This was an action and drama-filled mystery with a bit of romance to lighten the mood. The story opens with Mark being called to investigate an assault. A local businessman with a ruthless reputation was attacked and left for dead. The victim is disliked by many people, which creates a plethora of possible suspects. The case became more urgent when the victim was later murdered. The twists and turns of the investigation kept me intrigued, and trying to figure out the killer kept me guessing. The shoe clue was fascinating. Complications arose when the woman Mark was dating became both a victim and a suspect. The suspense intensified as Mark and Britt closed in on identifying the killer. The final confrontation was a shock and kept me glued to the pages until it was over.

I enjoyed watching Mark and Britt's relationship develop. They first saw each other the night of the assault, as Britt's bakery is across the street from the scene of the crime. They didn't speak, but their connection was lust at first sight. They met officially a short time later when Mark came to question the employees about whether they'd seen anything. There was no hesitation on either side about getting to know each other, though neither expected their feelings to develop so quickly. I liked how Britt was sensitive to Mark's stress during the investigation and how she helped him balance his work and life. Mark is fascinated by Britt, and I loved seeing how he treated her. He is also very protective of her when she becomes the victim of vandals. Their relationship hits a bump when Britt becomes a suspect in the murder, though that is resolved quickly. I liked the ending and hope to see more of them in future books.

This book was amazing! I loved the characters and the plot was very well written. The writer is very talented and the story was very interesting.

Defender After Dark is a well written romantic suspense. I throughly enjoyed the plot and the character dynamics. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

This is the 2nd book in the “The Night Guardians Series.” This is an entertaining romantic suspense, drama filled, action packed adventure, page turning, mystery, mayhem, murder, twists, turns, great characters and a plot that had guessing and trying figure who the culprit was. I read the first book in this series and the two books can be read as a standalones. Mark is a sexy alpha detective who on the trail of a killer when the body of a ruthless CEO has been found at his construction site. Britt is a baker owner who has had dealings with the dead CEO as he wanted to take over her business. When Britt finds herself as the number one murder suspect she needs help in clearing her name and finding the real culprit. With Britt and Mark banding together to solve the murder the two get more than they bargained for when their feelings take center stage.

Who killed the CEO and why, why is Britt a suspect, can and will Britt and Mark solve the murder mystery and is there a HEA in store for the couple?

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

Interesting romantic suspense. A clever murder mystery that kept me guessing. What a surprise. I didn't have a clue as to the culprit(s). Enjoyable romance. A nice variety of characters. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

This is a Romantic Suspense, and this is the second book in the Night Guardians series. I have read the first book in this series before picking up this book, but I do think you can read this book as a standalone without any problems. I had major problems trying to get into this book. I did not connect to the characters in this book, and I really did not like the romance. I felt the romance in this book was very weird. The mystery and suspense was ok. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

A fast paced romantic suspense that tended to be a little on the predictable side but still good. It was also a fairly quick read. I kept turning pages because I had to know wha happened.