Under Pressure: Includes a Bonus Story (Body Armor, #1)

by Lori Foster

Leese Phelps's road hasn't been an easy one, but it's brought him to the perfect job--working for the elite Body Armor security agency. And what his newest assignment lacks in size, she makes up for in fire and backbone. But being drawn to Catalina Nicholson is a dangerous complication, especially since it could be the very man who hired Leese who's threatening her. What Catalina knows could get her killed. But who'd believe the sordid truth about her powerful stepfather? Beyond Leese's ripped body and brooding gaze is a man of impeccable honor. He's the last person she expects to trust--and the first who's ever made her feel safe. And he's the only one who can help her expose a deadly secret, if they can just stay alive long enough...

• ISBN10: 0373789939
• ISBN13: 9780373789931
• Publish Date: 24 January 2017
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Imprint: Hqn
• Edition: Original ed.
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 480
• Language: English

Reviews

[leelu92]

A solid start to the Body Armor series. As a Lori Foster reader, I've been interested in Leese's story, let's face it, he had some redeeming to do.
Was he redeemed? Totally! I ended up REALLY liking him and I enjoyed his and Catalina's HEA.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Coffee dates with Under Pressure

First Date: While Foster's books tend to be formulaic she never ceases to have me reading into the wee hours and falling for new characters. Former MMA fighter Leese Phelps is now working for an elite security agency known as Body Armor. He along with his partner, Justice (yes another Ultimate character) are instructed to extract Cataline Nicolson and protect her at all costs. What starts out as a simple case soon becomes complicated when the very person who hired Body Armor wants Cat dead. Foster quickly pulled me in with her colorful characters and intriguing plot.

Second Date: The case itself was an interesting one. The villains had deep pockets with reach offering plenty of intense action scenes. We meet Sahara, the head of Body Armor a sassy, lethal women with snark and I loved her. While I am anxious for Justine's story, I do hope we get hers as well. We meet other members of Body Armor, and I love these new faces. Cat, is an artist and school teacher. Once you hear her story, you'll admire the heck out of her. Even with her life at risk, she was more concerned for others around her. The romance began with pure physical attraction and quickly became heated. While some may cry instalove, I swallowed the pill and quickly became caught up in wanting an HEA.

Third Date: Leese is completely swoon-worthy, and quite the lethal weapon. The man can also cook, making him dreamy in my book! The suspense angle took some dark turns and had me flipping the pages as plans were laid to face their opponents. Foster added a few twists, had beloved characters make cameos and gave us Leese's backstory allowing readers to connect fully. The case wrapped up and wasn't rushed. Foster even gave us an epilogue that left me smiling.

Copy provided by publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[Linda]

This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Under Pressure was very slow-paced, and for quite a bit of it, the only characters present were Leese and Cat. The mystery and the suspense was well done, though, and, of course, Foster's writing impeccable.



While I found the suspense and the mystery part of Under Pressure to be well executed, I also found it to be a very slow read. It picked up a bit in the middle, then slowed back down until near the end. Cat was a bit too naïve for my taste in the beginning, but as she shared a bit more of herself with Leese, I got her reasoning. She was trusting in some ways, and extremely wary in others. And she really needed to feel safe, and I understand why Leese made her feel that way. I had already met Leese, of course, as he's a part of the Ultimate universe. He fit the role of a body guard very well, and the way he was able to make sure Cat would be safe even when she didn't want to let him, proved that he was the man for the job.

For long parts of the story, Under Pressure was a closed partition in which only Cat and Leese evolved. I would definitely have enjoyed getting to know Sahara better, because a female boss of an agency dealing with personal security and body guards is hot! When she was on the scene, she showed some serious skills, plus, she was also very smart and fair when it came to her employees. And she definitely knew her thing, and how to keep both the building and her clients secure - not afraid of taking a risk or two to make sure they stayed that way either.

