Do You Need Protection?

Perhaps you can hire new body guard, Tessa Lancaster. After years of working as a strong arm for her uncle, a leader of the Japanese mafia, she's become an expert in reading people, as well as several forms of martial arts.

Camy Tang has created a great new character for book one of her new series. Tessa is downright scary in the prologue, and though I committed to reading the book, I didn't identify with her at all. That is, until I reached the first page of Chapter One, where she led a game of
Simon Says for a group of children at a battered wives' safe house. You can bet I liked her from then–on. Tough and smart, she is also compassionate, but troubled.


Protection for Hire has a twisted plot set in the shadowy underworld of the San Francisco mafia. As I read, I felt over and over again the helplessness of the case. There was no safety. No way out. The tension with the entire situation never gave release. Just as answers showed up on the radar, new problems cancelled them out. The energy stayed amped, but avoided frustration. Ms. Tang also avoided bookmark spots; I couldn't put the story down!

While Tessa's journey provided the impetus of the story, other characters brought charm to a new level. I really liked Charles, but his mother and her friend were downright delightful and not just because they were from the South. Or maybe it was! Either way, I could totally identify with them!

Protection for Hire is full of humor and shares a powerful message of grace and trust. The story moves the reader as well as entertains. I give it 4 1/2 kisses.

Be advised, though, that my precious redhead won't read this one due to a steamy description of an observed rendezvous. It also has one curse word from the hero.

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Also out now is her Asian chick lit Sushi series (Sushi for One, Only Uni, and Single Sashimi) and her romantic suspense novels (Deadly Intent and Formula for Danger).

She used to be a biologist, but now she is a staff worker for her church youth group and leads a worship team for Sunday service. 

On her blog, she ponders knitting, spinning wool, dogs, running, the Never Ending Diet, and other frivolous things. Visit her website at http://www.camytang.com/ to join her quarterly newsletter.




I love reading books over the weekend, especially in cold, rainy weather. So what did you do this weekend?

(I received Protection for Hire as an advanced reader copy from the publisher in return for an honest review.)