Another out of the ballpark in the Elite Guardians series by Lynette Eason. She introduces Kelly Underwood as writer of this book. It was amazing. Hold onto your seats and stay up late into the night kind of read. Former Mossad agent now bodyguard Laila and billionaire Preston who walked away from his famous family are thrown together when his father and brother died suspiciously and he is faced with taking over the family company. But someone wants him dead and she must protect him. Throw in a fake marriage, danger around every corner, faith and life issue conflict and you have one exciting story. I received and ARC of this book for which I am very grateful. The opinions expressed are entirely my own. ( )

If you enjoy romantic suspense reads with plenty of suspects, strong females, and intense action, Defending Honor by Lynette Eason and Kelly Underwood is just the book for you (as is the entire Elite Guardians series).

In the third installment of the series, readers get to know Laila. This member of the team is the all business, no-nonsense, get the job done, in-and-out type. So, when she is assigned to protect former playboy Preston Whittaker and thrown into a fake marriage, the proximity to her client pushes her to reveal some of her best kept secrets—and deepest hurts.

Eason and Underwood ramp up the stakes with numerous attempts to harm the people Preston loves and the growing attraction between Laila and Preston. And while I guessed the culprit before the end, I did go through several other options before eliminating the true villain.
You don’t want to miss this series.

Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own. ( )

Wow! Author Kelly Underwood truly understands the concept of romantic suspense and she's teamed with Lynette Eason to write an amazing thriller that altered my pulse and kept me turning the pages! Defending Honor has a multi-layered plot, intriguing characters, and some tantalizing romantic chemistry between Laila Rabbinowitz and Preston Whittaker. They are complete opposites of each other and it's their differences that make them so special together! Past experiences have left Laila leery and unwilling to trust but Preston's troubled past has made him keenly aware of where his strength comes from. He has a deep trust in God, and he knows that his past failings and mistakes have been forgiven because of God's grace. Can Preston's witness of faith soften Laila's heart and convince her to trust both him and God? Will this Elite Guardians bodyguard successfully protect him, or will they both become targets of an unknown killer?

Defending Honor has several suspects, many questions, and numerous surprises but there's also a powerful faith message woven into this story. I highly recommend it to all who enjoy romantic suspense and I applaud Underwood's writing debut!

I received a digital copy of this book from the author and publisher. There was no obligation for a positive review. ( )

Defending Honor by Kelly Underwood and Lynette Eason delivers plenty of suspense with a strong romance thread. The intense action kept me flipping pages and wondering who the killer was until the big reveal. Attraction flickers between Laila and Preston early in the story (and in their fake marriage), but their unfolding romance didn’t carry my interest as much as I expected it to.

My favorite moments in Defending Honor happened when the characters showed vulnerability and talked through their issues. I liked how Preston wrestled with lying (about the fake marriage) to those around him in order to protect himself and his loved ones. Looking through the quotes I marked, I see a pattern of Laila or Preston dropping a great quote at just the right moment. While none of the quotes rated as a main theme or narrative element, they made me smile and keep reading.

Defending Honor by Kelly Underwood and Lynette Eason stands as the third installment in the Elite Guardians Collection. Characters from Eason’s original series (Elite Guardians) and the prior books in this series (Elite Guardians Collection) combine to give Defending Honor a lot of characters to follow. As such, I recommend reading the novels in order. 3.5 Stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. ( )

I have been a fan of Lynette Eason for years and the Elite Guardians series was definitely one of my favorites. I was quite excited that other authors would be continuing the series and a they have all done a fantastic job! Defending Honor is the newest installment by debut author, Kelly Underwood. However, you would never know this is her first book just by reading it. This book was complete with danger around every turn and a long list of suspects that kept the reader in suspense until the end. I liked watching Laila and Preston maneuver the whole fake marriage scenario as a way for Laila to be able to be close enough to protect him once it becomes quite obvious someone wants him dead and will stop at nothing to see it through. I enjoyed watching Laila and Preston's relationship unfold as they got to know each other and learned to trust each other all while trying to stay alive. It definitely made for some nail-biting page-turning suspense and I was totally there for it. I look forward to reading more in the future from this author.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. ( )