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Her Private Bodyguard
Her Private Bodyguard by Gayle Wilson released on Mar 24, 2000 is available now for purchase.
- GenresRomanceRomantic Suspense
251 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2000
2 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Gayle Wilson
147 books87 followersGayle Wilson is a two-time RITA® Award winner, taking home the RITA® Award for Best Romantic Suspense Novel in 2000 and for Best Romantic Novella in 2004. In addition to twice winning the prestigious RITA® Award, Gayle’s books have garnered more than 50 other awards and nominations, including most recently the Daphne du Maurier Award for the Best Single Title Romantic Suspense of 2008, awarded to Victim, her latest novel from MIRA.
Gayle holds a master’s degree in secondary education, with additional certification in the education of the gifted. Although her specialty was teaching honors and gifted students, as a former high school history and English teacher, she taught everything from remedial reading to Shakespeare—and loved every minute she spent in the classroom.
Gayle was on the board of directors of Romance Writers of America for four years. In 2006 she served as the president of RWA, the largest genre-writers’ organization in the world.
Gayle has written 41 novels and four novellas for Harlequin Enterprises, including works for Harlequin Historicals, Harlequin Intrigue, Special Releases, HQN Books, MIRA, and Mills & Boon.
Gayle holds a master’s degree in secondary education, with additional certification in the education of the gifted. Although her specialty was teaching honors and gifted students, as a former high school history and English teacher, she taught everything from remedial reading to Shakespeare—and loved every minute she spent in the classroom.
Gayle was on the board of directors of Romance Writers of America for four years. In 2006 she served as the president of RWA, the largest genre-writers’ organization in the world.
Gayle has written 41 novels and four novellas for Harlequin Enterprises, including works for Harlequin Historicals, Harlequin Intrigue, Special Releases, HQN Books, MIRA, and Mills & Boon.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 17, 2018
A Different Kind of Mystery Man
April 23, 2000
Gayle Wilson's team of former CIA operatives are back in "Her Private Bodyguard," a different kind of story from the first books in the "Men of Mystery" series. Valerie Beaufort doesn't want a bodyguard. Grey Sellers doesn't care. She's probably not in any danger, but Grey's been hired to make sure nothing happens to her anyway. Isolated on her ranch, Grey discovers that the greatest danger to a man with secrets isn't a bullet, but a woman like Valerie.
Although all of Wilson's present-set romances have been published under the Intrigue banner, they really fall into two different categories: romantic suspense (the "Home to Texas" trilogy, the first three "Men of Mystery" books) and more standard long contemporary romance ("Each Precious Hour," "Never Let Her Go," etc.). In the first, the suspense and the romance unfold at the same time, as the characters fall in love while struggling to stay alive or solve a mystery. In the second, the characters fall in love in the middle of relatively uneventful surroundings. The danger, only alluded to before, appears in the final half or third to test the relationship or force them to confront their feelings, more a plot element than a full part of the story. "Her Private Bodyguard" falls firmly in the second category, a tale heavy on the romance and light on the action.
In the first respect, Wilson gives readers a romance to cherish. Grey and Valerie are her usual hard-edged hero and fiercely independent heroine, two people with no intention of falling in love and no idea how to deal with it when they find they are. Their interactions sizzle, and both are well-drawn three-dimensional characters. Unlike in Wilson's last book, "Each Precious Hour," we get to see them grow and change and their love story clearly develops over the course of the book. They also have a ton of angst to work through and by the time the book closes with a triumphant and poignant scene, we get to bask with them in the glory of overcoming their pasts and fears.
At the same time, two very unhappy people bickering and mistrusting each other with little plot movement to break it up can make for slow going after a while, even for those (like me) who like some angst. Of course, no one expects comedy or even lighthearted moments in a Wilson book, but in some of her others the suspense element has served to balance the angst. Here, not only do the characters each have a dozen chips on their shoulders (Men, her money, painkillers, her disability...why isn't Valerie in therapy?), but there is nothing to break up the anguish for most of the book. It got to be pretty depressing after a while. For the first 150 pages (out of 251) there is only one sort-of suspenseful moment; the conflict is all internal and most of the events are along the lines of "Should Valerie take an aspirin?"/"Should she take him a dinner tray?" There are almost no secondary characters to speak of, as they are given the most perfunctory characterization; the four main suspects blur together. Beautifully written though it is, even readers engrossed early on may find the book a bit of a slog by the midway point. The final third is pretty action packed, though the change is so radical from the earlier sections it is almost jarring. The CIA also feels like an afterthought and not as compelling as before.
Readers just finding the series may want to start with the first three books (the RITA nominated "The Bride's Protector," the even better "The Stranger She Knew," and "Her Baby, His Secret") while they're still available, since the references to characters from those books in this one may be meaningless or confusing. Those who like the emphasis on the love story, the angst high, and don't like other elements interfering may find this to be their favorite. I'm sure some will love it. In any case, readers may want to know this is a very different kind of story than the other "Men of Mystery" books, and for me at least, not as fulfilling.
April 23, 2000
Gayle Wilson's team of former CIA operatives are back in "Her Private Bodyguard," a different kind of story from the first books in the "Men of Mystery" series. Valerie Beaufort doesn't want a bodyguard. Grey Sellers doesn't care. She's probably not in any danger, but Grey's been hired to make sure nothing happens to her anyway. Isolated on her ranch, Grey discovers that the greatest danger to a man with secrets isn't a bullet, but a woman like Valerie.
Although all of Wilson's present-set romances have been published under the Intrigue banner, they really fall into two different categories: romantic suspense (the "Home to Texas" trilogy, the first three "Men of Mystery" books) and more standard long contemporary romance ("Each Precious Hour," "Never Let Her Go," etc.). In the first, the suspense and the romance unfold at the same time, as the characters fall in love while struggling to stay alive or solve a mystery. In the second, the characters fall in love in the middle of relatively uneventful surroundings. The danger, only alluded to before, appears in the final half or third to test the relationship or force them to confront their feelings, more a plot element than a full part of the story. "Her Private Bodyguard" falls firmly in the second category, a tale heavy on the romance and light on the action.
In the first respect, Wilson gives readers a romance to cherish. Grey and Valerie are her usual hard-edged hero and fiercely independent heroine, two people with no intention of falling in love and no idea how to deal with it when they find they are. Their interactions sizzle, and both are well-drawn three-dimensional characters. Unlike in Wilson's last book, "Each Precious Hour," we get to see them grow and change and their love story clearly develops over the course of the book. They also have a ton of angst to work through and by the time the book closes with a triumphant and poignant scene, we get to bask with them in the glory of overcoming their pasts and fears.
At the same time, two very unhappy people bickering and mistrusting each other with little plot movement to break it up can make for slow going after a while, even for those (like me) who like some angst. Of course, no one expects comedy or even lighthearted moments in a Wilson book, but in some of her others the suspense element has served to balance the angst. Here, not only do the characters each have a dozen chips on their shoulders (Men, her money, painkillers, her disability...why isn't Valerie in therapy?), but there is nothing to break up the anguish for most of the book. It got to be pretty depressing after a while. For the first 150 pages (out of 251) there is only one sort-of suspenseful moment; the conflict is all internal and most of the events are along the lines of "Should Valerie take an aspirin?"/"Should she take him a dinner tray?" There are almost no secondary characters to speak of, as they are given the most perfunctory characterization; the four main suspects blur together. Beautifully written though it is, even readers engrossed early on may find the book a bit of a slog by the midway point. The final third is pretty action packed, though the change is so radical from the earlier sections it is almost jarring. The CIA also feels like an afterthought and not as compelling as before.
Readers just finding the series may want to start with the first three books (the RITA nominated "The Bride's Protector," the even better "The Stranger She Knew," and "Her Baby, His Secret") while they're still available, since the references to characters from those books in this one may be meaningless or confusing. Those who like the emphasis on the love story, the angst high, and don't like other elements interfering may find this to be their favorite. I'm sure some will love it. In any case, readers may want to know this is a very different kind of story than the other "Men of Mystery" books, and for me at least, not as fulfilling.
August 8, 2018
I loved this book. the since of a couple falling on love when u would think they didn't fit together is beautiful in this story.
April 6, 2024
Boring and predictable, he didn't even really fit the mold for a good solid bodygaurd for me either.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews