The Bodyguard Book One

The Artifact #1

by X. Aratare

An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.

The Bodyguard is a gay detective romance series. The books contain a sexy bodyguard, his determined young client, an ancient golden sarcophagus, and unsolved mysteries in both their pasts.

When former detective Sean Harding is hired as Dane Gareis' bodyguard, he discovers his destiny.

Dane's life is in danger from an ancient cult that seeks the return of a golden sarcophagus that houses their god. The cult has already murdered Dane's father and Dane is next on the list unless someone can stand between him and this evil.

Sean discovers that he wants to give more to Dane than just the protection of his gun arm. Yet Sean believes that his feelings can never be returned, because Dane fears a man's touch.

As the danger grows all around them, can Sean save Dane both from the cult and the ghosts of his past?

The Story Continues in Book 2 of The Bodyguard Series.

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, Audiobook, LGBT, Mystery

248 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2013

About the author

X. Aratare is the pseudonym for Raythe Reign's Gay(M/M) books.

Reviews

[Simone - on indefinite hiatus - · Rating 3 out of 5]

***3.5 Stars***

Very interesting plot that had me intrigued, but I think it was Chris Patton's narration that did it for me. I just love his voice.

Ends on a friggin' cliffhanger, so on to the next!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up...this ones totally meant for fans of the paranormal/supernatural type stories...I mean seriously the bad guys aren't even human...I'm gonna' have to carry on with this to find out wtf is going on here...

[Skirmish · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book Reaction: https://neverhollowed.com/2020/03/13/...
Rating: 2.5 Stars – far from hate but not quite a like

[Line]

Freebie at the zon.com right now: https://smile.amazon.com/Bodyguard-Ar...

[Eric Westfall · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to read part of a book instead of a novel, with a cliffhanger ending and no idea when, if ever, the story is going to be finished, go ahead and buy. But since this is the second book from this author and this publisher where I got cliffhangered when I believed I'd purchased a complete novel, I'm buying nothing more from this company or by this author until the advertising reflects the facts. For all I know, it could take 3 or 4 or 5 books to actually finish this story. (The other cliffhanger book was Cursed).

Yes, I'm aware the second book in this "series" of "novels" has been published. That's meaningless. Author and publisher could string out this one story into 3-4-5 books, for all I know. So why should I waste my book dollars buying the second one, only to get cliffhangered again?

The sole reason this isn't a one-star rating is because the author is talented and this partial book is well-written. If I'd been given sufficient information to make an informed decision, it's conceivable I might have gone ahead and bought. But the reality is that if a publisher is truthful and says, "This is a really good book, but it's got a cliffhanger ending, and we're not going to tell you how many books it'll take to wrap up the story and when they'll be published," they're not got going to get a lot of sales.

But if they lure you in by telling you it's a novel...and please don't give me grief about the fact it has enough words to technically be considered a novel...and then cliffhanger you, they're hoping you'll be so interested in the story you'll keep on buying, no matter how long they string you along.

This was advertised on the publisher's site as the first "novel" in a series of gay paranormal detective "novels." To most people, including me, I suggest that means this is the first book in which we meet the detective, and he has a complete, not partial adventure/case/mystery. The next book in the series is a new adventure/case/mystery.

Roux's Cut & Run is a series. Nora Roberts' In Death is a series. I could go on with examples in both the MM genre and mainstream, but I won't.

Apparently to this publisher, a series means gouging as much money out of its readers as it can by dividing a single story into as many parts as possible, each with a cliffhanger ending.

Not for me. If and when the actual story is done I'll consider purchasing the rest of the story. But like the saying goes about "fool me once"...well, "fool me three times means I'm an idiot." No more books from this publisher until I can trust that when I buy a novel I'm not going to be cliffhangered.

Just my USD .02.

