Bridegroom Bodyguard - Lisa Childs (HI #1511 - Aug 2014)

Series: Shotgun Weddings (Book 3)

Someone is trying to kill bodyguard Parker Payne. But what's more shocking is the woman who shows up claiming he's the father of her child. The baby boy is Parker's spitting image, but how could he have forgotten a passionate encounter with this woman with caramel eyes?

Sharon Wells has raised Parker's son since his birth. Now with a homicidal maniac coming after her and her son, it's Parker's unexpected proposal that may be the real danger. Sharon knows Parker just wants to protect them. But with passion flaring and a murderer intent on completing his personal mission, any distraction could mean the difference between life and death.

The final book about the three Payne brothers and it was just as good as the other two. Parker was in the hospital recovering from an explosion when he is visited by Sharon and a baby who looks just like him. She claims that Ethan is his son, but he doesn't remember her. Just as they finish discussing the baby's parentage, Sharon's car explodes in the hospital parking lot, showing her that she is in danger also. When Sharon is named as Ethan's guardian in his mother's will, Parker's mother suggests that Sharon and Parker marry to ensure that Ethan is protected.

Sharon expects that this is simply a temporary marriage, until the danger is over. Even though she has been the one caring for Ethan since he was born, she has no ties to him except those of love. Sharon sees herself as a very forgettable person. She was orphaned as a young child, after witnessing her mother's murder. She was then raised by her grandfather, who was a cold man who looked at her as a mistake that her mother made. She knows Parker's reputation as a playboy and doesn't think she would appeal to him at all. She falls fast and hard for him, but has no hope for a happy ending for herself.

Parker is known as the playboy of the Payne family and claimed that he will never marry. Though everyone thinks he just wants to enjoy the ladies, it goes much deeper than that. He lost his father as a child and never wants to be in the position where a wife and children would mourn if something were to happen to him. I loved seeing how quickly he accepted being a father and how that crack in his walls opened up a larger one for Sharon. Can he allow himself to love her too?

The mystery in this one is who wants both Parker and Sharon dead and why. They start by trying to get answers from Judge Brenda, only to discover that she and her bodyguard are dead. They are shot at, run off the road, and harassed by one of the investigating officers. It seems that no matter what they do, whoever wants them dead is always ahead of them. I figured out pretty quickly why they were being targeted, but the who was well concealed until the end. There was quite an interesting twist with a new character and which side of the law he was really on. I really wasn't too worried, but I could see why the Paynes were concerned. 

Once again, family is a big theme in the book. The Paynes support each other through everything that gets thrown at them. I loved Mrs. Payne and the way her big heart just sucks everyone into her circle of love. Stacy's brothers from Explosive Engagement also had an important part to play in this story. I'd love to see more of them, especially Milek and his ex-girlfriend Amber. I would also like to see more of the Payne sister Nikki, who finally seemed to be seeing more action in the business, as well as getting to know Agent Nicholas Rus.

Explosive Engagement - Lisa Childs (HI #1506 - July 2014)

Series: Shotgun Weddings (Book 2)

GETTING MARRIED MAY BE MORE DIFFICULT THAN COMPLETING HIS MISSION.

Nothing has fazed Logan Payne in his entire career as a bodyguard. That is, until he's tasked with protecting his biggest enemy. Stacy Kozminski isn't too thrilled about having to work with Logan either, but when attempts are made on her life, she knows he is her only hope if she wants to survive.

Soon, a target is placed on both their backs, and they have no choice but to stage an engagement to protect one another. Logan won't let Stacy out of his sight. But is it because he doesn't want to fail his assignment…or because he's come to care for the gutsy and gorgeous woman -- the only woman who's ever gone toe-to-toe with him?

This book picks up where Book One (Groom Under Fire) left off. Cooper and Tanya have just gotten married when shots are fired at Logan. This is when they realize that some of the attacks from earlier have actually been aimed at Logan. He is sure he knows who is behind them, and tears off to confront Stacy, daughter of the man who went to prison for killing his father. He finds her getting ready for her father's funeral and accuses her of shooting at him or having her brothers do so, because he worked hard to make sure her father never got out on parole. He has to rethink his position a bit when someone shoots at them both at the cemetery. Logan's mother suggests that they become engaged as a way to make her family give up what may be their attempts at revenge.

