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A review by biblio_gabriella
Protecting the Lady by Amanda Radley
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
3 stars. While I’m a fan of Radley’s writing, this book fell flat for me.
Disenchanted with her job as a Protection Command Officer, Eve Webb (~30s) quits and moves to Tokyo for a more free-spirited lifestyle. A few years later, her old boss tracks her down to tell her she’s the right woman for a close protection job. Eve is hesitant to step away from her new life, but she can’t refuse the attractive sum of money. Even though a death threat was sent her way, distantly royal Lady Katherine Lovegrove (42) isn’t keen on being confined to her home, and she makes sure everyone knows. Eve isn’t happy about protecting a royal, and Katherine isn’t happy about Eve’s presence in her life, so the two get off to a rocky start.
As always, Amanda Radley’s writing is breezy, concise, and readable. She does an amazing job pairing snarky, uptight characters and wholesome, feel-good vibes. Major and minor characters alike are treated with dignity and respect, and her books carry a particular air of kindness.
I like how forced proximity allows Eve and Katherine to begrudgingly accept each other and amend their incorrect assumptions. While Katherine acts out rudely at the start of the book, I can see why she does so, even though I think some of it is over-the-top. She eventually starts to warm up to Eve when she realizes how committed Eve is to protecting her. Eve gets to know Katherine as a hardworking and generous person, and I like how Eve is self-aware enough to admit to herself that she’s not as good at “judging a book by its cover” as she thought she was.
Unfortunately, I think “bland” is the best descriptor for the romance (and not due to the lack of sex scenes, which is something I love about Radley’s books). I felt absolutely no chemistry and there isn’t enough romantic content for me to feel invested. The MCs start to acknowledge their feelings of love shockingly fast, to the point where I almost burst out laughing because it felt so weird. I couldn’t figure out why they’re suddenly attracted to each other, much less where on earth love came from.
Though this book involves a (literally!) life-or-death plot, I can’t say I felt any strong emotions while reading. I think that this book could have packed much more of an emotional punch, but it just didn’t for me whatsoever. Maybe it’s because, while the MCs are nice, I wasn’t really able to connect with either of them. Honestly I think my favorite character is Eve’s sister Paula, who’s adorable, sweet, and fun (though Eve definitely got some badass points from me when she recruited that staple gun to her team!).
While Protecting the Lady was only okay for me, Radley’s writing is always a joy to read. Since I really enjoyed the other two books I’ve read by her, I think my next Radley read will be better.
other content warnings: abduction, death threats, guilt, physical assault, terrorist attack (past, off-page)
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Disenchanted with her job as a Protection Command Officer, Eve Webb (~30s) quits and moves to Tokyo for a more free-spirited lifestyle. A few years later, her old boss tracks her down to tell her she’s the right woman for a close protection job. Eve is hesitant to step away from her new life, but she can’t refuse the attractive sum of money. Even though a death threat was sent her way, distantly royal Lady Katherine Lovegrove (42) isn’t keen on being confined to her home, and she makes sure everyone knows. Eve isn’t happy about protecting a royal, and Katherine isn’t happy about Eve’s presence in her life, so the two get off to a rocky start.
As always, Amanda Radley’s writing is breezy, concise, and readable. She does an amazing job pairing snarky, uptight characters and wholesome, feel-good vibes. Major and minor characters alike are treated with dignity and respect, and her books carry a particular air of kindness.
I like how forced proximity allows Eve and Katherine to begrudgingly accept each other and amend their incorrect assumptions. While Katherine acts out rudely at the start of the book, I can see why she does so, even though I think some of it is over-the-top. She eventually starts to warm up to Eve when she realizes how committed Eve is to protecting her. Eve gets to know Katherine as a hardworking and generous person, and I like how Eve is self-aware enough to admit to herself that she’s not as good at “judging a book by its cover” as she thought she was.
Unfortunately, I think “bland” is the best descriptor for the romance (and not due to the lack of sex scenes, which is something I love about Radley’s books). I felt absolutely no chemistry and there isn’t enough romantic content for me to feel invested. The MCs start to acknowledge their feelings of love shockingly fast, to the point where I almost burst out laughing because it felt so weird. I couldn’t figure out why they’re suddenly attracted to each other, much less where on earth love came from.
Though this book involves a (literally!) life-or-death plot, I can’t say I felt any strong emotions while reading. I think that this book could have packed much more of an emotional punch, but it just didn’t for me whatsoever. Maybe it’s because, while the MCs are nice, I wasn’t really able to connect with either of them. Honestly I think my favorite character is Eve’s sister Paula, who’s adorable, sweet, and fun (though Eve definitely got some badass points from me when she recruited that staple gun to her team!).
While Protecting the Lady was only okay for me, Radley’s writing is always a joy to read. Since I really enjoyed the other two books I’ve read by her, I think my next Radley read will be better.
other content warnings: abduction, death threats, guilt, physical assault, terrorist attack (past, off-page)
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Blood
Minor: Cancer, Suicide, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail