The Protector

O'Malley #4

by Dee Henderson

Jack O'Malley is a fireman who is fearless when it comes to facing an inferno. But when an arsonist begins targeting his district, his shift, his friends, Jack faces the ultimate protecting the lady who saw the arsonist before she pays an even higher price.

Introducing the O'Malleys, an inspirational group of seven, all abandoned or orphaned as teens, who have made the choice to become a loyal and committed family. They have chosen their own surname, O'Malley, and have stood by each other through moments of joy and heartache. Their stories are told in CBA best-selling, inspirational romantic suspense novels that rock your heart and restore strength and hope to your spirit.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Suspense, Christian Romance

322 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2001

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Dee Henderson is the author of 27 non-fiction and fiction titles, including Jesus our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus the Truth and the Life, The Good News Project, Taken and the acclaimed O’MALLEY series. Several titles have appeared on the USA Today Bestseller list; Full Disclosure has also appeared on the New York Times Bestseller list. For details visit: DeeHenderson.com

Reviews

[Sarah Grace Grzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I loved this book! I am always hard-pressed to find clean-by-my-standards-of-clean suspense\mysteries, so I was very excited when my sister recommended this to me!

The O'Malley family is a very unorthodox, but very sweet family! I love their close-knit and caring relationship. It actually reminded me a lot of my family. Jack was a phenomenal character, and my favorite of all the siblings, I think. I really enjoyed reading his story.

The plot\mystery was well thought out and very suspenseful. It left me guessing numerous times! (And I'm usually pretty good at guessing the culprit. ;) It was a shocker when I finally got the end climax scene!

CONTENT NOTE: I don't remember there being much in the way of questionable material . . . there is romance, but it is very sweet and wholesome. He does visit her apartment quite frequently and they are often alone, but he is very respectful, and never pushy, and nothing intimate ever happens. There is violence and a few deaths, but for the most part, it was very non-descript. I think that's all . . . I haven't read it in awhile, so I could be missing something. :P

All in all, a very good book! Definitely something I would read over and over again! I read it in literally 24 hours, if that tells you how good it was! One thing I really liked about it was that I could just pick this up, and understand it, even though it was in the middle of a series. Highly recommended!

[Jenny Jo Weir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christian fiction, mystery and action! Heck yeah. This series has been fun and entertaining. I like that each book has a specific person that is being witnessed to and is struggling with doubts. I like how the author intertwines their doubts into the story line and touches on different questions. Looking forward to more.

[Victoria Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book very much! Jack was one of my favorite characters from the get-go of the series, and I enjoyed the opportunity to get to know him better and to understand some of his quirks. Cassie was also a very relatable character, someone I saw a lot of myself in actually. Unfortunately, I had a hard time understanding the plot because I took a week long break smack dab in the middle of the book. Not a great idea! LOL! But the story was great and I loved it! I can't wait to have this series on my bookshelf. Another thing worth mentioning is Dee Henderson's descriptions of a firefighters life. I have always been immensely grateful for the people who sacrifice their lives and time for such a noble profession. I was fascinated by the details and incredibly thankful for the individuals who do this for a living.

Includes: a suicide, and various arson scenes described. Actually one of the tamer and cleaner O'Malley books. Recommended for ages 14+

[Mikayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was probably my favorite O'Malley book yet. I loved hearing more about Jack, and his job. I loved Cassie. <3
The plot of this one was a nice breather after how intense the last one was.
My only complaint was how little the O'Malley family interaction there was. I was sad to see only brief appearances from most of the siblings.

>>November 2019. Loved it even more the second time. Really did miss all the O'Malley's though!

[Andrea Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Jack and Cole were a smidge more controlling of Cassie than I liked, this book is still one of my favorites. There's just something about firefighters that I can't help but admire. The way they risk their own safety and lives in order to save others is reminiscent of Jesus's sacrifice to save me, and I think that is one reason why I've read this book three times now (as of 1/24/18). The O'Malleys are one of my favorite fictional families, and it's always a pleasure to read their stories. It's fun to talk about them with real-life friends too.

