Thorne Princess: An Enemies-to-Lovers Bodyguard Romance

Unconventional Story Takes Patience, But They Find Happiness In The End. This Is Not A Sweet Romance. Sensitive Readers Should Take Caution, Though It Is Much Tamer Than I Had Expected.This book appears to be a standalone; however, fans of The Kiss Thief will enjoy Wolfe Keaton’s brief cameo.Hallie Margaret Thorne, twenty-one, is a hot mess. Often spotted on the arm of a Hollywood hottie or out and about in L.A. with other social media darlings, her life is subject to public scrutiny. The cameras are always ready and waiting to catch her missteps, and there are plenty. Being the first child born to a sitting U.S. President means that she has spent her entire life in the limelight. Unfortunately, she isn’t the picture-perfect child that her parents had hoped for. The paparazzi's attention only furthers her family’s humiliation, tarnishing their precious image.Hallie is cognizant of her shortcomings. She didn’t make it through her only semester of community college, while her twenty-nine-year-old sister Hera has her M.D. and is currently doing an internship at Baylor. Hallie might lack education, skills, and experience, but she hasn’t given up on herself entirely. She has a job that she takes pride in, working a few hours a day as a social media influencer. She gets lots of free stuff. She also gets to hang out with NeNe and Tara while being photographed together. They might not be friends per se, but close enough. Hallie’s only close friend – her best friend – is Keller, but there is a lot that even he doesn’t know about her.Since finishing high school, Hallie has made her home in L.A. She has no interest in Dallas, which is where her parents make their home. She feels like an unwelcome visitor there. Most people don’t understand it. After eight years in D.C., she spent the rest of her childhood in boarding schools. Dallas was never home to her, never felt like home, and she never considered settling down there. She has accepted that she will always be a failure in her family’s eyes, and she certainly knows better than to hope to be heard or understood by them. It only leads to disappointment.She is trying to make a life for herself, although she does still live off of her father’s money. Her measly earnings don’t cover the rent on her Hollywood Hills mansion, nor do they pay for her nights out with Keller, seeing and being seen. Hallie contributes in her own way, though. She is an avid believer in recycling – and that extends to her wardrobe, too. Despite her image, she isn’t pretentious that way. Everyone seems to think they know her, but the truth is far different than the gossip. Even Keller buys into her reputation for getting around, but in truth, she hasn’t even had a boyfriend.Ransom Lockwood, twenty-nine, is the best in the business. Heartless and professional to a T, he is known in the security business as The Robot. He and his business partner, Tom, run a sought-after security firm out of Chicago. Lockwood and Whitfield Protection Group offers its services to clients around the world. They serve the rich, the royalty, and the politically connected. Their close protection officers aren’t simply bodyguards. They are highly intelligent, trained, and experienced. They include former SEALS.Ransom’s looks have resulted in temptation from some of the most beautiful women in the world, but turning them all down is easy. He never mixes business with pleasure. He also never has relationships. He doesn’t know how to connect with women – he isn’t capable. A Dom, he only engages in well-planned encounters and with a signed contract, so there isn’t room for misunderstanding. He likes it rough – consensual non-consent – and picks partners willing to role-play his fantasies. He carefully screens them, then leaves them feeling safe and satisfied from their encounter.Ransom’s difficulty with making connections goes back to a difficult childhood. He was abandoned as a baby, so he knows a thing or two about abandonment. Things looked hopeful when he was adopted at age five, but Mr. Moruzzi soon showed his true colors. Moruzzi was a small-time leader in the Italian mafia, and his intentions were less than honorable. One good thing did come from the adoption – his new brothers, Tom and Lawrence. Tom was eight and Law seven at the time, and they taught him how to work for Mr. Moruzzi. He started off learning the art of pickpocketing before moving on to other things. Tom and Law both left when they turned eighteen, and Ransom planned to follow in their steps. They all looked over their shoulders, though, because Moruzzi was a loose cannon.Ransom earned a scholarship and made it through college, then worked in counterintelligence with Tom. It was an assignment in L.A. that led to Ransom’s decision to quit and go private, an event that still haunts him to this day. It is something he never talks about – even Tom doesn’t know the whole story. So when former President Anthony Thorne calls and wants Ransom for an assignment in L.A. to help with his wayward daughter, he has some reservations. The last thing he wants is to return to L.A. and revisit the old memories. Tom adamantly pushes back, though. They need this job. Ransom’s new cybersecurity department is launching soon and they desperately need some highly-placed government connections to get a foot in the door.Thorne wants the best for the job of protecting his daughter, and that means Ransom. With the promise of a meeting with Robert McAfee, Thorne’s former chief security officer, Ransom finds himself reluctantly accepting the six-month babysitting job. Despite the bad feeling he has, and ignoring the potential danger, he packs his bags and heads to L.A. to help keep Thorne’s young daughter out of the headlines. Her latest