When former Secret Service agent Eve Garrett, gets a late night call from Tiffany Clayborne saying "Eve, please come and get me" she books over the the bar Tiffany says she's at. She met the girl when she was still an agent. Tiffany was her first assignment and she developed a big sister attachment to the kid that continues to this day. However, when Eve gets to the bar she sees some suspicious activity in a dark alley and her gut tells her that Tiffany is involved. When she goes after her, she's knocked out and when she comes to, Tiffany is gone. Eve believes that Tiffany is in danger. But when she goes to Tiffany's father, he doesn't want Eve anywhere near Tiffany. After all she was in charge the last time Tiffany got hurt.
Eve and Tiffany have put that incident behind them. Her father has not. He plans to hire his own private detective to check into this doesn't hesitate. Eve doesn't trust Tiffany's safety to anyone else and decides to hunt for her on her own. However, urging her search in Miami, Florida she runs into Clayborne's detective--her old flame, Mac, who loved her and left her. He's the last person she wants to see, especially on this case. However, when several attempts are made on Eve's life, Mac decides that they should stick together. And the closer they get to Tiffany, the more deadly secrets unfold and the more the danger rises.
The only thing Cindy had in mind when she started writing her first book was finishing it. The issue of actually selling it came much later. Only after she made that life-altering first sale did she realize that one book would never be enough. Now, over 20 books and numerous awards later, Cindy laughingly admits that she can barely remember life before...well, was there life before writing?
Actually, yes there was, and still is. A professional career woman, Cindy is a trainer for the Iowa Department of Human Services, a position she states is both challenging and rewarding. "Human Services is a front-line, real-life event. Everything about the job is immediate, from serving families in crisis, to assisting staff with difficult situations, to meeting tension-fraught deadlines."
Cindy's career has taught her much about the human condition, its frailties, its strengths, and its spirit. The evocative emotions that pour from the pages of her books are a reflection of some of her work experiences. Her writing celebrates life's richness and trials, offering a wide range of emotions — hope and elation, anger and indecision, laughter and, of course, love. And, according to her readers, her powerful love scenes run the gamut from steamy to tender to lusty to just plain fun.
Cindy's writing has netted her spots on bestseller lists, numerous RT nominations and awards, the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, a National Reader's Choice Award and two RITA nominations.
Between writing and working full time you wouldn't think Cindy would have much time for anything else. And while she does find her work and her writing rewarding, there does have to be more. Cindy has more. Much more. She is happily married to the perfect man. Tom's a cowboy, ladies!
Yes, even Iowa has its share of that saddle-straddling, Wrangler-wearing species who love their horses almost as much as they love their women. As a matter of fact, recently a whole herd of Texans gathered at the Gerard "Ranch" to treat their little ones to real horseback rides. Go figure.
Cindy has a passion for pink depression glass — she always has her eye out for the special piece to add to her collection. Cindy's down time often takes the form of the classic "busman's holiday." She loves to read and most of all, she loves to read at their summer place, a cabin in the woods on Lake Kabetogama in northern Minnesota.
Both Tom and Cindy enjoy gardening and have recently expanded their annual beds into a perennial garden. Cindy says she can hardly wait for spring and the promise of all that reawakening and the colorful blooms.
In addition to the horses, the Gerards have two dogs, Ellie and Boomer, who pretty much get anything they want. Tom and Cindy have one son, Kyle, who, after years of keeping them in suspense, found Eileen, the perfect woman.
To the Limit by Cincy Gerard combines romance, action, suspense, and the search for a young woman into a gripping novel. It’s the second book in the Bodyguard’s romantic suspense series. Former Secret Service agent Eve Garret gets a late call for help from Tiffany Clayborne. Tiffany and Eve had met when Eve was assigned to guard Tiffany and they developed a sisterly bond. When Eve arrives at the location, Tiffany isn’t there and Eve is attacked. When Eve goes to Tiffany’s father, he doesn’t want her to investigate. In fact, he’s hired his own private detective, Tyler “Mac” McClain, to locate Tiffany. Eve and Mac have a history. However, after several attempts on Eve’s life, the two decide to work together.
Eve and Mac are both likeable characters. There is immediate chemistry between them despite the lack of trust on Eve’s part. The entire story takes place during a relatively short time frame and with considerable action, suspense, and tension. The plot has a few twists to it and the apprehension level was extremely high at times. The narrative flows well with a thought-provoking story line and good characterization.
