I love a book where I can learn, and I definitely learnt a bit about Mauritania. This was the hook for me even though there's a lot of unpleasantness there, I wanted to read something of the history and the culture. My bad, as this book had a little, but not a lot of that.
The romance between [Guardian] Angel McTaggart and Ambassador Ellie Turner was quite immediate which again isn't really my thing, the plot didn't have the greatest depth but it delivered a fast journey for those onboard reading it.

This is a nice enough story although it’s a little slim on the lead characters’ connection. Elizabeth (Ellie) Turner, US ambassador to Mauritania, has been in lockdown in her embassy while a group of protestors camp out in front of the gates. There seems to be no clear reason they are there but when they start firing weapons, Angel McTaggart and a team of top notch security personnel are sent in to get the situation under control. While Ellie realises the need for extra security she also doesn’t want to put her hard-won diplomatic work at risk.

Ellie and Angel feel and immediate attraction to each other but it didn’t progress into enough communication for me. In the first two weeks of Angel being at the embassy there was just about no interaction or conversation on a personal level. It bothered me. The reason for the protestors was interesting and kept the pace going and even though it was a little generalised, it was still suspenseful.

Quick and easy lockdown read. (Having just said that, ‘Guardian Angel’ fed into the worldwide move of isolation to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and it definitely heightened the tension.)

Book received from Netgalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

Guardian Angel is my second Becky Harmon novel and I found this action/romance a rather enjoyable read. Sure, it was a bit slow out of the gate – we spent half the book staring at the people standing outside of the embassy gates – but when the action kicks in we are cooking with gas!

US Ambassador in Mauritania Elizabeth (Ellie) Turner gets extra security (by way of 20 Flagler agents) to monitor a group of protesters at the embassy gates. Angel McTaggart and her team arrive and pretty soon both women are budding heads over just about everything. They are also highly attracted to each other. Not ideal, given the job that Angel has been sent to do. Ellie is a major distraction. Ellie don’t get any work done either. They slyly stalk each other’s movements by means of tracking gps bracelets.

Like I said, first half is slow, the second half kicks into gear. I liked the action scenes and the generous helping of Mauritanian culture. The romance was a bit on the meager side, insta-lust combined with mutual stubbornness and a failure to communicate (yes, that old chestnut). But, I don’t want to be too harsh about it either, it was overall a very enjoyable read.

f/f fade to black, I thought the romance was a bit ho-hum

Themes: Ellie: ‘I want to do the thing’, Angel: ‘you can’t do the thing’.

3.7 Stars

* A free copy was provided by Netgalley and Bella Books for an honest review.

I'll start this off by saying that since reading "Guardian Angel" I've bought two other Becky Harmon books, which is pretty much the best endorsement there is in my opinion.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book was that it was an entirely novel setting and plot (well other than the wlw romance element!). We have the American ambassador to Mauritania dealing with a crowd of protesters barricading herself and her staff inside the embassy walls and the private security agent who is sent to protect her. What was really interesting were the extensive descriptions of Mauritania and the local people. It's not a country a knew a lot about before and was fascinated by the journey we were taken on through the desert and some of the towns, also meeting (and being helped by) some of the nomadic tribeswomen.

Both Angel (our not at all ironically named security agent) and Ambassador Ellie Turner are well drawn characters with great depth. Both take their jobs very seriously and initially do their utmost to ignore and then resist their mutual attraction. The tension and claustrophobia of the security lockdown keeps the sexual energy simmering between them until a clash over a planned trip five hours away from the capital brings it all to a head. Other big positives were a very sweet and sexy first kiss and Ellie's brilliant and hilarious assistant Chloe Allen.

An enjoyable read from an author I suspect will be reading and more books by.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review of the story.

This is a story of Ellie and Angel - two intelligent, head strong women trying to do their jobs.

Ellie is an ambassador to an embassy in a small African nation. Ellie is working steadily towards a goal of improving the quality of life for women and children.

Things are going well as Ellie forges relationships - until one day protestors take up position at the embassy gates. The group is peaceful for several days until random gunfire erupts. Ellie refuses to abandon her post.

