A great addition to Secrets of Cherry Lake. Everyone has secrets in Cherry Lake. This is the story of Carrie, photographer who in the beginning of her career did some glamour shots that she did not want the community to know about, but somehow a hacker got into her account. She seeks help from newcomer, Ethan, a cyber specialist to help her out. Ethan has secrets of his own, too. They both turn to each other to help better them selves with the community.

I loved the characters and how they related to each other. True to her trademark, Roxanne has her furry friends involved in the story line. Oh, how I loved them, so true that animals can bring people together. A very heart warming story of finding yourself again.

I highly recommend this story, along with the rest of the Secrets of Cherry Lake. I received this book from netgalley for an honest review.

Misconceptions. Small town gossip. Combine those and you have a disaster about to happen. Ethan had moved to Cherry Lake about four years ago. He hadn’t taken time to make friends, court the local citizens nor to even think how his non-actions would appear to his neighbors. He’d been nursing some wounds of his own at the time and the move to Cherry Lake was a fresh start. He didn’t know that he had outbid the Mayor over the property he now called home. Or that when he’d bulldozed the property, which quite honestly was falling down, that he’d razed what was considered a heritage property to rebuild. Not to mention that it had belonged to a member of the most prominent old families in Cherry Lake.

When his larger dogs Ashur, Mars and Gun were in a local park for a run, and under his complete control… and an over-reacting mother takes exception when one of his dogs tried to play with her toddler’s ball, well let’s just say things went downhill fast. Ethan has a lot to learn about small town living.

Carrie’s day didn’t start off well at all. At first the security breach notice didn’t bother her too much… until she discovered that a photo that had been taken years ago was out on the internet instead of in the so-called secure, password protected file it was supposed to be in. That was the first bad step in a whole line-dance full of mis-steps. Carrie is a professional photographer, now back home in Cherry Lake she’s doing weddings, school photos and documenting the Festival. She no longer takes the glamor shots that she once did. Even though those shots were by no means objectionable – they were tasteful photos for boyfriends or husbands, and for some women a chance to document their bodies as they were before they underwent cancer surgery or to show a sexually attacked woman that her body was still desireable in a non-threatening manner. The boudoir photos were not lewd in any manner – but try telling that to the small town biddies and gossips. Forever Yours, Carrie’s pride and joy company was heading downhill at an alarming rate.

When Carrie turns to Ethan for his security expertise neither one ever thought that they’d be stirring up even more gossip or that love was in their futures.

Her Secret Protector was such a delightful story. There is obviously an attraction and a budding romance between Carrie and Ethan yet their story blended in with the story of a small town caught up in the throes of other people’s business and how easily casual and on purpose gossip can destroy a life. Ethan’s adorable dogs played such a fun part of this entire story. I love it when pets or animals’ actions are almost as important as the human’s to a story – it adds another sense of believability and just real life. This story was touching, moving and brings out a bit of the avenging angel in me over the way Carrie and Ethan are treated, especially by people I would have thought better of. A good lesson in that gossip is truly destructive, even when loved ones should know better.

*I received an e-ARC of Her Secret Protector from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

I was poking around NetGalley, as I am wont to do, a few days ago and noticed this book. The cover screamed "contemporary romance! one you might like!" and so I clicked. The description said that Snopek would be great for fans of Susan Mallery and Kristan Higgins (two of my all-time favorite authors) so I requested it. Gosh, I'm glad I did. I found this book charming and very enjoyable.

Carrie Logan has - with the exception of a few years - lived her entire life in a small town in Montana. Emphasis on small. She runs a successful and loved photography business that specializes in weddings, babies and the like. Her grandfather essentially founded the town and it's clear that being of his lineage is a thing. A THING.

Ethan Nash is a blow-in, looking for a place to start over after a bad breakup and a financial/professional disaster. He's a skilled tech genius, who specializes in matters of security, but since moving to Cherry Lake, he's also become a dog trainer. The real problem for Ethan is that no one told him how to live in a small town. He's been keeping largely to himself, which has led the locals to believe that he's a jerk. He's not, just a bit inept when it comes to people.

When someone hacks Carrie's website and exposes some pieces of her past she'd rather remain hidden, she enlists Ethan to help. Of course they fall in love because that is the law. What you're interested in, however, is if it's fun to read about how they get there. The answer is a resounding yes. The comparison to Mallery is spot on - I would absolutely recommend Snopek for fans of Mallery or Robyn Carr. This book is part of a Cherry Lane series, but the books are written by multiple authors. I think that's a super concept and am planning on checking out more of the series as soon as a hole opens in my reading schedule (so, 2025 at the moment....).

Overall, highly recommended book. I read it on a plane and was engrossed the whole time, chuckling a few times to myself.

