Barefoot with a Bodyguard

Roxanne St. Claire

Jun 2015 · South Street Publishing

About this ebook

Introducing Barefoot Bay Undercover, a romantic adventure series set on the tropical beaches of Barefoot Bay.  When former CIA consultant Gabe Rossi creates a secret “privatized witness protection” operation hidden within the security firm at the local resort, things get a little more suspenseful on the island paradise.  Gabe’s clients all need to run, hide, or transform themselves…and, sometimes, they find love.

About to take the bar exam after ending a five-year marriage that derailed her career plans and her life, Kate Kingston craves independence and a vacation. Somewhere warm with sea breezes, sunshine, sand...and no scary threats against her that have been showing up in her dad’s office. Barefoot Bay is the perfect place for some serenity while she studies and puts her life back together. But when she meets the brooding wall of muscle her father hired to protect her, Kate feels her hard won independence slipping away as fast as her resolve to avoid men who wield power over her.

Mixed martial arts trainer Alec Petrov has been on the run for a long time. Guarding a young attorney-to-be while pretending to be her husband is not a bad way to live off the grid, hidden from the Russian mobster who is hunting Alec with deadly intent.  But the beautiful young law student brings out a tender side Alec doesn't understand, or believe he deserves, and he soon realizes that keeping them both safe is only half the challenge. Keeping his hands off her and his attraction under control will be every bit as difficult in the closed quarters of an exclusive resort.

When their make-believe honeymoon in paradise turns sensual, complicated, and dangerous, Alec and Kate realize it’s not just their lives that are in jeopardy, it’s their hearts.  And they’ll have to fight to the end to save each other…and their love.

Ratings and reviews

I really loved the fast pace, the action, and the romance in Barefoot With A Bodyguard. Kate and Alec seem to be complete opposites, forced into a situation neither of them want to be in, but they make a great heroine and hero. Kate wants to answer to no one, and definitely not be bossed around by yet another man. If the situation she found herself in was organized without her knowledge, I would have found her attitude a bit annoying. However, her character and the way she was fit perfectly with the plot. I really liked Alec. He is a hero with a past that haunts him, and he doesn't feel worthy of anyone, let alone a woman like Kate. I just really liked who he was, what he stood for, and how he was. He is a character that easily worked his way into my heart! Surprising to them both, they are very drawn to each other and they have serious chemistry together! Both of them just want to go back to their own lives, but the danger is very real. I couldn't wait to see how life would work out for Kate and Alec, and the changes it might mean for both of them whether they were together or not. Roxanne through in some interesting and unexpected surprises and twists to an already well developed plot that kept me immersed in Kate and Alec's story. The secondary characters are fantastic and really have a lot to add to Barefoot With A Bodyguard. I really liked finding out a bit more about the mysterious Gabe, and can't wait to find out more about him! His grandfather Nino is also a strong secondary character who adds a whole other dimension to the story. The setting is one I can easily feel like I'm in, and Roxanne's descriptions of the place and the people are vivid. I will definitely be reading the next book in this series, and would recommend Barefoot With A Bodyguard to any reader who likes a well blended mix of suspense and romance between the pages.

I'm a huge fan of Roxanne St. Claire and can't wait to read each and every book as it is released. I fell in love with her writing when I found her Bullet Catcher series and love her romantic suspense voice. Barefoot with a Bodyguard takes Rocki's readers back to her RS roots....and we get time with Gabe Rossi too. Barefoot with a Bodyguard was an awesome story! I honestly loved every single thing about this book. Gabe Rossi has started a new business of protection/bodyguard services in Barefoot Bay. Gabe will help those individuals that Witness Protection can't help. Fans of the Guardian Angelinos series will love that we get time with Gabe in each story, as well as his grandpa, Uncle Nino. Both Katie and Alec are very strong characters. Katie is sent into hiding while she studies for the bar exam thanks to threats her judge father is receiving about her. Alec is a MMA trainer who is in hiding from the leader of the Russian Mob. I absolutely loved that Katie fought the entire time against being set up with protection, especially since she is forced to act as if she is on her honeymoon. Katie and Alec came from such different worlds, yet I felt their connection from the beginning. The chemistry between Alec and Katie grew stronger the more time they spent together. I loved that while Alec didn't see how Katie could find him attractive because of all his scars and his past, Katie thought he was beautiful. Of course, Alec and Katie aren't exactly the model clients for Gabe since they really aren't very good at following his rules. I really loved that Alec and Katie set up their own rules about being a couple and felt like they became a stronger couple. The suspense elements in Barefoot with a Bodyguard are awesome. I'm usually really good about figuring out who the bad guy is yet was completely stumped as to who was sending out the threats to Katie. I honestly don't know how I missed the clues, yet I did. I absolutely loved that Alec finally figured out how much he loved Katie when he knew she was in real danger. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the Barefoot Bay Undercover series. Not only do we get to spend time with Gabe in each book, but Roxanne St. Claire is a master at writing romantic suspense. I absolutely love Roxanne St. Claire’s voice in all genres. Her new and old fans alike will love Barefoot with a Bodyguard.

Alec Petrov has Dmitri Vlitnik, a Russian mobster, looking for him. Vlitnik thinks the time has come for Alec to be part of his group as the killer he knows Alec can be. Alec wants no part of this life and his friend Gregg helps him to go into hiding with the help of Gabriel Rossi. Gabe has the perfect plan....Alec will pretend to be the husband to another client who also needs to go into hiding, while also being her bodyguard. Kate Kingston is finally free of her ex-husband and all she wants to do is study, pass the law exam and practice law. Unfortunately, someone is threatening Kate and her father wants her protected so he gets in touch with Gabe Rossi. Gabe decides that Kate will pretend to be the wife of Alec, while on their honeymoon at Casa Blanca Resort & Spa...a perfect ruse. As Kate arrives at the spa, she meets Alec and is not happy about the arrangement. She does not want to rely on a man ever again! Gabe explains that she has no choice. In their villa they can be Kate and Alec but out of the villa they need to be Benjamin and Mathilda "Tilly" Carlson, two honeymooners happy in love. I just adored these two. I loved how they each had such an aversion to relationships based on their pasts. It was wonderful watching these two develop into such a fun and great couple. I loved how they kept blurring the lines of real and pretend. The added intrigue was fun. Totally did not guess what was going to happen! Love when I'm blindsided! It was a perfect mixture of intrigue and romance. Loved the secondary characters too! Poppy and Nino are a hoot together. Madame Valaina was awesome. Loved what she had Alec and Kate do. That was great! Overall I really enjoyed this first book in the new series from the Barefoot Bay line. I can't wait for the next one either!

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