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Protecting the Lady
Former Protection Command Officer Eve Webb quit her job when a terrorist incident revealed that internal communication failures had caused multiple deaths. Now her former commanding officer and mentor has asked for a favor, and Eve can’t say no. It should be an easy job. All she has to do is guard one female civilian.
Lady Katherine Lovegrove is forty-something-ish in line to the throne and has lived a sheltered life until her father―a high profile judge―upsets the wrong people. She’s not exactly thrilled to need a full-time babysitter, uh, bodyguard, and is even less happy that Eve is an anti-monarchist who despises the upper class.
If Eve had known she’d be protecting royalty, she’d never have taken the job, but as the threat to Lady Katherine’s life draws closer, she’ll do whatever it takes to save her and may just lose her heart in the process.
Cover Artist: Tammy Seidick
Genres: Contemporary / Romance
Tags: Bodyguard/Protection Romances, Royalty, Enemies to Lovers Romance, Close Quarters
Words: 70,000
Lady Katherine Lovegrove is forty-something-ish in line to the throne and has lived a sheltered life until her father―a high profile judge―upsets the wrong people. She’s not exactly thrilled to need a full-time babysitter, uh, bodyguard, and is even less happy that Eve is an anti-monarchist who despises the upper class.
If Eve had known she’d be protecting royalty, she’d never have taken the job, but as the threat to Lady Katherine’s life draws closer, she’ll do whatever it takes to save her and may just lose her heart in the process.
Cover Artist: Tammy Seidick
Genres: Contemporary / Romance
Tags: Bodyguard/Protection Romances, Royalty, Enemies to Lovers Romance, Close Quarters
Words: 70,000
240 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2021
About the author
Amanda Radley
31 books149 followersSee main profile as A.E. Radley
Amanda Radley had no desire to be a writer but accidentally turned into an award-winning, best-selling author. Residing in the UK with her wife and pets, she loves to travel. She gave up her marketing career in order to make stuff up for a living instead. She claims the similarities are startling.
Amanda Radley had no desire to be a writer but accidentally turned into an award-winning, best-selling author. Residing in the UK with her wife and pets, she loves to travel. She gave up her marketing career in order to make stuff up for a living instead. She claims the similarities are startling.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
September 11, 2021
Conflict of interest.
Let's talk about what I like. I like the premise. I've read a couple of principal/bodyguard romances by various authors. They typically follow the same broad storyline and I've found myself loving most of them because I like the whole conflict of interest concept. I like Eve. She's cool, calm and collected and she plays her role as a protection officer well. Even as she slips up by developing feelings for Lady Katherine, she is quick to recognise how this clouds her judgement and compromises the safety of her principal and is also quick to extract herself out of the ops.
But for some reason, it was hard to enjoy Katherine's immaturity for the first half of the book. Childishness is cute at 20, but it can get a tad annoying at 40ish. The relationship escalated a little quickly, without much build up of emotions and no intimacy. On top of that, Eve is supposed to an anti-monarchist so this was too easy. I just wasn't quite sold on their chemistry. I think sexual tension and a couple of good sex scenes would have pulled a story like this together, but I know that it isn't Radley's style. But maybe a few dates and some romantic talk could have helped.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Let's talk about what I like. I like the premise. I've read a couple of principal/bodyguard romances by various authors. They typically follow the same broad storyline and I've found myself loving most of them because I like the whole conflict of interest concept. I like Eve. She's cool, calm and collected and she plays her role as a protection officer well. Even as she slips up by developing feelings for Lady Katherine, she is quick to recognise how this clouds her judgement and compromises the safety of her principal and is also quick to extract herself out of the ops.
But for some reason, it was hard to enjoy Katherine's immaturity for the first half of the book. Childishness is cute at 20, but it can get a tad annoying at 40ish. The relationship escalated a little quickly, without much build up of emotions and no intimacy. On top of that, Eve is supposed to an anti-monarchist so this was too easy. I just wasn't quite sold on their chemistry. I think sexual tension and a couple of good sex scenes would have pulled a story like this together, but I know that it isn't Radley's style. But maybe a few dates and some romantic talk could have helped.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 4, 2021
I’m a big Radley fan but “Protecting the Lady” was a disappointment for me. I wanted to read this for the bodyguard/forced proximity trope that I love but unfortunately this didn’t really live up to that trope. Eve Webb is called back to her old job as a professional protection officer when Lady Katherine Lovegrove’s life is put in danger.
The thing I loved about the bodyguard trope is the forced proximity and how it leads to the love interests getting to know each other while dealing with a difficult/stressful situation. The thing that was lacking here was that Eve and Katherine spend very little time with one another and there is very little dialogue between them. On top of that, Eve comes with some prejudices because of Katherine’s birthright and their conversations mostly center around that. I just couldn’t understand how a romance was supposed to develop with the very little that was given.
There are some good bones to a story here but I wish there was much more substance and depth to the relationship.
I can’t honestly recommend this romance as I think Radley has much better ones out there.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The thing I loved about the bodyguard trope is the forced proximity and how it leads to the love interests getting to know each other while dealing with a difficult/stressful situation. The thing that was lacking here was that Eve and Katherine spend very little time with one another and there is very little dialogue between them. On top of that, Eve comes with some prejudices because of Katherine’s birthright and their conversations mostly center around that. I just couldn’t understand how a romance was supposed to develop with the very little that was given.
There are some good bones to a story here but I wish there was much more substance and depth to the relationship.
I can’t honestly recommend this romance as I think Radley has much better ones out there.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 20, 2021
Nice story, but... not at the same level as other books by Amanda Radley. The romantic part of the story was awkward, and the thriller part was bland. All things considered not bad but not great either.
November 5, 2021
‘Protecting The Lady’ is an enthralling story, with attraction, sexual tension and that HEA we all want to see. It had me on the edge of my seat at times, rooting for Eve and Katherine at every twist and turn. Eve is a former Protection Command Officer, now living in Japan after a terrorist incident made her rethink her career path. When her former boss asks a big favour, she has to think twice. It involves protecting a minor member of the Royal Family, and as a staunch anti-royalist, Eve baulks at the idea. But in the end her sense of duty takes over and she agrees to the job. Lady Katherine Lovegrove is in danger due to the fact that her father is a senior judge, and about to pass sentence on a member of a notorious crime family. She doesn’t fully grasp just how precarious her situation is, and makes Eve’s job a whole lot harder than it has to be. As tensions rise between the pair, the danger escalates. Will Eve be able to keep her safe? And will she be able to keep her growing feelings a secret?
It was a cracker of a story. Absolutely brilliantly conceived . I couldn’t put it down and didn’t want it to end. Yes, it’s a love story, but there’s a whole lot more. The peril Katherine is in makes it high stakes and a thrilling mystery too. I loved the other characters around them too – especially Eve’s sister, Paula, and Katherine’s dad, Michael. Paula’s light-hearted and caring approach relieved the tension, and Michael’s love for his daughter shone through. I really enjoyed it.
I was given this ARC for review.
It was a cracker of a story. Absolutely brilliantly conceived . I couldn’t put it down and didn’t want it to end. Yes, it’s a love story, but there’s a whole lot more. The peril Katherine is in makes it high stakes and a thrilling mystery too. I loved the other characters around them too – especially Eve’s sister, Paula, and Katherine’s dad, Michael. Paula’s light-hearted and caring approach relieved the tension, and Michael’s love for his daughter shone through. I really enjoyed it.
I was given this ARC for review.
September 24, 2021
Eve Webb walked away from her former job of working for the Diplomatic Protection branch of Protection Command. Her former boss, now working in the private sector, has one last job that only she can do. Protect Lady Katherine Lovegrove.
The premise of the story is very original and entertaining. Eve has a chip on her shoulder a mile wide for anything to do with the Royals. Lady Lovegrove does not want a babysitter. The conflict between Eve and Katherine is the result of their opinions and a good basis for this enemy to lover romance.
Radley’s writing is solid and what you expect if you have read any of her many novels. She quickly grabs your interest and into the story you go. The turn from enemy to friends did happen quickly however I can see that as their situation was under high stress with life and death in the balance that emotions are amplified.
Despite the darker theme of Protecting the Lady this is an enjoyable light read. Both main characters are interesting and likeable and you can never go wrong reading an Amanda Radley book.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review.