An awesome addition to the Cherry Lake series! I love this author's writing style and the way she entwines the animals into the story. In this one Ethan Nash has lived in Cherry Lake for four years but has always held himself back and never really gotten to know any of the people in town. He meets Carrie Logan when she has an internet security breach to her website that could have devastating and embarrassing repercussions to her business and personally. As they work on her problem and spend time together, sparks fly!

This is a great afternoon read and I highly recommend it.

Carrie is the girl whose reputation in Cherry Lake is beyond reproach while Ethan's has already been tarnished even before he was able to make any sort of actual effort to become part of the community. One of the known negatives of being part of a close-knit town like Cherry Lake is the propensity for gossip to spread like wildfire, but then that's something that I doubt is limited to small towns. There's a rush to judgment and a prejudicial kind of closed-mindedness that both Carrie and Ethan are forced to confront in the story, and I loved how they served as each other's protectors, ready to face down anyone who looked down their noses on the two. I was rather saddened by Nathan Jackson's reaction to Carrie's photos and his treatment of her, but Pansy Oppenheimer was a force to be reckoned with and I loved her even more.

While Carrie and Ethan's love story was a joy to read, the absolute bonuses in this book were the four-legged scene stealers: Mars, Ashur, and Gun (Ethan's Belgian Malinois dogs), Dixie and her pups (the stray Labrador retriever mixed dogs), and Belinda (Carrie's tabby cat). Goodness, these guys brought a smile to my face, but what poor Gun had to go through was gut-wrenching though that frisky dog deserves kudos for bringing Carrie and Ethan together after a rough patch. Mars, Ashur, and Gun, especially, were more than decorative, providing valuable opportunities for lessons to be learned in the story. And just like the dogs that were given a bad rap by certain personalities in the book, Carrie and Ethan show the people of Cherry Lake that not everything they believe to be true actually is. Her Secret Protector gets five stars. ♥

A heartwarming love story

After a scandal in New York, security expert Ethan Nash moves to Cherry Lake Montana where he could start over. His three dogs keep him company. When a rumor spreads about him and his dogs after a day at the park, Ethan changes how he feels about his new home town and the people who live there.

Carrie Logan has kept a secret from the time when she lived in San Francisco. When someone hacks into her website and her secret is exposed, it could ruin her good girl image and destroy her photography business. Carrie needs help to secure her website and get rid of all of her pictures floating around cyber space. Ethan is just the man for the job.

Ethan and Carrie are perfect together because they can help each other. Ethan needs someone that can introduce him to the people in town and help put a stop to the rumors and how they feel about him. In return, he will fix Carrie’s computer problems.

This book was a pleasure to read. I enjoyed the banter between Carrie and Ethan and the pets in the story were a perfect addition.

What a great addition to a brilliant series! I am so impressed with how although written by different authors the stories have interlinking plots so, for example, the story about Jess Palmer and Damon Brand which was told in Her Secret Love by Paula Altenburg is also interwoven into this story which mainly concerns Jess’ s cousin Carrie Logan and her relationship with Ethan Nash. I don’t think it would matter if you haven’t read the other books in the series, they are all powerfully written so you could read them as a standalone but they are all good so it would be a shame to miss out on this fantastic collaborative collection of romantic novels!

The boudoir photos that Carrie Logan used to take have been hacked and are no longer secret. In a desperate effort to prevent their further disclosure, Carrie contacts cyber security expert Ethan Nash. He moved into Cherry Lake some four years ago but is reclusive and rarely interacts with others in the close community so is viewed by them as a mysterious stranger with huge dogs and a resented unknown as far as many of them are concerned.

Having seen the first of the boudoir pictures - which stars a younger Carrie - Ethan finds his stern exterior armour starts to melt. A job like this is far beneath his level of expertise but he decides to help her in exchange for her helping him be more accepted in the community. How far will the photos have been spread? What will the reaction of the Cherry Lake community be when they discover the nature of the images? Can Carrie help Ethan become more accepted locally? As they work together their attraction grows - can they achieve all their goals and find their HEA together?

A great story, showing how the bigoted, misinformed attitudes of some members of the community have a huge impact on the lives of others and that honesty and love can help reveal the truth, changing attitudes and lives for those strong willed enough to stand up against their denigrators. There are great characters in the story - including some gorgeous sounding dogs and Aunty Pan! I really enjoyed this story of love helping the characters develop the strength and determination to overcome prejudice.

Secrets of Cherry Lake series

Book 1: Small Town Secrets by Roxanne Snopek Book 2: The Secret Son by Joan Kilby Book 3: Her Secret Love by Paula Altenberg Book 4: Her Secret Protector by Roxanne Snopek Book 5: The Secret Bride by Jeannie Watt

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley, too, for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for this, an honest review.

