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Protecting The Crown #2
Defending the Duchess
He'll keep her safe—at any costProtecting the royal family is Linus Murati's job. So when the queen's younger sister is attacked, the devoted Lydian royal guardsman goes into action and saves her life. But this was no random occurrence. Danger has followed Julia Miller across the Atlantic from Seattle. Now Linus has two missions: to keep the maddeningly independent future duchess in his sights at all times, and to catch the culprit who threatens the woman whose trust—and love—he desires above all others.
Protecting the Crown: The royal guardsmen serve their country with honor and integrity
Protecting the Crown: The royal guardsmen serve their country with honor and integrity
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
24 people are currently reading
627 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
July 23, 2013
I didn't think I would enjoy this book that much. After all, it is a short book centered on romance. Well, I did enjoy it. The suspense and mystery were built up and tied up well. Rachelle McCalla did a great job weaving a light faith element into the story that is soothing, but not over powering or cheesy.
The romance was sweet, and better then I expected. However, be warned, it is based almost solely on emotion and there are about four or five kisses.
If you need a light enjoyable read, this is a great book!
The romance was sweet, and better then I expected. However, be warned, it is based almost solely on emotion and there are about four or five kisses.
If you need a light enjoyable read, this is a great book!
Read
July 11, 2017The royal family had been ambushed just two months earlier and Queen Monica had asked her sister to come visit her in Lydia. Julia Miller's office in Seattle had been broken into a few weeks prior to her leaving. She decided to avoid the guards and go for a jog alone along the beach. Captain of the guards, Linus Murati was surprised to see her easily talk her way past the security guards. He followed her and was excited when her first spotted her. He told himself it was because he was assigned to guard her rather than any attraction that he felt for her. He saw someone grab her and she began to struggle. It was clear that she was being taken against her will. Her struggles slowed the man holding her enough for Linus to catch up with them. He had asked Julia for a file. Julia cut her shin on a rock and sprained her ankle but headed back toward the beach while the man and Linus fought. The guy got away and Linus came back to Julia rather than chase the kidnapper. He picked her up and jogged back to the castle with her in his arms. Julia couldn't believe that someone would chase her halfway across the world for a file.
Julia received a text from Fletcher Pendleton asking to see her. She remembered him from one of the first cases she had taken as a new attorney. He had developed an engine while working for Seattle Electronics. Motormech Industries had wanted to buy the design from him. Seattle Electronics had won the case against Fletcher selling the design because he developed it when employed by them. Fletcher turned over all of his design to them and they used it to build a car. There was flaw in the design and it had caused injuries and killed the two engineers who had worked building the engine. The last Julia heard, Seattle Electronics had filed for bankruptcy.
Julia called home and spoke with the neighbor who was watching her house. Mary told Julia that someone had ransacked her house. Julia decided she needed to go home to see if anything was missing. She was surprised that someone had so neatly broken into the office before she left but destroyed where she lived. Her sister didn't want her alone so Linus went back to Seattle as her body guard. Julia was happy for his company. She felt safer with him around watching over her.
Julia and Linus flew into Seattle and had arranged to meet Fletcher at a park near where he lived. They then stopped by Julia's office so that Linus could take a look. She told him about the break-in and took the file of Fletcher's case and they headed for her house. They met her parents at the house to begin cleaning it up. They left to meet with Fletcher and hadn't arrived yet. They noticed some police cars drive by and decided to check out the place were Fletcher lived. They found out from neighbors that Fletcher had been shot and a blue car was spotted leaving. Julia told Linus that one of her co-workers, Scott, drove a blue Toyota. They decided that maybe the safest place for Julia was back in Lydia so they flew back. Linus suggested that Julia ask her parents to join her there.
They talked while traveling and Linus told Julia that he had a record from back when he was in his teens. He was good at picking locks and had broken in to places a few times and had gotten caught. He had never taken anything. It was just a challenge. Linus was worried about how this knowledge would affect their relationship due to Julia being a lawyer. The also went through the file together. Julia noticed that some of the pages were not the original pages. Some of the pages had been replaced with different information. She looked through her email and found out that the original email with the attachment had been deleted from her inbox. She told Linus that she thought she had downloaded the file onto her laptop to print it out. The laptop was in her room in the palace.
They landed and she noticed that she had several missed calls and voicemails from Scott. His voice got more frantic with each call and he asked her to meet him. She called him back from the palace and they agreed to meet at his hotel room. The royal guards had already determined that he was in Lydia. They went to his room and they had a helicopter over the hotel. They were told that a gunman and forced Scott to jump out his window. They got lost in a crowd but they found Scott after he had been shot twice in his abdomen. He was taken to the hospital. They still didn't know why this was all happening around them.
