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jackiehorne's review
4.0
If you're looking for something that interrogates the romantic suspense formula, rather than pushes its boundaries, then CD Reiss's Bodyguard might be more up your alley. The second book in her Hollywood A-List series, Bodyguard features the classic trope of a heroine in danger and the bodyguard hired to protect her falling for one another. But the basic set-up is just about all that is familiar here in Reiss' unconventional imagining of the classic trope.
See full review at:
http://romancenovelsforfeminists.blogspot.com/2019/02/navigating-line-between-stalking-and.html
See full review at:
http://romancenovelsforfeminists.blogspot.com/2019/02/navigating-line-between-stalking-and.html
beckyrendon's review
4.0
Bodyguard is the giddy warmth inducing sexual tension climbing kind of romance. Think about it!
The hot bodyguard. The taboo. The tension of denial. The unavoidable chemistry. The physical connection you can feel across the room. It makes you giddy and warm. The tension and denial a result of the taboo. HOT!!!
Better than just hot, the push pull is killer on the emotions. Drama from each other's lives. Yeah it's a fun read. It's got a sweet story and incredible tension. Oh and because it's Hollywood- name dropping...you know...Michael Greydon, Brad some one or other...Sinclair. Cameos make the business right?!?
Pop in and see if you recognize anyone else!
reviewed for Naughty Book Blog
The hot bodyguard. The taboo. The tension of denial. The unavoidable chemistry. The physical connection you can feel across the room. It makes you giddy and warm. The tension and denial a result of the taboo. HOT!!!
Better than just hot, the push pull is killer on the emotions. Drama from each other's lives. Yeah it's a fun read. It's got a sweet story and incredible tension. Oh and because it's Hollywood- name dropping...you know...Michael Greydon, Brad some one or other...Sinclair. Cameos make the business right?!?
Pop in and see if you recognize anyone else!
reviewed for Naughty Book Blog
caseroo7's review
3.0
Find this review and more at Ramblings From This Chick
Bodyguard is the second book in the Hollywood A-List series, but each book can be read as a standalone story. While the first book wasn't my favorite, I wanted to read more from CD Reiss. I have heard such good things about her books, and while I have since read and enjoyed other books by her, this one wasn't my favorite either. I think maybe this series is just okay for me, but that won't keep me from reading other books by her.
Emily enjoys her fame and the perks that come with it, until it also brings back her dangerous ex. Bodyguard Carter Kincaid is the best in the business, and beyond sexy. But with Emily being his new client, things between them are off limits. The more time they spend together, the more the lines start to blur. But Carter has his own past and secrets, and being with Emily would mean letting her in.
I thought that Carter and Emily did have chemistry and I could feel the attraction between them. However what I lacked was a real connection and any kind of depth. Both were likable characters, though Emily did get on my nerves. It drove me nuts how she seemed to have no regard for her safety and was constantly putting herself in danger by ignoring Carter's rules. (I will admit that this is a common problem for me with bodyguard stories, but it tends to happen in so many of them) While I liked Carter, there were a few times that I felt he was a bit over the top.
The other thing I was missing besides the connection between Carter and Emily was between Carter and his son. It didn't really seem like he was that close to his son, and I missed that bond. (This was a problem I had with the first book as well.) I also felt like this story was a bit slow, which also didn't help my attention span. There wasn't much going on in the story except for what felt like too much angst and drama at times. I wanted more, and it just felt like something was missing. I have really enjoyed other books from CD Reiss, and this won't be the last I read from her. I just think maybe this series isn't for me, but I do recommend giving it a shot if you think it might be one you would like, especially if you were a fan of the first book.
**ARC Provided by Social Butterfly PR**
Bodyguard is the second book in the Hollywood A-List series, but each book can be read as a standalone story. While the first book wasn't my favorite, I wanted to read more from CD Reiss. I have heard such good things about her books, and while I have since read and enjoyed other books by her, this one wasn't my favorite either. I think maybe this series is just okay for me, but that won't keep me from reading other books by her.
Emily enjoys her fame and the perks that come with it, until it also brings back her dangerous ex. Bodyguard Carter Kincaid is the best in the business, and beyond sexy. But with Emily being his new client, things between them are off limits. The more time they spend together, the more the lines start to blur. But Carter has his own past and secrets, and being with Emily would mean letting her in.
