LAST FIRST KISS (Iron Clad Security #2) by Sidney Halston-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 29 , 2017

He’s an A-list Hollywood heartthrob.

She’s trying to prove herself in a man’s world.

For this female bodyguard, protecting her client is simply business, but what happens when sparks fly and the danger heats up?
After a series of box office flops, Rocco Monroe needs a hit. Bad press, shit talking, rumors, lies…it all goes with the territory after almost two decades in the spotlight, but when he lands the role of his career in a controversial biopic, the part of a lifetime comes with a catch: a hired bodyguard.

Annabelle Clad is so bored she wants to scream. Her life is coding and algorithms and binary codes…rinse and repeat. To her Rocco Monroe means freedom, a chance to show her overprotective brother and business partner that she can contribute to Iron Clad Securities. And no arrogant playboy will f*ck up her concentration by batting his lashes at her. She would never jeopardize her reputation by swooning over any man.

That had happened once, and she wouldn’t bear that loss or humiliation ever again. Even if Rocco looks like a walking fantasy…

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REVIEW: LAST FIRST KISS is the second instalment in Sidney Halston’s contemporary, adult IRON CLAD SECURITY romantic, suspense series focusing on the men and women who work for Iron Clad Security. This is Hollywood actor Rocco Monroe, and former US soldier/IT specialist Annabelle Clad’s story line. LAST FIRST KISS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Annabelle and Rocco) LAST FIRST KISS follows the forbidden relationship between former American solider and IT specialist Annabelle Clad, and Hollywood actor Rocco Monroe. Rocco Monroe’s star has started for fizzle but a role in an upcoming controversial bio-pic finds our hero on the receiving end of a series of threats both personal and professionally including the potential fall-out of filming on location in the jungles of South America. When the production company forces Rocco to accept tightened security measures he will come face to face with a smart-mouthed, prickly, and over the top, alpha female Annabelle Clad-a former US soldier who served two tours in Afghanistan, and a woman who is desperate to prove she is just as capable as the men with whom she works. What ensues is the building relationship between Annabelle and Rocco as Annabelle is hired to play Rocco’s newest love, and the fall out as Annabelle continues to put her life in danger to protect the man with whom she is falling in love.

Annabelle Clad is just trying to do her job but it is in Rocco’s instinctive nature to protect the woman hired to protect himself. Our heroine has proven she can survive the mean streets of Afghanistan but surviving the over protective nature of Rocco and her brothers is less than conducive to our heroine’s independent charm. Rocco’s life hangs in the balance when the threats become physical, and Annabelle will become collateral damage for someone elses sins of the past.

The relationship between Annabelle and Rocco begins as a mutual attraction but Anna knows to get involved with a client would be a distraction when lives have been threatened by an unknown source. The allure of a female bodyguard has Rocco reconsidering his need for protection replacing it with the possibility of a romantic happily ever after. The $ex scenes are intimate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

From the outset I had issues with the heroine’s immature attitude and her ongoing childish interplay and emotional behavior as it pertained to her brothers and their need to protect and control. Wanting to be accepted as an equal Annabelle’s temper tantrums and the sibling’s adolescent conduct diminished my enjoyment of the overall story as each encounter with her brother resulted in juvenile name-calling, screaming matches and rude finger gestures. This does not scream responsible adult but spoiled child. The men in her life, including Rocco Monroe, were constantly second guessing Anna’s ability to do the job-surviving two tours of duty made little difference in the grand scheme of security and personal independence but her immaturity could have played a role in her brother’s unwillingness to hand over complete control.

LAST FIRST KISS is an energetic and lively story line. The premise is entertaining; the characters are somewhat infuriating; the romance is tender and optimistic.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one KISS MARRY KILL

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy