Guardian’s Patience (Guardians of the Race #5) by Jacqueline Rhoades-a review

GUARDIAN’S PATIENCE (Guardians of the Race #5) by Jacqueline Rhoades

Guardian's Patience

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 14, 2014

Short and round, she dresses like a gypsy in vibrant and sometimes clashing colors. She’s been known to dye her hair to match her mood. She does a Good Deed every day and smiles at everyone she meets. But underneath her happy-go-lucky exterior, Patience Delecourt is lonely and afraid. She’s the mouse in a demon’s Cat-and-Mouse game that’s been going on for years. Her ideal hero would come straight out of the old movies she watches night after night alone in her tiny apartment.

Stuffy and socially awkward, Broadbent ad Sebastian, Guardian of the Race, has his vision of the ideal woman, too; tall, elegant, cultured, and well-read. But every time he meets someone who might fill the bill, his advances are met with laughter and derision. As hard as he tries to emulate his fellow Guardians; their prowess with women, their clothes, their interests; he just can’t get it right.

He doesn’t see himself as handsome or a hero. She doesn’t see herself as beautiful or brave. Yet what they find together opens new worlds of wonder for them both. It also opens the doors to old enemies and sets off a series of events that threaten the House of Guardians and the people within it. With the credits ready to roll on their mismatched love story, Patience and Broadbent will have to find the bravery and heroism they see in each other, and decide how much they will sacrifice for love.

REVIEW:

Some background: The Guardians are of the Race (Nephilim) with superior strength and speed, descended from Gabriel, seduced by the Daughters of Man, 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 remains within his chest, he will turn vampire, and must be destroyed before the blood rage consumes.

The women in the storyline are the Daughter’s of Man- the descendants of one of the original matings and not without some supernatural ability and power of their own.

All males of the Race are born with a tiny red tear drop over their left chest muscle. As the male matures, 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 PATIENCE is the fifth installment in Jacqueline Rhoades Guardians of the Race adult, contemporary, paranormal romance series focusing on the Guardians and the women they love. This is witch Patience (Pinkie) Delecourt and Guardian Broadbent ad Sebastian’s storyline. Although GUARDIAN’S PATIENCE is the fifth in the series, it can be read as a stand alone without too much difficulty. Any important information is imparted where necessary but for cohesion and enjoyment, I would recommend reading the series in order.

Told from several close third person points of view, GUARDIAN’S PATIENCE continues to focus on the demon invasion of Earth. Patience Delecourt is a witch whose practice in the ‘black arts’ has made her the target and object of one demon in particular. On the run from her past, Patience finds herself, yet again, having to pack up shop but an attack will place Patience on the Guardian’s radar. Enter Broadbent ad Sebastian-a debonair, old fashioned Guardian who reminds Patience of the cinematic movie actors from long ago.

Broadbent is a Guardian who has always felt displaced within his Lord Liege Canaan’s House of Guardians. Out of touch and inexperienced in the love department, Broadbent finds himself attracted to the feisty and overly romantic Patience Delecourt-a witch whose past greatly contradicts the Guardian’s directive. As the demons continue to pursue Patience, the House of Guardians will come under attack when their current location is revealed. One of their own, will go missing, and it is up to Patience and Broadbent to bring him home. The sex scenes are intimate and captivating without the use of erotic images or foul language.

The world building continues as The Guardians must face down the demons whose need for blood targets the humans of Earth. All of the previous storyline couples play a secondary role throughout the story allowing for an intimate look into their lives and loves. Dov and Col continue their humorous banter, sarcastic wit and playful antics-puppy like in action and temperament but when called, Dov and Col are ready for anything the Guardians have to offer. While Grace and Caanan await the birth of their child, the House of Guardians is on high alert for any outside paranormal activity.

GUARDIAN’S PATIENCE is another fast paced, imaginative, and passionate storyline. Jacqueline Rhoades’ amazing GUARDIANS OF THE RACE is an incredibly wonderful paranormal series that smoothly blends present day problems with supernatural abilities. There are moments of mystery, suspense, romance and love all combined into a sensual storyline that is a must read for me-every time.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

Guardians of the Race series

READING ORDER
Guardian’s Grace
Guardian’s Hope
Guardian’s Joy
Guardian’s Faith
Guardian’s Patience

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Guardian’s Faith (Guardians of the Race #4) by Jacqueline Rhoades-Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

Guardian’s Faith (Guardians of the Race #4) by Jacqueline Rhoades-Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

Guardians Faith Banner 2

Guardian’s Faith
Guardians of the Race #4
by Jacqueline Rhoades
Release Date: November 10, 2013

Guardian's Faith cover

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GUARDIAN’S FAITH (Guardians of the Race #4) by Jacqueline Rhoades

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 10, 2013

Physically and emotionally damaged by the horrors of her past, no one is more surprised than meek and silent Faith Parsons when she feels compelled to stow away in the van of the taciturn Liege Lord, Lucien ad Toussaint and travel to his House of Guardians in the faraway Southwest. She’s even more surprised when some of the local women see her as the one who will heal the 160 year old wounds that are destroying their way of life.

Lucien, too, is haunted by his past. He has withdrawn from the world around him and lives a reclusive and duty-bound life. He never expected that a tiny Daughter of Man could open the doors to a heart he’s kept closed for so long.

As the attraction between Faith and Lucien grows, the events of both their pasts begin to replay in the present. Must history repeat itself or can their future be changed?

