"A tender romance grows despite danger"

PROTECTING HIS OWN is part of a series written around the premise that a devastating earthquake has hit the Los Angeles area, causing unimaginable danger and loss to millions. The only way in or out is by helicopter. A rogue survivalist group named The Diablos is terrorizing the victims and the military personal who have been sent in to help them.

Navy surgeon Samantha Andrews and Marine Captain Roc Gunnison are assigned to head up a team of medical personnel and Marines, which is being sent in to canvass the area and set up medevac stations. Sam and Roc know each other from a previous run in at Sam's emergency room, wherein they butted heads over the treatment of one of Roc's men's injuries. They aren't happy about working together, but they know they will have to if they want to be able to get in there and save lives quickly.

As they face the heart breaking devastation of the earthquake, and the dangers presented by The Diablos, Sam and Roc come to know and appreciate each other as compassionate, caring human beings. It doesn't take long for them to realize that they have fallen in love.

Although I had trouble accepting the premise that during a disaster of this magnitude, the head emergency room physician from a neighboring hospital would be sent into the most devastated area so that she can measure cracks in the ground at possible helicopter landing sites, I thoroughly enjoyed the budding romance between Roc and Sam. He was a wonderful, protective and insightful man, with whom any woman would be crazy not to fall in love. She was the concerned doctor that everyone would want to have treat them in an emergency. Their attraction grew like a sweet high school crush, with accelerated pulses, "accidentally" brushing hands as they walked, and eventually tender, tentative kisses. It was a pleasure to witness and it brings a smile to my face as I recall it.

Reviewed by Janice Bennett
Posted November 13, 2002

Summary

Was Murphy's Law following him around--if it could get worse....it would? Captain Roc Gunnison, US Marine Corps, felt like it. Six months earlier, he was castigated by Dr. Samantha Andrews, head of the US Navy hospital emergency room. But now, he was ordered by Morgan Trayhern to protect the red haired wildcat who took no prisoners. Well, this time, he wasn't either.....

Southern California might be turned upside down and inside out from an 8.9 earthquake, but Roc was damned if he was going to let the good doctor run the show. This time, HE was in charge. Not her. And he knew she was going to hate every second of it. Turn around was fair play. Karma had a way of letting him even the score with her high handedness once and for all. Only, Roc wasn't counting on his heart becoming involved. And that changed everything....