Linus took Julia back to the palace to have dinner with her sister, King Thaddeus and her 5 yr. old nephew, Peter. Julia noticed that Monica didn't look so well. Monica approached Julia and asked if it would be okay to have her titling ceremony to announce that she was to become a Duchess on Sunday, just 4 days away. Julia assured her that would be fine. Their parents were due to arrive the next morning. Julia knew that something was bothering Monica she just didn't know what it was. She felt like Monica was rushing the tilting ceremony to get it over with before she made another announcement. Monica mentioned that Julia and her body guard seemed rather close. Julia admitted to having feelings for Linus and Monica's only concern about the relationship was that she didn't want it to interfere with him being able to do his job of protecting Julia.
Julia received a package that Fletcher had told her that he sent to her before he was killed. Inside it was papers documenting the original design the engine. The two engineers had modified the design to make it defective. Fletcher was asking the company questions when he was killed. Linus suggested looking into the background of the engineers to see if they could determine why they were doing this. Why would they have caused a defect in the engine and then test it if they knew it would fail. They would have killed themselves.
The next day, Monica gave Julia a map of secret passages in the palace. She told Julia that they might come in handy should someone try to capture her while she was at the palace. She suggested that Julia and Linus take the next three days and do some navigating through the tunnels. There were in the tunnels and talking when Linus told Julia that Jason had warned him to not get too close to her. He ended up kissing her anyway. They were interrupted by a call from Jason asking about Julia's location. Linus told him that Julia was safe and with him. Jason told him that someone had been spotted leaving the palace over the walls. No one had spotted him entering and Julia wasn't safe yet. Linus and Julia went to her room to find it also ransacked. They didn't get her computer because it was still in safekeeping in the guard room.
They went back to the papers from Fletcher and did some checking into the death of the 2 engineers and their background. They discovered that the two engineers had been working for Motortech. They had purposely caused a defect in the engine to cause the company to loose it's value. Motortech could then purchase the company and a cheap price and sell it for a huge profit. Someone had killed the two engineers to cover what they had done and the two witnesses to the crash that killed the engineers were the two guys sent after Julia. They didn't know for sure who was calling the shots.
The tilting ceremony was held and Julia had found out just before that Scott had died. His mother had been flown to Lydia and gave Julia a copy of some papers that Scott had brought a copy of to give to Julia when they were supposed to meet. It was proof that their suspicions regarding Motortech were correct. They went outside to get some air after dancing a bit and they were told that 2 men had breached the palace security and they had guns. Linus and Julia saw them and went into the tunnels. They were followed and didn't get away. They were handcuffed and taken by helicopter to a high mountain road and put into a car with the defective engine. The CEO of Motortech was there to watch them die. Linus used a pin in his pants to pick the locks on the handcuffs and they got out of the vehicle before it crashed. The palace guards had seen the helicopter and used one of their own to capture the criminals. Jason sent a car to pick up Julia and Linus.
They got back to the palace safely and knew their ordeal was over. Linus spoke to Julia and asked her if she would be heading back to America soon. She didn't answer.
The next day, Monica made the announcement that she was pregnant with twins. She told her family that she was older than she was when she had been pregnant with Peter. Her body wasn't handling this pregnancy as easily and the toll on her health wouldn't be able to be hidden much longer. She asked Julia if she was going to stay with her in Lydia to help her through the pregnancy. Julia could practice law in Lydia. Julia was happy to be asked and agreed to stay. Linus and Julia talked and Julia told him that her sister and brother-in-law knew about his record and he was going to receive a medal for saving her life. He could invite his grandfather, who had previously been a palace guard, to the ceremony along with anyone else he wanted. Linus told Julia that he was in love with her and would ask her to marry him if he felt that it was possible. Julia told him that she would say yes if he were to ask her. Julia told him that she had already told her sister of her interest in him and she approved of their having a relationship so long as he continued to protect her. Linus then asked Julia to marry him but asked if they could delay the announcement for awhile. There had been enough royal announcements lately.
Julia received a text from Fletcher Pendleton asking to see her. She remembered him from one of the first cases she had taken as a new attorney. He had developed an engine while working for Seattle Electronics. Motormech Industries had wanted to buy the design from him. Seattle Electronics had won the case against Fletcher selling the design because he developed it when employed by them. Fletcher turned over all of his design to them and they used it to build a car. There was flaw in the design and it had caused injuries and killed the two engineers who had worked building the engine. The last Julia heard, Seattle Electronics had filed for bankruptcy.
Julia called home and spoke with the neighbor who was watching her house. Mary told Julia that someone had ransacked her house. Julia decided she needed to go home to see if anything was missing. She was surprised that someone had so neatly broken into the office before she left but destroyed where she lived. Her sister didn't want her alone so Linus went back to Seattle as her body guard. Julia was happy for his company. She felt safer with him around watching over her.
Julia and Linus flew into Seattle and had arranged to meet Fletcher at a park near where he lived. They then stopped by Julia's office so that Linus could take a look. She told him about the break-in and took the file of Fletcher's case and they headed for her house. They met her parents at the house to begin cleaning it up. They left to meet with Fletcher and hadn't arrived yet. They noticed some police cars drive by and decided to check out the place were Fletcher lived. They found out from neighbors that Fletcher had been shot and a blue car was spotted leaving. Julia told Linus that one of her co-workers, Scott, drove a blue Toyota. They decided that maybe the safest place for Julia was back in Lydia so they flew back. Linus suggested that Julia ask her parents to join her there.