It's very hard to get anyone to believe their sudden engagement. Logan and Stacy have spent the last fifteen years as enemies, refusing to believe any good of the other one. But all that passionate hate suddenly turns to another kind of passion as they are forced into each other's company. Logan can't understand why he's so attracted to a woman he can't bring himself to trust. As they get closer to discovering who is behind the attacks, he starts to realize that he's actually beginning to care for her. I loved seeing the way that she constantly stands up to him, refusing to accept his dictates. Stacy also has trouble believing that she can be so attracted to someone who is too pigheaded to listen to another point of view. She's much quicker to realize that her emotions are getting involved, though it isn't any more welcome to her than it is to him. She does know that she is safer with him than with anyone else, though she begins to worry that protecting her will cost him his life. Each time they are attacked, their feelings get stronger, until the last attack that shows them just how much they really care.

As in the first book, the attacks are nearly nonstop. Logan first suspects that Stacy and her family are behind them, but when she becomes a target also he has to consider other possibilities. He has spent so long convinced that her father killed his, that it takes him awhile to begin to accept her assertion that he couldn't have done it. With each attack it seems like there is another possible suspect. Would Stacy's brothers risk her life in order to get revenge on Logan? What about her uncle, who is also a jewel thief, but has never been caught? Would Logan's brother Parker try to take his own revenge on Stacy's family? What about Logan's employee Candace, who is obviously in love with Logan and not at all happy about his engagement to Stacy? And finally, what evidence did Logan's father's partner suppress and why? I was pretty sure I knew who actually killed Logan's father, but the journey to the answer had quite a few twists and turns. And as with the first book, the end of this one leads into the next.

Groom Under Fire - Lisa Childs (HI #1500 - June 2014)

Series: Shotgun Weddings (Book 1)

I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU…BODYGUARD AND WIFE?

When her real groom is kidnapped, Tanya Chesterfield convinces bodyguard and all-time crush Cooper Payne to marry her in order to fulfill the terms of her inheritance and secure a possible ransom. But when there are no demands for money, only attempts made on Tanya's life, Cooper's protective instincts go into overdrive. Nearly losing her makes Cooper realize he never stopped loving her, and their pretense as husband and wife resurrects the passion between them. Cooper has vowed to honor and cherish her, and he is determined to find the truth -- even if it means in the end he must let Tanya go.

Good reunion story with danger pushing Tanya and Cooper together. Cooper has finished his time in the Marines and has joined the family security business. His first assignment is to protect Tanya, who has been receiving threats regarding her upcoming marriage.

Tanya is marrying Stephen, another friend of theirs. What nobody knows is that this is a simple business arrangement between two friends, so that Tanya get her inheritance. When Stephen is kidnapped the day before the wedding, Cooper's mother suggests that he step in so that Tanya makes her deadline. Tanya has been in love with Cooper for years, but he's never indicated an interest in anything but friendship, so she made her arrangement with Stephen. With the attacks on her, she's determined to grab what she can with Cooper. 

Cooper has also loved Tanya for a long time, but has always felt that she's too good for him. This feeling was reinforced by her grandfather many years earlier when he told Cooper to stay away from her. He hates the idea of Tanya marrying Stephen, but he believes she loves him so he keeps quiet about his own feelings. He gets a bit confused when they experience some serious passion between them, as he still believes Tanya is in love with Stephen.

There were times when I really wanted to smack them both. If Tanya had simply told Cooper WHY she was marrying Stephen, a lot of the confusion over feelings might have been avoided. Cooper needed to realize that Tanya doesn't care about any monetary differences between them and never had. He was going to just walk away at the end if he hadn't been forced to actually talk to her.

The mystery and suspense were pretty good. Someone wanted Tanya dead and it was pretty obvious that it had to do with her inheritance. It became clear that it was someone who knew her pretty well, because several of the attempts had to do with health issues that wouldn't be known to just anyone. There were several possibilities, and although I did figure out who it was the other suspects were realistic. The action was pretty intense, with Tanya nearly dying twice, multiple shots being fired at all of them, and a host of other things that kept them jumping. I did like the way it ended, with a good lead in to the next book.

I also enjoyed the relationships among Cooper's family members. Mom may not be part of the security company (she's a wedding planner), but she still excels at keeping her boys in line. Logan is the oldest and feels responsible for everyone, and tends to be on the serious side. Parker is next and is the playboy of the family. He comes across as pretty lighthearted except when the chips are down. Cooper is next and always felt a bit on the outside. Nikki is the youngest and only girl. She is part of the security company but feels as though none of her brothers see her as a capable adult. They are always there for each other when they're needed, but there are still some times when they get in each others' faces. I loved some of the teasing between them.