episode resulted in a drunken nip slip situation, and Thorne believes Ransom is the man to finally straighten her out.Ransom and Hallie’s meeting is explosive, and the assignment gets off to a bad start. Ransom has never had a woman so unafraid of him before, so he isn’t accustomed to Hallie’s strong-willed antics. She proves herself to be every bit the spoiled diva she is made out to be in the headlines, but he only pushes back harder. He wants to break her will and get her in line – the sooner he completes his assignment the better. Hallie isn’t used to being told what to do, and she definitely isn’t used to living within a budget. Ransom is her father’s idea of controlling her, but she has a plan to get rid of the awful carnivore. She knows she is crossing the line with him, but the ends are worth the means.The pair are at odds, but as Ransom gets to see and know the real Hallie beneath all the bluster, he learns that like him, she is broken. Despite his cruelty, Hallie finds herself attracted to her protector, and Ransom finds himself tempted for the first time ever when feelings for his client become apparent. Their unconventional start eventually leads to a connection, but they both have a long journey of healing and discovery ahead. The couple eventually earns a happy ending.Wow! Ransom and Hallie’s unconventional story takes patience, but they find happiness in the end. This is not a sweet romance. Sensitive readers should take caution. There is mildly graphic violence and abuse. There is also rough-ish role-play that can seem real. I read the trigger warning and found this to be much tamer than I had expected.This romance is slow to develop. Ransom and Hallie don’t hit it off for some time. They have an eight-year age gap as well as an experiential and educational gap. It takes some time to bridge the divide. They are not a couple in the beginning, so there is no reason for either to change their ways. That means Ransom has hookups. It is not cheating since they are not together, but it is angsty. His actions make it a little hard to see him and Hallie getting together, but given his emotionless personality, it is realistic. His heart needs time to open up, and when he finally becomes vulnerable and develops feelings for Hallie, it changes him.Ransom eventually sees that in spite of their different backgrounds, he and Hallie share some things in common. They are both broken. Despite the people around them, they are both very much alone. Protection is his business, so coming to her aid when he sees her struggling isn’t hard. But as Ransom’s heart begins to open, and love begins to bloom, he discovers that love is not selfish. All these feelings surprise him – he had given up hope of ever having normal feelings. These broken characters have a rough road, but their journey is well-worth reading.There are a few issues that merit mention. *Spoilers* First, it is stated that it has been years since Ransom left counterintelligence – which implies more than just a few years. However, he left for college at eighteen and earned a master’s degree. It is doubtful he began working counterintelligence before age twenty-three, at the earliest. And we can assume that he worked there for at least a few years, say until age twenty-five at least. That means he retired and opened his company no more than four years ago. Four years is not terribly long, especially when put in context. Next, there are some issues with Tom’s and Lawrence’s ages. Tom is initially three years older than Ransom; Law is two years older. Later, Law is first to leave when he turns eighteen, and Law leaves when he turns eighteen two years later. That left Ransom alone with Moruzzi for one year until he turned eighteen. Hence it made Law three years older and Tom one year older than Ransom, contradicting earlier facts. Third, Hallie finds whiskey breath and cherry lipstick on Ransom, implying a kiss, which doesn’t add up when we later learn he doesn’t kiss. Fourth, Ransom’s motivations in a bar are very unclear and confusing. It feels manufactured, like it only serves to add angst to the story. Fifth, Anna is apparently working on a story that doesn’t seem like news. As Ransom had already been the subject of tabloid speculation, it seems like her aim is pointless. Sixth, it is a little surprising that Ransom wasn’t concerned about getting caught up in the tabloids since it would certainly draw the attention of the Bratva. Finally, Ransom claims Tom doesn’t know anything about his interactions with women, but later in the story, Tom is shocked to learn about Ransom and Hallie given Ransom’s sordid affairs with contracts, NDAs, and fantasies.Ransom and Hallie’s enemies-to-lovers romance covers a myriad of topics. It is a minor age-gap story. Ransom is eight years older. They are also opposites in so many ways. He comes from nothing and was raised in a world of violence, while Hallie is political royalty and was raised with a silver spoon. Ransom lifted himself up, earned a higher education, served his country, and became a successful businessman. Hallie, on the other hand, did poorly in school, eventually began to believe what was said about her – that she wasn’t bright – and inevitably lost interest in trying. But while Hallie has a family and Ransom was abandoned as a child, they both feel alone in the world. They each feel a sense of abandonment, and both are terribly broken. They aren’t ready for love, but nevertheless, it finds them. Their story is nicely written. It is plot-driven. There are layers of history that are eventually revealed, and danger lurks in the background. The characters are complex and three-dimensional. Their pain feels real. The story is written in first person. The POV alternates between Ransom and Hallie. I rate this book 4.5 stars.

