This book really surprised me. I actually wasn’t expecting much based on the cover (you’ll see what I mean…) but the wit and warmth of Up Close & Personal was a welcome surprise!

Actor Zac Edwards needs a bodyguard. After a series of creepy notes become more and more serious, his production company saddles him with Kat – the lovely woman who spilled champagne on him he can’t stop thinking about.

Both Kat and Zac, though, are hiding some emotionally damaging pasts. More than affecting the romance blossoming between them, their willingness to open up could mean life or death.

This book, consistently and without fail, had some great banter between Kat and Zac. It was witty and made me smile, but also built up the romance to be believable, and stronger. I guess that is a personal favorite of mine when it comes to books; strong dialogue is extremely important for my suspended disbelief.

The plot, in the first half of this book, definitely felt rushed to start out. We hop right into the action of bodyguard life, right into our romance from the very first chapter. The speed was keeping me from connecting at first, but by the second half, things take on a better pace and character development of Kat and Zac gets much better – so I settled in. Both characters do become extremely rounded by the end, and I love that Freeman took care to connect them through similar backstories. The drama, and action, building beside their romance made the book even better. It took the focus off the “will they/won’t they” in an interesting and relevant way.

I appreciated that Zac and Kat were very well developed characters, and that even those around them – family and friends – had an impact on the story and made me love it even more. Kat’s niece, Debs, takes a fairly large role, and she was one of my favorite characters: a sassy, sweet teenager with a lot on her plate, but a very caring family. The relationships between Kat, Zac, and their families made this book.

Honestly, this action-packed romcom is underrated. I didn’t expect much, and was therefore blown away. I’ve read some highly anticipated romances lately that weren’t nearly up to this standard. I definitely recommend Up Close & Personal.

I received a copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Up Close & Personal was published June 12, 2020.