Protective Impulse by Kaylea Cross
POV: 3rd Person Multi
PoP: 82%
Tropes: Single Dad; Slow Burn; Heroine in Danger; Small Town; Protector Romance
Series: Crimson Pointe Protectors Book 5
Type of Series: Series of Interconnected Standalones
Rate: 3/5 Stars
Release Date: January 31, 2023
Anaya and Donovan met when Donovan helped save Anaya’s sister in the previous book, and they had a connection. But there are factors in the way. They live on different sides of the country and also the fact that Donovan feels like he doesn’t deserve to have good in his life. There is a lot of hot and cold with the way that Donovan treats Anaya, and it got to be a little bit frustrating. I didn’t love his character. There was a self-deprecation there that didn’t make sense.
I could understand his hesitations after a past job went wrong, but the situation with his mentality in regard to his daughter was odd for me. Shay is about to go to college and has a good relationship with Donovan, but he almost seems like he doesn’t accept it. She never treats him as less, and always is upbeat and positive, so I don’t love the way Cross wrote that story arch.
The rest of the story itself is intriguing and entertaining. There are discoveries made, pasts meet present, and there is heartbreak. Anaya’s past as an orphan comes into play in a way that works and makes sense. Her mother is something, and I thought the way in which that storyline closed out worked well. Overall, this is an engaging story that I couldn’t put down, and I look forward to the next book.