1st person/dual povSpice: 4/5I love a good enemies-to-lovers romance. Throw in the forbidden aspect of bodyguard and his ward and I am double sold! So going into this book I knew I would like it but I was surprised by all the different ways I loved it. So let's break those down.-The humor.You can always expect some great banter in a book from L.J. Shen and this one did not disappoint. Ransom has some of the wittiest lines and he's so grumpy and serious when he says them it just makes them funnier. But my girl Hallie, she can throw them right back at him and keep on about her day. Even once she's more comfortable around Ransom she still isn't afraid to verbally spar with him and I loved it! (She's seriously one of my new favorite FMCs.)-The spice and the reasoning behind it.We always get some pretty good spice when it comes to L.J.'s writing. Nothing too far out there but it definitely packs some heat. For me, this was on the darker side for her when it comes to the content. One of the biggest subjects the spice scenes explore is CNC - Consensual Non Consent. Feel free to do your own research on it but I thought it was executed well in this story. Ransom has very clear lines about what is allowed and not allowed. He's very adamant about what is right and what is wrong, especially when it comes to consent and the expectations of his partner. While there are scenes that involve this type of preference they are not overly graphic so if you're on the fence about reading CNC I personally feel like this is one of the most tasteful ways to read about it.What I loved the most about the way it is written though is that it never felt like it was thrown in for shock value. It wasn't constantly thrown in your face either. When questions were asked about why Ransom (or anyone for that matter) would be into such a thing he explains it. He explains it in a way that makes it understandable as well as an insight as to how it could be healing for some people. For me, she did a very good job writing Ransom's reactions to his preferences as well as Hallie's. Hallie starts off alarmed by it, as you can imagine most people would. But the more she brings it with Ransom the more he explains it to her. This helps the judgment and stigma surrounding CNC get stripped away so that she can see it for what it truly is.-The character growth.I love when characters go through a significant change between the beginning and the end of the story without completely changing who they are. You get not one but two of those major character arcs in this book. We see Hallie go from the fun-loving and scandalous party girl to someone who finds who she truly is buried deep down under years of locking her away. Then we see Ransom go from the sarcastic and unfeeling "robot" to a man who realizes his priorities in life are not what they used to be. That it's ok to let your walls down sometimes and to let someone in. And ok so he's still sarcastic as ever BUT let's face it - did we really want that changing to be part of his character growth? I think not! Sarcasm is one of my love languages so Ransom speaking in general is music to my ears. Figuratively anyways... unless you listen to the audiobook which I highly recommend because the delivery of his comebacks is spot-on.-Finally, we come to the plot.I don't have much to say other than it was perfect for these two. I liked that beyond all of the spice and character development we got to see a separate story play out between Hallie and her family. And now that I'm thinking about it you actually get that same character growth with some of the side characters as well. Basically, L.J. just handed out good development to these people like it was candy at Halloween. (Here's some growth for you, some development for him, some progress for all of y'all...) 🤣🤣From start to finish this book will grab ahold of you and have you so wrapped up in what they will do or say next that you will not want to put it down.*Due to some of the content in this story please make sure to read the author's note at the beginning of the book before starting.*

I was sooo excited to read this book and this author did not disappoint. This book is a real page Turner and will keep the reader captivated until the very end.You will love the journey that these two go on together and I highly recommend that everyone reads this book. This is an enemies to lovers, forced proximity, bodyguard, slow burn romance that you'll love.Ransom is a bodyguard and he is in charge of protecting Hallie and let me tell you This is not an easy job to do. Hallie and Ransom are both broken in away and although Hallie gives him abit of an attitude I think she is doing it to cover up her own emotions, and he is a real alpha male totally. They both have alot of banter between them both that I loved.I absolutely loved reading about these two and I loved how this author has created these characters. I loved the chemistry between them both and the fact that when you think one thing something else happens. At first it's a will they won't they dynamic but that soon changes. I loved the suspense, all the angst, and all the emotions this book will make you feel. I was totally captivated throughout this book and I loved how much it flowed. LJ captivated me with her characters and made them one to life fantastically.⚠️Check the trigger warnings before you jump in though as there are some heavy topics.⚠️Thorne Princess is a MUST-READ!!!

I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with both Ransom and Hallie for a good while there.Ransom had formed such a quick and shallow opinion of her, and was so convinced she fit neatly into his entitled-rich-airhead box that he refused to treat her otherwise. He was a total jerk to her in the beginning. And I don’t just mean locking her away and taking away her things like she was a naughty child, but constantly berating her and insinuating she was stupid - even when he noticed it hurt her and he made a note to himself to never do it again.Hallie was her own worst enemy at times too. She played up to her persona, yes, but she also genuinely believed she was stupid due to years of conditioning from her horrid family. But her tantrums and running away were childish and just proved to Ransom that he was right about her.Two emotionally damaged, heavily flawed characters…that deep down were kind of wonderful and worked perfectly together. Even if it took some majorly dramatic events for them to realise it.The sexual tension was fraught with delicious anticipation. And though I hated that Hallie has to see him with other women at first, I was also surprised that we only ever saw the sweeter and softer bedrooms scenes between the two of them, when they both obviously had some serious kinks.Side note, I hope Craig’s balls fall off. Painfully.

Step aside all previous book boyfriends, I’ve just found me a book husband!!!He’s eerily calm and vicious with his words. Laser focused on succeeding in business, throw in a cheeky bit of s3xual kink and you find that Ransom is seemingly devoid of feeling - until Hallie.If you think her rebellion is all part of a privileged sense of entitlement, you would be wrong. This smart mouthed, tattooed rebel is a survivor hiding in plain sight. Her story is painful, but her comeback is so much stronger than her setback and with an unlikely ally in Ransom guiding her, she rises like a flame haired phoenix.A monster from Ransom’s past, who helps you piece together more of how he became the robot that he is, threatens to derail the bump littered path to their fledgling happiness. As only he can, Ransom takes care of business but at the consequence of his first relationship.Pain, loss and personal growth take you down the homestretch to Ransom & Hallie’s conclusion and I am so sad all the words are finished! Bravo LJ Shen, this is a masterpiece 👏🏾.**There are triggers for some, and I’m not touching that, the author handles this at the outset. If you feel comfortable proceeding once you know what is in store, I really don’t think you will be disappointed. Much like every other book of LJ Shen’s, that I have read, this is a triumph

I wasn’t expecting to love this as much as I did! I couldn’t put it down, with every page turn I wanted find out what would happen next.Hallie is misunderstood, in the beginning. She’s overlooked by her family and considered an airhead. But in reality, she’s strong and quick-witted. And there is a lot more to her than meets the eye. She’s full of depth and trauma.Ransom, on the other hand, is cold and comes across as a ‘robot’ with no feelings, who’s also carrying his own traumatic past. He’s very mechanical about everything really and that’s how’s he’s been most of his life… until Hallie comes into his life.He wasn’t expecting his life to be changed by her, but then again, she wasn’t expecting to change because of him, either.The two of them clash along the way, and it takes them a while to realise what they want. But the ride is a non-stop rollercoaster - filled with heartache, self-discovery and so much more.

Hallie and Ransom’s beautiful love story.Ransom or should i say Random is hired to be Hallie’s bodyguard/babysitter after a story was published about her.Their relationship was not always perfect but throughout the book you can see their romance blossom. Hallie had low self esteem but Ransom would always build her up and protect her.Beautifully written story i could not put it down. I loved how dyslexia was brought into this book and spoken about.I highly recommend this love story. It has its ups and downs but Hallie and Ransom find their true love in the end ❤️