She’s beautiful, talented, and incredibly frustrating….
Bodyguard Danny Nucci will do anything to keep gorgeous pop star Abby Murphy safe–even if it means turning off his desire for the talented vocalist. After all, Danny’s career is on the line, and now is not the time to jeopardize that. But when Abby’s ex-boyfriend turns into a vicious adversary, Danny’s forced to take matters into his … take matters into his own hands.
He’s strong, determined, and unbelievably rugged….
Musical sensation Abby is ready for some freedom and independence. Leaving her cheating ex-boyfriend in the past is her top priority. The only problem: he’s their guitarist. And he’s not going down without a fight. Suddenly, Abby’s in more danger than she ever imagined. Turning to her sexy bodyguard is her only option to let go of the past once and for all. But can a broken bodyguard with demons of his own find a future with an international star?
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First off, I have to say that I really enjoyed Ms. Presley’s debut novel, Finding Us. It has a little bit of everything…romantic suspense, slow-burn, ex-military bodyguard, pop princess, strong side characters that I want to see more of, some drama surrounding the heroine and the hero’s past and some truly funny laugh-out-loud moments!
It took me a little bit to get into the first person view of this story, but Ms. Presley does a great job of portraying both Abby and Danny’s POV. The chemistry between them is palpable and the slow burn aspect was perfect! The character development was spot on! I especially loved Abby’s assistant Sophie and Danny’s co-worker Connor! The spice level for this one is quite low, but the scenes that ARE there are HAWT!
All in all, Ms. Presley’s debut is a great one and I hope she will eventually write MORE in this series! I would LOVE to see Sophie and Connor get an HEA *hint hint*
When I grabbed this book I did not realize it was Ms. Presley’s debut novel. After reading Finding Us I really hope there are more books to come because Connor is hot and Sophie needs a man This story is Abby and Danny’s story. I love romantic suspense and this book is heavy on both, though Danny’s version of romance needs a bit of practice.
Abby is a pop star who is under her toxic mother’s thumb. Mom runs all aspects of Abby’s life, including the relationship she has with her guitarist, Sean. Over time, Sean has become less Abby’s boyfriend and more a manwhore until Abby’s had more than enough. She tries to get him off the tour when she catches him with a groupie and suddenly sees his violent side. If not for her bodyguard, Danny, things might have gone worse. Mom however won’t let Abby fire Sean from the tour and when the reader finds out why it blindsides not only Abby. Sean is dangerous and the people he is able to draw in to help him are people Abby should be able to trust, but sadly can’t.
Danny is ex-military and tries to be all business, but the more time he spends with Abby on the tour, the more attracted he is to her. He’s built a wall around his emotions because of his past but the allure of Abby is strong. He resists but Abby feels the pull to him too. Sophie, her assistant and friend, assures her that Danny has feelings for her too. The story that follows takes the reader on a suspenseful journey of multiple betrayals, an overbearing mother, suspense, danger, secrets, loyalty, friendship, and passion.
Ms. Presley masters the slow burn romance in this book. Her suspense story is intriguing and fast-paced. Her character development and her side characters are spot on and leave the reader wanting more. I definitely want to see more of Danny’s coworker, Connor, and his budding relationship with Sophie. I look forward to reading more by Ms. Presley.
Well written slow-burn Music Star & Bodyguard romance
Author Debra Presley is a new-to-me author, and I will never turn down the opportunity to read a Rockstar romance, so I was rapt to get the opportunity to read this one! In fact, everything I love was within these virtual pages. A music star, a cheating ex-boyfriend, an ex-military bodyguard with a secret, a security firm with more ex-military men, a stalker, a manipulative sorry-excuse for a mother and a witty and hilarious assistant/best friend who will go to the wire for her BFF.
Singing star Abby Murphy was written brilliantly. A child music prodigy, her mother was too busy looking after her cash-cow daughter than about being an actual mother, so as she grew and became an adult star, Abby performed what she was told and how she was told. Never was she encouraged or even allowed to consider releasing her own music, but rather what was considered to be the most profitable.
Her cookie cutter romance with her suave and smarmy guitarist was the perfect romance; everything that promoted great sales to her targeted demographic audience. He’d seemed perfect and attentive, until he couldn’t even be bothered with that facade anymore. It became all about the groupies, and even then, he no longer bothered to hide it. He knew her mother would’ve demand she stay in the relationship because it was good for publicity so he’d thought his position was secure.