Overall, this was a great premise that delivered more than I expected in this chase story that also has a second chance romance aspect to it. I want to read more novels by this author.
I purchased a copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date August 30, 2005. ----------------------------------------- My 3.98 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
I am addicted to Cindy Gerrard! And I just want to continue reading all her books!
So here's a gif review. Yeah, it sucks, but that's as far as I'm gonna go
This one is about Eve, and she's the kick-ass sister from E.D.E.N. Security
And Mac, a P.I. with a great sense of humor
They have a history together
When it was discovered what happened to Eve all those years ago
The main story about Tiffany
My feelings for Tiffany and all that was happening to her
UNTIL she met Billie, kinda liked them both
The action and suspense part of the book
The bad guy, was just a little weird for me
The ending
BUT, there are some things I didn't like.
I kept waiting for her to tell him! Tell him what happened! It could have been dramatic and emotional and all, but NO. Just went past it, to get it over with.
It was supposed to be like this:
But it turned out like this:
And one other thing. Why does her every book end with a marriage proposal?
Why couldn't they just be happy and together? Why marriage all of the sudden, and yes, it is all of the sudden because they were together like a week or so! *facepalm*
As far as regular mass market romantic suspense books go this is pretty good, but as with most mass market romantic suspense the author unfortunately shirks on the romance and focuses too much on the suspense. There was so much potential to make this into a really strong love story but it just never gets there and the love story is almost secondary.
Book 2 in Gerard’s Bodyguards series focuses on the sister Eve Garret. She gets a disturbing message from a young woman she used to be a bodyguard for and decides to see what’s up. As the mystery unravels she realizes that someone is out to kill her too but she doesn’t know why. While trying to track down Tiffany she meets up with PI Mac who was her first love in high school but it ended very badly (the wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am kind) and now the sparks fly :) Mac tries to play it like Mr Cool but mature when he meets her and Eve gives him the icy cold shoulder.
Mac is a great hero. He’s the strong jock type who’s really a sensitive soul when you cut through the macho crap and slowly he lets Eve see that. Eve wants everyone to see her as a tough as nails I-can-get-by-on-my-own kind of woman and she is but she wants someone to share her life with.
The tension build-up between the two is well-done especially when Mac calls her cupcake just to get her riled –he does a lot of that throughout the book and deep down she loves it even if she’d have some zingers of a comeback lined up to shut him up. The love hate pull between the two of them lasted for a good portion of the book. There’s some of that “I’ll protect you no matter what” on Mac’s part which heightened the romance aspect too. Unfortunately there was only one good steam scene and the rest are all fade black. Hate when authors do that and it’s pretty common in RS.
As for the suspense, it’s ok if too predictable. Spoiled rich girl Tiffany comes from a loveless family, stuck with bad people because she’s strung out on drugs, they keep plying her with the drugs and take her money while prancing around the States. When the psycho killer was revealed I was surprised but it was a somewhat convoluted and unbelievable when a drive-by would’ve been so much easier to get their revenge.
One thing that wasn’t well-developed was Eve’s "big secret" from high school after her one night with Mac. It was built up as something very hush hush and you figure that this will be a big moment between her and Mac but it really fizzled into a few lines of back story narration as if the author was getting close to her word count max so she let that drop. The heart to heart never happened. A bit sloppy there stringing the reader along like that. As for the ending it was way too corny for my liking.
Overall I really liked the hero, the story itself was alright, the heroine was good too but it was just missing something in the romance to give it a 5.
I had a hard time getting into this book. It wasn't until about halfway through that I was into it enough to want to keep reading. I didn't necessarily think it was bad, it just didn't trip my switches.
Series note: I wouldn't necessarily say this series (so far) needs to be read in order, but there are probably benefits from doing so.
Summary: Eve Garrett, co-partner in her family's security business, E.D.E.N., receives a mysterious message one night from her young friend Tiffany, saying the girl is in trouble. But when Eve goes to help her, she almost gets killed instead. Suddenly, not only is Tiffany apparently in trouble, but someone wants Eve dead as well. As she starts to investigate, Eve runs into Tyler "Mac" McClain, a guy she had a one night stand with in high school. He promised to call the next day...but never did and Eve has let the anger fester for all these years.
When Mac sees Eve again, he's struck by the woman she's become, and by regret over how he treated her in high school. He quickly realizes, though, that it will take a lot to get past the walls she's put up. Thankfully, he'll have plenty of time to work on it as the two race - sometimes separately, sometimes together - to find Tiffany and avoid whoever wants Eve dead.
