Review: Secrets For Seducing A Royal Bodyguard (Renegade Royals) by Vanessa Kelly

Title: Secrets For Seducing A Royal Bodyguard

       Renegade Royals 1

Author: Vanessa Kelly

Release Date: January 7. 2014

Publisher: Zebra ~ Kensington

Category: Historical Romance

Type: Digital, Audio, Paperback, MP3

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Vanessa Kelly Website

Blurb:

IN MATTERS OF DESIRE, HE’S THE PERFECT TEACHER…

Accomplished spy Aden St. George prefers to stay away from the frivolous ton, especially after the way his mother was used by the Prince Regent. But his latest mission compels him to guard unconventional, vibrant Lady Vivien Shaw. Rescuing her from kidnappers was easy. Resisting her beauty is not. Duty demands he keep an eye on her—and naturally, his lips soon follow. For someone who views entanglements as a weakness, this is pure, delicious folly…

Though grateful for Aden’s help, Vivien has secrets she must keep hidden. Yet with her abductors still at large, she needs Aden’s protection almost as much as she craves his touch…

Excerpt:

“Why?” she asked. “Why would you do this?”

“Let me show you, Vivien.”

He reached across and snatched her up in a hard grip, pulling her across the intimate space and into his lap.

Clutching the thick wool fabric of his coat, she gazed up at him.

“Wha … what are you doing?” she stammered.

“I’m answering your question,” he murmured, the dark rumble making her shiver.

Then he moved, tilting her back over his arms as he swooped in to kiss her. His mouth fastened over hers. Not gently, either. He plundered her lips, demanding entrance with a masculine arrogance that swept past her resistance in one skipped heartbeat …

Dialogue Highlight:

“Vivien, you are not to worry or try to intervene in any way. Sir Dominic and I will deal with this. All we ask is that you exercise caution and not go anywhere without an appropriate escort. In fact, the best thing you can do for now is the stay safely at home as much as possible.”

She had a number of objections to that confining course of action. None, however, that she could share with him.

“I’ll do my best,” she said. “But I’ve already accepted a number of invitations. It would look odd to decline at this late date, especially after last night.”

Aden started to object, but she cut him off. “I will not spend my life in hiding. You must trust me to exercise the appropriate caution.” She mentally winced a bit at that, considering what she had planned, but with any luck he’d never know about it.

A deep frown marked his brow but he finally nodded. “Then perhaps you would be so kind as to give me a list of your invitations when we return to Blake House.”

She cut him a puzzled glance. “Why? Are you going to have someone follow me?

“No. I’ll be escorting you to those affairs.”

Her heart gave a funny little skip. “I don’t understand.”

He glanced down at her. “Don’t you? Then let me explain. From now on, until we find the man who planned your abduction, I’ll be escorting you on every one of your social occasions. That will serve the dual purpose of allowing me to keep an eye on you and to observe those you come in contact with.”

She slowed as they approached the first row of shops. “But that will appear very odd, won’t it? How will we explain all of this … togetherness?”

For the first time since she’d met him, he seemed a trifle embarrassed. “I will be seen to be courting you, of course. It is the obvious conclusion.”

“Courting me?” she yelped.

“Just pretending,” he hastily added. “And hopefully only for a short time.” He reached up and tugged on his cravat, as if it was too tight around his neck. “It was my mother’s idea,” he finished in an apologetic tone.

“Oh, I see,” she said in a faint voice. She didn’t, actually. Her brain had been stunned into a daze at the idea of Aden courting her, pretend or not.

Review:

I have to tell you that the title alone completely caught me. Pair that with the gorgeous cover and I knew had to read this book. I mean, how DO you seduce a royal bodyguard? At first I believed that this would be an intentional title, meaning that one of the main characters was setting their sights on the other. But I found, pleasantly, that both main characters were the unsuspecting victim. Sounds odd I suppose. But I assure you it all makes sense in the end.

This book is the first in the Renegade Royals series. Each main male lead is related to a royal bloodline in some way – in Aden’s case, he is the bastard child of the Prince Regent. He has lived with the stigma of being a bastard his whole life and, to some extent, suffered for it. His status and rather large chip on his shoulder were the perfect combination to propel him into the life of espionage. But even a bastard can be born with an innate sense of patriotism and loyalty. And so when Lady Vivien abruptly enters his life, his sense of protection seems fitting – but the familiarity that quickly surfaces between the pair tells of something more that they could share – if they will allow it.

Lady Vivien is a bit of a schemer. Not in the way one would think, but because of years and years that she has been plagued by her mother and brothers. Cyrus, head of the family since her father’s death sees her as a pawn to increase his funds, thus propelling his political ambitions. Kit reminds me of an untrained puppy, who keeps going back to the problem area; the gaming tables in which he lacks the ability to play well. And such hold similar for their mother who spends as if her accounts are bottomless. Vivien is always caught in the middle and forced to deal with all of their faults. She, however, does possess a well developed skill at the gaming tables and frequently pulls them out of the doldrums with her winnings. Incognito, of course. So when she is kidnapped, her suspicions fall to two suspects. Kit and the money he owes, or Cyrus and his nauseating friendship with a Russian Prince who makes Vivien ill on sight. This is not the kind of Prince that one would crave attention from.

Aden knows he has to help Vivien figure out who is behind her attack, despite his reluctance. Especially now that he will have to make a reappearance into the ton in order to keep tabs on her. And Vivien wants desperately to confide in someone that she can depend on for a change – someone like Aden. But both have their secrets to protect and neither knows how much to reveal or if they can trust one another if the secrets emerge. 

I really enjoyed this historical romance from Ms. Kelly. The characters are very well developed and interact wonderfully together. They have a terrific balance between intrigue and sensuality. Their emotional connection is undeniable and their sexual attraction is not only hot, but almost sweet in an innocent way. I enjoyed how each one complimented the other in both attributes and shortcomings. For example, Aden’s harsh feelings toward his bastardy which has had a lot to do with the man he has developed into, doesn’t make a bit of difference to Vivien. And as clever as Vivien is, Aden is always one step ahead of her. These characters are thoroughly likeable and sure to please anyone who enjoys historical romance. Secondary characters Dominic, Lady Thornbury, and Griffin Steele make the book even more entertaining. I will say that I almost immediately fell in love with Griffin when he was introduced. A wonderful thing considering book 2 is his. I for one, cannot wait to read the next installment! So do yourself a favor and buy this book. It will not disappoint. And I am sure that Ms. Kelly will become a “go-to” author instantly if you haven’t already experienced her writing genius.

Paperback provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.