Rating: 4.5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Phoenix Harcourt is the head of a successful cosmetics company and a widowed, single father raising his little girl. He’s also an omega…a rarity in the business world. Phoenix has been receiving threatening letters, and now they’ve included photos of his daughter, letting him know how easily they could get to her. He’s remained close with his dead mate’s sister and she suggests he hire a bodyguard. She also knows the perfect man to call.
Lucius Payne runs his own security company and agrees to guard Phoenix and his daughter, Jasmine. When he arrives at Phoenix’s house, he instantly realizes Phoenix is his mate, but when Lucius doesn’t immediately do anything, Phoenix thinks he’s being rejected.
Phoenix insists he and Lucius keep their relationship professional, even though they’re mates, and their attraction is powerful. As Lucius and Phoenix slowly fall in love, Lucius promises Phoenix he’ll find whoever is making their lives miserable. However, the answer may be worse than the threat.
What a great book! I enjoyed it from beginning to end. I am a huge omegaverse/mpreg fan, and if there’s knotting and claiming bites? I’m totally in my element. Protecting His Omega had all of that. Lucius was a…well…protective Alpha who will do anything for his mate, but he wasn’t overbearing. Phoenix was nearly opposite of nearly every omega in other stories. He was strong businessman who could run a big, successful company alongside being a loving, caring father.
There are some issues both men face. Phoenix had been kicked out of his family at age 16 after he tested as an omega. His parents were cruel about it and he wound up on the streets. This continued to weigh on him even after he met a man who helped him and got him, not only back on his feet, but to an education and a job. Lucius is a retired Marine who wanted to do something important, but he’s not entirely happy with, in his words, “babysitting” spoiled rich people. In fact, he wanted to turn down the opportunity to protect Phoenix.
I thought Lucius and Phoenix were well developed. The author was able to provide details of the men’s pasts without overwhelming the reader with unimportant bits and pieces. I was also impressed with the way she wrote Jasmine’s character. I’ve pointed out before how children in these stories can be either too precocious or too precious. I loved how Jasmine was an age appropriate, adorable little girl, who was loving and trusting. However, she was also wise and fiercely protective of her Daddy. She took to Lucius right away, and their playful banter was delightful.
As a couple, Lucius and Phoenix were sweet and sexy. They didn’t fall into bed right away, even though the pheromonal (Hey, I made up a word!) draw was powerful. Phoenix wanted to take things slowly, and Lucius was perfectly willing to wait. When they finally came together, it was hot, but tender. The knotting and the bite were just cherries on top of a sexy sundae. I rooted for them from the beginning, and I was so pleased at how their story worked out.
Now, there is a mystery in Protecting His Omega. After all, the only reason Lucius and Phoenix found each other was because Phoenix was being terrorized. Lucius was determined to find out who wanted to hurt his mate and his daughter. I don’t want to give anything away, but I’ll say I thought the solution was completely brilliant. I didn’t expect it at all, but I’m so impressed. I mean seriously impressed. It blew my theory out of the water and was way more satisfying than I could have imagined.
All in all, Protecting His Omega was a worthwhile, enjoyable read. It’s perfect for fans of omegaverse/mpreg fans and mystery fans. Also, if you’ve never read any omegaverse stories, this is a great one to start with. I was hooked from beginning to end, and I would recommend this book to anyone who would ask.
