Dangerous Beauty (Dangerous Beauty, #1)

by J. T. Geissinger

A beautiful fugitive. A hot bodyguard. A high-stakes game of temptation.

For Nasir, former Special Ops military man and bodyguard, his new job seems like an easy-money gig: trail a Russian mobster’s runaway wife in Mexico, enjoy the sun, observe, and report. Just one rule: don’t get too close. But it’s all Naz can do not to watch the alluring dancer’s every move. A closer look is irresistible—especially when she’s in trouble.

Evalina escaped to the island getaway to live an untraceable life—as far away from the past as she can get. But Eva can’t ignore the dark, muscled stud who rescues her from a drug gang. He says he’s an ex-cop on vacation. When providence throws them together time and again, Eva thinks it’s all a beautiful coincidence. Now she’s giving in to a strange new sensation: trust.

But Naz has a mission to accomplish and a secret to keep. Eva has her share of secrets, too. And as the heat flares between them, Naz knows that trust could become the most dangerous impulse of all.

• ISBN10: 1542042313
• ISBN13: 9781542042314
• Publish Date: 26 March 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Montlake Romance
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 268
• Language: English

Reviews

[Romance Schmomance]

I've got quite a few favorites from J.T. Geissinger, so it was a no brainer for me to get my hands on Dangerous Beauty. I've been looking for the bodyguard romances and was overjoyed when I read the blurb for this one. But I couldn't get into this one at all, I definitely should have paid more attention because I thought this would be a standalone. Not that it's a dealbreaker for me, but Dangerous Beauty is part 1 in a trilogy. I'm not one to bow out of a series because I have to know what happens to Naz and Eva.

I couldn't connect with Naz and Eva at all and Naz was a hero that I didn't expect him to be in this story. Geissinger writes some of my favorite heroes and I was hoping to add Naz in that category as well. I liked that these two had a fun-loving relationship throughout the entire book, but it always felt just friendly with just a slight undertone of attraction between them. Nothing more.

With everything that Eva has endured with her ex, I definitely understand running away from him. She went through some extreme lengths to finally escape such a toxic and abusive relationship. I expected this to be a bit more on the emotional side while Eva tackles everything that has happened to her. I can only imagine what someone in that situation has going through their mind, so I guess I was hoping to see more of her trying to cope with that.

As far as the humor went and their constant joking, I didn't actually find a lot of quite humorous at all. In the beginning, it was kind of cute and had me chuckling, but it constant throughout the entire story. And some jokes I was just wasn't really a fan of.

It wasn't my favorite and I just wanted a bit of a connection with these characters and I wasn't getting it at all. I'll definitely continue this series because I want Eva to totally kick-a** and make her ex pay.

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[EBookObsessed]

I loved the chemistry between Nasir and Eva but I am not happy that the book ended on a cliffhanger.

When I saw that Dangerous Beauty was noted on Goodreads as “Dangerous Beauty #1”, I presumed, wrongly, that it would be the first book of a series which would feature other couples like so many that I read. But I know now that it is at least Book 1 of a series featuring Nasir and Eva. I had hoped it is only two books but it turns out that this is going to be a trilogy. I am so unhappy about that right now.

Nasir works for Connor Hughes and Metrix Security (Wicked Sexy). Metrix was hired to watch over the wife of a Russian mobster. He said that his spoiled wife ran away from home and he wants her watched over until she is ready to return home.

Weeks go by as Nasir gives his reports to his client and watches Eva. Everything is fine until he is forced to step in to protect her. Now that Eva knows who he is, Nasir is no longer just a face in the crowd who can watch and observe her. Eva spot him again in a crowded market and makes conversation with him. She sees him again at a bar and after a drink and some conversation, Eva realizes that she is enjoying Nasir’s company and begins to seek him out. He knows that he is supposed to be simply an observer, but he is drawn to Eva as well.

Nasir is struggling with the fact that he is blowing his first assignment with the company by being made by the subject but he is also convincing himself that he is watching over her only more closely now. He might have struggled with this fact a while longer except being closer to Eva, he learns that she is isn’t the mobster’s wife, but a woman who was kept captured by the Russian and was part of his “stable” of women. He also learned that Eva has suffered years of rape and abuse by this man.

Nasir isn’t going to let Eva go back to the Russian and he needs to get her out of the country before he needs to check in once again. They need to go somewhere safe and in order to do that, he will need to convince Connor to betray his client. But even harder than that, Nasir will need to confess to the woman he is falling in love with that he has been betraying Eva’s trust from the beginning. He will have to give up the trust of woman he loves to keep her safe.

I really liked the chemistry between Eva and Nasir, but have to admit that their banter could only really happen between two people who really understand how gorgeous they are. He jokes that she is hideous and fat and they laugh about it. A woman who has body issues, like Joellen from Geissinger’s Melt for You, wouldn’t be able to laugh it off and have fun with it, but it worked for Eva and Nasir.

I like that Eva has found her strength once she escaped the hands of her abuser.

I am not certain that I will continue with the next story. I might need to wait to see what other people say in their reviews and be ready to be left hanging once again until the final story comes out.

One thing I did find very odd is that the author indicates in her author’s notes that Nasir was known by another name in the Wicked Games series. Since I did not read that series, I don’t know why she would chose to change his name for this book or if he was undercover in the prior series. It just seemed an odd thing to do.

Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.