GUARDIAN’S JOY (Guardians of the Race #3) by Jacqueline Rhoades-a review

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GUARDIAN’S JOY is the third storyline in Jacqueline Rhoades Guardians of the Race series.

Some background: The Guardians are of the Race, with superior strength and speed, descended from Gabriel who are on earth to protect the humans and guard the portal, ensuring the demons do not cross the barrier. When a Guardian dies and his heart still remains within his chest, he is changed into vampire, and must be destroyed before the blood rage consumes. The women in the storyline are the Daughter’s of Man and the descendants of one of the original matings. All males of the Race are born with a tiny red tear drop over their left chest muscle. When they mature, the lilies bloom (it is not a tattoo). When they are initiated into the Guardians, the skull and tears appear. Once they are mated, a rose will bloom with the lilies. A white rose for a mated pair, a red rose for a blood bond pair.

Guardian’s Joy focuses on Joy JJ Justice, a cop who recently tendered her resignation following the death of her partner. Joy has a special ability to ferret out ‘demons’ and vampires, and takes it upon herself to track the evil beings. But on the night in question, JJ will find that she is overpowered by a demon and the man who is trying to help, believes she has killed an innocent victim. When the demon poison takes hold, Joy will find herself alone and slowly dying from an infected scratch.

Bernardo “Nardo” believes he has found his mate in JJ. With her ability to call forth a power, the other women in the Guardian House believe she is a Daughter of Man, but JJ only knows that her mother believed her to be a witch. Without the benefit of knowledge, JJ was placed in a commune with others of her ‘kind’. But it is the missing memories that continue to haunt when she is unable to remember the past and the Guardians will discover that Joy is something much more.

Canaan’s Guardian House was losing money. Their finances were a mess and an investigation would reveal that someone was skimming from the outside. Meanwhile there were drained bloodless bodies of young female Paenitentia discovered throughout the city, 14 missing male Paenitnetia and the rumors of a blood-lust vampire were on the rise. Upon further bloodshed and investigation the Guardians would discover the resurrection of an ancient brotherhood from the past breeding hybrid vampires and demons. But Joy’s past will catch up when she recognizes those in power hoping to bring a new breed of Guardian into the world.

Nardo and JJ’s relationship is very slow to build. Injured and fighting the demon poison will find JJ in bed recovering for a period of time, and Nardo’s ill-timed declaration that JJ ‘is mine’ raises the young woman’s hackles and screams ownership. She is determined never to place herself in the position again. She has issues of trust and it would a long time before she felt she could trust anyone ever. But it is her ‘tattoo’ that will have everyone wondering what it means to the House of the Guardian.

GUARDIAN’S JOY is another exciting and wonderful storyline in Jacqueline Rhoades’ Guardians of the Race series. I like Jacqueline’s ability to blend the previous storyline characters into each successive novel, and it doesn’t hurt that everyone lives together in the same house. There is bound to be plenty of interaction. Dov and Col continue their puppy-like antics much to the chagrin of their Lord Leige, but like every patient parent, the household women become protective of their little cubs. And another positive aspect of Jacqueline’s series, she includes much of the Guardian’s backstory and history with every novel, which helps the new readers to the series.

READING ORDER
1. Guardian’s Grace
2. Guardian’s Hope
3. Guardian’s Joy

Reviewed by Sandy