HOLD SAFE – Biker Daddy Bodyguards #3 by Sue Brown

Blurb

Mo is content with the quiet life. Once upon a time he had his happy ever after, but that ended. Now he’s being asked to guard an ego-driven businessman who has no idea how much danger he’s in. He should say no.

A successful CEO, Joseph is used to most people saying yes. He’s not convinced ‘yes’ is in this bodyguard’s vocabulary. Every decision he makes, Mo vetoes. Joseph is furious. He’s the one in charge. Isn’t he?

They are dealing with escalating danger and increasing tension between them. Joseph is convinced he’s a Daddy. Mo knows Joseph is a boy. Will Mo keep Joseph safe and show him his true place?

Excerpt

The room went silent.

“Remember you’re a Holden. Never let another man tell you what to do.”

His father’s words rang in Joseph’s ears as they had done since he had sat an eight-year-old Joseph down in his study and told him that one day he would be the head of a great empire.

Yet he’d sat like a kid, his cheeks flaming, because some yeti off the mountains had ordered him to. He knew he’d made a huge mistake. He’d lost face in front of a room full of alpha men. He could see that in the smug expressions in the room. Now he’d have to work twice as hard to regain the power.

He was the client, the top dog in the room. Correction. He should have been the top dog. He was the billionaire; they were merely muscle. So why did he feel like a kid playing dress up in his father’s shoes?

 

 Buylinks: Universal link | Amazon US | Series link

 Price: $3.99

 

Review

Aahhh. Just what the doctor ordered. A grumpy older Daddy, a younger, very bratty billionaire oblivious to the fact that he’s a boy. Snarky remarks fly while Mo tries to keep Joseph safe and Joseph pretends that he’s in charge, rather than Mo until proximity and the men’s true natures take over and slowly but securely and sexily push them together.

The combination of mystery, tension, heat, and romance is just about perfect in this one. I successfully guessed who was out to kill Joseph, but that didn’t take any fun or suspense out of the story. Quite the opposite in fact. Being fairly sure where the danger was coming from meant I could focus all my attention on Mo and Joseph finding their way to each other and establishing their dynamic. Since their developing relationship was glorious, that was time well and very satisfactory spent.

This was the second Biker Daddy Bodyguards book I read. For some reason, I missed the second book. I guess I’ll have to make up for that oversight in the not too distant future. For now, all that remains is for me to highly recommend this book and this series. You won’t regret spending a few afternoons with these magnificent Daddies and their beautiful boys.

Click here for my review of the first book in this series: Hold Firm

 

 

Author Bio

Cranky middle-aged author with an addiction for coffee, and a passion for romancing two guys. She loves her dog, she loves her kids, and she loves coffee; in which order very much depends on the time of day.

Come over and talk to Sue at:

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 Email: sue@suebrownstories.com

 

Giveaway

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Hold Firm (Biker Daddy Bodyguards #1) by Sue Brown

I have no idea why I didn't post this review last year, seeing how I finished the book last September but, better late than never I guess.

Blurb

“Am I here as his bodyguard, his fake boyfriend, or his Daddy?”

The minute Quinn lays eyes on the bratty boy hunched in the chair, spitting fire and ice at him, he knows why he’s been chosen for this assignment. He doesn’t want to take the job but the boy’s life is in danger. Could Quinn turn him away?
Cade doesn’t want a bodyguard at his back 24/7. He works hard and parties harder. But this man isn’t the usual rent-a-suit. He’s six foot five of solid muscle, hard eyes, and a voice which makes Cade want to beg for his attention.
To the world, Quinn is Cade’s bodyguard. To their friends, Quinn is Cade’s boyfriend. To the suspect, Quinn is Cade’s Daddy…

Quinn can’t help thinking this won’t end well.

Review

I've been a huge fan of Sue Brown's books for some time and I have to say, she hit it out of the ballpark again with Hold Firm. Quinn is the most delicious be it somewhat reluctant, Daddy while Cade takes being a brat to new heights. But there are reasons. Reasons for Cade's behaviour, and reasons why Quinn tries to keep his distance. Their journey from professional relationship to intimacy had me in turns on the edge of my seat and hot and bothered. And, talking about the edge of my seats, as if these two men, who were clearly made for each other, and their coming together weren't captivating enough, there's danger lurking in the background, waiting for the right moment to strike. I'm delighted this is only the first book in this series. Bring me the next Biker Daddy Bodyguard, please. 

