What do you think?
Rate this book
The Four Seasons #1
Seducing Summer
Four friends. Four seasons. Four ways to fall in love.
Book 1: Seducing Summer
When a CEO falls in love with her PA, it can only lead to trouble…
Callie Summer, CEO of The Four Seasons lingerie business, is in shock. She’d expected her new PA to be a middle-aged frump, but Jean turns out to be Gene, and he’s neither middle-aged, nor anything like a frump. When the gorgeous Bond-lookalike insists he’ll be the perfect companion on her business trip around the country, Callie agrees to give him a trial. Having recently found her ex in bed with another woman, she’s not looking for love. But a little bit of private lusting never did anyone any harm.
Once a military journalist with the New Zealand Army, Gene now runs his own security firm. Hired by Callie’s mother, Phoebe, to secretly protect her daughter after Phoebe receives death threats against her family, Gene finds his work cut out for him. Callie’s as delectable as she is infuriating, and his urge to seduce her fights with his duty to keep her safe.
It’s not long before they give in to their passion, and the weather isn’t the only thing that turns hot and sultry as they travel further north. But Gene can’t keep his identity a secret from Callie forever. And when an attempt is finally made on her life, the truth threatens to break them apart.
Warning: it grows hotter and hotter as they travel north through the country. So does the weather.
Book 1: Seducing Summer
When a CEO falls in love with her PA, it can only lead to trouble…
Callie Summer, CEO of The Four Seasons lingerie business, is in shock. She’d expected her new PA to be a middle-aged frump, but Jean turns out to be Gene, and he’s neither middle-aged, nor anything like a frump. When the gorgeous Bond-lookalike insists he’ll be the perfect companion on her business trip around the country, Callie agrees to give him a trial. Having recently found her ex in bed with another woman, she’s not looking for love. But a little bit of private lusting never did anyone any harm.
Once a military journalist with the New Zealand Army, Gene now runs his own security firm. Hired by Callie’s mother, Phoebe, to secretly protect her daughter after Phoebe receives death threats against her family, Gene finds his work cut out for him. Callie’s as delectable as she is infuriating, and his urge to seduce her fights with his duty to keep her safe.
It’s not long before they give in to their passion, and the weather isn’t the only thing that turns hot and sultry as they travel further north. But Gene can’t keep his identity a secret from Callie forever. And when an attempt is finally made on her life, the truth threatens to break them apart.
Warning: it grows hotter and hotter as they travel north through the country. So does the weather.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 14, 2016
654 people are currently reading
958 people want to read
About the author
Serenity Woods
171 books917 followersUSA Today bestselling author Serenity Woods writes feel-good romances full of friends, family, and falling in love. Most of her stories are set in Godzone, aka Aotearoa New Zealand, where she lives.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
June 30, 2016
I received this as an ARC for an honest review. I can without a doubt say that this book earned 5 stars. Callie Summer was such a wonderful character. She is intelligent and so funny and very brave. She is a hard working woman that has charm, wit and a great way with people.
Gene Bond applies for a position as her temporary Personal Assistant and takes his job very seriously. He is taken with Callie and he works very hard to maintain his professional attitude with her, at all times. Until he can't. But there is danger lurking and Callie is not taking it seriously. Her mother has warned her of a threat and she will not listen. Gene does his best to keep her safe and protect himself at the same time. He is utterly professional until he is not. But it is full of fun interactions between the two. The whole cast of characters have fun personalities.
The lovely story of these two people really is beautiful. Gene is ex military and he has been hurt in his life. He is a wonderful person. I wanted he and Callie to get together. Serenity Woods has created a great circle of friends for Callie to be a part of from the characters in the series.
I look forward to the next three books in this series. Having met the girls, I know it is going to be good. They are very modern fun loving girls that work together designing lingerie and attempting to make all sizes of women feel sexy and pretty. This is a great premise.
Gene Bond applies for a position as her temporary Personal Assistant and takes his job very seriously. He is taken with Callie and he works very hard to maintain his professional attitude with her, at all times. Until he can't. But there is danger lurking and Callie is not taking it seriously. Her mother has warned her of a threat and she will not listen. Gene does his best to keep her safe and protect himself at the same time. He is utterly professional until he is not. But it is full of fun interactions between the two. The whole cast of characters have fun personalities.
The lovely story of these two people really is beautiful. Gene is ex military and he has been hurt in his life. He is a wonderful person. I wanted he and Callie to get together. Serenity Woods has created a great circle of friends for Callie to be a part of from the characters in the series.
I look forward to the next three books in this series. Having met the girls, I know it is going to be good. They are very modern fun loving girls that work together designing lingerie and attempting to make all sizes of women feel sexy and pretty. This is a great premise.
Want to read
June 24, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (6/24/2020)! 🎁
March 17, 2017
Oh! I've just realized that it's March 17th. Happy St. Patrick's Day! Sorry, it's 6:30 in the morning, I've had five hours of sleep, and the coffee hasn't quite kicked in yet.
So, Seducing Summer...
This book was not awful, but it wasn't fantastic either There wasn't anything wrong with it, per se. There was no cliffhanger, no OM/OW drama, no baby drama, no stupid behavior from either MC.
It just...lacked oomph, if you know what I mean.
