I just read Roxie Noir's Safekeeping, which I've owned for a couple of years but forgot about. (Since it's a complete standalone, it didn't get swept up in a series binge-read.) Bodyguard romance is not my favorite trope. Much like the bodyguard in this tale, I tend to assume the protectee will be bratty and spoiled, and it's generally a toss-up of whether I feel she deserves the bodyguard (not just to date, but even to be protected) or whether I just don't think they make sense as a couple, forced proximity aside. In this case, Roxie's blurb did the book no favors: I thought, eh, bodyguard romance and girl thinks her politician dad is actually faking the stalker to have an excuse to put her under surveillance so that he can keep her locked down until he's reelected, eh, I think I've read that....?

Well, I should have trusted Roxie and read it sooner because it's actually about female empowerment within a toxic religious community. Recently-divorced Ruby is attempting to escape a fundamentalist Christian cult, but because she was homeschooled and then forced into marriage at 19, she has few life experiences, skills, or resources to make the leap without planning. While preparing to support herself without being allowed to support herself (a tricky conundrum where even the $50 bank account she made is a secret), she manages to attract a stalker, so her father recruits Gabriel, a disgraced Secret Service agent, to keep an eye out for danger... to her person and to her spiritual wellbeing. On probation, Gabriel assumes his protection assignment for the daughter of a notoriously prudish senator will be a shit assignment, and he's right, but wrong about why. He and Ruby are immediately attracted to each other, but it's a very convincing slow burn due to the high stakes of them even being seen or heard talking to each other about anything meaningful.

Ruby's journey insightfully dissects the problems with gender roles in the evangelical Christian church as well as the purity culture movement of the 2000s to early 2010s. Her emotional arc thoughtfully grapples with deconstructing a faith that's the only worldview she's ever known, as well as the more general trademarks of preparing leave an abusive situation: Ruby knows she will be cut off from everyone she loves and everything she knows since that will surely be the outcome of deviating from her father's will. Her situation is already precarious due to the church's position and her family's shared opinion that her failed marriage is indicative of her sinful character.

Throughout all this, Safekeeping somehow managed to remain a romantic comedy, which was not a deal breaker for me, but it was impressive how Roxie pulled it off even so. Lighthearted yet respectful handling of weighty topics is a tough balance to make, and Roxie Noir is incredibly skilled in this area. ( )

Roxie Noir has joined my list of "if they write it I will read it" favorite authors. This is my 4th Roxie book in just a few months, I almost never binge series or authors. I think the last time I did so was the Elena Ferrante Neapolitan novels in 2016. I started with the three books in Roxie's Dirtshine series, and I admit I was hesitant to move to other books outside the series so fast. I loved the characters in that series, and thought I might be disappointed with a different crew. I was not.

Slow Burn has one of the most unique setups of any romance I have ever read. Ruby is the daughter of an ultra right wing ultra fundamentalist Christian senator (think Westboro Baptist.) Girls are not educated, and they are raised to be meek and submissive, to push down any feelings they have. When Ruby divorces the son of the head preacherman (for good reasons I will leave you to discover on your own) she becomes a scandal, and in an election year no less. Ruby's father keeps her mostly locked away, will not permit her to work, requires that she wear pantyhose and bulky long skirts and loose t-shirts and spend her days making jam and such. Notwithstanding the rehabilitation efforts Ruby draws a stalker. As the stalker's messages become more and more disturbed and threatening the senator calls in outside security. Enter the dreamy Gabriel. Ex-Marine and Secret Service on probation (a bad boy in many ways, his drinking and his affair with a married congresswoman seems to be what brought him down.) If he messes up here, he is out. Then he meets Ruby, recognizes a grown woman is being denied self-determination, notes that he is hot for said woman, and sets himself to supporting her, bedding her, and freeing her (in that order.) From the moment they meet the story becomes a hurdle filled countdown to Gabriel's unemployment and Ruby's liberation. The story is hot and sweet and progressive and lovely. I adored Ruby and Gabriel. The Senator (though a horrible despot) made a good and non-cartoonish villain. There are a lot of victims here, even most of the villains are victims. The real enemy is Christian fundamentalism and its dehumanization of women and LGBTQ+ people. I loved nearly every moment of this read -- (view spoiler) Accordingly I forgive that one tiny lapse and happily click on another Roxie 5-star.

One addendum. I started this as an audiobook but both narrators adopted the most abysmal Southern accents I have ever heard. It was painful. I switched to Kindle pretty early on and it was a good choice. For people who have not lived in the deep South, people who think Nic Cage's accent in Con Air sounded just fine, this might not be an issue. ( )