Reviewed by Cindy
TITLE: Pride and Protection
SERIES: Southern Boys Book 2
AUTHOR: K.C. Wells
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 259 Pages
RELEASE DATE: June 18, 2019
BLURB:
What happens when an out-and-proud bear moves to a small Tennessee town, and takes a shine to the closeted cop?
Fireworks, that’s what.
When Del Walters agrees to go into business with his brother, he has one condition. Since he’s putting up the lion’s share, they’ll run the bike shop his way—and that means he gets to choose the name. And in a small Tennessee town, a business called Rainbow Racers, complete with a not-so-subtle sign, was always going to attract attention.
Unfortunately, it’s the wrong kind of attention, and after a few incidents, Del is forced to call on the local police to deal with the culprits.
When Officer Taylor Cox walks into his shop, Del thinks Christmas has come early. An earlier encounter with the younger man left Del with a growing desire to know more about him. There’s only one problem—Taylor is in the closet, and there’s no way Del is going back into his.
When Taylor lays eyes on the sexy bear who owns the bike shop, he knows he’s walking into trouble. Not that he’s about to let Del know he’s interested: his view from the closet is just fine, thank you very much, and besides, that ship has already sailed, thanks to their first meeting. Now all he wants to do is forget Del even exists. But as time goes by, Taylor realizes how badly he is torn between protecting the persona he’s created, and giving in to his desires. And Del making it obvious that he wants Taylor isn’t helping matters.
Between an out-and-proud bear and a firmly closeted cop, something has to give. Problem is, it might be their hearts.
REVIEW:
Del has been out and proud for a long time and he knows moving to a small southern town is going to be problematic, but his love for his brother wins out over any reluctance he might have. He knows there’s going to be issues but he’s determined to make a go of the bike shop that’s his brother’s dream.
Taylor has only been living half a life, keeping most of who he is in the shadows out of the fear of losing all the “important” things in his life. Meeting Del makes him realize that maybe what’s really important are the things that someone like Del can bring into his life. He’s let fear rule his life for so long, can he let go of it long enough to figure out what he really wants?
Let me start by saying that I absolutely love Del. His whole “take me as I am” attitude really appeals to me, as does his obviously protective and caring nature. When he meets Taylor, he quickly comes to realize how much the younger man has been struggling and set’s out to help him figure things out.
Taylor’s struggle is heartbreaking. He spends so much time worrying about people finding out who he really is that he doesn’t really get to enjoy life. Even when he takes time away for himself in another place, he still sits back and watches life go on around him instead of really participating in it.
The interactions between Del and his brother made me smile. That big brother vibe is something that Del has in spades, and I loved the banter between them. I also get that big brother/dad vibe with his interactions with Chaz, the young man that comes to work for Del and his brother at their motorcycle shop. There’s a lot to love about these guys.
With Taylor, though, this story is about his journey to find himself. I like that we get inside his head as he works through his issues and figures out how to live his life for himself, rather than try to make everyone but him happy. There was more than one moment where I got a little choked up along the way. I can’t imagine having to hide who I am because I felt like there was no one who would understand or love the ral me.
This story is well done, even though there’s a few moments where it sort of got…stuck for a lack of a better word, but mostly it kept moving at a great pace and I enjoyed it immensely. K.C. Wells is one of those authors who I always know is going to make me think and make me smile but will quietly break my heart once or twice along the way.
RATING: 
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