 4-stars to each scene, not about Kellen & his parents. The epilogue was overly sugary for me.
Why is he nude on the cover?
Profile Image for Beth.
2,911 reviews26 followers
December 13, 2017
The potential was here for a great book but dear god does this book need an editor! Nothing bothers me more than having my head taken out of a story due to typos, grammar errors, story inconsistencies or writing that makes no sense. This book needs serious cleaning up and editing by an American considering it takes place in San Francisco. If you aren’t an American author then you ought to have an American editor or proofreader to fix your errors. It’s just too jarring for the story to have these inconsistencies and it’s a pet peeve of mine as to me it just indicates laziness on the author’s part.

Additionally the breaking at businesses is a key part of the story but we never get any explanation for the crimes. Makes no sense. And the whole resolution to the crimes is idiotic.

It’s too bad really as this was a good story that could have come off so much better.
Profile Image for Trip .
912 reviews30 followers
never-finished
February 14, 2024
48% Dnf

I'm just not feeling it at all. The story is rather boring and I can't connect with either MCs, also there's some editing errors with names mixed up at points. Another day and I'd probably have forced myself through it, but for now it's a no. Has a sweet idea and easy enough read, just not grabbing me.
222 reviews
November 19, 2016
Ok but repetitive.

This book was ok, and I thought it was going to go a different route as time went on, which would have been great. I got very tired very quickly of Kellen going on and on about it hurting his dad too much if he came out. While I can imagine this can be hard to do, it just irritated me how he whined and whined about not being able to get married and have children because he was gay and in the closet. I just wanted to say, "man up." Live your life for yourself...after all, that's what your parents did and are still doing.
Profile Image for Tj.
1,708 reviews20 followers
November 21, 2016
This is the little book that tried. It is a good idea but falls short. The story lack complexity. Alex comes across as this hand wringing weakling who needs a big strong man to save him and solve his problems.

Logan is supposed to be a cop. If your main character is a police officer and you are including some of the on-the-job scenes in the book, then do the research and add the details that make it realistic and believable.
14 reviews
November 15, 2016
Perfect Holiday Read

I thought this was a great story of coming home to true love. It was beautifully written, the MC's chemistry was phenomenal. The live was always there. It was just a great story and just perfect for the upcoming holiday season. This is a book I will keep in my favorites and reread when I need a lift. Well written.
Profile Image for Natasha Lynn Harris.
1,976 reviews1 follower
December 1, 2016
Great Read

Truly wonderful, I enjoyed this story so much. It has that quality blend of romance and drama that keeps you interested. And it gives you a glimpse into the future, instead of cutting off at an abrupt end which to many books do. I like to see what happens next after the proposed HEA.
Profile Image for Candice.
2,955 reviews134 followers
December 6, 2016
I think I'm just not a fan of Ford's work. Sorry. I tried 2 and I think I'm done.

This story is about Kellan, the cop that was Reed's best friend in Protector. Reed and Logan show their faces in this one, too.

What annoyed me most? "The robber". Not suspect or vandal or anything of the sort, but "robber". I have no idea why it bothered me so much, but it did.

Profile Image for Carlos.
41 reviews2 followers
November 23, 2016
Real. Just so real.

Both tender and sexy, this story will grab your heart and shake it. The most amazing thing is that this is the story of everyday men that bounce back and forth between perceived dutiesb and the reality of their hearts.
Profile Image for Kattz.
850 reviews3 followers
December 1, 2016
Good Read

This is a well written story with many true life problems. There were some twists in the story. The characters developed throughout the story. Im looking forward to reading another story from this author.
Profile Image for Centoria Coffil.
492 reviews18 followers
January 17, 2017
The epilogue clinched for me

I was on the fence about giving this book a whole 5 stars but then I read the epilogue and I knew which way to vote 5+ stars. It's a great read. Sweet and heart warming.
2,922 reviews15 followers
November 9, 2016
KU
This is the worst book I've ever tried to read. Melodramatic crap without a drop of realism.
Profile Image for TL Travis.
Author 94 books622 followers
November 12, 2016
Couldn't put it down!

