This is the first story in a new romantic suspense series by Delores Fossen, featuring the officers of Mercy Ridge and the neighbouring (sometimes rival) forces. Don’t be fooled by the somewhat inappropriate cover purporting to be Deputy Della Howell as, when the story begins, she is only two months pregnant and it really isn’t showing. That aside, when she gets a text alerting her to a possible murder she rushes to investigate but discovers that her ex, Sheriff Barnett Logan, had the same text and got there before her. Discovering one man who has been stabbed to death and a woman who has been knocked out would be bad at any time but when the woman turns out to be Della’s friend and Barnett’s estranged mother , then add into the mix that Barnett is the father of Della’s child and doesn’t know about its existence and you just know nothing is going to be straightforward!

This is a story packed with family drama, angst, mystery and intrigue. It has a family of lawmen, brothers who have each other’s back, but there’s also a determined killer with both Della and Barnett in their sights. Get ready for explosive action, deadly danger and shocking revelations in this action packed romantic suspense. It is a good read but, like the cover, there are a few continuity errors in the pre-release copy I read which detracted from my enjoyment of the story – they will hopefully have been corrected in the final published version, in which case I’d add another star to my rating! I’ll be interested in seeing how this series develops.

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.

This first book in a new series by Delores Fossen is thrilling from beginning to end. I have read several books by this author so I expected that this book to be enjoyable and I definitely was not disappointed. When deputy Della Howell approaches a crime scene, she does not expect to run into Sheriff Barrett Logan as they normally work in different towns.

Della and Barrett are former lovers. What is more is that Della is pregnant with his child. Della had been trying to figure out a way to tell Barrett, and also trying discover the role he will spend in their child's life. However, a murder has taken place and Della and Barrett are forced to work together despite their past.

One thing I love about this book is it gives readers the cast of characters in this book, as each of the Logan brothers will have their own stories. In fact, we learn that Barrett had a difficult childhood and was more of a father to his two brothers. Barrett and his brothers suffered a tragic loss two decades previously, and because of this they are estranged from their mother Alice. Alice is trying to repair her relationship with her sons and this proves problematic for Barrett.

The murder scene Barrett and Della are at has more than one clue. One is a huge clue that really forces them to act quickly, especially as it soon becomes clear that Della's life is in jeopardy. It had been two months since Barrett and Della were together and now that she is facing danger Barrett is determined to stay close.

Considering the fact that Della is pregnant, certain questions beg to be answered. How will Barrett feel about the baby? Is there any chance for their relationship to be healed? What dangers will Della face that could threaten her pregnancy?

What a fabulous book! I loved the drama that was going on as well as the tension in just about every scene. Barrett's past and present continued to collide with Della and the news he is unaware of. Knowing that this book is a romance clues the reader in that they will fall for each other, but this book shows the journey and that is what made it such a good read. I am eager to read the next books in this series.

Many thanks to Harlequin Intrigue and to NetGalley for this ARC for review.

Her Child to Protect is the first book in the Mercy Ridge Lawmen series which introduces us to the Logan siblings. They are all lawmen, close to each other and angry with their mother for something that happened when they were young. This is Barrett's story. Barrett and Della had a friends with benefits relationship. She is a police officer in the neighboring community. When she broke off the relationship two months earlier, she did not realize that she was pregnant. In this book, she and Barrett are involved in the same case, forcing them to work together. When the person who killed two men already begins to target them, the case becomes personal.

I enjoyed the character development in this story. Barrett has a lot of baggage which made me shake my head a few times, but he did his job, no matter what his feelings. Della was also a good cop, but has to balance her job and its dangers with protecting her child. There seemed to be a lot of things being shot and blown up with no one being killed which was good, but there was a lot of angst. I did enjoy this story, but there were a couple of things that bothered me First, the cover looks like Della is very pregnant, but at the beginning of the story, no one knew she was pregnant and she was not showing. The second niggle I had was at one point, Alice's house was set on fire and she was told she couldn't go back to it, yet later in the story, she is home, sleeping in her bedroom. Just a couple of inconsistencies that bothered me. Overall, this was a fast moving romance story with crime, policing and some family drama. I am looking forward to seeing what is in store for the other Logan brothers as well as to see what happens with their relationship with their mother.

4.5 Stars

Romantic suspense fans know that they are in very good hands when they pick up a Delores Fossen novel and she is back with a hair-raising and engrossing new tale of passion and jeopardy: Her Child to Protect.

When she is called to a murder scene, Deputy Della Howell doesn’t just find a dead body, but also her ex Sheriff Barrett Logan! Having to work together after a recent break up is certainly no picnic, but Della has more than a murder case to worry about as she has just found out that she is pregnant with Barrett’s baby. Barrett doesn’t know that Della is carrying his child and she is worried that this secret might be one which he isn’t exactly ready for. However, thrust together by circumstance, Della soon realizes that the clock is ticking and that she might not be able to keep her pregnancy a secret for much longer.

