About the Book

Book: Defending You

Author: Robin Patchen

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release Date: October 14, 2025

She stumbled onto a deadly secret. The man she once wronged is the only one who can keep her alive.

Cecilia “Cici” Wright has built a life she loves as a jewelry appraiser. But when her latest find—a priceless ruby necklace—links to decades-old murders in her hometown of Shadow Cove, Cici becomes the target of ruthless killers. Forced to flee for her life, she must rely on the man she humiliated in the most shameful moment of her life.

Asher Rhodes puts his Navy SEAL training to good use as a bodyguard for high-paying clients. Keeping his emotions locked away is the secret to his strength. But Cici Wright isn’t just a client—she’s the girl who scorned him, the last woman in the world he ever wanted to see again. Having her close churns up all the reasons he once loved her. Protecting her means facing not just the killers chasing them but the wounds she left behind.

Cici and Asher find themselves in a deadly game of cat and mouse, where trust is their only weapon and attraction their greatest vulnerability. With time running out, they must overcome their painful history and work together to defeat their enemies—before it’s too late.

Don’t miss Defending You, book 7 in Robin Patchen’s Wright Heroes of Maine series. Packed with heart-pounding suspense, sizzling romance, and unforgettable characters, you won’t be able to put this one down.

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About the Author

Robin Patchenis a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of Christian romantic suspense. She grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, the setting of her Coventry Saga books, and then headed to Boston to earn a journalism degree. Working in marketing, she discovered how much she loathed the nine-to-five ball and chain. After relocating to the Southwest, she started writing her first novel while homeschooling her three children. The novel was dreadful, but her passion for storytelling didn’t wane. Thankfully, as her children grew, so did her writing ability. Now that her kids are adults, she has more time to play with the lives of fictional heroes and heroines, wreaking havoc and working magic to give her characters happy endings. When she’s not writing, she’s editing or reading, proving that most of her life revolves around the twenty-six letters of the alphabet.

More from Robin

Meet Cici Wright: The Relatable Heroine of Defending You

There’s nothing I love more than crafting a heroine who feels like a friend—someone to root for, cry with, and cheer on as she faces impossible odds. In Defending You, the seventh book in my Wright Heroes of Maine series, that heroine is Cici Wright. She’s a jewelry appraiser with a sharp eye for gems, a heart full of courage, and a quiet struggle that I think many of us can relate to: the need to prove she matters.

A Woman on a Mission

Cici Wright is the middle daughter of five girls, and if you’ve read the earlier books in the series, you know her older sisters, Alyssa and Brooklynn, have come through some difficult times—and proved themselves not just capable but heroic.

When we meet Cici in Defending You, she’s doing what she loves: traveling from city to city and gazing into some of the world’s most precious gems. But beneath her confident exterior lies a woman who feels the weight of her sisters’ accomplishments and wonders if she’ll ever measure up.

Who hasn’t felt the pressure to prove themselves—whether to family, friends, or even their own inner critic? Cici’s journey begins when she discovers a long-lost necklace tied to a decades-old crime. Her decision to protect it sets off a chain of events that thrusts her into danger, forcing her to confront not just external threats but her own insecurities.

Strength in Vulnerability

What I love most about Cici is how her strength shines through her vulnerability. She’s a woman who loves beauty, who finds joy in the sparkle of a well-cut diamond, and who’s suddenly caught in a deadly game with rules she’s never learned. Despite her lack of training, Cici manages to keep herself alive long enough to get help.

Cici’s resourcefulness proves that heroism doesn’t always come from training or experience; sometimes, it’s born from sheer determination and a refusal to give up.

Enter Asher Rhodes, the bodyguard tasked with keeping her safe. Their history—his high school crush was crushed by the most humiliating moment of his life—adds layers to their dynamic. I loved writing their reunion, which is filled with tension, a little humor, and a slow-burn romance that I hope will leave you swooning.