I was not compensated for my honest review.

[Notbagels · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was probably my least favorite, although there's nothing wrong with the story. It's just, at this point in the series, I'm a little bit over "protectorman must save damselgirl from badguy threat." Just once, I'd like the girl to do the protecting. Which, okay, Cassie kind of did. Whatever.

I was also a little worn out on the "Non-Christian _______ O'Malley meets Christian love interest; finds Jesus, too" storyline. How about meeting a non-christian and seeking Jesus together? How about finding Jesus in a sibling's book and wrestling with being a new Christian in a new relationship in their own book (spoilers, that's the next book)? OR! Having a very new faith and falling for a non-believer from you life before Christ and not knowing quite how to approach it all? That might have been more interesting. There are just a lot of situations to explore here and Henderson uses the same plot over again. But! I liked Jack and I do love me some firefighters, so overall, it was good. Just a little redundant.

[priscilla · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5
Gut für zwischendurch, haut mich nicht aus den Socken und obwohl ich eigentlich eher immer für die Liebesgeschichte lese, fand ich diese Szenen eher unangenehm cringe und die Feuerwehrarbeit extrems spannend! Props an Feuerwehrmenschen!🫶🏼

Edit: Während der Prüfungsphase eine richtig gute Lektüre. Nicht zu einnehmend und doch Abwechslung genug:)

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one! This is really the sixth book in the O'Malley series, and as with the rest, it builds on the previous story lines. This one follows Jack, a firefighter, and a co-worker named Cassie. (We also had several scenes where we got to know Rachel and Cole, the main characters in the next book.) I LOVED the friendship in this book. There were so many supportive relationships and I just really enjoyed it. I must say, I was quite disappointed that there wasn't a grand O'Malley Christmas scene. But I appreciated that this story line focused more on caring relationships, sowing seeds of faith, and the mystery of the arson, as opposed to a lot of romance like there was in some of the first books in the series. Rachel brought a lot of emotion to this book and Cole was a very likable character, so I'm looking forward to reading more of their story in the next book.

Last note, I've listened to this entire series so far on audio book and wasn't sure about the narrator at first, but have come to really enjoy him. He's narrated all of the books in the series so far and I'd definitely recommend this series on audio book.

[Kaitlyn Krispense · Rating 5 out of 5]

I somehow knew even before I picked it up that this would be my favorite of the series.

THAT WAS SO GOOD.

I love Jack. I just...yeah. His entire character.

I love Cassie. Her personality was as magnetic to me as it was to Jack (*smirk*) and the fact that she runs a bookstore and just loves books in general was a huge plus.

And the romance? It...was actually really sweet. They weren't caught up in the romance of it all (aka no smooching all over the place *gag*) but I actually approved of it and I loved to see the way they cared for each other.

[Brooke (i blog 4 books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great visit with the O'Malleys! Jack is primarily portrayed as a prankster, a funny man in the earlier books, but we get to see much more of who he is in The Protector. The relationship between he and Cassie was beautiful, and it was nice to see a romantic relationship develop around someone who wasn't your typical beauty.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The action is just right, and the O'Malleys are awesome. But come on now, is EVERY book in this series going to center around a Christian "not dating" (but totally dating) a nonchristian, leading naturally and necessarily to a conversion?

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one so much. Somehow, I forgot to mark it as read when I read it in December.

[Amanda Tero · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was really good. I loved the firefighter scenes so much!

Again, I read this a few weeks back and a lot of life has happened since then. I really, really loved Jack's and Cassie's friendship, especially how Cassie wasn't this perfect, beautiful gal because of her injuries.

The mystery had me guessing, which I really liked. It was a sad ending, but well done.

