Please indulge me as a take a moment to gush over how much I loved this book. Guarding a Notorious Lady gave me everything I want in a Historical Romance. It was sweet and sexy. It had great characters. And fantastic sexual tension.
Lady Rosalind is one of the most eligible women in society. The local men have even started taking bets as to who will win her hand. So when her brother decides to go out-of-town with his new wife, he asks his old friend Nicolas to be her guardian. Of course, her brother doesn't realize Rosalind has loved Nicolas from afar for years. And the feeling is mutual. But Nicolas takes his promise to protect Rosalind very seriously. He fights his feelings for her. His resolve is strengthened by the fact that he fears falling in love. But, of course, guarding Rosalind forces Nicolas to be with her all the time. And the more time they spend together, the more cracks form in his armor.
The book isn't perfect. I did get a bit frustrated with Nicolas in the second half as he continuously rebuffed Rosalind, sometimes intentionally hurting her feelings. But I couldn't hold it against him too long. Especially since he wanted her so much; he cared for her so much. And every time the two of them touched each other, it was electric. The love scenes weren't overly smutty, but they were still hot. Even long before they sealed the deal, just their stolen kisses and touches managed to be exciting.
This is book three in a series. But I never felt like I was missing anything, even though I haven't read the other two... a situation I plan to remedy in short order. Loved it. 5 stars.