[Grace]

DNF ~25%

Wanted something a bit mindless and sexy and unrealistic, which this author tends to deliver on, but I just wasn't connecting with the story. 25% in and it was all backstory, we hadn't even met one of the MCs yet, and the romantic focus was entirely on a pretty icky sexual encounter that is clearly going to have repercussions throughout the series and I just am not here for that.

[Lulu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story: 6
Writing: 6
First MC: 8
Second MC: 7
Secondary characters: 4
Mystery: 6
Sexual tension: 6
Humor: 3
Hotness: 5
Product placement: 3
Ridiculousness: 3
Annoying: 5
Ending: 3
Audio: 8 (4h 39min)
To re-read: 4

It started off good. Cops and drug busts. They it all changed to lust. Gazing and fantasying. I think there were 4 masturbation scenes. Why? Couldn’t we invest the time exploring the mystery? I’ll tell you why, because we won’t solve anything in this book.
Hallucinations, men repeatedly blushing, mummies, and a bad cliffhanger.

no I don't think I want to read the second book. Might change my mind one rainy day

[Jane (PS) · Rating 2 out of 5]

So-so. I'm disappointed that this is really just the first 25% of a longer novel. Nothing is sorted out or resolved. Its not a cliff-hanger simply because it was not yet developed enough.

I should have realised when the first part of the book focusses so much on an event two years prior, which could have been sorted out in a few paragraphs.

I won't be continuing the series.

Narrated by Chris Patton - 4 stars. No issues with the narration.

[Vivian ♪(┌・。・)┌ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Somewhat intriguing plot with mediocre execution and cardboard cut-out main characters (with a slight fem-tone for Dane).

Rating: 1.5

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/19/2019)! 🎁

[♥️Victoria ♥️ ♥️love books♥️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall book rating: 3 stars
Audio book: Narrator - Chris Patton - 4 stars
Book Cover: 2 stars
MC1: Dane Gareis
MC2: Sean Harding

After loosing his friend in a bust gone bad Sean loses his job, his only purpose now is finding the scared Face man who killed his whole unit.

As the Sole survivor of the magical powder and slashing of his fellow team mates and friends, revenge is the only thing on Sean's mind until he meets the one and only Dane Gareis.

Dane needs Sean to be his bodyguard and after Sean discover the truth about what Dane had to go through - all he wants to do is protect this man.

This book is the first in the journey in finding the truth.....

[Box of Bees · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started silly and got sillier as it went. Why has nobody heard of this mystical ancient civilization or society that apparently has always existed? Why don't they seem at all concerned that they saw a seven foot monster come out of a sarcophagus? How can this guy's team have excavated a site the size of two football fields and NO ONE noticed, even when, apparently, the whole team died?

I did like how this seems to be shaping up to be a nice slow burn, and Dane seems like an interesting character, but it's not quite enough for me to feel tempted to read the next book.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has a lot of promise, and I think I’ll try the next… mostly because of the story. The story has me interested. It started off great, but kind of fizzled towards the end with fast feelings. I also don’t love when it’s a fake sex scene, and it happened twice back to back. But I’m not quite done with these.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great series this is going to be. I'm reading this again to refresh my memory of what it was all about so I can read Book 2. It's a really good book and X. Aratare hasn't let me down yet with a bad book.


2018 - I read it again and it was just as fantastic as the first time.

[aria ✧ · Rating 2 out of 5]

what is it with people and stealing artifacts from foreign countries to put them in their museums🙂

[ChAoTiC DrEaMeR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome world to get lost in

An Awesome world to get lost in,
as all X. Aratare Books, e-books, Series & manga are. It think there is even webcomics too on his website. The stories he writes makes ppl finish Book 1 then immediately begin to start on book 2 since each of his books are an immediate continuation of the ones before it.
It’s similar to X. Aratare’s website where they post chapter by chapter. So each book is amazing and more like 1 story split into parts instead of all at once.
The HEA only arrives st the end of the of the last book. But every book before is in the series gets left on a bigger and bigger cliffhanger, but it’s done in such a way that it’s more addictive rather than frustrating.
The books and audiobooks of X. Aratare are must have and are truly awesome to read & listen too with whisper sync. And each book leaves u further on the edge of each cliffhanger, further on the edge of ur seat, ready to read the rest of the each series.
And when characters fro other series in this world X. Aratare has created is always so very exciting. It’s easy to fall in love with these characters, and it’s a little sad saying goodbye when a story comes together and has its HEA. But seeing the characters pop up thru out his stories is always awesome.
I,also wanted to add that X. Aratare’s website is definitely worth checking out there are e-books, web comics and more, that are only posted and published to read online is definitely worth checking out under raythereign.com