Written in dual POV, I did like Summer. A lot. She was frighteningly intelligent and astute, and I loved how she neither did or said what people expected of her, nor did anything stupid to endanger herself from 'the threat' (ok, aside from one TINY detail, which I am not going to reveal for spoilery reasons).
Unfortunately, I found Gene to be kind of flat. A great deal of time was spent describing how hot he was, but there wasn't enough time dedicated to character development.
Well, ok, there wasn't a lot of character development on either side.
I did think it was fairly clever the way the author kept 'the threat' on the sidelines of the story. It allowed her to focus on the interaction between the characters, while keeping the danger element simmering under the surface. It also was a bit of a cheat, since she didn't have to describe in 'the threat' in any great detail.
A solid 3 stars, but not really something I'll be reading again.
So, Seducing Summer...
This book was not awful, but it wasn't fantastic either There wasn't anything wrong with it, per se. There was no cliffhanger, no OM/OW drama, no baby drama, no stupid behavior from either MC.
It just...lacked oomph, if you know what I mean.
Written in dual POV, I did like Summer. A lot. She was frighteningly intelligent and astute, and I loved how she neither did or said what people expected of her, nor did anything stupid to endanger herself from 'the threat' (ok, aside from one TINY detail, which I am not going to reveal for spoilery reasons).
Unfortunately, I found Gene to be kind of flat. A great deal of time was spent describing how hot he was, but there wasn't enough time dedicated to character development.
Well, ok, there wasn't a lot of character development on either side.
I did think it was fairly clever the way the author kept 'the threat' on the sidelines of the story. It allowed her to focus on the interaction between the characters, while keeping the danger element simmering under the surface. It also was a bit of a cheat, since she didn't have to describe in 'the threat' in any great detail.
A solid 3 stars, but not really something I'll be reading again.
December 12, 2020
DNF at 12%
So maybe I was just looking for reasons not to read this because I'm kind of in a slump, but there were multiple things early on that bothered me, mostly:
1) The blatant objectification of Gene when he is introduced - "Do you really think I'm looking for a smart-mouthed man to be my PA?" and then calling him a "hot piece of ass" to his face.
2) The "not every man wants a stick insect" comment. Less of the body shaming, please!
I usually love Serenity's books but after diving deeper into her backlist I have noticed the occasional lines that are problematic, or at the very least a little outdated. Like the kind of thing my grandma would say and not realise is kind of rude.
I am still going to attempt book 2 because I want to read it for the Fall into Autumn readathon this weekend, but I may stick to new releases going forward rather than checking out her backlist, because I've never noticed this kind of thing in her post-2018 releases.
So maybe I was just looking for reasons not to read this because I'm kind of in a slump, but there were multiple things early on that bothered me, mostly:
1) The blatant objectification of Gene when he is introduced - "Do you really think I'm looking for a smart-mouthed man to be my PA?" and then calling him a "hot piece of ass" to his face.
2) The "not every man wants a stick insect" comment. Less of the body shaming, please!
I usually love Serenity's books but after diving deeper into her backlist I have noticed the occasional lines that are problematic, or at the very least a little outdated. Like the kind of thing my grandma would say and not realise is kind of rude.
I am still going to attempt book 2 because I want to read it for the Fall into Autumn readathon this weekend, but I may stick to new releases going forward rather than checking out her backlist, because I've never noticed this kind of thing in her post-2018 releases.
December 16, 2018
DNF at 83%...
I’ll be very brief....
Gene and Callie had zero chemistry. The flow of the story was off...we get details about sex, then a generic line about them talking for hours, which meant I felt nothing for them and felt they had no connection. I am also not a fan of a heroine whose life is in real danger and she turns down protection because she’s “strong and independent”...no, if people are dying, you’re just stupid and irresponsible. My last peeve is how Callie has a strained relationship with her mom because she’s not perfect...yet everyone describes her curvy body like Marilyn Monroe and everyone finds her charming and attractive. Ughhh, fake problems.
I don’t care how this ends - I didn’t like Callie and don’t care about Gene.
Two stars because its not terrible - I reserve one star for cheating and manwhores
I’ll be very brief....
Gene and Callie had zero chemistry. The flow of the story was off...we get details about sex, then a generic line about them talking for hours, which meant I felt nothing for them and felt they had no connection. I am also not a fan of a heroine whose life is in real danger and she turns down protection because she’s “strong and independent”...no, if people are dying, you’re just stupid and irresponsible. My last peeve is how Callie has a strained relationship with her mom because she’s not perfect...yet everyone describes her curvy body like Marilyn Monroe and everyone finds her charming and attractive. Ughhh, fake problems.
I don’t care how this ends - I didn’t like Callie and don’t care about Gene.
Two stars because its not terrible - I reserve one star for cheating and manwhores
April 6, 2017
4-4.5 stars
This was a really enjoyable story. I liked both Callie and Gene and liked their story a lot. This is the first story I've read by this author and I liked it well enough that I'm planning to try more of her work in the future.
Callie is a nice woman that co-owns a lingerie company with her 3 BFFs. Callie grew up with a father in the Army and a mother that worked as a criminal prosecutor (attorney). Callie's parents split when she was in her teens and (because she didn't know the whole story) she blamed her mother for the split and their relationship has been somewhat strained since. Callie's last boyfriend cheated on her, so now Callie doesn't trust her judgement of men and is rather leery of dating again.
