Meeting Natasha Again, for the Very First Time
Customer Rating: 
In Christy Tillery French's THE BODYGUARD, we meet our feisty, loveable, wacky heroine, Natasha Chamberlain, for the very first time. That is, of course, unless you are like me and are reading this series in reverse order. By some strange cosmic joke, I received the third book first and the first book last, but do you know what? It just doesn't matter. The books in Ms. French's Bodyguard Series are self-contained, easily read, and thoroughly enjoyable in any order.
In THE BODYGUARD, we get the full background on Nattie, Striker, Pit, Bigun, and Roger. How they met, how their relationships developed, and how they all came together as the "family" they are. The story opens with Natasha, the office manager for an investigation firm, getting her big chance to become an investigator herself. To do that, she must first take on the role of bodyguard for Roger Valentine, a ridiculously wealthy, nerdy, reclusive computer software genius who has received death threats. Natasha reluctantly accepts the job, and we are off at break-neck speed on a non-stop, action-packed, edge of your seat adventure. Natasha has a kind of wide-eyed innocence combined with a strict moral code; she cannot stand to see any harm or cruelty done to any living thing, and she is going to single-handedly take on the world, righting one wrong at a time. Of course, this leads to many extremely bizarre, humorous, and dangerous situations, which, for the reader, leads to a fun and exciting read.
Christy Tillery French is unmistakably a very talented author; however, there are two specific elements of her style that clearly standout. The first is her characters. They are so authentic, so well developed, so alive, so real that they feel like family. People who live next door. People you have known all your life. I really like these characters, and think of them as friends. The second is how Ms. French draws you into her stories with action blasting off on the first page...from the first paragraph. No wind up, no pitch, just BAM! You are instantly submerged in her world. And she does this without losing any detail or information important to the story. It all flows together for a breathtaking read.
I believe the fourth installment of the Bodyguard Series is due out late this year. Having read the first three books quite quickly this summer, I will miss Nattie, Striker, and the gang until then. I have very much enjoyed my time with these new friends. I can't wait to see them again. Oh, Christy...
A fun read
Customer Rating: I saw a post about this series on the discussion forum, comparing it to Janet Evanovich's Plum series, read the blurb and reviews, and was interested. Natasha is a gutsy bodyguard who is committed to her job and client, Roger Valentine. She tends to overdo, which gets her into some pretty funny situations. The addition of Pit and Bigun, the two Samoan bodyguards, adds more humor. I own a Weimaraner, so was delighted to see one added to the wacky mix of characters in this book. One of my favorites is Stevie, Natasha's perimenopausal mom. Do I ever know what that's about!
If you like quirky, offbeat characters, a mystery plot, romance, and a bit of suspense, give this one a try. I'm anxious to read #2 in the series.
Oh, yeah
Customer Rating: Through my library's book group, I've become a dedicated reader of this author. Although she writes about darker subjects, I like her romantic comedies the best. And this introduction to The Bodyguard is a winner. Natasha Chamberlain wants to be an investigator, so goes about it by entering through the backdoor: as a bodyguard to Roger Valentine, a multimillionaire software king. Natasha's boss, Jonce Striker, quickly regrets his decision to include Natasha as a protection specialist to his good friend, Roger. All of a sudden, Roger's appearance is changing and Natasha and her two colleagues, Pit and Bigun, are having too much fun hanging out at Roger's mansion. Not to mention, Natasha is way overzealous in protecting Roger. And is she starting to crush on Roger? Although Striker doesn't know it, Natasha has the hots for him and is determined to get his attention. Then ends up getting too much of his attention through her bungled attempts to keep Roger from harm.
Great start to what looks like a fun series. I like that this protagonist is so young, which means, I'm sure, that we'll see plenty of changes with her as she develops in her career.
