Keeping Guard, by Christy Barritt (Love Inspired Suspense, 2011)

Kylie Summers is petite and a cancer survivor. She knows she’s strong, but her family treats her as someone fragile to be protected. And now she needs protecting—someone is stalking her, and his actions are escalating.

Her brother’s best friend, former Coast Guard rescue diver Nate Richardson, lets her hide out in his restaurant until the police catch the man who’s been terrorizing her. Kylie hosts her own cooking show, but Nate doesn’t want to hear her ideas on improving his menu.

Kylie and Nate each have baggage from past relationships. And their personalities conflict. He’s a rescuer, she’s independent. As much as they know they don’t match, they each feel the attraction.

Keeping Guard is set in historic Yorktown, Virginia, and gives readers a whirlwind tour of the town and a sampling of local dishes. (I love books with food in them.) The suspense begins on page one and doesn’t let up.

I’ve been a fan of Christy Barritt since I read her Squeaky Clean Mystery series. (See my interview with Christy Barritt from 2008) She packs a lot of story into this short novel, and I’m looking forward to her next one.

You can learn more about Christy Barritt at her website and on Facebook.