Gene is ex-military and now owns a security company. Gene grew up with both parents but didn't have the best relationship with them. His childhood wasn't horrible but it sounds like his home wasn't the most caring one, especially after his mother died when he was 11 years old. His father didn't approve of his choice of going into the military and they're not close now.
Callie's mother told her about death threats that she'd been getting and Callie basically blew them off as baseless concerns. Callie figured she could "take care of herself" and "refused to be intimidated and scared by the bully that's stalking her mother". I wanted to be annoyed at Callie for this but the story does state that her mother downplayed the threat to her when she told Callie about it (just how much it was downplayed wasn't specified) so I can kind of understand why Callie wasn't taking it too seriously and refused protection. Because she refused protection, her mother got Gene (who she knew from years before) to act as Callie's bodyguard in secret. Her normal PA had to go on maternity leave and that gave Gene the perfect opportunity to take the job so he'd be close to Callie most of the time. What he wasn't expecting was to be immediately attracted to Callie...which made doing his job a lot harder.
Callie reluctantly gives Gene the job...I say reluctantly because 1. she's attracted to him and doesn't want to be and 2. she's really not sure how well a guy would do as a PA for the CEO of a lingerie company. Thankfully, Gene convinces her that he can do the job and manages to prove his professionalism when it comes to dealing with the whole "lingerie" awkwardness that most men suffer from. Callie is planning a trip around New Zealand in order to build up business and Gene goes with her to help out. Along the way, their attraction gets stronger and stronger and although Gene really does try to stay professional, things happen. And then Gene is all freaked because he really likes Callie and since she values the truth, he doesn't think she'll like him once the truth comes out. Things actually come out in a totally unexpected (but maybe should have been expected) way and it's actually less drama than I expected. Eventually, the threats against Callie and her mother are dealt with and Gene and Callie end the story starting towards a HEA together.
This was a really enjoyable story. Callie was a nice woman that was very bright and easy to like. I really liked how she handled the whole situation with Gene...I wasn't expecting it from the way the situation was progressing but it worked out great. Gene was a good guy that made the best of being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Overall, this was a really good story with characters I liked so I'd recommend it. :D
This was a really enjoyable story. I liked both Callie and Gene and liked their story a lot. This is the first story I've read by this author and I liked it well enough that I'm planning to try more of her work in the future.
Callie is a nice woman that co-owns a lingerie company with her 3 BFFs. Callie grew up with a father in the Army and a mother that worked as a criminal prosecutor (attorney). Callie's parents split when she was in her teens and (because she didn't know the whole story) she blamed her mother for the split and their relationship has been somewhat strained since. Callie's last boyfriend cheated on her, so now Callie doesn't trust her judgement of men and is rather leery of dating again.
Gene is ex-military and now owns a security company. Gene grew up with both parents but didn't have the best relationship with them. His childhood wasn't horrible but it sounds like his home wasn't the most caring one, especially after his mother died when he was 11 years old. His father didn't approve of his choice of going into the military and they're not close now.
Callie's mother told her about death threats that she'd been getting and Callie basically blew them off as baseless concerns. Callie figured she could "take care of herself" and "refused to be intimidated and scared by the bully that's stalking her mother". I wanted to be annoyed at Callie for this but the story does state that her mother downplayed the threat to her when she told Callie about it (just how much it was downplayed wasn't specified) so I can kind of understand why Callie wasn't taking it too seriously and refused protection. Because she refused protection, her mother got Gene (who she knew from years before) to act as Callie's bodyguard in secret. Her normal PA had to go on maternity leave and that gave Gene the perfect opportunity to take the job so he'd be close to Callie most of the time. What he wasn't expecting was to be immediately attracted to Callie...which made doing his job a lot harder.
Callie reluctantly gives Gene the job...I say reluctantly because 1. she's attracted to him and doesn't want to be and 2. she's really not sure how well a guy would do as a PA for the CEO of a lingerie company. Thankfully, Gene convinces her that he can do the job and manages to prove his professionalism when it comes to dealing with the whole "lingerie" awkwardness that most men suffer from. Callie is planning a trip around New Zealand in order to build up business and Gene goes with her to help out. Along the way, their attraction gets stronger and stronger and although Gene really does try to stay professional, things happen. And then Gene is all freaked because he really likes Callie and since she values the truth, he doesn't think she'll like him once the truth comes out. Things actually come out in a totally unexpected (but maybe should have been expected) way and it's actually less drama than I expected. Eventually, the threats against Callie and her mother are dealt with and Gene and Callie end the story starting towards a HEA together.
This was a really enjoyable story. Callie was a nice woman that was very bright and easy to like. I really liked how she handled the whole situation with Gene...I wasn't expecting it from the way the situation was progressing but it worked out great. Gene was a good guy that made the best of being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Overall, this was a really good story with characters I liked so I'd recommend it. :D
October 2, 2018
First in the Four Seasons series. Owning a lingerie company is not supposed to be a profession that sets a killer on on your tail. A smoking-hot bodyguard, hot sex and a trip throughout New Zealand. Always something to keep you turning the page.
