Protection for Hire - Throwback Thursday!

It's another Throwback Thursday! I'll be revising and posting reviews I've written in the past. This entry was originally written in 2011:

Title: Protection for Hire

Author: Camy Tang
Published: 2011 by Zondervan

Image (c.) Zondervan

About the Book:

Tessa Lancaster's skills first earned her a position as an enforcer in her Uncle Teruo's Japanese Mafia gang. Then they landed her in prison for a crime she didn't commit. Now, three months after her release, Tessa's abilities have gained her a job as bodyguard for wealthy socialite Elizabeth St. Amant and her three-year-old son.But there's a problem or two ... or three .... There's Elizabeth's abusive husband whose relentless pursuit goes deeper than mere vengeance. There's Uncle Teruo, who doesn't understand why Tessa's new faith as a Christian prevents her from returning to the yakuza. And then there's Elizabeth's lawyer, Charles Britton, who Tessa doesn't know is the one who ensured that she did maximum time behind bars. Now Tessa and Charles must work together in order to protect their client, while new truths emerge and circumstances spiral to a deadly fever pitch.Factor in both Tessa's and Charles's families and you've got some wild dynamics---and an action-packed, romantic read as Tessa and Charles discover the reality of being made new in Christ. (Summary via goodreads.)

The Artist Librarian's Review:   
Having read and enjoyed Camy Tang's “Sushi Series,” I was ecstatic to see her publish her first full length novel in two years (she's published two Love Inspired novellas during that time).  Camy Tang doesn't disappoint in the first entry to the “Protection for Hire” series –with humor, action, unique characters and of course, Ms. Tang's signature “romance with a kick of wasabi.”

From NCIS's Ziva David , Star Wars' Mara Jade (from the Expanded Universe novels) and many more in between, I've grown up reading about and watching many “kick-butt,” independent heroines on television, but I had never really encountered them in Christian fiction until I met Tessa Lancaster in “Protection for Hire.” Okay, yes. I admit it, I usually read historicals which don’t lend themselves well to female lead characters knowing martial arts and such … However, I appreciated that despite her strong personality and abilities, Tessa also had vulnerabilities and struggles that made her easy for me to relate to.  I think every Christian who has relatives who don't share their faith can understand and emphasize with Tessa's struggle to relate and reach out to her family (especially with her mom and sister).   

I eagerly await the continuation of Tessa's story in A Dangeous Stage [released in 2012] and will probably peruse more contemporary inspirational suspense in the future!

About the Author: 

      Camy writes Christian romantic suspense with Love Inspired Suspense as Camy Tang and Regency romance with Zondervan under her pen name, Camille Elliot. She grew up in Hawaii but now lives in northern California with her engineer husband and rambunctious dog. She graduated from Stanford University in psychology with a focus on biology, but for nine years she worked as a biologist researcher. Then God guided her path in a completely different direction and now she’s writing full time, using her original psychology degree as she creates the characters in her novels. In her free time, she’s a staff worker for her church youth group and leads one of her church’s Sunday worship teams. She also loves to knit, spin wool into yarn, and is training to (very slowly) run a marathon. (Via goodreads.)

[Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author for review purposes.]

5 comments

  1. KayJuly 23, 2014 at 11:36 AM

    Ooh, I had forgotten about the sequel... I should go look for it... :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Artist LibrarianJuly 28, 2014 at 11:29 AM

      The sequel is just as good, Kay. Check it out if you can!

      Delete
  2. BrittanyNovember 29, 2014 at 11:10 AM

    I had not heard about this book. Thanks for the great review!
    Brittany McEuen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Artist LibrarianNovember 30, 2014 at 4:52 PM

      Thanks Brittany --Camy Tang is one of my favorite authors, so I highly recommend giving her a shot if you've never read anything by her. =)

      Delete
  3. tickmenotFebruary 26, 2015 at 3:00 PM

    Wow! I really like the story-line of this book, can't wait to read it. I have never heard of this book, so appreciate the information about it.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts! Comments are always welcomed and appreciated.

Popular Posts