Her Unlikely Protector - Regan Black (HRS #2137 - June 2021)

Series: Escape Club Heroes (Book 5)

She keeps her heart to herself
But a new case changes everything…
 
Officer Aubrey Rawlins has learned the hard way -- trusting people only ends in disaster. So when Leo Butler shows up in her precinct, claiming his sister has gone missing, she remains sympathetic but detached. As danger stalks the investigating pair, she's unsure if what's growing between them is real. But can Aubrey open up to let in her unexpected protector?
 
Good book. Police officer Aubrey Rawlins is a beat cop who works the area around a college campus, including homeless camps and shelters. She loves what she does and believes that she makes a difference. Aubrey also has the reputation in her precinct of having a soft heart, one that gets her into trouble. That soft heart is entirely in evidence when she and her partner respond to a disturbance at a local soup kitchen. There they find a very agitated man looking for information on his missing sister.
 
Leo Butler and his sister Lara are very close despite the nine-year age difference between them. Though he lives in Cincinnati and she goes to college in Philadelphia, they talk or text every day. He hasn't heard from her in a week and is desperately worried about her. Leo has already created one disturbance at her dorm and has been lectured by campus security. His only lead is Lara's work at the soup kitchen.
 
I liked the first meeting between Leo and Aubrey. Her kindness and compassion shine as she talks Leo down from his agitation and convinces him to file a missing person report. Leo listens to her but also doubts the willingness of the department to conduct a proper search for Lara. What neither of them expected was the instant attraction that flared between them. Each tried to resist the feelings at first thanks to emotional baggage from their pasts, but it wasn't long before it became too strong to deny.
 
I liked watching the relationship develop between Aubrey and Leo. As they work together to find Lara, they get to know each other. Aubrey begins to understand the close relationship between the siblings and the abundance of love Leo has to offer. Leo learns of Aubrey's devotion to the people of her city and her belief in making a difference. I liked his growing respect for her abilities, even as his protectiveness reached new levels. I also liked Aubrey's understanding of Leo's need to do something even when she disapproved of his methods. As their efforts continued, their feelings for each other deepened even though they knew Leo would eventually leave Philadelphia. I ached for Aubrey as she let her fears push him away. I hurt for Leo and his feeling of rejection. His solution was fantastic, and I loved his big moment at the end.
 
The suspense of the story was good. Leo's desperation to find Lara gave the story intensity from the start. The use of the homeless community and its many issues added heart to the search. When it becomes clear that Lara is in danger, Aubrey bites the bullet and agrees to involve Grant at the Escape Club (I didn't agree with her issues and dislike for him, but I understood where she was coming from). There were some tense moments in the story, from confrontations in a coffee shop and with a homeless man to the final showdown. I was on the edge of my seat as bullets flew, and Aubrey and Leo raced to save Lara. I wasn't terribly surprised by the truth when uncovered, but the journey was great.