Featuring the youngest Black sister, The Bodyguard Affair is the third book in the Black Diamond series co-authored by Anna Stone and Hildred Billings.
A spoiled heiress and the baby of the family, Bianca Black is less than impressed when her mother insists she has protection due to a threat against the family. That is until she meets her bodyguard Sam Reddy, founder and CEO of Rainier Protection Services. All of a sudden having a 24/7 shadow doesn’t seem so bad, in fact it’s downright intoxicating.
As an ex-military veteran and now a successful business owner, Sam prides herself on being ever the consummate professional – a title she’s determined to keep. That turns out to be easier said than done once Sam sets eyes on Bianca, because as infuriating as Bianca can be, the unbridled heat between them is intoxicating. But sexual tension isn’t the only explosion on the horizon, someone is determined to see the Black family implode at any cost.
I generally enjoy the bodyguard trope but there were elements of this particular plot which I found didn’t hit the mark. Whilst Bianca’s character came across as somewhat childish and naïve at times, I could chalk this up to the characters’ bratty, immature attributes. But from the outset Sam’s background and inherent professionalism becomes quickly at odds with her own actions. Sam does a U-turn overnight with regards to dating Bianca which directly contradicts the essence of her character, coming across as somewhat unbelievable and unlikely.
Whilst there’s a nice level of heat in this story, some of the BDSM scenes are a little cheesy, perhaps again down to Bianca’s character fulfilling the spoiled, rich brat role. There’s not enough chemistry overall and the characters encounters partially feel underwhelming, a point I attribute to the below.
The further the plot progresses the more it feels like this story is less to do with Bianca and Sam’s journey and instead, all about the secret Vivianne (Bianca’s mother)is trying to keep hidden. One which has created a direct threat to the Black family. This aspect of the plot is the better part of the story in my opinion, but its conclusion does feel slightly crammed into the last quarter of the book, which is a shame as it does have a lot of promise. Unfortunately, it’s also the books downfall as the overall story becomes less about the romance and more concerned with tying up Vivianne’s story arc by the end of the series.
Overall it felt like there is the foundation of a great book within The Bodyguard Affair but that it just doesn’t deliver on the finer points or believability at some stages. I usually really enjoy Anna Stone’s books, however I think I prefer her writing as a standalone author based on this book and the series as a whole.
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