Charlie and Rhyan are romantic suspense magic!!

“He and I both found what we desperately wanted in each other. To be seen.”

I have come to expect fantastic romantic suspense from Kennedy Mitchell and once again, she does not disappoint. Equally a romance story with ALL the feels and an exhilarating race to catch a serial killer, Mine to Keep is probably my favorite book in the Protection series.

“He makes me feel like me being me is more than okay.”

Rhyan is trying to rediscover her confidence and her sense of self after escaping an emotionally abusive relationship. She’s a brilliant FBI profiler yet a bit awkward; personally, she’s a mess. Charlie helps her begin to see herself as she truly is and she blossoms under his care.

“Charlie was like my missing puzzle piece, pairing with my quirks perfectly.”

I already loved Charlie, but after Mine to Keep, I positively ADORE him. Underneath his bad boy exterior, there is a heart of gold above no other. He just seems to know how to give Rhyan exactly what she needs when she needs it.

“And I knew, in that moment, no one would ever compare to her. Rhyan Riggs had officially ruined me.”

I loved Charlie and Rhyan so much. Their banter was perfection and the chemistry was straight up FIRE!! Add in a delicious suspense story with all the twists and turns and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

The narration by Teddy Hamilton and Maxine Mitchell just added to the deliciousness of this story. Both conveyed the characters' emotions to perfection.

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Wow! what a ride!

This exceeded all my expectations, it was fast and hot and mysterious and exhilarating! currently wanting to downloading every title by this author--hope they're even half this good!!

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Hot and Suspenseful!

Mine to Keep is book #4 in the Protection series by Kennedy L. Mitchell. I previously read the first book in the series. I know there's some crossover with certain characters, but it didn't impact the story to the point where I felt lost or confused. That being said, this was a really enjoyable romantic suspense! The main characters are Rhyan and Charlie, both FBI profilers and the way they went about their jobs was super interesting to me. The story itself was intriguing and kept me engaged from start to finish.

Rhyan was a smart lady with great intuition and a tough exterior, but on the inside, she was anxious and had low self confidence due to a previous relationship. Charlie was tattooed, pierced and fit (aka sexy!) but didn't do well with all the attention he got from the ladies and a nerd at heart. Together they had great chemistry and were a great team.

Teddy Hamilton and Maxine Mitchell narrated this book and did an excellent job. Teddy always sounds amazing and he will forever be one of my favs. Maxine is excellent in her own right and is fantastic at bringing the right amount of vulnerability to the character. I always enjoy books narrated by this amazing duo!

I received a free copy of this audiobook at my request, and I voluntarily provided this review.

4..5 ⭐️s for this compelling romantic suspense

This was my first Kennedy L. Mitchell novel/audio and it won’t be my last. I was pulled in to the book (which is part of Mitchell’s larger Protection series but can also be read as a standalone) from the start. The MCs, Charlie and Rhyan, are both FBI profilers with the BSU and I totally dug the Criminal Minds vibes. From the cold open prologue to Rhyan’s Reid-like quirkiness and Charlie’s Morgan-esque broody protectiveness (not “baby girl” to be had, but still great chemistry), Mitchell takes the best elements of that similar context, but still creates her own approach. Rhyan is brilliant at her job but insecure in her personal life, with a toxically coercive former relationship in her past. She’s fall on sharing random factoids to cover awkwardness, which (of course) is total cat nip to Charlie. He’s the junior profiler in the scenario, which was a refreshing change, but he also has tech skills (hacker past, strong personal reasons for wanting to be a profiler rather than just a cybercrimes guy). He isn’t taken as seriously on the job because of his good looks and is tired of being seen as only good for a sexy encounter; he wants a true connection. As their attraction and connection simmers and their relationship grows, Rhyan and Charlie are also on the trail of a serial killer. The suspense elements had good pacing and build compellingly, and there was a solid balance with the romance. Mitchell also managed some humorous moments despite the heavy subject (the stakeout scene had some great levity without harming the seriousness). Plus, she also set up the next hero (Bryson) really well and I am excited to read his story.

My minor quibble is in regards to the oddness of Rhyan’s BF Olivia calling Charlie without knowing him and revealing some of Rhyan’s history to him. I know Olivia is trying to be a good friend so that Charlie can be on guard in case something happens, but I couldn’t help but feel that some of what she shared was Rhyan’s to tell. Props to Charlie for coming clean immediately to her about it, so at least it didn’t become a major tangential plot point; it was just a writerly choice that stuck out as less smooth than others Mitchell made throughout the rest of the novel.

The audiobook performances here were spectacular. Maxine Mitchell and Teddy Hamilton were in fine form. Mitchell is one of my fav narrators and she captured both Rhyan’s confidence as well as her vulnerability. Plus, her delivery of those adorably awkward factoids always made me smile. And when she does male voices - holy hotness, Batman! Hamilton has this great range where he perfectly delivers the sweet and funny, but the listener can still totally buy him as growly sexy when it counts. Charlie is a bit of a bossy dirty talker and Hamilton totally delivered on that. The narration was just *chef’s kiss* all around.

Definitely worthwhile whether you listen or read, though listening is highly recommended because of the performances.

I received and ALC via Home Cooked Books and read via KU. All opinions are my own.

Rhyan & Charlie Are Amazing

Mine to Keep by Kennedy L. Mitchell is book four in the Protection Series. I love it when a heroine starts a sentence with “I could’ve acted like a normal human, but…” Agent Rhyan Riggs is a badass FBI profiler and totally adorkable. Charlie Beckham is a bad-boy hacker-turned-agent with a heart of gold. Charlie is a well-balanced crunchy cinnamon roll; he has both protective alpha and gooey cinnamon roll tendencies and I am here for all of it! This slow-burn, workplace romantic suspense is spicy and devilishly twisted. I loved every minute!

Teddy Hamilton and Maxine Mitchell are two of my top-tier narrator favorites. Teddy plays sweetheart protector wonderfully. He fluidly switches between Charlie’s charming, laidback, entertaining character and his growly, fiercely loyal, bodyguard side. Maxine Mitchell is a queen of romantic suspense narration! She played Rhyan’s filterless, shy, enchanting character perfectly. The way she portrays Rhyan’s anxious, brilliant, lovable personality was captivating. I couldn’t stop listening…and had to immediately jump to the next book!

Great Story, Fantastic Suspense, Amazing Narrators

4th in the series but the stand alone quality is high with this series. I'm having zero issues reading completely out of order.

This is what happens when 2 FBI profilers with some mutual unspoken attraction go explore a potential case together. It's perfection!

Charlie is the newer member of the team, the boss has some animosity towards him, the ladies of the office are throwing themselves at him (even when they shouldn't). He's tattooed, fit and gorgeous, but wanting a deeper connection with someone.

Rhyan has a past that won't let go. She has two sides of herself that people see, the quirky, anxious, odd ball and the confident, in charge, special agent. Very few see and appreciate the whole Rhyan.

Add in a narcissistic jerkwad ex, some unhelpful coworkers/supervisors, anxiety attacks, meddling friends and this is just the beginning for Charlie and Rhyan.

The audiobook was performed by Maxine Mitchell and Teddy Hamilton. I really love listening to this pairing. Maxine is a queen of audio and brought Rhyan to life with all her quirks and issues so well. The emotional extremes that Rhyan gets into because of her anxiety is very dramatic at times, it was both written and performed so believably. Teddy was superb as protective yet vulnerable Charlie. Wanting to do anything possible to protect Rhyan but still allow her to be the strong independent woman and capable agent she is. He doesn't let her retreat or hide, he pushes when needed but does a great job of knowing where the line of "too much" is for Rhyan's limits.

I requested and was generously provided with a copy of the audiobook. These are my honest opinions.

Great romantic suspense

This book was such a great ride! This is my second book by this author, and I’m really loving this series! I love the character growth that Rhyan had throughout the book. Charlie was kind and patient with Rhyan but a tough cop with awesome tattoos and a tongue ring. I enjoyed the police investigation that went along with the romance. This book was well written with great conflict that kept me listening ti the end. It wasn’t as spicy as the first book but it fit the story and the characters. I loved the narrators. These are two of my favorites. I can’t wait to listen to more books in this series! I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this!

This is a dark romantic suspense and the 4th book in the Protection series. This story didn't seem to have as much "suspense" but was excellent just the same. Special Agent Charlie Beckham has recently joined the Quantico field office and has no respect from his new boss but all the attention of the ladies. Supervisory Special Agent Rhyann Riggs has also joined the office, is respected by her boss but is treated as an outcast by her coworkers. When they team up to help solve a case in Kentucky, the chemistry becomes too hard to ignore while past personal issues try to block their HEA.

The narration of Teddy Hamilton and Queen Maxine Mitchell was phenomenal. 5 passionate stars!

Gritty romantic suspense thriller!

Mine to Keep is book 4 in the interconnected stand-alone Protection series. This is actually my first book by this Author, though I do intend to go back and listen to the other books in the series now that I’m hooked. This gritty romantic suspense crime thriller with a forbidden attraction element features Charlie and Rhyan, who are FBI profilers. If you like Criminal Minds with a splash of coworkers who are wildly attracted to each other (but try to resist) then this book is for you! He is new to the team and clashes with the boss. Rhyan is a senior detective who sticks up for him and convinces the boss to let them investigate. She is fighting her own demons from a former relationship and I really liked her character because it accurately shows that even a strong, educated person can slowly lose who they are by degrees to a manipulative narcissistic jerkwad - even if you are an FBI profiler. They are both strong personalities who find their person. Their broken pieces fit together. I really liked that. Their romance is a bit of a slow burn and fits well with the casework to find the killer before they strike again. Ultimately, I enjoyed the mystery, the suspense, and the developing romance. I played 1-more chapter in order to finish the book in mostly one setting.

The narration by Maxine Mitchell and Teddy Hamilton really brought the story to life and emotionally invested me in the characters and their evolving story as they race to catch a serial killer before they can strike again! I would definitely recommend this book and plan to go back and read the rest of the series.

Intense & Thrilling

Fun fact. I loved everything about this romantic suspense. Charlie and Rhyan’s connection was instantaneous and their chemistry was off the charts. I found her vulnerability genuine and endearing and the way he treated her had me swooning. Everyone deserves a Charlie Bekham in their corner.

This was a successful collaboration between Kennedy L. Mitchell, Maxine Mitchell, and Teddy Hamilton. These talented narrators did an incredible job of bringing Kennedy’s heart racing tale to life.