~REVIEW of J.R Ward's (Jessica Bird's) AN UNFORGETTABLE LADY~

~I WANT A JOHN SMITH OF MY VERY OWN~

An Unforgettable Lady (An Unforgettable Lady #1)

Opening line: "John Smith checked his watch and looked around the plaza Hotel's ballroom."

Originally released in 2004, An Unforgettable Lady was just recently re-issued with a fancy new and improved cover. I’ve enjoyed all of Jessica Bird aka JR Ward’s earlier writing and thankfully this was no exception. No matter the stage in her career Bird/Ward can write the desirable and initially unobtainable dark and tortured heroes like no other. As a result I fell hard for John Smith the cold, scarred, I am an island, and everybody back the hell off bodyguard. Yup he’s all kinds of ways yummy. And if any of you BDB fans need a little more encouragement he reminds me very much of an early Zsadist prototype, here’s why from page 147

"His first instinct was to yell. He was infuriated that she had challenged him, exposed him. That she was near enough so he could smell her. That she was offering compassion and understanding and warmth when he was battle scarred, hard and ugly.
I think you're beautiful" she said softly, looking up at him.
"Then your f***ing blind"
She shook her head slowly "I see you, all of you. Clearly."

I should also mention that the sexual tension in this story is off the chart hot. While I had trouble relating (on any level) to our glamorous billionaire heroine, Countess Grace blah biddy blah and all her fancy galas, gowns, gems and uppity social status the palpable sexual tension and opposites attract theme between our couple more than made up for it. And I just have to say again John Smith--well his character is reason alone to read this book.

Forced into the spotlight by her considerable wealth, soon to be divorced heiress Grace Hall has just found herself the target of a serial killer. Following the publication of a Times article showcasing the 6 most prominent women in New York, one by one those women, her friends have started turning up dead. Reluctantly Grace is forced to hire a bodyguard, now however she finds herself subject to the ironclad rules of her captivating protector. Oh and did I mention he’s moved into her Penthouse? In spite of their differences and his cold demeanour Grace is drawn to him in ways she can’t explain or stop herself from acting on.

John Smith is a ghost. As a military trained assassin, professional bodyguard and all-round badass John hasn’t heard his real name spoken in so long now that he’s almost forgotten who he used to be. With no fixed address, social insurance number or ties to anyone he moves from one job to the next, content in his solitary life. Meeting Grace changes everything though and with the attraction between them growing stronger and harder to ignore with each passing day, John may be forced to break his own rule. Never get personal with the client. For John she was just meant to be another assignment how is it that she’s managed to get so thoroughly embedded in his skin? And how is he going to leave the only women he’s ever loved when the jobs over?

Oh I forgot to mention, anyone that’s read Bird’s Moorehouse Legacy series will be thrilled with a brief cameo from another awesome tortured hero; Alex Moorehouse the sailing champion from (FROM THE FIRST). I just love how Ward ties all her books together this way. Cheers