Guardian’s Grace (Dark Protectors 12) by Rebecca Zanetti-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 13, 2020

Duty—or desire?

Vampire soldier Adare O’Cearbhaill’s default setting is cranky. Or irritated. Or down-right hostile. Still, as a Highlander of honor and duty he stepped up to save an enhanced and special human female by mating her—with merely a bite and a brand. The last person he wants in his life is a fragile human, yet he can’t get her out of his mind as she regains her strength before taking off for parts unknown. And when he discovers she is in danger, nothing can stop him from hunting her down—whether she likes it or not.

There’s only one way to find out . . .

Photographer Grace Cooper has had it with vampires, demons, and the rest of an immortal world she was happier not knowing about. She also doesn’t believe she’s destined for some great battle because of an old birthmark. Forget the fact that her mate is the sexiest thing on two stubborn feet, or that her brand is fading along with her health. She’ll handle things on her own—until an old enemy reappears and she learns the only way to stay alive is to actually mate, wild sex and all, with that ripped and dangerous Adare—a powerful, captivating Highlander who demands nothing less than everything .

•••••••

REVIEW: GUARDIAN’S GRACE is the twelfth instalment in Rebecca Zanetti’s contemporary, adult DARK PROTECTORS paranormal, romance series. This is vampire-demon hybrid, and one of the Seven Adare O’Cearbhaill, and photographer/enhanced female Grace Cooper. GUARDIAN’S GRACE can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the series in order, or at the very least, this particular arc of the series as there is a on-going premise throughout.

SOME BACKGROUND: A thousand years earlier, a number of immortal warriors went through a ritual that, if they survived, hardened their bodies against attack, a ritual meant to create a group of Seven known as The Shield. The Shield was created to protect the world from an evil race of vampires known as the Kurjans, their sect group known as the Cysts, and ultimately a rogue warrior once considered a friend- Ulric-a male of immense power. To protect the human race, Ulric was captured, and along with two of the Seven, was encapsulated in one of three spheres for all eternity but the spheres are no longer capable of holding the ‘Seven, and the warriors have returned to Earth. As the warriors search for the ‘Keys’ to perform the ritual, the ‘Lock’ must be protected in order to take down the evil that is hoping to take over the world.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Adare and Grace) GUARDIAN’S GRACE following the acrimonious relationship between vampire-demon hybrid, and one of the Seven Adare O’Cearbhaill, and photographer/enhanced female Grace Cooper. Having spent two years in a coma after an unexplained attack that left Grace without any memories of what happened or why, Grace’s health started to fail. In in an effort to save his best friend’s sister, Adare O’Cearbhaill offered to ‘mate’ with our heroine, a mating that was not mutual, and one only for convenience. Five years would pass before Adare would face his wayward mate, a woman whose importance to the supernatural world has made her a target of the Kurjans and Cysts. To protect the woman with whom he is falling in love, Adare struggles with Grace’s independent nature, a nature that continues to place her in the direct line of fire. What ensues is the building but tempestuous romance and relationship between Grace and Adare, and the potential fall –out as Grace’s inability to let go of the past threatens not only her life but the life of everyone she loves.

Grace Cooper doesn’t believe the mating is real yet as the mating mark continues to fade, Grace struggles with the potential loss of a man she does not know. Adare O’Cearbhaill battles between head and heart as it pertains to the woman whose life he saved but mating if forever, and although there is the possibility to negate their mating, no one knows if Grace will fall back into her coma.

The relationship between Grace and Adare is one of convenience in that Adare mated Grace to save her life. Grace doesn’t want Adare to feel obligated to remain mated to a woman he doesn’t love but the reality goes much closer to the heart. The $ex scenes are passionate and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

One again, there is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters including Realm King Dage Kayrs and his mate Queen Emma; Zane Kyllwood, Nicolaj Veis and Simone Brightston, Logan and Mercy, Ronan and Grace’s sister Faith, Benjamin Reese, Talen and Cara, Hope Kayrs-Kyllwood and her besties Libby and Paxton Phoenix; Ivar Kjeidsen and Promise Williams; Dayne, leader of the Kurjan nation, and his brother Terre; as well as Haven’s mother Allison; Grace’s ex boyfriend Brian, and his new wife Bobbi, and cougar shifter Jacki.

GUARDIAN’S GRACE is a story of betrayal and vengeance; secrets and lies; revelations and struggle; love and acceptance. The Kurjans and the Cysts have a new ally, and thusly the enemy is quickly evolving. The premise is detailed and engaging; the romance is captivating; the characters are strong, energetic, stubborn yet lost.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Fated
Claimed
Tempted
Hunted
Consumed
Provoked
Twisted
Shadowed
Tamed
Marked
Teased
Tricked
Tangled
Talen
Vampire’s Faith
Demon’s Mercy
Vengeance
Alpha’s Promise
Hero’s Haven
Vixen

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti has worked as an art curator, Senate aide, lawyer, college professor, and a hearing examiner – only to culminate it all in stories about Alpha males and the women who claim them. She writes contemporary romances, dark paranormal romances, and romantic suspense novels.
Growing up amid the glorious backdrops and winter wonderlands of the Pacific Northwest has given Rebecca fantastic scenery and adventures to weave into her stories. She resides in the wild north with her husband, children, and extended family who inspire her every day—or at the very least give her plenty of characters to write about.

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