Until Abby said no. No more.
Danny was just gorgeous to read about. Hoo-ee, I would’ve climbed him like a tree if I’d been written into this book! Abby’s safety was his first priority, even to the point of ignoring the mandate of Abby’s management. He admired her, hell, he more than admired her, but his heavy past ensured he wouldn’t cross the line into the intense attraction that he could feel between them. The trouble was, as Abby’s safety became compromised by those they thought were in her camp, things changed.
As always, a great book is rounded out by great secondary characters, and Abby’s wonderful assistant Sophie, and Danny’s ex-military buddy Connor really lift the book as well. They were awesome.
I loved everything about it, and will have to troll Author Debra Presley’s page to check out more of her books. If you love the celebrity/bodyguard trope, along with stalkery-suspense and a controlling-self-serving-parent-manager, then Ms Presley has you covered. Witty and hilarious repartee included!!! 5-Stars
#mumsalwaysreading #bookblogger #bookreviewer #marnsreads #marnsj
Finding Us was Debra Presley’s debut book and is currently on sale for 99 cents if you’re not a KU subscriber or if you are and just want to add the ebook to your collection.
I’m going to be 100% honest here. I didn’t love Danny right away, and Abby…well, part of the blurb was right; she was absolutely frustrating to me. I had many mixed emotions about this book, so let me break it down a little.
What I didn’t like: For someone with supposedly a reputable security company and successful in his own right, he sure did let Abby make too many calls that put herself in danger. He’s a good bit older and should have known better. The same goes for his second in command. And while Abby was very young and naive and immature, her constant back and forth really annoyed me. I felt like I was constantly going from I’m not sure I can finish this book during the first half of it to OK, this is getting good during the last half. I would have liked to see a bit more plot development/enrichment and for the characters to make decisions a little more true to their backgrounds. I think the content and developmental editing could have done a bit better to make the characters more dynamic and smooth out the plot’s inconsistencies and choppiness.
What I did like: The suspense. I’ll admit that I got a little cocky while reading, thinking I had it all figured out. But the twist took me by surprise a bit, so I say bravo to the author for that. I read a lot of romantic suspense, so it’s not always easy to hide the twist from me. And the last quarter of the book was good.
All in all, I’d say this was a good start for this author. I’m glad I stuck with it because, in the end, the story was entertaining. I’d be more than willing to read the next book she publishes.
NICUnurse’s Rating: I give Finding Us by Debra Presley 3.5 out of 5 stars!
This strong debut novel gives us popstar who just wants to play music, a hot bodyguard with old demons and a strong start to a series.
Abby loves performing and doing her thing on stage. She knew her and Sean were growing apart but when she confirms it by walking in on him with another woman, she is done. But Sean and her mother have other ideas. When Abby stands strong in her beliefs and pushes him out of her life, things start to get a little out of hand. Will Danny be able to keep her safe from the crazy ex-boyfriend and the managing mother who is only thinking about her pockets?
Danny Nucci is the owner of Nucci Securities and damn good at his job. He wouldn’t have this job if not, but the more time he spends with Abby the more his desires start to cloud his thoughts. He’s determined to help rid her of the cheating ex-boyfriend and keep her safe. Determined to not cross any lines and keep Abby at a distance. He refuses to let history repeat itself.
There was an underlying chemistry between Abby and Danny from the very beginning, that continues to build as the story unfolds. As Abby slowly takes back ownership and control of her career, she is finding herself and Danny seems to be right there to help her along. Will they find love when they weren’t looking for it? Can Danny let the demons from his past go so he can have a true chance at love? A great slow burn romance with some side characters that I am dying to see what happens next.
I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.
As I began reading Finding Us, I expected Abby to be a spoiled rock star who did everything that was asked of her and then complained about her lot in life. Boy was I pleasantly surprised! In the beginning Abby was lost, but as the books goes on she finds her inner strength and take full control of her life. I loved the tension between Abby and Danny and how the author didn’t just jump them into a romantic relationship adding even more drama to what was already going on. I thought the story line was very believable and the characters were likeable and well developed. I can’t wait to read the next book to see what happens with Sophie and Connor and hope the author will give us some updates on Abby & Danny