Ellen's quiet garden is invaded by pesky paparazzi, snapping the neighbour's house. Her pop star brother got involved with the girl next door, and now he's in California, leaving Ellen in Ohio with photographers ruining her plants. Just as she's thrown iced tea over the latest nuisance, a tall man shows up and orders the photographer to leave. In ALONG CAME TROUBLE, Caleb is private security, hired by Ellen's brother. But Ellen doesn't want Caleb's idea of help - tall fences, alarms, lists of visitors, schedules. She's got a two-year-old to raise, and she likes normal.

Caleb needs the job. He's ex-Army, single, responsible for his parents and sister, running his own business in a recession. He agrees on a compromise with Ellen, who works from home. He can't avoid finding her attractive, but she's a client, so it's hands-off. As the locks get upgraded and security lights installed, Ellen fights the loss of her independence and privacy. But her brother is hot news, and some people will stop at nothing to get photos. Her ex-husband is also showing up, allegedly keen to see his son. Now could there be anything else on his mind?

This is written as a lighthearted book, the immediate imagery of plants being trampled and iced tea thrown in a fury setting the scene nicely. Ruthie Knox clearly likes her characters and has given each of them a well-fleshed background and family, and the security being introduced is sensible, no overkill, and specifically no guns around a small child. While it's on the light theme again, I did find page after page of negotiating the rules of a relationship tedious; people don't do that, and it's insulting. The singing star comes across as a real person too, concerned about how the impact his celebrity status will have on the people he loves.

ALONG CAME TROUBLE is a fun read, with plentiful security tips and some sage advice for anyone negotiating contracts in the music industry. Put your feet up and pick this adult romance for a relaxing read.

Book Summary

Ruthie Knox’s Camelot series continues in this sizzling eBook original novel, featuring two headstrong souls who bump heads—and bodies—as temptation and lust bring nothing but delicious trouble.

An accomplished lawyer and driven single mother, Ellen Callahan isn’t looking for any help. She’s doing just fine on her own. So Ellen’s more than a little peeved when her brother, an international pop star, hires a security guard to protect her from a prying press that will stop at nothing to dig up dirt on him. But when the tanned and toned Caleb Clark shows up at her door, Ellen might just have to plead the fifth.

Back home after a deployment in Iraq and looking for work as a civilian, Caleb signs on as Ellen’s bodyguard. After combat in the hot desert sun, this job should be a breeze. But guarding the willful beauty is harder than he imagined—and Caleb can’t resist the temptation to mix business with pleasure. With their desires growing more undeniable by the day, Ellen and Caleb give in to an evening of steamy passion. But will they ever be able to share more than just a one-night stand?

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