Book Tour for Guarded by the Marshal by Kennedy L. Mitchell (REVIEW)…..

 A woman with a painful past trying to start over finds the past unwilling to let her go in this suspenseful tale with unexpected romance.  Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Guarded by the Marshal by Kennedy L. Mitchell, along with getting my impressions of this book, then add this first installment in the In Clear Sight series to your bookshelf!

I will stop at nothing to protect her.

The moment she takes the stand I’m lost, drowning in the details of her story escaping an infamous cult’s compound. Every part of me screams to keep her safe from the men eager to kill her for testifying.
When I'm the next US marshal assigned to her protection detail, I know it’s a mistake to make it personal. But taking her to my hometown is my best bet of keeping her safe until the trial is over.
Forced together day and night, her innocence begs me to show her just how good the right touch can be. Every stolen kiss is forbidden, putting my heart in danger for when she has to leave.
Each glance and unspoken word between us is a risk we shouldn't take.
Fantasies of us together become my only thoughts.
She's becoming my biggest weakness.
I knew better than to let my guard down.
Because the men she escaped from won’t stop until they have her back.

BUY here.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

From the moment I picked up this book I was on the edge of my seat in a story of action and suspense with a romance that was both supportive but also healing for two people bruised by their pasts.  Touching on issues seen in today's world readers will be captivated by the realism, hurting right alongside this couple as they fight to stay alive while fighting for their fragile love.  With each turn of the page readers will find much about this story that's familiar but there's much too that was satisfying in a gripping series starter that leaves you ready for more.

Rachel Smith is a heroine you're drawn to from the very start, a heroine with a tough upbringing who rolled the dice on love but found hell on earth instead as the unwilling victim of a cult.  Ready to reclaim her life she's set to testify against the cult's leader which puts her in constant danger that her assigned US Marshal, Max, must keep her safe from.  Throughout their time together their forced proximity yields unrelenting sexual tension that eventually takes a more emotionally engaging turn.  Rachel had an air of naïveté to her which has Max taking his time with her in sweet yet sensual encounters.  Despite her lack of worldliness there's a strong backbone to Rachel with her determination to testify, a need to keep other women safe that had me admiring her and cheering her on every step of the way.

Max Williams is a man full of flaws, a man who doesn't think he's worthy of happiness or anything good as he's weighed down by the bagge of PTSD, past alcoholism, and the emotional strains of divorce.  He's just going through the motions of life when readers first meet him, but the moment he meets Rachel is the moment he starts to fully come back to life.  He's drawn to her immediately with a gentle and protective side quickly emerging, one that has him putting everything on the line to keep her safe from the cult members.  Max is an intriguing hero, a bit rough at times but he's truly sweet and caring in his dealings with Rachel, taking the time she needs to reclaim her life.

On a whole this was a fast-paced read with a romance that brought out the best in both Rachel and Max.  Their time together made them stronger, showed them the power of love, and how worthy they both are for a HEA.  Their scenes were both gentle and tender, realistic in their thoughts and feelings.  The suspenseful twists and turns of this tale kept me further on edge, kept me frantically turning the pages to see what was going to happen next.  I also enjoyed the glimpses we got of fellow Marshals, Trapper and Shade, who have me counting down the days until they take center stage in this promising start to a new series.

My rating for this is a B.

*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Kennedy lives in Dallas with her husband, son, and 80lb Goldendoodle who still believes he’s a lap dog. A bookworm at heart, Kennedy loves to snuggle up in bed or by the campfire with an unputdownable book. She began writing two years ago with Falling for the Chance and has no plans of stopping. Her novels are witty, action-packed, and offer enough steam for a great facial. If you like strong heroines and sexy, tattooed men who can’t keep their hands off them, then this author is the one for you.