Okay so. The beginning I wasn’t really a fan of... like the first few pages and it took me a while to get into this because I wasn’t completely sold on the characters. I was excited to read this because THE GIRL IS THE BODYGUARD!! I love body guard romances and I love strong heroines so this, I thought, would be a win win. However, I felt like the heroine was trying too hard to be tough??? I don’t know. It just didn’t really feel authentic. I think I was hoping for something completely different than what this was.... which is my fault!! I still enjoyed this though I just wasn’t expecting it! I loved the romance!! So sweet and Zac grew on me pretty quickly! I definitely recommend giving this a try, while it wasn’t my favourite, I did have a good time and enjoyed this! I would read future books by this author because I love her ideas and her writing! Thank you soooo much netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc!

This was ridiculously cute, even though it’s a pretty predictable story. Kat Parker is a bodyguard who is assigned to Zac Edwards, the latest heartthrob actor to hit the big screen. Zac is charming, hot, talented and determined to woo Kat, however, Kat’s main focus is keeping Zac safe from his stalker.

It’s a quick will they/ won’t they romance, with a touch of intrigue and angst, making it the perfect page turner to read in one sitting.

This was a fun little romp. I liked both Zac and Kat and thought that the development of their relationship. I liked the writing and thought the story overall was well developed and fun. The side characters were done well and I really enjoyed Kat's niece Deb and the whole side plot involving who Zac is really was really interesting. This wasn't the best romance i've ever read but it was a fun read.

This is the first time I've read anything by this author and honestly this wasn't my favorite. I mean it wasn't terrible but it wasn't amazing either.

I like the plot. Zac is a famous British actor who has a crazy stalker. So he decides to hire a body guard.. a female body guard, Kat. You know what's going to happen. They are going to fall madly in love. Again I love this. I love the he hired a female body guard. Yay for feminism. But my issue with this book is that the love wasn't believable. They acted like children whenever they were together. There was way, way too much drama. Alot of their problems could have been solved if they just would have spoken to each other without throwing a fit.

So over all the story was okay. I like the plot idea and I liked the characters as individuals... but I didn't like the romance. I didn't like that there was added drama just for the sake of added drama to the story.

I have decided to DNF this book at 42%.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to feel any connection with either of the main characters. They don't seem to have much personality other than Zac is a perfectionist and Kat is a mess (which really makes no sense with her character's background).

The premise is interesting, I just find myself bored and wanting to do anything other than read this book.

This book had a good premise. What’s not to love about a bodyguard falling for her famous client that she has to protect from a crazy stalker? Well I’m sad to say that this didn’t live up to my expectations. What I didn’t realize when requesting this was that Kathryn Freeman wrote another book that I read and reviewed earlier this year. The new guy also had a decent premise that could have delivered a fun book but sadly did not. That book like this one focused so much on the two main love interests fighting over something or other, repeating these fights throughout the book. It was just so annoying all I could think about was that they either needed to get together or just stay professionals and to be honest by the 3/4 point I just wanted them to go their separate ways. It was too much. It’s just sad that I have to say Kathryn Freeman’s books are not for me and I don’t think they ever will be

Up Close and Personal is such a fun new rom com. I flew through it, and plan to pick up the author's other book ASAP!

I was charmed from the start - the first chapter where Kat meets Zac is such a delightful kick off to this story. There is instant attraction between the two of them. But, Kat is his new bodyguard - since Zac, a famous actor, is being stalked by a crazed fan.

This story evolves into something so much deeper, as Zac's past catches up with him. Watching Kat navigate the male-dominated world of bodyguarding while juggling her home life is a really solid story on its own.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised by the twist and turns in this book, and thoroughly enjoyed the journey!

Up Close and Personal is a reverse play on The Bodyguard movie. You know the one with Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner. Instead movie star, Zac Edwards is threatened by a stalker, who he believes to be a crazed fan and his manager decides to hire a body guard. Kat Parker is good at her job, she spent 12 years in the military and has been protecting movie stars for the last several years. But when Kat walks in, she is the least likely person who Zac would pick ... but he doesn’t have a choice. Soon they are spending all their time together trying to find whoever is stalking him; Kat’s constant conversation and Zac’s quirks, lead to quick banter and feelings that need to be pushed aside to make sure they both stay safe.

This book is listed as the second in a series by Kathryn Freeman, I read the first as well, they were not connected, both are stand along novels. Up Close and Personal was quick and easy read with a strong female lead that turned the normal romance story upside down.

Thank you One More Chapter and HaprerCollinsUK for an eGalley copy to read and provide an honest review.

Satisfying in every way:
This book was extremely well written; it captured and held my attention. I loved that there was intrigue, suspense, drama and romance too.
Zac has a stalker and when Kat is assigned to protect him, sparks fly. They try to fight their attraction and keep things professional but it gets harder the more time they spend together. I appreciated that they both had insecurities and issues that they were dealing with. It made them more approachable and easier to relate to.
It was fun having a reversal of the typical genders when it came to a bodyguard protecting a movie celebrity. I also liked that Zac was more down to earth and real and maybe the setting being in London, England rather than Hollywood had something to do with that. Overall another great read by this talented author.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Oh Man. This one wasn't good. It was really difficult for me to connect with any of the characters. I felt like there was something I was missing the entire time I was reading. I ended up not finishing it unfortunately.

I really wanted to enjoy this book but I ended up having to dnf it. I'm gutted but I just could not get into the story and didn't care about the characters.

This just wasn't for me, sorry!!

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Usually a book which is blurbed as slowburn, bodyguard- actor romance with sizzling chemistry is right up my alley but unfortthis one didn’t work. From the very first chapter I was put off. I was expecting slowburn but the story starts almost abruptly with the hero and heroine meeting each other in the very first page and falling into instant attraction. I would have loved a bit more of a buildup to the meeting where we get to see a little bit about the characters and their backgrounds on their own. And I was a little bit annoyed by the heroine and the constant flirting and pushing by the hero wasn’t very endearing as well. Overall a book I didn’t exactly love but didn’t hate either.

Zac Edwards is in trouble. After finding fame he is faced with having a stalker who keeps finding him everywhere. His film company is concerned and hires a bodyguard for him. Kat Parker is a veteran who is well versed in the protection of people but wants more responsibility after struggling with PTSD and heartache she faced in Afganistan. When these two meet, the chemistry is instant, but they are both in a difficult position, where Zac wants people to love him for himself and not his fame and Kat is struggling with people taking her seriously in her profession. She does not want to ruin her credibility by having an affair with a client. Both have serious hang-ups from their pasts and together they must face them and the stalker to see if there is something more waiting for them.
I think the writing was engaging at the beginning but when we got to the end, I found myself bored. I enjoyed reading about Kat and her relationships with her sister and niece, I think Debs was a very believable teenager with struggles many 14-year-olds face. However, the plot fell a bit flat. When they caught the stalker, it was glossed over and we never felt the seriousness of the situation. I had the same emotions with the other issue in this book which I will not name because I do not want to spoil the book for other readers. The issue was not explained well and I just didn't feel engaged even though the stakes were high at the end.
I also did think that even though Zac's emotions were believable and made sense, Kat's reactions were often strange and not really thought out. That did not make their emotional connection believable. I did think that their banter was good though.
Overall, I am glad I got to read this book and I think that if the relationships were more fleshed out, it would be a better read.

I am grateful for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had really high hopes for this one based on the premise, but unfortunately it just didn't work for me. I ended up DNFing it as I didn't care about the characters or plot, and the writing didn't work for me.

Zac wasn’t what Kat expected!

Actor Zac Edwards is the newest star in British film but when he starts to get notes from a stalker even his manager gets involved when the producers of his new movie want to protect their star. Zac thinks everyone is overdoing it when they hire a company to protect him but when he meets bodyguard Kat Parker, he doesn’t know what to think. Kat Parker had gotten used to protecting people after she had left the military, but actor Zac Edwards was more than she expected.

Up Close and Personal is a fun romance when Kat decides that Zac should stay at her place when the stalker leaves a note at the hotel where they were staying leading to much more than either of them expected with a little help from Kat’s niece.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I would like to thank #OneMoreChapter for providing me an ARC of Kathryn Freeman's #UpCloseAndPersonal via #NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Up Close & Personal by Kathryn Freeman centers around two narrators: Kat Parker, a bodyguard who is assigned to protect Zac Edwards, the newest heartthrob on the acting scene, who has been plagued with a stalker. As their attraction to one another grows, so does the danger.

*Sigh*. This could have been good. I truly think it could have been. I love the idea of a story that involves a woman protecting a man. While the plot is not overly unique, that can be said about 99% of romances. I can get over that. What I can't get over, is a boring, predictable story line, and characters that are likable on their own, but have zero chemistry with one another. Conversations that are alluded to between them, ones that would actually help the reader connect more with the characters, and perhaps even show some genuine feelings between them, are not written.

Kat Parker is a nice character to read. I will always love a killer female heroine in any book, and Kat Parker is that. Strong, brave, smart. What's not to like. I get her trauma in the story, but it doesn't mean its not incredibly annoying to read. Zac Edwards is also nice. Polite. Totally wears his heart on his sleeve. Brave. Both are nice. Nice together. Just no sizzling chemistry that burns through the pages, which is what I expect in a romance. Even the intimate parts of the story were bland.

I read in a book once, where a character, coincidentally named Zach, told another character to "Show, not tell." And this is where the problem is in the story. We are told they have chemistry. We are told its electric. We are not shown it. Wording is key. I think with some work, this could have been a good story. Unfortunately, for me, it fell flat.

I do look forward to curling up with a Kathryn Freeman book and Up Close and Personal was an excellent read. The story is about a film-star being stalked and having a bodyguard assigned to him. One has impeccable manners, is well spoken and always punctual. The other says what they think, is a bit messy and is often running late. Meet the film-star Zac Edwards and his body guard Kat Parker.

Their first meeting was a bit of a disaster, their second didn’t inspire confidence but there is a hint of a spark between them, some flirting and innuendo. Kat is a professional and she cannot afford the distraction of falling for handsome and tasty Zac.

The plot of the story has more to it than first meets the eye, both characters have a dark past that they are not willing to share. This in part is why some of their quirks are as they are, their past have, in some ways shaped the way they look at he futures.

I loved that instant connection between these two characters, they are the focus of the story, though there are others that have a part to play. The reading was so effortless as I disappeared into the world the author created. There is chemistry, humour and also more serious stuff, but all nicely balanced to keep the flow of the story moving along at just the right pace.

This is very much a will they or won’t they style of story, and I wasn’t sure exactly how it was going to end as there could have been many scenarios that could have made the conclusion.

This is a wonderful read that I loved from start to finish. I was completely hooked and found it the perfect book to read sat in the garden on a sunny afternoon. Ideal for fans of rom-coms and romance and one I would definitely recommend.

This book had an absolutely FANTASTIC first chapter! And then...it fizzled. Bring out my sad face.

Yes, the story still kept me engaged enough to continue reading, but it was easily 75 pages too long. There comes a point when you think to yourself, "Is this author trying to hit a certain word count?" and it's a damn shame because the story has good bones and the characters are great. Why we need so many chapters (at about 3/4 through the book) filled with information that in no way moves the story along is beyond me.

The entire story summary is carrying blame for things beyond your control. By the end of the book you feel as if you have been flogged to death with this theme.

This book isn't terrible. Some might very much like it. The chemistry between characters is sizzling and there is a lot to like, just prepare yourself for 10,000 instances of, "I feel like this is all my fault." met with, "It's not all your fault, it's all MY fault!" And "What happened in the past was not your fault." "But I feel like it WAS all my fault." "But it's not your fault." "Still it feels like It's my fault."

I wasn't in love with the story or the characters sadly.
I'm so sorry I can't give a full review on this, I just ended up not loving it.

Honestly, I thought this was going to be a great book for me. I love tropes turned on their head, and it just fell short. The plot seemed so focused on this one element - the notes and the mystery, which was predictable, and then boring. The conclusion happened so fast and weirdly done.