REVIEW: The Virgin’s Sicilian Protector by Chantelle Shaw

In The Virgin’s Sicilian Protector by Chantelle Shaw, If the paparazzi or her father knew the real Arianna Fitzgerald behind the public persona, she would be treated like anything other than a spoiled heiress. Unfortunately, though, that’s exactly how everyone sees her–and how she acts when her father hires bodyguard Santino Vasari. The former soldier is honestly not too keen himself on playing protector to a woman who spends more time in the gossip magazines than she does anywhere else. But neither Santino nor Arianna can deny the strength of their attraction. And as threats against her start to increase, forcing her bodyguard to whisk her away to Sicily for safety, they will have to face down their feelings once and for all.

“I don’t want a drink. I want you to make love to me.”
Something feral and fierce blazed in his eyes but he said in a measured voice, “I don’t do love, cara.”

A bit of exciting suspense along with a whole lot of bickering and sexual tension, The Virgin’s Sicilian Protector took us across Europe and directly into a romance neither main character wanted to surrender to. (But of course they eventually did!)

‘His instincts warned him that the threat to Arianna was very real.’

This was my first time reading Chantelle Shaw’s work and I have to say I liked the flow of the story quite a bit. The scenes were just the right length to have made it interesting without lagging on. This was a mix of a few tropes all in one: bodyguard & a spoiled/rich heroine, forced proximity, and wounded/tortured hero. And I typically like all of those tropes. They did work well together in this book, although things got off to a rocky start for me with the heroine, Arianna, who seemed–and acted–like a dingy socialite.

I ended up liking how Arianna changed in the last half of the story, but it was difficult to cheer her on when she wanted to be seen as a serious entrepreneur and then acted the complete opposite around everyone. But Arianna did prove herself to the business world and to her friends by the end. Her lovematch, Santino, was a grumbly former SAS soldier who made a huge name for himself in business after the military. Acting as Arianna’s bodyguard was not quite for the reason he led her to believe, which made for some hurt feelings and lots of verbal sparring–which admittedly was rather fun at times.

A romance where the hero and heroine had sizzling chemistry and made a convincing couple, The Virgin’s Sicilian Protector was a nice introduction for me to Chantelle Shaw’s writing style and an entertaining way to spend a couple of hours.
 

Book Info:

Publication: December 1st 2018 | Harlequin Presents |

He’ll protect her with his life…

…and worship her with his body!

Hired to keep heiress Arianna Fitzgerald safe, wealthy bodyguard Santino Vasari was expecting to meet a pampered princess. Yet beautiful Arianna intrigues him with her hidden vulnerability, and captivates him with her spirit! Alone in Santino’s secluded Sicilian farmhouse, they find their simmering sexual tension is electric. And when Santino discovers just how innocent Arianna is, resisting her temptation becomes an impossible challenge…

Meet the ultimate hero in this bodyguard romance!