Guardian Angel

by Becky Harmon

Newly appointed US Ambassador Elizabeth Turner is still getting used to her post in Mauritania, Africa. She has lots of plans for her time in office, but those plans are forgotten when a crowd of angry protesters start to gather outside the embassy - bringing both sporadic gunfire and concern for the ambassador's safety.

Flagler Security Agent Angel McTaggart will never understand why an intelligent woman would choose to come to a country where women are devalued. Not that her opinion matters, she knows, because she's here to do one job and one job only - keep the ambassador safe at all costs.

Angel needs to get the situation under control quickly before an attempt to storm the embassy becomes an option for the rioters. Elizabeth Turner isn't uncooperative, she reasons, just headstrong and opinionated. Angel knows she's worked with worse, but no one who's had the effect on her that the ambassador seems to be having now.

Focusing on her job might be harder than she thinks....

Genres: Romance, Politics, Military Fiction, LGBT, Lesbian, Action, Slow Burn

272 pages, Paperback

Published January 15, 2020

About the author

Becky Harmon was born and raised just south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Though she considers herself to be a Northerner, she moved south in search of warmth. Becky calls many places home but she is happiest with her partner, their daughter and the rest of their four-legged family.
Romance has always been her first love and when she’s not writing it, she’s reading it. Her first book, Tangled Mark, was released by Bella Books in 2016.

Reviews

[Lex Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars. This was a fun, action-romance read. This is my 5th book by Harmon and my new favorite by her. It had a few bumps for me but it was really entertaining which is what I appreciate in an action-romance. Harmon picked an interesting setting, likeable characters, and some action to make an enjoyable read.

The story is about two strong willed and mildly stubborn women, who clash when it comes to their jobs. Angel is a security expert who just wants the US Ambassador of Mauritania to be safe. But Elizabeth doesn’t want to be smothered and still needs to do her job. Can these two stop butting heads long enough to realize there may be another reason for all the tension between them?

When it came to the romance I enjoyed it. I felt some chemistry and I liked all the tension between the two mains. I did wish that there was a little more of the characters getting to know each other and getting closer. Too much was in the characters heads, them lusting for each other and even lightly stalking each other’s whereabouts, when they really should have just talked and got to know each other better. But in a book like this that I put the action tag on, I’m more forgiving since I’m looking to be entertained. There were some sex scenes but they were either brief or fade to black. I have to say the first one bothered me some since where it happened is a little ridiculous to say the least, but I can’t say I ever read that before so I kind of forgave it on uniqueness alone.

I do have to agree with the other early reviewers that the first half was a bit slow. It took a while for things to get going. Again, I didn’t mind too much because I liked the two character butting heads with each other, but the pace did lag a bit. Luckily, once the book picked up, there was action and excitement and I had to keep reading until I was finished.

I think my biggest issue is since Angel is supposedly one of the best in her field of security; I was shocked that she wasn’t very smart. The bad guy/girl is so obvious that you can’t miss them a mile away but somehow Angel, the expert, had no clue? It was a total eye roll moment and I wish Harmon would have made it a surprise. If she could have gotten one over on us it could have been a huge reveal moment and been a lot of fun. I had to take a quarter star off my rating for this missed opportunity.

Even with a few bumps, this was still fun and entertaining. It’s what I want when I pick up an action romance. As long as you can go with the flow, and survive a few eye rolls, I think you would enjoy this read. I believe this is Harmon’s best so far and it makes me excited to see what she’ll write next.

An ARC was given to me for a honest review.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I read the blurb for Guardian Angel by Becky Harmon (an excellent name for an author and no relation that I know of) I really wanted to read this book. I did enjoy the novel overall, though there were a few glitches.

The premise of the story is excellent and is what caught my interest immediately. The international setting is well described, and I loved reading about Mauritania, where the embassy in the story is located. I also enjoyed reading about what life is like in such an embassy. The idea of the ambassador (Ellie Turner) and the head of the security force hired to protect her (Angel McTaggart) falling in love in this setting is very romantic. The action and adventure part of the book is really well written and probably was my favorite part of the novel.

