Protecting Mr. Fine was one fiiiiine addition to the Billionaire Brotherhood series from Lucy Lennox. (Side note: I had Taylor Swift's Mr. Perfectly Fine playing in my head at certain points of the book.) We've moved from the small town of Majestic, Wyoming, which is where Marrying Mr. Majestic and Inheriting Miss Fortune, books two and three, respectively, of the series took place, to Los Angeles, California--at least in the beginning of the story. After all, Zee Barlo is a world-famous, Grammy-winning, much beloved singer-songwriter, and he goes from one place to another, sharing his music with his fans here, there, and everywhere. He doesn't take his fame for granted, and he takes his responsibilities to those who work for and with him seriously. He shares his good fortune, but then, he already started doing exactly that when he was "just" Zane Hendley, a regular kid from the backwoods of Georgia that earned a scholarship to Yale and went on to make more money than he could have ever dreamed of alongside his best friends. So, when the pressure of being who he is and everything it entails begins to weigh on him, Zane says he's fine. When he's targeted by a stalker who seems to be getting too close for comfort, Zane insists he's fine. And when falls for his no-nonsense, bear of a close protection officer, Ryan Galloway, who couldn't possibly ever feel the same for Zane because why would he? Well, Zane's still fine. Maybe...
Bodyguard romances tend to be fun reads for me, especially when the protectee, or "principal" as Ryan calls Zane, is someone who happens to be famous or well-known. Saying Ryan Galloway was protective of Zane Hendley (aka Zee Barlo) may seem like one of those "duh" moments because, hello, he's the guy's bodyguard. However, it was clear that Zane was more than just another job to Ryan. Zane's Bear (aka Ryan for any of you reading this who have yet to read the actual book), though, tried to keep his feelings in check, but hey, resistance is futile, especially when the guy you have feelings for happens to have "the patience of a saint and the kindness of a" darned "Disney princess". Oh, and he's also this beautiful man who sings like an angel and pens lyrics like he's writing love letters. Gah! There's romance and suspense, and Lucy Lennox delivers it all with aplomb. The wit is sharp, the romance swoony, and the suspense went in a direction I didn't see coming. And let's not forget the rest of the billionaires in a brotherhood that is as supportive and caring as they are hilarious and nosy. I love how these men love, and seeing each one fall in love and find their respective happily-ever-afters brings me immense joy. Yup, I'm that invested. Zane and Ryan's HEA? Le sigh, which is why Protecting Mr. Fine has earned itself five stars. And now the waiting game begins for the final member of the Billionaire Brotherhood to get his act together.
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SweetMama2
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