February 18, 2016
I've had the pleasure to read a few of this author's books and really have enjoyed them, this book being no exception, but there are things I really liked and didn't like with it....
First of all I loved the storyline of the book. Gene and Callie where very entertaining, loved the chemistry between the two of them, loved Callie's sass, and how she and her friends went into business doing what they loved the most, making women feel sexy. Gene was pretty hot, interesting how his storyline was with being Callie's PA and traveling all over New Zealand with her. Loved the way the author described each town and city they went into, you really got the feel for the area, making you want to book a flight out to visit each and every place. I enjoyed Callie's friends, Neve's no bullshit attitude, and Rowan's gentleness.
Now what I didn't really care for in the book. I'm not a fan of wishy washy characters, and I found Gene and Callie rather irritating after about half way through the book. How can you continually question how you can be doing what your doing in secret, but still go to bed with someone every night. First Gene can't live with himself because of his secret, but he continually ends up saying screw it and taking Callie to bed, and if it's his job to protect her, why should it even be a question on how he's conducting himself? And how can you guess what's going on, but just play along with it for 2 weeks? Just a lot of things that dragged on, making the story take on a whole different light in my opinion. Her mothers secret was rather odd coming from Gene, didn't get that at all, no matter how long the two of them had known each other. The end of the book seemed to jump around with the way they felt about each other too, just seemed jumbled to me. I would give this book a 3.5 rating if they had it.
Overall it was a pretty good book if you can get past the indecisiveness between the two. As I said, I really enjoy this author's books, so I guess I was expecting something more in this new series. Will still read the next installment with great anticipation, want to hear about Rowan and Hitch, along with Neve and Rhett!
I received this ARC book in exchange for an honest review.
First of all I loved the storyline of the book. Gene and Callie where very entertaining, loved the chemistry between the two of them, loved Callie's sass, and how she and her friends went into business doing what they loved the most, making women feel sexy. Gene was pretty hot, interesting how his storyline was with being Callie's PA and traveling all over New Zealand with her. Loved the way the author described each town and city they went into, you really got the feel for the area, making you want to book a flight out to visit each and every place. I enjoyed Callie's friends, Neve's no bullshit attitude, and Rowan's gentleness.
Now what I didn't really care for in the book. I'm not a fan of wishy washy characters, and I found Gene and Callie rather irritating after about half way through the book. How can you continually question how you can be doing what your doing in secret, but still go to bed with someone every night. First Gene can't live with himself because of his secret, but he continually ends up saying screw it and taking Callie to bed, and if it's his job to protect her, why should it even be a question on how he's conducting himself? And how can you guess what's going on, but just play along with it for 2 weeks? Just a lot of things that dragged on, making the story take on a whole different light in my opinion. Her mothers secret was rather odd coming from Gene, didn't get that at all, no matter how long the two of them had known each other. The end of the book seemed to jump around with the way they felt about each other too, just seemed jumbled to me. I would give this book a 3.5 rating if they had it.
Overall it was a pretty good book if you can get past the indecisiveness between the two. As I said, I really enjoy this author's books, so I guess I was expecting something more in this new series. Will still read the next installment with great anticipation, want to hear about Rowan and Hitch, along with Neve and Rhett!
I received this ARC book in exchange for an honest review.
July 4, 2016
Didn't finish after page 25. It may be an okay read overall but I already know I won't like it. The writing is very unoriginal and uninteresting. The dual point of view writing makes for a boring read. I know everything they are both thinking about in every situation. There's no mystery. I know what will happen because I know how they both feel about each other right away. Where's the intrigue in that? The wonder? There is none. It's all laid out for us right up front. Also, I don't like that everyone assumes the two lead characters are or will be interested in eachother, them included. I like an unsuspecting romance. One where nobody sees it coming and then somehow they fall in love despite everything. But it's unoriginal because both characters are perfect. They are perfect looking, smart, capable, on and on and on. it's all spelled out for us within the first 25 pages. So it makes for uninteresting characters. They have no flaws. They feel less normal and relatable. I like stories that are written in layers. Where we aren't just told straight out the qualities of each character. I want to uncover all the different aspects myself. See for myself the personality of the characters, not just be told all about them directly. I want authors to weave a tale, not just give me journal entry type writing. Like I said, uninteresting.
August 14, 2017
Callie Summers and her friends own a lingerie business - each of the four will get their own story and first up is Callie. She's the manager for the business and has a trip planned to travel around New Zealand to try and get lingerie shops to carry their products. When her PA is put on bed rest due to her pregnancy, Callie needs a replacement asap. Enter Gene Bond - although he's not who he seems. Callie's mom is a prosecutor who has a criminal she had put away threatening her and her family now that he's out of jail. Callie hasn't taken her mom's warnings seriously, so she gets Gene, who owns a security company, to pose as a PA and accompany Callie on her trip. I never really warmed up to Callie. I didn't like how she pressured Gene into an affair after he told her he wanted to wait until he wasn't working for her any more. And then days later she's lamenting because he hasn't told her he loves her - major eye roll here!!! I also get frustrated a the h's who are told there is danger, but they refuse to change anything about their life or schedule. It was nice reading about New Zealand, though.
