Trust is a hard thing. This book demonstrates this very well and shows the beauty that is overcome when one decides to trust.

Charlene Parris is a first-time author for me. I am a lover of romantic suspense and she had done an awesome job with “Watchers Of The Night.” This is the 1st book in “The Night Guardians series.” This is an entertaining read that has its share of drama, suspense, danger, action packed, pager turner, twists, turns, mystery, mayhem, romance, great characters and a plot that held me captive. Cynthia Cornwall is a forensic investigator. Adam Solberg is a sexy detective. Cynthia and Adam have worked on cases before and the two find themselves working together again on a new case that is near and dear to Adam. As the two are continuing to work together on the case they are getting closer and closer and their attraction and chemistry can’t be denied. Both Adam and Cynthia are working on a case that Adam is to close to as it was his father’s motorcycle club where there was an explosion and several injuries were sustained. Adam has been taken off of the case as he is intent on solving the murder of his father and friends and Cynthia is keeping Adam up to date on the case. Things are heating up with the investigation and danger is imminent. Cynthia knows that she has to trust Adam and solve the case. Waiting patiently for the 2nd book in this series.

Will Cynthia and Adam be able to solve the mystery surrounding the murder of his father, is there an HEA in store for Adam and Cynthia?

I received an ARC via NetGalley and Harlequin Romantic Suspense and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

Forensic investigator Cynthia Cornwall and Detective Adam Silberg are drawn together by a deadly explosion that rocks Adam's father's Motorcycle Club. As they dig deeper into the arson investigation, their attraction grows amidst the dangers they face. Cynthia, haunted by past tragedies, shares information with Adam, forging a bond based on shared grief and determination. Adam, grieving the loss of his father and friends, is driven to uncover the truth, even as he's taken off the case. Their relationship blossoms amidst witty banter, steamy encounters, and genuine connection, challenging Cynthia's guarded nature and Adam's resolve. Parris skillfully weaves suspense and romance, creating a thrilling novel with vivid characters and unexpected twists.

I’d give this book 3.5 stars if I could. It starts off strong, throwing you right into the chaos. Cynthia is trying to solve the crime while a budding romance with a colleague (forbidden some would say) begins. Insta lust-slow burn romance almost, which I adore.

Can Adam keep her safe? Can they protect themselves while trying to solve the bombings? This twisty turny tale really picked up towards the end so if you’re struggling to get through, keep going!! Thx Netgalley, for allowing me to read and review this book

This was a pretty good book. So this book pretty much starts with a bang leaving the investigators doing their best to figure out who was behind this and following the clues. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and what drives them when it comes to this book and for a good chunk of the book it was pretty romance heavy I was hoping for more when it came to the mystery suspense aspect of it but when thing started to piece together it got all the more interesting. Overall pretty good book I liked it.

In Watchers of the Night (The Night Guardians Book 1) by Charlene Parris, forensic investigator Cynthia Cornwall investigates the explosion that injures and kills members of Detective Adam Silberg’s father’s Motorcycle Club. Despite the risks, Cynthia makes sure that Adam is kept in the loop about the arson investigation into the explosion that killed his father. They form a connection based on shared experience and attraction while searching for and following clues and information associated with the blast. The deeper they get into the investigation, the more dangerous it is for them. If they are to survive what’s to come, Adam may be the only one Cynthia can trust. She will have to decide whether the relationship between them is genuine and strong enough to withstand the outcome of the investigation.

Parris’s active writing style doesn’t waste words with vivid descriptions involving the characters’ senses, fully engaging you in each moment and scene. Her dialogue is dynamic and natural sounding, and she skillfully develops her complex, relatable, and likable characters with intriguing interactions. Parris takes you through the full spectrum of emotions with this thrilling novel that has a nice balance between suspense and romance and is full of unexpected twists and turns.

