Dangerous Promise by Megan Hart (The Protector #1)
Released: January 2, 2017
Futuristic Suspense
Swerve

Reviewed by Mandi

I find that Megan Hart writes such different things from book to book. I fell in love with her when she wrote Broken, Dirty etc.., and I’ve followed her work since then. When I saw her new series featuring a female bodyguard set in the future, I was definitely intrigued.

First, and I didn’t realize this, the entire series follows Nina and Ewan. I assumed book two would have a different hero and heroine, so I was expecting more to happen in this book. Dangerous Promise started very strong for me but it definitely lags in the second half.

Nina is one of fifteen enhanced humans in this futuristic world. After joining the military, she dies on the table and is brought back with a series of nanochips, that gave her “greater than natural control over her bodily functions. Endurance, strength, focus.” Coming back like this led her to have a falling out with her family and since then she has gone into the private sector as a bodyguard. Hired out to keep people safe, she is the best of the best. And that is why billionaire Ewan Donahue has hired her.

Unknown to Nina, Ewan actually developed the tech that lives inside Nina. But then he realized this tech could be used by the wrong people and could create horrible consequences. He immediately reversed his stance, and now lobbies hard against enhancing humans. Nina knows about his lobbying and hates him for it, as upgraded tech is really needed for her and the few others that have it, as theirs is becoming outdated and causing some pain. But a paycheck is a paycheck, and she agrees to guard him, as Ewan has had multiple threats and attempts against his life. He isn’t sure who is targeting him, and after two of his regular bodyguards die, he turns to enhanced humans.

They hate each other at first, and I do like a nice hate relationship where that lust simmers right underneath the surface. Ewan does get attacked – several times and this author writes well done action scenes. Ewan has to accept the fact a woman is saving his butt (the horror!) and comes to trust her and respect her once he sees her skills. He has guilt about her not knowing it was him who created the tech to begin with, which eventually comes out later in the book.

The first half is all about understanding Nina’s enhancements and guarding Ewan’s life. I was into it for sure. But the second half really drags. Their hate for each other eventually turns to a romance, but it takes a long time. Like I said at the beginning, I didn’t realize these two would continue to star in the subsequent books so I was expecting a faster pace.  I was also a little confused about Nina and her ability to feel emotions. I thought it was limited due to her enhancements – but then she is falling in love and feeling all the feelings towards Ewan and I wasn’t sure if that was really consistent with what we are told at the start of the book.

I wanted Nina to be a little – less human, if that makes sense. By the end of the book, I had kind of forgotten how powerful she was at the start of the book. She seemed more regular and I would have liked her “otherness” to still be prominent. I also though Ewan goes from such a jerk to too nice. Especially since we get more of him as the series progresses. I know, I know – I’m so picky!!

I loved the set-up and the brief glimpse at the world. I may read book two, but I think I will read reviews of it first.

Grade: C+

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