Guarding Mr. Fine (Tough Love #3)

Title: Guarding Mr. Fine (Touch Love #3)
Author: HelenKay Dimon
Publisher: Random House LLC (Loveswept Imprint)
Release Date: February 14, 2017
Genre(s): M/M Spy/ Espionage
Page Count: Unknown
Reviewed by: Crabbypatty
Heat Level: 3.5 flames out of 5
Rating: 3.63 stars out of 5
Blurb:

In this steamy novel of seduction and international intrigue, two brave men are stripped of their defenses—and exposed to dangers and desires that simmer below the surface.

As an agent with the CIA’s special activities division, Seth Lang lives for risk—and yet he’s stuck playing bodyguard to the U.S. consul general in Munich. Although Seth’s last assignment nearly killed him, babysitting some desk jockey in a suit sounds way too easy. But when he lays eyes on the new top man, tactical expert Rick Fine, Seth’s thrilled to see just how hard this job is going to get. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Quiet has a body worth guarding—and he requires hands-on attention day and night.

Dispatched to a German consulate to expose the murder of his predecessor, Rick finds himself in an extremely vulnerable position. He needs a man like Seth—in so many ways. This mission will inevitably plunge them both into jeopardy, but each new threat only brings them closer. Rick just hopes that he can keep his deepest, darkest secret hidden—or else risk imperiling a relationship they’re both fighting for their lives to protect.

Guarding Mr. Fine is the third book in HelenKay Dimon’s Tough Love series. The first two books featured secret militaristic groups charged with safeguarding the world from terrorists and criminal enterprises.

In this book, Seth Lang is assigned as a bodyguard to the U.S. consul general in Munich. But before he heads to Munich, he meets a hot nerdy guy at a bar in Berlin and they have crazy head-banging sex in a closet. Of course, once he arrives in Munich and meets Rick Fine, the Consul General … it’s the hot nerdy guy from Berlin. Honestly, at this point, I almost DNFed the book because this seemed like such a cliched romance trope.

Seth is an uber alpha male who leads with his strong suit – sarcasm and snark – and when in doubt doubles-down on the sarcasm. (This was the second point in the book at which I was ready to DNF, but as the plot developed, Seth became less of a jerk.) Rick is a special agent who has primarily worked behind the scenes gathering intel and is now charged with this mission. He shares a secret about a past with Seth – one Seth really isn’t aware of (trying not to reveal anymore of the plot).

The plot really held my interest as Rick Fine and Seth Lang investigate the death of the former consul general who supposedly committed suicide. There are numerous possible suspects and many suspicious happenings as Rick and Seth work together to solve the mystery. Very quickly, Rick and Seth resume their smokin’ hot relationship which seems to work for the two because Rick actually likes Seth’s snark and Seth is crazy about the hot geeky guy with glasses. And as the plot developed, I actually got to like Seth and just how much he was completely falling for Rick.

While the ending tied up most of the loose ends, there was an angst-ridden scene or two, along with a too-cutesy matchmaking situation, that seemed odd. But on the whole, I liked the plot and the MCs (eventually) and gave Guarding Mr. Fine 3.5 stars.