I thought that Carter and Emily did have chemistry and I could feel the attraction between them. However what I lacked was a real connection and any kind of depth. Both were likable characters, though Emily did get on my nerves. It drove me nuts how she seemed to have no regard for her safety and was constantly putting herself in danger by ignoring Carter's rules. (I will admit that this is a common problem for me with bodyguard stories, but it tends to happen in so many of them) While I liked Carter, there were a few times that I felt he was a bit over the top.
The other thing I was missing besides the connection between Carter and Emily was between Carter and his son. It didn't really seem like he was that close to his son, and I missed that bond. (This was a problem I had with the first book as well.) I also felt like this story was a bit slow, which also didn't help my attention span. There wasn't much going on in the story except for what felt like too much angst and drama at times. I wanted more, and it just felt like something was missing. I have really enjoyed other books from CD Reiss, and this won't be the last I read from her. I just think maybe this series isn't for me, but I do recommend giving it a shot if you think it might be one you would like, especially if you were a fan of the first book.
**ARC Provided by Social Butterfly PR**
jeannethinks's review against another edition
4.0
Although this is book second book in the series, each is a stand alone novel.
Emily has a promising career as a choreographer and a crazy ex stalker. Carter is the bodyguard for the job. But when he wants to get to know her body a little more intimately it creates issues with his ability to "guard" her. Emily pushes the limit with Carter and definitely creates some heated encounters. While barriers are falling and secrets are revealed, the danger continues to linger in the shadows.
This one definitely had some twists in the storyline. Fun to watch the interactions between Carter and Emily. And the friendship between Darlene and Emily, hope she gets her own book!
Emily has a promising career as a choreographer and a crazy ex stalker. Carter is the bodyguard for the job. But when he wants to get to know her body a little more intimately it creates issues with his ability to "guard" her. Emily pushes the limit with Carter and definitely creates some heated encounters. While barriers are falling and secrets are revealed, the danger continues to linger in the shadows.
This one definitely had some twists in the storyline. Fun to watch the interactions between Carter and Emily. And the friendship between Darlene and Emily, hope she gets her own book!
kissing_books's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
I didn't read the description well enough before I started reading (listening) to this book. The bodyguard is acting as her friend's bodyguard. I thought he would be hers. He does act in protecting her from a crazy stalker ex, but it's not quite the same dynamic. I'm not sure if I would feel different about the book if I hadn't the same expectations.
This was a little too fast paced for me. It felt like it was flying buy without any room for romance. I still love CD Reiss's voice and will continue with other books in her catalogue (reading the description first).
This was a little too fast paced for me. It felt like it was flying buy without any room for romance. I still love CD Reiss's voice and will continue with other books in her catalogue (reading the description first).
vikcs's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.75
Since this was my first book from C.D. Reiss I can’t really compare her style in this book for the ones she wrote before. However I can tell you that I liked her style for the most part. For one it has a lot of dialogues that help keeping the story out of the stuffy and slow zone, because on a lot of occasion there was not a whole lot going on. I liked this and I also liked that the plot where as not too complicated has plenty of suspense and a couple of twist too it, that kept the dynamic going. I enjoyed the story quite a bit even if this is usually not my style. I like that even if this is a part of a series I could read this book as a standalone no problem.
The couple of really interesting and a perfect fit. They go well together and the chemistry and the biting tension between them are amazing. Although, Carter reasoning or rather his way of handling the whole relationship/no relationship situation was a bit annoying for me at times, because I don’t like when angst takes over the book and in his case it was a real possibility to happen. I like that he has his rules and I even admire them because he is right to keep a distance between him and his clients but then decide to abide by them and keep on it, not this back and forth kinda thing that he did. Still I liked his character the only thing that I am missing is a more prominent representation of the single dad thing. I love books about single parents but the connection that usually makes them great was just missing from here, and it’s a shame because one of Carter biggest challenges in this book was balancing work and being a great father.
Emily is a string heroine with her own struggles in life, however she is on the right track to finally succeed in life when her sordid past comes back to haunt her.
Anyway they are sweet together and there is no question about the attraction between them because they act on it quite a few times.
I enjoyed the story even after it intimidated me a bit at first when I saw how many chapters are there. I thought its going to be a long ass story but in reality it’s just right. It has a dynamism to it that keeps you going and it’s worth it because there are a few big surprises lurking among the chapters. Plot wise it’s relatively light, easy to read story and I’m glad I read it.
The couple of really interesting and a perfect fit. They go well together and the chemistry and the biting tension between them are amazing. Although, Carter reasoning or rather his way of handling the whole relationship/no relationship situation was a bit annoying for me at times, because I don’t like when angst takes over the book and in his case it was a real possibility to happen. I like that he has his rules and I even admire them because he is right to keep a distance between him and his clients but then decide to abide by them and keep on it, not this back and forth kinda thing that he did. Still I liked his character the only thing that I am missing is a more prominent representation of the single dad thing. I love books about single parents but the connection that usually makes them great was just missing from here, and it’s a shame because one of Carter biggest challenges in this book was balancing work and being a great father.
Emily is a string heroine with her own struggles in life, however she is on the right track to finally succeed in life when her sordid past comes back to haunt her.
Anyway they are sweet together and there is no question about the attraction between them because they act on it quite a few times.
I enjoyed the story even after it intimidated me a bit at first when I saw how many chapters are there. I thought its going to be a long ass story but in reality it’s just right. It has a dynamism to it that keeps you going and it’s worth it because there are a few big surprises lurking among the chapters. Plot wise it’s relatively light, easy to read story and I’m glad I read it.
maferg01's review against another edition
5.0
In predictable C.D. Reiss fashion, the story line hits you from left field in the best of ways. My favorite thing about her writing is that she is unpredictable and there always seems to be something that sneaks up on the reader and catches them off guard. The piece of this story, that runs through it like smoke, will surprise you.
Carter has been hired to protect Emily from her ex-boyfriend turned stalker. This story could have gone much darker than it did so don't worry if that is a trope that doesn't appeal to you, the ex appears very little. This allows the storyline to focus on our 2 main characters and how they explode together when they finally give in to fate. As a reader, I loved both main characters due to their many admirable qualities. They compliment each other well. As a bonus, you add in a colorful cast of supporting characters and this was a complete win for me. The plot was well paced with enough background to help you understand the characters without getting bogged down in backstory and also didn't have unnecessary drama just for the sake of it. I loved the push and pull throughout the story too.
Carter has been hired to protect Emily from her ex-boyfriend turned stalker. This story could have gone much darker than it did so don't worry if that is a trope that doesn't appeal to you, the ex appears very little. This allows the storyline to focus on our 2 main characters and how they explode together when they finally give in to fate. As a reader, I loved both main characters due to their many admirable qualities. They compliment each other well. As a bonus, you add in a colorful cast of supporting characters and this was a complete win for me. The plot was well paced with enough background to help you understand the characters without getting bogged down in backstory and also didn't have unnecessary drama just for the sake of it. I loved the push and pull throughout the story too.
readers_together's review against another edition
5.0
I adored Bombshell, I could identify with aspects of that story more than any other from CD Reiss, so I was really looking forward to this one. Bodyguard is set in that same world and I loved it. Don’t worry if you didn’t read/ listen to Bombshell they’re complete standalones, just set in the same world. Trust me, I don’t use the ‘standalone’ word lightly, I didn’t gain anything from listening to Bombshell first, just a big smile when a couple of characters got a mention in passing. The story itself is sweet, with an edge. I loved that although this was a romantic story about Carter and Emily, it was also the story of friendship between Darlene and Emily. It was sweet and beautiful. I know I can’t be the only person that finished this book and said to themselves, ‘I want Darlene’s story’ and if I was, then, I think I need to start a movement or something because I loved that girl!
CD Reiss always writes the best characters, as stated above, however, Emily and Carter are something special. I loved Emily, she had been through a lot, but she was still fighting. She didn’t shy away and close herself off. Her friendship with Darlene was lovely, so often the ‘friend’ is backstabby but that is not the case here, it was beautiful. As the book progressed you see Emily becoming more and more at ease and she changes, and that was beautiful to witness. Carter is so incredibly swoon-worthy, it’s not even funny. I loved him. He was strong and sweet. Commanding, and gentle. His understanding of what Emily had been through and what she needed gave him such an edge of perfection, sure he made a few mistakes, but he had the best intentions and they made him real.
