Title: The Protector
Author: N.L. Gassert
Publisher: http://www:seventhwindow.com
Genre: Contemporary, Action Adventure, GLBT (M/M)
Length: Novel (Print 191 pages)
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
THE BLURB
Soren Buchanan no longer wishes to work for his father, crime boss James Buchanan, nor does he want to continue his relationship with the dangerous and sexy Jolina Miciano. But Jolina has connections that would make James Buchanan more powerful than he already is. Unwilling to be a pawn in his father’s game, Soren decides to stop seeing Jolina even if it means having to suffer through one of his father’s vicious beatings. Beaten and bruised for his defiance, Soren flees to the FBI for help.
Mason Ward, former US Army Ranger and security specialist, lives a quiet life on a house boat docked off the island of Guam. Despite his lack of companionship, Mason believes he is living the life he’s always wanted. Then a job comes Mason’s way, one that will turn his life upside down: hide Soren Buchanan.Hiding Soren Buchanan should be easy money, but not for Mason. Soren is young, seductive and lacking the type of discipline that doesn’t leave bruises. It doesn’t help that Soren’s physical presence brings up desires Mason would rather not feel about a mobster’s son. Now Mason has to keep his mind on his job while being chased by thugs sent to bring Soren Buchanan home…dead or alive.
THE REVIEW
The Protector has one of the most unlikely pairings as protagonists. Hero #1 is Soren Buchanan: a spoiled, rich young man who has had everything given to him, hasn’t worked a day in his life, dropped out of school, lives with his abusive father who has his fingers in most major criminal activities in Guam, and his sometime-girlfriend is a criminal. Hero #2 is Mason Ward, who is 10 years older than Soren: Mason is a more traditional protag, divorced, ex US Army Ranger, security specialist, lives on a boat and thinks that his life is heaven on earth but he has a weakness for redheads and Soren is definitely a redhead. Then everything changes in an instant when Mason is asked to take on the job of hiding Soren who has become an FBI informant and is on the run from both his father and his girlfriend.
When the two meet it’s not exactly love at first sight or even second sight because they are total opposites and the first few days living in the close quarters of the boat don’t exactly endear them to each other as Soren does his best to live up to low expectations. But something happens when the protection game goes awry and Mason’s boat, “The Sprite”, is boarded by thugs out to capture Soren and return him to his father, even at the cost of Mason’s life. Soren realizes that Mason is not so bad after all and he fights to save him rather than return to the life mapped out by his father.
Before I opened this book I thought it would be the usual escapist fare with a couple of adventures that would allow our heroes to show their mettle and then live happily ever after in the Guam sunshine. It was all that and more! I don’t think it’s a secret to anyone who reads my reviews that great characterizations really make me sit up and take notice, even when the plot of a book does not live up to the hype. In this case I got both terrific characters I could root for and a very credible plot. The supporting characters were all wonderfully drawn – from crime boss James “The Smile” Buchanan, the very dangerous Jolina Miciano who wants Soren but on her terms, Ben Marques, Mason’s very suspicious and skeptical business partner, and a host of other great characters which, for a reader like me, is manna from heaven.
The romance between Soren and Mason is as delicious as the rest of the book. You will note that I said “romance” not sex, because that’s what it was. The thrills were almost non stop and the author only gave us a break when Mason and Soren explored their attraction to each other which neither of them really wanted but they were drawn as a moth to a flame.
The Protector is N.L. Gassert’s first published book and she is a very talented writer. Not only does she understand that aficionados of this genre need a lot of conflict and edge of your seat action and adventure, but that they also want characters who are flawed and genuine who act totally irrationally but still manage to tug at their heartstrings. Is this the best action adventure book that I have ever read? Of course not! But The Protector is a darn good book which gives value for money and is a thrill ride from start to finish. The story is equal parts terrorists, action/ adventure and suspense and as a fan of the genre I was engaged from start to finish. I wish that the book was longer because in my opinion Mason’s and Soren’s romantic relationship needed more alone time, but I understand that the author is writing a sequel and I am waiting with great anticipation for The Stalker which is scheduled to be released later next year.
I really enjoyed this story and I think you will too. Buy this book!
Thank you, Wave. Boy, you almost had me go out and buy a copy myself.
I’m really, really hoping to make the next book longer but equally as fun to read. I just love Mason and Soren.
I loved this book too, I think mostly because it was so fresh and different. I can’t wait to read more about these boys.
Hi Nadja
Glad the review resonated with you *g*
Jen
You know how I feel about great characters, and the plot was terrific too.
Oh noes. If you and Jen league against me, I stand no chance at all. *sighs and adds yet ANOTHER book to list of fabulous-books-dangling-under-your-nose-but-that-you-cannot-to-buy-yet*
Mary
I forgot – I’m sure you saw that Nadja is going to give someone who comments on the interview a signed 1st edition of the book – the second edition is already underway b/c this has been such a fast seller! Don’t forget to comment on Wednesday to increase your chance of getting a free book. (I have no idea how you win so many books) 🙂
This series desperately needs to be released in e-book form. I’m sure Ms. Gassert has already heard that a thousand times, but still…every time I mention this book, at least five people ask me if it’s available as an e-book. Sales would go up 500%.
Hi Jen
Nadja will answer the question of whether there will be an electronic version of The Protector in her interview on Wednesday. Stay tuned.
Wave
Yes, yes, the e-books are on their way. I was hoping to have them out before Christmas, oops, before the holidays, but publishing is a slow business.