The premise of the story is very original and entertaining. Eve has a chip on her shoulder a mile wide for anything to do with the Royals. Lady Lovegrove does not want a babysitter. The conflict between Eve and Katherine is the result of their opinions and a good basis for this enemy to lover romance.
Radley’s writing is solid and what you expect if you have read any of her many novels. She quickly grabs your interest and into the story you go. The turn from enemy to friends did happen quickly however I can see that as their situation was under high stress with life and death in the balance that emotions are amplified.
Despite the darker theme of Protecting the Lady this is an enjoyable light read. Both main characters are interesting and likeable and you can never go wrong reading an Amanda Radley book.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review.
October 14, 2021
3 stars. While I’m a fan of Radley’s writing, this book fell flat for me.
Disenchanted with her job as a Protection Command Officer, Eve Webb (~30s) quits and moves to Tokyo for a more free-spirited lifestyle. A few years later, her old boss tracks her down to tell her she’s the right woman for a close protection job. Eve is hesitant to step away from her new life, but she can’t refuse the attractive sum of money. Even though a death threat was sent her way, distantly royal Lady Katherine Lovegrove (42) isn’t keen on being confined to her home, and she makes sure everyone knows. Eve isn’t happy about protecting a royal, and Katherine isn’t happy about Eve’s presence in her life, so the two get off to a rocky start.
As always, Amanda Radley’s writing is breezy, concise, and readable. She does an amazing job pairing snarky, uptight characters and wholesome, feel-good vibes. Major and minor characters alike are treated with dignity and respect, and her books carry a particular air of kindness.
I like how forced proximity allows Eve and Katherine to begrudgingly accept each other and amend their incorrect assumptions. While Katherine acts out rudely at the start of the book, I can see why she does so, even though I think some of it is over-the-top. She eventually starts to warm up to Eve when she realizes how committed Eve is to protecting her. Eve gets to know Katherine as a hardworking and generous person, and I like how Eve is self-aware enough to admit to herself that she’s not as good at “judging a book by its cover” as she thought she was.
Unfortunately, I think “bland” is the best descriptor for the romance (and not due to the lack of sex scenes, which is something I love about Radley’s books). I felt absolutely no chemistry and there isn’t enough romantic content for me to feel invested. The MCs start to acknowledge their feelings of love shockingly fast, to the point where I almost burst out laughing because it felt so weird. I couldn’t figure out why they’re suddenly attracted to each other, much less where on earth love came from.
Though this book involves a (literally!) life-or-death plot, I can’t say I felt any strong emotions while reading. I think that this book could have packed much more of an emotional punch, but it just didn’t for me whatsoever. Maybe it’s because, while the MCs are nice, I wasn’t really able to connect with either of them. Honestly I think my favorite character is Eve’s sister Paula, who’s adorable, sweet, and fun (though Eve definitely got some badass points from me when she recruited that staple gun to her team!).
While Protecting the Lady was only okay for me, Radley’s writing is always a joy to read. Since I really enjoyed the other two books I’ve read by her, I think my next Radley read will be better.
content warnings: abduction, blood, death of a parent (past, off-page), death threats, guilt, gun shots/gun violence, minor injuries, mentions of cancer, physical assault, suicide (past, off-page), terrorist attack (past, off-page)
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Disenchanted with her job as a Protection Command Officer, Eve Webb (~30s) quits and moves to Tokyo for a more free-spirited lifestyle. A few years later, her old boss tracks her down to tell her she’s the right woman for a close protection job. Eve is hesitant to step away from her new life, but she can’t refuse the attractive sum of money. Even though a death threat was sent her way, distantly royal Lady Katherine Lovegrove (42) isn’t keen on being confined to her home, and she makes sure everyone knows. Eve isn’t happy about protecting a royal, and Katherine isn’t happy about Eve’s presence in her life, so the two get off to a rocky start.
As always, Amanda Radley’s writing is breezy, concise, and readable. She does an amazing job pairing snarky, uptight characters and wholesome, feel-good vibes. Major and minor characters alike are treated with dignity and respect, and her books carry a particular air of kindness.
I like how forced proximity allows Eve and Katherine to begrudgingly accept each other and amend their incorrect assumptions. While Katherine acts out rudely at the start of the book, I can see why she does so, even though I think some of it is over-the-top. She eventually starts to warm up to Eve when she realizes how committed Eve is to protecting her. Eve gets to know Katherine as a hardworking and generous person, and I like how Eve is self-aware enough to admit to herself that she’s not as good at “judging a book by its cover” as she thought she was.
Unfortunately, I think “bland” is the best descriptor for the romance (and not due to the lack of sex scenes, which is something I love about Radley’s books). I felt absolutely no chemistry and there isn’t enough romantic content for me to feel invested. The MCs start to acknowledge their feelings of love shockingly fast, to the point where I almost burst out laughing because it felt so weird. I couldn’t figure out why they’re suddenly attracted to each other, much less where on earth love came from.
Though this book involves a (literally!) life-or-death plot, I can’t say I felt any strong emotions while reading. I think that this book could have packed much more of an emotional punch, but it just didn’t for me whatsoever. Maybe it’s because, while the MCs are nice, I wasn’t really able to connect with either of them. Honestly I think my favorite character is Eve’s sister Paula, who’s adorable, sweet, and fun (though Eve definitely got some badass points from me when she recruited that staple gun to her team!).
While Protecting the Lady was only okay for me, Radley’s writing is always a joy to read. Since I really enjoyed the other two books I’ve read by her, I think my next Radley read will be better.
content warnings: abduction, blood, death of a parent (past, off-page), death threats, guilt, gun shots/gun violence, minor injuries, mentions of cancer, physical assault, suicide (past, off-page), terrorist attack (past, off-page)
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 10, 2021
I was provided and ARC by NetGalley and Bold Strokes in exchange for an honest review..
I've read most of Radley's books and they have been both a hit and a miss. This one sadly is a miss for me. Which is sad cause I really enjoyed the last 2 I read and was really looking forward to this one.
I'm missing the romance, the build up, the depth that I know this writer can do. I read "flight sqa016" back when it was a fanfic so I know the author can do the build up, the romance and angst and the depth in a story. But I'm missing it here... there's no romance until the epilog. Before the epilog I counted only 2 cheek kisses and one 1 kiss on the lips that lasted 2 seconds.
I feel this book was just superficial. The plot sounded good and I feel the book had more to give but sadly it ended up being flat.
I've read most of Radley's books and they have been both a hit and a miss. This one sadly is a miss for me. Which is sad cause I really enjoyed the last 2 I read and was really looking forward to this one.
I'm missing the romance, the build up, the depth that I know this writer can do. I read "flight sqa016" back when it was a fanfic so I know the author can do the build up, the romance and angst and the depth in a story. But I'm missing it here... there's no romance until the epilog. Before the epilog I counted only 2 cheek kisses and one 1 kiss on the lips that lasted 2 seconds.
I feel this book was just superficial. The plot sounded good and I feel the book had more to give but sadly it ended up being flat.
October 27, 2021
Need Eve to come and protect me!
When Eve is offered the chance to return to a Protection Officer role, she is hesitant but upon persuasion finds herself guarding Lady Katherine Lovegrove who is not thrilled by the idea. At first, Eve and Katherine clash over many things and Eve regrets agreeing, until they find some common ground and end up getting close. When the threat of danger comes a little too close to home, Eve starts to realise she’d do anything to protect Katherine but at what cost.
As usual, I just adored this. It ticked all the boxes and was what I have come to know and love from Amanda Radley. It wasn’t quite the story I expected it to be but I loved that element of surprise and that it didn’t fit the stereotypical Bodyguard role type story. What is most important about this story is to stress that although it has a romance element that doesn’t overtake the story. Amanda Radley always keeps the story simple and that really works.
Katherine and Eve work well as a team, and had a little tension at first but I didn’t sense too much of it other than when each of them were surmising how one another felt about the other’s presence. For me, that really worked. Often that is what happens, you tell yourself you don’t like someone or they don’t like you because of a situation or something you have learned about them but it just isn’t the case. Eve was loyal and professional, always. That exactly the quality needed for someone in her line of work and I admired her for it. Katherine was the one who surprised me though and I am so glad she was the type of person she was. Quite often, those with titles or high society status because of family or their career are either overbearing or have to front things out and Katherine, being more of the humble type was refreshing. There is so much about Katherine to be admired and adored, and once you get to know her you’ll love her as much as I did.
Another great story from Amanda Radley that I recommend. A lovely, cute romance, with a little drama and intensity, and some funny moments too. Just another book I couldn’t put down.