I love the Christian themes that Henderson weaves into her stories (again, slightly annoyed about the Christians who practically date non-Christians even though they "really aren't"). Every single one of the O'Malley books have had a great message--and different themes. It has been really neat to read them all.

[Abigail Harris]

RTC

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!! Another fantastic addition to the O'Malley series!! What a novel! I really really REALLY enjoyed it!!
Jack and Cassie's journey was one that I was really privileged to go on. It was enjoyably fast-paced and kept me turning the pages all day! Jack and Cassie are such a good pair and Henderson really developed their character and relationship well. I have to say that this is one of my favourite novels I've read this year and considering I go through about 300+ novels a year; a great novel!! It challenges the reader in the aspects of faith and who God is. Whether you believe in God or not, this novel will definitely make you think, and it faces the issue of who God is with different and unique perspectives.
One part that I really enjoyed about the novel were the firefighter elements! It was super exciting to see inside the life of a firefighter. I've always admired firefighters, but even more so after reading this novel! Fell in love with the whole novel from the setting to the characters!! Great to also see Rachel and Cole's relationship start and progress. Now on to their story in 'The Healer'!!
I would really highly recommend this novel!! A must read for all!!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story a great deal. It's pleasant to see improvement in Henderson's writing style; there are still errors, and some places where the meaning is obscured, but not on every single page.

What gets me every time is these incredible characters. I wish I could meet this family! And I loved all the precise details about what a firefighter does each day, how the shifts work, how the firemen interact with each other...I learned quite a lot of interesting details. I also loved that it took some serious guessing to even narrow down who the culprit might be. I'll probably be reading Rachel's story next week!

[Anna |This Curly Girl Reads| · Rating 5 out of 5]

This O’Malley book is definitely one of my favorites. The various POVs really added so much. This is Jack’s and Cassie’s story, but it also includes the a solid beginnings of Rachel’s and Cole’s. The mystery behind the arson was well written and kept me turning pages. I absolutely loved The characters spiritual journeys. There was a wonderful reminder about witnessing and the peace we as believers have in Christ.
My only complaint was the end came a little too soon 😊 I would have loved maybe one more chapter after the case had been solved.

I’m looking forward to the next book.❤️

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one. Jack just may be my favorite male O'Malley, though that's a tough one.

The mystery plot was great, characters very well done, and I love the strong faith theme. There aren't as many Christian books nowadays with the strong salvation message in like these classics! Very glad I decided to go back and re-read. Thoroughly enjoying them.

[Lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐
This was so good!
Jack is 100% my favorite of the O'Malley brothers. He's hilarious!
I thought I knew who the arsonist was, but I was way off. I kind of feel like the person that ended up being the arsonist was a really random person. I barely remembered what place the person had in the story. Other than that, it was really good.
There was enough suspense to make it hard to stop reading. Dee Henderson is really good at that. I've had a hard time putting any of these books down.

[Micaiah Keough]

HMMM CONFLICTED 🤔

[Deidra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing my re-read month, I'm over halfway finished with this series. The O'Malley series focuses on a family that were all in an orphanage. They adopted each other because they had no family. They became their own family. Each book focusing on a different sibling. I love them.

Jack's story centers around his job as a firefighter. In the last book, we learned that they were closing fire stations. Jack's life is starting to be majorly affected by that. Between that and dealing with his sister's cancer, Jack is really struggling.

In the midst of the chaos, he has developed feelings for a fellow former firefighter. Cassie was injured a couple of years ago in a major fire. Where she developed her relationship with God in a deeper way, her partner is MIA. Now it seems like someone wants to make everyone's life miserable. There is an arsonist on the loose. The book is full of mystery and heartwarming moments. Jack is a joker who tries to make people's lives better. Reading his story makes me feel good about people.