I did have a few problems with the story. The first half of the book needed more action than it had. For me, there was too much emphasis on embassy life and not enough action in the first half. The attraction between Ellie and Angel was very frustrating to read in the first half. They barely spoke to each other. Even their thoughts about each other were constantly changing. I was beginning to wonder if they would ever get together. The second half of the novel flowed much better, and I thoroughly enjoyed the action/adventure scenes. The romance picked up as well. The ending is a bit rushed, but overall I liked this book.

If you enjoy a story written in an international setting with action/adventure and a slow-burn romance, you might enjoy Guardian Angel.
I’m giving this novel 3.5 stars and moving it up to 4 stars for the great action scenes, the excellent writing overall, and the author’s awesome name. (Just kidding on that last reason.)

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections: https://rainbowreflections.home.blog/

[Pin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guardian Angel is my fifth book by Becky Harmon, and her style of writing is already well known to me -- solid plot with some well-done action, good dialogue and an interesting setting, but with a romance that lacks substance and a rushed happy-for-now type of ending. The ending is always very important to me, and this one is again not satisfying for my liking. It is really rushed, with no comprehension of the plans for the protagonists' future and how they see their life together. A weak undeveloped romance and diluted romantic chemistry between the main couple is another big frustration for me that took away a lot from the enjoyment of this story. I read this kind of books primarily because of romance, and this author's stories are just not strong enough in that respect for my taste. If you are like me, be cautious going into this story. If good action and interesting setting are enough or more important for you, go ahead.

As an action/adventure story, I give it 3.5 stars. But as a romance, only 2 stars. Overall, rounded up to 3 stars.
January 19, 2020
*A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.*

[Tere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elizabeth Turner (Ellie) is the newly appointed US ambassador to Mauritania, Africa. Six months into her post, a crowd of protestors has gathered in front of the embassy, threatening the safety of the ambassador. Ellie’s old friend, the owner of a private security company, sends a team lead by Angel McTaggart to protect her. Ellie and Angel bump heads while developing a mutual attraction until things escalate and they both have to lean on each other to survive.

The blurb hooked me right away. The story delivered for the most part, although I was expecting more action. The narration got repetitive at the beginning with this abrasion between the mains that were also attracted to each other. The chemistry was present in spurts. I got a little whiplash with the interactions that ran hot and cold. This would have been better set up if they had shared a past and not be new acquaintances as without it, the author was ineffective at sustaining the sexual tension between the mains. The pace was also slow and a lot of nothing has changed reports in the beginning. True action starts three quarters of the way in this story. I will say, once it starts, the author delivered and the book became a page turner. It was definitely fun to read about their journey through Mauritania, and I found myself googling the country and towns.

I also enjoyed how Ms Harmon gave some info on embassy living. I guess I never gave any thought to the employees and military personal needed to run an operation like that. There were also some philosophical discussions between the mains regarding the country’s struggles. Ellie’s beliefs that she could make a difference and promote change were admirable. Angel’s criticism of the country was legitimate, and just gave me reason to ponder about social and political issues. The black and white vs grays views of the mains were fantastic in my opinion. Powerful even.

The ending was on the abrupt and somewhat inconclusive end of things but I will embrace it and take this as a solid first installment of a series! Here’s hoping. 3.5 stars

ARC generously provided to me by BB via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Agirlcandream · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise for this book pulled me in, curious to see how a former CIA agent/now US ambassador to Mauritania Ellie Turner would cope with a mob of angry protestors outside her embassy gates. Angel McTaggert is the best of the best at Flagler Security. She and her team are sent to protect the ambassador and attempt to infiltrate the protesters to determine their purpose and plans. Ellie is not used to being controlled and Angel is not accustomed to having her client refuse to follow her security requests.

From the moment they meet there is instant attraction between Angel and Ellie. There may be sparks but both women try very hard to suppress their feelings not wanting a relationship to interfere with their missions and their objectives. I found it quite frustrating to watch the lack of communication continue on for what felt like weeks. They had no trouble stalking each other yet would not admit their interest in more than a working relationship. I was happy when Ellie stuck to her guns and insisted she visit the solar farm in spite of the demonstration at the gates. I was hoping this would kickstart some much needed action and push the women together. The story improves as soon as they leave the embassy behind and the reader is caught up in the layers of intrigue and dangers to be faced. I wasn’t impressed with some of Angel’s choices and decisions but the book does live up to its action adventure tags. I wish the romance were as strong as the action but it can be a hard balance to achieve.

