Review: Great Read - 4 stars
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 6, 2013
Daniel `Danny' Escobar is a former Marine, now bodyguard with Contego Agency, all ex Marines. He was almost blown up by a suicide bomber which turned him into a war hero and his injury led him to permanently resigning from active duty. His shitty chilhood with an addict for a mother and his past mistakes made him into the hotheaded and guilt-ridden man.Daniel and Hope were high school sweethearts until Daniel put her life in danger and wanted nothing to do with her anymore after she got engaged to someone else while he was in military bootcamp. At least that's what they both have been led to believe.Hope Walker is a psychologist at a women's shelter. Danny was her first love and now when she's in need of protection because of a mob hit put out on her he returns into her life. Hope is stubborn and compassionate and believes in the good she does with her shelter. I found Danny's reaction to Hope's place of work a bit excessive. I understood his aversion to shelters but to me it was too easily used as the trigger for the conflict between Danny and Hope. To be honest I thought he was being unreasonable about it and didn't get why he was so upset and ready to put all the blame on himself and make it all about him without getting all the facts first. Hope is actually trying to make sure kids under her care don't have to suffer what he went through.I love it when I try a new-to-me author, start reading and before I know it I'm halfway through the book. This is what happened to me with Ann Mayburn's GUARDING HOPE. I answered to a call for reviewers for this book because when I read the premise, blurb and an excerpt I felt this would be a book I'd like. And I really did. Not in the least because of Mayburn's agreeable and crisp writing. Her voice and style are perfectly suited for this I/R romantic suspense with a reunion romance trope. Once I started reading I couldn't stop and whenever I had to (pesky EDJ) I couldn't wait to get back to it.In romantic suspense it's hard to find the balance between the romance and the suspense plot but Ann Mayburn nailed it. And on top of that she writes amazingly sexy love scenes. Explicit and laced with primal need they are exactly the sex scenes I love to read. I loved the dynamics and dialogues between Danny and his friends, Boden and Omar. Despite the trash-talking that they use as a coping mechanism you feel they would go through hell and back for each other. I look forward to the stories of these friends and hope they have their own books in the future.In short: this first encounter with Ann Mayburn's writing was a big success and I have another author to add to my ever-growing favorites list.Fave Scenes:- the guys doing tequila shots with hot sauce in it > priceless! What a way to introduce your hero and his friends- the escape from Hope's house > I didn't realize I was holding my breath until I finished the scene!- the shower scene at the safe house > holy smokes that was hot!- the scene with Rebecca and Danny > so sweet! Kids in romance novels are my weakness