Mine To Hold by Shayla Black (Wicked Lovers #6)
Erotic Contemporary Romance
June 5, 2012
Berkley Heat

Reviewed by Helyce

When Tyler Murphy’s partner and good friend Eric Catalano was shot in the line of duty, his life changed in ways he could never imagine.  Tyler was there for Eric and his wife Delaney, providing any and all support while Eric went through the healing process.  One night after more than a few drinks and not enough food, the trio crosses a line that Eric himself pushed into motion. When Eric sees the obvious attraction and affection that Tyler and Delaney share, he regrets his actions.  Determined to heal the rift with her husband, Delaney asks Tyler to leave and stay away. He does so for Delaney, but he knows that walking away is the biggest mistake he’s ever made.

Two years later, Tyler has landed in Louisiana.  He’s working as a bouncer in a strip club and while not lacking for female companionship in any way, he longs for Delaney and what they shared that one night. When she shows up on his doorstep out of the blue, needing his protection from a man determined to kill her and revealing a secret she’s kept for almost two years Tyler’s protective instincts go into overdrive. Determined to keep her safe and make up for lost time, Tyler and Delaney will embark on a dangerous path as they try to bring down the man determined to end Delaney’s life.  Additional secrets will be revealed and through it all Tyler and Delaney continue to test their feelings for each other as they attempt to hold on to their fragile relationship.

I really enjoyed Mine To Hold.  It had the perfect combination of excitement, adventure, romance and really hot sex scenes that did not take over the story at all.  It is clear that Tyler and Delaney belong together, but their path to happiness is full of obstacles. This book covers a couple of issues that I thought were kind of "glossed over" and while it did not affect my enjoyment of the book as a whole, I felt it necessary to mention them.

Firstly, Delaney and Eric are married, but we learn early on that Eric had been unfaithful to her on more than one occasion prior to the shooting that landed him in a wheelchair. As the reader, we know this and we know Tyler knows, so right off there is much more to this situation between these three people.  I get that Tyler has been there for Delaney since Eric’s accident and that they are close friends, and as much as Tyler is a man-whore and even knowing that Eric had been unfaithful, it is made clear that he would never have approached Delaney in a sexual way.  In fact, he says “no” when Eric initially puts the idea of the ménage out there.  It is only after Delaney shows interest that Tyler warms up to the idea. Even with the issue of infidelity going on in the background in my head, this is probably my favorite sex scene in the whole book as we watch Tyler and Delaney become almost oblivious to Eric’s presence at one point.  The author did a spectacular job of showing the intense chemistry between these two people who come together in a situation that neither would have acted upon if not for the request of Eric. When Eric explodes because he didn’t like how Delaney reacts to Tyler it was a perfect "karma" moment as well as a "be careful what you wish for" moment as well.

The initial ménage scene sets up the relationship between Tyler and Delaney and makes it crystal clear that for them, there is so much more to the act than just sex. And if you’re imagining that the secret that Delaney is keeping is one of the nine month variety, you would be correct, and that takes me to the second issue that I felt should have been fleshed quite a bit more. When Delaney finally seeks Tyler out it is because he is in trouble; her life and that of her son’s at stake. At this point in time, Seth is a toddler and while Tyler is over the moon to find out that he has a child and that Delaney is back in his life, I just don’t think his reaction to finding out that he is a father is realistic.  I thought Tyler should have been much angrier and Delaney’s comment that she "couldn’t find him" just didn’t work for me. She found him just fine when she needed his protection.

Other than those two things, I found the journey that Tyler and Delaney embark on to bring down the ADA in Los Angeles well done. The author keeps us on our toes. Just when we think Delaney has the proof she needs, something happens to completely blow her case against the ADA. When Eric re-enters the scene and his own secrets are revealed I wasn’t too surprised here. Thanks to Tyler’s friends, help is never far behind and I really liked how the author included previous characters within this story.

Tyler and Delaney’s HEA is certainly not handed to them easily. In fact, while Tyler is clear from the beginning on what he wants, Delaney struggles with her trust in Tyler for the long term. She’s known him a long time and can’t see him in a committed relationship, ever. Tyler has his work cut out for him in proving to Delaney that he can be the man she wants and needs. And the author keeps us guessing till nearly the last pages.

I’m a fan of a series that revisits previous characters and while I have not read all the books in this one, I’ve read enough of them to know most of the characters that are featured in this story. Xander Santiago has made an appearance here and there throughout these books and has a decent secondary role in here. Gorgeous, rich and sexy, I cannot wait to meet the woman who brings him to his knees!

Excitement, adventure, deception and sex-this book has it all!

Rating: B-

Recent Reviews:
Another Look Book – 5/5
Books-n-Kisses – 4.5/5
Hanging With Bells – 3.75/5
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