From New York Times bestselling author CD Reiss: Protecting a celebrity in Hollywood isn’t easy, but protecting Emily could break his heart.As a world-class dancer at the height of her career, Emily enjoys all the perks of fame—the parties, the glamour, the tours—but they’ve also attracted the attention of a dangerous ex-boyfriend hell-bent on getting her back.Enter Carter Kincaid, a bodyguard so … Carter Kincaid, a bodyguard so crushingly sexy he takes her breath away.
Carter’s the best in the business, and Emily is—professionally speaking—off-limits. But when it comes to stirring his desires, she’s making all the right moves. What’s happening between them is so hot it could get both of them burned. As Emily’s past gets closer, Carter is willing to break every rule of the job to save her. But letting Emily into his life also means letting her in on the secrets of his own past. For these two, falling in love could be the greatest risk of all.
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Carter is the new bodyguard assigned to the team guarding Darlene when he meets Emily, her choreographer and best friend who really needs the bodyguard because of the stalker. The only problem is he really wants to guard her body instead. These two have it bad and so good at the same time. Carter has so much going on in his personal life and trying to guard Emily, so much going on. This was so good!!!!!
I love when I don’t know where a book is going to take me. Bodyguard was not at all what I was expecting. These two have so much baggage in their life. This book was all about seeing them struggle to be normal when neither of their situations were, all the while trying to act on the attraction they have for each other. This is one of those books that will make you laugh, cringe and maybe even cry a little. It was life.
Hero: Carter is the bodyguard to the heroines best friend and then becomes heroines bodyguard. He’s ex-LAPD. Lives with his mom and son. Carter was instantly drawn to heroine but kept her at arms length due to home life. His character is an Alpha but comes off Beta as he tries to stay away from heroine.
Heroine: Emily is a dancer and singer. She blew out her knee but attempted to reach fame with her best friend, Darlene. Due to a bad relationship that turned into a stalker, Emily stopped trying for fame and became Darlene’s choreographer. Emily is hiding from life because of her stalker. She’s instantly drawn to Carter. She seems shy at first but starts to show a backbone. She calls Carter on his wish washy behavior.
Its no secret that we, at BookBistroBlog utterly adore CD reiss’s writing. Her books are a promise of excellent stories, very detailed and thoroughly researched plot and a new outlook to same old emotions of love and heartbreak. We get a ringside seat to Hollywood Circus in her new standalone series of Hollywood A-list in book 2.
Every celebrity has a bodyguard to protect themselves from stalkers, haters, crazy fans, groupies, clingy autograph seekers, lurkers, paparazzi, you name it, they have it. Beyond all the glitz and glamour, they are practically prisoners in a golden cage, a downside to fame and wealth.
Darlene is a Rockstar singer & performer. She employs a bodyguard -Carter Kincaid , and her choreographer/best friend/ Sister from another mister -Emily Barett bumps into him and the moment their eyes lock, its instant Nervicitement for Emily. She’s stalked and she needs protection and Carter protects like nobody can . Shes an excellent dancer and a singer too, her art just seeping from her every pore
If there was ever a world-class security system, Carter Kincaid was it.
“Memorize the following . . . Carter can handle himself.”
But who protects Emily’s heart from Carter. Cause he carries baggage . Yes , in plural ! He keeps his private life separate from business and they never meet. Although Emily somehow falls in the crack and is stuck there !!!!
Emily is a lost soul. Alone , scared and living on the edge . Edge of fear because she has to look over her shoulders forever for her violently crazy ex. She finds solace in the arms of Carter but since she’s his “Principal ” professional conflict drops a barrier between them. And insurmountable wall which isolates Emily even more
I imagined a life with people around me. People who loved me. Noise. Talking. Plans and preparations around each other. A life that buzzed with love. I didn’t picture it as unsafe. I didn’t feel the lockdown. Didn’t make sure the imaginary doors were locked. The safety didn’t come from dead bolts, alarms, and closed-circuit monitors. The safety came from family.
The story is obviously fantastic, its Christine’s treatment that takes it to a mercurial high note. The sexual connection between them so scorching hot , you can feel the pages burn. I could feel and taste the passion so thick , craving so deep, it was a bummer they couldnt be tigether & had to go back to their corners.
Lovely book, couldn’t stop reading it. The FEELS got stronger as the story progresses. Phinneus was adorable and perceptive and stole my heart. The Little Naked Dancer and the Big Hulky Bodyguard love is stuff Hollywood legends are made of
CD is so besotted with L.A. , her obsession drips from her writings.
Is that why she never visits NYC. Although her fans East side (moi) are starving to meet her !!( I lost 100 lbs by starvation. JK)
On a sombre note, I lost a Facebook friend yesterday -Sara Burch , a Beautiful soul and a fun filled human being. And this brought Christine’s words even more protrusive
Nothing was guaranteed.
Life wasn’t sure, protected, or secure.
But he made love feel as if it wasn’t a risk.
Love was the good part.
The joy.
The reason.