When Eve is offered the chance to return to a Protection Officer role, she is hesitant but upon persuasion finds herself guarding Lady Katherine Lovegrove who is not thrilled by the idea. At first, Eve and Katherine clash over many things and Eve regrets agreeing, until they find some common ground and end up getting close. When the threat of danger comes a little too close to home, Eve starts to realise she’d do anything to protect Katherine but at what cost.
As usual, I just adored this. It ticked all the boxes and was what I have come to know and love from Amanda Radley. It wasn’t quite the story I expected it to be but I loved that element of surprise and that it didn’t fit the stereotypical Bodyguard role type story. What is most important about this story is to stress that although it has a romance element that doesn’t overtake the story. Amanda Radley always keeps the story simple and that really works.
Katherine and Eve work well as a team, and had a little tension at first but I didn’t sense too much of it other than when each of them were surmising how one another felt about the other’s presence. For me, that really worked. Often that is what happens, you tell yourself you don’t like someone or they don’t like you because of a situation or something you have learned about them but it just isn’t the case. Eve was loyal and professional, always. That exactly the quality needed for someone in her line of work and I admired her for it. Katherine was the one who surprised me though and I am so glad she was the type of person she was. Quite often, those with titles or high society status because of family or their career are either overbearing or have to front things out and Katherine, being more of the humble type was refreshing. There is so much about Katherine to be admired and adored, and once you get to know her you’ll love her as much as I did.
Another great story from Amanda Radley that I recommend. A lovely, cute romance, with a little drama and intensity, and some funny moments too. Just another book I couldn’t put down.
February 9, 2022
A good story that never quite reached the heights of 5*s. Loved the sister, but she had a very small part. No real jeopody but with a bit of WTF thrown in.
September 22, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing this ARC for reviewing!!!
Protecting the Lady is a lesbian bodyguard/client romance between Eve, a retired protection officer who has come out of retirement to protect Katherine, the daughter of a judge whose life has been threatened by a gang.
Protecting the Lady is short and sweet. I devoured it in a day. I would have loved more pining and yearning considering the positions that Eve and Katherine are in. I just think it would have made their relationship seem stronger overall. However, I loved their interactions and flirting towards the end and I would have loved to see this sassy, flirty energy throughout the whole story. I loved Paula and Michael as side characters, they were quite fun. Also, I liked that the action scenes did not have too much detail as that’s where I tend to lose interest.
Overall, I rated this book 4/5 stars. I really enjoyed it and if you are looking for a sweet sapphic romance its one I’d recommend. I haven’t read anything else by Radley but I think I might start working through her backlog as I loved this read!
Protecting the Lady is a lesbian bodyguard/client romance between Eve, a retired protection officer who has come out of retirement to protect Katherine, the daughter of a judge whose life has been threatened by a gang.
Protecting the Lady is short and sweet. I devoured it in a day. I would have loved more pining and yearning considering the positions that Eve and Katherine are in. I just think it would have made their relationship seem stronger overall. However, I loved their interactions and flirting towards the end and I would have loved to see this sassy, flirty energy throughout the whole story. I loved Paula and Michael as side characters, they were quite fun. Also, I liked that the action scenes did not have too much detail as that’s where I tend to lose interest.
Overall, I rated this book 4/5 stars. I really enjoyed it and if you are looking for a sweet sapphic romance its one I’d recommend. I haven’t read anything else by Radley but I think I might start working through her backlog as I loved this read!
September 18, 2021
NetGalley ARC review
First things first, I enjoyed this!! It’s a cute premise and isn’t done badly. There were the classic misunderstandings between Katherine and Eve to drive the tension which were done pretty well and both characters were nicely defined.
I liked that both of them were true to character in how they interacted and argued but my main gripe was how Katherine suddenly decided she was in love with very little build up other than them getting to know each other more. It just didn’t make a lot of sense and felt pretty abrupt which definitely pulled me out of my happy romance place and stopped me enjoying the rest of the story as much I would have done otherwise.
Katherine’s dad was excellent and adorable and I loved Paula’s pride in her wallpaper as well as the whole staple gun scene!!
All in all I think it could do with an edit and some additional scenes between the two MCs but otherwise it was good and I enjoyed it.
First things first, I enjoyed this!! It’s a cute premise and isn’t done badly. There were the classic misunderstandings between Katherine and Eve to drive the tension which were done pretty well and both characters were nicely defined.
I liked that both of them were true to character in how they interacted and argued but my main gripe was how Katherine suddenly decided she was in love with very little build up other than them getting to know each other more. It just didn’t make a lot of sense and felt pretty abrupt which definitely pulled me out of my happy romance place and stopped me enjoying the rest of the story as much I would have done otherwise.
Katherine’s dad was excellent and adorable and I loved Paula’s pride in her wallpaper as well as the whole staple gun scene!!
All in all I think it could do with an edit and some additional scenes between the two MCs but otherwise it was good and I enjoyed it.
September 13, 2021
This is my third Radley book and each are very different. Eve Webb is a former protection command officer. Her former boss seeks to get her out of her early retirement for a high paying temporary job protecting one person from a possible imminent threat. Lady Katherine Lovegrove is 48th in line to the throne (at least she on the list). She works in London as a high-end events planner. Her life is being threatened because her father, who is a high judge, is passing sentence on a member of an organized crime family. She isn't thrilled to have a full time shadow.
Eve is by the book but does some early misjudging of Katherine and her actions. Usually with Bodyguard romances you see the romance develop as the two are forced into close proximity. But that is a weakness in this romance. Most of the time in protection they aren't even in the same room, let alone sharing meals or confidences. There are a few good conversations eventually on their differing views of monarchy and birthrights, but it isn't much to build a relationship. In fact Eve is such a rule follower that at the slightest hint she has feelings for Katherine she resigns her post. Except for the epilogue there are two brief cheek kisses. Radley is known for not having intimacy on the page in her books but I know she can create sexual tension and it is missing here.
I liked the premise of the plot and the main characters. As a protection book it is decent but as a romance it is meh. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Eve is by the book but does some early misjudging of Katherine and her actions. Usually with Bodyguard romances you see the romance develop as the two are forced into close proximity. But that is a weakness in this romance. Most of the time in protection they aren't even in the same room, let alone sharing meals or confidences. There are a few good conversations eventually on their differing views of monarchy and birthrights, but it isn't much to build a relationship. In fact Eve is such a rule follower that at the slightest hint she has feelings for Katherine she resigns her post. Except for the epilogue there are two brief cheek kisses. Radley is known for not having intimacy on the page in her books but I know she can create sexual tension and it is missing here.
I liked the premise of the plot and the main characters. As a protection book it is decent but as a romance it is meh. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.
September 11, 2021
I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
Eve who is a former protection command officer she left her job when a failed miscommunication cost lives. Eve is reluctant to take a job as a bodyguard when her former commander Charles ask her to because she is anti-monarchist who despises the upper class.
Lady Katherine doesn’t want to have a bodyguard but she doesn’t have much of choice because of threats aiming at her because her father Michael is the judge over case against a crime family they can’t hurt him but they can hurt his daughter.
Eve and Katherine meet and it doesn’t go well Eve sees her as snobbish brat but she starts to see her prejudice can cloud her judgment when she gets to know Katherine even though Katherine was being a brat for a person in their forty she was acting like a five year old I would think you want to get the people who threatening you so you can get to back your life she was crying about.
I enjoy the read but I wish we had more of build up to their romance.
Eve who is a former protection command officer she left her job when a failed miscommunication cost lives. Eve is reluctant to take a job as a bodyguard when her former commander Charles ask her to because she is anti-monarchist who despises the upper class.
Lady Katherine doesn’t want to have a bodyguard but she doesn’t have much of choice because of threats aiming at her because her father Michael is the judge over case against a crime family they can’t hurt him but they can hurt his daughter.
Eve and Katherine meet and it doesn’t go well Eve sees her as snobbish brat but she starts to see her prejudice can cloud her judgment when she gets to know Katherine even though Katherine was being a brat for a person in their forty she was acting like a five year old I would think you want to get the people who threatening you so you can get to back your life she was crying about.
I enjoy the read but I wish we had more of build up to their romance.
November 2, 2021
Spoilers, ho!
Katherine Lovegrove, a distant heir to the English throne - think higher than two dozen steps - and daughter of judge Michael Lovegrove receives threats from an organized crime family because the latter is about to sentence the daughter of the head of the family to a lot of time in prison.
