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Dear Friends, I thought it was nonsense when the palm reader told me and my sisters that we'd been born with a bad luck love line. I paid no mind to her claim that only the truest love could overcome the family curse. After all, I was a reformed McBride Menace - it wouldn't do for me to believe in such foolishness! Better i had listened...Now our family faces its biggest crisis ever, and I've had to turn for help to the most notorious man in town. Wish me good luck...I think I'll need it! - Mari McBride

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 1, 2005

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448 people want to read

About the author

Geralyn Dawson

27 books219 followers
Geralyn Dawson is the USA Today bestselling author of over twenty novels. She is a three-time finalist for the prestigious Romance Writers' of America's RITA award and a recipient of their Top Ten Favorite Books of the Year award. She received Romantic Times magazine's Career Achievement award and its Reviewer's Choice award. In 2009, the American Library Association named her romantic suspense novel, ALWAYS LOOK TWICE, as one of the top ten romances of the year.

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5 stars
258 (45%)
4 stars
205 (36%)
3 stars
77 (13%)
2 stars
15 (2%)
1 star
6 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
Profile Image for Robin.
1,985 reviews98 followers
September 14, 2018
When Gunslinger Luke Garrett tries a piece of chocolate at Maribeth McBride's candy store, he is immediately smitten with both the chocolate and the store owner. Mari's father warns her to stay away from Luke. But a family tragedy makes Mari decide to go ff on a search for a loved one. Worrying that it may be dangerous, she asks Luke to accompany her as her bodyguard. Luke is more than happy to accompany her. Besides wanting to both protect and seduce Mari, he has his own reason for helping in her search.

The McBride Menaces from the "Bad Luck Wedding" series are grown up and have their own series. I thought the book started out slow but it picked up quickly. My rating: 4 Stars.
Profile Image for L8blmr.
1,238 reviews13 followers
December 15, 2008
I'd forgotten how much I enjoy Dawson's writing, and this did not disappoint. Set in Texas during the late 1800's, "Her Bodyguard" is the first of a trilogy about a new generation of misadventures with the McBride daughters, introduced to us in "The Bad Luck Wedding Dress" (the story of their father and step-mother). The plotline that ties the 3 books together, a curse that the girls must break, was the weakest part of the story, but it didn't prevent me from enjoying the romance of Maribeth, the middle daughter, and Luke, a supposed gunslinger and thief. What I particularly appreciate about Dawson's writing is that I rarely, if ever, have to endure a book-long miunderstanding, and the women are not TSTL. The dialogue is witty and original (there are a few cliches, but after you've read as many romance novels as I have, you are bound to see certain phrases used again!). And, one of my favorite aspects is that the leading characters tell each other of their love BEFORE the last few pages of the book! I like to savor the emotions and declarations between the H/h for a little while before closing a book, and, if possible, read a good HOT sexual encounter after their love for each is known. Although by no means erotica, there were a few really sensual and explicit scenes. One of my favorite passages involved only the removal of cactus spines from Mari's hand, by way of Luke's mouth, but, boy, was it erotic! If you like spicy Western historicals, you should enjoy this book. I enjoyed it enough to give it an extra half star for 4.5!
Profile Image for Andrea.
1,074 reviews10 followers
January 15, 2017
DNF-couldn't read

When a book starts out about a whorehouse, I’m not going to like it. I find that whole institution disgusting and just knowing it existed is enough; I sure as heck don’t want to read about it. Though it wasn’t from the guy’s POV. It was from hers.
“Mari McBride hadn’t visited a whorehouse after dark in years, but as she passed the gilded front door of Rachel Warden’s Social Emporium, she was tempted to stop in and say hello. Rachel and her girls had always been particularly kind to Mari and her two sisters before their father, Trace McBride, went respectable and moved his family out of the infamous section of town know as Hell’s Half Acre.”

Um, no. The whole “whores are helpful” thing just doesn’t work for me. I’ve seen it done before and I don’t like it.

I started skimming ahead to see where he came in. And wished I hadn’t. He alluded to the fact that he’s been with women and enjoys that sordid lifestyle in the brothel. He couldn’t wait to try out the woman with the new brothel because he “appreciated a variety of passions.” The writing was totally lame and he didn’t sound manly at all. So many authors can’t write as men and make them sound wimpy and womanly instead. Such was the case here.