I really enjoyed the progression of the relationship between Carter and Emily. It was like a rollercoaster with so many ups and downs. But those ups and downs made sense, it wasn’t conflict for conflict's sake. It made sense to the story and to these characters because they had other things that they had to consider, not just how they felt. Carter had a lot on his plate with his commitment to his job, to his family and to Emily, it was a constant ache that he took seriously, he was stretched so thin, but he made it work. He was still able to be a nice person and give his all to everyone he cared about. The sexy times between Emily and Carter were melt your headphones hot, they were placed well in the story and made perfect sense to the storyline and the characters.
Phin, oh my word, this child stole my heart early on. I just wanted to love him and make him happy. Fist-pump the size of my heart. Sigh, one of the sweetest moments ever.
Another fantastic dual narration. I loved the combination of CJ Bloom and Joe Arden, their voices complemented each other really well. I thought CJ Bloom was wonderful as Emily and conveyed her frustrations with her situation incredibly well. She was smart and sassy and that was performed brilliantly. My only issue was that Phin sounded younger than he was. Joe Arden was the perfect choice for Carter, he performed the sweet but commanding man so beautifully, especially the scenes with Phin. The emotion was conveyed beautifully. My heart may have melted a little. I can’t even think about those sexy times, Joe was on fire. The production was done well, I really enjoyed the music at the beginning and end of the book, it set the theme and mood of the story. I only noticed one tiny issue in chapter 47, a word is missing. It should be ‘long time’ but the long trails off and leads into the next sentence. It’s nothing major and doesn’t take away from the story but it’s enough to make you pause and think you missed something.
CD Reiss always writes the best characters, as stated above, however, Emily and Carter are something special. I loved Emily, she had been through a lot, but she was still fighting. She didn’t shy away and close herself off. Her friendship with Darlene was lovely, so often the ‘friend’ is backstabby but that is not the case here, it was beautiful. As the book progressed you see Emily becoming more and more at ease and she changes, and that was beautiful to witness. Carter is so incredibly swoon-worthy, it’s not even funny. I loved him. He was strong and sweet. Commanding, and gentle. His understanding of what Emily had been through and what she needed gave him such an edge of perfection, sure he made a few mistakes, but he had the best intentions and they made him real.
I really enjoyed the progression of the relationship between Carter and Emily. It was like a rollercoaster with so many ups and downs. But those ups and downs made sense, it wasn’t conflict for conflict's sake. It made sense to the story and to these characters because they had other things that they had to consider, not just how they felt. Carter had a lot on his plate with his commitment to his job, to his family and to Emily, it was a constant ache that he took seriously, he was stretched so thin, but he made it work. He was still able to be a nice person and give his all to everyone he cared about. The sexy times between Emily and Carter were melt your headphones hot, they were placed well in the story and made perfect sense to the storyline and the characters.
Phin, oh my word, this child stole my heart early on. I just wanted to love him and make him happy. Fist-pump the size of my heart. Sigh, one of the sweetest moments ever.
Another fantastic dual narration. I loved the combination of CJ Bloom and Joe Arden, their voices complemented each other really well. I thought CJ Bloom was wonderful as Emily and conveyed her frustrations with her situation incredibly well. She was smart and sassy and that was performed brilliantly. My only issue was that Phin sounded younger than he was. Joe Arden was the perfect choice for Carter, he performed the sweet but commanding man so beautifully, especially the scenes with Phin. The emotion was conveyed beautifully. My heart may have melted a little. I can’t even think about those sexy times, Joe was on fire. The production was done well, I really enjoyed the music at the beginning and end of the book, it set the theme and mood of the story. I only noticed one tiny issue in chapter 47, a word is missing. It should be ‘long time’ but the long trails off and leads into the next sentence. It’s nothing major and doesn’t take away from the story but it’s enough to make you pause and think you missed something.
cnapierkowski's review against another edition
4.0
This was really, really, really good! I really enjoyed both of the main characters and their chemistry.