This began as a terror story but ended much different. Eve was asked to safe guard the daughter of a British Judge who was threatened by the criminals for a case he was judging. The characters seem different but overcome their differences to finally get to know one another. Katherine is descended from royalty but is trying to find her own way. When she is given Eve to protect her, she is angry and put out. The plot is good with emotions and action involved.
I enjoyed the book and the author does a good job of setting the scenes and emotions. I would recommend this book for romance lovers.
I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for and honest review.

I dont care much for this trope to be honest but I have read every book of this author so I still know even if the plot is not my favourite I will still lile it. And this has been the case here as always. Maybe its not my favourite book of her but it is still very good and I would definietely recommend. Thanks as always.

3 stars. While I’m a fan of Radley’s writing, this book fell flat for me.

Disenchanted with her job as a Protection Command Officer, Eve Webb (~30s) quits and moves to Tokyo for a more free-spirited lifestyle. A few years later, her old boss tracks her down to tell her she’s the right woman for a close protection job. Eve is hesitant to step away from her new life, but she can’t refuse the attractive sum of money. Even though a death threat was sent her way, distantly royal Lady Katherine Lovegrove (42) isn’t keen on being confined to her home, and she makes sure everyone knows. Eve isn’t happy about protecting a royal, and Katherine isn’t happy about Eve’s presence in her life, so the two get off to a rocky start.

As always, Amanda Radley’s writing is breezy, concise, and readable. She does an amazing job pairing snarky, uptight characters and wholesome, feel-good vibes. Major and minor characters alike are treated with dignity and respect, and her books carry a particular air of kindness.

I like how forced proximity allows Eve and Katherine to begrudgingly accept each other and amend their incorrect assumptions. While Katherine acts out rudely at the start of the book, I can see why she does so, even though I think some of it is over-the-top. She eventually starts to warm up to Eve when she realizes how committed Eve is to protecting her. Eve gets to know Katherine as a hardworking and generous person, and I like how Eve is self-aware enough to admit to herself that she’s not as good at “judging a book by its cover” as she thought she was.

Unfortunately, I think “bland” is the best descriptor for the romance (and not due to the lack of sex scenes, which is something I love about Radley’s books). I felt absolutely no chemistry and there isn’t enough romantic content for me to feel invested. The MCs start to acknowledge their feelings of love shockingly fast, to the point where I almost burst out laughing because it felt so weird. I couldn’t figure out why they’re suddenly attracted to each other, much less where on earth love came from.

Though this book involves a (literally!) life-or-death plot, I can’t say I felt any strong emotions while reading. I think that this book could have packed much more of an emotional punch, but it just didn’t for me whatsoever. Maybe it’s because, while the MCs are nice, I wasn’t really able to connect with either of them. Honestly I think my favorite character is Eve’s sister Paula, who’s adorable, sweet, and fun (though Eve definitely got some badass points from me when she recruited that staple gun to her team!).

While Protecting the Lady was only okay for me, Radley’s writing is always a joy to read. Since I really enjoyed the other two books I’ve read by her, I think my next Radley read will be better.

content warnings: abduction, blood, death of a parent (past, off-page), death threats, guilt, gun shots/gun violence, minor injuries, mentions of cancer, physical assault, suicide (past, off-page), terrorist attack (past, off-page)

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book Ms Radley has done with BSB’s and it’s decidedly better then her first. Don’t get me wrong, I happen to be a big fan of the books already published by Ms Radley. This book is more like I expect a book from this author to be.
Great MC’s with a good plot. Lady Katherine Lovegrove was born into royalty being 40 something in line for the throne. Normally we don’t see or hear much from someone so far from the crown. But she also happens to be the daughter of Sir Michael Lovegrove, a well known judge with a sterling reputation. Now he’s about to pass a sentence upon a member of one of the biggest crime families in England. The gang knows they can’t take the judge out of contention without stirring up a lot of other investigations. Maybe they can get him to change his mind if they kidnap his daughter Katherine. He will do everything he can to protect her.
Eve Webb was a Protection Command Officer, that was until she became disillusioned with everything when she realized the organization she worked for had some serious problems with the way they shared information with others in the same line of work. Her answer ‘go to Japan and start over again’, and so far it’s working out rather well for her. The one problem this caused is having a limited amount of time with her sister who still lives in London. When her former boss contacts her to come back to the job, or at least until Lady Katherine is safe. A big problem with the assignment is her feelings regarding the well to do and their easy life while so many are the have-nots.
Eve finally decides she’ll take the assignment but that doesn’t mean she has to like Katherine. Katherine, in the meantime, does not want to have a ‘baby sitter’. Now the fun begins. This is one of Radley’s talents that shines through. Great read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books.

This was an enjoyable enemies to lovers book. It took me a little while to appreciate anything about Katherine, but I imagine that's exactly how the author wanted it. She did grow on me as the storyline progressed. I appreciated how even though they both had feelings for each other they were respectful of the responsibilities and obligations before moving forward. All in all it was a great book. I'd be happy to read a sequel that involves Eve's sister! I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love a light romcom read, especially as the days start getting darker. This was a nice, quick read that fit that enjoyment. Protecting the Lady follows Eve Webb as she returns for one last job as a body guard for Lady Katherine Lovegrove. Eve was one of the best in her field before she witnessed a terrorist attack. in London and left the job for a new life in Japan. An old friend's request for help to protect a high profile client brings Eve back to her old life and into Katherine's orbit. Katherine, on the other hand, is a high born lady and less member of the English royal family. When her father, a judge, is set to hear a case involving a high profile crime family, it is Katherine that is targeted in retaliation.

There was a lot of promise in this book that did not quite reach what I was looking for right now. From the start, Eve admits a bias against the upper nobility and I was honestly thrilled to see a challenge to Katherine's entitlement. Instead, it's Eve that the book pushes to claim ignorance and who is made to apologize over and over again for her reactions to Katherine. Each time, Katherine is the one who is wronged as she makes Eve's job harder. There is not a balanced growth line for the two women.

Radley does take the close proximity trope and the bodyguard/protected situation and presents a much more professional approach than I expected to see from this book. Eve is deeply aware of her position in the world of the book. She is aware of the power that comes specifically with her role in Katherine's life and does everything she can to put Katherine's safety and comfort above her own feelings. I found this approach to be a nice read.

Overall, it was a nice read. I had fun and it didn't drag which is really the bar I want from a romance novel.

What do you get when you have a button-upped, reluctant bodyguard and a minor member of the Royal family who doesn’t want all the fuss? Answer: a ripping good story if it’s Protecting the Lady by Amanda Radley.

Eve Webb is living in Tokyo teaching languages after distinguished service as a Protection Command Officer. Her former commander comes from London to ask her to do a job for his private company. Eve has had her fill of the precious, whiney, rich people she used to protect. But Charles wouldn’t come to Tokyo to get a no and as a personal favor, she agrees. She should have asked more questions because she would not have agreed to guard a Lady. Especially one who doesn’t want her help, questions every decision, and resents her being there.

Lady Katherine Lovegrove has struggled to make her own way at a top boutique event planning company. Just because her father has been receiving threats doesn’t mean she has to interrupt her life. Threats come with being a royal – she’s had plenty of them before and nothing’s happened. Now she has a bossy babysitter, who makes decisions without consulting her, and intrudes in every aspect of her life.

When circumstances arise that make staying in London too dangerous, Eve takes Katherine to the one place in the world she hates the most. Now it is even worse – there are armed guards outside, and she feels like she’s a prisoner. As Eve and Katherine get to know each other, they make surprising discoveries and eventually figure out a way to work together. Will Eve let her growing attraction to Katherine get in the way of keeping her safe? She’s already made that mistake once; she won’t allow it to happen again. As things escalate, will Eve be able to save Katherine from certain death?

I have been a fan of Amanda (A.E.) Radley for a long time. Protecting the Lady is now among my favorites. Both lead characters were fully realized and the secondary characters (especially Eve’s sister who’s a hoot) round out the story. The story is well-paced and leads to a frenetic climax. (Not that kind of climax, get your minds out of the gutter.) If you’ve never read a story by this author before, I highly recommend you start with this one. And to you who have read her before, stop reading this review and go read it.

Another hit by Amanda Radley. Lady Katherine Lovegrove finds she needs private security that she decidedly doesn’t want. Hating the invasion of her privacy she gives Eve Weber the challenging job of trying to protect someone who doesn’t want to be protected. These two came in with attitudes making for a modern day Pride and Prejudice with a twist. Eve and Katherine were very relatable characters and I loved reading about their adventure. As per usual from this author, the writing and plot were great and highly entertaining. I flew through this in one sitting and only wished it hadn’t ended. Can’t wait for the next one from Amanda Radley!