Thanks, Jen. Please call me Nadja 🙂
I’m sure you saw that Nadja is going to give someone who comments on the interview a signed 1st edition of the book
Lol. You think I could overlook something like that? :-DDD Yep, I did saw. I wrote down the interview in my planner. Now I just need to remember to check my planner on Wednesday 😉 Yes, I KNOW I have way too much unread books already – worse is I haven’t read anything new in a full week…busy working on highly illegal fanfiction *g* -, but since there is an increasing number of great contest around me, I decided that I would keep entering, but that if I won I’d read those books right away, so I don’t feel guilty for winning. Sounds like a plan, no? :-DDD (OK, now I bet that because I said this I’m not going to win a singe contest anymore…Murphy’s Law always liked me too much…lol)
– the second edition is already underway b/c this has been such a fast seller!
Wow that is great. I’m happy for Nadja! And it sure is another great sign about how good the book is :).
Hi Mary
Someday you’re going to have to share your winning secrets with the rest of us. This time I’m going to insist that Nadja make the drawing for the winner since I don’t want my integrity to appear to be compromised 🙂
Looking forward to seeing you on Wednesday.
*sings Hallelujah chorus*
Yaaaayyy!!! Nadja, that is great news. You have no idea how many times I’ve told people “I see that she is planning an e-book, but I’m not sure when it’s coming out.” People really want this book, so I’m glad they’ll have more purchase options.
Lol. I think Jen’s a happy woman tonight 😀
And I doubt anyone doubts your integrity Wave. I’ve won at 8 different places, not just here :-D. Seriously, I guess the key is just to try. There are some names I recognize from blog to blog because I see them all the time among comments and in winner’s names lists – MUCH more often than my own :).
BTW, I just noticed the two new covers of books you,re reading now…nice! I hadn’t seen the cover for November – actually, I also don’t know what it’s about 😀 And I have to thank you because when I went to M.L. Rhodes’s site to check what Shattered was about, I saw she also wrote straight ficiton, and OMG she wrote something about the Phantom of the Opera! That was my one huge obsession prior to the BDB (((phantom)))
Hi Nadja
You made Jen a very happy woman even though she has a print copy of The Protector.
“Christmas” is OK on this blog at any time. I’m not politically correct and call each holiday by its proper name. So Christmas is Christmas and Hanukkah and Eid are all called by their real names *g* Now all you have to do is get your publisher to release your book in electronic format in time for Christmas – that would be a great stocking stuffer – a gift certificate 🙂 Do you know which e-pub. your publisher is using to distribute the book?
Mary
Should I tell you that I saw Phantom on Broadway several times? *g*
M.L. Rhodes is my monthly interview for December – she’s going to be on the blog Monday, December 8 so that’s another date for you to remember in addition to Nadja’s interview tomorrow.
Shattered is the sequel to Vertigo which is reviewed on the blog. It’s a dark fantasy!
Thanks Wave for the review. This book has been on my to-read-list and it’s nice to get your endorsement too 🙂 If there’s an ebook, I would have read it already! I am just too lazy to order print book from US (not available in UK amazon) and wait for it to arrive.
Hi Eve
As you might have seen, Nadja Gassert, the author, who is being interviewed on the blog tomorrow, said that an ebook is on its way shortly but the print copy is only 191 pages :).
Nadja is following the blog so if she sees this I hope she’ll get her publisher to talk to amazon to see if it could be made available in the UK.
I’ve seen Phantom on Broadway too :). I wanted to see the London show this summer too but couldn’t get tickets – nevermind, I’ll just go back 😉 The obsession all started with the newest film. I fell hard for Gerry Butler as a sexy Phantom and started collecting POTO paraphernalia. I have a book shelf dedicated to books about it, have seen most of the movie versions and have three posters and 20 Phantom magnets in my bedroom :-DDDD
I’ve put M.L.’s interview in my planner. Right below the “ELECTIONS !!!!” tag. I still can’t believe Chrest decided to make elections NOW. I hope people make him pay for that in the results.
Mary
You have a bookshelf dedicated to POTO paraphernalia? I can’t believe it!
Good luck on your elections 🙂
Oi, I cannot remember the e-book formats. I think it will be a Kindle edition and a Mobi edition and one other. I should know. Shame on me. It will be on amazon, that I know. And amazon.uk should have the print edition, too.
Sorry, I’m in and out today, running around like a chicken without a head …
Nadja
What I meant was which e-book publisher was releasing The Protector in electronic format. Potential e-book purchasers would need to know where to purchase the book. Since your publisher, Seventh Window, publishes print only, I would assume that it would contract out the electronic version of the book!
Wave
You have a bookshelf dedicated to POTO paraphernalia? I can’t believe it
Believe it. I even paid over 50$ for a rare book on eBay – Angel of the Opera by Sam Siciliano. Gorgeous thing, hardcover with matte black and golden jacket. It was almost three years ago…and I still haven’t read it :-D. I paid for most of the items on that shelf with the money I made from re-selling used copies of Susan Kay’s PHANTOM. I was lucky on that one; I found 4 in UBS in Montreal ;-D. Yay!
Wave, my publisher is adding an e-book side to the business. The entire catalogue will eventually be available in different e-book formats right off the Seventh Window site.
Nadja
That’s great news. Most readers have been waiting for The Protector to come out in ebook format. I was on the Seventh Window site today and noticed quite a few books that I would like to get in ebook format e.g. Discreet Young Gentlemen, Two Boys in Love etc.
Shipping of print books not only takes a long time if you live outside the US but is also expensive when you buy from amazon. And for someone like me who buys lots of books, the cost quickly becomes prohibitive
I’ll keep checking the Seventh Window site for updates.
I didn't know the MJ Pearson were from the same publisher. Always good to know :). That makes it two interesting authors and three books… Maybe I should check the site. >:-)