No longer just a job….

I love Sharon Sala’s stories! Her relatable characters and the emotional situations they find themselves in make her an insta-click for me. She can easily tap into the whole gamut of human behavior and emotions, making me feel each one, whether good or bad. Sahara and Brendan’s story had all these highs and lows, making it a new favorite!

“Too many secrets. Too many lies.”

At first glance, it was a horrible tragedy, but it soon became clear that incident was just the first in a sinister chain of events. Sahara had a stalker and this unknown enemy was deadly…. Hiring Brendan as her bodyguard was the last thing she wanted but he would quickly become all she needed…

Brendan and Sahara’s relationship changed quickly yet felt slow and steadfast. Their feelings grew from animosity and resentment on one side to mutual respect and then to love. All this with a backdrop of family secrets slowly revealed and deadly incidents mounting. They were dealing with extraordinary circumstances but kept levelheaded and determined throughout.

“He wanted her and was getting tired of fighting the truth.”

Just when I thought I had things all figured out there were a few more twists to add to the mix! A slow burning, suspenseful read, another favorite to add to the re-read shelf.

I have never read a bad or boring novel by Sala. Hands down one of my favorite authors. Her stories always are fast paced and very well put together. Bad guy always gets his, and true love always prevails. Thank you Netgalley

In this game of Clue we are constantly trying to sift through what information is meaningful, what can be forgotten, and what are we missing? Thankfully Sahara brought her assistant on the adventure to help her keep everything organized.

Brendan allowed his prejudice against celebrities to cloud his judgement in the beginning and that knocked him off his game for the rest of the book. We might be able to forgive him if he can save the girl while sweeping her off her feet.

I normally love this authors' books.
They usually consist of a great story-line, good characters and leave you with a feel good feeling by the time you are finished.

This started off interesting but events etc ended up happening so quickly, it was hard to keep up.
Sahara came across as a very immature woman considering her career/wealth etc. I didn't really warm up to her at all. After multiple attempts on her life, she acted like a spoilt brat with her bodyguard.
Now onto the bodyguard. There was ZERO chemistry between the characters. The love story angle felt forced and not a natural course of events. The love story between the woman and her bodyguard normally comes across quite well but not at all in this.
I actually skipped my way from 59% to the 89% to see if I was correct in what I thought the twist/bad guy was. Upon getting towards the end I realised I hadn't missed much but found out who the bad guy/s were. Mystery solved and well it wasn't worth the read to the end lol

I do normally rate this author. Sharon Sala has been very consistent over the years but this was a HUGE miss for me. In my opinion it wasn't at all as good as any of her previous books.
I won't let this put me off because I do normally love her books. I just hope this was a one off.

I cant believe the twists ands turns with this book!! Sharon sala is a master at romantic suspense .

I've been a fan of Sharon Sala's novels for almost as long as she's been writing them, but this "movie star and her bodyguard" romantic suspense novel was unexpected and quite a departure from her more recent novels, and I liked it but didn't love it, which is why it gets a 3.5 star rating from this reader/reviewer.

The movie star in question is actress Sahara Travis, who we meet mid-scene, on the set of a movie she's starring in. When they cut for lunch, she goes to her trailer and discovers the body of her wardrobe assistant, Moira, on the floor, unconscious. When Sahara tries tries to give her mouth-to-mouth, she discovers that Moira's mouth is full of food, and that she smells of bitter almonds--cyanide, and she realizes that by taking a bite of the lunch she was delivering to Sahara, she inadvertently consumed the poison intended to kill her, and the police are called to the set. That's when we learn that Sahara's personal assistant, Lucy, had handed Sahara's lunch off to Moira, who was headed in the direction of her trailer. Sahara is devastated by the death, and hasn't a clue who would want her dead. This is only the first attempt on her life, and it won't be the last. Eventually, her manager/agent/friend, Harold, is called and insists on hiring a bodyguard to protect Sahara, and we soon meet him, ex-Ranger and handsome hunk, Brendan McQueen.

One of things I found incongruous about this novel is that apparently Sahara Travis is the hottest and highest paid actress in Hollywood because of her beauty and acting ability, yet scene after scene finds her pigging out on cake, candy, cookies, pancakes, ice cream, etc.--as if part of her allure wasn't her physical appearance. I found it very hard to imagine any celebrity, male or female who wasn't weight conscious, since their physical appearance matters so much.

As more attempts are made to kill her, Sahara, Brendan and Lucy retreat to New Orleans, Sahara's childhood home, but whoever has been trying to kill her continues his attacks there. Told in alternating points of view, we do get into the mind of the killer, but we never really learn why he so badly wants Sahara dead. When her mother is found murdered, and her father goes missing, the mystery and suspense deepen, as does the relationship between Sahara and Brendan--although the latter happens rather quickly, and the clues about the killer are sparse at best. We do learn a lot of Sahara's background as the only child of wealthy and influential parents, but outward appearances can be deceiving.

While this novel was well-written, as are all of Ms. Sala's books, I found most of it to be rather slow-moving, and the clues as to the identity of the killer were practically nonexistent. The denouement was certainly a surprise, and Ms. Sala did keep me guessing, but I was left wondering why we weren't given a single clue about the killer's motive until the very end of the novel. Both the lack of clues and motive, the almost insta-love between Sahara and Brendan, and the quick cut to the finish seemed so out of character for a novelist like Ms. Sala, who is usually so adept at drawing us into her stories and characters, that I found myself wondering if the inconsistencies I kept noticing were indicative of a rush to deadline for this novel.

As I stated at the outset, I'm a Sharon Sala fan who's been reading her work for decades, which may be why I came away from this novel feeling somewhat ambivalent about it. As romantic suspense novels go, it was a good and fairly engrossing read, but not a great one, which is why I was a bit disappointed by it. If you're new to her work, I think you'll enjoy this novel, but be advised that she's written far better, more emotional and more engrossing novels than this one.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

I have read several books by Sharon Sala. I’ll have to admit that the storylines can get a little farfetched but they are always still entertaining. In Life of Lies, the heroine, Sahara Travis is a very successful Hollywood actress with a very complicated childhood. Multiple attempts on her life, prompt Sahara to enlist the services of personal security expert Brendan McQueen. Brendan’s reputation precedes him. He goes to great lengths to keep her safe while trying to keep an emotional distance.

As the attempts on Sahara’s life increase, so does the mystery. The murder of her parents force Sahara to travel to Louisiana where everything comes to a head. We soon learn that Sahara’s life was filled with lies and deceit. To add insult to injury, it’s likely that Sahara is being targeted for an inheritance that she neither wants nor needs. Of course, there are the typical suspects but Sharon has to shock everyone by being over the top with the big reveal. You will never figure out who dunnit. But when you do find out, your mouth will drop open. The problem is that it’s just too much. I like a good suspense but I didn’t feel like there was enough authenticity to this one. I did like the action and can appreciate an overachieving hero but…

Life of Lies was good. The hero and heroine had good chemistry but I felt like they fell in love awfully fast considering the circumstances. However, they did seem rather compatible between the sheets. Life of Lies was easy to follow and I was definitely intrigued until the end.

Sahara Travis finds herself the target of someone willing to do whatever it takes to kill her. Even worse, multiple attempts on her life force her into hiring a security specialist to protect her. However, Brendan McQueen is not what Sahara was expecting, and instead, she finds herself captivated by the man. Will her burly bodyguard be able to keep her safe, or will they lose their shot at happy ever after?

What a thrilling and very engaging read Ms. Sala has penned in this story where the person responsible for the terrible things that happen to Sahara makes this book intense and fills it with edge-of-your-seat suspense. The way this story started drew me in immediately and had me determined to discover why someone would target Sahara. Why is the person responsible going to such dangerous lengths to see her dead? Will Brendan be able to find the person responsible before the danger gets too close? However, it was from the moment the hero and heroine met that I found myself totally captivated by this story, as Sahara was reluctant to have a bodyguard and Brendan is a stickler for setting rules and making absolutely certain his charge follows them. Will Sahara do what she's told from the get-go?

As for the dialogue, it had me hooked because of how intense it was due to the lengths the person targeting Sahara was willing to go to. There are so many incidents that had me wondering when something would finally happen to Sahara that Brendan might not be capable of protecting her from. Moreover, the heroine is strong and brave in being able to handle everything she goes through. I also liked how she handled the hero's bossiness when it came to her safety. Yet, what I liked most of all about the heroine is the challenge she provides the hero. While the hero, his listen-to-me-or-else attitude was endearing and showed that he would do anything for someone he was protecting, which is proven by what he's done for previous clients that he's protected and what he does for the heroine. I also liked that he gave the heroine a chance, even though being with her could make it more dangerous to protect her.

Overall, Ms. Sala has penned another really good romantic suspense where the chemistry between this couple was intense and had me wanting to know how long it would take the hero to give into their chemistry; the romance was delightful and showed how good these two are together; and the ending had me on the edge-of-my-seat because of what the heroine goes through and how far the hero is willing to go to protect her. Moreover, I also was surprised by the ending because of how many people were responsible for trying to end Sahara's life. I would recommend Life of Lies by Sharon Sala, if you enjoy romantic suspense, the sexy protector trope, or books by authors Carla Neggers, Heather Graham, Linda Howard and Karen Rose.

Sharon Sala is one of my favorite authors. She is a very prolific author who writes in several different genres and uses several different styles. All of them are grammatically perfect with very creative plots, and with interesting but lovable characters. Life of lies is no exception.

Sahara Travis is a famous actress who grew up in New Orleans but left as a teenager due to problems at home. Unfortunately, at the top of her fame, someone tries to kill her. Her manager insists she get a bodyguard.

Brendan McQueen is a former Army Ranger who, ultimately, becomes Sahara’s bodyguard.

Meanwhile, Sahara finds out that her mother has been killed and her father is missing. At the same time, someone blows up Sahara’s elevator to her penthouse. She manages to escape only

Therefore, since Sahara’s apartment is unlivable, and she needs to take care of plans for her mother and her father, Sahara and Brendan decide to leave for New Orleans and move into her family home.

When she gets home, we find that Sahara’s family is abnormal and dysfunctional, to say the least. In fact, Ms. Sala uses her creative skills to think convoluting details in the plot of this story. These elaborate details carry over into the resolution of the conflict, which I found difficult to predict!
Nevertheless, I loved this story and highly recommend this book!

Someone is out to murder actress Sahara Travis and they don’t seem to mind what the method is, as long as she dies!  When her mother is found murdered and her father can’t be found, the mystery deepens but it is clear she needs protection. Ex-army ranger Brendan McQueen is brought in to be her bodyguard. Further attempts are made on her life as family secrets start to reveal possible motives but there will be more deaths, more attempts on Sahara’s life, danger, double crossing and deception before all is resolved in this fast paced, enthralling romantic suspense.

The tangled web of family secrets, is slowly unravelled in this romantic suspense. The story has many twists and turns to confuse and divert the reader as the story progresses, though it is a little too reminiscent of a well known story involving a bodyguard IMHO. However, it is still an intriguing read that flows well and I’ll look out for more by this author in future.

I requested and received a copy of this novel, via NetGalley, with no obligation. This is my honest review after choosing to read it.

Sharon Sala has been on my radar for a while, I even have one of her small town romances in my TBR, but this was the first book of hers that I read. Hollywood glamour, an ex-Ranger, romance, mystery, thrills, family drama, it had so many elements that I like.

Sahara (which I kept reading as Sarah) left home 15 years ago and hasn't looked back. In the meantime she has become a hot Hollywood actress. While on set for a film, a wardrobe assistant eats some of her food and dies; the food was poisoned. While the set is shut down for the police investigation. more attempts are made on her life and her agent/manager hires a bodyguard, Brendan. When her mother is murdered, and her father goes missing, Sahara reluctantly decides to return home. Once there she, and the reader, gets a surprise.

Brendan is a former Ranger who know works as a bodyguard and he takes his work seriously. He lays down the rules and expects Sahara, and Lucy, to abide by them. He's not a jerk about it, just firm. His job is to keep Sahara safe and alive and he will do whatever it takes.

Sparks fly between Sahara and Brendan (gawd, I love that name. It's a favorite.) but at first they ignore them. Brendan is professional and knows it's a bad idea to get involved with a client while Sahara is too focused on everything going on. Sala slowly builds up the steam between them, taking it slow, building the tension until they can't take it any more. Even so, given the genre, things happened quickly including the "I love you"s. I do have one gripe about the sex scenes - there was no condom use, nothing to indicate that any form of birth control was used, and a total failure to discuss any aspect of safe sex. That's just so unrealistic, and stupid, in this day and age.

The mystery itself was twisty, full of surprises, and kept me guessing. While some of my guesses were correct, others were wrong and there were some events that I just didn't see coming. Some things were over the top, very soap opera-ish, but Sala spun a good yarn that kept me reading and I want to read more by her.

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

I've read several Sharon Sala books and I have never read one like this one. The story was intriguing from the first page and it took me awhile to figure out what was happening. I enjoyed the romance, but the pace was flat. It's hard to keep interest when the characters barricade themselves in one spot. Add to that a number of major plot holes and this book just did not live up to what I've come to expect from Sharon Sala.

Why? Why does someone want actress Sahara Travis dead? Now? At this point in time when she is in the middle of a controversial movie? Sahara returns to her movie dressing trailer to find a wardrobe assistant dead because she was eating some of Sahara's lunch. Then she barely escapes her condo alive. Where? Where can she hid that she will be safe? Who? Who is going to keep her safe and figure out who and why someone wants her dead?

The Who? is former Army Ranger Brendan McQueen, her new bodyguard and protector. Sahara is estranged from her family but now she is going home to a mausoleum of a house in New Orleans. Sahara has nothing but bad memories of her time there. Brendan now has to pick apart Sahara's life to find out the someone who wants her dead and why. 3 1/2-Stars

This is a well developed story that will constantly leave readers guessing. The suspense is skillfully maintained and the big reveal on the killer will take the readers totally by surprise.

Sahara Travis is a movie star with all the bells and whistles that come with such a privilege. Her life however is turned topsy turvy when a wardrobe assistant dies after eating food especially prepared for her.  Clearly someone is after her because like a cat leading a charmed life she then escapes a second and even a third attempt against her life. Then she's lured back to her hometown of New Orleans when her mother is murdered and her father disappears. Brendan McQueen is hired as a body guard to protect her as she with her assistant Lucy and Brendan in tow arrive in New Orleans.
Now we get to hear the true story of "who" Sahara Travis as she and Brendan attempt to find who's targeting her and why?  Ms. Sala does a great job of introducing us to Bubba and his thought processes as he's foiled in his every attempt to kill Sahara.  Poor Bubba, no matter what he tries he can't get to Sahara and every single person he hires to do the job fails. Clearly he's going to have to do it himself particularly as Sahara taunts him to come out in the open and not hide in dark shadows like a coward.
The chemistry between Brendan and Sahara is off the charts even as Brendan tries to maintain his distance given that Sahara is his client.  But what's a man to do when a beautiful and sexy woman continues to flaunt her sexuality and her nudity in front of him.  When he's not being charmed by Sahara, Brendan puts his considerable fact finding skills to work and sends a lot of clues and information to the police in both New Orleans and Hollywood. Even being in the know of the theories that Sahara and Brendan develop about who the perpetrator might be the ending is climatic and shocking in true Ms. Sala style.
This story is a bit slower paced than some others that I've read from the author but the suspense and the climatic ending are definitely well worth the read.

3 1/2 stars out of 5
I will admit I was able to find figure out the killer right away which was a bit of a disappointment for me not to mention it is the movie body guard but with an actress. The authors character building as well as the suspense will keep readers reading even after they figure out the plot.
Simple fast beach read that will go the way all romance books do.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy

Someone is trying to kill Sahara and it's Brendan's job to keep her safe. Sahara is a movie star and doesn't have any enemies that she knows of but after a couple of close calls Brendan is hired to be her bodyguard. Brendan expects Sahara to be a spoiled starlet but she's warm and personable. Lines are blurred as they get closer and closer while trying to fight off multiple threats. I really enjoyed this romantic suspense novel!

I am a huge fan of Sharon Sala. Read everything she writes. So I hate to say, but this was not one of my favorites from her. The main character is Sahara Travis, the biggest movie star in the world. After repeated attempts on her life, her agent hires Brenden McQueen to be her bodyguard. After hearing her mother and father have been killed, she and Brenden travel back to her hometown and we discover her life as we know it was a lies. My biggest problem is that Sahara sup[posedly knew her "mother" was really not her biological mom, but the housekeeper was. After a minor misunderstanding, the two don't speak or look for each other for 15 years. But they're still devoted to each other. Then the romance between Sahara and Brenden seems to come out of nowhere. And the mystery of who the killer is was a bit over the top. Just not one of the best books.

I hated the first page or 2 in this book the story did not appeal at all and I wanted to stab the main character. But then the book got terrific. I love Sharon Sala books, but I think in the this one she got her groove back. Plenty of twists and turns and I didn't figure out who done it, then ending was a real surprise.

Review goes live on Sept 20 2017 at 00.00 am gmt+2 and will show up on Goodreads sometime later.

In a Flutter: Fun main couple
Fluttering Thoughts:
Worldbuilding: My initial reaction was that Hollywood stories that start with a murder can only be good, hehe. I liked more the New Orleans setting though, to be honest.
Characters: Sahara seemed dubiously decent and grounded for a movie star – fact that was thought by many of the other characters, in fact. I kind of liked Lucy too, though she seemed too determined to make a stellar impression which always seems fishy to me. Harold was kind of stereotypical money-centered agent, but not a bad guy all-in-all. Brandon the stoic bodyguard giant was kind of funny, actually, though certainly hot. The rest of the characters didn’t really seem relevant but kept popping up, so it made me suspect things about them.
Plot: The mystery of who and why was trying to kill Sahara was fun up to a point, but then it seemed a bit predictable to me. By that point the celebrity/bodyguard romance was pretty tense and in full swing though, so it got my attention instead.
Writing: Third person, past tense narrative, multiple POV. It’s not one of my favorites, because it always gets me emotionally detached from the characters which generally kills the stakes and my enjoyment of the story. I’d say it was more centered on Sahara though, which helped me stay somewhat attached to at least the main pair.
Curb Appeal: Cool cover, hooking blurb – good impulsive buy candidate for my romantic suspense needs.

I recommend Life of Lies to fans of celebrity/bodyguard romantic suspense tropes with a dash of mystery and ex-military hotness element :D

Celebrity Sahara agrees to protection after attempts are made on her life. She agrees to a bodyguard, and former army ranger, Brendan McQueen enters the picture. When they find out that Sahara's estranged mother has been murdered and her father is missing, they head to her hometown of New Orleans. Brendan is determined to keep Sahara safe and track down the killer. What neither of them counted on was the intense attraction between them.

This new one by Sala has great characters and an intriguing storyline.