Review: From pretty early on, this book kinda bored me with the constant antagonism between Mac and Eve. I like some angst in my romance, but 200 pages of these two battling back and forth got on my nerves. I got tired of reading Eve's snarky comments about Mac. Grant it, what he did to her was wrong, but it was 14 years ago! He was a dumb guy doing what dumb guys tended to do at that age. I just thought she was rather judgmental about him.
Which made the romance rather flat for me. It had some serious heat when it finally progressed to that part, but I felt like something was missing from the emotional connection between the two. Like the just needed to seriously clear the air between them. And one thing that really bugged me was how Eve's miscarriage after their one-night stand in high school was treated. It's a big secret she's keeping and at the end, all there is is a one paragraph summary saying that night she told him about the baby and they cried together. Lame. That issue deserved a lot more space.
The storyline was okay. I thought it flowed pretty well and the suspense was good. There are definitely some dark elements to certain parts of the story (the club Oracle thing). I wasn't entirely into the whole spoiled rich girl (Tiffany) thing, but I ended up liking the poor girl.
So...I didn't think this book was as good as the first, but I didn't mind it. It was mostly a character thing that bugged me. I still plan to read more of this series.
WARNING, this book contains: the near gang-rape of a supporting character
Thankfully, I liked this, the second book in Cindy Gerard’s Bodyguard series, better than the first. It didn’t have any of the cheesy moments that stuck out in To the Edge, and there was definitely a lot more going on, with plenty of twists and turns.
Responding to a frantic call from her estranged friend, Tiffany, Eve Garret (sister of Nolan from To the Edge) finds herself on the wrong end of a violent attack, being told that she is dead but just doesn’t know it yet.
Very soon after, she discovers that Tiffany is in fact missing, and Eve instinctively knows something is very wrong. While looking for clues into Tiffany’s possible whereabouts, Eve crosses paths with Tyler “Mac” McClain, the man to whom she lost her virginity 14 years ago, who has been hired to find Tiffany.
To say that Eve and Mac’s encounter 14 years ago ended badly would be an understatement, so it is no surprise that Eve wants nothing to do with Mac now. But the threats and attempts on Eve’s life keep coming, and Eve has a strange suspicion that they could somehow be connected to Tiffany’s disappearance.
Eve can look after herself, but Tiffany’s safety must come before Eve’s own agenda so she begrudgingly finds herself with Mac on a race across the country and against the clock.
I was prepared not to like Mac after what he did to Eve when she was 18. I remember being 18, and being told by a guy that he loves you before taking your virginity, then being told that he’ll call you tomorrow never to be seen or heard from him again would be pretty devastating. But I also remember 18 year old boys, and Mac’s behavior, while not acceptable, was hardly unique.
There was more to this sad little tale, and the author made much of the secret Eve was keeping from Mac. I was pretty disappointed in Gerard for making so much out of it and then blocking the reader from sharing the big reveal. A brief sentence saying ”Later that night, Eve told him about _________” and providing no insight into the discussion was pretty poor form.
Apart from that, I really enjoyed Eve and Mac’s rediscovery of each other and watching Eve go from animosity to curiosity to acceptance of the attraction. Mac was definitely a likeable character, complex, tough and human, and I appreciated that the author was realistic in her portrayal of his attitude to the encounter 18 years ago. There was some great banter between these two.
The suspense plot was pretty good in this one, with plenty of changes in location and some pretty nasty characters keeping it moving and keeping it interesting. Some nice twists and turns and well-developed secondary characters also added texture.
Of course, if there can be one complaint when the suspense element is so strong, it is that the romance element often suffers - and there were significantly more pages devoted to the suspense plot that the romance.
I find Ethan to be the most interesting in the Garret family, so I’m really looking forward to his book, up next in To the Brink.
Opening Line: "Dark she could do, Eve Garrett thought as she sat by the curb, her Mazda motor running."
Eve Garrett has never forgotten her first love Tyler “Mac” McCain, the arrogant boy who seduced and then abandoned her all those years ago. Now a member of her family’s security business (E.D.E.N) this former FBI agent is on the hunt for the missing teenage daughter of Florida’s most reclusive billionaire. A frantic message from the missing party girl takes Eve to a midnight rendezvous where she’s attacked and left for dead.
The attack leaves Eve more determined then ever to find Tiffany and even though she’s officially been taken off the case Eve sets out for Key West where, surprise, surprise she runs into Mac, now a PI who’s also trying to find “Tiff” At first Eve refuses to share any information with Mac but after a couple of attempts on her life and because he keeps turning up at every new lead, she realizes that they’ll have a better chance finding the girl working together rather then against each other. Besides he’s changed and Eve doesn’t think she can fight her attraction to this new improved Mac any longer. The search takes our couple (who remain two steps behind) from Florida to New York, into Las Vegas and finally small town Arizona.
I loved the chase aspect of this story; following leads and travelling to different cities and Mac was a fun and sexy character. He was also a real guy with a bum knee and limitations not one of these black op superheroes we see so often in romantic suspense. I never quite warmed up to Eve though and for the most part found her annoying. Their trip to the bondage sex club was just weird (reminding me of Lora Leigh without the graphics) although in saying that the ride home in the limo afterwards and the leather cod piece was pretty funny. I also liked the peeks we got into Tiffany’s head and grew more and more sympathetic towards her as the story went on.
I have to say that at times this story stalled because there was so much introspective dialogue going on. Every single thought or action seemed to get analyzed for at least half a page when I just wanted them to get on with it. The romance itself never really grabbed me either, as delightful as Mac was the connection just seemed to be missing.
This is book 2 from Cindy Gerard’s Bodyguard series and a pretty good romantic suspense, although I still prefer her (BOI’s). Cheers
After a so-so start, I really hoped this series would pick up pace, especially since the blurb promised a kick-ass heroine. Well, Eve was kick-ass, but she was also annoying as hell.
I hate it when authors cannot create some exciting tension between the leads without resorting to the almost-nonexistent-for-so-much-use and cheep ploy as the "big misunderstanding". And I hate it even more when they let that misunderstanding fester and fester and go on ad infinitum, gobbling up the rest of the story. Because the "big misunderstanding" used in this instance was so overdone it was pitiful. Do you really expect me to believe a strong, resilient, self-made, ex-Secret Service woman would hold a grudge for fourteen years against the man who took her virginity and then never called her again? It's been (only) ten years for me and if I met the guy on the street I wouldn't even recognize him. But that's real life for you. In real life I don't even remember his name, he was Dutch, I think. And even that's pretty much TMI for those reading this review. As I said, that's what happens in real life. In Romancelandia I'd have a voodoo doll stashed in my apartment full of needles, wishing the pox on the poor soul.
I loved the hero, though. He was quirky, funny, truly a triple-A, and probably something along the lines of faccia da schiaffi as the Italians would put it. But I loved him to bits. Pity he got the annoying end of the stick in the heroine department.
Again, kudos for the mystery, though the reader is again left without the pertinent clues and the big reveal comes with a huge "huh" factor. And the Tiffany scenes were redundant if you ask me, put in to stretch the (almost) nonexistent plot for a couple more pages.
Eve Garrett is dragged back into the case that destroyed her career as a Secret Service Agent when Tiffany Clayborne, the daughter of an eccentric billionaire, disappears without a trace. Determined to find the girl, Eve faces three distinct problems: a) Tiffany is a well-known party girl skilled at getting herself into trouble, b) someone is stalking Eve, and c) P.I. Tyler "Mac" McCain, a blast from her past, is also on Tiffany's trail. Can Eve stay alive long enough to save her protectee?
Unfortunately, the second installment in Gerard's Bodyguards series does not live up to its potential. The suspense plot is a confusing mix of disjointed points and the romance is weak and prosaic.
Eve is supposedly a highly trained and intelligent agent, but is constantly caught off guard. It is only sheer dumb luck that saves her on multiple occasions. Mac isn't much better as his past behavior and current attitude toward Eve portray him as a sexist jerk more interested in her physical attributes than her professional skills.
Instead of pooling resources, Mac and Eve take the competitive approach to working the case. This is counterproductive not only in terms of the investigation, but also to the romance as the love/hate relationship does not develop in a believable manner and the eventual "I love yous" are unrealistic.
The mystery is unnecessarily convoluted with a mish-mash of threads that ultimately converge, but not in a cohesive or unified way. Some of the villains are creepy yet inept while others are certainly dangerous, but fail to ratchet up the tensions due to a lack of characterization. The climax and resolution are formulaic and the explanation has no foundation within the storyline.
All in all, a disappointing read due to the annoying couple and uninspired plot. Hopefully the next installment will be better.