I really did not expect to like this story as much as I did. Once again Roxanne Snopek surprised me. Her Secret Protector takes a look at how a young girl made a bad choice that comes back to haunt her years later. Carrie needs help. She turns to Ethan and sparks fly. While trying to fix a devastating security breach these two individuals loners start to find something special. Roxanne Snopek has a way of steering a love story from ordinary to extraordinary.

I enjoyed this easy and fast read. It features Ethan a nice guy who has a bad rep and Cassie a nice girl hiding a bad rep. Cassie many years ago started taking boudour pics of herself and other women. Now she is back home in her small town and is a family photographer.

One day she gets a message like one we all get. Its from godaddy saying her websites security might have been breached. When she googles herself she see's her naked pictures. On the lookout for a security pro she finds Ethan.

Thats how they meet and get to know each other. I did enjoy this book. It is very tame. Just a kiss here or there. It is very clean. Essentially Ethan and Cassie become friends and it leads to romance. Its a fun book but its missing passion. So while I enjoyed the story I wanted more passion.

I always feel at home when I'm reading Roxanne Snopek's books. Filled with warmth, a bit of heartache, a healthy dose of prejudice, and hope for a better future, Her Secret Protector delivered on my expectations. The fourth in the Secrets of Cherry Lake series, this book stands up just fine by itself though you'll enjoy a richer and more meaningful reading experience if you read the earlier books in the series first. And they're all really good books too, so why wouldn't you?
Carrie Logan has been raised to be the good girl, everyone's darling and little miss perfect all rolled into one sweet package, but there's more to Carrie than meets the eye. While studying photography ten years earlier, Carrie took intimate photos of herself and other women, which were designed to celebrate their beauty, build their self confidence, and give them a sense of self esteem at times when many of those women might not otherwise have felt particularly good about themselves. Unfortunately for Carrie, now back in Cherry Lake and making a living from wedding photography and family happy snaps, somebody has hacked her website and those photos are out there for all to see. In straight-laced Cherry Lake this is tantamount to stripping and walking naked down the main street.
Enter Ethan Nash, IT genius and recluse with secrets of his own to protect. Carrie has asked Ethan to help get the photos out of the public arena and secure her website. Ethan agrees but only because there's something about Carrie that intrigues him. He's lived on the outskirts of Cherry Lake for four years but more or less as a recluse. He figures it's about time he made an effort to integrate into Cherry Lake society and sees Carrie as a perfect way to achieve this goal.
Obviously these two are destined for true love as they overcome one obstacle after another and of course eventually Carrie's business problems and Ethan's social difficulties are solved but the journey to this end has been so enjoyable to watch. Well done Roxanne Snopek! Another winner!

Secrets of Cherry Lake gets better with the story of Ethan and Carrie. A good read

When things get tough, you surely find out who your friends are. This is also the case of Carrie and Ethan. Both of them are facing some resistance and hostility with the Cherry Lake community. Ethan mainly because the mayor is out for him out of envy and jealousy of the property he bought four years ago, right under his nose.
Carrie, well, her secret is out for all to see on the internet, with the boudoir pictures she took ten years ago. And now her business is in danger, because people don't want to be associated with her because of the pictures.
The judgmental attitude of some of the people in the community really rubbed me the wrong way, and made me root for Carrie and Ethan. How they stood up for each other was adorable, and Carrie, she is so empowering, finding her place, standing up for her art, and claiming her talent. When she says she was tired of being "overlooked, ignored, forgotten, underestimated, misjudged or judged, and found wanting" I know we all have felt that way at one time or another, whether we admit it or not. And talking about finding their feet, the first kiss between Ethan and Carrie - and HIS knees are about to buckle - talk about swoon! Ethan and Carrie are so sweet together. I love how they truly see each other, who they are, and embrace it, admire it, and encourage it. They have a special connection, attraction, and chemistry. There are no sexy scenes in the story, but the heat is obvious between those two, and the promise of forever after. Special mention to Ethan's dogs, they stole my heart away, and were a great addition to the story. I loved how he worked with the community at large to teach them about dog safety. Another heartwarming story of the Cherry Lake, I am loving this series, the stories are wholesome and solid, aunt Pansy and grandpa Nate are guiding the young folks, as they fall in love, and find their place in the community.
~ Four Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

I hate cats.

This is getting juicy.

Boudoir photos and porn are two very different things.

Bethany's father sounds really mean.

Her mom needs a cheeseburger, stat!

She really should not have to be ashamed of the pictures.

Geez, it's not like they're Amish.

Attagirl. Finally!

Aww, Ashur is so cute. Unlike the one from "Spartacus".

The mayor needs to be fired immediately.