This was a very good book. The main characters were very interesting people. I loved that one was a normal citizen and the other was part of the Royal family. The character of Eve was so compelling, I loved that she was portrayed as very smart strong and savvy and part of a personal protection company that was guarding Katherine due to a threat on her life. Katherine who is part of the Royal family, her character was a bit more snobbish, but only in the best way, she also came across as very generous and caring and loving, also once you got to know her you just had to like her. The relationship between Eve and Katherine was very sweet and kind of innocent. There wasn't much intimacy shown, but you could feel their love for each other, even without any love scenes. too show it. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family, and I can't wait for the next book by this author.

Reasonably enjoyable read that flows along nicely in places. Like Eve, I’m not a massive fan of royalty, especially when it moves down the line beyond the top honchos, but this inequitable hierarchy was dealt with well and I liked the way Eve’s feelings evolved. The action scenes were good, but sadly very brief. Having built up the image of an enigmatic bodyguard, I think more action would have enhanced the plot. The relationship didn’t seem to have enough build up either and neither women acted their age. Good storyline and ideas, but the writing and the characters needed more depth.

Who doesn't love a good bodyguard story! Especially when the protector falls for the client they have sworn to protect. The story was a well written slow burn romance that grabbed my interest from the first page. I found it quite engaging even though it wasn't focus on the romance and read it in one sitting. I definitely recommend, 4.5 stars


I received an ARC copy from the publisher Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I’m a big Radley fan but “Protecting the Lady” was a disappointment for me. I wanted to read this for the bodyguard/forced proximity trope that I love but unfortunately this didn’t really live up to that trope. Eve Webb is called back to her old job as a professional protection officer when Lady Katherine Lovegrove’s life is put in danger.

The thing I loved about the bodyguard trope is the forced proximity and how it leads to the love interests getting to know each other while dealing with a difficult/stressful situation. The thing that was lacking here was that Eve and Katherine spend very little time with one another and there is very little dialogue between them. On top of that, Eve comes with some prejudices because of Katherine’s birthright and their conversations mostly center around that. I just couldn’t understand how a romance was supposed to develop with the very little that was given.

There are some good bones to a story here but I wish there was much more substance and depth to the relationship.

I can’t honestly recommend this romance as I think Radley has much better ones out there.

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This review has been posted to goodreads and will be on amazon upon publication:

I’m a massive sucker for a sapphic romance and the bodyguard/protection trope, so Protecting the Lady definitely satisfied my craving. Amanda being the award-winning veteran author that she is delivers a seamless and compelling love story between two women from vastly different worlds. It had all the features and plot points of a great bodyguard romance and I absolutely ate it up. The characters were compelling and their relationship progressed at a reasonable pace.

It’s all of these elements I loved are also why I’m giving it four stars. It was solid, but quite predictably so. While engaging I felt overall it was a little bit flat. The characters had fun and unique qualities but were a bit shallow. This book took us through the motions and gave lovers of contemporary romance what they wanted.

I think it’s a good read for romance readers who don’t know what they feel like reading next. This story will remind them what they like in a good romance.

Who needs protection? Royalty needs protection even if you are well removed from ever sitting on the throne. I enjoyed the story line. I thought it was refreshing and interesting. Lady Katherine Lovegrove (fun name), buttoned up yet desires to live as normal of a life as she can. She even has a job and lives in an apartment. She also would not mind being in a relationship.

Former Protection Command Officer Eve Webb, lives in Japan doing odd and end jobs. Eve agrees to come back as an protection command officer because her former boss, Charlie needs her. As the story unfolds, I wanted and expected more romance. I know this author fades-to-black but she does awesome with romance, and unfortunately, it was lacking. You could say the romance was lacking because Eve was very serious and devoted to her job which is noble but it held back the story. Although this read was a miss for me, I intend to continue to read this author's stories.

A quick, nice easy read. While this wasn't the book of the year for me, it was a nice opportunity to read something light-hearted and relaxing.

At first I didn't find any kind of spark between Eve and Katherine, but as the book went by I warmed up to them.
In the same way, I found Katherine immature at first, but she showed her true character throughout the book and became more likeable.

Thank you netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for a review

The bodyguard falling in love with the person they’re protecting has been done a few times but this was a very well written take on it. It was a very slow burn, which helped build up the chemistry between the main characters. Both of them were likeable and had interesting back stories, although Eve being at the Seven Dials attack was only mentioned briefly and could have been embedded more into the story or just omitted. We didn’t have anything more than a brief kiss between the two characters which I think was a shame and a missed opportunity, but nevertheless it was a very engaging book which I couldn’t put down. I hadn’t read anything from this author before and I look forward to reading her next work.