LOL Never again MY EYESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS What a mess.
-people falling in love within a week -thinking about marriage in that same time span -stupid alpha males (they gotta be done right and this book failed) -the chick falling in love again with a guy.. who she had a crush on in high school who basically took her virginity and ran off -a grown man thinking the best sex of his life (before he went at it with the same chick as an adult) was when he was 18... that bothers me.. I am not sure how most people will feel about it. The same goes for the girl. Again she was a virgin. -A girl whose been emotionally abused finding love out of nowhere. Dude at least let her trust people again before making her magically fall in love with one of the dudes who in a round about way was one of her kidnappers. I DONT FUCKING CARE THAT HE NEVER INDULGED IN THE ACTUAL ABUSE. HE WITNESSED IT AND DID NOTHING and basically 'did not understand why she would do that to herself'. Fuck you man. -Bad mystery -Bad everything
Basically if you're even contemplating reading this, read it for the laughs, not because you're actually going to get something out of it.
Wasn't sure about Mac in the beginning he came across as a bit of a bum but I soon warmed to him and learnt that he was a loveable rogue and although he wasn't written as the Typical Alpha male he was definately a sexy one.
I liked Eve as she was a down to earth woman who had been hurt by men (including Mac) in the past and found it hard to trust men. They were definately well suited and I was glad to see them get their HEA.
Though the plot was more predictable than in To the Edge, this was a fast paced and action packed story.
Here again I really loved Eve and Mac, the secondary characters were great and the attraction between Eve and Mac was hot. But what I enjoyed the most in this story is that even though she had many occasion to act TSTL, Eve was never reckless or stupid. I also liked how Cindy Gerard described Mac and Ali’s relationship. Poor Mac, I hurt for him.
This was book 2 in "The Bodyguards" series. Eve Garrett has never forgotten her first love Tyler "Mac" McCain, the arrogant boy who seduced and then abandoned her all those years ago. Now a member of her family's security business the former FBI agent is on the hunt for the missing teenage daughter of Florida's most reclusive billionaire. A frantic message from the missing girl Tiffany takes Eve to a midnight rendezvous where she's attacked and left for dead. The attack leaves Eve more determined then ever to find Tiffany and even though she's officially off the case Eve goes to Key West where she gets a surprise she runs into Mac who is now a PI who is also trying to find Tiffany. At first Eve refuses to share any information with Mac but after someone tries to kill her twice and because he keeps turning up at every new lead she realizes that they'll have a better chance of finding the girl working together rather then against each other. This was a good read I liked both of these characters they had some hot chemistry. This was a good read that I listened to on audio the narration was really good. I am looking forward to listening to the next book in this series.
I really must be a sucker for strong men, but this guy is one of my favorites. Tyler shows up on the scene while eve is looking for a former protectee from her Secret Service days, looking like a beach bum. He and she spar and fight through out the book and you love their funny way of dealing with each other. Eve and Tyler have a background that has hidden secrets that they need to overcome to find the love that is there for the taking. Their journey to finding their friend is exciting and yet touching as they each deal with their own hurts and find each other.
I have only read to page 100 or so and just can't be bothered to finish it. The writing isn't bad, but Eve annoys me so much that I am going to put this book aside for a while and try again later. I had really high hopes for Cindy Gerard and her books, but I don't think they are really for me. Out of the three I have tried so far I struggled with the first, To The Edge as well as this one. Number three, To The Brink, I did enjoy, so I will try again later and see if I can finish this one later.
This series has not taken off yet in my opinion. I really liked the hero and heroine's personalities; I even could accept and appreciate a story of a love story born while teenagers (which rarely works out for me). But the problem was their quest. I never managed to like Tiffany, the spoiled and ultra stupid unconfident daughter of a multi-millionaire and deceased model. I honestly would have let her to her demise;( This costs at least one star to this book.
No me gustan los personajes que crea esta escritora. Sobre todo los protagonistas masculinos. Para mí, hay ciertas cosas que son imperdonables. Se puede ser inmaduro, sí. Pero difiere bastante de lo que es nuestro “maravilloso” protagonista. A eso se le llama ser un cabrón o un capullo. Punto y final.
Edito: La parte de suspense en el “romántica de suspense” ha sido tan aburrida y predecible que hasta se me había olvidado escribir sobre ella en la reseña 😅
Major spoilers, so do not read if you do not want to what went down! Also, it's kind of a harsh review/ rant, but that's just what I was thinking at 1am. So just my honest opinion.
