Romance Readers Retreat: Review: Stay Close (For You #1) by Alexa Riley

*****5 STARS*****

It is always an exciting day when there is a new Alexa Riley story on my kindle. This writing duo is one of my very favorite guilty pleasures. Stay Close could in theory be read as a standalone, but I strongly encourage you to read both Everything For Her and especially His Alone first. This book is all about Ivan and Penelope, one of Captain and Paige's twin daughters (His Alone is their book).

Ivan has been working for Paige for years as an informant and wants to move on with his life. Paige agrees in turn for a favor...she wants him to be one of his daughter's bodyguards. Penelope may be eighteen, but her parents want her to be protected 24/7 and she has a bad habit of giving her bodyguards the slip. When he lays eyes in Penelope he knows he will be more than just her bodyguard.

Penelope is sweet, feminine and loves taking care of her family, but she is tired of the string of bodyguards her parents insist on. She is sure she'll be giving her newest one the skip almost immediately. Then she lays eyes on him and running from him is the last thing she wants to do. Ivan literally takes her breath away.

I adored Ivan and Penelope together. As is the Alexa Riley way, they are instantly over the moon for each other and it is ridiculously sweet, endearing and sexy. Ivan is pretty sure Penelope can do better, he is former Russian Mob after all and has done things in his past he regrets. It doesn't matter. He loves her so much he will be selfish and keep her, a sentiment Penelope strongly supports. I can't wait to read Pandora's story next (Penelope's twin).

Reviewed by Rosemary Feil

A former Russian mafia soldier is hired to protect a friend’s young daughter, but he knows he’ll do more than keep her safe–he’ll make her his. Forever.

If she were to simply whisper my name, I would be at her feet, begging to touch what I shouldn’t, taste what doesn’t belong to me, run my hands along the sweet innocence she taunts me with.

Penelope Justice is eighteen, old enough to graduate high school but—according to her parents—not old enough to live without 24/7 security. Practice has made her an expert at ditching her bodyguards. One look at Ivan and she never wants to run again.

I’ve been hired to protect her.

I can’t help but think that perhaps someone should have protected her from me.

Ivan steals the breath right out of her lungs, something no boy has ever done. Then again, he’s far from a boy. This man, this man who looks like he could kill someone with the flick of a wrist, is everything. He is her future.

I can’t let her go and I won’t give her up. I’ve done bad things in my life, and I don’t deserve her. But I can’t do the honorable thing.

I’ve never been noble, and I’m not starting now.