thru & thru another amazing beginning by X. Aratare, now if u excuse me I have a book 2 to read lolz

[Precociousp · Rating 4 out of 5]

X. Aratare, also known as Raythe Reign from the Ever Dark series, has crafted a compelling and vivid universe in "The Bodyguard: The Artifact Book 1." From the first page, readers will find themselves fully engaged, eager to follow the story to its conclusion. This book is the first in a three-part series, and it effectively sets the stage for what promises to be an intriguing journey. The main characters, Sean Harding and Dane Gareis, are both relatable and likable, despite their complexities and personal struggles. Their fated connection adds depth to their interactions, making their story even more captivating.

I particularly appreciated the well-developed core villains. Their introduction was handled with just the right amount of detail, avoiding any sense of being overwhelming while clearly showing their impact on the main characters' development. For example, [provide a specific instance or action by the villains that impacted Sean or Dane]. The book ends with a distinct "to be continued" feeling rather than a typical happily ever after (HEA), which I found refreshing. This is an excellent example of a proper cliffhanger, leaving readers eager for the next installment.

Overall, "The Bodyguard: The Artifact Book 1" is an engaging and well-crafted start to the series. I highly recommend it to fans of character-driven stories with a touch of fate and destiny. I give this book four out of five stars.

[Mal Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those kinda cliché but still good protective gay bodyguard and rich billionaire stories. However, there is a twist. It seems as tho there are monsters???? A cult????? And this seems kinda slow burn to me which I love a good slow burn romance. A few things were kinda cliche or goofy but I still think this story is great. Along with that the way the characters deal with their personal (rather dark) issues is pretty interesting and relatable to me. Unfortunately many people don’t talk about the fact that men can be sexually assaulted and how that affects them. I think Raythe did an amazing job in portraying how both of the characters react to it. Besides the cliches the only other thing that kinda rubbed me the wrong way was how the book was left on a cliffhanger….good thing I have the whole series lol!!!! But if you don’t have the money to buy the whole series don’t get his book until you do. Otherwise you’ll do what I did and just read it in a few days….or less.

[Maja · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 85% ▶ I don't like dialogues that exist solely to signal to the reader how good the characters are – those moments feel more like self-congratulatory back-patting and are quite unpleasant to read. I prefer communication that is imperfect, where characters struggle to articulate what they feel or fail to grasp the other person's perspective, unless they're willing to step out of their own mindset. I'm not drawn to perfection or the quick resolution of everyday communication problems, especially when it's clear that the main characters hold an overly idealized (and overly sexually charged) view of each other.

🤔 Also. Can we pause for a moment and acknowledge how much Dane's philosophy resembles that of British museums – displaying artifacts for their historical value while completely disregarding the pleas of the people to whom these artifacts are a vital part of their civilization and culture to be returned to them? Hardly a victim of the story.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, this is intriguing! I love the concept, I love how this first instalment opens lots of questions and give us only the bare bones of the plot, and yet, we don't feel cheated, but truly enthralled.

Both, Sean and Dane are complex, damaged characters, and there seems to be something beyond fate that is pushing them together. And I like that, as vulnerable as Dane appears, he really isn't. He has a strong core, and won't be pushed around.

Branish's role in the story is still unclear. And is he even dead? I don't know what to think. And now that we are at it... which was his relationship with Ms Darnley? And is she on Dane's side or Ydrath's?