The thing is, this series has sooo much potential because I absolutely love how a family have decided to create their own special agency and the characters are soo great! Honestly, I did like Eve's character until she gave in and had sex with Mac. Even though she did make dumb moves and the ONLY reason she was on par with Mac was because of her resources, especially her uncle, There was just something I liked about her. Liked being the key word, before she slept with Mac.
Like what the hell... Why? I understand he's hot and "oh so good looking", but don't you remember how much he hurt you. And they NEVER discussed that. Not once. And then rightttt at the end of the book, you get like one sentence, after they have declared their "love" for one another, of how she had a miscarriage. Excuse me! What about the trauma you felt after it, having experienced it all alone. And not letting any man get that emotionally close to you in 14 years because of it! How you feared having a relationship because you believed they would hurt you the same. And then what, you just jump into bed with this man and have sex with him repeatedly? Err no, just no! -_- Also, you have such a strong bond with your family. After 14 years I'm sooo surprised you haven't told anyone at all, not even your mother or brothers. And then you just let this man back into your life and "love" him in the end. I just don't believe it.
And Mac! I really disliked him. Usually I'm gushing over the male lead and love how hot and protective they are. But Mac... no! I would stay the hell away from him. I get you were 18 and made a mistake, but what was your reason for leaving anyway? And your "excuse" of rashly getting married and having a baby to forget Eve, please = BULLSHIT! And I understand you love your daughter and would do anything for her, but I felt like she was just added there for some "depth" to the character. And Mac's character was too boring and unlikeable, so the author included a sweet little girl as an after thought! Erm .. Wrong move! 99% of the time I forget she even existed. Sorry, but it added nothing to the two dimensional asshat known as Mac.
However, I do love the special bond this family have and how they interact with one another and love one another. They will protect each other until the end, and I enjoyed the epilogue! Definitely the best bit of the whole book.
Also, I honestly didn't even like the plot. The whole thing with Tiffany and someone trying to kill Eve, and then finding out who it actually was in the end. Excuse me, but how stupid these people are to fall for it and be manipulated? Like please, I know this is fiction but still. No one can be that stupid. And I understand that Tiffany's father is non-existent and "oh so exclusive" but seriously! How can no one realise he's been dead! That's just plain stupid and trying to tie plot holes together when they don't even fit! With how he was such a crappy father, I would've believed that he sold his daughter out to save his own life and for money! But having been killed and no one knowing, that's just ridiculous!
And Billie? We only heard of him in the last like 5% of the book. Who the hell are you? You saw what was happening with Tiffany the wholeeee time, and you just decided to act now. And then all of a sudden your actually a good guy, bla bla.
I don't know!
The whole plot just had wayyyy to many flaws. But having said all this, I am still giving it 2/5 stars instead of 1, only because I love the family. so I will read the next book, only to see how things progress with the brothers. I hope we can get some more reading time with their mother and father. They seem super interesting!! Would love to see the brothers interact with them more. and I can't wait to read Ethan's book. What made him get a divorce and something tells me he must clearly still love her after all these years and when we get to his book, she'll be the main female character. Can't wait.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
A story of second chances, where Tyler, the guy who disillusioned Eve and gave her serious trust issues after unexpectedly re-enters her life.
Tyler, who was admittedly a jerk when he was younger, is more than happy about reuniting with Eve, and tries to take that opportunity to maybe right some wrongs, but she'll have none of it. The two engage in a race to find a missing heiress before the other one can, but soon enough they realize that it might be better to work together instead.
Engaging story with a strong heroine and an easygoing, likeable hero, who make a very well-suited couple and an even better team.
The series continues with Eve's eldest brother Ethan in To the Brink.
Another fast paced, suspenseful and action packed read in Cindy Gerard’s 2nd book of her Bodyguards Series.
A short summary - The story is about two people, who share a past history, having to team up together in saving a billionaire’s daughter who has disappeared. During the journey, the two protagonists will rediscover each other, having to deal with the attraction for each other which began years before.
Eve Garrett, a former Secret Service agent, who together with her brothers set up E.D.E.N, a private security firm, is such a refreshing change from the damsel in distress norm. She’s beautiful, sensual, smart, strong, assertive and independent and can take care of herself without any help for a man. It’s refreshing to have some women portrayed more than just a fill-in to the macho alpha males as seen in a large number of books and this author does it really well here.
