Release Blitz ~ The Soldier and the Bodyguard by RJ Scott (Review + Excerpt)

Posted on by dusty273

The Soldier and the Bodyguard

GLBTQ, MM,
Trope: Hurt Comfort, Best Friends to Lovers, PTSD, Brain Injury, Peril, Found Family
Released: 17 June 2022
Publisher: Love Lane Books
Series: Ellery Mountain
Length: 60,000 words
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60866260-the-soldier-and-the-bodyguard

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-soldier-and-the-bodyguard-ellery-mountain-book-10-by-rj-scott

All Buy Links can be found here: https://rjscott.co.uk/read-soldierbodyguard
Available – Wide Release, all platforms

Blurb:

Someone wants JC dead, and Adrian is the only thing standing in the way. Has war followed them home? Or is something more sinister at play?

JC struggles to understand his place in the world, and despite being wealthy beyond imagination, he’s never found real happiness outside of his friendship with Adrian. Enlisting in the army is his attempt at finding purpose, but tragedy strikes, and only the Ellery Veterans Center can help put back the pieces of his shattered life. With a bullet fragment in his brain and seemingly no hope of ever being the man he once was, he begins to lose courage.

Adrian didn’t hesitate to follow his best friend to war, but with their unit decimated in an ambush and JC bleeding into the dirt, Adrian buries his hopes for the future to keep the man he loves safe. Acting as JC’s bodyguard means he is secure for now, but threats from an unknown person escalate to attempted murder, and Adrian has no choice but to take JC and run. When the Sanctuary Foundation intervenes and takes them into their care, they might be safe, but revealed secrets could destroy everything.

Sometimes, even if love finds a way through tragedy, it can be impossible to imagine forever.

This book features characters from my action-adventure romantic suspense Sanctuary series, but you do not have to have read Sanctuary to enjoy this story. This best friends to lover’s, hurt-comfort romance has bodyguards, threats, found family, and a guaranteed love-filled happily ever after.

Series Details

Books should probably be read in order to get the best out of the series, but each can be read as a standalone

  1. The Firefighter and the Cop – http://rjscott.co.uk/Read-FiremanCop
  2. The Teacher and the Soldier – http://rjscott.co.uk/TeacherSoldier
  3. The Carpenter and the Actor – http://rjscott.co.uk/Read-CarpenterActor
  4. The Doctor and the Bad Boy – http://rjscott.co.uk/Read-doctorbadboy
  5. The Paramedic and the Writer – http://rjscott.co.uk/Read-ParamedicWriter
  6. The Barman and the SEAL – http://rjscott.co.uk/Read-BarmanSeal
  7. The Agent and the Model – http://rjscott.co.uk/Read-AgentModel
  8. The Sinner and the Saint – http://rjscott.co.uk/Read-SinnerSaint
  9. The Gardener and the Marine – https://rjscott.co.uk/read-gardenermarine
  10. The Soldier and the Bodyguard – https://rjscott.co.uk/read-soldierbodyguard

Excerpt

Every time I lied to him another small part of me died. 

“At this time, given everything I have here, our recommendation remains one of therapy…”

I glanced over at JC’s grandmother, Georgina, who was sitting upright in her chair and showing no emotion. That was her upbringing, her station, her belief in what was right, but I’d seen her cry. Hell, I’d held her when she sobbed; so, I knew that the surface was calm, but under it all, there was indescribable grief. The three of us left the office—JC still holding my hand, leaning on me for support—and we made our way back to the car with careful and slow steps. The chauffeur opened the door for us, and as soon as we were inside, Georgina turned to me with determination.

“I found a place in Tennessee, rehab, horticultural therapy. There are stables nearby, no paparazzi, no one would know he was there. I want JC to go.”

My chest tightened. What would he do without me next to him? What would I do without caring for him and loving him the best way I could?

“To Tennessee?”

JC used my shoulder as a headrest and closed his eyes, mumbling something under his breath.

“They won’t come to us here,” she pursed her lips, “but I understand why. There’s affection at the center, warmth, love, and support.”

“Okay, if it’s the right place for him, then I’ll take him there,” I insisted. But I wouldn’t leave him. Hell, I was already making plans to rent close to wherever he was, just a small place where I could see him every day. I didn’t care if we were co-dependent because I knew him better than I knew myself, and I was staying.

“I don’t want you just to take him; I want you to go with him and stay. As his…” She waved a hand as if she expected me to fill in the words.

“Friend?” I suggested with caution.

“You’re his friend already. At this moment in time, he needs more than just a friend; he needs you to step up and keep him safe from the threats that circulate around this damn family.” She dipped her head, as if she couldn’t believe she’d cursed. “Away from his parents, and I need you to create a security team. I need you to be his bodyguard.”

“Okay.”

“To never leave his side.”

“I won’t ever leave his side.” 

“To keep my grandson safe.”

“You have my word.”

She reached over and took my hand, glancing at JC, who had drifted into sleep. “I know you love him more than you let him know.” She couldn’t know how much I loved JC. Could she? Not even JC knew what I really felt.

“I don’t…” Words were hard, but her perception was legendary.

“You don’t need to lie to me. Love my grandson, wholly and completely, and keep him safe.” She laced her fingers with mine.

I nodded. “Always.”

~ * ~ Jo‘s Review ~ * ~

5 Stars

This is technically Book 10 in the Ellery Mountain series but it also is a crossover book to an older series The Sanctuary. It works as a stand-alone; I’ve read both series, and you don’t need to read them to follow or enjoy this. It may however trigger a re-read of the Sanctuary set for me.
This book is a book of two halves; the start centres on the recovery of JC with his best friend Adrian acting as bodyguard. Adrian has always been in love with JC but has been happy to stay in the background, never wanting to risk losing his friend. JC is struggling with his memory as he has shrapnel in his head. His one constant, as his famous parents care only about publicity, is Adrian and his feelings are more than just comfort. As they start to acknowledge that they have something, JC is threatened and the book takes a turn as the Sanctuary boys are introduced and they move away from Ellery Mountain.
I think this may be my favourite in the series, the mix of the two series is really great; the care of Ellery mountain as they open up and the tension of the second half. Adrian’s sole focus on JC is seriously sexy. The chemistry is there but the author does a great job of showing their connection emotionally. They are two halves of one soul. The plot moves along steadily and allows the relationship to develop around the action.
This is an absolutely definite recommendation for me. Loved every moment of it. Maybe we’ll be having a re-read of the Sanctuary series too.
***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn’t a requirement.***

The Author

RJ SCOTT

RJ Scott, author of M/M romance.
Writing love stories with a happy ever after – cowboys, heroes, family, hockey, single dads, bodyguards
USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott has written over one hundred romance books. Emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, single dads, hockey players, millionaires, princes, bodyguards, Navy SEALs, soldiers, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, cops, and the men who get mixed up in their lives, always with a happy ever after.
She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing. The last time she had a week’s break from writing, she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a box of chocolates she couldn’t defeat.

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