[Joc · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a nice enough story although it’s a little slim on the lead characters’ connection. Elizabeth (Ellie) Turner, US ambassador to Mauritania, has been in lockdown in her embassy while a group of protestors camp out in front of the gates. There seems to be no clear reason they are there but when they start firing weapons, Angel McTaggart and a team of top notch security personnel are sent in to get the situation under control. While Ellie realises the need for extra security she also doesn’t want to put her hard-won diplomatic work at risk.

Ellie and Angel feel and immediate attraction to each other but it didn’t progress into enough communication for me. In the first two weeks of Angel being at the embassy there was just about no interaction or conversation on a personal level. It bothered me. The reason for the protestors was interesting and kept the pace going and even though it was a little generalised, it was still suspenseful.

Quick and easy lockdown read. (Having just said that, ‘Guardian Angel’ fed into the worldwide move of isolation to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and it definitely heightened the tension.)

Book received from Netgalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

[Corrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guardian Angel is my second Becky Harmon novel and I found this action/romance a rather enjoyable read. Sure, it was a bit slow out of the gate – we spent half the book staring at the people standing outside of the embassy gates – but when the action kicks in we are cooking with gas!

US Ambassador in Mauritania Elizabeth (Ellie) Turner gets extra security (by way of 20 Flagler agents) to monitor a group of protesters at the embassy gates. Angel McTaggart and her team arrive and pretty soon both women are budding heads over just about everything. They are also highly attracted to each other. Not ideal, given the job that Angel has been sent to do. Ellie is a major distraction. Ellie don’t get any work done either. They slyly stalk each other’s movements by means of tracking gps bracelets.

Like I said, first half is slow, the second half kicks into gear. I liked the action scenes and the generous helping of Mauritanian culture. The romance was a bit on the meager side, insta-lust combined with mutual stubbornness and a failure to communicate (yes, that old chestnut). But, I don’t want to be too harsh about it either, it was overall a very enjoyable read.

f/f fade to black, I thought the romance was a bit ho-hum

Themes: Ellie: ‘I want to do the thing’, Angel: ‘you can’t do the thing’.

3.7 Stars

* A free copy was provided by Netgalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

[MZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars. This was an enjoyable read, although the first half of the book didn’t really grab me. Clearly, a lot of research went in this book, a lot of politics was discussed, but it slowed the pace and the political game was leading over the connection between Angel and Ellie. I have to mention that I listened to the audiobook and had difficulties sometimes to understand who was speaking, so this might have contributed to my struggles with the first half of the book.
The second half of the book I liked much better, all the action I was waiting for during the first half arrived and it was very entertaining. I also connected better to the characters and the chemistry between the two mains improved a lot. I liked that the two mains both had very strong and dominant personalities which clashed a lot. Although, constantly keeping information from each other bothered me, as this seems such a dumb thing to do if your safety is at stake. All in all, a nice read, but I would have liked a higher pace during the first half of the book.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes place in Mauritania. Harmon does a nice job of making the place feel real, and I really enjoyed their time outside the embassy.

[Carolyn McBride · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. Despite the fact that I read it in only two "sittings", I didn't love it.

The book was well-written and if there were any errors, I didn't see them. The cover was eye-catching and the blurb was intriguing.

However, the first half of the book was slower than I would have liked. There were parts I had to push myself through. The push-pull of Ellie and Angel were a natural response, I suppose, to two strong-willed women each trying to have their own way. But I thought there were too many characters. Yes, I grant that an embassy needs a number of people there, especially under those circumstances. But there were a few times, I had to back up to figure out who was who. When that happens, it's usually because there are too many people on the stage.

The second half of the story was better paced and more enjoyable. There was a proper end to the story, which I was pleased to see. Even though, I would like to see if the author will be writing another story with these characters. If she does, I'd be interested in reading it.

[Colleen Corgel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a decent romance that has a little more to do with the inner workings of bureaucracy than what is typical. It has two pretty charismatic leads, but falls short of giving them more rounded out character traits. Elizabeth is an ambassador who volunteered to go to a hotspot of a country because of her ties to it and her ideological ambition. Angel is a serious, confident, ex soldier who works for her mentor as a private security agent. Both women are just exploding with competency and leadership skills. This makes for almost no tension when they do go out and are actually attacked.

