BOOK: SECRETS FOR SEDUCING A ROYAL BODYGUARD
AUTHOR: VANESSA KELLY
4 stars!
Aden St. George is an interesting hero.
He is ridiculously handsome. A girl would have to be dead–or at least apoplectic– not to react to a man like St. George.
For most of his life he’d seen himself as an outsider. He’d been deliberately rejected by the people in his life who most mattered. He felt unwanted and unworthy, the walking scandal, and someone who didn’t deserve a normal life.
He’s part of the Royal House Guards. He, along with his friend and mentor Sir Dominic, are secretly spies.
When we first meet Aden, he’s rescued one of the tons most acclaimed young women, Lady Vivien Shaw, in the dead of night.
Vivien is a rather likable heroine. Despite being rough handled and kidnapped she seems to have a good head on her shoulders. She’s fearless and is unlike any other the other women of the ton. She also has the added burden of looking out for her gambling mother and younger brother. She constantly tries to keep them out of debt by playing cards. Meeting Aden is a refreshing change in her life.
I loved reading how they both tried their best to not be attracted to each other.
Slowly, the warmth in his eyes transmuted into a seductive heat. When his gaze dropped to her mouth, she could swear all that heat flicked a kiss of fire across it. Her lips parted in an involuntary gasp.
“Christ, Vivien,” Aden murmured n a ragged voice. His gloved hands cupped her cheeks, tilting her face up another inch as he swiftly claimed her mouth.
And claim he did, slipping his tongue between her lips in a swirl of delicious, liquid heat. She tasted champagne and fire and potent masculine energy that drove its way straight to her heart. With a searing delight, both startling and terrifying in its power, she threw her arm around his neck, flinging herself against him.
I enjoyed the budding romance between Aden and Vivien. They matched each other perfectly and the love scenes were scorching.
He had fallen in love with her, God help him. And it made him more vulnerable to making mistakes than he’d ever even imagined.
“You love me?” she asked in a tight voice as she twisted partway around in his embrace.
“Of course I love you. How could I not? You’re the most interesting woman I’ve ever met, despite your unfailing ability to get yourself into ridiculous situations.”
She gave him a tentative smile. “I don’t do it on purpose, you know. Things just seem to happen to me.”
“Yes, I’ve noticed that trouble finds you on a fairly regular basis.”
The horrible villain in this story is Prince Ivan. He’s mean, vicious and will absolutely do anything to have Vivien as his wife… no matter the cost. She’s his obsession. Vivien loathes him, thinks he looks like a toad, and tries to avoid him whenever possible.
Her oldest brother, Cyrus, could also be considered a villain, or close to it. I didn’t like him in the beginning of the story and by the end of the book, I still didn’t.
Vanessa Kelly has really found a unique niche that highlights both her storytelling abilities and stellar talents for depth of character and emotion. Every aspect of this tale is exquisite.
**ARC graciously provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
I cannot wait for Griffin’s story in CONFESSIONS OF A ROYAL BRIDEGROOM.
LovesHistorical Book Reviews 