Listening to the second part right now, because I can't wait to know what will come next.

Oh, and Chris Patton did an awesome job with the narration ♥

[Nikisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Start To The Series

I was drawn in initially by the hurt and pain that Sean went through with his unit and fallout from it all. He really does care about his job and his co-workers. To see him pull himself off of the path of self-destruction was amazing.

Dane has a lot of trauma that he's also working on, on top of trying to make a name for himself and the company after his father was such a ruthless businessman. To see Sean encouraging Dane is very heartwarming and I can't wait to see where their relationship goes in the next book.

I am also interested in how the Ydrath are going to continue to try and get their way, and who they have working for them.

Hopefully, Dane and Sean can both work through their trauma together, and find the answers to all of the questions that they seek.

[Peter · Rating 1 out of 5]

A rip-off, a total scam. This is not a book, but the first few chapters of a book. There are three or four good plot lines, but to find out how they resolve, you have to buy book 2. And book 3. And book 4, no doubt. And heaven knows if the plot lines are ever resolved, as long as you keep on buying the books. On the good side, the characters are interesting, and the English is OK (although there are some terrible typos - was it typed in a raging hurry?), and to be honest, I do want to find out what happens. But I am not going to get sucked into such a nasty-minded, petty, money-making scheme as this. It's a form of abuse of the readers. The author should be banned from all book sellers.

[Winter Reeds · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5, rounded down.

I love the tropes and the concept, but it just wasn't handled well. The timeline and pacing were all over the place, with lots of inconsistencies, and while the characters were interesting, 12 hours together was apparently enough to start breaking through deepset trauma. All for healing, but that's not how severe PTSD works at all. (Same with the instant suits, measured up and given a tailored wardrobe full of suits in one afternoon--what in the sweatshop hell was that?)
The prologue/backstory chapters at the start were the best bits, and I'm pretty salty that the climax was four pages of rushed 'that would never happen/who are these people???' exposition before a "continued in book 2" meh.

[ellymate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice try.

Incomplete. You actually need to read the rest to see where this goes.

Interesting plot development. I do hope there will be something better out of these series and won't disappoint that much.

There's this weird romantic-drama which is not on my taste. The characters are kinda silly acting...or maybe i just have something against the "cute act" that i feel it's coming from both of them.

I hope it doesn't turn into something way too silly.

I'm debating to give it less stars, but i keep my hopes up that this can turn into something nice. (The plot, not the mojo-jojo that the characters have)

[Denise White · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book wasn't bad... it was in interesting start to the series... i just wasn't feeling all the fantasies the MC's were having about each other.. it was just too long for me.. nothing wrong with masturbation but god does it have to be 3 pages long... put them together all ready!! for this i give it 3 starts because that was just utterly annoying! but other than that im invested in the series so off to book 2

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely loathe it when an author breaks up a single story into multiple “books”. Nope. Probably not going to go find the next one. Aside from my annoyance, it wasn’t really all that good…. The characters were weird…. It was some sort of reverse Cinderella/daddy “someone-to watch-over-me” type story. As intriguing as the mystical parts were I’m over all the gaslighting and “for-telling”.

[joani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book one...

Great beginning and I'm off to read the second book in the series. We have what it seems a mummy type of mystery here. Definitely tilting the scale of the paranormal. I really love Dane And Sean, they are really sweet together and I feel they make each other stronger.

[Rose Petit Frere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful & Original

This is a 10 star 🌟 story but I'm handicapped at 5. I read this story as well as the different version on the author's official website numerous times. Sean and Dane are at the center of a beautifully written original love 💘story.

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good start to a series

The Bodyguard:The Artifact book 1 is a slow moving highly intriguing read. I was a little disappointed in the cliff hanger( not a big fan) but the storyline was solid and the characters entertaining.

[Simon Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written story

This story demonstrates that love and detective stories can mix. An enjoyable book that promises a lot and delivers. Interesting story line and good depth of character development. Looking forward to the next book in the series