Love was the one thing worth protecting.
Hug your loved ones hard and tight from tonight on.
5 Fist size of my heart stars
Let me begin by explaining my personal rating system. Three stars is good! Not great, not super, but good. The Bodyguard was a good story and I really did enjoy it but I found my attention equally, if not more interested in, the story with Carter and Phin, his son than I did with Emily and Carter. I enjoyed their banter and relationship, I really did, and I enjoyed the way the professional aspect of it was not ignored but handled realistically. The moments I cried, were with Phin, the quotes I wanted to highlight were with Phin….see a pattern? “The size of my heart” makes me choke up a little just thinking about it. CD wrote this boy so beautifully I actually want his story! The entire book was a build=up of waiting for a stalker to attack and then when he did, it was quick and simple. Carter is mysterious, we need a little more information about what makes him tick. A tad bit more background than just about his being a punk kid turned around. Emily we have a little more information on thanks to the prologue but I would still like to know things like where are her parents now, what do they say about the ex-boyfirend, why aren’t they trying to protect her like most parents would? Also, what the hell actually happened with the cat? Do not misunderstand me, I enjoyed the book, it was a light read and I dig the famous BFF, the hot bodyguard and the mystery aspect. It was a solid good book, but with a little more it could have been great!
I enjoyed the book and characters well. It’s definitely not going to rank as a favorite, but it was a nice escape from reality.
In predictable C.D. Reiss fashion, the story line hits you from left field in the best of ways. My favorite thing about her writing is that she is unpredictable and there always seems to be something that sneaks up on the reader and catches them off guard. The piece of this story, that runs through it like smoke, will surprise you.
Carter has been hired to protect Emily from her ex-boyfriend turned stalker. This story could have gone much darker than it did so don’t worry if that is a trope that doesn’t appeal to you, the ex appears very little. This allows the storyline to focus on our 2 main characters and how they explode together when they finally give in to fate. As a reader, I loved both main characters due to their many admirable qualities. They compliment each other well. As a bonus, you add in a colorful cast of supporting characters and this was a complete win for me. The plot was well paced with enough background to help you understand the characters without getting bogged down in backstory and also didn’t have unnecessary drama just for the sake of it. I loved the push and pull throughout the story too.
I don’t think this is one of the authors best books but hey she is still the Shakespeare of erotica 😉
Love the story and writing. It’s a great book. CD Reiss is an amazing author. Loved reading every second. Can I have a hot bodyguard please. Must read.
I read all Cd Reiss!
I loved the characters and the plot line. I had to finish it in one sitting!
Emily had to give up her dream of being in the limelight because of an ex turned violent stalker. Carter Kincaid—the best bodyguard in the business, knew how hard it was to provide security to a celebrity, but he accepts the job against his better judgement.
Emily tries to avoid Carter, believing that she will be putting him in jeopardy if she gives in to the attraction that she felt for him. Carter, for his part, has his hands full protecting her, and his “son,” from unseen threats.
This was the first time I read, or listened, to a book by CD Reiss, and I must say, I wasn’t disappointed at all!
Bodyguard had good pacing, and caught my attention enough that the only time I hit the pause button on my audiobook was when I needed to catch some shut-eye and, of course, do my holiday duties.
Of course, Joe Arden and C.J. Bloom made listening to Emily and Carter’s story made m enjoy the story more, and am looking forward to more narration by these two!
I had originally found this book back in 2018 and have had it since than, but than never got to read it till few days ago. And let me tell you that it was worth my wait and time. Carter and Emily were amazingly beautifully portrayed. I am loving how C.D. Reiss is writing her characters. I would definitely recommend it.
Bodyguard is the second in the Hollywood series, although I feel it’s more of a standalone. Just getting that out of the way.
Ok. What I love. The dual POV. Carter is sexy and strong and protective. The kid. Emily getting away from Vince.
The way Carter describes Emily, even just her walking in front of him. CD Reiss has such a magical way with words. I love the music that she makes with her books.
Really great story! There was a decent amount of suspense in this story. You could totally feel the sparks flying between Carter and Emily from the very beginning! They chemistry that they have is so strong! The plot twists were interesting and I kind of saw one of them coming. There were some super hot scenes! And on more than one occasion I found that I had tears in my eyes… there were some very touching moments! I was very pleased with this story, and I thought it was an important one to tell about the dangers of crazy ex-boyfriends!
Carter Kincaid is a bodyguard to pop diva Darlene McKenna and her best friend Emily is her choreographer, Emily once herself a raising star gave it all away for a boyfriend who turned out to be a total nightmare and now Emily’s ex has become her stalker and the very private life of Carter Kincaid is going to get turned upside down when he feels the need to protect Emily. Carter has a hard time trying to separate business from pleasure because he has a secret life that he’s having a hard time sharing with Emily causing more problems between the two. I am a huge CD Reiss fan and I did like this book although for me the instant attraction and the story line was very predictable. I loved Carter’s character of being the strong, protective family man that he was, unfortunately I just couldn’t connect with Emily’s character she was very needy and had it all but thought she had nothing, great hot sex scenes.