Most of the novel focuses on what an embassy would feel like during a high security incident in which there are protests. But there's little real tension, with the exception of Angel and Elizabeth butting heads over how secure Elizabeth really is. Even as Angel uncovers some clues about the aggravation it still doesn't feel like anyone are unsafe. There's also a couple of scenes where everyone involved get a case of temporary stupidity that allows for the action later on in the book. I also understand that people can't always be on alert, but sometimes it felt like the characters were too laidback about the situation.

I gave this book three stars because of the way Harmon depicted life in an embassy, and that she also allowed Elizabeth to do actual ambassador stuff, which often doesn't happen because the action just blows up right away. It was interesting enough to see Elizabeth's conflicts with the fictional state of Mauritania - and how she balances the beauty of the culture with some of the human rights violations the country commits. I really enjoyed that - and honestly felt that having the protests and threats was contrived to shoe horn it into doing a couple of action scenes. I would have liked to have a little more balance with that regard, as the action scenes felt too rushed and there was no true conclusion to the story.

If you're looking for a personal conflict between an ambassador and her new bodyguard, then you've got it. Its all here: the sexual tension, longing looks, weird blowups and makeups, and a couple of weirdly placed sex scenes. Because Elizabeth and Angel already know who their are, they don't do a lot of growing - it's more of a dance between them about where their boundaries are and whether or not they want them crossed. If you're here for the action that it seems to be billed as, it really doesn't happen until the last quarter of the book, which was a huge let down for me - especially since Angel is such a badass.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good action romance. Ellie’s an ambassador in Mauritania and former CIA and senator. She’s a smart woman. Angel is a lead security agent with a private security firm. Basically, she is a mercenary soldier and bodyguard. She’s also involved in analyzing security problems, so she is also an intelligent woman, which leads to the main problem I had with the story because they often didn’t act very smart. There was more romantic tension than intelligence displayed.

The women have an immediate attraction and some push-pull that threatens their concentration on their jobs. Harmon made the romance work in the situation they find themselves in. The action thread was pretty fun to read, despite the situations. A lack of communication between professionals leads to the main events, which seemed kind of unrealistic. Of course, if everyone had shared their information with one another, the book would just be a romance with a slight bit of action. Angel does show her courage, skills and smarts during the second half of the story. They all find out what was going on and who and why, but there is no final conclusion to that, just the knowledge. All in all, I was interested in the two mains and the plot and finished the story in a day.

[Aleana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Elizabeth is just getting use to being US ambassador of Mauritania, Africa. She has a lot yo do for this country and she believes she can make a change.

This becomes difficult when protesters outside her embassy start to become violent. She calls on her good friend Vince to send in addition protection and he knows who he want to protect her.

Angel is a Flagler security agent who call upon by Vince to lead her team to protect Elizabeth aka Ellie from danger. When Angel and Ellie meet there is a attraction as Angel tries to figure out who is the threat she fears her growing feelings for Elizabeth will cloud her judgement and she make a mistake.

What I like about this read is that you don't know who's the enemy is and you right there with the characters as they try to figure it out because as Elizabeth said she doesn't know who want to hurt her because she doesn't think anything she done will have put a target on her back.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. I picked this book because I just finished "Madam Secretary" on TV and love settings in politics.

Ambassador Elizabeth "Ellie" Turner is a badass former CIA agent and former senator who wants to make a difference in Mauretania.

When her embassy is surrounded by protestors, a new security team is brought in, led by fierce security agent Angel McTaggart.

Both women feel drawn to each other even before meeting. But when they meet, there's chemistry, but they completely start off on the wrong foot. Angel is tongue tied and doesn't communicate well, and Ellie is more than irritated. As the situation outside the embassy becomes more and more serious, finally the start to cooperate.

I really liked the setting. Even if Becky Harmon gets quite detailed about embassy life, I really liked that. We get the story more from Angel's POV, and I would have loved to see Ellie's a little bit more, especially regarding her personality and politics. I didn't really feel bothered that the mains don't have that much interaction in the first part, because I felt it was well done with the GPS device thingy and their inner thoughts. Honestly I didn't like Angel's character too much though. She's a bit antisocial, she doesn't communicate well and at times she's downright unprofessional. I didn't really see why Ellie is so smitten with her, other than her wish for equal companionship. Ellie is such a strong and overall great character and I would have liked so see more of her.

