Katherine Garbera

Neat twist on a bodyguard story. Here we have billionaire Nick, who has survived many attempts on his life, and the female bodyguard hired to protect him. Nick feels invulnerable which makes him resistant to Luna's attempts to protect him. Luna is determined to keep him safe and it sets up quite the power struggle between them. Along with that power struggle are sparks of attraction that neither can deny.

When they discover that Nick's father has been receiving letters threatening Nick's show more life for years, and claiming that someone else is the rightful heir, they set out to find who is behind the threats and murders. There are multiple twists in the investigation that led to a suspect I never saw coming. The final confrontation was intense and kept me hooked until it was resolved.

I liked watching the relationship between Nick and Luna develop. Luna was a strong woman with a tough past who finally found a home and family with Price Security. However, she also holds back a piece of herself, never ready to fully commit and risk losing everything again. Nick also puts on the persona of a care-free playboy, hiding the heart that cares for people and protecting him from loss. Nick and Luna recognize that trait in each other, which brings them closer together. But their different ways of life make it difficult to see how they could have a life together. I loved their open communication about needs and expectations, and how they found a compromise that worked for them.

I can't wait to see what comes next for Price Security.

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This is the fourth and last book in the series. I haven't read the others (yet!), but this can easily stand alone. From what I gather, the first book set up the background, and books two and three take place concurrently with book four. This was a sweet, quick read with a bit of heat.

Logan is a big Hollywood star now, but once upon a time, he was a kid from the poor part of town. His parents drank, his mom abandoned them, and besides abusing Logan and his brothers, his father was responsible show more for the drunk driving accident that killed an innocent family. Though he hasn't been back in years, Logan has set up a charity to help the people in his hometown. He's returned with two childhood friends as they made plans for more ways to help their community, and for him to participate in the holiday charity events.

Avery has worked for Logan, running his charity, for three years. She loves her work and helping the people that feel more like family than her own. Her parents are two brilliant scientists who never really had time for her as a child, and things haven't changed once she was an adult.

I loved the first meeting between Avery and Logan. She's talked to him on the phone plenty of times and seen pictures of him, but she wasn't at all prepared for the effect he had on her in person. Though she presents a calm façade, inside he has her rattled. She is attracted to him but determined to resist. Logan is equally attracted to Avery, but also intrigued by her. As the two of them worked together on various charity events, they had a chance to get to know each other. There were some sweet scenes between them, as well as some that showed the building attraction. I loved the part at Harwood House when the resident ghost gave them a little nudge, trapping them in a closet long enough for them to indulge in a whopper of a kiss. As the days went by, I loved seeing how they couldn't stay away from each other. But the closer they grew, the more their personal demons worked against their beliefs that there could be a future together. I ached for Avery, whose neglect by her parents have made it difficult for her to trust that she won't end up disappointed or left behind again. In spite of his success, Logan still sees himself as the son of the town drunk, looked down on by other people. That insecurity makes it hard for him to believe that someone would care for the real him, not the star. I wanted to shake Avery when a not unexpected issue with her parents cropped up, and she used it to push Logan away. I hurt for him, but I also loved how he still watched out for her. His big moment at the end was fantastic, sweet and romantic and showed the depth of his love. The epilogue was terrific, and I loved how it showed how far they had come.

Since I haven't read the previous books, the secondary characters were all new to me, but I never felt lost. I liked that Logan, Eli, and Harlan had maintained their friendship after they left Whiskey River and have now joined together to give something back to their town. I also liked the little bit I saw of his brothers Finn and Sully. A big part of Logan's childhood had been spent trying to protect his brothers from their father. I liked how that protectiveness continued after their father's death. Both brothers were intriguing, and I hope they get stories of their own. I also loved the friendship between Avery, Rachel, and Samantha. It's clear that they have each other's backs at all times, but they also have no trouble dishing out advice when it's needed. show less

Terrific book. Aaron Quentin intrigued me during his part in the earlier book, Safe in Her Bodyguard's Arms. I figured out early that he was one of the good guys and hoped he would get his own story. As with his brother, the tragedy in Aaron's past influenced his present. He uses his work as an undercover agent to keep people at a distance. He moved from Florida to California to infiltrate a drug cartel.

