Bodyguard

Rating:
Summary: Romantic Times Review
Review: At 27 years old, Alessandra Lamont is a divorced trophy wife. To be honest, she is happy to be rid of her husband Griffin for it now allows her to try to adopt a special-needs baby. Unfortunately Alessandras dreams are placed on hold when she finds that not only has Griffin mortgaged everything, he also stole money from alleged mob boss Michael Trotta.

When Griffins murdered body turns up, Alessandra really starts to worry. Michael Trotta and his henchmen believe Alessandra knows where the missing money is located. She is given a deadline to return the money or else.

FBI agents Harry ODell and George Faulkner have been after Michael Trotta for a long time, and now they see an opportunity to nail him. Alessandra wants nothing to do with the FBI or the mob. She is determined to find the money, give it back and go on with her life.

Things dont go as planned, as someone tries to kill Alessandra despite her return of the money. Alessandra is taken into protective custody by Harry, but there is still danger lurking.

BODYGUARD is the fabulous follow-up to Suzanne Brockmanns first single-title release. Romantic suspense is obviously Ms. Brockmanns forte and she proves it at every turn. (Dec., 360 pp., $5.99)

-Jill M. Smith

Rating:
Summary: RITA Winner! Best-Seller! . . .Read this book anyway
Review: She won a RITA (ooo, two!) and she's selling a gazillion books. None of that changes the fact that Suzanne Brockmann is a great writer who lives up to this hype. This is not Heartthrob II. This book stands solidly on its own merits: strong plot, believable characters, great dialogue, each page moved. This book seems a bit edgier than other romance faire, and despite the mob boss set-up, the grittier aspects involve Harry's redemption in his relationships. Brockmann's characters make pure, tough choices that are sometimes hard to like, but it is a relief to read a book that wasn't device'd to death.

This book fails to get five stars only because a secondary character should have received a whole lot more comeuppance, and the epilogue, unlike the tone of the rest of the book, was a little too Barney for my taste ("And what did you learn today, Timmy?") Brockmann has written a book that takes the romance novel to previously unscaled heights by combining extraordinary circumstances with realistic character responses. P.S. If Detective Harry O'Dell's rumpled suit makes you think of Peter Falk, try substituting George Clooney. Worked for me. Very well, actually. And anyway, seeing Peter Falk is not enough reason to stop reading a well-crafted book. There are too few out there these days.

Rating:
Summary: Hit and Miss
Review: Suzanne Brockmann is hit and miss with me. I honestly think I'd like her writing more if she'd work on cleaning up her swinging POV. That being said, Brockmann has a good feel for humor, for dialogue, and the absurd, which can often save a book for me. If you go into Body Guard with the assumption that this will be a formulaic romance, then you're going to be disappointed.

There is a romance, but I think Brockmann delves a little deeper than most superficial romances are used to. There's also the fact that the characters in this book are deeply flawed--in other words, a huge mess.

Alessandra Lamont has never really had to think or do for herself. She went from her parents' home to marriage at 19 with a control freak with mob connections. Her catch of a husband divorces her after 7 years of marriage when she learns she's unable to have children. The biggest surprise is yet to come--the death of her husband and the fact that he's stolen a million dollars from mobster Michael Trotta.

Then there's Harry, an FBI agent who has seen better days. When he and his partner George cross paths with Alessandra Lamont, all Harry can think is that she's just another pretty, useless trophy wife. He's not far from the truth at this point in Alessandra's life.

After a couple of twists and turns, Alessandra and Harry go on the run together, and it's a learning experience for both of them. Harry's burned out and he's yet to deal with the death of his teenage son and ex-wife nearly two years earlier. The only thing he and Alessandra have in common is that the same mobster who wants her dead is responsible for the death of Harry ex-wife and son.

Harry and Alessandra are forced to examine themselves a bit closer, and it's only then that they begin the process of living. Harry is bitter, obsessed with Michael Trotta, and so afraid and ashamed of his weaknesses that he can't face his two remaining children.

Alessandra is in control of her life for the very first time, and she's discovering that she's not as useless as she's always thought. She's thinking for herself, and she's making some tough decisions when it comes to Harry.

Readers of traditional contemporary romances likely won't like this book as it falls far outside formula. For starters, Harry isn't tall, dark, and handsome. If Alessandra wears heels of any size she's an inch taller than Harry. Harry is a mess, has no clothes sense, really bad hair, and an even worse attitude that is liberally sprinkled with sarcasm.

Alessandra is so naive and empty-headed at times that I wondered how she survived as long as she did. Mess or not, these two mesh well, and when they start on the road to recovery, it's believable.

If you're looking for formula, stay away. If you like your romance with a bit of sweet and sour, dive in, the waters just fine.

Rating:
Summary: My first book by Brockmann, but won't be the last
Review: Unlike a lot of the reviewers on the site, I really enjoyed BODYGUARD. I thought it started somewhat slowly, but once I got into it, I had a hard time putting the book down. I really like romances where both characters grow during the course of the action and this was certainly true here. Harry starts out unattractively driven, but the reader gradually finds out why, just as they find out why the heroine has had to depend so heavily on her looks. The secondary characters were fascinating, too, always a plus...I rather liked that the secondary plot wasn't tied up neatly. It made it seem more real, like life often turns out. After closing BODYGUARD, I immediately went to the bookstore to look for Brockmann's backlist...she has a nice style and a lot of story with her romance, a combination I enjoy.