Eve Webb is a former protection agent, resigning from her job because of a double bombing - one immediate, one shortly after in order to catch first responders to the scene -and because she not only thinks she could have done more (how??) but because of the way information is compartmentalized and she thinks the intelligence services should be sharing information about things like threats of bombings so they can all work together to address threats. I don't have much optimism about this, no matter how this book ends. She's living in Tokyo, teaching English here and there and basically barely making ends meet. Her former boss now runs his own show, and goes to Tokyo to get her back to protect Katherine. There's quite a bit of money involved, so Eve says yes and they return to London. Eve knows nothing about the job, the specific threat(s), or the protectee. You can see where this is going when we find out Eve is a staunch anti-monarchist.
And of course it does: Eve threatens her boss that she'll quit on the spot because she is opposed to protecting a royal, no matter how distant, but he pleads with her to meet with someone: the judge. After hearing him out, Eve reluctantly agrees to do the job.
Katherine, trying to have her own life, objects, of course, and then goes on to have a childlike hissy fit about Eve staying in her apartment with her. The very next day - when her father hands down the sentence - a brick is thrown through her office window. Obviously, she won't be able to work there in person, as it puts everyone else at risk, so off they go to a very large manor (or very small castle, depending on your viewpoint): her childhood home. Where she promptly locks herself in her room. Like a child, instead of a grown woman almost 40 years old.
Eve's unhappy as well, and gets more people from her boss to help guard the castle, which, from a protection standpoint, is not a bad place to be: clear lines of sight, thick walls, and easy coverage of access points. It's a dream!
Except Katherine doesn't want to be there, doesn't want Eve and her crew on the site, and generally is petulant. She convinces Eve to allow her to attend a charity ball that she's been organizing for a year, and where she gets people to open their wallets wide, and Eve agrees after determining not that that's an easy place to protect Katherine but that it means so damn much to her. This would be a signal that you're allowing your judgement to be impaired because you're falling in love with he protectee even though there's no real chemistry going on.
And on that note, one other item: close protection duties mean close and almost always in contact. Alas, here, Eve and Katherine are not particularly close nor in constant contact with one another, so it's a bit mystifying how these two start falling for one another when they're also on different sides of things, attitude and royalty-wise, and Katherine has had a stick up her hind end about the lack of need of Eve's services in the first place.
In any case, they're on the way back to the castle afterwards, and someone takes a shot at the car, injuring the driver and causing Eve to jump into action, telling Katherine to get down, and taking over driving duties to get them to safety. Katherine is then at the castle, and Eve is off to a briefing with her boss. One again: not close, not in contact.
There are also no questions/discussions given over to the reader about the potshot at the car. Routes are varied, and they never take the same route twice, so how did anyone know? The obvious answer, of course: there's a mole. Either this does not occur to Eve or her boss, or the reader is left out until later. The former would be rather silly for experienced protection service people, and the latter is, I think, unfair.
Eve, deciding she's too close to Katherine, feely-wise, decides to hand over protection to someone else, and scoots. Katherine is promptly kidnapped, courtesy of someone ramming the car - again, how does anyone know the route?
Eve and her boss finally realize there's a mole, and there's a showdown in Ops, with Eve taking a guy to the floor and punching staples into his back until he gives up the location.
This leads to a bunch of services working together to retrieve Katherine, and Eve is there, leading Katherine out of the warehouse where she'd been stashed (and beaten), and where the head of the organized crime family has pulled a Stupid Thing, by being there on premises so the law can catch him, because daughter for daughter something something, even though his daughter is both not beaten and is also not dead.
So Eve and Katherine are reunited, and are now totally In Love, despite barely seeing one another through the whole book, and also apparently having worked out that whole royal-anti-monarchist thing in record time. They get the HEA, naturally.
As much as I hate the instalove trope, I recognize that it's a handy way to cut out many chapters of a book and get to the chase, so to speak. But you have to decide what the book is: is it a romance, with occasional flashes of mystery and danger? Or is it primarily a mystery/action/thriller, with occasional romance and/or sexytimes (note: there are no sexytimes in this book)? It's also fine if it it is both in equal measures, of course. I don't think this worked on any of the three. There isn't enough action except at the end for me to believe Katherine is any real danger that couldn't be averted. There is no chemistry and no romance. The only balance between the two is a distinct lack of either. I'd have read twice the number of pages to get either or both.
There is one thing that could certainly have used an editor's hand: there's a lot of head-snapping going on here, and not of the action/thriller type of taking out the bad guys. Eve and Katherine seem to snap their heads around quite a bit. Of the nine instances of "snapped", five of them are one or the other snapping their head up or toward someone. That's probably four too many.
It sounds like I'm just pounding on this, but I'm not - I'm just demanding because I want good stories and I want them to make sense. YMMV on every point I've made before now, but I imagine the last one is true for everyone.
Two and a half stars out of five, sadly rounded down to two.
Thanks to Bold Stroke Books and NetGalley for the reading copy.
Katherine Lovegrove, a distant heir to the English throne - think higher than two dozen steps - and daughter of judge Michael Lovegrove receives threats from an organized crime family because the latter is about to sentence the daughter of the head of the family to a lot of time in prison.
Eve Webb is a former protection agent, resigning from her job because of a double bombing - one immediate, one shortly after in order to catch first responders to the scene -and because she not only thinks she could have done more (how??) but because of the way information is compartmentalized and she thinks the intelligence services should be sharing information about things like threats of bombings so they can all work together to address threats. I don't have much optimism about this, no matter how this book ends. She's living in Tokyo, teaching English here and there and basically barely making ends meet. Her former boss now runs his own show, and goes to Tokyo to get her back to protect Katherine. There's quite a bit of money involved, so Eve says yes and they return to London. Eve knows nothing about the job, the specific threat(s), or the protectee. You can see where this is going when we find out Eve is a staunch anti-monarchist.
And of course it does: Eve threatens her boss that she'll quit on the spot because she is opposed to protecting a royal, no matter how distant, but he pleads with her to meet with someone: the judge. After hearing him out, Eve reluctantly agrees to do the job.
Katherine, trying to have her own life, objects, of course, and then goes on to have a childlike hissy fit about Eve staying in her apartment with her. The very next day - when her father hands down the sentence - a brick is thrown through her office window. Obviously, she won't be able to work there in person, as it puts everyone else at risk, so off they go to a very large manor (or very small castle, depending on your viewpoint): her childhood home. Where she promptly locks herself in her room. Like a child, instead of a grown woman almost 40 years old.
Eve's unhappy as well, and gets more people from her boss to help guard the castle, which, from a protection standpoint, is not a bad place to be: clear lines of sight, thick walls, and easy coverage of access points. It's a dream!
Except Katherine doesn't want to be there, doesn't want Eve and her crew on the site, and generally is petulant. She convinces Eve to allow her to attend a charity ball that she's been organizing for a year, and where she gets people to open their wallets wide, and Eve agrees after determining not that that's an easy place to protect Katherine but that it means so damn much to her. This would be a signal that you're allowing your judgement to be impaired because you're falling in love with he protectee even though there's no real chemistry going on.
And on that note, one other item: close protection duties mean close and almost always in contact. Alas, here, Eve and Katherine are not particularly close nor in constant contact with one another, so it's a bit mystifying how these two start falling for one another when they're also on different sides of things, attitude and royalty-wise, and Katherine has had a stick up her hind end about the lack of need of Eve's services in the first place.
In any case, they're on the way back to the castle afterwards, and someone takes a shot at the car, injuring the driver and causing Eve to jump into action, telling Katherine to get down, and taking over driving duties to get them to safety. Katherine is then at the castle, and Eve is off to a briefing with her boss. One again: not close, not in contact.
There are also no questions/discussions given over to the reader about the potshot at the car. Routes are varied, and they never take the same route twice, so how did anyone know? The obvious answer, of course: there's a mole. Either this does not occur to Eve or her boss, or the reader is left out until later. The former would be rather silly for experienced protection service people, and the latter is, I think, unfair.
Eve, deciding she's too close to Katherine, feely-wise, decides to hand over protection to someone else, and scoots. Katherine is promptly kidnapped, courtesy of someone ramming the car - again, how does anyone know the route?
Eve and her boss finally realize there's a mole, and there's a showdown in Ops, with Eve taking a guy to the floor and punching staples into his back until he gives up the location.
This leads to a bunch of services working together to retrieve Katherine, and Eve is there, leading Katherine out of the warehouse where she'd been stashed (and beaten), and where the head of the organized crime family has pulled a Stupid Thing, by being there on premises so the law can catch him, because daughter for daughter something something, even though his daughter is both not beaten and is also not dead.
So Eve and Katherine are reunited, and are now totally In Love, despite barely seeing one another through the whole book, and also apparently having worked out that whole royal-anti-monarchist thing in record time. They get the HEA, naturally.
As much as I hate the instalove trope, I recognize that it's a handy way to cut out many chapters of a book and get to the chase, so to speak. But you have to decide what the book is: is it a romance, with occasional flashes of mystery and danger? Or is it primarily a mystery/action/thriller, with occasional romance and/or sexytimes (note: there are no sexytimes in this book)? It's also fine if it it is both in equal measures, of course. I don't think this worked on any of the three. There isn't enough action except at the end for me to believe Katherine is any real danger that couldn't be averted. There is no chemistry and no romance. The only balance between the two is a distinct lack of either. I'd have read twice the number of pages to get either or both.
There is one thing that could certainly have used an editor's hand: there's a lot of head-snapping going on here, and not of the action/thriller type of taking out the bad guys. Eve and Katherine seem to snap their heads around quite a bit. Of the nine instances of "snapped", five of them are one or the other snapping their head up or toward someone. That's probably four too many.
It sounds like I'm just pounding on this, but I'm not - I'm just demanding because I want good stories and I want them to make sense. YMMV on every point I've made before now, but I imagine the last one is true for everyone.
Two and a half stars out of five, sadly rounded down to two.
Thanks to Bold Stroke Books and NetGalley for the reading copy.
November 4, 2021
Normally I like Radley's books. They are cute romances with witty dialogue and interesting characters. This one fell flat for me though and I struggled to get through the book. As interesting as the bodyguard / unwilling subject can be in this case it didn't work out. The balance between mystery/action and romance was off, the chemistry between the main characters wasn't really there and, which is a personal dislike, the love was a bit too much insta without any base for said love in my opinion.
Sorry to say this is a 2,5 star for me. Never the less, I know Ms Radley has written much better books so I will still pick one up in the future.
Thank you Netgalley and Bold Stroke Books for this review copy
Sorry to say this is a 2,5 star for me. Never the less, I know Ms Radley has written much better books so I will still pick one up in the future.
Thank you Netgalley and Bold Stroke Books for this review copy
June 25, 2023
Enemies to lovers, falling in love with the bodyguard is not a new theme when it comes to romance, however, this story offers a glimpse into royal life that’s a bit different to other stories. The intricacies in the life of a royalty gives this story intrigue and something new to mull over. It’s an easy and short read with a slight thrilling action involved.
January 23, 2024
Entertaining read and a bit real in some parts. Despite enjoying my time with the story, I felt it took its time and didn't actually fit into a quick read.
We have here royalty in a situation and a bodyguard called to maintain safety. The story is exactly what you'd likely anticipate but the character revelation is what truly entertained me.
We have here royalty in a situation and a bodyguard called to maintain safety. The story is exactly what you'd likely anticipate but the character revelation is what truly entertained me.
April 10, 2023
I love royalty/bodyguard books, that trope, especially, when it is slow-burn can be really good. This felt more like it was just bodyguard trope. That lack of slow-burn chemistry, the childish tantrums and the overestimated "love" that wasn't actually on paper was rather saddening.
All in all, Eve did protect the Lady.
All in all, Eve did protect the Lady.
September 21, 2021
Review of Protecting the Lady by Amanda Radley
Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing me access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Protecting the Lady is a romance novel told in the points of view of both Eve Webb, a former protection officer who quit her job a few years ago after a traumatic incident and Lady Katherine Lovegrove, an event planner who bears the weight of being the daughter of a mother who had a smidge of royalty and the daughter of a father who is a high-profile judge. These two meet when Katherine’s father decides a verdict against a powerful crime family who sends Katherine a death-threat in the mail which leads her father to hire Eve to protect her. Readers who enjoy stories about complicated characters are sure to enjoy this book. Fans of high-stakes danger as the backdrop for a romance will love the consistent build-up of the action with the payoff of an explosive ending. This novel is a combination of an enemies-to-lovers and bodyguard-romance story, but the drawback is that there isn’t as much build-up for the romance as I think was needed.
Two out of five stars.
Additional Thoughts:
I thought the action sequences and the build up to the danger were both done very well. Every time the characters relax and think they’re safe, there’s a new reminder of the eminent threat on Katherine’s life which I thought was exciting.
I also like that there is a big difference in the points of view. Eve and Katherine are very different narrators which I thought was wonderful. Doing more than one point of view in a story can be tricky, so I appreciated the way it was done here.
The main problem I have with the book is the way it seemed to veer off suddenly when it came to the romantic element. They hated each other and then they suddenly didn’t hate each other and they were suddenly in love. I can enjoy fast romances, but it felt a little rushed here. I’m sure some readers will enjoy the way the romance in this story goes, I just didn’t like the way the combined enemies-to-lovers and bodyguard-romance tropes were done here. Since romance is one of the most important elements of the book, it cast a bit of a disappointing shadow over the book for me.
I also didn’t like the pacing of the book. The beginning felt a little slow for me; I understand that the exposition was important so we could get to know Eve, Katherine, and the situation that brings them together, but it took a lot of time. I also thought the ending felt rushed. I still had some questions about events within the story which left me feeling a bit unsatisfied.
I wanted to like this book because I loved the premise, but I unfortunately did not enjoy the execution. Of course, it’s all a matter of personal preference. There is definitely an audience for this book who will enjoy it immensely. I just didn’t like it all that much which is why I’m giving it a low review.
Protecting the Lady comes out October 12, 2021!
(The reviews are up now.)
Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing me access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Protecting the Lady is a romance novel told in the points of view of both Eve Webb, a former protection officer who quit her job a few years ago after a traumatic incident and Lady Katherine Lovegrove, an event planner who bears the weight of being the daughter of a mother who had a smidge of royalty and the daughter of a father who is a high-profile judge. These two meet when Katherine’s father decides a verdict against a powerful crime family who sends Katherine a death-threat in the mail which leads her father to hire Eve to protect her. Readers who enjoy stories about complicated characters are sure to enjoy this book. Fans of high-stakes danger as the backdrop for a romance will love the consistent build-up of the action with the payoff of an explosive ending. This novel is a combination of an enemies-to-lovers and bodyguard-romance story, but the drawback is that there isn’t as much build-up for the romance as I think was needed.
Two out of five stars.
Additional Thoughts:
I thought the action sequences and the build up to the danger were both done very well. Every time the characters relax and think they’re safe, there’s a new reminder of the eminent threat on Katherine’s life which I thought was exciting.
I also like that there is a big difference in the points of view. Eve and Katherine are very different narrators which I thought was wonderful. Doing more than one point of view in a story can be tricky, so I appreciated the way it was done here.
The main problem I have with the book is the way it seemed to veer off suddenly when it came to the romantic element. They hated each other and then they suddenly didn’t hate each other and they were suddenly in love. I can enjoy fast romances, but it felt a little rushed here. I’m sure some readers will enjoy the way the romance in this story goes, I just didn’t like the way the combined enemies-to-lovers and bodyguard-romance tropes were done here. Since romance is one of the most important elements of the book, it cast a bit of a disappointing shadow over the book for me.
I also didn’t like the pacing of the book. The beginning felt a little slow for me; I understand that the exposition was important so we could get to know Eve, Katherine, and the situation that brings them together, but it took a lot of time. I also thought the ending felt rushed. I still had some questions about events within the story which left me feeling a bit unsatisfied.
I wanted to like this book because I loved the premise, but I unfortunately did not enjoy the execution. Of course, it’s all a matter of personal preference. There is definitely an audience for this book who will enjoy it immensely. I just didn’t like it all that much which is why I’m giving it a low review.
Protecting the Lady comes out October 12, 2021!
(The reviews are up now.)
September 18, 2021
3/5 stars
thank you to netgalley and bold strokes books for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
as someone who has had a life-long struggle trying to enjoy contemporary romance, i've finally found a book in this genre i could actually finish! overall a cute little romp. radley's prose, while a bit too tell-y for my taste at times, was straightforward enough for the book's short ~200 pages to feel like a fully completed work. the bodyguard trope is a tried and true formula so the romance worked, and i was pleasantly surprised at how tense and suspenseful the third act was.
now for my gripes: in general i couldn't fully picture any of the characters in my head because neither their physical features nor personalities were described besides basic features. eve is fit and katherine is beautiful, but what else? the prose hyper focused on what the pov character was feeling in the moment, but was too superficial go beyond that.
but my biggest issue with this book was that i just couldn't get myself to like katherine. she was written with a nice enough personality, but my views on inherited wealth are similar to eve's, and the attempts to justify katherine's childish behavior and entitlement didn't at all sway me the way it seemed to completely sway eve. and while the romance was cute, eve went from staunch anti-monarchist to lady katherine simp in what felt like a single chapter, which was in my opinion way too quick of a switch from a mindset so deeply ingrained in eve she had purposefully in her entire career never taken royal clients.
side tangent, but most of the blame regarding the initially strained relationship between eve and katherine was placed on eve, which i didn't think was fair given eve's background as a daughter of a working class family who experienced firsthand the inherent corruption and unfairness of royalty. so katherine is completely absolved of her involuntary yet nonetheless implicit involvement in centuries of wealth disparity because she ~works in philanthropy~ and ~gives money to charity~?? miss me with that bullshit.
still enjoyed overall. good premise and romance, but the quality would have benefited if more time was invested in making katherine less insufferable.
thank you to netgalley and bold strokes books for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
as someone who has had a life-long struggle trying to enjoy contemporary romance, i've finally found a book in this genre i could actually finish! overall a cute little romp. radley's prose, while a bit too tell-y for my taste at times, was straightforward enough for the book's short ~200 pages to feel like a fully completed work. the bodyguard trope is a tried and true formula so the romance worked, and i was pleasantly surprised at how tense and suspenseful the third act was.
now for my gripes: in general i couldn't fully picture any of the characters in my head because neither their physical features nor personalities were described besides basic features. eve is fit and katherine is beautiful, but what else? the prose hyper focused on what the pov character was feeling in the moment, but was too superficial go beyond that.
but my biggest issue with this book was that i just couldn't get myself to like katherine. she was written with a nice enough personality, but my views on inherited wealth are similar to eve's, and the attempts to justify katherine's childish behavior and entitlement didn't at all sway me the way it seemed to completely sway eve. and while the romance was cute, eve went from staunch anti-monarchist to lady katherine simp in what felt like a single chapter, which was in my opinion way too quick of a switch from a mindset so deeply ingrained in eve she had purposefully in her entire career never taken royal clients.
side tangent, but most of the blame regarding the initially strained relationship between eve and katherine was placed on eve, which i didn't think was fair given eve's background as a daughter of a working class family who experienced firsthand the inherent corruption and unfairness of royalty. so katherine is completely absolved of her involuntary yet nonetheless implicit involvement in centuries of wealth disparity because she ~works in philanthropy~ and ~gives money to charity~?? miss me with that bullshit.
still enjoyed overall. good premise and romance, but the quality would have benefited if more time was invested in making katherine less insufferable.
September 30, 2021
Who needs protection? Royalty needs protection even if you are well removed from ever sitting on the throne. I enjoyed the story line. I thought it was refreshing and interesting. Lady Katherine Lovegrove (fun name), buttoned up yet desires to live as normal of a life as she can. She even has a job and lives in an apartment. She also would not mind being in a relationship.
Former Protection Command Officer Eve Webb, lives in Japan doing odd and end jobs. Eve agrees to come back as an protection command officer because her former boss, Charlie needs her. As the story unfolds, I wanted and expected more romance. I know this author fades-to-black but she does awesome with romance, and unfortunately, it was lacking. You could say the romance was lacking because Eve was very serious and devoted to her job which is noble but it held back the story. Although this read was a miss for me, I intend to continue to read this author's stories.
ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc. via NetGalley
Former Protection Command Officer Eve Webb, lives in Japan doing odd and end jobs. Eve agrees to come back as an protection command officer because her former boss, Charlie needs her. As the story unfolds, I wanted and expected more romance. I know this author fades-to-black but she does awesome with romance, and unfortunately, it was lacking. You could say the romance was lacking because Eve was very serious and devoted to her job which is noble but it held back the story. Although this read was a miss for me, I intend to continue to read this author's stories.
ARC provided by Bold Strokes Books, Inc. via NetGalley
September 22, 2021
My first book by Amanda Radley so I did not know what to expect. If you’re looking for hot and steamy romance then this book is not it. As someone living in London, this book is anchored in my reality, from the Royal Family and the media frenzy surrounding them, the political climate to the actual London bombings so for me the lack of hot and steamy is secondary. There is romance, of course, but I think it could have been exploited more especially as the 2 MC lived together for weeks and we went through days of them not even making contact.
The book is well written and you can see the development of the MCs, especially Eve. I do feel I like the Epilogue is part of a different style book, the romance comes out front and centre and as such is somehow removed from the rest of the book. I did enjoy reading this book so I’ll give it 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.
The book is well written and you can see the development of the MCs, especially Eve. I do feel I like the Epilogue is part of a different style book, the romance comes out front and centre and as such is somehow removed from the rest of the book. I did enjoy reading this book so I’ll give it 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2021
(I got a free eARC of this book via Netgalley!)
Protecting the Lady is a very enjoyable book. It's got some nice, light romance that didn't feel rushed at all, despite not being very long, and Katherine and Eve both felt like real people. It took me a while to get through it mostly because of my own reading block, but when I got into it for real I couldn't stop, since the scenes all fit and flow together very well.
The book is very light and nice, and we get a lot of slow scenes with the protagonists talking and getting to know each other better while stuck inside for safety reasons. There was no real sense of danger, in my opinion, but at least there was enough romance to make up for that, and I loved how no one came up with issues to get between them.
Also maybe Katherine doesn't like the whole having a hot bodyguard thing but I sure wouldn't mind in her place lol Eve is a great character and Katherine grew on me the more I read, despite the fact that I could not see her as an older woman after she kept complaining for the whole first half of the book about being kept safe and not taking the threat on her life seriously.
3.5 stars rounded up.
Protecting the Lady is a very enjoyable book. It's got some nice, light romance that didn't feel rushed at all, despite not being very long, and Katherine and Eve both felt like real people. It took me a while to get through it mostly because of my own reading block, but when I got into it for real I couldn't stop, since the scenes all fit and flow together very well.
The book is very light and nice, and we get a lot of slow scenes with the protagonists talking and getting to know each other better while stuck inside for safety reasons. There was no real sense of danger, in my opinion, but at least there was enough romance to make up for that, and I loved how no one came up with issues to get between them.
Also maybe Katherine doesn't like the whole having a hot bodyguard thing but I sure wouldn't mind in her place lol Eve is a great character and Katherine grew on me the more I read, despite the fact that I could not see her as an older woman after she kept complaining for the whole first half of the book about being kept safe and not taking the threat on her life seriously.
3.5 stars rounded up.
September 10, 2021
This book has two interesting and contrasting characters. One is the bodyguard with a not-so-secret dislike of the Royals and a Royal with no real understanding how ordinary people live.
This book starts off with such promise, but the promise turns to disappointment when the bodyguard protecting the Lady sets aside her professionalism, her ethics, and her ability to protect the Lady. There are several oddities that readers will find puzzling, like allowing the Lady to stand in front of a large bedroom window that overlooks a huge expanse of lawn that any sniper would have an easy shot at her.
The ending is rushed and unsatisfactory because both women suddenly set aside their long-held and cherished assumptions about the royal family and those who are not attached to the royal family. Then there’s the epilogue where all the loose ends are tied up in a neat bow rather than showing the reader how they got to that point.
My thanks to Bold Strokes Books for an eARC.
This book starts off with such promise, but the promise turns to disappointment when the bodyguard protecting the Lady sets aside her professionalism, her ethics, and her ability to protect the Lady. There are several oddities that readers will find puzzling, like allowing the Lady to stand in front of a large bedroom window that overlooks a huge expanse of lawn that any sniper would have an easy shot at her.
The ending is rushed and unsatisfactory because both women suddenly set aside their long-held and cherished assumptions about the royal family and those who are not attached to the royal family. Then there’s the epilogue where all the loose ends are tied up in a neat bow rather than showing the reader how they got to that point.
My thanks to Bold Strokes Books for an eARC.
