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Coffee Shop #9
Protect Me
Catelyn
There are three rules I implemented five years ago that govern my safety around men.
1. Never alone.
2. Never stranded.
3. Never unaware.
In those five years, I've never broken those rules. Not once. Because I will not be a fool again.
Then I do break those rules—willingly—to help the older brother of my best friend, Vikram. Vikram is trouble. Has always been trouble.
Charming, a little arrogant, and flighty as a bird when it comes to women. I spent half my childhood adoring him, half crying over him.
Yet he's always had my heart.
Six years after last seeing him is no exception.
Vikram
My parents say I'm a mess. I agree.
Four surgeries and a lost job create ugly arithmetic. What kind of woman would ever want to stay by my side when I can barely cope with the day-to-day of recovery?
None of them.
Which is why I've never tried.
When recovery from my fifth surgery goes wrong, there's only one person at my side. Catelyn Carson. The last woman I ever expected to see there.
Maybe the one that I've always wanted there.
She has secrets to hide, and when those secrets come back to life and threaten her safety, I'm forced to reckon with my own ghosts.
For her, I finally find someone worth fighting for.
Protect Me is a clean, contemporary romance (but not religious) with a little sizzle and spice and a guaranteed happily-ever-after. It’s the eighth book in the Coffee Shop Series. This book can be read as a standalone, but maximum enjoyment comes from reading the series from the beginning.
There are three rules I implemented five years ago that govern my safety around men.
1. Never alone.
2. Never stranded.
3. Never unaware.
In those five years, I've never broken those rules. Not once. Because I will not be a fool again.
Then I do break those rules—willingly—to help the older brother of my best friend, Vikram. Vikram is trouble. Has always been trouble.
Charming, a little arrogant, and flighty as a bird when it comes to women. I spent half my childhood adoring him, half crying over him.
Yet he's always had my heart.
Six years after last seeing him is no exception.
Vikram
My parents say I'm a mess. I agree.
Four surgeries and a lost job create ugly arithmetic. What kind of woman would ever want to stay by my side when I can barely cope with the day-to-day of recovery?
None of them.
Which is why I've never tried.
When recovery from my fifth surgery goes wrong, there's only one person at my side. Catelyn Carson. The last woman I ever expected to see there.
Maybe the one that I've always wanted there.
She has secrets to hide, and when those secrets come back to life and threaten her safety, I'm forced to reckon with my own ghosts.
For her, I finally find someone worth fighting for.
Protect Me is a clean, contemporary romance (but not religious) with a little sizzle and spice and a guaranteed happily-ever-after. It’s the eighth book in the Coffee Shop Series. This book can be read as a standalone, but maximum enjoyment comes from reading the series from the beginning.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2022
12 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
Katie Cross
120 books780 followersMy world revolves around my husband (who is a major hottie), my precious kids, my Vizsla’s who act like children, and the mountains.
I wear hiking boots instead of heels when I need to feel powerful, and on a bad day, I love a weightlifting workout. Actually, I love it on a good day.
I don’t eat bread because my thyroid doesn’t like it, although there are days I miss it. Especially ciabatta. Sweet potatoes are kind of my thing. Cookies too.
I write because I never stopped.
Author of The Network Series, The Dragonmaster Trilogy, and The Coffee Shop Series.
Email me at kcrosswriting@gmail.com
I wear hiking boots instead of heels when I need to feel powerful, and on a bad day, I love a weightlifting workout. Actually, I love it on a good day.
I don’t eat bread because my thyroid doesn’t like it, although there are days I miss it. Especially ciabatta. Sweet potatoes are kind of my thing. Cookies too.
I write because I never stopped.
Author of The Network Series, The Dragonmaster Trilogy, and The Coffee Shop Series.
Email me at kcrosswriting@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 22, 2022
Let me start this review by saying that the entire Coffee Shop series has been phenomenal. The first book, Coffee Shop Girl, barely holds the lead for me as the favorite still, but all of these stories set in the small mountain town of Pineville are just beautiful, emotional, relatable—yet unique love stories.
Protect Me is the ninth book in the series and here we find two people who have had to find healing for themselves and have attempted so in completely opposite ways. I loved getting to know the “why” behind Vikram’s lifestyle choices and I loved seeing him recognize it for himself and actively work to change his mindset over time. Katelyn is a character I can identify with, being the child of an addict. Though I didn’t experience the same trauma that she did, the way Katelyn found her family in Vinita and Vik’s family growing up was so relatable. Having a friend’s family take you under their wing when yours is broken is a gift that is so beautiful. I adore her and Vini’s relationship.
You will find a best friend’s brother, childhood crush, bad boy turned good, caretaker mash-up in this book—all wrapped up in facing demons, healing, and growth. The way Vik and Kate slowly let down their walls and felt safe together was a beautiful journey. There are laughs, deep feelings, suspenseful situations, swoon-worthy moments, and a sweet HEA all contained in this book.
This is a closed door, contemporary romance with mild swearing. Trigger warning for sexual assault.