She's so witty. As is Pansy.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sweet as pie! This was the best book of the series. Carrie is the "good girl" and local photographer. Ethan is technically hiding out from his reputation, unearned and foolishly given up. When some "enterprising" kids at the local high school do some hacking, they uncover Carrie's hidden boudoir photos online. With the cat out of the bag, Carrie decides to try and get a handle on her web site's cyber security. She ends up with Ethan. Ethan's way more than just what Carrie's looking for but he really wants her so he decides to do this for her anyway.

The whole town is up in arms over the photos, calling it porn. Even Carrie's family doesn't have her back. Carrie is losing clients left and right. Ethan can't do anything to stop it. Confronting the school is a dead end, both for Ethan and in the story. But, lo and behold, Carrie's boudoir shots are suddenly all the rage so she is saved. With a bit of help from Ethan, she grows a spine too. Go Carrie! Ethan has his own issues. He took the fall back east for his brother's shenanigans (never really explained how that worked) and he's got a surly reputation in Cherry Lake. Carrie is trying to rehabilitate it but really they are just making it worse for both of them.

Ethan's dogs to the rescue - not just for the town, or his relationship with Carrie, but for the book. Those dogs made it all worthwhile. The best parts were Ethan putting them through their paces and then of course, Gun and the bear. That's just pathos right there. I loved how the Mayor got his doggy comeuppance as well.

Her Secret Protector (Secrets of Cherry Lake Book 4) by Roxanne Snopek is just wonderful. There is a believable story-line with honestly authentic characters who own lovable animals. Now we all know dog lovers and cat lovers do go together. Carrie thinks she needs Ethan’s help and she does, but not nearly as much as he needs her. I loved these two together despite Ethan’s relationship fence sitting.

I could empathize with Carrie. Small towns can be judgmental in the worse sort of way. Unlike big cities there is no hiding among the crowds. The plot follows much of what I have seen in real life. I could see it all unfolding just as the author depicted each event. The plot however, pulls a few twists right smack dab in the middle that I wasn’t expecting. Like Ethan and Carrie, I was also holding my breath. Loved the ending. Really anything less dramatic would not have changed public opinion. I guess it is easy to see that I became very invested in the story. Just a wonderful compelling story.

This was a cute story, but I felt like it was just really getting into the story and then it was done. Things didn't feel finished or completed for me at the end. So, this story was just an okay read for me.

I received and ARC of this book from the publisher for an honest review.

Another fun read set in Cherry Lake, Montana. Carrie Logan came home to Cherry Lake and built a solid reputation as a photographer: families, weddings, events, even school pictures. She is very aware of her reputation and the need to keep it above reproach. When her website is hacked, she is afraid of what will happen if pictures from her time in San Francisco get out. She needs cyber help, and quickly. Ethan Nash moved to Cherry Lake after a scandal hit his company. He thought small-town life would be fun, but has had a few problems fitting in. When Carrie comes to him for help, he agrees, even though it isn't his usual job.
These two connect and find themselves working together to combat the gossip, judgement and rumors of the small town. These characters were enjoyable to read about and get to know. I loved how they dealt with the town together and then grew more confident and happy with themselves. The story and characters were well-developed and I enjoyed the story immensely.

Carrie is home and she is enjoying her favorite hobby as a job taking photos, when her past sneaks up and threatens to ruin everything. She reaches out to Ethan in hopes he can fix this and since he's new in town she knows the judgment will be very minimal or she hopes so, but once everything starts it seems like everything is going down hill and she has to find away to stop it to save her dream or she will loose everything. Ethen has been in Cherry Lake for four years now and he knows how all small towns work they pass judgment before they know anything. He is just happy to live with his dogs and do a job he loves. When Carrie comes to him to fix a problem for her he decided this is the time to make an impression on her and then hopefully on the town and then he can finally feel somewhere he belongs. This book was a breath of fresh air. This book has a ton of chemistry and of course some fun and crazy characters (aunt Pan) in small town america Cherry lake. The author did a fun job of enjoying the "largeness" of the small town and how even in a small town your never to far away from the gossip and yet still alway meeting someone new. The book is the right length not to long but not to short packed full of adventures. I liked in this book how the character did not build a relationship on sex but they seem to really click and just be themselves and let the chemistry fly. Really you can't go wrong with this book.

A great blend of humor, hearth and warmth, Her Secret Protector is the perfect read for a lazy afternoon. Snopek will delight readers of contemporary romance from beginning to end.

This is the third book that I read in the Secrets of Cherry Lake series. I loved Small Town Secrets and it hooked me into reading more in the series. Like the previous book in this series, I found this one also okay. The author was the same as who wrote Small Town Secret, but I did not enjoy it as much though. I was really wanting to enjoy this one as much as the first one, but there was just something missing. I received Her Secret Protector as an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.