They talked while traveling and Linus told Julia that he had a record from back when he was in his teens. He was good at picking locks and had broken in to places a few times and had gotten caught. He had never taken anything. It was just a challenge. Linus was worried about how this knowledge would affect their relationship due to Julia being a lawyer. The also went through the file together. Julia noticed that some of the pages were not the original pages. Some of the pages had been replaced with different information. She looked through her email and found out that the original email with the attachment had been deleted from her inbox. She told Linus that she thought she had downloaded the file onto her laptop to print it out. The laptop was in her room in the palace.
They landed and she noticed that she had several missed calls and voicemails from Scott. His voice got more frantic with each call and he asked her to meet him. She called him back from the palace and they agreed to meet at his hotel room. The royal guards had already determined that he was in Lydia. They went to his room and they had a helicopter over the hotel. They were told that a gunman and forced Scott to jump out his window. They got lost in a crowd but they found Scott after he had been shot twice in his abdomen. He was taken to the hospital. They still didn't know why this was all happening around them.
Linus took Julia back to the palace to have dinner with her sister, King Thaddeus and her 5 yr. old nephew, Peter. Julia noticed that Monica didn't look so well. Monica approached Julia and asked if it would be okay to have her titling ceremony to announce that she was to become a Duchess on Sunday, just 4 days away. Julia assured her that would be fine. Their parents were due to arrive the next morning. Julia knew that something was bothering Monica she just didn't know what it was. She felt like Monica was rushing the tilting ceremony to get it over with before she made another announcement. Monica mentioned that Julia and her body guard seemed rather close. Julia admitted to having feelings for Linus and Monica's only concern about the relationship was that she didn't want it to interfere with him being able to do his job of protecting Julia.
Julia received a package that Fletcher had told her that he sent to her before he was killed. Inside it was papers documenting the original design the engine. The two engineers had modified the design to make it defective. Fletcher was asking the company questions when he was killed. Linus suggested looking into the background of the engineers to see if they could determine why they were doing this. Why would they have caused a defect in the engine and then test it if they knew it would fail. They would have killed themselves.
The next day, Monica gave Julia a map of secret passages in the palace. She told Julia that they might come in handy should someone try to capture her while she was at the palace. She suggested that Julia and Linus take the next three days and do some navigating through the tunnels. There were in the tunnels and talking when Linus told Julia that Jason had warned him to not get too close to her. He ended up kissing her anyway. They were interrupted by a call from Jason asking about Julia's location. Linus told him that Julia was safe and with him. Jason told him that someone had been spotted leaving the palace over the walls. No one had spotted him entering and Julia wasn't safe yet. Linus and Julia went to her room to find it also ransacked. They didn't get her computer because it was still in safekeeping in the guard room.
They went back to the papers from Fletcher and did some checking into the death of the 2 engineers and their background. They discovered that the two engineers had been working for Motortech. They had purposely caused a defect in the engine to cause the company to loose it's value. Motortech could then purchase the company and a cheap price and sell it for a huge profit. Someone had killed the two engineers to cover what they had done and the two witnesses to the crash that killed the engineers were the two guys sent after Julia. They didn't know for sure who was calling the shots.
The tilting ceremony was held and Julia had found out just before that Scott had died. His mother had been flown to Lydia and gave Julia a copy of some papers that Scott had brought a copy of to give to Julia when they were supposed to meet. It was proof that their suspicions regarding Motortech were correct. They went outside to get some air after dancing a bit and they were told that 2 men had breached the palace security and they had guns. Linus and Julia saw them and went into the tunnels. They were followed and didn't get away. They were handcuffed and taken by helicopter to a high mountain road and put into a car with the defective engine. The CEO of Motortech was there to watch them die. Linus used a pin in his pants to pick the locks on the handcuffs and they got out of the vehicle before it crashed. The palace guards had seen the helicopter and used one of their own to capture the criminals. Jason sent a car to pick up Julia and Linus.
They got back to the palace safely and knew their ordeal was over. Linus spoke to Julia and asked her if she would be heading back to America soon. She didn't answer.
The next day, Monica made the announcement that she was pregnant with twins. She told her family that she was older than she was when she had been pregnant with Peter. Her body wasn't handling this pregnancy as easily and the toll on her health wouldn't be able to be hidden much longer. She asked Julia if she was going to stay with her in Lydia to help her through the pregnancy. Julia could practice law in Lydia. Julia was happy to be asked and agreed to stay. Linus and Julia talked and Julia told him that her sister and brother-in-law knew about his record and he was going to receive a medal for saving her life. He could invite his grandfather, who had previously been a palace guard, to the ceremony along with anyone else he wanted. Linus told Julia that he was in love with her and would ask her to marry him if he felt that it was possible. Julia told him that she would say yes if he were to ask her. Julia told him that she had already told her sister of her interest in him and she approved of their having a relationship so long as he continued to protect her. Linus then asked Julia to marry him but asked if they could delay the announcement for awhile. There had been enough royal announcements lately.
February 20, 2013
Rated 4.5 stars
Protecting the Crown: The royal guardsmen serve their country with honor and integrity.
My Review
I saw this book mentioned recently on Seekerville or on facebook (or both) and the title immediately grabbed my interest. What is it like to protect someone? Is it worth the dangers that come with the job? Julia doesn’t even realize she’s a duchess yet when the story begins, but her sister is the Queen of Lydia and trouble has already been brewing for this family. Julia is instantly assigned a guard, Linus, but she’s not accustomed to being looked after and decides to escape his protection immediately by going for a run by herself. She is briefly kidnapped and assaulted before Linus comes to her rescue, but the perpetrator escapes leaving very few clues to investigate. Then Julia gets a troubling text message on her phone and realizes the danger is just beginning for her.
Julia is a lawyer and it turns out that a case she handled two years ago is connected with all of these circumstances. I’m only halfway through the book as I start this review, but it’s soooo good I decided to get an early start :) Julia’s Duchess title is bequeathed to her shortly before returning to Seattle and she humbly accepts it at the insistence of her protective sister, Queen Monica. THAT right there was an interesting part of the plot for me. This American woman has no idea she has become royalty just because she’s related to her sister and has no idea how to enter this lifestyle. Julia’s only desire is to help her sister adjust to her life as a queen and be a comfort to her. When trouble comes to Julia, she only wants to protect her family.
Linus is unlike any bodyguard I’ve ever heard of! He’s courteous, honorable, doesn’t hesitate to take risks in order to keep Julia safe, but he also does all he can to comfort and pray for her along the way. He also reads the Word and has scripture memorized, I deeply admire that about his character. Their chemistry starts quickly, but that didn’t bother me because neither of them acts on the attraction as they try to sort out how to solve this mess. He also has a secret in the story and feels that by confessing his past to Julia he can keep a safe distance emotionally from her.
There is violence in the story, but nothing inappropriate or intense. The action is just enough of a page turner and Julia is easy to like and root for. She’s also not a wimp. Her responses are authentic and just when Linus doesn’t think she can take anymore, she takes a stand to figure things out. I loved her personality and her heart.
Julia is briefly kidnapped
Another kidnapping is mentioned in the story
One person is murdered
Julia’s home gets extremely ransacked (if you’ve ever experienced a house robbery--I have--this scene is accurately described at how one would feel going through this and I was amazed how well McCalla wrote the details……you really feel like you’re there with Julia through it)
I also learned that the Royal guard is split between three roles and each role is taken very seriously:
Detectives
Sentinels/watchmen
Bodyguards
Filled with suspense, secret passages, a royal family, and even a titling ceremony that would put any ball to shame, prayer, loyalty, the rich history of Lydia, and a Royal guard that had my respect throughout the story, this book is not to be missed! This was my first time reading Rachelle McCalla, but it won’t be my last. I’m grateful for authors like her who write about honor, family, and faith while adding lots of good action :) This book also includes discussion questions. Please visit Rachelle’s website to learn more about her, her wonderful books, and more! http://www.rachellemccalla.com/index....
I want to thank NetGalley and Love Inspired for the review copy they provided. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Protecting the Crown: The royal guardsmen serve their country with honor and integrity.
My Review
I saw this book mentioned recently on Seekerville or on facebook (or both) and the title immediately grabbed my interest. What is it like to protect someone? Is it worth the dangers that come with the job? Julia doesn’t even realize she’s a duchess yet when the story begins, but her sister is the Queen of Lydia and trouble has already been brewing for this family. Julia is instantly assigned a guard, Linus, but she’s not accustomed to being looked after and decides to escape his protection immediately by going for a run by herself. She is briefly kidnapped and assaulted before Linus comes to her rescue, but the perpetrator escapes leaving very few clues to investigate. Then Julia gets a troubling text message on her phone and realizes the danger is just beginning for her.
Julia is a lawyer and it turns out that a case she handled two years ago is connected with all of these circumstances. I’m only halfway through the book as I start this review, but it’s soooo good I decided to get an early start :) Julia’s Duchess title is bequeathed to her shortly before returning to Seattle and she humbly accepts it at the insistence of her protective sister, Queen Monica. THAT right there was an interesting part of the plot for me. This American woman has no idea she has become royalty just because she’s related to her sister and has no idea how to enter this lifestyle. Julia’s only desire is to help her sister adjust to her life as a queen and be a comfort to her. When trouble comes to Julia, she only wants to protect her family.