Tyler “Mac” McClain is a strong and fabulous alpha hero, whose life is in a pretty mess right now. A former cop with the Chicago police, he was forced to leave after being injured, set up his own private investigation firm. Divorced with a small child, who he seldom gets to see, he’s trying to make enough money to pay the child support, he’s thankful when he’s offered a job to finding a billionaire’s missing daughter, whose life is believed to be in danger.
When Eve & Mac meet up again…wow!!!! Their relationship just takes off!! Mac is determined to get Eve back into his life and into his bed – naturally!!!!! Stupid man…why did he ever think he could forget someone like her??? So it begins…the sexual tension build-up heats up and their chemistry together is explosive. And I loved the sharp, smart and so clever dialogue between the two. Amazing character development. They are compelling and so believable that you are immediately drawn into their lives – appearances made by some of the characters from the previous book and who I am sure will have their own story soon.
I was completely drawn to Eve & Mac, two people who had loved and lost, feeling hurt and distrustful after previous experiences in their lives and who ultimately find happiness together…at last…as it was meant to be from the beginning.
I am enjoying this series and will definitely continue reading the next books and if you are a lover of great romance suspense I do suggest you read it.
Cindy Gerard is shouldering her way through to become one of my top favourite authors.
That lady knows how to rock a page with witty banter, adrenaline pumping excitement and hunky hotness.
To The Limit was a fan-fcking-tastic read. I loved it from start to finish.
Eve was a tough as nails heroine with a great amount of spunk. And it made me all giddy to see her getting a piece of Mac. Ohhh Mac, you sexy, protective spunk of a man. What I would give to wrap me legs around you and.....
Just like the first installment in this series, the reader is left reeling, wondering where all the twists and turns will finally take us. It wasn't predictable and I love the intense emotions this book brought out in me.....the vast majority being lust for Mac, but there were a whole heaps of others too.
I would have loved to read a whole heap more saucy scenes, but this book was definitely an enjoyable read for me.
Now I'm off to find out what is in store for me in the next book. Woot Woot.
To the Limit is the 2nd book in The Bodyguards series and it is great. I had great hopes for this series and so far I have not been disappointed. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
This one is about Eve the twin of Nolan and only girl. She is former Secret Service and the reason for the former is Tiffany, poor little rich girl. Tiffany's father had Eve fired over an attempted kidnap. Eve did her job and kept Tiffany safe, but Daddy had her fired anyway. Fast forward, Tiffany has become quite the party animal and calls Eve in the dead of night to meet her. Eve arrives only to get a beat down and a death threat message. What the....! Eve tries to find Tiffany but finds Mac, Eve's 1st love, rat bastard, who has been hired to find Tiffany. Eve has a lot of bad feelings and deep down a smoldering ember for this guy. Mac just thinks she has grown up to be a really fine lady and wants to reignite the fire. Together they follow Tiffany and a rock band she has hooked up with. Eve is receiving more death threats and near misses. It looks more and more like Tiffany is being held against her will and that the death threats and the death threats are connected. Mac and Eve start a fire as they search for Tiffany.
When security specialist Eve Garret arrives in a bad part of town for her meeting with Tiffany Clayborne, she is attacked and knocked out. Upon recovering, she finds that her friend, Tiffany, has been missing for three weeks and decides to find her. But Tiffany's father has hired private investigator Tyler "Mac" McClain to find his wayward daughter and bring her home. Eve and Mac know each other. He seduced and abandoned her 14 years ago. What starts out as a competition to see who can find Tiffany first, turns serious when an attempt is made on Eve's life. Soon the two are joining forces to find Tiffany who may actually be in danger.
This is the second book in Gerard's Bodyguards series. Eve and Mac are striking sparks off of each other from their first meeting. Both characters are smart, playful and likeable. I was happy when Mac apologized to Eve for abandoning her years ago. The suspense portions of the book are interesting. I figured out who was behind Tiffany's disappearance, but it didn't diminish the story. My rating: 4.5 Stars.
You seldom come across (or I seldom come across) a romantic suspense novel with a strong, capable heroine who knows her limitations but also knows how to handle herself and won't be bullied into submission by an alpha male. You also don't easily find heroes who accept that their heroine knows how to take care of herself, even if he doesn't like it. In To the Limit, Ms. Gerard created 2 fantastic characters with strong personalities that didn't overwhelm each other.
It was a great book. I loved it and everything about it. The author balanced the romance and the suspense well (a difficult feat, in my opinion). It was action packed and full of interesting and relevant supporting characters that were different enough that they didn't all combine and become confused in my head.
I don't usually enjoy romantic suspense, but I have very much enjoyed both books I've read by Ms. Gerard. I definitely plan on reading more by her.
I loved Cindy's Black Ops series when I found it over the summer. After reading those I had to start the Bodyguard series. The first in the series was good but this one was so much better. I loved it and didnt want to stop reading. If you are looking for a good romantic suspense this is definitely one you have to pick up. While I also am one of those that doesnt read a series out of order, you really dont have to read the first Bodyguard book to read this one.
Eve Garrett: ex-Secret Service; assigned to friend/spy/counter spy of president; when daughter almost kidnapped on her watch, daughter not taken but 2 others on their side, and 2 bad guys, died, and Mr. Clayborne insisted on her resignation; she stayed in contact with the daughter (Tiffany); now a PI in family business E.D.E.N.; someone is threatening her (used a stun gun until she passed out, and dropping notes in her personal, and she gets a call from Tiffany asking for help - though not actually from Tiffany, but from bad woman); Eve sure something shady is going on with Tiffany; now works with brothers
Tyler "Mac" McClain: ex-policeman, but blew knee out and unable to continue; has pension but needs more money as his daughter is half across the country; so he PI's; takes job to locate Tiffany;
Tiffany Clayborne: no mother, neglected by father, who sends her to boarding school; needy; drugs; wants attention; is 18, and hooking up with bands for a few weeks at a time, pays for their everything, travels a bit with them; but dad's assistant's assistant (sister to 2 guys Eve killed when they tried to kidnap Tiffany) is out to get Eve and Clayborne family... and hires 2 guys in a band to kill her; but 2 guys get greedy, keep her drugged with strong stuff, and take her money...
Eve and Mac have a history... school together, and he talks her into sex after they graduate - tells her he loves her, and disappears... but end up working together to locate Tiffany... at first they both get to places she landed (Carribean and New York) at same time but different paths... start to worry something more going on with Tiffany then rebellion, and work together...
end up on West Coast and succumbed to passion... and forgiveness... and sincere sorry... and friends... and no breaking them up...
Tiffany gets a happy ending too... a third member of the band, who didn't know what was going on, sees her need, and takes her away from the other two (right before they were going to kill her... and he is kind, and gentle, and caring... and takes her home to Utah... and for the first time she finds out what a healthy family is like...
dad's assistant and his assistant kill her dad... track her to Utah... and our two get to the family ranch just ahead of the bad guys... And manage to secure their position...
ahhhh
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was....very bad. I am very surprised. I think I may skip the Bodyguards series after all because I am not charmed.
General:
1) I hated both Eve & Mac. Eve needed to be stronger, especially for working at a security firm. Was extremely disappointed. Mac was still a shitty character, not charming at all, and a piece of shit to this day.
2) The suspenseful part kept me interested until the end and how it got wrapped up. DUMB. Way too pretty of a bow, random plot points that came from freaking nowhere, and INCREDIBLY undeveloped characters and plotlines.
Spoilers now:
3) The miscarriage plotline was also not as well developed as the others reviews mistakenly led me to believe. It was solved by her telling him and comforting him by saying "We will make another baby. Let's start now!" Ugh.
4) Why would you try for another baby when you can't even obtain custody of the child you already have because you are inconsistent with finances and time? I don't see how the wife was the bitch here, he definitely didn't deserve full custody or any type of custody. Bye.
5) The sexual parts--thoughts and scenes were soo weirdly placed and written it flat out weirded me the hell out and made me uncomfortable. Just noooo.
6) The scene with Tiffany and Billie getting together????? WHATTTTTT. Talk about no build up, random curveball. With build up this could've been really good.
7) You're really going to sit here and talk throughout the entire novel about how she felt guilty for killing the two guys in the past and then the first thing she says after she kills another human being for the first time since that experience is "give me M&Ms" ARE YOU SERIOUS????? So. Freaking. Weird.
8) I recommend you read the other 1-star review. EVERYTHING is correct. I would also like to add: Yes, if you're gonna do an alpha male do it right. No "I was taken to the hospital like some ninny." Excuse me, jerk, getting care does not make you a ninny. There is strength in taking proper care of yourself. Duuuuuuuuumb.
What even did I read.
It was just all bad. I hated this. I'm very disappointed.