October 5, 2023
Callie Summer, CEO of The Four Seasons Lingerie needs a temporary PA while her regular PA is on maternity leave. Gene Bond applies with all the skills she needs and she hires him.
Summer's mother is a lawyer and one of the men she put in jail is out and sending death threats to her and that includes her daughter, Summer too. Gene is really a protection specialist with his own company and Phoebe hires him to protect Summer.
Summer doesn't want protection so with the help of one of her friends Gene gets a job to stay close to her on her trip all around New Zealand to increase her business. The trip covers all of New Zealand with great descriptions of most of the country and romance develops as both Gene and Summer take turns seducing each other. Gene knows it is dangerous to be Seducing Summer with a killer after her but he can't resist. It is a great romance, a great mystery and a fun book to read.
Summer's mother is a lawyer and one of the men she put in jail is out and sending death threats to her and that includes her daughter, Summer too. Gene is really a protection specialist with his own company and Phoebe hires him to protect Summer.
Summer doesn't want protection so with the help of one of her friends Gene gets a job to stay close to her on her trip all around New Zealand to increase her business. The trip covers all of New Zealand with great descriptions of most of the country and romance develops as both Gene and Summer take turns seducing each other. Gene knows it is dangerous to be Seducing Summer with a killer after her but he can't resist. It is a great romance, a great mystery and a fun book to read.
February 28, 2016
Have you ever been in love? Do you remember the feeling of falling and the euphoria of it?
This is how Seducing Summer made met feel through out the whole book. It was not just the story and how entertaining it was; it was the emotions that it inspired in me. Since the moment I started reading it, I could not stop feeling: giddiness like those of when we flirt or discover that someone finds us interesting enough to grant us a second look; thrill like those of when we discover something new and we are not alone in the discovery. Even the apprehension when things may go wrong were enough to keep me tie to the book.
Gene and Callie took me with them and even though I am not a voyeur I did really enjoyed being part of their adventure.
This is how Seducing Summer made met feel through out the whole book. It was not just the story and how entertaining it was; it was the emotions that it inspired in me. Since the moment I started reading it, I could not stop feeling: giddiness like those of when we flirt or discover that someone finds us interesting enough to grant us a second look; thrill like those of when we discover something new and we are not alone in the discovery. Even the apprehension when things may go wrong were enough to keep me tie to the book.
Gene and Callie took me with them and even though I am not a voyeur I did really enjoyed being part of their adventure.
December 19, 2016
I tire of romances... This was no different that most other romances out there. The strange thing I find in these stories is how little control the characters have of themselves. I have never looked at someone for the 1st time, or 2nd time, or 3rd time.... and felt that I had to have sex with them because they were so sexy. very strange to me. Does everyone objectify others and look at them as objects? This tries to have a strong woman lead, but somehow she really needs saving. I just didn't identify with the story. I just didn't like the story.
July 3, 2016
Seducing Summer: A Sexy New Zealand Romance (The. Four...Season Book One
This was a very warm and good romance book to read. It was very well written and once you start reading you will not want to put it down until you are finished.
This was a very warm and good romance book to read. It was very well written and once you start reading you will not want to put it down until you are finished.
July 13, 2016
Free kindle read.
Ok. A few errors...one minute a character is wearing a suit, the next he's unbuttoning his jeans.
Nothing I don't expect from a free kindle read.
Ok. A few errors...one minute a character is wearing a suit, the next he's unbuttoning his jeans.
Nothing I don't expect from a free kindle read.
October 30, 2016
Before You Go
This book has just enough mystery and romance to keep you on the edge of your
Seat. I rated it with three stars as there is always room for improvement.
This book has just enough mystery and romance to keep you on the edge of your
Seat. I rated it with three stars as there is always room for improvement.
July 7, 2016
Romances normally aren't the type of book that interests me, they seem to be all over the charts for Amazon's Kindle, and it's hard not to find one in the list.
I almost went past it, but this one had a really intriguing description, so I decided to break my rule about guy-meets-girl romances and give it a shot.
Before I get into my impressions, here's the description that the book was shipped with on Amazon's Kindle section.
"Callie Summer, CEO of the Four Seasons lingerie business, is in shock. She’d expected her new PA to be a middle-aged frump, but Jean turns out to be Gene, and he’s neither middle-aged, nor anything like a frump. When the gorgeous Bond-lookalike insists he’ll be the perfect companion on her business trip around the country, Callie agrees to give him a trial. Having recently found her ex in bed with another woman, she’s not looking for love. But a little bit of private lusting never did anyone any harm.
"Once a military journalist with the New Zealand Army, Gene now runs his own security firm. Hired by Callie’s mother, Phoebe, to secretly protect her daughter after Phoebe receives death threats against her family, Gene finds his work cut out for him. Callie’s as delectable as she is infuriating, and his urge to seduce her fights with his duty to keep her safe.
"It’s not long before they give in to their passion, and the weather isn’t the only thing that turns hot and sultry as they travel further north. But Gene can’t keep his identity a secret from Callie forever. And when an attempt is finally made on her life, the truth threatens to break them apart."
Though the title character Calinda Summers is based out of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, this book actually crossing the entire nation, as Calinda, known by her shortened name of "Callie" embarks on a tour of New Zealand from Dunedin to Christchurch, all the way up to Auckland.