Eve Webb walked away from her former job of working for the Diplomatic Protection branch of Protection Command. Her former boss, now working in the private sector, has one last job that only she can do. Protect Lady Katherine Lovegrove.
The premise of the story is very original and entertaining. Eve has a chip on her shoulder a mile wide for anything to do with the Royals. Lady Lovegrove does not want a babysitter. The conflict between Eve and Katherine is the result of their opinions and a good basis for this enemy to lover romance.
Radley’s writing is solid and what you expect if you have read any of her many novels. She quickly grabs your interest and into the story you go. The turn from enemy to friends did happen quickly however I can see that as their situation was under high stress with life and death in the balance that emotions are amplified.
Despite the darker theme of Protecting the Lady this is an enjoyable light read. Both main characters are interesting and likeable and you can never go wrong reading an Amanda Radley book.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review.

This was an enjoyable, gentle read. I loved that it was a romance between two women and the dynamic of Eve being Katherine's personal protection officer was great.

I felt that the relationship itself was a little underbaked. It felt that they were suddenly in love and I really wasn't sure why as they had only had a few, very tame interactions and it felt like neither of them had really shown their true selves to the other. In that respect, it felt forced and rushed.

The action packed climax was compelling though and I did want to find out what happened. The ending was lovely and a satisfying pay off.

Perfect for a gentle piece of escapism!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing this ARC for reviewing!!!
Protecting the Lady is a lesbian bodyguard/client romance between Eve, a retired protection officer who has come out of retirement to protect Katherine, the daughter of a judge whose life has been threatened by a gang.
Protecting the Lady is short and sweet. I devoured it in a day. I would have loved more pining and yearning considering the positions that Eve and Katherine are in. I just think it would have made their relationship seem stronger overall. However, I loved their interactions and flirting towards the end and I would have loved to see this sassy, flirty energy throughout the whole story. I loved Paula and Michael as side characters, they were quite fun. Also, I liked that the action scenes did not have too much detail as that’s where I tend to lose interest.
Overall, I rated this book 4/5 stars. I really enjoyed it and if you are looking for a sweet sapphic romance its one I’d recommend. I haven’t read anything else by Radley but I think I might start working through her backlog as I loved this read!

Review of Protecting the Lady by Amanda Radley

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing me access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Protecting the Lady is a romance novel told in the points of view of both Eve Webb, a former protection officer who quit her job a few years ago after a traumatic incident and Lady Katherine Lovegrove, an event planner who bears the weight of being the daughter of a mother who had a smidge of royalty and the daughter of a father who is a high-profile judge. These two meet when Katherine’s father decides a verdict against a powerful crime family who sends Katherine a death-threat in the mail which leads her father to hire Eve to protect her. Readers who enjoy stories about complicated characters are sure to enjoy this book. Fans of high-stakes danger as the backdrop for a romance will love the consistent build-up of the action with the payoff of an explosive ending. This novel is a combination of an enemies-to-lovers and bodyguard-romance story, but the drawback is that there isn’t as much build-up for the romance as I think was needed.
Two out of five stars.

Additional Thoughts:
I thought the action sequences and the build up to the danger were both done very well. Every time the characters relax and think they’re safe, there’s a new reminder of the eminent threat on Katherine’s life which I thought was exciting.

I also like that there is a big difference in the points of view. Eve and Katherine are very different narrators which I thought was wonderful. Doing more than one point of view in a story can be tricky, so I appreciated the way it was done here.

The main problem I have with the book is the way it seemed to veer off suddenly when it came to the romantic element. They hated each other and then they suddenly didn’t hate each other and they were suddenly in love. I can enjoy fast romances, but it felt a little rushed here. I’m sure some readers will enjoy the way the romance in this story goes, I just didn’t like the way the combined enemies-to-lovers and bodyguard-romance tropes were done here. Since romance is one of the most important elements of the book, it cast a bit of a disappointing shadow over the book for me.

I also didn’t like the pacing of the book. The beginning felt a little slow for me; I understand that the exposition was important so we could get to know Eve, Katherine, and the situation that brings them together, but it took a lot of time. I also thought the ending felt rushed. I still had some questions about events within the story which left me feeling a bit unsatisfied.

I wanted to like this book because I loved the premise, but I unfortunately did not enjoy the execution. Of course, it’s all a matter of personal preference. There is definitely an audience for this book who will enjoy it immensely. I just didn’t like it all that much which is why I’m giving it a low review.

Protecting the Lady comes out October 12, 2021!

(The reviews are up now.)