Secrets for Seducing a Royal Bodyguard

Written by Vanessa Kelly

Narrated by Veida Dehmlow

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Mar 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9781494570255

Vanessa Kelly

Vanessa Kelly is a bestselling author of historical mystery and historical romance. She has won multiple awards, including the prestigious Maggie Medallion for best historical romance. She is a USA Today, Barnes & Noble, BookScan, and Amazon bestseller several times over. To date, her books have been published in eleven languages. After receiving her MA in English literature from Rutgers University, Vanessa spent several in the Ph.D program at the University of Toronto, studying women authors of the 18th Century. She worked as a researcher for many years, and currently resides in Ottawa, Canada, with her husband. Visit her at VanessaKellyAuthor.com.

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Secrets for Seducing a Royal Bodyguard
2 Stars

The illegitimate son of the Prince Regent, Aden St. George is an agent in the service of his Majesty tasked with rescuing Lady Vivien Shaw who has been abducted. After her rescue, St. George begins an investigation into the abduction and uncovers several suspects including a lecherous suitor, an irate moneylender and a conniving sibling. Unfortunately, he is also hampered by Vivien’s reluctance to assist and his own unwanted attraction to her.

To be honest, if I hadn’t been reading this for a GR challenge, it would have been a DNF.

Vivien and Aden have their good qualities - she is spirit and forthright, and he is stoic and sexy, and their romance has potential. Unfortunately, the excessive descriptions, tediously drawn out internal musings and the author’s tendency to repeat the same words to describe characters and situations result in a banal and cliched story.

The villain is also cartoonish and their is no real tension or suspense in the kidnapping plot.

All in all, there is nothing in this book that hasn’t been done before and better.

[gznkz4evr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

For full review, see original post at readersedyn dot blogspot dot com:

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.

........

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.

[azacia · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! Vanessa Kelly creates another masterfully written story in Secrets for Seducing a Royal Bodyguard!

Aden St. George is swoon-worthy! He's intelligent, resourceful, protective, kind, and oh so sexy. He's a secretive spy for the crown and keeps his distance from others after a painful childhood as the bastard son of an illicit extra marital affair between one of the royal princes and the amazing Lady Thornbury who is possibly the coolest and funniest mom I have read about in ages. It seems that St. George isn't the only one in the family who is cut out to be a spy! As a close friend and recruit of Sir Dominic, Aden takes the case to protect Lady Vivien Shaw after an attempt is made on her life. Little does he know that this petite classy lady will keep him on his toes and set his blood to boiling.

Lady Vivien Shaw has quite a lot of responsibility on her head. After the passing of her beloved father when she was only 17, she takes on the full-time project of watching out for her mother and younger brother Kit. Her older brother Cyrus has little interest in anyone but his own political ambitions, and Vivien must keep the rest of her family afloat and out of debtors prison. She's also busy avoiding the attention of a few ill-warranted suitors including the vulgar Russian Prince Ivan. With money collectors and suitors at her heals she never realizes how much trouble she's courting until she's kidnapped and faced with a life threatening situation. When Aden swoops in to protect her, Vivien will face a new danger she never saw coming - losing her heart!

The chemistry between Aden and Vivian is instant and exciting! They are a perfectly matched pair with their wit, charisma, and ability to get under each others skin. As a spy, Aden manages to be both dangerous and protective. Vivian is his perfect match with her determinism and pride and insistence on breaking the rules.

In addition to being an exciting page-turner, this novel is laugh out loud funny in so many places! The dialogue is outstanding, the scene in the orangery is hilarious, and I just adored the little old ladies in the small town who offer advice on "breeding problems". In addition to an amazing hero and heroine, the side characters add a lot of depth and interest to the story. Lady Thornbury is always perfectly placed, says the most outrageous things, and her relationship with both Aden and Vanessa is priceless. The villains are as deplorable as the good guys are likable. I loved the glimpses into Sir Dominic's past and am eagerly looking forward to the continuation of the series from here!

Hero: 5/5
Heroine: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Side Characters: 5/5
Romance: 5/5
Overall: 5/5