"Up Close and Personal" has a surprising new premise: a famous actor and his female bodyguard. Along the way, this hardened, hurting bodyguard begins to succumb to his advances. I enjoyed the fresh new storyline, but I couldn't connect to any of the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Wow. This one blew me away. Zac Edwards is a movie star who has a stalker. Kat is an ex-army bodyguard with a past trauma whose job it is to keep him safe. In order to do that she needs to keep him at arm's length but the sizzling attraction between them is making it difficult. But there are other aspects that will challenge them both. It's funny, sexy and has elements of danger and mystery to keep you on the edge of your seat. I devoured this in one sitting, not only engaged with the attraction between the main characters but trying to figure out what was really happening and whether Kat would manage to figure it out and keep them both safe. I also really enjoyed the refreshing twist on the traditional bodyguard trope - with her being the kick-ass bodyguard and Zac feeling frustrated and inactive. However, she was portrayed to be very capable but still vulnerable which made her relatable and it was great to see Zac suffered from insecurity.. Sadly, it ended all too soon for me and I felt a little bereft when I got to the final page.

Freeman's "Up close and personal" is another Switzerland, a solid three stars read for me; some parts are enjoyable and some made me somewhat lose my interest.
Overall a soft, easy, heartwarming read with some angsty, heavy on drama parts, ideal if one wants to take a break from mind-numbing thriller of everyday life.