Protect Me is the ninth book in the series and here we find two people who have had to find healing for themselves and have attempted so in completely opposite ways. I loved getting to know the “why” behind Vikram’s lifestyle choices and I loved seeing him recognize it for himself and actively work to change his mindset over time. Katelyn is a character I can identify with, being the child of an addict. Though I didn’t experience the same trauma that she did, the way Katelyn found her family in Vinita and Vik’s family growing up was so relatable. Having a friend’s family take you under their wing when yours is broken is a gift that is so beautiful. I adore her and Vini’s relationship.
You will find a best friend’s brother, childhood crush, bad boy turned good, caretaker mash-up in this book—all wrapped up in facing demons, healing, and growth. The way Vik and Kate slowly let down their walls and felt safe together was a beautiful journey. There are laughs, deep feelings, suspenseful situations, swoon-worthy moments, and a sweet HEA all contained in this book.
This is a closed door, contemporary romance with mild swearing. Trigger warning for sexual assault.
June 25, 2022
Tugs in all the right places...
Straight up, this is a great read, tugs in all the right places and left me feeling satisfied.
Even though Protect Me can be read as a stand alone romance novel, for me, who has read all the Coffeeshop Series it was like coming home. Revisiting the merry idiots together in the gorgeous Mountain town of Pineville, seeing the vulnerable and sensitive side to Vikram and watching Katelyn trying to reclaim her life and empowerment is a journey Katie, the author has crafted beautifully.
Protect Me is a love story worth reading.
Straight up, this is a great read, tugs in all the right places and left me feeling satisfied.
Even though Protect Me can be read as a stand alone romance novel, for me, who has read all the Coffeeshop Series it was like coming home. Revisiting the merry idiots together in the gorgeous Mountain town of Pineville, seeing the vulnerable and sensitive side to Vikram and watching Katelyn trying to reclaim her life and empowerment is a journey Katie, the author has crafted beautifully.
Protect Me is a love story worth reading.
June 22, 2022
Oh.my.gosh. Read it!
In her magical way, Katie has created another character that we immediately care about, who takes us on a deep emotional adventure. Excellent read! I already miss these characters.
In her magical way, Katie has created another character that we immediately care about, who takes us on a deep emotional adventure. Excellent read! I already miss these characters.
June 24, 2022
So enjoyed this book. I love this series!👏🏻👏🏻Thank you Katie Cross for writing another book that I couldn’t put down!❤️👏🏻👏🏻
June 16, 2022
Katelyn works at the Frolicking Moose. She receives a call from her best friend in New York. Her brother, Vikram, is missing. Katelyn goes to his home after phone calls and texts receive no reply. Surgery. Painful surgery. An infection. Katleyn has a terrible past. Rules. Must keep to them. A phone call. Absolute horror. Scared. Watching. Loved him since she was ten years old. No home now. Where to live. An offer. Can she accept it? What an absolutely wonderful story and an extremely sensitive subject was dealt with very well. Warning of a huge trigger in this story.
June 17, 2022
Who does not love a romance with a happy ending?! If you’ve read the other books from this series, you’ve met Vikram and Katelyn, now it’s time to hear how their stories were once intertwined, how they went there own ways and how fate brought them back together… if you have not met them, you are going to love them!
Thank’s Katie for another breath taking romance! Cannot wait for the next story from Pineville!
Thank’s Katie for another breath taking romance! Cannot wait for the next story from Pineville!
June 16, 2022
I was so happy to see this pop up on my kindle a month early! Yay!!! I loved it sooo much!!
✔️Forced Priximity (roomies)
✔️Long time unrequited crush/love
✔️Best friend’s brother
✔️Protective Hero (but not so much that the lady seems/feels incapable)
Excuse me while I got start rereading the series from the beginning. 😝
✔️Forced Priximity (roomies)
✔️Long time unrequited crush/love
✔️Best friend’s brother
✔️Protective Hero (but not so much that the lady seems/feels incapable)
Excuse me while I got start rereading the series from the beginning. 😝
June 16, 2022
Really enjoyed
This one is one of my favs of the series. Really liked the heroine and hero. Their backstories and problems were done well. Can't wait for another :)
This one is one of my favs of the series. Really liked the heroine and hero. Their backstories and problems were done well. Can't wait for another :)
June 14, 2022
Every word, every detail pulled me in further and further. Katie's best book yet that touches a very sensitive topic that so many in the world maybe haven't dealt with yet. Vik and Kate is the best love story of all time. Made me think back to my first crush...
June 10, 2022
Kate is been in love with Vikram since she met him when she was ten years old. Vikram has been lost most of his life. Can they protect each other from their past, fears and struggles and face a life together? An amazing and emotional story from Katie Cross, that tug your heart, and keep you reading until the end and then wondering for a long time.
June 16, 2022
Katelyn and Vikram had known each other since they were kids. She is the best friend of his sister, Vinita. When Vinita, who lives out of state, gets concerned about her brother and can’t reach him, Katelyn agrees to check on him. She has always had a soft spot in her heart for him . . .