At the start of the book, Callie (26) is looking for a new personal assistant to help keep her chaotic business life in check while her regular Becky is off for a three month maternity leave. Her friend and business partner Neve recommends Gene (32), who Callie mistakes prior to the meeting to be "Jean", a woman.
Gene, as we learn quickly from his perspective during the story, is a former member of the New Zealand Army who's formed his own private security firm. He is contacted by Phoebe Hawke, Callie's mother, to protect her daughter and pose as her intern because a gangster that lawyer Hawke put away for a decade has gotten out and threatened her and her daughter's life while going on a killing spree to punish everyone responsible for putting him away for six years (he got out early).
The two are attracted to each other from the beginning, and their interactions drip with sexual tension when Callie and Gene (posing as her PA, not as a protection agent) embark on her tour of the South and North Islands to sell managers of lingerie and clothing stores on carrying her and her 3 friends' brand of lingerie and women's wear.
The two travel from Dunedin to Christchurch, and then back to Wellington without a hitch embarking on a successful tour where only one store doesn't actually take Callie's products, and the sexual tension is finally broken in Christchurch, where they finally kiss before things proceed to outright sex a few nights later.
Meanwhile, the gangster has killed several people, and embarking on the North Island tour, Gene, as Phoebe's client, has to balance his and Callie's attraction to each other with his job to protect her and not disclose that he's actually a hired bodyguard, as he fears that it will strain his relationship with her and force her to shove him aside, as she is dismissive to the threats against her mother and the risk it poses to her personally.
In Auckland, we finally learn the truth of the relationship between Phoebe and Gene, which had been on my mind for ages by this point. Why did the CEO of a security firm take a personal job instead of delegating it to someone he employs?
As it turns out, when Phoebe left her husband and was assaulted by him, the then-lieutenant Gene who was posted with her husband and Callie's father, had helped her out afterwards, and she felt she could trust him and they had a preexisting relationship.
Phoebe has always carried the pretense that she was the reason the relationship broke so that Callie wouldn't look down on her father, and with the threat to Callie increasing from indirect threats to direct threats via messages to Phoebe from the gangster's associates, she instructs Gene to come clean about his duty as a personal protection agent and how he knows Phoebe.
Callie, ever astute like Sherlock Holmes, had already deduced that he was a bodyguard when she read his teeline shorthand notes and found a threat assessment taken, and she kept Gene around anyway, but didn't tell him she was aware of what he was doing there.
In an exciting and climatic conclusion to the story, two accomplices of the gangster attempt to attack Gene and Callie in Auckland. By this point, Gene is openly working with and coordinating PPOs he employs with his company and has a few men and a woman with him because he doesn't have to conceal his identity to Callie. In Auckland, as Gene and Julia disarm and subdue one enemy, a second turns a gun on Gene, and Callie -- out of love for Gene -- instinctively pushes him aside despite his wearing a bullet-proof vest and takes a bullet to the shoulder, rather than letting her lover and protector take the bullet he was positioning himself to take.
The story ends with her saying to Gene in the hospital afterwards how she loves him, and them a month later at an Easter event for her friends' kids, where they declare their love and say that they want to be together.
I"m not going to lie, I thought I'd hate this book as a cliche erotica (most of which are horribly written), but while there's plenty enough graphic sex to warrant notice to those who wouldn't be interested in such material, it's actually a very good book, and I'm impressed with it. It had its romantic aspects, but it also had this tense thriller perspective at times when we saw chapters from Gene's perspective, along with plenty of witty-ish humor.
From what I can gather, there are four books, one apparently for each of the friends who founded "Four Seasons", the lingerie company Callie was touring on behalf of. Do I like this one enough to buy the other ones? I'm not quite sure. Falling in love with a personal bodyguard was an interesting idea, and I'm not sure how the other three characters (who didn't strike me as interesting in the story) will work out as far as interesting plots go... And, those are paid whereas I got this one only because it was free.
Still, it was a good romance book, and amazingly enough, despite not caring for romances much, I just might give it another read someday when I'm bored.
I almost went past it, but this one had a really intriguing description, so I decided to break my rule about guy-meets-girl romances and give it a shot.
Before I get into my impressions, here's the description that the book was shipped with on Amazon's Kindle section.
"Callie Summer, CEO of the Four Seasons lingerie business, is in shock. She’d expected her new PA to be a middle-aged frump, but Jean turns out to be Gene, and he’s neither middle-aged, nor anything like a frump. When the gorgeous Bond-lookalike insists he’ll be the perfect companion on her business trip around the country, Callie agrees to give him a trial. Having recently found her ex in bed with another woman, she’s not looking for love. But a little bit of private lusting never did anyone any harm.
"Once a military journalist with the New Zealand Army, Gene now runs his own security firm. Hired by Callie’s mother, Phoebe, to secretly protect her daughter after Phoebe receives death threats against her family, Gene finds his work cut out for him. Callie’s as delectable as she is infuriating, and his urge to seduce her fights with his duty to keep her safe.
"It’s not long before they give in to their passion, and the weather isn’t the only thing that turns hot and sultry as they travel further north. But Gene can’t keep his identity a secret from Callie forever. And when an attempt is finally made on her life, the truth threatens to break them apart."