Linus is unlike any bodyguard I’ve ever heard of! He’s courteous, honorable, doesn’t hesitate to take risks in order to keep Julia safe, but he also does all he can to comfort and pray for her along the way. He also reads the Word and has scripture memorized, I deeply admire that about his character. Their chemistry starts quickly, but that didn’t bother me because neither of them acts on the attraction as they try to sort out how to solve this mess. He also has a secret in the story and feels that by confessing his past to Julia he can keep a safe distance emotionally from her.
There is violence in the story, but nothing inappropriate or intense. The action is just enough of a page turner and Julia is easy to like and root for. She’s also not a wimp. Her responses are authentic and just when Linus doesn’t think she can take anymore, she takes a stand to figure things out. I loved her personality and her heart.
Julia is briefly kidnapped
Another kidnapping is mentioned in the story
One person is murdered
Julia’s home gets extremely ransacked (if you’ve ever experienced a house robbery--I have--this scene is accurately described at how one would feel going through this and I was amazed how well McCalla wrote the details……you really feel like you’re there with Julia through it)
I also learned that the Royal guard is split between three roles and each role is taken very seriously:
Detectives
Sentinels/watchmen
Bodyguards
Filled with suspense, secret passages, a royal family, and even a titling ceremony that would put any ball to shame, prayer, loyalty, the rich history of Lydia, and a Royal guard that had my respect throughout the story, this book is not to be missed! This was my first time reading Rachelle McCalla, but it won’t be my last. I’m grateful for authors like her who write about honor, family, and faith while adding lots of good action :) This book also includes discussion questions. Please visit Rachelle’s website to learn more about her, her wonderful books, and more! http://www.rachellemccalla.com/index....
I want to thank NetGalley and Love Inspired for the review copy they provided. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.
March 3, 2013
5 STARS
I got this book and a few hours later I had finshed it. Now I want to read the books that are in Reclaiming the Crown Series. Defending the Duchess is the first book in the new The Protecting the Crown series that follows Reclaiming the Crown.
Julia Miller is visiting her sister the Queen Monica of Lydia. She is not used to having a bodyguard follow her around all the time. So Julia tells Linus Murati that she is in for the night. Then changes to shorts and heads out of the Palace.
Linus sees her leaving the castle on the camera but before he can get to her she has talked her way out of the grounds at the gate. Linus finally sees her and yells at her to stop. Right at that moment someone grabs her and starts taking her up the hill to where the road is.
Linus gets in a fight with the masked man and gets Julia away from him. Julia only has a hurt knee from her attempted kidnapping.
Julia is a lawyer in Seattle and before she came to Lydia someone had broken into her office. Nothing except a file cabinate was broken nothing else seemed out of place. Julia has no idea what if anything they are connected. The kidnapper mentioned he wanted a file. Then she finds out her house has been broken into and destroyed most of her possessions.
Julia decides to go back to Seattle and see her house. No one wants her to go by herself so Linus agrees to go with her.
Linus has some record of wrong doings in his teen years that were not looked into by the old Captain of the Guard but the new one did find it. Jason told Linus that if he makes any errors he will disclose his background right away.
Linus is very attracted to Julia but he knows he can not make any mistakes. He can not get to close to her.
Julia likes Linus and the more time around him the more she likes him. She feels safe with him around her. Trusts him to keep her safe and help figure out why she is being attacked.
As more murders are happening around her the more confused by everything is the closer Linus and Julia become.
This is a clean read, lots of drama,action,secret passages,car chases it makes for a story you don't want to put down till it is finshed. It is a quick read.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange for a honest review from Netgalley.
03/05/2013 PUB Harlequin Love Inspired ISBN-10: 037344530X 224 pages
I got this book and a few hours later I had finshed it. Now I want to read the books that are in Reclaiming the Crown Series. Defending the Duchess is the first book in the new The Protecting the Crown series that follows Reclaiming the Crown.
Julia Miller is visiting her sister the Queen Monica of Lydia. She is not used to having a bodyguard follow her around all the time. So Julia tells Linus Murati that she is in for the night. Then changes to shorts and heads out of the Palace.
Linus sees her leaving the castle on the camera but before he can get to her she has talked her way out of the grounds at the gate. Linus finally sees her and yells at her to stop. Right at that moment someone grabs her and starts taking her up the hill to where the road is.
Linus gets in a fight with the masked man and gets Julia away from him. Julia only has a hurt knee from her attempted kidnapping.
Julia is a lawyer in Seattle and before she came to Lydia someone had broken into her office. Nothing except a file cabinate was broken nothing else seemed out of place. Julia has no idea what if anything they are connected. The kidnapper mentioned he wanted a file. Then she finds out her house has been broken into and destroyed most of her possessions.
Julia decides to go back to Seattle and see her house. No one wants her to go by herself so Linus agrees to go with her.
Linus has some record of wrong doings in his teen years that were not looked into by the old Captain of the Guard but the new one did find it. Jason told Linus that if he makes any errors he will disclose his background right away.
Linus is very attracted to Julia but he knows he can not make any mistakes. He can not get to close to her.