I loved this beautifully emotional book! I absolutely love reading anything and everything I can get my hands on by this author. Her characters are always beautifully layered and real.
Although this is the second book in the Hollywood A-List series, this can be read as a standalone.
Carter had my heart. He was so protective of everything he loved. After an awful tragedy he vows to always protect what’s his. No matter what. When he meets Emily, there is no amount of fighting that can make him forget their palpable chemistry.
Emily has the biggest heart and one in particular took advantage of that and won’t let go. His obsession for the passionate dancer is scary as hell and one that hits Carter too close to home.
Emily was so strong and I loved that despite the threats against her by her ex, she was still willing to give love a chance.
I also loved Phin and all that this quirky kid brought to the pages of this book. I’m looking forward to reading more of this amazing series.
Bodyguard by C.D. Reiss is the second standalone novel in the author’s delightful Hollywood-A-list Series. It has a little bit of everything: great girlfriends, a hunky hero with baggage, a creepy stalker, and a sweet, sexy heroine.
Childhood friends, Darlene and Emily, leave home in search of fame and fortune in Los Angeles. One of them gets the fame, and one gets a loser boyfriend. When Emily rids herself of the loser, he becomes a really sick stalker who is set on getting her back or making sure no one else gets her love. Enter one white knight in the form of Darlene’s bodyguard. Carter Kincaid is extraordinarily well suited to be a bodyguard, and he is total eye candy to boot. Between Darlene’s devotion to her best pal and Carter’s professional attention, Emily can’t help but be safe, right?
Emily, Carter, and Darlene are each fantastic characters. I loved Darlene and Emily’s friendship. They are the embodiment of sister-friends. Carter, who remains an enigma to Emily for much of the book, carries a lot of personal baggage. His dedication to his job and his devotion to his family make him a yummy book boyfriend. The ex-boyfriend, Kyle, is equal parts distasteful and creepy. They all make the story gripping.
Ms. Reiss delivers her usual well-written story; her plots are crisp, her descriptions evocative without being flowery, and her characters are more real than your next-door neighbors. The Bodyguard’s ending is perfect. It is hopeful and promising without a trite ride-into-the-sunset HEA.
Bodyguard is another one of those books that’s been sitting on my TBR pile begging to be read. It features a classic trope, bodyguard and client/target, and a bit of suspense mixed in with the romance. Carter Kincaid is all business, no one knows his personal life and no one is going to get close enough to do so. Emily is choreographer to Darlene, a famous music star and her best friend. Emily has been through it in life, losing her chance at gymnastic stardom as a youth and losing her sense of safety after a boyfriend turned into a stalker. She desires freedom and comfort, something she thinks she’ll never find while being shadowed by a bodyguard. Carter and Emily start a fragile relationship as bodyguard and target, but both find themselves giving in to an attraction neither expected or have time for.
“‘Pretending you’re flirting.’
‘I’m not,’ she said.
‘Not flirting?’
‘Not pretending.'”
I love how this book started out, it wasn’t your run-of-the-mill beginning, with C.D. Reiss introducing us to Darlene and Emily in their youth before giving us a bit of a laugh over Emily and her ideas of self protection. Not long after we get to the meat of the story, but even the suspense over Emily’s stalker and the secret Carter holds close are really what kept me interested. I loved the deeper meaning in this book the most, this idea that two people want freedom and safety and must each find ways to overcome and trust again to find it. It’s a descriptive, emotional story, pulling on your heart and coming to life before your eyes. We see the tiny dancer move, we see Carter bend to emotion, and we see the flames as they flicker between them. There’s a lot of talk about friends and family and finding comfort in those even when you believe you have the strength to stand alone.
“I’ll take care of her as if she were you.”
I admit I was skeptical about Bodyguard, Carter didn’t woo me as quickly as Brad did in Bombshell. It took me time to realize he was holding onto something, something he wasn’t even quite aware was still affecting him, so thank goodness Emily picked up on it as I never would have. I’m not even sure how Emily picked up on it considering she had her own stuff to deal with, but hey it worked out. I admit it was a lot for a standalone novel, but C.D. Reiss managed to answer every question and tie it up in a neat bow, thank heavens, I love a book with no plot holes.
“It was a beautiful thing and yet, troubling. I didn’t know where my place was in his kingdom, or if I wanted a place in it at all.”
If you’re looking for a sweet, sexy romance with just a bit of suspense, C.D. Reiss’ Bodyguard will be a hit for you. It was a quick, enjoyable read for me and definitely one I recommend. It is the second book in a series, but is completely standalone.
There were things I liked about this book and things that I didn’t.
Firstly, the undeniable attraction between Emily and Carter. The angst, the intensity, they were so hot for each other you could feel their chemistry and heat coming off the pages.
Sadly I thought at times the story was all over the place and find myself getting lost and my attention waning.
This book was great. I really enjoyed it!