Review Time – Hard to Protect by Incy Black

Hard to Protect is the third book in the ‘Hard to’ series by Incy Black and I, for one, have not been able to wait to get my hands on this book.

Will Berwick, leader of the Assassins at The Cube, a plausibly deniable secret team hidden deep within British Intelligence is given the unenviable task of breaking down Angel Treherne, a psychotherapist who The Service believe hold the key to finding her brother, Rhys, a brilliant scientist who has developed a potentially explosive drug that could transform how soldiers fight.

Angel is also tasked with breaking down Will, of getting inside his head to make sure he’s fit for active duty after he was almost fatally shot. Problem is, Will’s for the ‘Sorry, sweetheart, only way you’ll get inside my head is when I’m no longer breathing’.

But that’s not the only problem.

Angel, icy-cold, bitter, desperately trying to keep a hundred balls in the air all under a cool exterior – and that exterior is beginning to crack.

My Review

Hard to Protect is fast-paced, abundant with twists and turns and sexual tension between Will and Angel.

Angel is not a warm character – at first. She’s holding a bunch of secrets which she has, over many years, figured the best way to keep is to come across as hard, icy, bitchy even. But I loved her from the beginning because Ms Black drops in these little nuggets which, if you’re paying attention, give you a brief glimpse behind the veneer Angel is living under. She’s sassy, brilliant, beautiful, and as her secrets unfold, your heart bleeds for her. What a woman!

Will, my goodness, what can I say about Will….in Ms Black’s previous novels, Will comes across as a bit-part player, and certainly in Jack Ballantyne’s book, Hard to Forget, he seems something of a gofer. How wrong can you be!

Will oozes sexuality from the very first line in the book. He is complex, deep, has more chips on his shoulder than my local chip shop serves in a week, and he is horrible to Angel at times – but – he is hot, hot, hot. And, in the same way Ms Black slowly reveals Angel’s character, the same can be said of Will. Everything he does is for a reason, and this is why you forgive the actions he takes and the way he goes about his business.

When you put together two people, very different, both wanting—no needing—things from each other that neither one is willing to give, then you have conflict in abundance, which makes you keep turning those pages faster and faster.

Ms Black is one of the most unique voices out there. Even if her name had not been on this book, I would have instantly recognised Hard to Protect as one of her novels. Her style – deep third Point-of-View – is some of the best I have seen. She puts you right in the characters heads; you share every thought, every action as it is happening which is incredibly difficult to achieve and yet she makes it look easy.

If you like fast paced thrillers with believable sexual tension between alpha males and strong, capable women, then Incy Black’s novels will not disappoint.

Hard to Protect is out on 20th March 2017.

Ms. Black’s other novels, Hard to Forget and Hard to Hold, are available right now.

Thank you to the publisher, via NetGalley, for an opportunity to read Hard to Protect. I absolutely loved it!