Though the title character Calinda Summers is based out of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, this book actually crossing the entire nation, as Calinda, known by her shortened name of "Callie" embarks on a tour of New Zealand from Dunedin to Christchurch, all the way up to Auckland.
At the start of the book, Callie (26) is looking for a new personal assistant to help keep her chaotic business life in check while her regular Becky is off for a three month maternity leave. Her friend and business partner Neve recommends Gene (32), who Callie mistakes prior to the meeting to be "Jean", a woman.
Gene, as we learn quickly from his perspective during the story, is a former member of the New Zealand Army who's formed his own private security firm. He is contacted by Phoebe Hawke, Callie's mother, to protect her daughter and pose as her intern because a gangster that lawyer Hawke put away for a decade has gotten out and threatened her and her daughter's life while going on a killing spree to punish everyone responsible for putting him away for six years (he got out early).
The two are attracted to each other from the beginning, and their interactions drip with sexual tension when Callie and Gene (posing as her PA, not as a protection agent) embark on her tour of the South and North Islands to sell managers of lingerie and clothing stores on carrying her and her 3 friends' brand of lingerie and women's wear.
The two travel from Dunedin to Christchurch, and then back to Wellington without a hitch embarking on a successful tour where only one store doesn't actually take Callie's products, and the sexual tension is finally broken in Christchurch, where they finally kiss before things proceed to outright sex a few nights later.
Meanwhile, the gangster has killed several people, and embarking on the North Island tour, Gene, as Phoebe's client, has to balance his and Callie's attraction to each other with his job to protect her and not disclose that he's actually a hired bodyguard, as he fears that it will strain his relationship with her and force her to shove him aside, as she is dismissive to the threats against her mother and the risk it poses to her personally.
In Auckland, we finally learn the truth of the relationship between Phoebe and Gene, which had been on my mind for ages by this point. Why did the CEO of a security firm take a personal job instead of delegating it to someone he employs?
As it turns out, when Phoebe left her husband and was assaulted by him, the then-lieutenant Gene who was posted with her husband and Callie's father, had helped her out afterwards, and she felt she could trust him and they had a preexisting relationship.
Phoebe has always carried the pretense that she was the reason the relationship broke so that Callie wouldn't look down on her father, and with the threat to Callie increasing from indirect threats to direct threats via messages to Phoebe from the gangster's associates, she instructs Gene to come clean about his duty as a personal protection agent and how he knows Phoebe.
Callie, ever astute like Sherlock Holmes, had already deduced that he was a bodyguard when she read his teeline shorthand notes and found a threat assessment taken, and she kept Gene around anyway, but didn't tell him she was aware of what he was doing there.
In an exciting and climatic conclusion to the story, two accomplices of the gangster attempt to attack Gene and Callie in Auckland. By this point, Gene is openly working with and coordinating PPOs he employs with his company and has a few men and a woman with him because he doesn't have to conceal his identity to Callie. In Auckland, as Gene and Julia disarm and subdue one enemy, a second turns a gun on Gene, and Callie -- out of love for Gene -- instinctively pushes him aside despite his wearing a bullet-proof vest and takes a bullet to the shoulder, rather than letting her lover and protector take the bullet he was positioning himself to take.
The story ends with her saying to Gene in the hospital afterwards how she loves him, and them a month later at an Easter event for her friends' kids, where they declare their love and say that they want to be together.
I"m not going to lie, I thought I'd hate this book as a cliche erotica (most of which are horribly written), but while there's plenty enough graphic sex to warrant notice to those who wouldn't be interested in such material, it's actually a very good book, and I'm impressed with it. It had its romantic aspects, but it also had this tense thriller perspective at times when we saw chapters from Gene's perspective, along with plenty of witty-ish humor.
From what I can gather, there are four books, one apparently for each of the friends who founded "Four Seasons", the lingerie company Callie was touring on behalf of. Do I like this one enough to buy the other ones? I'm not quite sure. Falling in love with a personal bodyguard was an interesting idea, and I'm not sure how the other three characters (who didn't strike me as interesting in the story) will work out as far as interesting plots go... And, those are paid whereas I got this one only because it was free.
Still, it was a good romance book, and amazingly enough, despite not caring for romances much, I just might give it another read someday when I'm bored.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2025
I loved the storyline of the book. Gene and Callie were very entertaining; I adored their chemistry. Callie's sass added an extra layer, and I appreciated how she and her friends turned their passion for making women feel sexy into a business. Gene was sexy and appealing, and I found it interesting how his role as Callie's PA led them to travel all over New Zealand together promoting her brand, even though Callie didn't realise he was her bodyguard (or did she?).
The author's descriptions of each town and city were vivid, as in all of her books. I also enjoyed Callie's friends, they added to the storyline and I knew each of them was getting their own book, particularly Neve's no-nonsense attitude and Rowan's gentle nature.
The author's descriptions of each town and city were vivid, as in all of her books. I also enjoyed Callie's friends, they added to the storyline and I knew each of them was getting their own book, particularly Neve's no-nonsense attitude and Rowan's gentle nature.
September 2, 2017
Can I just say how much I LOVED how this turned out?