Lee is Price Security's computer and information guru. She works her magic from behind a show more computer in their offices. But when a friend from her past asks her for help finding a missing teen, Lee steps out of her comfort zone to search for her. The last thing she expected was to encounter Aaron and end up part of his cover as his girlfriend.

This book had me hooked from the get-go. The suspense is intense with the dual storylines of Aaron's mission of taking down the cartel leader and Lee's search for the missing teen. Matters become more complicated when an old adversary of Lee's turns up in Aaron's net. An unexpected twist leads to a possible link between the two cases and intensifying danger for both. The double-barreled ending was a nail-biter to the finish.

I enjoyed the development of Aaron and Lee's relationship. There were sparks between them when they met in Miami. Aaron tried flirting with her, but she wasn't interested. When they met again in LA, the sparks were still there, but both tried to ignore them. That becomes more complicated when Lee gets sucked into Aaron's op and must pretend to be his girlfriend. Spending time together intensifies the attraction and allows them to get to know each other. I loved how in tune Aaron was with Lee and how good he was at sensing when she needed him. I liked seeing them both lose some of their "lone wolf" attitudes and discover they could support each other without losing independence. It didn't take long for their fake relationship to start to feel real. Neither believes they are good at relationships, and I loved seeing their determination to find one that works for them. show less

Good second chance story with an underlying mystery. Ten years earlier, Gabi and King had been college sweethearts when he and his friend Hunter were accused of murder. In order to protect her, King said hurtful things, driving her away. Now King and Hunter are back in California, determined to find out the truth and take their revenge. King hopes that Gabi might remember something from that night, and hires her as nanny to his son to get her into his home.

Gabi has never forgotten her show more feelings for King, though she has tried to move on. She is nervous about having him back in her life, afraid of getting her heart broken again. But resisting King now is just as hard as it was before, and now there is the added appeal of his adorable son, Conner.

I liked King. At the beginning he comes across as a bit arrogant and way too focused on his revenge, but it quickly becomes obvious that there is a lot more to him. First, he is completely devoted to his son. Though he is haunted by what happened to him, his biggest motivation for clearing his name is so that Conner doesn't suffer because of it. Second, he feels guilty about the way he treated Gabi, even though he had done it to protect her. Part of the reason for getting her to live in is so that he can try to make amends.

I liked Gabi, too, though there were times when she frustrated me. Though devastated by her treatment by King, she had attempted to move on with her life. I liked her independence and the confidence she had built up in the years since she had last seen him. I really enjoyed the way that she stood up to him when he barged into her office. And though she tried to insist on keeping things professional, it didn't take long for her to realize that the attraction was too strong.

I really enjoyed seeing Gabi and King get to know each other as the adults they are now. The chemistry between them is still strong, but there is more than that. I liked that Gabi is still convinced of his innocence, and that she wants to help him with the investigation. King is appreciative, but he still wants to protect her from the consequences of being involved. She worries about his fixation on revenge and that it could have worse consequences that just letting it go. She got a better understanding of his motivations when she experienced some of the backlash of being involved with him, but she still wants him to give up on the idea of revenge, even if he discovers who the real culprit is. I hurt for them both as that need for revenge pushed them apart. The ending was sweet and romantic as King and his son join forces to show Gabi that love is stronger.

Conner is adorable and shown pretty realistically. He isn't perfect, and has age appropriate reactions and meltdowns. He is also the motivating factor for King's attempts to clear his name. I liked the way that it is through their relationships with him, that the softer sides of both King and Hunter are shown. I also liked what I saw of Hunter. He has quite a reputation with the ladies, but I get the feeling it is a front to hide his real emotions.

The mystery is an interesting one, with a theme taken right out of current headlines. With ten years behind them, both King and Hunter are now mature enough to pursue the truth. Though some new information is discovered it isn't enough and we are left waiting for Hunter's story to get answers. show less