Reviewed by Vicki
TITLE: Kissing Alex
SERIES: Bodyguards Inc. #6
AUTHOR: R.J. Scott
PUBLISHER: Love Lane Books
LENGTH: 155 pages
RELEASE DATE: April 25th, 2016
BLURB:
Martial arts expert Lewis is the kind of bodyguard who slips under most people’s radar. Quiet, reserved, but constantly on alert, he’ll do his job, keep his charges safe, then relax by reading Shakespeare in his spare time.
When he’s given a case involving a spoiled celebrity singer, Lewis isn’t all that impressed. The job is nothing but babysitting a pretty boy, and he’s used to diplomatic postings with depth and challenge. What could he possibly have in common with the man he’s being forced to look after?
Alex became the envy of many when he and his fellow bandmates won second place in a huge TV talent show. He has more money than he knows what to do with, no life goals, an ex-boyfriend selling a sex tape and now, someone who wants him dead, or at the very least maimed.
Can Lewis keep Alex safe, even when things usually in his control go to hell? Is running to a remote Scottish island the only way for them to stay alive?
REVIEW:
I’ve kind of been on this kick of reading books with basic story lines, I think it’s due to the craziness in my own life right now, and this book was just what I needed. I recently read another couple of books by R.J. Scott, her two Montana books, and had the same feeling for those two that I had with this one. I love her personal stories. At heart, a romance novel is the romantic connection between a couple (or occasionally a threesome), be they same sex or not. At some times in my life I have loved big long complex plots with large casts of characters, but right now I am totally loving these shorter stories with a more basic plot. This book has a basic plot, but that is in no way a criticism. It’s a complement, I promise! This is just a wonderful little romantic story about two men finding a connection in an odd situation.
Lewis is yet another awesome bodyguard employed by Bodyguards Inc., and is yet another bodyguard to have some non-bodyguard like feelings for his client! I’m sensing a trend here… So Lewis is the big, strong silent type, and is looking forward to his month of vacation on his very own Scottish island. He spends time with his family, catches up on projects around the island, and reconnects with the small community living there. He is irritated when his boss bribes him with the one thing he knows Lewis needs most, a bunch of money, to take a client to his island. Alex, a member of a certain boy band we met way back in book one, needs a place to hide for a month or so. Of course Lewis agrees, and it turns out to be one of the better decisions he’s made.
Not only do we get a very gently developing story between Lewis and Alex, which actually has some excitement as we learn what Alex is hiding from, we also get a glimpse at what could well be a real place. I haven’t googled Lewis’s island to find out if it is a real place, I’m just going to assume it is, and that there really are small communities living like this is Scotland. I loved the details about the island, how the folks live, and the little bits of life in a small community. Plus Lewis’s family was great! Well, his sister and brother, we don’t see his folks… but there is a little family drama involving his sister and a man, which I thought was very sweet and added just the right family touch to this story.
I have enjoyed all of the books in this series, I love that they all connect, the characters intertwining, but each couple having their own identity and story. Each has been a unique pairing, with a unique plot that brings the couple together. Each story is contained, a complete story between the couple, but other characters pop in and out, and you know they are all part of the same world. Even after six books, I’m not at all tired of this series, each has been different enough that the stories are staying fresh. I saw a hint about the next book at the end of this one and I am curious!
This book had exactly what I want right now. A unique story that is part of a larger ensemble series, a great connection between the two main characters, a few well written secondary characters, a little excitement, some yummy sex, and a freaking Scottish island! Oh, yeah…. and a kilt. And kilt sex. Drool.
So yes, I am an R.J. Scott fan, and this is another great book by her. If you have read the others in this series, you’ll need to read this one too, to keep up on the boys of Bodyguards Inc. If you haven’t read any of them, you could probably read this one first, then if you like it go read the others from book one. Other characters are mentioned in this one from previous books, but I do think you’d be ok not knowing exactly who is who. Mostly this is Alex and Lewis, with a bit of help from some family.
I want a Scottish island… and a man in a kilt!
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