Buy link: Amazon US | Amazon UK 

Whiskey Kisses by Anna Martin

 

e-book

70 pages

 

Blurb

 

In a small town about an hours' drive outside Dublin, there’s a whiskey distillery.

Jim has worked in the distillery as its business manager since he returned to his home town after getting his degree. Whiskey is a slow business and rural life is quiet, but Jim takes it in his stride. That is, until the handsome and mysterious Mr Aiden Rooney moves into a room above the local pub and sets off a flurry of gossip.

Aiden’s an artist, and his devil-may-care attitude is a revelation to Jim. But he still lives in a small town in rural Ireland, and he’s not even sure if he wants to be out and proud. The choices they make could change everything, if only Jim dares to follow his heart.

 

Review                   

 

This is a charming little story with just the right amount of soul-searching vs. easy, simple, and beautiful love. There’s a spot of instant attraction, a not completely issue free coming out, and some small-town pettiness, but overall it’s an angst-free and delightful read. Of course, the fact that this tale is set in Ireland, was a huge added bonus.

Quite a few things made me smile. The spoken language that once or twice feared a little in the ‘begosh and begorrah’ direction. Or the fear of being outed because the town is small, rural, and conservative (the story was published in 2017, two years after the marriage equality referendum) but the same place providing food deliveries.

But, that’s me reading as someone who lives in a tiny, rural, Irish town. The descriptions and dialogue in this book would be perfect for any reader who has never been to Ireland. In fact, they were so good it made me think about how I describe things in my own stories, what my dialogue may or may not sound like to readers. I don’t rule out that my fear of stereotyping the Irish results in me making them bland metro-nationals (is that a thing?).

Long reflection short: Whiskey kisses is a wonderful read if you find yourself with an hour or two on your hands and feel like spending them in Ireland in the company of two interesting and sexy men.

Normal People by Sally Rooney

 

266 pages

Blurb

Connell and Marianne grow up in the same small town in the west of Ireland, but the similarities end there. In school, Connell is popular and well liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation – something life-changing begins.

Normal People is a story of mutual fascination, friendship and love. It takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find they can’t.

 

My thoughts

I’m conflicted about this book. I liked it enough to read it over two days, and it kept my attention from start to finish. At the same time, the story, or rather, Marianne and Connell irritated me more or less from start to finish. I guess I expected more from a book that follows two young people over the course of four years. More growth, more self-awareness, and some sort of resolution. I prefer books where main characters develop and where my feelings about them are allowed to change along with that development. As it was, I felt there was probably a whole second book waiting for Connell and Marianne; one in which they finally reveal all of themselves to each other and come to some sort of real decision about who they are to and with each other.

On the other hand, the story and, more specifically, Marianne and Connell fascinated me, but in a car crash sorta way. Even after finishing the book, I can’t get away from the feeling that they were bad and good for each other in equal measure.

The style in this book bothered me. I’m not a fan of omitting quotation marks in dialogue. And while I have nothing against diving into characters’ heads and following their thought processes, this book felt heavy on introspection. Of course, the issues between Connell and Marianne can mostly be boiled down to lack of sufficient communication (which happens to be a pet-peeve of mine) and I guess that refusal to talk made the introspection essential to get their personalities on the page.

My biggest objection to this story is that while the blurb appears to hint at some sort of (happy) conclusion to Connell and Marianne’s ‘will they – won’t they’ relationship it is almost as if the book doesn’t conclude at all. In fact, while it is true that both of them have grown (should I say, ‘have come of age’?) over the course of the book, their relationship (such as it may be) hasn’t developed at all. This is most definitely not a romance, even if a lot of the story is about relationships. On a more detailed level I also had issues with how Marianne’s wish to submit was treated; as if it was something weird, something to be frowned upon, shameful even, be it that her realisation that submission didn’t have to involve pain went some way towards reducing my discomfort.

Overall, this was a captivating, although not always enjoyable, read. And I have to admit that I’m scratching my head about the fast number of literary prizes it was nominated for.