Angel is a skilled sniper and team leader for a private security firm. Angel is assigned to protect Ellie - and half the battle of this assignment is to win Ellie's trust as well as getting her to follow orders.

Chemistry is instantaneous between the two women which complicates protecting Ellie, her staff and the solar farm being built.

Well written story that teases the two characters towards a budding romance. I highly reccomend this book.

This is a decent romance that has a little more to do with the inner workings of bureaucracy than what is typical. It has two pretty charismatic leads, but falls short of giving them more rounded out character traits. Elizabeth is an ambassador who volunteered to go to a hotspot of a country because of her ties to it and her ideological ambition. Angel is a serious, confident, ex soldier who works for her mentor as a private security agent. Both women are just exploding with competency and leadership skills. This makes for almost no tension when they do go out and are actually attacked.

Most of the novel focuses on what an embassy would feel like during a high security incident in which there are protests. But there's little real tension, with the exception of Angel and Elizabeth butting heads over how secure Elizabeth really is. Even as Angel uncovers some clues about the aggravation it still doesn't feel like anyone are unsafe. There's also a couple of scenes where everyone involved get a case of temporary stupidity that allows for the action later on in the book. I also understand that people can't always be on alert, but sometimes it felt like the characters were too laidback about the situation.

I gave this book three stars because of the way Harmon depicted life in an embassy, and that she also allowed Elizabeth to do actual ambassador stuff, which often doesn't happen because the action just blows up right away. It was interesting enough to see Elizabeth's conflicts with the fictional state of Mauritania - and how she balances the beauty of the culture with some of the human rights violations the country commits. I really enjoyed that - and honestly felt that having the protests and threats was contrived to shoe horn it into doing a couple of action scenes. I would have liked to have a little more balance with that regard, as the action scenes felt too rushed and there was no true conclusion to the story.

If you're looking for a personal conflict between an ambassador and her new bodyguard, then you've got it. Its all here: the sexual tension, longing looks, weird blowups and makeups, and a couple of weirdly placed sex scenes. Because Elizabeth and Angel already know who their are, they don't do a lot of growing - it's more of a dance between them about where their boundaries are and whether or not they want them crossed. If you're here for the action that it seems to be billed as, it really doesn't happen until the last quarter of the book, which was a huge let down for me - especially since Angel is such a badass.

This is my first book I have read from this author so I was excited when I received a copy of this story. The story line is around a US ambassador, Ellie Turner, that has run into some trouble at her embassy in Africa. She requests help from a friend of hers who runs a private security force and the team lead, Agent Angel McTaggart shows up with her team. Right off the bat there is sparks (and not the romantic type) given both women are very strong characters, which is one of the things I liked about this story right away.

I would say the first part of the story, about 1/2 the book, is around the setup and build up at the embassy around Angel getting a handle on what is going on with trouble at the gates with local protesters, and the push/pull between her and Ellie. There are a host of secondary characters which I liked because you begin to wonder who else is part of all the trouble.

Ms. Harmon did a wonderful job of describing embassy life and the surrounding area, I had a very clear picture in my mind of what life was like around them, which I like in a good story. The second part of the story, about the other 1/2 of the book, the action does pick up I would say, but it doesn't take away from the first part, you need that to understand the overall arc of the story. I actually read the book in one sitting because I really wanted to see how Ellie and Angel survive the danger and getting back to the embassy (I don't want to say to much more than that due to spoilers).

All and all I really enjoyed this book, and being the first one I have read from this author I will definitely be checking out her other work.

I received an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, but would have written the same opinion if I had come across this author on my own.

To see my Amazon review, it is under CC-Great Read

An action-adventure-romance set in Africa, this one is meant to be a fast-paced read.

Elizabeth (Ellie) Turner, US ambassador in in Mauritania, Africa is somewhat idealistic in her belief in the Mauritania and her ability to make an impact on the country. The embassy is facing a strange situation. There are men gathering in front of the building and doing nothing. Just gathering there. The numbers have increased enough for Ellie to have shifted all embassy employees into the compound. While no untoward incident has yet happened, the gathering seems intimidating enough. When random shots are fired in the crowd, Flagler security head and Ellie’s friend, insists on sending a team for her protection in addition to the marines already there. Reluctantly, Ellie agrees to have a small team in the embassy with her and one team at a safe location a few miles away. Angel McTaggart is assigned to lead the Flagler teams and she is also to be Ellie’s personal bodyguard. Ellie and Angel are attracted to one another but lock horns on many issues.