January 1, 2022
Royalty, body guard, English, class difference - happy sigh, gimme more. Amanda Radley, a British author, gives us a well-written novel with an enemies to lovers storyline and a icy-protection officer in dire need of melting. And apropos melting: this is rather slow burn (which I happen to like a lot) and the temperature is British-moderate (as in: no sex please, we're British, wink). The love story is intertwined with a likely protection-crime story and some gripping and dangerous scenes. I really like how the subtle burdens of a gilted cage are shown.
Maybe the story was written or edited for international readers: I missed the British flavour - as in bullocks, butties (not bacon sandwiches!), etc. And the class difference is at least in the England I know always something which cannot be missed languagewise: it is not only a matter of where you buy your suit. Unfortunately it doesn't show in this otherwise well-written novel, sigh. More Britishness would be appreciated!
The editing missed quite a few instances where the same information comes up twice within a short period which irritated me a few times. And there are some obvious plot holes - since an enumeration will spoil the read I won't put them up here.
To sum it up: a lovely, slow-burn, enemies to lovers romance with a strong sideline of criminal activities which could have been enhanced by adding more English flavour and blotting out some plot holes. 3,5 stars.
advance copy received via net galley.
Maybe the story was written or edited for international readers: I missed the British flavour - as in bullocks, butties (not bacon sandwiches!), etc. And the class difference is at least in the England I know always something which cannot be missed languagewise: it is not only a matter of where you buy your suit. Unfortunately it doesn't show in this otherwise well-written novel, sigh. More Britishness would be appreciated!
The editing missed quite a few instances where the same information comes up twice within a short period which irritated me a few times. And there are some obvious plot holes - since an enumeration will spoil the read I won't put them up here.
To sum it up: a lovely, slow-burn, enemies to lovers romance with a strong sideline of criminal activities which could have been enhanced by adding more English flavour and blotting out some plot holes. 3,5 stars.
advance copy received via net galley.
October 31, 2021
Five stars. I find it weird to be seeing less positive reviews for this than for some of Radley's other books, when I think I liked it as much as the others I've seen from her this year (Detour to Love and Under Her Influence). And I loved those two!
The pacing for this story is a little tricky, as the part where Katherine goes into lockdown could have been tedious and mundane. In what I assume to have been an effort to avoid this, the author chose instead to do a couple of time lapses. One of them works well, but one of them spans their budding friendship, which was obviously problematic. The characters reflect on this change in their interactions a few times, but we only see a complete 180° from hostility to teasing banter. Adding a couple of conversations in between there might have slowed the pace down, and possibly bored some readers, but it would have worked better for me than what we got. Later, when Katherine is comparing Dee to Eve, it made no sense for her to contrast "serious" with "warm and funny," because we saw so much of Eve being serious as well.
Other than that, the plot, characters, and writing were fantastic. The character dynamic was a little cliché at first, but I appreciated how delicately the author explored the class division, and the reveal of Katherine's problems. I think she might have been a little less arrogant in the first days after meeting Eve, but otherwise, there was the clear message that first impressions are more intertwined with prejudice than anybody would like to admit.
On a different note, I appreciate that Amanda Radley is not one for including love scenes, but it has no bearing on the romance or chemistry. Even if I didn't prefer it that way, I think I'd still be amazed at how she writes about the "smaller gestures" while evoking the same amount of emotion.
What might be one of the simpler plots I've seen from Radley nonetheless contains elements of complexity, and even invites readers to think a little about the significance of these characters and their backstories. That's not an easy feat to achieve, especially in your standard contemporary romance. Well done!
The pacing for this story is a little tricky, as the part where Katherine goes into lockdown could have been tedious and mundane. In what I assume to have been an effort to avoid this, the author chose instead to do a couple of time lapses. One of them works well, but one of them spans their budding friendship, which was obviously problematic. The characters reflect on this change in their interactions a few times, but we only see a complete 180° from hostility to teasing banter. Adding a couple of conversations in between there might have slowed the pace down, and possibly bored some readers, but it would have worked better for me than what we got. Later, when Katherine is comparing Dee to Eve, it made no sense for her to contrast "serious" with "warm and funny," because we saw so much of Eve being serious as well.
Other than that, the plot, characters, and writing were fantastic. The character dynamic was a little cliché at first, but I appreciated how delicately the author explored the class division, and the reveal of Katherine's problems. I think she might have been a little less arrogant in the first days after meeting Eve, but otherwise, there was the clear message that first impressions are more intertwined with prejudice than anybody would like to admit.
On a different note, I appreciate that Amanda Radley is not one for including love scenes, but it has no bearing on the romance or chemistry. Even if I didn't prefer it that way, I think I'd still be amazed at how she writes about the "smaller gestures" while evoking the same amount of emotion.
What might be one of the simpler plots I've seen from Radley nonetheless contains elements of complexity, and even invites readers to think a little about the significance of these characters and their backstories. That's not an easy feat to achieve, especially in your standard contemporary romance. Well done!
October 9, 2021
What do you get when you have a button-upped, reluctant bodyguard and a minor member of the Royal family who doesn’t want all the fuss? Answer: a ripping good story if it’s Protecting the Lady by Amanda Radley.
Eve Webb is living in Tokyo teaching languages after distinguished service as a Protection Command Officer. Her former commander comes from London to ask her to do a job for his private company. Eve has had her fill of the precious, whiney, rich people she used to protect. But Charles wouldn’t come to Tokyo to get a no and as a personal favor, she agrees. She should have asked more questions because she would not have agreed to guard a Lady. Especially one who doesn’t want her help, questions every decision, and resents her being there.
Lady Katherine Lovegrove has struggled to make her own way at a top boutique event planning company. Just because her father has been receiving threats doesn’t mean she has to interrupt her life. Threats come with being a royal – she’s had plenty of them before and nothing’s happened. Now she has a bossy babysitter, who makes decisions without consulting her, and intrudes in every aspect of her life.
When circumstances arise that make staying in London too dangerous, Eve takes Katherine to the one place in the world she hates the most. Now it is even worse – there are armed guards outside, and she feels like she’s a prisoner. As Eve and Katherine get to know each other, they make surprising discoveries and eventually figure out a way to work together. Will Eve let her growing attraction to Katherine get in the way of keeping her safe? She’s already made that mistake once; she won’t allow it to happen again. As things escalate, will Eve be able to save Katherine from certain death?
I have been a fan of Amanda (A.E.) Radley for a long time. Protecting the Lady is now among my favorites. Both lead characters were fully realized and the secondary characters (especially Eve’s sister who’s a hoot) round out the story. The story is well-paced and leads to a frenetic climax. (Not that kind of climax, get your minds out of the gutter.) If you’ve never read a story by this author before, I highly recommend you start with this one. And to you who have read her before, stop reading this review and go read it.
Eve Webb is living in Tokyo teaching languages after distinguished service as a Protection Command Officer. Her former commander comes from London to ask her to do a job for his private company. Eve has had her fill of the precious, whiney, rich people she used to protect. But Charles wouldn’t come to Tokyo to get a no and as a personal favor, she agrees. She should have asked more questions because she would not have agreed to guard a Lady. Especially one who doesn’t want her help, questions every decision, and resents her being there.
Lady Katherine Lovegrove has struggled to make her own way at a top boutique event planning company. Just because her father has been receiving threats doesn’t mean she has to interrupt her life. Threats come with being a royal – she’s had plenty of them before and nothing’s happened. Now she has a bossy babysitter, who makes decisions without consulting her, and intrudes in every aspect of her life.
When circumstances arise that make staying in London too dangerous, Eve takes Katherine to the one place in the world she hates the most. Now it is even worse – there are armed guards outside, and she feels like she’s a prisoner. As Eve and Katherine get to know each other, they make surprising discoveries and eventually figure out a way to work together. Will Eve let her growing attraction to Katherine get in the way of keeping her safe? She’s already made that mistake once; she won’t allow it to happen again. As things escalate, will Eve be able to save Katherine from certain death?
I have been a fan of Amanda (A.E.) Radley for a long time. Protecting the Lady is now among my favorites. Both lead characters were fully realized and the secondary characters (especially Eve’s sister who’s a hoot) round out the story. The story is well-paced and leads to a frenetic climax. (Not that kind of climax, get your minds out of the gutter.) If you’ve never read a story by this author before, I highly recommend you start with this one. And to you who have read her before, stop reading this review and go read it.
January 11, 2022
Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley to provide an honest review.
Unfortunately, I didn’t really enjoy this read. While I wanted it to be a pleasant experience and a sapphic bodyguard romance with middle aged characters seemed like an interesting premise, it just did not seem well written at all to me. None of the characters gripped me at all and often the dialogue felt very stilted. The two main characters especially just didn’t connect for me and seemed to have no chemistry with each other. The entire story I just legitimately did not care about them or especially any developing romantic relationship. Additionally I felt that some of the main character traits just didn’t make sense or work for me. They felt like they were established just to give the women something to initially hate each other for the “hate-to-love” sort of romance. Oh and Katherine, a lady in her forties, calls her father “Daddy” the entire book and I just… I’m sorry that word has been ruined and it just made me vastly uncomfortable and it came up far, far too much.
One thing that got to me more than anything else though was just how much time in the story was spent expositing or repeating events or feelings we’d already seen. It was a fairly short book but the constant telling rather than showing dragged down the pacing a lot and made it feel longer than it was and less pleasant. There were a lot of moments in my head where I just went “we established this already. Move ON.”
There were a few moments that were semi-enjoyable or seemed a bit more genuine in connection to the story, usually not having to do with the romance at all (I.e. action, relationships to other characters, some random funny moments, etc.). However, it was definitely not the majority of the book and I kept checking the percentage count to see how close I was to being finished with it so I could move on. I think the story had some potential, but it needed /a lot/ more polishing. Unfortunately I don’t think I can recommend this book. There are better sapphic romances out there.
Unfortunately, I didn’t really enjoy this read. While I wanted it to be a pleasant experience and a sapphic bodyguard romance with middle aged characters seemed like an interesting premise, it just did not seem well written at all to me. None of the characters gripped me at all and often the dialogue felt very stilted. The two main characters especially just didn’t connect for me and seemed to have no chemistry with each other. The entire story I just legitimately did not care about them or especially any developing romantic relationship. Additionally I felt that some of the main character traits just didn’t make sense or work for me. They felt like they were established just to give the women something to initially hate each other for the “hate-to-love” sort of romance. Oh and Katherine, a lady in her forties, calls her father “Daddy” the entire book and I just… I’m sorry that word has been ruined and it just made me vastly uncomfortable and it came up far, far too much.
One thing that got to me more than anything else though was just how much time in the story was spent expositing or repeating events or feelings we’d already seen. It was a fairly short book but the constant telling rather than showing dragged down the pacing a lot and made it feel longer than it was and less pleasant. There were a lot of moments in my head where I just went “we established this already. Move ON.”
There were a few moments that were semi-enjoyable or seemed a bit more genuine in connection to the story, usually not having to do with the romance at all (I.e. action, relationships to other characters, some random funny moments, etc.). However, it was definitely not the majority of the book and I kept checking the percentage count to see how close I was to being finished with it so I could move on. I think the story had some potential, but it needed /a lot/ more polishing. Unfortunately I don’t think I can recommend this book. There are better sapphic romances out there.
September 19, 2021
An enemy to lovers romance with a bodyguard aspect, this clean romance is a quick and pleasing read.
When Lord Lovegrove must pass a sentence on an infamous crime family it is his daughter who is put at risk. Katherine is a 'Lady' like no other and works for a living rather than falling into royal duties. Her fierce independence is torn away when her life is threatened and she must have 24hr protection. In comes Eve, back from Japan after an early retirement she is the only woman up for the job.
This book tends more towards the action/ protection side of the genre than romance. The developing relationship tended to take a back seat and was definitely a slow burn. The relationship between Eve and Katherine was more like friendship for the majority of the book with the romance element only appearing towards the end of the book.
I found the characters to be much improved by the end of the book. Katherine begun as very childish and immature for a forty year old woman. It was hard to sympathise or connect to her until she opened up and snapped out of her entitlement.
Eve was the better developed character with more background given to her though her change in mindset was abrupt. The romantic relationship seemingly came out of no where like Eve's change in opinion about the aristocracy.
I enjoyed the time dedicated to the protection detail. I felt that it was interesting and helped carry the story forward.
My main gripe is that the relationship didn't have time to develop as for a large portion of the book the characters were kept separate. When a bit of romance was hinted Eve removed herself from the situation. While this was more realistic in terms of conflicts of interest it did hamper the flow and development of the connection.
Overall I did enjoy the book and finished in a couple of sittings. It isn't the typical steamy romance I would go for and was very tame to my usual taste. I'd read more from the author in the future though.
When Lord Lovegrove must pass a sentence on an infamous crime family it is his daughter who is put at risk. Katherine is a 'Lady' like no other and works for a living rather than falling into royal duties. Her fierce independence is torn away when her life is threatened and she must have 24hr protection. In comes Eve, back from Japan after an early retirement she is the only woman up for the job.
This book tends more towards the action/ protection side of the genre than romance. The developing relationship tended to take a back seat and was definitely a slow burn. The relationship between Eve and Katherine was more like friendship for the majority of the book with the romance element only appearing towards the end of the book.
I found the characters to be much improved by the end of the book. Katherine begun as very childish and immature for a forty year old woman. It was hard to sympathise or connect to her until she opened up and snapped out of her entitlement.
Eve was the better developed character with more background given to her though her change in mindset was abrupt. The romantic relationship seemingly came out of no where like Eve's change in opinion about the aristocracy.
I enjoyed the time dedicated to the protection detail. I felt that it was interesting and helped carry the story forward.
My main gripe is that the relationship didn't have time to develop as for a large portion of the book the characters were kept separate. When a bit of romance was hinted Eve removed herself from the situation. While this was more realistic in terms of conflicts of interest it did hamper the flow and development of the connection.
Overall I did enjoy the book and finished in a couple of sittings. It isn't the typical steamy romance I would go for and was very tame to my usual taste. I'd read more from the author in the future though.
September 22, 2021
This is the second book Ms Radley has done with BSB’s and it’s decidedly better then her first. Don’t get me wrong, I happen to be a big fan of the books already published by Ms Radley. This book is more like I expect a book from this author to be.
Great MC’s with a good plot. Lady Katherine Lovegrove was born into royalty being 40 something in line for the throne. Normally we don’t see or hear much from someone so far from the crown. But she also happens to be the daughter of Sir Michael Lovegrove, a well known judge with a sterling reputation. Now he’s about to pass a sentence upon a member of one of the biggest crime families in England. The gang knows they can’t take the judge out of contention without stirring up a lot of other investigations. Maybe they can get him to change his mind if they kidnap his daughter Katherine. He will do everything he can to protect her.
Eve Webb was a Protection Command Officer, that was until she became disillusioned with everything when she realized the organization she worked for had some serious problems with the way they shared information with others in the same line of work. Her answer ‘go to Japan and start over again’, and so far it’s working out rather well for her. The one problem this caused is having a limited amount of time with her sister who still lives in London. When her former boss contacts her to come back to the job, or at least until Lady Katherine is safe. A big problem with the assignment is her feelings regarding the well to do and their easy life while so many are the have-nots.
Eve finally decides she’ll take the assignment but that doesn’t mean she has to like Katherine. Katherine, in the meantime, does not want to have a ‘baby sitter’. Now the fun begins. This is one of Radley’s talents that shines through. Great read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books.
Great MC’s with a good plot. Lady Katherine Lovegrove was born into royalty being 40 something in line for the throne. Normally we don’t see or hear much from someone so far from the crown. But she also happens to be the daughter of Sir Michael Lovegrove, a well known judge with a sterling reputation. Now he’s about to pass a sentence upon a member of one of the biggest crime families in England. The gang knows they can’t take the judge out of contention without stirring up a lot of other investigations. Maybe they can get him to change his mind if they kidnap his daughter Katherine. He will do everything he can to protect her.
Eve Webb was a Protection Command Officer, that was until she became disillusioned with everything when she realized the organization she worked for had some serious problems with the way they shared information with others in the same line of work. Her answer ‘go to Japan and start over again’, and so far it’s working out rather well for her. The one problem this caused is having a limited amount of time with her sister who still lives in London. When her former boss contacts her to come back to the job, or at least until Lady Katherine is safe. A big problem with the assignment is her feelings regarding the well to do and their easy life while so many are the have-nots.
Eve finally decides she’ll take the assignment but that doesn’t mean she has to like Katherine. Katherine, in the meantime, does not want to have a ‘baby sitter’. Now the fun begins. This is one of Radley’s talents that shines through. Great read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books.
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