Saturday 20 June 2020

BLOG TOUR: Up Close & Personal - Kathryn Freeman


For pure escapism and to take a break from reading crime and thriller novels, I always have time to read a Kathryn Freeman book.  I was so excited to get a spot on the Rachel's Random Resources blog tour for Kathryn Freeman's latest novel, Up Close & Personal, so scroll down to read my review.


British actor Zac Edwards is the latest heartthrob to hit the red carpets. Hot, talented and rich, he sends women wild…all except one.

Close protection officer Kat Parker hasn’t got time to play celebrity games. She has one job: to protect Zac from the stalker that seems to be dogging his every move.

Zac might get her hot under her very starched collar, but Kat’s a professional – and sleeping with Zac is no way part of her remit…


What did I think?

Kathryn Freeman always seems to be able to tap into our long forgotten memories of teenage (and not so much teenage) crushes, whether it's a sports star, a musician or, in this case, a movie star.  We've all dreamed of meeting our idol and having them fall madly in love with us, but as you grow older you realise that their public and private personas are very different.

Before Kat Parker literally bumps into movie star Zac Edwards, she had only ever seen him on the big screen.  Zac sounds even more attractive in person but he has attracted the attention of a stalker who seems to know his every move.  When the stalker finds out where Zac lives, the studio call in a personal protection company and Kat is assigned to be Zac's bodyguard.

Kat is naturally attracted to Zac but, aside from the fact that it would be unprofessional to fall for a client, she is deeply traumatised from her days in the army.  Zac is also afraid to get too close to anyone as he would very much like his dark and disturbing secret to remain hidden.  Battling their hearts and minds sets up Kat and Zac for a fabulous will they/won't they storyline.

I do love Kathryn Freeman's style of romance; the characters are very insecure despite the confidence they display to the outside world.  There are plenty of 'nearly' moments when their hearts rule their minds but neither character wants to give anything away.  It's almost as if they are holding onto the darkness in their pasts to inflict self-harm when they feel unworthy of being loved.

Due to the bodyguard and client setting, Kathryn Freeman injects a bit of danger and mystery into Up Close & Personal.  There are some heart in the mouth moments as it gets surprisingly dangerous at times.  I really enjoyed this mystery element around who was stalking Zac and why they were doing it; it certainly ramped up the pace of the story and it became quite a page turner in the end.

Up Close & Personal is a fabulous novel written in Kathryn Freeman's inimitable style but with a twist; it's not just heart-warming, it's also surprisingly thrilling.  An easy to read romance with a hint of danger, Up Close & Personal is pure escapism and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:


Buy it from:
Amazon UK
Amazon US




About the author:

A former pharmacist, I’m now a medical writer who also writes romance. Some days a racing heart is a medical condition, others it’s the reaction to a hunky hero.

I’ve two sons and a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to buy a card (yes, he does), so any romance is all in my head. Then again, his unstinting support of my career change proves love isn't always about hearts and flowers - and heroes come in many disguises.

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1 comment:

  1. Michelle, thank you so much for taking part in the blog tour and for your lovely review :-)

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