Once Angel and Ellie started to communicate, the story finally started to flow. This is also roughly when the setting changes from the embassy to the outside adventure. I wouldn't call this book a romance. The focus is on the romance for sure, yet it doesn't get very detailed. I wouldn't call it an adventure either. It's something in between, with quite some action towards the end.

All in all I would have liked to give a better rating because I felt this book would have had so much more potential, especially if the mains had communicated better. I felt that narrator Romy Nordlinger did an okay job, but it took me quite long to get into the story and get used to her voice. In the end I liked it though.

[Kexx · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I've read of Becky Harmon - sustaining, good story, clear sense of baddies and goodies with a romance thrown in. What was there not to like! Never a sense of danger that would have taken it from Adventure to thriller.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* To be honest, I've heard of Mauritania but couldn't find it on a map before I read this book. But far from being a geography lesson, this is a nicely-written romance between the US Ambassador to Mauritania and a private security agent. When a large group of men start surrounding the US embassy daily with occasional gunfire, Ellie (the ambassador) called on an old friend to send his security agents as reinforcement. The agent sent is Angel, aka Guardian Angel. There, they have to work together to figure out what these protesters want and how to make sure everyone stays safe.
I like the 2 main characters and how they interact. There's initial attraction but both try to resist. I also like how we also get a glimpse of Mauritanian government and society.

[Dorota Kwapień]

Women. Books. Even Better Together.
I love this motto
I dont know what to say....
Im just speechless
They had known each other for like 2 weeks and they already are in love.
What can I say? This was? Umm intresting experience? I have to say author did spectacular research, now I know everything about Mauritania. I love that they rode the Iron Ore Train.

[LesReview · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
Becky Harmon is becoming one of my favorite authors and this book just ensures that.
Elizabeth Turner has become the newly appointed ambassador of Mauritania, Africa. Her father was an ambassador there before her. In many ways she grew up there and knows the people and wants to make a difference. However tensions outside of the embassy has her worried and she asks a trusted friend for help.
Here is where we meet Flagler Security Agent Angel McTaggart. Her and her teams mission is to secure the embassy and keep the ambassador safe at all cost regardless if it’s against the ideas that Elizabeth has.
Her duty is to protect her and it’s becoming harder because Elizabeth is so stubborn and the attraction that they have for one another is hard to deny.
What I loved about this book is that you could tell it was so well researched in how she described the country side and the issues, especially regarding women and slavery.
I just didn’t want this book to end and hoping that this is one of many and continues as a series.

[Rosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story that brings together action, politics and romance, although it focuses more on the action part. The two women protagonists are Ellie, the US ambassador to Mauritania and Angel, who commands a private security team that must go to support the Marines, when there are riots of local groups in front of the embassy.

The embassy is in a state of siege, without any of the workers being able to leave it without custody, so everyone must live together 24-7. And the new security team must also adapt to this situation. In addition Angel is personally responsible for the security of the ambassador, so the interaction between them is constant from the beginning.

The ambassador is bigheaded and very aware of her responsibilities, so she does not want to give in to her obligations, even those that may take her outside the embassy grounds. And the riots don't seem to make much sense, although the danger is obvious.

The story is also interesting from the point of view of the culture in which it is set, not always well exposed in the media, although the lack of respect for human rights in that society is evident especially for women. It does not deal very thoroughly with any scabrous subject, although in the background they are always present.

The romantic part is quite forced, but the situation is so complex that the way they come and go around each other is to some extent normal.

Overall, the story has been quite interesting as a whole, with parts of tension, some adventure and excitement. And a little romance.

An advanced reading copy has been sent to me by the publisher Bella Books through Netgalley for my honest review

[currentlyreadingbynat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the unique setting and storyline of Guardian Angel. I loved reading and learning about Mauritania, and the detail that Harmon describes sets the reader up to have a great understanding of the characters limitations in-country.

Both Angel and Ellie were two exceptional, well-rounded characters. I especially loved how both embodied strength and power, but they each relayed this differently. The romantic storyline was good, although I think this could’ve been stronger at points mainly in regard to the communication between them.

