Book Review: Gerard by Elle James

After shrapnel hit his leg during battle, Gerard Guidry is medically discharged from Marine Force Recon and is recruited by Bayou Brotherhood Protectors. After a short assignment, he’s ready for his first major solo assignment. Gerard has sworn off love, afraid his father’s abusive gene was passed on to him. Widowed and childless, Bernadette “Bernie” Bellamy single-handedly runs a small farm on the edge of Bayou Mambaloa, raising and selling fresh vegetables to stores and the farmers’ market. When someone kills her friend Gertrude, she goes to Bayou Brotherhood Protectors for help. Gerard is a fish out of water on a farm, surrounded by animals. He’s never had a pet, nor dealt with animals on a one-on-one basis. Teamed with Bernie, he’s tasked with keeping her and her menagerie safe while determining who has it in for her little animal family. As they work together, danger and passion escalate, forcing Gerard to rethink his stance on love.

Gerard is the second book in the Bayou Brotherhood Protectors series, and you meet him in the first book. I liked him in book one and was so glad he was going to be getting his own story next. What I didn't think was going to happen was that his first assignment was going to be figuring out who killed a goose. 

Both Gerard and Bernie are great characters. Ones that you want to know about and hope for their HEA. 

Bernie lost the husband and has spent so much time in her running her husband's farm and taking care of his as he was sick that she forgot to live life. At first, I was like sell the farm move on, but I soon figured out that it was part of her, and she needed it as much as it needed her. She's a hard worker and puts a lot of herself into what she's doing. 

I also felt bad for Gerard. He's a great guy that's afraid to give too much of himself for fear he'll turn out like his father. The ones who worry about it seldom are. He might think at first that this assignment isn't what he's hoping for but soon learns how wrong he is. 

The story is a fast moving one that keeps you on your toes. Just when you thought you figured out what was going on the story moved a bit. More people involved then I thought would be. It made my heart hurt for Bernie and the things she learned about her family. As much as she has to deal with, she does her best to help Gerard face his past and see that he's a much better person than his father will ever be. 

kindle Unlimited