Book Review: Soldier of Fortune by S.J. Frost

Book Review: Soldier of Fortune by S.J. Frost

Soldier of Fortune
By S.J. Frost
Published by MLR Press, November 24, 2016
Approx 46,000 Words

Blurb:

Mercenary. Gun for hire. Soldier of fortune. That’s Conrad Dane. Maybe he hasn’t always done things the right way in his life, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy. And sometimes, it takes doing the wrong thing, to get the right results. These days, he’s backing out of the underworld, taking more jobs in the open in personal protection. He’s contracted to protect a rising politician and gets more than he expected. Not from bad guys, but from the politician’s son, Lucas.

Lucas likes the good guys, both in his favorite comic book superheroes and the men he forges relationships with. Conrad isn’t the kind of man he goes for, but that’s not stopping Lucas from being drawn to him, wanting to be closer to him.

Conrad and Lucas can’t deny their attraction toward each other. When someone targeting Lucas’s father pulls Lucas into danger as well, Conrad will do whatever it takes to keep Lucas safe.

5 Stars for the Steamy Romance 

2.5 Stars for the Suspense

Mercenary Conrad Dane is hired to protect Arthur Hartman after a botched assassination attempt. Coming into the man's home, he expects to be suspicious of everyone including the man's adult son, Lucas. Quickly, though, Conrad crosses the man off the list of usual suspects. Lucas loves his father and it's more than obvious he would never be capable of causing his father harm.

Lucas doesn't like the idea of a hired killer in his home protecting his father. But he can't deny the fact that he's attracted to the man. Conrad is easy to be around and the two quickly find themselves unable to stay away from each other. Even if Conrad isn’t the type of man Lucas generally dates, he can't help wanting to be closer to him.

It is actually in Lucas's best interest to have Conrad around because it soon becomes apparent that it's not only Arthur in danger. It seems Lucas may have a target on his head as well. But Conrad won't let anything happen to Lucas on his watch.

So looking at the cover of the book I knew I had to read this story. I'm a sucker for a hot mercenary falling for the boy next door so this seemed right up my alley. While I did enjoy the book, I must admit I was a tad bit disappointed with the story as far as the mystery is concerned. I expected something with a lot more action and a bit more intrigue since that seems to be standard in this type of story. That was not the case, though. It was pretty obvious who the villain was from the get go, they were pretty much screaming it from the rooftop. Frankly, I found it absurd that they hadn't confronted the person immediately.

Conrad seemed a lot more invested in Lucas's body and bed than he did in his actual job, the one he was being paid for. I don't think I even read one scene in which he was protecting Arthur. He spent all of his time hanging around with Lucas, sleeping with Lucas and going to work with Lucas. We didn't get much in the way of seeing Conrad's skills as a bodyguard or hired gun. That is disappointing when I'm looking for a book with a well drawn out mystery.

When it comes to the sex, though, let me tell you, there is lots of it and the author did not disappoint with the intensity. These two characters were hot and dirty when it came time to hit the sheets. They shared an explosive chemistry from the very moment they met til the last page.

So, in my opinion, if it's smoking hot sex you're in the mood for, this is a top choice. If you're in the mood for an action-packed mystery/thriller this might not cut it. Either way, the book is a fast and easy read.

*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*