Luckily, my husband knows how to feed himself. Lance I started reading it, I couldn't stop. I loved how many different elements this story covered.
1,787 reviews26 followers
November 28, 2016
Tooth Sweet!

Really start-to-finish how-are-they-going-to-fall-in-love story of two lonely guys who used to be friends with benefits and now are frightened of resuming their relationship.

Both Alex and Kellan are very well developed characters, and this is a story of character development with two plots thrown in: First, how their newly resumed romantic entanglement will develop; and second, how Kellan the cop can reconcile his parents to the fact that he is gay. Throw in Alex's seven-and-ten-year-old sweetly hilarious nephews and you have a smooth ride most of the way.

There are hiccups, of course, including Kellan's deeply homophobic parents, and Alex's strong (but easily manipulated) adversity to risking happiness to a closeted affair. Where have you read that before?

The one hole in the story is the solving of the mysterious series of robberies that bring Alex and Kellan back together in the first place. They seem to be at bakeries only, but there is not enough development here to get the story straight on why these crimes are committed. My only thumbs down.

Your teeth will ache after this one, it's so sweet. Pour a latte or a cuppa and enjoy.
Profile Image for Wendell Hennan.
1,202 reviews4 followers
August 11, 2019
Alex is starting up his own business, bakery and coffee shop, when his brother leaves him caring for his two young sons while he and his wife to Ireland to attend to her dying mother. The first day Alex and the boys arrive at the bakery to discover it has been broken into. The attending police officer, Kellen Walker, and Alex were in a relationship two years ago, before Alex went to Paris to attend a cooking school. Kellen is exceptional with the kids, while Alex has no idea what to do with them and Kellen's frequent assistance and visits sparks the former attractions. An enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Shelley Chastagner.
2,729 reviews38 followers
November 26, 2016
3.75 stars. The first half of the book is slow and I found myself wanting to push the story along. I enjoyed the second half though. The epilogue feels like there is too much going on. I think the author could have made an entire second book out of it. Over all it was an enjoyable holiday flavored book.
Adult read
69 reviews
November 29, 2016
Lost interest quickly

A sweet enough story but I didn't have the patience to read past 35%. Unfortunately the dialogue and flow of the story just wasn't interesting enough for me to make me want to finish it. It seemed a bit stilted and wooden and prevented me from empathising with the characters. Sorry.
Profile Image for Ottilee B..
597 reviews28 followers
July 5, 2017
Good story but...

I really liked the story but Kellen stuck in my craw. I realize you cannot Out someone until THEY feel the time is right but I just wanted to shake him til his molars rattled. I can hardly believe such narrow minded people exist and that they give life to such open minded people! !!
Profile Image for D..
2,120 reviews14 followers
July 6, 2020
"Stuck between rock and a hard place" suits Kellen perfectly. He won't come out because he's afraid it will affect his father's condition and if he won't come out, he never get a chance to live happily with Alex because Alex won't be Kellen's dirty little secret.

Just need one unexpected thing to happen that will change everything.
Profile Image for Karen.
2,682 reviews
December 19, 2016
I loved this story. This book as far as I am concerned is book two with the Protector being book one. That said we need a book three for Owen and if needed Ethan. I loved the characters and I loved revisiting Reed and Logan. I hope that we get another book from this.
Profile Image for Kirbie.
163 reviews
August 7, 2017
Christmas Cheer

Loved this book I mean what can you do Santa brought love to those whoe deserve to be loved and Keleen and Alex deserve that for everything that they've been through I'm happy that they got what they both wanted and I'm happy that they have a family to love
Profile Image for Jeanne.
365 reviews9 followers
December 23, 2016
New parents

I am addicted to love stories and I particularly like those with dogs and or children so naturally I enjoyed this story. Well written.
168 reviews
August 17, 2017
Loved it (sniff)

Lara.... you need a box of tissues. Great storyline. Just
Loved it. Can't wait to need the next book. Want more.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews

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