Review: Her One and Only

Her One and Only
By Becky Wade
A Porter Family Novel, #4
Bethany House, 2016


Summary

After ten years in the NFL, super star Gray Fowler is accustomed to obsessive fans.

But when Gray starts receiving death threats from a stalker, his team hires an executive protection agency to guard him until the culprit is caught. Dealing with bodyguards 24/7 is a headache, especially when one of them is a young, beautiful woman. How can a female half his size possibly protect him better than he can protect himself?

Dru Porter is a former Marine, an expert markswoman, and a black belt---none of which saved her from disaster on her last assignment. In order to rebuild her tarnished reputation, she's determined to find Gray's stalker and, since relationships between agents and clients are forbidden, avoid a romantic attachment between herself and the rugged football player with the mysterious past.

Yet every secret that leads Dru closer to the stalker also draws her closer to Gray. As the danger escalates, they'll survive only if they can learn to trust their lives---and their hearts---to one another.


My thoughts

Her One and Only concludes the Porter Family series in a moving way and is an outstanding story on every level. Becky Wade is one of my favorite authors in the contemporary romance genre, such that I almost tend to go against type and get a little giddy when holding one of her new releases in my hand. I’ve read enough of Becky’s novels to have certain expectations when I begin a new one, and I am never disappointed. The writing is tight, not one single word is wasted, and it moves at a fast pace.

Becky’s stories are multi-dimensional, both from really rich character depth, to a mixture of emotion, humor, spirituality, sizzling romance – and in this case, suspense. I think the term transformational fits her books, because Becky doesn’t shy away from difficult social issues, such as PTSD, alcoholism, child abuse, infertility and miscarriage – and it’s all about the transforming power of God and how He works through His children. It was also wonderful to see Bo and Meg’s story brought full circle.

Executive protection agent Dru and sports superstar Gray both have difficult personal histories and are portrayed very realistically. Dru is always trying to prove herself and Gray finds his self-worth in his sport. They have a lot of together time in the story and it’s so much fun to watch their initial negative assessment of each other gradually change.

Spiritual themes are never lacking in Becky’s books. I loved Dru’s faith and how she takes her elderly neighbor to a bikers’ church, showing that church is not a “one size fits all” institution.  There’s a couple of gems that I could totally relate to and I think readers will also. First, the question of where we find fulfillment, for Dru questioned if Gray was “looking for fulfillment in stuff like achievement and wealth, only to find it empty.”  Secondly, whether from our own making or from circumstances beyond our control, who of us doesn’t have a flawed past?

Thank you for writing this series, Becky, for in the Porters, you have created a family that not only entertains and inspires us, but one that we care about and will never forget.

Highly recommended.

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Becky Wade is a native of California who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and now lives in Dallas. A favorite among readers of Christian contemporary romance, Becky has won a Carol Award, an Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, and an INSPY Award.

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Thank you to Bethany House and Litfuse Publicity for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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