Cici’s not afraid to call Asher out when he’s being overbearing—which she thinks is pretty much all the time. But she learns to trust him…for the most part.

A Journey We All Understand

For Cici, the story is about more than surviving danger; it’s about discovering her own worth. She starts desperate to distinguish herself, to be seen as more than the other Wright sister. By the end, she’s learned that her value doesn’t come from outshining others but from embracing who she is—flaws, fears, and all. It’s a journey I think many of us can relate to, whether we’re chasing a career goal, navigating family expectations, or simply trying to find our place in the world.

As I wrote Cici’s story, I thought about the readers who’ve told me they see themselves in my heroines. Cici’s not perfect—she’s stubborn, a little impulsive, and sometimes lets her pride get in the way. But she’s also fiercely loyal, quick-thinking, and willing to risk everything for what’s right. She’s the kind of heroine who reminds us that courage doesn’t mean being fearless but acting despite the fear.

Join Cici’s Adventure

Defending You is a story of heart-pounding suspense, a romance that sparks amidst danger, and a heroine who discovers her own strength when it matters most. If you’ve ever felt the need to prove yourself or wondered if you’re enough, Cici Wright’s journey will resonate with you. And if you love a good mix of action, mystery, and a love story that grows through trust and second chances, I think you’ll fall for Cici and Asher as much as I did.

My Impressions

“He wasn’t here to win her approval. He was here to keep her breathing. That was the job. That was all that mattered.”

Robin Patchen is one of the authors who has had a great influence in convincing me that romantic suspense is a genre I truly like! The Wright Heroes of Maine is such a great series! Each book details the story of a different Wright family member and his or her Romance amidst much danger. While each, including book 7, Defending You, can be enjoyed as a standalone, I am glad to have read each of the previous ones in order, as they do build. Especially this book builds on the characters and events of the book immediately preceding it.

Cici Wright, a jewelry appraiser, is witness to a murder. On the run for her life from the jewelry thieves, she finds herself in the company of the last person she would have selected to be her bodyguard- Asher Rhodes. Currently working for the Green Beret Protection Agency, Asher was once a shy, geeky high school classmate of CiCi’s, and one whom she had cruelly humiliated.

Both Asher and CiCi have some healing and growing to do. CiCi feels the need to excel in such a way that she will standout from her sisters and be noticed at long last by her dismissive, high-ranking father. Asher feels the need to prove himself at the agency in order to secure his job as well as to show CiCi that her rejection didn’t scar him- if only that were true!

To protect his heart as he protects her safety, Asher treats CiCi with disdain and as if she is an underling to be commanded. CiCi, with her sense of needing to prove herself and having a bit of entitlement, insists on having much more a say in the protection plans Asher leads them into. “She laughed, though the sound held zero humor. “Look, I get that you’re better than I am in dangerous situations, but that doesn’t make me stupid. My opinion counts. I’m not your soldier or your lackey.”

The action is intense, steady, and addictive! The couple are both flawed, and it took me a while to at least like Asher. He is a one man- no questions asked- show.

I felt most deeply for CiCi, so desperate to do something notable, in an effort to secure her father’s love. I was happy to see Asher finally able to open up and help CiCi realize that her earthly father’s failings didn’t represent how her Heavenly Father felt about her. “You do know what He’d”[ her Heavenly Father] “say. That you’re the person He created you to be, and He adores you. So…not that it’s easy or anything, but I guess my point is, who cares what Gavin Wright thinks when you have the King of the whole universe pleased with you?” – Asher

Patchen does a great job of keeping the suspense high, throwing in truth nuggets, and surprise twists that make the story resonate! Highly recommended!

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“I’ve spent so much time trying to prove I matter that I forgot to actually live the life God gave me. To choose what I want instead of what I think will make other people happy.” – CiCi

“…That’s why it’s better not to have anyone you care about…Love is a liability.” – Gagnon

“You can’t judge someone’s character by their bank account.” – CiCi

“To live is to risk. Security is an illusion.” – Asher