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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