Protecting His Pregnant Partner by Leslie North

I received this book for free from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

An adrenaline rush of danger and romance…

Holly Yee’s life was shattered when she witnessed the brutal murder of her ex. Now, she’s been forced into hiding from the mobsters seeking to eliminate her. Pregnant and under the protection of bodyguard and former Navy SEAL Kenton Price, she’s going a little stir crazy in his apartment.

Sitting on the sidelines really isn’t her thing Former jocks aren’t her thing either, but there’s something about Ken that makes him different from other men. Something hot. Something sexy. And…special. Most of all, she feels safe—until the mob targets Ken, putting both their lives in danger.

Despite the threat to himself, Ken’s priority is protecting Holly and her unborn baby. In the short time they’ve spent together, she’s become important to him. Too important. Holly is as smart as she is gorgeous and he can’t deny the growing attraction between them. He knows that’s a line he shouldn’t cross. But despite his resolve to keep his distance, he just can't seem to resist her.

He tells himself—and her—it’s just a fling. Too bad his heart isn’t listening…

It’s been a minute since I’ve reviewed a Leslie North book and I’m not sure why because when it comes to romance books, I absolutely love hers. Like I’ve said before – not big on romance, but certain authors are must-reads for me and Leslie North is one of them.

Protecting His Pregnant Partner is the third book in the Aegis Security trilogy. Unfortunately, I somehow missed reading the second book, Protecting His Fake Wife, but fortunately, you get enough details to help you get through the books even if you don’t read them in order.

In this installment, we get to follow Ken and his client, Holly Yee. Her ex-boyfriend and father of her child, Zak Bryant, was killed in a mob hit. Holly and her two friends, Charlotte and Nicole, are now under the protection of Aegis Security until the killer(s) can be caught.

One of the things I enjoy with Leslie North’s books is while yes, there is sex in them, it’s not over done. These books have substance and aren’t just straight smut. There’s nothing wrong with straight smut, but it’s not my first choice in reading material.¹Just a personal preference. I have plenty of friends who love the straight smut romances.

I like Holly. She’s intelligent, snarky, and funny. She also talks constantly, which I admit, I do as well. I’d most likely have driven Ken bananas myself. I also like Ken, even though he starts out obnoxious as all get out. I probably would have strangled him at some point if I’d been stuck in an apartment with him for weeks on end. I’m just saying.

This book was very fast paced, easy to follow, and didn’t really require you to have read the other two books first. Yes, it is a trilogy and you technically should read the books in order, but if you don’t, it’s not a huge deal. At least not for this trilogy. I’d read the first book, but missed the second book, and I didn’t find myself lost or confused in any way. Leslie North’s writing style makes her books enjoyable and is one of the reasons I keep going back to her for romance novels when I do want to read one.

I will say, if you’re not into romantic suspense or military/ex-military romance novels, you won’t be particularly interested in this book or this trilogy. These guys are ex-Navy SEALS and it’s mentioned more than once. However, if you’re curious about military/ex-military romance novels or romantic suspense novels, I’d say these would be a good start for you.