Title:  Necessary Risk
Series:  Bodyguard #1
Author:  Tara Wyatt
Genre:  Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Published:  February 23, 2016
Publisher:  Forever
My Rating:  4 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

Former child star Sierra Blake is making a stunning Hollywood comeback—and attracting a scary amount of attention. When her home is vandalized and her safety threatened, she knows it’s time to bring in the professionals. But from the moment she sets eyes on her indecently sexy new bodyguard, Sean Owens, Sierra’s thoughts are anything but professional…

Few things in this world scare Sean—until he realizes he’s in serious danger of losing his heart to his new client. No matter how much he wants to, Sean won’t let his feelings for the smart and gorgeous Sierra get in the way of doing his job. Because as the attacks against her escalate, crossing the line between business and pleasure could get them both killed.

Read on for my thoughts on Necessary Risk.  No true spoilers, promise.

It’s always a treat for me to read an author’s debut novel.  Such possibilities await and in the case of Tara Wyatt – I never would have imagined that Necessary Risk was her first published work.  She has created a world that is easy to fall into, believe and relate to the troubles of the characters.

When Sierra made the decision to be a spokesperson for Choices she never thought about the possible backlash or dangers of that simple decision.  She saw a way to help, to make a difference, but now she’s the target of someone who is quickly escalating in their attempt to shut down Choices and Sierra.

Sean has been in the security business for about a decade, and in that time he’s never, ever been drawn to a client the way he is to Sierra.  Mixing his business with pleasure is a surefire way to get someone injured or killed.  That distraction could harm them both, but it’s obvious that the feeling is not going away – and guarding Sierra has become a personal quest that he’d take on for a lifetime.

With twists, surprises, and an ending that will most likely surprise you, Necessary Risk takes the reader on a suspenseful journey of not only finding out who is after Sierra but watching two people fall in love amidst the present dangers.  The main characters are written realistically and it’s not a stretch of the imagination to see them as real people with real troubles.  Sierra is a strong woman, she’s not afraid to ask for help or protection when things get beyond control but she’s also not a pushover.  Sean is a character I adored, he knows when to be tough but he also knows the value of tenderness.  He will protect Sierra with everything he’s got.  Sure, it’s dangerous to be falling in love with someone who should have his undivided professional attention, but maybe since the stakes are higher he is the perfect man for the job.  World building and secondary characters are important to me, especially in the first story of a series.  The banter between characters who will undoubtedly have their own tales to tell in the future was lively, funny and fit just right.

If you love your hero and heroine strong and capable, if the suspense in a story is just as important as the romance – then Necessary Risk is a book that should be on your reading list.  It’s always fun to start a series at the very beginning and this one is no exception.  The rest of the series should be a blast and I’m looking forward to the next story in the Bodyguard series.

*I received an e-ARC of Necessary Risk from the publisher, Grand Central Publishing – Forever  and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

Available in paperback and for the Kindle