Overprotected
Publication Date: February 9, 2011
Publisher: Grove Creek Publishing
Kindle Edition 254 pgs
Summary:
Ashlyn has spent the majority of her life under lock and key because her father has become obsessed with keeping her safe. He hires companions(bodyguards) to follow her wherever she goes including school. It's their job to keep her safe as well as keep tabs on whatever she does. But when her father hires Colin, someone Ashlyn can''t stand, he never thought her feelings for Colin might change.
Review:
Ashlyn is practically living in captivity since her father wants to keep her safe. Though she has access to almost any material thing she could ever want she would rather have her freedom. When she gets her last bodyguard fired her father decides to hire Colin, a boy Ashlyn has despised since childhood. Colin would constantly torment Ashlyn something she has never gotten over. The more time she spends with Colin the more she comes to realize that he is not who he used to be and she finds herself drawn to him. As I read about Ashlyn's life I started to feel bad for her. She is trapped, lonely, and sad. To me it seems as though her parents over-protection has stunted her growth socially and emotionally. She daydreams a lot and has little to no real life experience. She gets most of her love advice from the pages of romance novels. Ashlyn is not dumb by an means she just hasn't been given the chance to live her life which has left her innocent and naive. What I liked about Ashlyn was that she fought for control, she didn't just sit back and do what she was told. She knew she was missing out on a normal life and she tried several times to get out from under her parents tight supervision. I found myself hoping that she would get a chance to experience all the things that she missed out on because of her parents.
When Colin comes into her life everything changes. He is nothing like she remembered. He's young, professional and quite good at his job of protecting Ashlyn, though I'm not sure where he learned how to be a bodyguard. He treats her with respect but doesn't let her get away with trying to escape his protection by sneaking off. From early on it is apparent that Colin cares about Ashlyn's well being. He gets her out of the house when her parents are driving her crazy, he teaches her self defense, and worries about the way she is treated by her parents. I thought Colin was just the type of guy that Ashlyn needed in her life. He's serious about his job so he won't take advantage of her but he is someone she can talk to and depend on.
Let's just say I'm glad I did not have Ashlyn's parents. Her father is overbearing, manipulative, and expects complete obedience from Ashlyn. He treats her like a child who doesn't have a mind of her own. When she starts to rebel he threatens to tighten her security even more. He controls who she talks to, where she goes, and has only allowed her to have one friend. He purposely hires guards he knows Ashlyn will hate so that she will not be attracted to them. Her mother is no better. She treats Ashlyn like an accessory to be prettied up and brought out during special occasions. She's overly flirtatious with Colin and can't seem to keep her hands off of him, which id not only embarrassing for Colin but for Ashlyn as well.
Overprotected is essentially a story about a teenage girl who wants some freedom. This story was kind of sad but also hopeful. We are able to see what happens when parents go overboard in trying to keep their child safe. They inevitably end up hurting the one they were trying to protect. I liked Overprotected it is a well developed story with fascinating characters that I became invested in. I wanted to know if Ashlyn got the freedom she sought. I'm really glad I read this book, and I'm looking forward to reading more of Jennifer Laurens work.
Cover:
I think this cover accurately represents what the book is about. A girl who has spent her life being protected by bodyguards. Though I do wish the male model was a little younger as to portray Colin better.
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