[Len · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lousy narration, dumb MCs, lousy plot

[Val · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting

This was a fantastic book. I read it in one sitting. Interesting characters and plot. It ended rather abruptly so I surely hope there will be a sequel.

[L E · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book left me confused and frustrated as I could not understand, how a security expert on a private detail and an ex CIA agent would not share security concerns and how no one opened an investigation on the one person responsible for all the vehicles, once they had some concerns. I cannot get behind being so horny that you can't think or do your jobs, lets not talk about the dry humping on top of the train, in a country were WOMEN, let alone LGBTQIA+ person would most likely get killed, why would they add another risk layer to their already predicament surrounded by others on those train carts? I was so baffled that, the few good things about the story was hard to get behind. And what the hell was this ending, this ending has so many lose ends that you think, could there be another book to fishing this one out but why would you put someone through another frustrating book anyway! I think the author has something with this storyline but lost her way or maybe, its just me that could not get behind it.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a book where I can learn, and I definitely learnt a bit about Mauritania. This was the hook for me even though there's a lot of unpleasantness there, I wanted to read something of the history and the culture. My bad, as this book had a little, but not a lot of that.
The romance between [Guardian] Angel McTaggart and Ambassador Ellie Turner was quite immediate which again isn't really my thing, the plot didn't have the greatest depth but it delivered a fast journey for those onboard reading it.
I received and ARC for an honest review.

[Sunbear · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
The story was interesting (although it was obvious who the baddie was) and there were parts where I could not put down the book. Well written and paced with a slow burn romance that had nice chemistry.
I felt the ending was a bit abrupt and pieces were quickly tied up. The romantic in me would have loved a little more development of their relationship and how they would have navigated their jobs to be together.
But overall I really enjoyed the book.

[Jules]

I was slightly disappointed with this book. The romance did not work that well. At one stage both women, at different times, became suspicious of a guy but got deterred by their feelings; these women were a former CIA agent and top-rated security agent. It did not work for me. The book was enjoyable, however, just seemed to end suddenly. It was certainly not a bad book, but not a great book either.

[isa Simonet · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a great read.
The two characters, Ellie, US ambassador in Mauritania, thinks that she will have an impact on the change of this country, to make it better and more human, and Angel, is in command of a team of a private security company to support the Marines.
It is a slow burn romance, even if romance is not very present. Ellie is a little annoying about her vision of the country, too naive, about Mauritania, plagued by corruption and Islamism among others.
The 3/4 of the book is too slow, had too little action. The last 1/4, the most interesting, is too fast.
The relationship between Ellie and Angel is complicated, punctuated by their political disagreements and by the lack of communication.
Nevertheless, this book is well written, and the characters extremely likeable. And the scenario is interesting, even if poorly proportioned.
If I recommend it? Absolutly!

[Aj Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll start this off by saying that since reading "Guardian Angel" I've bought two other Becky Harmon books, which is pretty much the best endorsement there is in my opinion.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was that it was an entirely novel setting and plot (well other than the wlw romance element!). We have the American ambassador to Mauritania dealing with a crowd of protesters barricading herself and her staff inside the embassy walls and the private security agent who is sent to protect her. What was really interesting were the extensive descriptions of Mauritania and the local people. It's not a country a knew a lot about before and was fascinated by the journey we were taken on through the desert and some of the towns, also meeting (and being helped by) some of the nomadic tribeswomen.

Both Angel (our not at all ironically named security agent) and Ambassador Ellie Turner are well drawn characters with great depth. Both take their jobs very seriously and initially do their utmost to ignore and then resist their mutual attraction. The tension and claustrophobia of the security lockdown keeps the sexual energy simmering between them until a clash over a planned trip five hours away from the capital brings it all to a head. Other big positives were a very sweet and sexy first kiss and Ellie's brilliant and hilarious assistant Chloe Allen.

An enjoyable read from an author I suspect will be reading and more books by.

[Rwilliams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice flow. Good book!

Enjoyed the book. Felt myself being drawn into it and all of the action. Could not put it down! More, please. A sequel would be nice.

[Cynthia Larson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narration wasn’t great.
Story was good….