Texas Bodyguard: Luke by Janie Crouch
San Antonio Security #1

Claire and Luke met while being fostered in a group home that was less than the best. Luke protected Claire then was more than willing to do so again when she found herself in need of protection and went to him for help. His business partners and brothers by choice and adoption rather than blood were the perfect people to assist Claire once they determined the dire and potentially lethal situation she was in.

This was an action packed, intriguing, suspense-filled romance with main characters that belonged together. The introduction to the four men in the Patterson family brotherhood was made and each one definitely deserves to have a book if his own, find his partner, and settle into a happy future. I look forward to reading each of the remaining books in this series.

Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars ( )

Fantastic start to the new series. The San Antonio Security series is about four men, adopted as youths from the foster care system, who form their own security company. The adoptive parents who raised them are a fantastic couple, and I enjoyed meeting them all. This book focuses on Luke and the girl he never forgot. After Claire was sent to another home and Luke was adopted, they lost track of each other. Luke leans on the introverted side of the spectrum and is least likely to be asked to deal with their customers. He's gruff and grumpy (especially when it's his turn to deal with the paperwork) but has a talent for reading people that has served the company well. He has a great relationship with his brothers and his parents.

Claire has been an introvert all of her life, preferring to live her life and do her job with as little attention as possible. A computer genius, she has a job writing software and apps for a big company. When she and her boss, Julia, figure out that the CEO plans to use the app Claire has been working on to steal personal and financial information from its users, they know what they must do. As Julia gets the proof they need to stop him and sends it to Claire, she is murdered, and Claire witnesses it all on the video link. She knows she is in danger and goes to the only person she can trust for help - Luke.

I liked the first meeting between Luke and Claire. Luke never forgot the sweet girl he nicknamed "Kitten" and protected from the bullies at their foster home. He is determined to protect her and clear her name when she comes to him. He doesn't expect the burst of attraction he feels for her or the stirring up of emotions he's buried for years. Claire discovers that even after years apart, Luke is still her hero. I liked seeing them get to know each other as they worked together. I loved seeing Claire soften Luke's rough edges and laughed out loud at his brothers' teasing. At the same time, Luke's belief in Claire, her intelligence, and her strength gave her confidence and helped bring her out of her shell. I loved the scenes with Luke's parents, their unquestioning love and acceptance of Claire, and its effect on her. I loved the ending and seeing them come together.

The suspense of the story was outstanding. The intensity never let up from the minute Claire connected with her friend and boss. When Claire finds out her boss plans to do something illegal with the program she wrote, she is more than willing to help get the information to the authorities. She was not expecting to witness her friend's murder and find herself the next person in the crosshairs. She knows she's in danger, which is driven home when she goes home to get her cat, Khan, before going on the run and barely escapes the thugs sent after her. She runs to Luke for help.

I was on the edge of my seat as she and Luke barely stayed a step ahead of the men after them. The bad guy's influence and resources enable him to do anything he wants to stop Claire from exposing him. But Luke and Claire aren't in it alone. I loved seeing how his brothers had his back and worked with him. The final confrontation was a nail-biter as it looked like the bad guy might succeed in his quest. But not only is Claire smarter than he is, she also has a secret weapon that saves her life. I loved seeing it all go down, and the resolution was excellent.

One of my favorite secondary characters was Claire's Maine coon cat, Khan. He is a large cat and acts more like a dog than a cat. It was fun to see other characters interact with him. I loved the moral support that Khan provided Claire, as someone she could confide her fears and dreams and who kept her company in her lonely life. I liked seeing his antics as a guard cat-dog, plus he was an excellent judge of character.

I liked Luke's brothers. From what has been revealed so far, it sounds like all four men had rough lives in the foster care system. Luke's story was heartbreaking. The book's prologue was an emotional look at what it meant for him to be adopted by the Pattersons. I can't wait to read the stories of the other brothers.

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