Julia likes Linus and the more time around him the more she likes him. She feels safe with him around her. Trusts him to keep her safe and help figure out why she is being attacked.
As more murders are happening around her the more confused by everything is the closer Linus and Julia become.
This is a clean read, lots of drama,action,secret passages,car chases it makes for a story you don't want to put down till it is finshed. It is a quick read.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange for a honest review from Netgalley.
03/05/2013 PUB Harlequin Love Inspired ISBN-10: 037344530X 224 pages
January 16, 2016
Defending the Duchess by Rachelle McCalla
Protecting the Crown Suspense Series Book 1
Linus Murati is proud to be a Lydian guard, just like his grandfather had been. The new Queen, Monica, has her sister visiting from America and Linus has been assigned as her bodyguard. Easy enough, he thought. Only not so, someone was after the future duchess and as a professional, Linus knew he shouldn’t be noticing how beautiful she is or how much he enjoys being around her. He is only there to protect her.
Julia Miller couldn’t believe trouble followed her from Seattle, but it had. She knew for sure after being attacked on the beach in while jogging. Thank goodness for her handsome guard who carried her, let her cry on his shoulder and was just there through every twist and turn that came her way. How could she not fall in love with such a man?
It’s a fine line our characters balance on and Linus does his best not to cross it. His best just isn’t enough though. Another adventure filled story from the small kingdom of Lydia. With new and old characters and a man who will put his life on the line for the Royals he serves, and their families. If you haven’t read the Reclaiming the Crown Series you will want to start there as that is where the adventure begins. A great series that just keeps growing
**Received through NetGalley for review
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/...
Protecting the Crown Suspense Series Book 1
Linus Murati is proud to be a Lydian guard, just like his grandfather had been. The new Queen, Monica, has her sister visiting from America and Linus has been assigned as her bodyguard. Easy enough, he thought. Only not so, someone was after the future duchess and as a professional, Linus knew he shouldn’t be noticing how beautiful she is or how much he enjoys being around her. He is only there to protect her.
Julia Miller couldn’t believe trouble followed her from Seattle, but it had. She knew for sure after being attacked on the beach in while jogging. Thank goodness for her handsome guard who carried her, let her cry on his shoulder and was just there through every twist and turn that came her way. How could she not fall in love with such a man?
It’s a fine line our characters balance on and Linus does his best not to cross it. His best just isn’t enough though. Another adventure filled story from the small kingdom of Lydia. With new and old characters and a man who will put his life on the line for the Royals he serves, and their families. If you haven’t read the Reclaiming the Crown Series you will want to start there as that is where the adventure begins. A great series that just keeps growing
**Received through NetGalley for review
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/...
November 16, 2013
Review can be found at: Jackie's Book World
*ARC courtesy of Harlequin via NetGalley*
I absolutely love this book! It's sweet and full of mystery. I like the place that Rachelle creates in the story and how an ordinary person can be sister to a Queen. Defending the Duchess is a story filled with twists that made me want to read everything at once. It was hard to put down, specially when the Queen's sister is giving a bodyguard to protect her. At first it was just his duty to protect her and the royal family, but it became so much more when Julia (Queen's sister) got herself in trouble when she decided to leave the palace by herself. After attacks made to the palace and the royal family, it was crucial for the royal guards to protect the entire royal family, (including Julia). But it became evident that the threats were specially for Julia, Linus (her bodyguard) was set to protect her no matter what. With a mysterious past, and threats happening around Julia and Linus, the story becomes a page turner. The romance in the story left me wanting for more. Overall, it was a well written story, full of suspense and romance.
*ARC courtesy of Harlequin via NetGalley*
I absolutely love this book! It's sweet and full of mystery. I like the place that Rachelle creates in the story and how an ordinary person can be sister to a Queen. Defending the Duchess is a story filled with twists that made me want to read everything at once. It was hard to put down, specially when the Queen's sister is giving a bodyguard to protect her. At first it was just his duty to protect her and the royal family, but it became so much more when Julia (Queen's sister) got herself in trouble when she decided to leave the palace by herself. After attacks made to the palace and the royal family, it was crucial for the royal guards to protect the entire royal family, (including Julia). But it became evident that the threats were specially for Julia, Linus (her bodyguard) was set to protect her no matter what. With a mysterious past, and threats happening around Julia and Linus, the story becomes a page turner. The romance in the story left me wanting for more. Overall, it was a well written story, full of suspense and romance.
January 28, 2013
I loved this one. Linus is a member of the Royal Guard. His job is to protect the new queen's sister, the Duchess. Julia is a lawyer and has traveled to support her sister in her new role as Queen. It seems she has brought trouble with her and it is Linus job to keep her safe. When she is attacked, neither understand the reasons or how deep the danger is.
I liked both of the leading characters. Juila's thoughts for her family and especially her sister's well being and safety were just great. Linus has a past that he isn't proud of but is an exceptionally good Guard. He is caring, attentive and strong...all things women want! I loved that he was memorizing Psalms and how the author worked that flawlessly into the story.
I rate this a 5/5. I'm ready to read more about the royal family.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book (via netgalley). I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.
I liked both of the leading characters. Juila's thoughts for her family and especially her sister's well being and safety were just great. Linus has a past that he isn't proud of but is an exceptionally good Guard. He is caring, attentive and strong...all things women want! I loved that he was memorizing Psalms and how the author worked that flawlessly into the story.
I rate this a 5/5. I'm ready to read more about the royal family.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book (via netgalley). I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.
April 1, 2013
Okay, so I LOVED this one. Rachelle McCalla has given us another awesome Lydian kingdom story. This time we have Julia the sister of Queen Monica going to Lydia to see her sister. She is guarded by Linus who falls in love with her pretty much right away but he has secrets that keep him from being able to do anything other than guard her. And guard her he must as someone is after her.
This story was full of drama and suspense. Who is after Julia? What will happen when Linus comes up for review and his secrets come out? You'll have to read this amazing book to find out. So happy there are more coming. Can't wait to read the next one which will be about Gavin who I fell in love with in the original series! :)
This story was full of drama and suspense. Who is after Julia? What will happen when Linus comes up for review and his secrets come out? You'll have to read this amazing book to find out. So happy there are more coming. Can't wait to read the next one which will be about Gavin who I fell in love with in the original series! :)
February 6, 2013
Protecting The Crown series. Follows the Reclaiming the Crown Series. This book is about Julia and Royal Guard Linus. I do enjoy the Love Inspired series. Just when I thought things would be safe, there is another reason for Linus to Protect Julia!
I have the large print books so get through them quite fast!
I have the large print books so get through them quite fast!
April 19, 2013
It was a good story. I liked the way Linus paid attention to Julia's needs. He always puts her needs ahead of his own even if its something as simple as her liking milk in her coffee. Very good read. :)
April 8, 2013
I love the Lydia series - keep them coming Rachelle! :)
May 8, 2013
Like the rest in this well written series, has lots of action, great characters, wonderful scenes, great read, loved it.
June 5, 2013
I love the Lydia books. This one delighted just as all the others have.
April 24, 2020
I have mixed feelings about this book and am not really sure how I feel about it.... the plot was good, kinda obvious but still good. The characters, I liked. Linus (absolutely hate the name) and Julia. Cute couple. He was always there for her filling her every need which was a bit (having a hard time finding the right word) far fetched maybe. Yeah I get hes the guard, yeah hes read a file on her and knows what she likes but still. They knew each other for like a second before he could tell everything about her. I think my biggest issue with the book is the writing. I just dont feel like it was well written. It had its moments but for the most part felt like someone without much experience had written it. I enjoyed the plot though so I will be reading the next book. Who knows, maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.
March 6, 2017
Very disappointed with the first book in this spinoff series, Protecting the Crown. The characters in the first book, Defending the Duchess, were one dimensional. The plot was weak. I know this is Christian romantic fiction but I felt like I was being preached at every other page. This really ruined the read for me. Normally I enjoy McCalla's books but this time I really just wanted to throw it against the wall or to throw it out the airplane window.
June 20, 2017
I liked this book better than McCalla's previous series, mostly because the short timeline and royal intrigue were getting to be a bit much. Julia and Linus' search into legal affairs was both believable and unique.
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March 15, 2017I enjoyed reading this book very much.
April 5, 2013
Just not as good as the base series. Still good. I think what the base series had that this book did not was a sense from the characters of a purpose bigger than themselves- e.g. to each of the main characters in those books, saving the monarchy/county was more important than their own safety and was behind everything they did. This book didn't have very many subplots, only Monica's secret (which everyone guessed, even the characters). I would have liked to have seen more development of the characters from the original books. I think those books also had the advantage of being a 4 book arc while this one stood alone.
Like I said-- still good. I definitely would not have guessed that ending in the suspense part of the novel. That was very well done in spite of my original misgivings.
There will be another suspense book in this series coming out this summer, according to the author's note in the back of the book. I will definitely read it, but maybe not RIGHT AWAY like I did with this one.
Like I said-- still good. I definitely would not have guessed that ending in the suspense part of the novel. That was very well done in spite of my original misgivings.
There will be another suspense book in this series coming out this summer, according to the author's note in the back of the book. I will definitely read it, but maybe not RIGHT AWAY like I did with this one.
August 21, 2013
I have to admit, I���m not the biggest fan of Christian romance. It just lacks a bit of the��� err��� passion that I enjoy between the leads of a story. It���s not to say the stories aren���t good. Goodness no. It���s just that the characters are a bit too��� well��� nice.
Typically I like my characters to have a few rougher edges.
Which this story has.
Kind of.
Linus (*gigglesnort*) has a rather rough and tumble history that the story touches on slightly. Julia is, well, okay she���s sweet as pie. The mystery��� well that has all the rough kind of edges you might want.
