Review: Mine To Hold by Shayla Black

Mine To Hold 
Book 6 in the Wicked Lovers series
Author: Shayla Black
Publisher: Berkley Heat
Release date: 6/5/12
Author's website: Link

A friend’s duty.

Tyler Murphy was an LAPD detective, single and happy—until a near-fatal tragedy crippled his friend, fellow detective Eric Catalano. While he supported Eric, he also became a shoulder for Eric’s wife, Delaney, to cry on. But with one naughty suggestion from Eric, a drunken night with Delaney spilled into erotic abandon. Before it was over Tyler saw his best friend’s wife as a woman and yearned for more. When Eric struggled to deal with the aftermath, Delaney begged Tyler to leave. Crushed, he fled to Louisiana, hoping to escape his longing for the one woman he could never have again…and unaware of what he’d left behind.

A lover’s desire.

After two years of living with regret, Tyler finds Delaney on his doorstep, her husband having abandoned her long ago. She’s protecting a shocking secret and desperately needs refuge from a killer determined to see her dead. As they fight to stay alive and catch the stalker, they struggle to resolve the guilt of their past pleasures. But they can’t deny that what was once a spark is now a flame burning out of control. To possess Delaney — body and soul — Tyler must heal her pain and thwart the evil that’s a mere breath behind her…

Tyler Murphy has always had a thing for his best friend's wife Delaney and when he's asked by his friend to give her a night of pleasure he just can't say no.  After being partially paralyzed, Eric Catalano has been unable to attend to some of his wife's needs.  After a night of drinking and with Eric's permission, Tyler and Delaney have a passionate encounter.  Together they feel something that they haven't experienced with anyone else.  Eric can sense it as well and this doesn't bode well for his marriage to Delaney.  Fast forward 2 years and Delaney tracks down Tyler because he is the only one that can help her after her life has been threatened.  She also needs to confide something to him, something that will change his life in a way that he never thought possible.

While reading Mine To Hold I could feel the attraction between the two main characters in each and every scene.  They are meant to be together and Shayla Black does a great job writing that into their scenes together.  That connection that they felt the first time when they were together never went away and throughout the book the reader learns that they both have suffered from this.  Tyler has done all that he can to live up to his reputation as a playboy, when all that he wanted all along was Delaney.  I love that the minute she came back into his life he became a better man.  She is what he has always wanted and he doesn't waste anytime letting her know how much he wants her.  Delaney has struggled during her time away from Tyler and it pains him to learn of this.  He wants to do all he can to make it up to her and more.  I love reading stories about a man that wants to take care of his woman in any and every way possible. Tyler is one of those men and it took quite a bit of time for Delaney to allow him to take care of her.  She was so used to taking care of herself that it wasn't an easy transition for her. But she knows the type of man Tyler is and that is the reason why she went to him for help to begin with.  

 I'm giving Mine To Hold a rating of:

What I live about the Wicked Lovers series is that the characters have become a family.  Yes this series also features lots of hot, scorching sex scenes, but at the root of it there are characters that have come together to protect one another.  They are always there for one another and will do whatever it takes to protect those that they love.  Tyler and Delaney are now a part of that family and had to rediscover one another during the book.  I had a small issue with Delaney and her trust issues regarding Tyler, but it's understandable for her to be guarded the way that she was.  She's been doing things her own way for so long and it took her a bit of time to give some of that control to Tyler. He was only looking out for her best interests so I was happy when she finally realized that.  I'm looking forward to finding out who the next book will be about and seeing this already growing family become even bigger.