Elizabeth and Angel are both likeable characters but hugely frustrating in their lack of communication (personal and professional) with each other. Continually keeping things from the ambassador by the bodyguard particularly doesn’t sit well. The way they ignore red flags about suspicious characters and behaviour is also strange and makes us wonder whether they (especially Angel) are all that great at their jobs. There are some scenes (like the first time they kiss and some parts of the second half when they are trying to get back to the embassy incognito after having been attacked) that seem to have been written stand alone and then fitted in, making them feel jerky.

We really liked the gentleness in Elizabeth. She kept the book going for us. The book ends with a HFN (happy for now) but it is easy to imagine a HEA for this one given the MCs are both fairly mature in age, behaviour and emotions.

This one is an okay read.

I really wanted to like this book. Despite the fact that I read it in only two "sittings", I didn't love it.

The book was well-written and if there were any errors, I didn't see them. The cover was eye-catching and the blurb was intriguing.

However, the first half of the book was slower than I would have liked. There were parts I had to push myself through. The push-pull of Ellie and Angel were a natural response, I suppose, to two strong-willed women each trying to have their own way. But I thought there were too many characters. Yes, I grant that an embassy needs a number of people there, especially under those circumstances. But there were a few times, I had to back up to figure out who was who. When that happens, it's usually because there are too many people on the stage.

The second half of the story was better paced and more enjoyable. There was a proper end to the story, which I was pleased to see. Even though, I would like to see if the author will be writing another story with these characters. If she does, I'd be interested in reading it.

This is a story that brings together action, politics and romance, although it focuses more on the action part. The two women protagonists are Ellie, the US ambassador to Mauritania and Angel, who commands a private security team that must go to support the Marines, when there are riots of local groups in front of the embassy.

The embassy is in a state of siege, without any of the workers being able to leave it without custody, so everyone must live together 24-7. And the new security team must also adapt to this situation. In addition Angel is personally responsible for the security of the ambassador, so the interaction between them is constant from the beginning.

The ambassador is bigheaded and very aware of her responsibilities, so she does not want to give in to her obligations, even those that may take her outside the embassy grounds. And the riots don't seem to make much sense, although the danger is obvious.

The story is also interesting from the point of view of the culture in which it is set, not always well exposed in the media, although the lack of respect for human rights in that society is evident especially for women. It does not deal very thoroughly with any scabrous subject, although in the background they are always present.

The romantic part is quite forced, but the situation is so complex that the way they come and go around each other is to some extent normal.

Overall, the story has been quite interesting as a whole, with parts of tension, some adventure and excitement. And a little romance.

As soon as I read the blurb for Guardian Angel by Becky Harmon (an excellent name for an author and no relation that I know of) I really wanted to read this book. I did enjoy the novel overall, though there were a few glitches.

The premise of the story is excellent and is what caught my interest immediately. The international setting is well described, and I loved reading about Mauritania, where the embassy in the story is located. I also enjoyed reading about what life is like in such an embassy. The idea of the ambassador (Ellie Turner) and the head of the security force hired to protect her (Angel McTaggart) falling in love in this setting is very romantic. The action and adventure part of the book is really well written and probably was my favorite part of the novel.

I did have a few problems with the story. The first half of the book needed more action than it had. For me, there was too much emphasis on embassy life and not enough action in the first half. The attraction between Ellie and Angel was very frustrating to read in the first half. They barely spoke to each other. Even their thoughts about each other were constantly changing. I was beginning to wonder if they would ever get together. The second half of the novel flowed much better, and I thoroughly enjoyed the action/adventure scenes. The romance picked up as well. The ending is a bit rushed, but overall I liked this book.

If you enjoy a story written in an international setting with action/adventure and a slow-burn romance, you might enjoy Guardian Angel.
I’m giving this novel 3.5 stars and moving it up to 4 stars for the great action scenes, the excellent writing overall, and the author’s awesome name. (Just kidding on that last reason.)

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bella Books for an honest review.
Rainbow Reflections: https://rainbowreflections.home.blog/

Guardian Angel is one of those books that I crave. Two strong women with very different backgrounds and a bit of thrilling suspense. The author is adept at building chemistry between the two leads while weaving in a thread of danger while living abroad. Honestly, I wish this book was longer with even more tantalizing scenes between Angel and Ellie. I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn in by the blurb as the premise sounded unique and interesting - my expectations are never high with authors I've not read before so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It was so gripping I ended up spending most of the day reading and finished it in one go! The two main characters were both multi-faceted and likable, and the chemistry between them was palpable. The protest kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time, and I liked how that storyline developed at a similar pace to the slow burn romance. The author's writing style was very engaging, with a very-well researched setting, well-developed supporting characters and lots of showing rather than telling. My only negative feedback is that the action element was quite predictable from the start, and quite a few things were overlooked by those involved (ie the incidents involving Farook) that definitely should have been followed up on in a high-alert situation.

Elizabeth Turner (Ellie) is the newly appointed US ambassador to Mauritania, Africa. Six months into her post, a crowd of protestors has gathered in front of the embassy, threatening the safety of the ambassador. Ellie’s old friend, the owner of a private security company, sends a team lead by Angel McTaggart to protect her. Ellie and Angel bump heads while developing a mutual attraction until things escalate and they both have to lean on each other to survive.

The blurb hooked me right away. The story delivered for the most part, although I was expecting more action. The narration got repetitive at the beginning with this abrasion between the mains that were also attracted to each other. The chemistry was present in spurts. I got a little whiplash with the interactions that ran hot and cold. This would have been better set up if they had shared a past and not be new acquaintances as without it, the author was ineffective at sustaining the sexual tension between the mains. The pace was also slow and a lot of nothing has changed reports in the beginning. True action starts three quarters of the way in this story. I will say, once it starts, the author delivered and the book became a page turner. It was definitely fun to read about their journey through Mauritania, and I found myself googling the country and towns.

I also enjoyed how Ms Harmon gave some info on embassy living. I guess I never gave any thought to the employees and military personal needed to run an operation like that. There were also some philosophical discussions between the mains regarding the country’s struggles. Ellie’s beliefs that she could make a difference and promote change were admirable. Angel’s criticism of the country was legitimate, and just gave me reason to ponder about social and political issues. The black and white vs grays views of the mains were fantastic in my opinion. Powerful even.

The ending was on the abrupt and somewhat inconclusive end of things but I will embrace it and take this as a solid first installment of a series! Here’s hoping. 3.5 stars

ARC generously provided to me by BB via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.
Becky Harmon is becoming one of my favorite authors and this book just ensures that.
Elizabeth Turner has become the newly appointed ambassador of Mauritania, Africa. Her father was an ambassador there before her. In many ways she grew up there and knows the people and wants to make a difference. However tensions outside of the embassy has her worried and she asks a trusted friend for help.
Here is where we meet Flagler Security Agent Angel McTaggart. Her and her teams mission is to secure the embassy and keep the ambassador safe at all cost regardless if it’s against the ideas that Elizabeth has.
Her duty is to protect her and it’s becoming harder because Elizabeth is so stubborn and the attraction that they have for one another is hard to deny.
What I loved about this book is that you could tell it was so well researched in how she described the country side and the issues, especially regarding women and slavery.
I just didn’t want this book to end and hoping that this is one of many and continues as a series.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Elizabeth is just getting use to being US ambassador of Mauritania, Africa. She has a lot yo do for this country and she believes she can make a change.

This becomes difficult when protesters outside her embassy start to become violent. She calls on her good friend Vince to send in addition protection and he knows who he want to protect her.

Angel is a Flagler security agent who call upon by Vince to lead her team to protect Elizabeth aka Ellie from danger. When Angel and Ellie meet there is a attraction as Angel tries to figure out who is the threat she fears her growing feelings for Elizabeth will cloud her judgement and she make a mistake.

What I like about this read is that you don't know who's the enemy is and you right there with the characters as they try to figure it out because as Elizabeth said she doesn't know who want to hurt her because she doesn't think anything she done will have put a target on her back.