Review: Gambling on the Bodyguard by Sarah Ballance

Title: Gambling on the Bodyguard
Author: Sarah Ballance
Published: October 12th 2015
Source: Copy given by author for honest review
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: May contain spoilers

He’ll guard her body all night long…

Ski instructor Ellie Montgomery hits Vegas during a romance convention to meet the man of her dreams…only, the man of her dreams isn’t the cover model she’s there to see. He’s the hot-as-sin bodyguard who catches her sneaking in the back door of a meet-and-greet, and he seems more than ready to do what it takes to prove he’s twice the man her pretty boy crush could ever be.

Jax Mathis couldn’t resist snagging a date with Ellie, but he didn’t count on the attraction being more than physical. They connect on a level he didn’t think possible—and he can’t run fast enough. She makes him want things he thought he’d never have, and maybe, just maybe, they’re within reach. But to have it, he’ll have to face the one mountain he swore he’d never climb...and with no guarantee she’ll be waiting on the other side.

My Thoughts:

These What Happens in Vegas stories are the best! I picked this one up after enjoying Sarah Ballance's Five Things I Love About You and expected another cute story. What I got was so much more!

Ellie went to Vegas with one man in mind, book cover model Willie Focker, and ends up finding Jax, Willie's bodyguard, instead. There's something so enchanting about Jax and Ellie. Neither one of them was expecting the other, and yet, there they were in the right place at the right time. Ellie and Jax get to know each other over the course of her trip, falling into a lust and bacon filled haze that can only happen in Vegas. Just when it seems like they might be on the same page, Jax falters. You know deep down how he must truly feel, but something is holding him back.

Gambling on the Bodyguard is no gamble--it's a win! Sarah Ballance brought us a sweet story with a lot more depth than I anticipated. This book grabbed my attention from the very start. I mean, it's funny, sexy, romantic... it was already a recommendation in my book before I was halfway through it.

My Rating:

Review: Five Things I Love About You by Sarah Ballance

Title: Five Things I Love About You
Author: Sarah Ballance
Published: August 17th 2015
Source: Copy given by author for honest review
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: May contain spoilers

Five things to love about NYC. But she only needs one...

California landscape artist Estelle Donovan hates big cities. Between the grime, the smell, all the drab concrete, and the suffocating summer heat, how can anyone breathe? Housesitting her brother's New York apartment, complete with broken elevator and smoking air conditioner, is her kind of hell. It's only for two weeks, though. What could possibly go wrong?

Dumping a jar of pickles on the hot girl at the grocery store wasn't Crosby Chase's finest hour, nor was getting bitten in the butt by the demonic cat on her fire escape. But he is going to change her mind about his beloved city, damn it. In fact, if they could just make it five minutes without falling into bed, he bets Estelle he can find five things she'll love about New York.

Falling in love wasn't part of his plan. And with an entire country between them, Crosby realizes he doesn't need five reasons to make Estelle love New York.

He needs one big reason to make her stay...

My Thoughts:

Stories that put the main character in a situation they're uncomfortable with always makes for great humor. This story definitely had that, and then some! Estelle hates being in New York City in her brother's apartment and she can't wait to get back to California. When she has a couple run-ins with Crosby, he wants to show her what New York has to offer when it comes to the good things. The overwhelming urge to dive into a temporary romance becomes too much and they give in. But that is what it is--temporary. Once the two weeks are up, she's going back to the home she loves and leaving the city behind once and for all. As much as he cares, he can't uproot himself from the city he loves and knows. Will they be able to make this work or is this the end?

Five Things I Love About You is super adorable, sweet, and hilarious. The build to romance was a comedy of errors, but that made it all the more lovable! The cat bite alone caused a number of laughs for me. Crosby and Estelle are great together--this sizzling chemistry that turns into a deep emotional connection. Loved it, loved it, loved it. Seriously can't wait for Sarah Ballance's next book!

My Rating: