Man, where do I start. This was an interesting read for sure.
I loved Roman, his wit and sarcasm was great, his relationship and banter with Scott was hilarious.

Got a little bit of an emotional tugging around the 86% mark that I didn’t at all see coming.

This was ALMOST a four star read for me but what really irked me was the ending.

The ending floored me. Nope. Never in a million years would I have thought …

I will be vague because this is the type of ending that should be kept secret IMO.

It was a fade to black scene where it’s seems fairly clear what’s going to happen but since we don’t finish the scene perhaps I’ve been tricked. The ending almost felt like a cliffhanger so I’m not sure how to feel.

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Ok I took a moment to sit in my thoughts. I reread the last chapter, then I reread the final page a couple times and I marinated on. I even went back to NetGalley.. I don’t see mention of this being first book in a duet/trilogy etc. So I will look at this strictly as a standalone and now I’m devastated. So thank you Ms Marsala, I’m ruined.

I retract my previous above statement of my rating, this is absolutely a 4 star read to me because of all the emotional damage I took.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this ARC. Opinions are my own.

As per the NetGalley description, “Desire & Protection” is predominantly set in Chicago—with a brief nod to New York that amounts to a couple of short scenes before we’re firmly back in the Windy City. Location, though, is not where this book gets its depth.

Heather Marsala builds her characters the interesting way: through actions, silences, and emotional tells, rather than laborious physical description. It’s a confident choice, and one that pays off. Her understanding of people—their blind spots, their defences, the things they refuse to look at—comes through clearly on the page.

That insight gives the novel a strong, brooding atmosphere and an emotional weight I honestly wasn’t expecting. This is the kind of debut that doesn’t shout for attention; it trusts the reader to keep up, and that restraint works very much in its favour.

My thanks to NetGalley and Heather Marsala for the ARC of “Desire & Protection” by Heather Marsala.