This clean, contemporary romance guarantees to please!
While this book can be read as a standalone book, I enjoyed knowing the stories of the other characters in the story from reading Katie’s Coffee Shop Girl series.
This clean, contemporary romance guarantees to please!
While this book can be read as a standalone book, I enjoyed knowing the stories of the other characters in the story from reading Katie’s Coffee Shop Girl series.
June 11, 2022
Katie has done it again! (As if that would be news) Although it is book #9 in the Coffee Shop Series it can also be a stand alone novel. I loved this story! Kate has had a crush on Vik since she was ten years old and thought she had kept it a secret from the world. Little did she know, her best friend Vinita, Vik's sister has known all along. Vini asks Kate for a huge favor...check on Vik..he recently had surgery and is not answering anyone. How to face him without giving away her secret? This is a great fun story of two people who have secrets they are afraid to share, but both tired of running from them. Trigger warning about the subject of sexual assault but handled in the most tasteful way. Kate has rules for her life and would a life with Vik change them? Vik has not thought about settling down since the disaster of his teen years. Come along for the ride of self discovery for these two.
July 5, 2022
Strange as it might seem to Katie’s avid reading fans, I was in a reading slump, until I started Protect Me. It was just the right mix of events and emotions to pull me back into the reading groove. Each book in the Coffee Shop series follows a certain predictable pattern of romance and action, but each is also unique in the social issue(s) portrayed within the individual storylines. Enjoy your stay in Pineville while reading all nine books in the series. There’s a lot of romance (clean) and drama going on in that town! As I’ve noted in previous reviews, I like that Katie integrates “meaty topics”, food for thought, with her romance storylines. Katie has our backs as she consistently delivers stories we want to read, in all of her genres. Thank you, Katie!
July 20, 2022
Another great story to the series
I remember flying through this series at the beginning of the year until I finished book #8 and have to wait for this to be released. Being back in Pineville is great. I was actually afraid that I'd forgotten some characters but everything came back so easier. I love this book and this series. Never want it to end!!!
I remember flying through this series at the beginning of the year until I finished book #8 and have to wait for this to be released. Being back in Pineville is great. I was actually afraid that I'd forgotten some characters but everything came back so easier. I love this book and this series. Never want it to end!!!
July 22, 2022
Loved it!
This was a sweet redemption story. It should probably have a trigger warning as the demons she is fighting deal with rape. The original trauma is not described but the lingering effects are the basis of the story. It is handled well and a sweet HEA wraps this book up, but it should be mentioned somewhere. I really enjoyed this book and the other books in this series.
This was a sweet redemption story. It should probably have a trigger warning as the demons she is fighting deal with rape. The original trauma is not described but the lingering effects are the basis of the story. It is handled well and a sweet HEA wraps this book up, but it should be mentioned somewhere. I really enjoyed this book and the other books in this series.
December 4, 2023
These books are like a warm hug. You see familiar faces, you get to know new people and it all ends in a HEA.
I thought the author did an amazing job with the tough subject matter. It felt real and true and I loved how she stressed that healing from trauma is not linear.
One of my favorites from this series for sure!
I thought the author did an amazing job with the tough subject matter. It felt real and true and I loved how she stressed that healing from trauma is not linear.
One of my favorites from this series for sure!
July 5, 2022
Great storyline
Cross is an excellent story teller. The Coffee Shop series is filled with believable, imperfect characters. They struggle and persevere. And, a requirement for me, have happy endings.
Cross is an excellent story teller. The Coffee Shop series is filled with believable, imperfect characters. They struggle and persevere. And, a requirement for me, have happy endings.
September 29, 2022
In the words of Katie, sweet pineapples! I couldn’t put this book down! Loved every minute of Kate and Viks story. Definitely girl next door with a twist. And absolutely loved the former victim getting the last word by the end. I also want Timothy to ROT!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 27, 2024
so sweet
Oh vik and Kate are so adorable. Their slow warm up to coming together was perfect for their shared history and trauma. They both needed to grow and learn how to trust. Awesome ending.
Oh vik and Kate are so adorable. Their slow warm up to coming together was perfect for their shared history and trauma. They both needed to grow and learn how to trust. Awesome ending.
July 29, 2022
I didn’t want to put this book down!
October 15, 2022
Great story
As with the other books in the series we concentrate on two main players.
Past relationships are explained and expounded on. We end with a thrilling happy ending.
As with the other books in the series we concentrate on two main players.
Past relationships are explained and expounded on. We end with a thrilling happy ending.
April 15, 2023
just desserts
I love that a “victim” gets hot groove back through personal grit, dedicated friends and family love. Great message! Excellent story!
I love that a “victim” gets hot groove back through personal grit, dedicated friends and family love. Great message! Excellent story!
June 21, 2023
It was good. Not my favourite from the series but I liked it.
October 6, 2024
I absolutely love the coffee shop and each new story we get from it. With the last book we meet Katelyn and I was just swept away with her story.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews