Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Fall Guy
AUTHOR: Felice Stevens
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 298 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 18, 2022
BLURB:
I hired him to protect my body, but who will protect my heart?
He’s a thief, a convicted felon.
A cocky guy with tattoos and a smirk for days.
He needs a bodyguard and I need a job, so here we are.
And the more time I spend with Ronan Michaels, the more I realize maybe he isn’t the bad guy after all.
But why do I feel like he’s hiding something or protecting someone?
Or both?
My Angel Gabriel has a devil on his shoulder.
He’s not a sinner—but certainly no saint.
He’s been lied to and abandoned. Hurt by people who should love him no matter what.
Gabriel’s discovered my secrets, yet the more I push him away, the closer he stands by my side.
And when his past crumbles, leaving him searching for answers, I’m right there for him, holding his hand.
Holding him up.
Because love is catching someone when they fall.
And never letting go.
REVIEW:
Fall Guy is a standalone romance about a bodyguard and his client falling in love while helping each other cope with painful family issues. Ronan is a convicted felon freshly out of prison after serving six years of a ten-year sentence. He’s a good guy who made the ultimate sacrifice – a bad decision in my mind. He did so because of either unconditional love or stupidity, the jury’s still out on that one. Now he must deal with the unexpected consequences of his incarceration: losing all his friends and having his closest relatives – his sister and brother-in-law – lie and turn their backs on him. He thought there would be haters but he wasn’t prepared for hostility from strangers and violent protesters outside his apartment building at all hours. He no longer feels safe outside his home.
Gabriel is the bodyguard whom Ronan hires for personal protection. Gabriel recently quit his job with a disgraced U.S. Senator and is currently unemployed. With no job prospects or place to live, accepting the cushy, live-in position, even if it’s for a reviled man, is a no-brainer.
Forced proximity while living together leads to friendship and then more. Ronan’s feeling alone in the world, so Gabriel’s full-time presence in his life and his home fills an emotional need, and he satisfies an emotional void for Gabriel, who has been let down in the past by loved ones. In particular, his father’s actions killed his ability to trust, damaged his sense of self-worth, and crippled his self-confidence in relationships.
The plot appealed to me and I thought both Ronan and Gabriel likable, sympathetic characters. Gabriel’s mother is a charmer, and I loved his siblings. Whenever anyone showed Ronan decency, I was a fan. While I enjoyed the story, when it came to intimacy, I found the sex scenes a little too dramatic and the dialogue a little too schmoopy. It didn’t feel completely authentic. I also didn’t care for how easily some characters were let off the hook for their misdeeds.
Overall, this is a successful romance that I happily recommend.
RATING:
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