I seriously think I've found my favorite Brazen title to-date! Protecting What's His has got all the makings of a well-written, highly-entertaining, steamy romance novel filled with characters you won't want to let go of well after you're done reading about them. It's not often that you get a book that has an entertaining plot and excellent characters, but this one has it all. I was captured from the very first page and I seriously couldn't put this book down. This was one of those times where I was smiling the whole time I was reading and really, really, really enjoyed the story that Tessa created. 
 Ginger is such a great female character and I really liked her. She's had a difficult life, dealing with a sad excuse for a mom while taking care of her little sister. She's tough, caring, determined, smart, and sexy. A perfect combination! I think she had a good balance of confidence and self-consciousness that made her very likable. I hate it when a girl is constantly bashing herself and has no self-love, but then to be too confident would make her seem unrealistic, because, let's face it; everyone has some insecurities and hold-ups. Tessa did a great job with Ginger and I never got annoyed with her, which is hard to come by because I usually end up annoyed with the heroine in most books. She doesn't always make the best decisions, don't get me wrong, and one decision (well, two actually) ultimately gets her in a lot of trouble, but she definitely meant well and I really liked how the plot played out. Plus, I really liked the relationship between Ginger and her sister, Willa. They were really funny together and you could just tell how much they respected and loved each other, it kind of reminded me of me and my sister. 
 Derek is just plain HOT! Now, let me point out that I am a tough chick. I don't care for men being pushy and dominating, EXCEPT when it comes to the smexy stuff (within reason, of course *wink wink*), and I'm all for respect and independence. I especially don't like it when men think of women as their property. However, that being said, I feel like as long as a guy, in fact, does respect his significant other, then there's nothing wrong with a little bit of possessiveness here and there. As long as it's done right, I'm all for it, and Tessa does it right! Derek just knew exactly how to push all my buttons in all the right places, and even when he was being a chauvinistic pig, he was still pretty damn sexy and I never once hated him. He's definitely a good guy, too. He's honorable, caring, and seriously one of those guys that can charm the pants off of you with just a single sentence. I really liked how protective he was of Ginger and Willa, although, yes, sometimes it went a little overboard, but he meant well and it didn't deter me from his character at all. Derek figures out Ginger's past very early on and never faults her on it or what she does as the story progresses. He was pretty understanding and patient as she worked out her problems and was really there for her when it mattered most. I also loved their banter and dialogue and I felt like these two characters worked so well together. Their relationship was fun, exciting, touching, and absolutely scorching hot. It will leave you breathless and, quite frankly, begging for more. 
 I seriously can't wait to see what Tessa has in store for us next with this seres and which characters she'll introduce us to. I'm an instant fan! With this one, you've got action, drama, unforgettable characters, and quite a few well-written sex scenes. Protecting What's His is an excellent debut that will knock your socks off at every turn and keep your eyes glued to the pages until the bitter sweet end.