When I found out that Mari had a chocolate shop stationed in between the brothel and the church, I wanted no more of this lame story. I’m not sure what planet this is from, but young women wouldn’t have normally had their own shop, beside a whorehouse, making their own chocolates. And the names of the chocolates? I think not. What lady would use such flirtatious and suggestive names for chocolates? That would ruin her reputation. Her shop is called Indulgences I believe, one of her specialties was called Chocolate Tease.

“Heavens and Rainbows and Enchantments. Sinfuls.
Luke definitely wanted a couple of those.”

Ew. He sounds like a total loser. I cringed at the awful portrayal of this man.

Then, as if this wasn’t historically inaccurate enough, there are some called Kisses and she’s talking with costumers about whether they’re as good as they’re husbands’ kisses.

The writing was atrocious. It sounded forced and so incredibly bad all I could keep saying was that it was lame because no other word described it better. The way they were acting in a public place was so unbelievably ridiculous and over the top I couldn’t take it.

“Luke locked gazes with the beauty as he reached for a piece of her chocolate. Silently, she challenged him. He grinned, enjoying the moment, then he popped the piece of candy into his mouth and bit into it. Flavor exploded across his tongue. Cherry, smooth and creamy and so delicious that he had to concentrate to keep his eyes from rolling back in his head. It was like sex, really good sex. No wonder that customer had sounded as if she’d had her bell rung.
As was his habit with sensual matters, Luke took his time. He savored the chocolate, wrung every last bit of pleasure from the sweet.”

Then he freaking fed her a chocolate, as if men just went around feeding women in public in plain view of other people and touched their lips. People did not do that. Then he told her in front of everyone that she should try his kisses because she says hers are the best.

And I read in disbelief as he touched her cheek, leaned forward to kiss her right there in the shop, and would have had her dad not interrupted it. And Mari protested as if nothing whatsoever was wrong with a single man taking such liberties of her in front of everyone. I can’t stand books that throw accuracy out the window in favor of interactions between the two.

Mari sounded like a total idiot telling her dad they’re my customers and she’ll take care of them. I could see I wouldn’t like her, and I’d already wrote him off because I don’t like man-whores.

“Not to fret, sweet thing,” he told Mari. “I’ll return another time for my bonus Kisses. It’ll give me something to look forward to. I find that anticipation for a particularly sumptuous treat just makes a man’s appetite all the stronger.”

Ew. He sounds like a total creep. There on pg. 31 I had to put the book down because I couldn’t take any more of his gross talking and thoughts about sex. It was making my skin crawl.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Julia David.
2,505 reviews27 followers
August 23, 2017
I loved Mari and Luke. Mari and Luke were raised differently, but both are loyal to their families. Luke is cursed with a trouble-filled family and Mari with a very loving family. Mari and her sisters are told that they can get rid of the bad luck that has plagued their family for generations, yet they continue to have bad luck. So when she meets Luke, she thinks he is an outlaw and therefore safe to "play" with. She knows that she will never be able to get serious with an outlaw. Her father would never allow it. There is more to Luke than meets the eye. He is a very good man and he wants Mari for his own. Can he get past the fact that he is no good for her and her father would kill him if he took advantage of her? But, that doesn't stop him from wanting her.
61 reviews
January 14, 2019
Western with lots of sex

This is an old West with a new twist. If you are in to family curses, unbelievable sex scenes and screwed up families, this one's for you! If not don't waste your time.
Profile Image for Raina.
498 reviews11 followers
November 9, 2007
Whew!! Needed a nice long cold shower after that one.
Profile Image for Tiana.
580 reviews
November 12, 2024
Her Bodyguard was my first experience with Geralyn Dawson/Emily March, and I am impressed!

What I liked:
1: Humour and wit was on point for me.
2: The dialogue was very realistic between all characters. Sometimes a bit cliche once Luke and Mari were together, maybe the cheese layered on too thick, but can't complain too much when it is a romance after all.
3: Characterisation; every character had their own obvious personalities, to the point where through dialogue even if it wasn't specifically indicated who was talking it was easy to tell based on what and how things were "said".
4: The necklaces and story behind their Bad Luck Love Lines; I wish this was fleshed out a bit more, however I liked the idea of it and the place it had within the plot.
5: Mari being her own hero.
6: Luke and Mari. Loved them together; great chemistry, great banter, and a believable love between them.

What I didn't like/had some issues with:
1: I didn't fully enjoy the first moment Luke and Mari met. Luckily, I enjoyed every other moment after that between them.
2: Things were a bit insta-lust/love from Luke's perspective, which I didn't mind too much, but wanted a little bit more of a slow burn.
3: The plot around Kat and Rory; it obviously just existed to give reason for Luke and Mari to connect and go on an adventure, ultimately creating their relationship. When Kat and Rory , it was a bit anti-climatic in terms of that part of the story.
4: Things got a bit cheesy in the end.

Overall, really enjoyed reading Her Bodyguard and look forward to reading more by this author.
Profile Image for Ann.
64 reviews
September 5, 2018
Good, Solid Historical Romance. Almost Cosy, Mild Sex Scenes , Recommend

I enjoyed this book and, as usual, Ms. March writes well, with excellent writing mechanics. The hero, heroine and McBride family were delightful characters. As well, they exhibit admirable qualities of honour, loyalty, honesty, courage and deep, abiding love. The villains were well written, with varying degrees of menace and redemption. Readers who enjoyed the previous books in this series were caught up with the older generation of McBrides, but the book was definitely a standalone work.

The storyline itself was entertaining and held my interest. As the editorial synopsis states, there is foreshadowing of a possible family curse and three necklaces are imbued with magic that will help to break the curse at some future time in the lives of the three McBride sisters. The middle Mc Bride sister is the heroine of this story and she falls in love with a possible scoundrel who may or may not be a criminal. There is a quest involved for the hero and heroine and they have some difficulties with the villains.

The dialogue is amusing, with pithy comments and banter. Some scenes, like the one where the heroine escapes from her kidnapper, are definitely humorous, but there are some poignant moments as well. This is a romance book so it has the requisite happily ever after. Anyone who thinks that requires a spoiler alert needs to refresh their understanding of what constitutes a romance book.

There were three or four vanilla-type love scenes which were too long for my taste. To me, they bored me and slowed the action down, so I found myself skimming over them. There was definitely a large ratio of storyline to sex scenes and the sex scenes were well integrated into the story, so maybe it’s a matter of personal preference; whatever the reason, I would have preferred shorter sex scenes.

I highly recommend this book as well as others in the ‘Bad Luck’ series. Readers looking for pleasant, almost cosy, low-key western historical romance books will probably enjoy these works. I’m a senior citizen and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this book to other seniors or even to my older teenage granddaughter. Of course, anyone who objects to sex scenes will likely hate this book and should avoid it. However, it isn’t a hot book, there isn’t bad language and it would definitely qualify as clean if it weren’t for the mild sex scenes.
Profile Image for Cathy Egan.
460 reviews6 followers
September 9, 2017
I'm not a big fan of historical books, but I will read them if I like the author, and I like Emily March, so I gave this one a shot. It starts out kind of slow, but once the main guy, Luke Garrett, is introduced, I got more interested. I love when the characters are a little cocky, arrogant and humorous. He was all three. The main female character took a little more time to develop, but I liked the relationship that they shared. There was some suspense, which I really enjoy, and a little bit of magic, also. So, this was an entertaining read, just had a little bit too much that was unrealistic towards the end. All in all, it was worth the time to read =)
Profile Image for Shea.
874 reviews
August 20, 2018
The copy of this book I read is published under the author's other name-Emily March. I have previously read the other "Bad Luck" books in the series which take place when the McBride sisters are much younger and dubbed the "McBride Menaces." Now the girls are grown and these are their stories. I really enjoy this family and all the independent, smart women who carry the McBride name. Maribeth is a confectioner running her own shop at a time when businesses owned by women are rare. She is smart, caring independent woman. She is willing to do anything for her family and brave enough to follow through. She and Luke make a fun couple and this was a light enjoyable read.
Profile Image for Rhonda.
129 reviews
August 19, 2017
I was not expecting too much from a romance novel, especially a historical one. But you know what? "Her Bodyguard" was actually rather engaging! The plot was interesting, and the characters were fairly well developed. I also appreciated that the story didn't go from page one to the final page before the main characters actually shared a kiss! The sex scenes fit perfectly into the storyline. The only negative I have is that the curse/necklaces/tasks were not given a satisfactory explanation, at least to me. Still thumbs up on the book tho!
3,559 reviews40 followers
August 23, 2017
I have read some of the books in Ms March’s contemporary series Eternity Springs. So when given the opportunity to read one of her historical romance, I grabbed it.
The story centers around Maribeth McBride and Luke Garrett. Mari and Luke were not only well developed characters, but also strong ones.
The storyline centers around family dynamics, family curses, with a few laughs thrown in, as well as romance.
No dull moment with this one. The is as talented in writing historical romance stories as she is with contemporary ones.
I was gifted this copy. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
Profile Image for Nancy Ku.
1,496 reviews17 followers
August 20, 2017
Mari and Luke can they break the Mcbride curse? Mari and her sisters are the McBride Menaces they visit a fortune teller to find a way to end the Curse of the Clan McBride. They each receive a necklace to help them. Luke is an outlaw or is he.. they have many challenges to get to their HEA...The catcus rape defense comes to mind... I love the way Emily tells a story and could hardly bear to put it down. I can't wait to read the next book in the series...
Profile Image for Margaret.
432 reviews12 followers
August 28, 2017
Mari McBride is a Menace! Luke Garrett is an outlaw, a dangerous man. Things aren't always as they seem. This is a sassy, funny, interesting and a little magical historical novel. It had me smiling most of the time I was reading it. I really enjoyed the characters and the story. Can't wait to read the next on of the series. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Lorraine Anton.
2,982 reviews11 followers
August 7, 2018
Great

Luke and Mari. The McBride menace sisters have bad luck.
Luke is an outlaw or is he?
They fall in love.
This book has suspense, romance, even a little bit of magic.
Mari got herself in some real predicaments.
Loved the sex scenes.
She had spunk.
I really enjoyed this book.
I loved how it ended.
1 review
June 5, 2017
I was so excited to actually read these books that I could not reading them from front to back. Please write more, even about the children that these brides have. I appreciate the Christian blessings that are in this wonderful series.
Profile Image for Glenda.
742 reviews2 followers
August 4, 2018
Enjoyable. This is a true love story. Luke and Mari were truly in love. Through all the things they went through neither gave up on love. It took trust and patience but once they realized this nothing else mattered.
In the end they let the traditional wedding for the McBrides prevail.
96 reviews1 follower
August 5, 2018
Tasks???

Such a well written spell binding story. I've found a new author n series. I felt as if Fort Worth n Hells Acres was really alive. From the train ride to the wonderful strong love of family.
134 reviews3 followers
August 6, 2018
Love the fun

You will laugh at some of the antics
Fill sorry for some, but you Wil fall in love with the McBride family. Their love and loyalty to each other is unmatched. Loved this book. Hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Profile Image for Cecily.
428 reviews2 followers
September 11, 2018
Well this was rather splendid. Some convincing dialogue, good characterisation, and a plot that went off in interesting directions and didn't feel 'samey' to other books of the same type. Sign me up for Bad Luck Brides #2!
849 reviews
June 8, 2022
Loved it!

I really loved this book! The McBride Menaces are all grown up and getting into more trouble than you can imagine! The story of Maribeth and Luke was excellently written and thoroughly entertaining!
1 review
July 29, 2018
excellent

Good read with laughter and happiness throughout. Suspense and intrigue mixed with the love of family. Entertaining hours spent reading this book.
28 reviews
July 29, 2018
Wonderful

I could not put this book down. Wanted to find out what was around the next corner. Wonderful plot. Well thought out and executed. Would recommend.
22 reviews1 follower
July 30, 2018
A very enjoyable read

I enjoyed my journey with the Mc bride menaces. The way the search for Kat help bring Luke and Mari together was fun. I liked in the end true love won out.
454 reviews1 follower
July 30, 2018
McBride sisters trials and tribulations

A journey of good and bad luck leads to the altar for one of the sisters.Teaching all through the story What family ties mean
Profile Image for Gail Thomas.
5 reviews1 follower
July 31, 2018
Loved this. Can't wait to read the otherd

Spellbinding kept me wanting to read til the end. Ready to read the next two in the series. Love the girls
Profile Image for Mary.
945 reviews9 followers
July 31, 2018
Had Luck Brides Strikes Again

I love these stories. They seem to just keep getting better and better. Great work Smile March. I'll keep reading it you'll keep writing.
120 reviews
August 1, 2018
Fun book! A little of everything. Romance, betrayal, suspense, and a bit of magic.
Profile Image for Vicki.
1,707 reviews
August 6, 2018
I loved it. I was in the mood for a good western and this was a good one. Loved the characters.
So good bought the rest of trilogy
Profile Image for Sharon Rudolph.
2,139 reviews
January 14, 2019
Great book

I skipped over the books in the middle to get to the Menace's stories! I was not disappointed in this first one. I am excited to read the next two stories.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews

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