Like, I've read a bunch of books where the girl figures out or is told that the guy she's fallen for is actually not a personal assistant/co worker/date/whatever but a bodyguard and the girl FLIPS and very nearly murders the guy with a spoon.
Not this one.
I was SO terrified it would be the same - but the twist was one I did NOT see coming and I LOVED IT. Yet another win for Serenity Woods, and now I can't wait to read the rest of this series!
Like, I've read a bunch of books where the girl figures out or is told that the guy she's fallen for is actually not a personal assistant/co worker/date/whatever but a bodyguard and the girl FLIPS and very nearly murders the guy with a spoon.
Not this one.
I was SO terrified it would be the same - but the twist was one I did NOT see coming and I LOVED IT. Yet another win for Serenity Woods, and now I can't wait to read the rest of this series!
November 13, 2019
Amazing storytelling
I have already read the Kings series by this author an s loved them so I looked at her other books and choose this series. I was blown away by how captivating the storyline was. The characters were easy to get to know and relate to. The extra layers in the story. Friendships, mother daughter relationship, travelling with job, misunderstood divorce, hidden relationship and death threats. I was hooked from page 1.
Can't wait to start book 2 Autumn.
Highly recommend you give this book a try!!
I have already read the Kings series by this author an s loved them so I looked at her other books and choose this series. I was blown away by how captivating the storyline was. The characters were easy to get to know and relate to. The extra layers in the story. Friendships, mother daughter relationship, travelling with job, misunderstood divorce, hidden relationship and death threats. I was hooked from page 1.
Can't wait to start book 2 Autumn.
Highly recommend you give this book a try!!
November 17, 2024
I loved it, Even though it had a slow start, it gradually built up.
Callie and Gene hit it off from the start and while it seemed like an accident waiting to happen, there was a surprising plot twist.
I like the combination of romantic suspense and steam here. Both of them got to know each other through meaningful conversations. While they inevitably ended up in bed, the lust sizzled to love.
I also like the scenery and the travel they did.
I'm looking forward to Rowan's and Hitch's story.
Callie and Gene hit it off from the start and while it seemed like an accident waiting to happen, there was a surprising plot twist.
I like the combination of romantic suspense and steam here. Both of them got to know each other through meaningful conversations. While they inevitably ended up in bed, the lust sizzled to love.
I also like the scenery and the travel they did.
I'm looking forward to Rowan's and Hitch's story.
January 16, 2018
A great love story
The first in the series, Summer is in danger and is assigned a bodyguard by her mother. The action keeps the reader's attention and keeps the pages turning, even keeping the reader awake all night to finish. Well done and Serenity Woods is now on my list of favorite authors.
The first in the series, Summer is in danger and is assigned a bodyguard by her mother. The action keeps the reader's attention and keeps the pages turning, even keeping the reader awake all night to finish. Well done and Serenity Woods is now on my list of favorite authors.
August 24, 2019
This was a a nice sexy romance sturdy with the appropriate amount of sex scenes. I appreciated the fact that both characters were drawn to each other and that they found there way to each other. I loved the funny parts as well as the dangerous ones. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
June 26, 2020
Gene and Callie are a great introduction to this series. There is lots to like, a group of feisty friends who all need to find love, a swoon worthy hero, a secret romance, a series of death threats that means Callie need protections even if she refuses, and secrets that will be revealed. I look forward to the next book in the series.
November 7, 2022
This was long, with some slow parts, but there was a TON of chemistry and conflicts with resolution (although it was a bit meh). Gene is hired as a temporary PA for Summer, she sells lingerie, he wears a bulletproof vest. New Zealand geography, wine, lingerie, a baby shower, and an HFN ending. Standalone.
April 22, 2018
This was really cute. The whole bodyguard/PA thing was adorable and reminded me of the Like Us series with Moffy and Farrow which I loved. Some of the writing was a little cringe worthy, but over all I liked the writing and some of the scenes were definitely hot.
December 23, 2018
Fantastic. An undercover bodyguard, the threat hanging over her head, the intense attraction between the two...whew! Callie and Gene immediately sizzle together and when they finally give in, they combust. A fun, thrilling and hot story!
November 24, 2019
Delightful
What a wonderful introduction to these kiwi seasons! Summer's story was awesome, lots of giggles, lots of intense scenes, quite a bit of heat, and a touch of danger. I'm hungry for more.
What a wonderful introduction to these kiwi seasons! Summer's story was awesome, lots of giggles, lots of intense scenes, quite a bit of heat, and a touch of danger. I'm hungry for more.
July 3, 2022
A sweet story but too steamy for me
I enjoyed the story, but I had to skip over a lot of steamy parts.
The steamy parts were not necessary and I think they are better left to the imagination. I did, however, think the characters were delightful.
I enjoyed the story, but I had to skip over a lot of steamy parts.
The steamy parts were not necessary and I think they are better left to the imagination. I did, however, think the characters were delightful.
October 10, 2025
This was perfection!
Serenity Woods certainly knows how to write a perfect story! Gene and Callie are completely perfect for each other and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about their experience together.
Serenity Woods certainly knows how to write a perfect story! Gene and Callie are completely perfect for each other and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about their experience together.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews