The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
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.
theeditorreads's review against another edition
4.0
What. A. Book! What. A. Story! I can't even imagine what Emily must feel like, all the time, living in fear, despair, with a stalker on to her. And then there's Carter, though I had my suspicions about his relation with the child, Phin, but it was a mind blowing, unexpected twist. The suspense in both the cases - the stalker and Phin - made this not only a romantic/erotica but a thriller as well. And what an interesting kid Phinnaeus is! What a crackling chemistry between Carter and Emily and what a stupendous ending!
lugysuperfly's review against another edition
3.0
Barely made it to 3 stars, honestly. It wasn't a terrible story but it just fell short for me. Although the story is from a series, it is a standalone novel. The spice was there but did not feel organic even though the author did try to build good chemistry. It just didn't do it for me. Bombshell was a better read for me. Anyway, this one may work to get out of a reading slump. Happy reading!
cherryredsreads's review against another edition
4.0
Entertaining read!
This book grabbed me from the beginning. Great setup, characters were entertaining and I enjoyed the amount of angst this book gave.
The chemistry between Carter and Emily was off the charts hot.
Author CD Reiss delivers another brilliant story that will keep you entertained & wanting to see what she will come up with next.
4 Cherries Popped!
This book grabbed me from the beginning. Great setup, characters were entertaining and I enjoyed the amount of angst this book gave.
The chemistry between Carter and Emily was off the charts hot.
Author CD Reiss delivers another brilliant story that will keep you entertained & wanting to see what she will come up with next.
4 Cherries Popped!
peggyemi's review against another edition
4.0
While this is the second book in the series, it can be read as a stand alone and the reader will not lose anything. I enjoyed this book and found it to be a quick read. I liked the alternating view points and think it enhances the story to get each main characters perspective on the relationship. I think the author did a good job of incorporating a little bit of everything - romance, suspense, humor and plenty of steamy scenes. I liked Emily's character. She had courage to try to stop being a victim and try to live her life again. Carter comes with his own baggage and reasons for keeping to the background, but Emily slowly chips away at that. There is a good chemistry between the lead characters and a nice cast of secondary characters that help the story and characters progress.
I voluntarily read an advanced review copy of this book which was provided to me by the publisher through Netgalley.
I voluntarily read an advanced review copy of this book which was provided to me by the publisher through Netgalley.
taconaut77's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
mags_louise's review against another edition
3.0
3.5☆
**I was kindly provided with an ARC by the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
This was a good story and an enjoyable read. That is full of angst and likable characters. But unfortunately it never really grabbed my attention or held it. As the story was quite slow paced and the relationship between Carter and Emily although sweet was very stop start. And at times the drama in Carter's life seemed to overshadow Emily's stalker. Who for me, never posed a serious threat. But did make things more interesting. Especially with all the revelations late on.
**I was kindly provided with an ARC by the Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
This was a good story and an enjoyable read. That is full of angst and likable characters. But unfortunately it never really grabbed my attention or held it. As the story was quite slow paced and the relationship between Carter and Emily although sweet was very stop start. And at times the drama in Carter's life seemed to overshadow Emily's stalker. Who for me, never posed a serious threat. But did make things more interesting. Especially with all the revelations late on.