As sparks begin to fly between the two of them, never forgotten feelings quickly come rushing to the surface, but Della and Barrett cannot afford to let their emotions get in the way of their job. With a dangerous killer on the loose, the clock is ticking and the two cops must put their inconvenient attraction behind them and focus on the job at hand. Yet, that soon proves to be far easier said than done…

With a ruthless murderer watching their every move, can Della and Barrett nail this killer and start focusing on their future together? Or are they about to lose everything just when they are about to become a family?

Delores Fossen’s brand of nail-biting suspense and red-hot romance is simply unbeatable and she is back with a first rate page-turner I found absolutely impossible to put down: Her Child to Protect. A high stakes tale of secrets, danger and seduction, Her Child to Protect ups the ante and blends heat and heart in a mesmerizing romantic suspense tale that will keep readers engrossed all through the night!

Her Child to Protect is the first in the Mercy Ridge Lawmen series. This one is Della and Barrett's story. It's kind of a second chance romance that puts the couple back together when Barrett's mother is accused of murder. Della is also keeping a secret from Barrett. She is pregnant with his child.

I ultimately enjoyed the story, The romance was steamy and the mystery was engaging. There is a LOT of action in the book and it kept me on my toes. I did get a sense throughout the book that I was missing some back story, but it didn't bother me too much. I'm not sure if it's a spin-off from another series. I definitely recommend this one.

Her Child to Protect in the first book in the Mercy Ridge Lawmen series. It tells the story of Sheriff Barrett Logan of Mercy Ridge Texas,  and Deputy Sheriff Della Howell of Culver Crossing. Della and Barrett  received an anonymous text regarding a dead body. They both arrived at the crime scene to the dismay of the other. They have not spoken to each other since Della ended their relationship two months ago. Talk about awkward.  To compound the situation, Della has a secret she needs to disclose to Barrett, but she is not sure of how to approach the situation. Their discovery of the body forces them to work together to unravel a complicated mystery where everyone is a suspect and they a target of the killer.

The story featured well developed characters to whom the reader could relate.  Barrett has some serious issues from his past, which could have a negative impact on the way he handled the case, I admired his professionalism in this regard. Never once did he allow his issues with the main suspect cloud his judgement.

I Loved Della's portrayal in the story. Smart, dedicated and brave, which made her good at her job. Now that she has some one else other than herself to think about her protective instincts emerged.

I did not buy into their relationship in the initial stages. Instead of chemistry, I felt tension between them, which I could understand given the circumstances. Things changed  when Della's secret came to light pushing Barrett's protective nature to the forefront.

The author did an excellent job with the suspense arc. It had me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire story. The story had a few twists, but the one which surprised me the most involved the connection of the current events had to a cold case and the facts that emerged.

I loved the fact that there were many suspects, which made it difficult to determine who was behind the murder and the attempts on Barrett and Della's lives.

I had a good time with this installment, It was my first time experiencing the author's work and I would definitely read more of her books. Readers who enjoy romantic suspense (heavy on the suspense and light on the romance) featuring well developed characters should pick up a copy of Her Child to Protect,

A riveting new suspense series that keeps you guessing.

Barrett Logan is the Sherriff in Mercy Ridge. He has just received a cryptic message and is on his way to what he believes could be a crime scene.

Della Culver is a deputy in Culver Crossing, the adjacent county and has also received the same message as Barrett. She is also on the scene. What makes things difficult is that two months ago, Della and Barrett ended their relationship. A relationship that now has Della harbouring a secret. Now they will have to work together to solve a complicated situation where everyone around them seems to be a suspect and the killer has targeted them both as well. Can they beat the clock and find the killer? How long can Della keep her secret hidden?

What a riveting novel by Delores Fossen. It has mystery, suspense, action and buried secrets. Throw in family drama and you will find you can not put this book down. As this is the first novel in the series, we are also introduced to Barrett’s brothers who are also lawmen. I love when I find a new series to read, and I am excited already for the next book. This was a solid five-star rating for me and my thanks goes to Harlequin Publishing, Delores Fossen and Netgalley for a advanced copy to read and review. All opinions are unbiased and entirely my own.

Her Child to Protect is the introduction to the Mercy Ridge Lawmen which revolves around the Logan siblings. This one is Barrett's romance with Della. I'll admit that this trope isn't one of my favorites, but Delores Fossen does give us some interesting characters and a setting that I'm always a sucker for. I do love me some cowboys, and the cowboy lawman is pretty much guaranteed to grab my attention. All in all, this is a solid start for a new series, and I'm anxious to see what's next.

This first book in the series, introduced us to the Logan siblings, all honorable lawmen.
This story belongs to the oldest, Sheriff Barrett Logan. A man that when his mother left three young boys, even though he was only 12 years old, ended up helping to raise them. After that experience, marriage and kids are not things he wants.
Neighboring town deputy Della Howell is his former lover and the deputy that shows up at the same crime scene as him.
As they try to unravel the crime, the danger intensifies as does the realization that the attraction has not ended . But what happens when the pregnancy is revealed?
Will Barrett be willing to be part of the child’s life? Will they survive the danger? And if they do, will they get their HEA?
This was a quick read, with an interesting plot.
I was entrusted a copy of this book by Netgalley and Harlequin Intrigue. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

I tried to read this but couldn't get into it; it just didn't hold my attention and I didn't care about the characters. DNF