The Protectors (Max Monroe) Books in Order

The Protectors series blends romantic comedy with a touch of suspense, following a group of detectives and protectors whose job is to run toward danger while their hearts keep insisting on getting involved. The tone stays lighter than full on romantic suspense, but there are real stakes and mysteries threaded through the fun.

In Call Me Anytime, a woman takes a job as a late night phone operator for an adult chat line, intending to keep things strictly business and very anonymous. She is a virgin, new to the world she is hearing about on the line, and more than a little overwhelmed. When one of her callers turns out to be a detective working a murder case connected to the service, their professional overlap turns into banter, flirtation, and a very inconvenient attraction.

The dynamic between them is classic Max Monroe: he is gruff on the outside but deeply protective, and she is both out of her depth and determined to prove she is not. As the investigation heats up, so does their relationship, forcing both of them to decide what safety really looks like.

Planned future books expand the focus to other members of the Protectors team. A heroine tied to a crime family who wants out, an undercover detective sent to infiltrate her world, and the constant push and pull between lies told for survival and truths needed for love all come into play.

What keeps the series firmly on the romcom side of the spectrum is the way humor is woven into even tense situations. There are awkward stakeouts, misunderstandings born from undercover personas, and side characters who steal scenes with their commentary on the chaos.

At the same time, the authors do not totally hand wave the risks of police work or the emotional cost of living with danger. The Protectors have to make hard calls, and the people who love them have to figure out whether they can live with those realities.

If you want something a little edgier than a pure workplace romcom but not as dark as full blown thriller romance, The Protectors hits that middle ground. You get detectives, clues, and crimes to solve, along with the slow burn satisfaction of watching very guarded people finally let someone in.