Book Review: Keeping Her Close by Carol Ross

KEEPING HER CLOSE by Carol Ross
SERIES: Pacific Cove Romance #3
GENRE: Contemporary “Clean” Romance
PUBLISHER: Harlequin Heartwarming
RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2019
PAGES: 368

Hired to protect her

…unable to resist her

The job sounds simple: teach a businessman’s daughter how to stay safe. But former navy SEAL turned bodyguard Kyle Frasier has a personal motive, too. Harper Jansen is his late best friend’s fiancée. Loyalty demands he protect her, not that Harper looks in need of rescuing. In fact, it’s Kyle who needs help—balancing duty with his desire to build a life with the one woman he shouldn’t want…

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I’m a big fan of this author’s books, and Keeping Her Close is no exception!

Harper and Kyle are very likable characters, and so are the cast of supporting players. Harper especially charmed me with her somewhat unpredictable, warm, and witty personality. I loved seeing a “cameo” by Mandisa’s Good Morning song too 🙂 Harper is not a stereotypical daughter of a billionaire, and Kyle isn’t a stereotypical former Navy Seal. Well, ok, he really appears that way at first but his sense of humor shows up in unexpected ways and had me laughing out loud more than once. (I’m looking at you, yoga scene!) Between the two of them, it’s the perfect set-up for delightful banter, well-timed humor, and heartwarming moments as well. Not to mention the swoony scenes 😀

I love a good bodyguard/protector trope, and I really enjoyed how seamlessly Ross wove this theme throughout the story without overdoing it or distracting from the romance. It doesn’t turn into a suspense novel, just enough of a dose to ramp up the tension when needed, and it doesn’t feel unnatural or forced. It sets the foundation for the story and adds opportunity for some cute scenes (and some romantical ones) but also leaves them the freedom to interact with their family, friends, and careers as needed. I loved Kyle’s family, too, and the dynamics they worked through. Ross didn’t gloss over these past hurts but addressed them authenticity and grace.

Bottom Line: Keeping Her Close is sweet, funny, warm, and romantic. The perfect choice to cozy up with for an evening or weekend read. Family plays an important role in this story, and you’ll find yourself drawn to the supporting characters as well as the main protagonists. Kyle and Harper at first glance are very much a billboard for the ‘opposites attract’ adage, but as the book progresses the author excels at emphasizing their similarities about what really matters. Enough of a mild suspense thread to keep tensions high, and plenty of wit and warmth to balance it out.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Prism Book Tours. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4.5 stars / Loved it!

KissingBook Level: 3 / may forget to breathe on occasion

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Check out an excerpt HERE

USA Today bestselling author Carol Ross grew up in small town America right between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountains, in a place where you can go deep sea fishing in the morning and then hit the ski slopes the same afternoon. The daughter of what is now known as free range parents, she developed a love of the outdoors at a very early age. As a writer, Carol loves to breathe the life she has lived into the characters she creates, grateful for the “research material” that every questionable decision, adrenaline-charged misstep, and near-death experience has provided.

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