I was hired to protect her, not make her scream my name.From dodging bullets in Afghanistan to working for the Secret Service, I know danger pretty well.Or I thought I did. That was before my latest assignment came with a whole new kind of danger.Her name? Ruby.She’s the gorgeous-as-hell, opinionated, spitfire daughter of Senator Burgess. Her family’s beyond strict, but for a girl who’s so … Senator Burgess. Her family’s beyond strict, but for a girl who’s so innocent, she’s anything but sweet.
Wicked green eyes, curves that beg me to touch them, and a smile that makes me think dirty, dirty thoughts.
Her father’s a nightmare — a totalitarian who rules his family with an iron fist. He decides what clothes his daughters wear, what books they read, where they can go — hell, who they marry.
Ruby can pretend with them, but she can’t pretend with me. I can tell there’s more to her than the demure southern belle she has to be in public.
But I’m a professional, hired to be her bodyguard. I know better than to fall for someone I’m supposed to protect, but with every glance, every accidental touch, every word she says to me, I just want her more.
I want to tear away the innocent good girl veneer, and make the real Ruby scream my name as she rakes her nails down my back.
It’s f*cking dangerous. If we get caught, there will be hell to pay — and it’ll be worse for her.
But I don’t think I can stay away.
Slow Burn is a full-length, 92,000 word completely standalone novel with a happily-ever-after ending and steamy scenes that might require a cold shower.more
Holy cow! This book had my blood pressure boiling! Ruby is the daughter of a Senator up for re-election and a very religious man. Her father is the man of the house and has control of everything, even who she marries. He believes women’s sole responsibility is taking care of her husband, kids and home only.
Ruby is 25, divorced from her gay husband, who her father picked out for her and back at home under his thumb. She is considered tainted for not sticking the marriage out and her fathers goal is to get her married off again. What he doesn’t know is that he doesn’t have the control he thinks he does.
Ruby is a little wiser now and knows she needs to get out, but in the mean time she is being stalked. Her father hires a bodyguard, Gabriel, to protect her until the stalker is apprehended.
Gabriel is on leave from Secret Service after a scandal he caused. He needs to tow the line on this new assignment if he expects to get back into service. Problem is, can he do what’s asked of him by Ruby’s father or will he put his job in jeopardy to help Ruby?
The first half of the book was a bit slow but it was also necessary to show what Ruby’s life is like in such a religious family. The author did an excellent job of portraying how trapped Ruby felt, yet still gave her a strength that most women wouldn’t have after being raised by a man like her father.
The second half of the book, the pages just flew by. Ruby and Gabriel stopped fighting their attraction to each other, the stalker was caught and not someone I was expecting. The way Ruby got away from her family was awesome and the last few chapters of her and Gabriel figuring life out was beautiful.
Ruby and Gabriel are on quite the righteous mission that leads to love and a well deserved HEA! Ruby is living captive to a cult that masks itself as her loving Southern Righteous Christian family. They have taken the New Testament and perverted it to subjugate women and repress modern common sense ways in favor of archaic narrow minded ones. Since poor sinful Ruby dared to divorce her clearly gay husband and is no longer living a happy and unfulfilling life, she is obviously a failure and must be dutifully watched to ensure she will not stray from the righteous path again. Her Senator father, stepford mother, and most of her siblings cannot be trusted as far as she can throw them and she is left hoping that someday she can somehow get out from under their thumb someway! When her father informs her that she will be getting a bodyguard due to some apparent threatening letters fixated on her, she is not at all happy about a new set of eyes to watch over her every move – like she isn’t already a spectacle as it is. Gabriel needs to Senators’ good graces to help him secure his spot back with the Secret Service after the affair debacle. Babysitting his eldest daughter should be easy enough… right?Gabriel wasn’t expecting Ruby. It is apparent quite quickly the senators’ ways are insane and Ruby is the exception to the family crazy. She is intelligent, beautiful, and needs his help. Gabriel is willing to do pretty much anything to help her whether she asks for it or not. He knows he shouldn’t get attached to his assignment but he cannot help the way Ruby makes him feel and quite frankly he doesn’t want to. Now he just has to find a way to get her free from her family’s crazy holier than thou clutches… Where there’s a will there’s a way!
I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book
Another great story for Roxie! This one was as amazing as her previous stories. I loved the way she writes with such detail and feeling. The characters are bright and complex while the plot is fast paced and intriguing. This is a standalone full length novel that has 42 chapters and a great epilogue; it is the story of Ruby and Gabriel. Ruby is a sassy, smart mouthed, and strong willed (and I believe a bit closed off) woman who has a Senator for a father. Ruby’s father has certain ideas about how Ruby should live her life and how she should act, but these are not always in line with Ruby’s personality. Gabriel is a Marine (not former as there is no such thing) and has worked in the Secret Service, but is now a private body guard and works as a protector for Ruby’s family. His job is to protect Ruby at all costs. During his time protecting Ruby he learns many things about her that draws him to her and soon his job is more than just protecting a woman but protecting the woman that he loves.