[Gracelyn S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked it! But I feel like it's the same as the other books in the story line. There's the main character who falls in love but can't be with the other because of their belief. Something dramatic happens and it causes the main character or the other to turn to Christ, and in the end they end up together. The situations do change, but I feel like the general concept is the same. But to be honest, I'm a sucker for this kind of book (Christian, Romance, Mystery) and so I love it anyway haha. I'm on the 5th one right now.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good. Jack is one of my favorite of the O'Mallys.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Moonlight &#x1f338; · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always suspected I would like this book. Even when the first time I opened it, I set it aside; I’d felt I probably just needed the right focus to come back to it!

- I love how the author writes in a way that makes the world feel truly lived in. Nothing feels depthless. Everything has weight and has been used, and is real. Even the character—
- The characters are so 3 dimensional, have stories that go beyond the page and feel so old and used and real. I wouldn’t have believed Cole wasn’t introduced before if I hadn’t seen the writer’s note! Huge props to the author for this!
- I did have a slight issue with this same feature though because a few times, I wanted things to slow down a bit with fresh introductions so I could find my footing. It wasn’t a big issue though!
- I really adored Cassie and Jack, Cassie especially. I loved her perseverance. Jack was a really solid guy and I loved how he decided she was whom he wanted and went after that. It’s been a while since I saw a friends to lovers story and I love how it slowly built. They just started spending so much time together and it was rarely boring to see. Loved in the end when she decided she’d make him work a bit more for her heart!
- I LOVE that this was set between Christmas and New Years! It added some coziness, and I especially found it refreshing reading about my favorite holidays BEFORE the holiday. There was no pressure, just simple enjoyment. Also loved the mention of food.
- the side characters were lovely and I also adore the concept of the O’Malleys! So brilliant!
- I loved the Christian aspect. It really touched me and taught me, felt often like a warm hug at tough moments.
- I loved reading a firefighter story and will probably go look for more!
- I predicted the villain pretty early on, even though I called him by the wrong name in my reading updates haha. I think it was a bit predictable since he was the only Other from the main group.

All in all, this was a challenging (with all the technical details!) read and inspiring read while also feeling like a warm hug!

[Marah McKissick · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s my favorite (and most believe able) love story in the series so far.
The ending was hard to following. I’m still not sure I understand it. So it’s okay. I’m really only reading these to finish out the series.

[Courtney]

This is the only book in the series that made me badger my kids with "whodunnit" comments. It has me reading more than I should at one sitting. Jack and Cassie's romance was more realistic, unique, and natural than any of the others in the series. A mini-plot with Rachel and her future love interest intruded on Jack and Cassie's story. Jack's character was more detailed and defined than Marcus' male character sketch in the Guardian, but Henderson still piggybacked off of the female's viewpoint enough in typical chicklit fashion to agitate me. This is the tightest suspense plots in the series, and I enjoyed it.

[Emily Boyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd review: I switched the book from 5 stars to 4 stars; not because it wasn’t good but bc when I read this the first time I had just started reading and was obsessed lol.

Original Review: This was definitely a close favorite. I love Jack and Cassie’s characters. Especially Jack’s ability to be “silly” in his dangerous job, and how Cassie’s scars and burns didn’t affect how he felt about her. I also liked how we got to see into Rachael and Cole’s future relationship. This was definitely more tame than the last book which I liked. I do wish there had been more involvement with the other O’mallies but other than that I loved it! 5⭐️

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the character of Jack...throughout all the series...his character made me laugh with his antics. His story showed the person under all the jokes. He fought God a lot too....Cassie shows him God throughout the story....the part where she pleads with him not to go to Hell...really touched me....Cassie being a burn victim herself knows the feeling of being burned....it struck a cord with me that she's a knows a little of what Hell will be like and how awful it would be....I can't explain it...it just got to me....Jack is just an endearing character....

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great story; intense like the others. One thing I liked better in this one was how the romance wasn't as heavy and focused on. I was partly surprised at who was the arsonist, although I considered him at the beginning. You will love Cassie, who is partly deaf, and bares the scares from being trapped in a fire. And you will like Jack for his strength, but also for his good jokes and teasing.