A beautiful, brilliant, gifted, logical, and observant African American criminal investigator, Cynthia has experienced tragedies in her past that still haunt her. Although she is calm under pressure, intensely private, and has trouble opening up, Cynthia chooses to take a chance and share the information from the investigation with Adam because she knows how difficult it is to experience the tragedy of losing someone you love and not have answers about what happened to them. However, she does tend to overstep her authority and have conflicts with other officers. She must always be tough and prove herself because she’s a woman, even though she excels at her investigations.

Gorgeous, emotional, open, protective, attentive, stubborn, and observant, Adam is driven by grief to solve his father’s and friends’ deaths and the explosion that caused them and injured others—even though he’s taken off the case. An experienced detective, Adam is biracial with a Lebanese mother. Adam’s father was his best friend and mentor. So, losing him suddenly in an explosion is difficult for Adam to accept and believe that he’s gone just like that.

I love Cynthia and Adam’s sweet, flirty, snarky, and funny interactions and banter and steamy, sexy, and intimate love scenes that contribute to developing their friendship, romantic relationship, and characters. They share an immediate attraction, connection, and comfort level that deepens as they work the case together and spend time getting to know each other. Adam is drawn to Cynthia instantly and gives in to his attraction to her and their connection without restraint. Cynthis fears Adam is too good to be true because he treats her with respect, listens to her without talking down to her, and trusts her. She’s drawn to him just as strongly but tries to keep it casual. Used to keeping her emotions controlled, she’s thrown by how quickly Adam gets past her usual guard.

Steamy, suspenseful, funny, and sexy, Watchers of the Night is a fast-paced, captivating romance I highly recommend for mystery/thriller, romantic suspense, and interracial romance fans.

Advanced review copy provided by HARLEQUIN - Romance via Netgalley for review.

Terrific start to a new series from a debut author. The story drew me in from the start and kept me hooked to the end. The blend of suspense and romance was well done.

The book started with a bang as a local motorcycle club's building exploded, killing at least one person. The club members were all retired police officers who worked hard to keep the neighborhood safe. The dead man's son, Adam, is a detective with the local police. Devastated at the loss of his father, he is not happy when he is forbidden to take part in the investigation.

Cynthia is a forensic investigator assigned to investigate the explosion. A similar tragedy in her past motivated her rise in her field. It also gave her a degree of empathy for Adam's situation, so she promised to keep him informed about the progress of her investigation. I liked her determination and attention to detail. She is a complex woman, and I loved the slow reveal of the things that made her who she is.

It doesn't take long for Cynthia's investigation to draw the wrong people's attention. Threats against her life rouse Adam's protective instincts, and he invites her into his home to watch over her. Cynthia is a very independent and self-reliant woman and is wary of trusting Adam's protectiveness. But the more time they spend together, the more she realizes that Adam's kindness and respect are the real deal. Adam is surprised by the depth of his growing feelings for Cynthia. I loved how quickly he understood her and her quirks. Neither expected the strength of their attraction or the brain-scrambling effect it had on them. I liked watching them work through the issues that could keep them apart. The ending was terrific.

The suspense of the story was excellent. Leads are few, and those that Cynthia has are slow to reveal their connection. As she and Adam get closer to the truth, the danger to them intensifies. The twists and turns of the investigation kept me intrigued throughout the book. The final confrontation was a nail-biter and kept me glued to the pages until it was over. There was a surprise at the end that I didn't see coming, and it served as an excellent wrap-up of the story. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Watchers of the Night by Charlene Parris is an excellent romantic suspense novel. The intriguing mystery had me captivated, and constantly guessing its outcome. While I chose to skip over the intimate details, I was pleased to discover that this book marks the start of a promising series. I eagerly anticipate delving into the next installment, eager to uncover more thrilling adventures.

Enjoyable!
I love romantic suspense and this delivered in the latter half. I liked the romance a lot and felt the connection between the characters. The tension was good and the characters themselves were well done. However, I did feel the first half of the book was really slow. It took my a while to get into the story.

Good romantic suspense. The mystery kept me guessing. I skipped the intimate details. Glad to see this is the beginning of a series. I look forward to reading the next one. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.