Well, if you prefer your violence more theoretical and less gory that is.
There are ransacked houses, kidnappings, thugs, murder, espionage. All with a delicate balance of grit and��� well��� not grit. (hey, sometimes even I fail at being eloquent)
And there���s a psalm that I can now probably recite in my sleep.
Oh, and hidden passages. I effin��� love hidden passages.
3 Stars. It was like hot chocolate made with chili powder.
Typically I like my characters to have a few rougher edges.
Which this story has.
Kind of.
Linus (*gigglesnort*) has a rather rough and tumble history that the story touches on slightly. Julia is, well, okay she���s sweet as pie. The mystery��� well that has all the rough kind of edges you might want.
Well, if you prefer your violence more theoretical and less gory that is.
There are ransacked houses, kidnappings, thugs, murder, espionage. All with a delicate balance of grit and��� well��� not grit. (hey, sometimes even I fail at being eloquent)
And there���s a psalm that I can now probably recite in my sleep.
Oh, and hidden passages. I effin��� love hidden passages.
3 Stars. It was like hot chocolate made with chili powder.
September 20, 2014
Rachelle McCalla has a great writing voice, and I am always very involved with her characters from the beginning. I enjoyed the entire book immensely. When I finished reading I immediately thought "I can't wait to see what happens next." I am planning to read the rest of the series soon. The only drawback I really found in this one is that Linus is warned at one point that something in his past could be exposed if he ever crosses a certain line, he later, in my opinion, crosses that line, and he still seems to be wondering if he can manage not to cross it. Murder, fraud, danger, romance, royalty, and family relationships are all included to draw the reader in. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good, suspenseful plot.
May 15, 2013
Disclosure: This ebook was provided to me free of charge through NetGalley for the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments, and ratings are my own.
Really interesting tale that had my attention the whole time. The pace was wonderful and the characters engaging. Great dynamic in the relationship that made it very believable. Beautiful storytelling that entertained the whole time!
It had really great flow and did the job of making me think at times. I love a book that taps into my emotions. I am a real sucker for a sexy romance!! I laugh, I cry and I wish the hero were real so he could be mine! LOL
I would love to see more from this author! Definitely one to watch in the future.
Really interesting tale that had my attention the whole time. The pace was wonderful and the characters engaging. Great dynamic in the relationship that made it very believable. Beautiful storytelling that entertained the whole time!
It had really great flow and did the job of making me think at times. I love a book that taps into my emotions. I am a real sucker for a sexy romance!! I laugh, I cry and I wish the hero were real so he could be mine! LOL
I would love to see more from this author! Definitely one to watch in the future.
June 3, 2013
I gave this book 5/5 stars. I liked the main character of Linus. He was written very well and his personality was likeable and believable. I especially enjoyed how the relationship between the soon to be Duchess Julia, and her bodyguard Linus, developed in the story. It was not unbelievable that they were attracted to each other right away. From the run on the beach to the incident at the hotel, the action in the story was entertaining and kept me turning the pages quickly! I enjoyed this easy to read modern day romance and would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick Christian romance to read.
I would like to thank the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.
I would like to thank the publisher for the copy of this book I enjoyed reading. I gave an honest review based on my opinion of what I read.
February 26, 2013
In McCalla’s love inspired suspense novel, Linus Murati’s job is protecting the royal family. When the queen’s younger sister is attacked, Murati steps up to protect her and identify the danger. Even though danger has been following Julia Miller for a while now, he is determined to protect her and catch the culprit.
Nice installment to the Protecting the Crown series.
Nice installment to the Protecting the Crown series.
July 15, 2013
I like this better than the previous series, mostly because the short timeline and royal intrigue were getting to be a bit much. Julia and Linus' search into legal affairs was both believable and unique (although I still feel robbed that I didn't get to hear Linus' grandfather's story about one of the castle's secret passages).
January 24, 2014
I am such a fan of this author, can't wait to read the rest of this series. I am in love with the Lydian kingdom!
Just a warning though, the book heading here says it's book two, but it really is book one of the series! I had to hunt to be sure I had it right, for her books are best read in order!
Just a warning though, the book heading here says it's book two, but it really is book one of the series! I had to hunt to be sure I had it right, for her books are best read in order!
February 4, 2016
Very suspenseful from start to finish. I'm not much on books about royalty. Didn't really think I wanted to read it but I'm very glad I did. Looking forward to the next book in the Protecting the Crown series
February 4, 2013
Maybe 3 1/2, as the story was good. Once again, the editing was terrible. I asked one of the authors if they had editors; she assured me that, if anything, the books are over edited. Sad.
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March 3, 2013Started off entertaining, but was overpowered by the MacGuffin.
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December 29, 2014Miniseries: Protecting the Crown
Category: Inspirational Romance
Category: Inspirational Romance
Read
December 29, 2014Miniseries: Protecting the Crown
Category: Inspirational Romance
Category: Inspirational Romance
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews