Overprotected by Jennifer Laurens

Ashlyn: A lonely society princess living in New York City.
Daddy hired you to be my bodyguard.
Colin: Childhood enemy, now her protector.
Daddy thought I’d be safe. He thought I’d never fall in love. He thought he could keep me forever.
Charles: obsessed with keeping her safe, keeping her his, he hires the one person he knows she could never fall in love with: Colin.
Daddy was wrong.
A kidnapping leaves a father fanatical about his only child’s safety. A story of obsessive love and the quest for independence.

I am going to go out on a limb here and say that the appealing thing about this book should probably be the romance that blossoms between Ashlyn and Colin. However, the thing that stood out the most to me was the dysfunctional family.

There is a manipulative father whose obsession with his daughter’s safety screams creepy. A mother who seems to be along for the ride, constantly trying to be in the spotlight. Then there is Ashlyn, the poor girl, I can’t help but feel sorry for her. With no social life to speak of, it’s no wonder she reads as immature. I’m a bit surprised that she can interact with people outside of her home bubble.

This book is definitely cotton candy (a termed coined by my bookish friend Anna) but it’s cotton candy followed by a sweet tart.

I wasn’t bowled over by Ashlyn and Colin’s romance, actually, I felt as though their past - and her fear of him - was left unresolved. I also didn’t see the romance grow on Colin’s side, granted we only see Ashlyn’s side of the story, but there wasn’t enough proof to show that he was interested. As a matter of fact, she seemed to throw herself at him, numerous times.

I was also confused about Colin’s education. Was he in school? Taking the semester off? Did he finish early but then decided to go back to school for further education? This mattered little to the plot, but I still wondered because it was mentioned here and there.

Regardless of these inconsistencies, Overprotective stretches the imagination a bit with the psychology behind the family. It’s a quick read and if you want some fluff, it’s perfect for that long train/plane ride.