Of course, I'll continue with the Body Armor series, because I see so many great ways and excellent stories that can stem from this. And while the action in Under Pressure was slow, the writing was great, the character development fantastic, and the overall plot was really good. I guess I was expecting something a little faster, and so I felt a little *stuck* at times, but that's all on me. Written in third person point of view, past tense, and with lots of great dialogues, Under Pressure also has Foster's excellent romance and chemistry. And the fact that the romance was kind of forbidden - body guard and client - made it all the sweeter;)



Smiling, she struck a seductive pose then twirled, sending the material to fan out around her legs. "Do you like it?" The way the dress parted, she had to be naked underneath. For damn sure she wasn't wearing a bra. "Yeah," he growled, looking at her small bare feet. "I like it." "I'd hoped you would"

"Let's put the seduction on the back burner, at least for a week." When she started to protest, he cut her off. "One week, Cat. You can rein it in that long, and if after a week - " which was about as far as he could push himself " - we're still holed up together , and you're still sure of what you want, well then - " She bolted up to face him. "You mean it?"

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 3.5 Stars

bod·y·guard
noun: bodyguard; plural noun: bodyguards

a person or group of people hired to escort and protect another person, especially a dignitary.

synonyms: guard, personal guard, protector, guardian, defender;

So, bodyguards. I started this book with some trepidation, because, coincidently, I recently saw the stage version of The Bodyguard. In case you're wondering, it still has that awful ending. Can you understand why I was worried? But, I pushed on.


This was a book of several firsts for me. It was my first Lori Foster book, and it was also my first bodyguard book. Foster has been on my radar for quite a while. Her books are all over, and I have many friends, who love her books, however, I had yet to pick one up. Well, fate stepped in, and I was granted a "wish" from NetGalley and the publisher, finally providing me the perfect opportunity.

I can say, bodyguards, or at least, the bodyguards at Body Armor, are quite enjoyable heroes. Our hero, Leese,was a former MMA fighter, who was super fit and described as having GQ like style. Sign. Me. Up. Aside from his physical beauty, Leese also had a beautiful heart. He was loyal, understanding, generous, and I loved that he wore his heart on his sleeve.


It took me a little while to warm up to Catalina, aka Cat. This was a woman who had been on the run for months, trying to stay alive, and who had been betrayed by someone she thought cared for her. Therefore, I understood her behavior. As she felt safer, more of her personality was revealed, and I grew to care for Cat as well. She was smart, funny, witty, and to have endured all that time in her situation, she had to be very strong. I mean, what she did there near the end. Wow!

In addition to two great MCs, Foster also assembled a great group of secondary characters. My favorite was Sahara. Now, there is a woman who I want to know more about. She had guts, moxie, savvy, intelligence, and style. Her ability to keep her cool and control her emotions, while still being able to show love and care to those around her was quite enviable. I adore strong female characters, and love that Foster made Shara that strong woman, while still preserving all her other fantastic qualities.


As far as the story goes, this one satisfied my penchant for soapy drama. There were multiple villains - one was a total psychopath, lots of henchmen, thrilling fight scenes, and nefarious coverups. But don't worry, none of this distracted me from the love story. There was this palpable tension between Cat and Leese from the start, and it was fun to watch that tension evolve. The two had great chemistry, and there was tons of excellent banter. Foster did an admirable job laying out the story like a roller coaster. There were the "climbs" with lots of tension and buildup. There were the "falls", where there was all out action. Then, there were my favorite parts, the "coasts". Those times where we got to know more about Cat, Leese, and all their friends.


This book is the start of a new series, so you don't need to read previous books to know what is going on, but I plan to go back to get more of Leese's back story. Foster does reveal pieces of Leese's past, and introduces us to his gym family, but now that I have met Leese, I just want to know him better. I want to know more of his past in order to fully appreciate the man he has become.

Overall: Quite pleased with my first Foster and bodyguard book, which is a promising start to a new series I would like to read more of.

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