Lines are crossed and action is encountered, but true love conquers all. The story is face paced and keeps the reader on the edge while passing time with details and action. I LOVED the interaction between Ruby and Gabriel and found that I could just “listen” to their banter for hours. There was so much chemistry between the two that the romance scenes were incredible hot. This is by far my favorite Roxie Noir story and I cannot wait for more from her. If you have never read this author before this is the story to start with, you will not be disappointed.
I voluntarily reviewed advanced copy, Roxie another great book she never fails to keep me griped to the story she writes, say hello to the HOT EX-Marine/ Secret service Gabriel & Ruby the not so innocent Senator daughter. This is a real page turner and quick read.There chemistry was 100% HOT as hell. they could not fight there attraction to each other, So grab a copy to see how there story plays out if they get a HEA or will other events in there life stop them.
Great book. Must read
The Tyranny of “Keeping Sweet”. The Absolute Joy of Sweet Release!!!
Absolutely wonderful book filled with achingly hot desire, beautiful erotic love scenes and serious themes about religious fanaticism and those who bear the brunt of psychological and even physical harm living under the unnatural tenets of belief that have very little to do with the love of God…Also the Christ He sent to us who delivered but two commands and preached with “Blessings”.
Ruby was always a disappointment to her parents and the fact that she returned home after a justifiable divorce did not help matters in terms of her standing with her father, the “morality” senator of America. Her mother was also unsympathetic to her daughter’s plight, so entrenched was her belief that a woman’s role and place in the home and society at large is to be subservient to her husband and to “keep sweet” in the face of everything, no matter the emotional cost or damage to your self-esteem.
The women were constantly reminded of Satan lurking around every corner and in any inappropriate display of immodesty. Their standards of dress were extreme in all the ways that completely erase any hint of womanhood, let alone beauty, sensuality or sexuality. So too was Satan, the root cause of any display of temper (justified or not), personality or independent thinking. Any of one of these displays was met with the admonishment to “keep sweet”. This phrase, unfortunately is real and not a figment of Ms.Noir creative imagination, it is most closely associated with Polygamist sects living on the border of Utah and Arizona. Ruby was trying to “keep sweet” with a little help from “the bottle”.
Ms. Noir brings to light the harm and injustice to woman, gay people and even young men who learn to objectify women. The prime objectification is one-sided sex, basically using a woman as a thing (means for self-pleasure) or viewing pronography that objectifys women. Lessons in manhood do not include tenderness, loving your spouse and doing what it takes to show your love in all ways… emotionally, communication style, supporting her personal growth and tenderness in the act of making love. By means of storytelling, the point is made that individuals who are genetically prone to mental illness also suffer mightily under this strict religious oppression.
Into this warped version of “Father Knows Best” comes our damaged hero Gabriel much like an angel who bears the same name. He is a Secret Service Agent with lingering PTSD issues “on leave” hired by the senator to be Ruby’s bodyguard because of serious threats to her well being and safety. Naturally, we the reader fall in love with his male physical “gorgeousness” through the eyes of our heroine. Gabriel sees beyond the “sweet” facade Ruby paints on her face with a little help from her liquid courage. He recognizes her beauty and lively soul. There is a palpable current of electric attraction between them. In this attraction, Ms. Noir shows great skill with creating the tension of the forbidden “Slow Burn”.
She takes us, the reader, slowly and skillfully through every nuance and progressive step in the “Slow Burn” until we are in the midst of a raging fire. It is a fantasy but in the same breath it is very realistic in the emotions that both our main characters experience through their thoughts and actions. She takes the reader to unexpected places and not to pat resolutions with which we the romance reader are most comfortable. To say more would spoil your savoring of this beautiful and meaningful story.
I congratulate Ms. Noir on this latest book. With every new release, she gets better and better at telling a smokin’ hot romantic story that is meaningful and substantive. I love her down to earth style. She is clever in that themes that carry a heavy weight are so cleanly and clearly expressed in complex yet very understandable characters. A case in point is Gabriel a highly skilled military man and federal agent. He finds healing in his care and protection of Ruby. He is willing to humble himself to lift up his woman, his love. This is in direct contrast to every other male character in the novel. The most virile, most macho, most attractive man to us, the reader, uplifts his lover. Is this not more an example of how God loves us? Like a prayer in my mind I will sometime turn over the simple phrase, “Consider the lilies”. The point being… how much God loves us and cares for us. That which is love is God. “Morality” is a mere servant of love and flows forth from love. Religion used as a bludgeon has nothing to do with love…dare I say with God?
For those who are like me and cannot live without the romance, this is a must-have and will become a favorite to read and reread. One click to enjoy the “Slow Burn” of inescapable attraction and the freedom found in the truest love.
Loved it – the title says it all. I love the build up and interaction between Ruby and Gabriel. Ms. Noir does a fantastic job of setting the scene and allowing the strong characters to connect and come together. The characters and strong and independent yet find what they need in each other. It is a sweet read as well as heartwarming. I did not ant to put this down. The plot is captivating and draws you in. You won’t want to miss this one.