REVIEW: GUARDIAN’S FAITH is the fourth instalment in Jacqueline Rhoades’s adult contemporary, paranormal Guardians of the Race series. The premise of the series focuses on the Guardians (descendants of the angel Gabriel) and the women they love. The women in the storyline are the Daughters of Man and the descendants of one of the original matings between angels and humans. GUARDIAN’S FAITH is Lucien and Faith’s storyline. Lucien is a Guardian who believes the old ways are best and Faith is the woman to bring him into the future and out of the past.

Faith Parsons is a Daughter of Man whose powers have yet to reach their full potential. Following months of horrific abuse at the hands of a demon, Faith is having a difficult time with her emotional recovery until the day Lucien ad Toussaint pays a visit to Canaan’s House of Guardians where she resides. What follows is a cross country escapade with two rambunctious trainees, a quiet Vigilante and the man who would steal her heart.

Guardian’s Faith focuses on Faith’s recovery and the re-building of Lucien’s House of Guardians. The reader is pulled into Lucien’s world of shape-shifters, demons and vampires; Guardians, family and betrayal; a village mired in secrets and old-world beliefs; and the vendetta of one family to take back their birthright.

The relationship between our leading couple is slow to build but one that will see both Lucien and Faith succumbed to the healing properties of friendship and love. Lucien has long hidden in the shadows and kept to himself but when Faith enters his life with her love of humor, a good joke and pizza, Lucien will find his frozen heart begins to melt. Love will open Lucien’s eyes and his heart to a possible future that involves both his present and his past.

Jacqueline Rhoades pushes the Guardians of the Race series in another direction by breathing life into Lucien’s House of Guardians and the re-establishing of a family home for future Guardians and their mates. We are introduced to several secondary characters including new trainees Adam and Lalo, the members of Lucien’s household and a village of people who are more than they appear to be.

Guardian’s Faith is a story of betrayal and loss; revenge and death; family and friends; healing and love. Jacqueline has written a wonderful and engaging series that will keep your attention from the very start-you will become one with the family of Guardians and Daughters of Man-and experience the emotional high and lows as Jacqueline’s storyline characters come to life on the pages of the Guardians of the Race series.

READING ORDER
Guardian’s Grace
Guardian’s Hope
Guardian’s Joy
Guardian’s Faith

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

Guest Post beige

Hello Everyone! It’s really great to be here on the Reading Café posting as a guest.

I’m really excited about my release, Guardian’s Faith. It was a tough one to write because Faith is such a damaged character, both physically and emotionally. What she suffered couldn’t be fixed with a single kiss, not even from the luscious Lucien. I needed her growth and healing, which began in Guardian’s Joy, to be as realistic as possible within the realm of fiction, so I researched women who’d suffered similar trauma in the real world.

Wait a minute! I write paranormal romance, which is about as far from reality as you can get! Don’t you just make it up as you do along? Demon hunter? Shifters? Vampires? You can’t get much farther away from the real world than that, and yet…

If my world of the Paenitentia and the Daughters of Man were real, would the beings that populated it be so different from you and me? I don’t think so. They would still have hopes and dreams and feel pain and heartache. They wouldn’t be believable to you, the reader, if they didn’t.

Guardians of the Race

I know my high school teacher, who used the old adage, “Write what you know”, would be turning over in her grave, but if I wrote about only what I know, I wouldn’t have any readers. They all would have been bored to death a long time ago!

So if you don’t know something through your own life experiences what do you do? I suppose some lucky writers have the ability to write purely from their imaginations. I don’t. If I haven’t been there, done that, then I need to learn from the folks who have, before I can imagine what my character feels.

If I wanted my readers to understand Faith’s pain and perspective, I had to have some understanding of it first, so I read case studies and the writings of women who really had been there and had the fortitude to fight their way back. Did I use everything I learned? Of course not, nor was my portrayal entirely accurate, but I hope I gave my readers enough to feel an empathy for Faith.

The Alpha's ChoiceI did the same for the cubs in The Alpha’s Choice. They were secondary characters, but their personalities were based on those typical of children raised in abusive environments. I also researched wolf behavior as I built my wolver world. Pack behavior is different from human and since my wolvers carry the psyche of both inside them, inner conflicts can and do arise.

Is it all heavy duty research on the internet? No, some of it’s face to face. Personally, I have no idea what it’s like to be tall and willowy, or petite. The only way to find out is ask. I’ve talked to friends and yes, complete strangers about the oddest things. I stopped a biker to ask about his Harley. I asked his girlfriend about her leathers.

Research isn’t just about asking questions, either. Most writers are people watchers. We watch how they move, how they gesture when they speak. See that girl who twists her hair when she talks? Watch her face. Is she nervous or is she thinking? See that guy ahead of you in line at Motor Vehicles. He stands with his hands behind his back and feet a comfortable distance apart. Ex-military?

The internet is a huge boon to a writer, but not everything can be learned there. To a writer, everything is research. Everywhere we go, everyone we meet is research which we file away in the drawers of our minds. We try not to be obvious about it, but it’s always there.

So, now that you know, try not to act too self-conscious next time you have lunch with a writer, because they’ll probably file that away as research, too.

Jacqueline

About The Author beige

Jacqueline Rhoades

Follow: Website / Goodreads/ Facebook Twitter/ Pinterest

Jacqueline, known as Jackie to her friends, lives in rural southern Ohio with one lovable husband, one spoiled dog and one disinterested cat. She believes coffee is a food group and therefore necessary to survival. She always has a pot brewing. When not writing, she can usually be found with her nose in someone else’s book or working in her garden. She also spends a great deal of time chasing deer and rabbits who apparently also like gardening.
Jackie loves hearing from her readers and is always willing to chat. She can be reached through her website.

Giveaway beige

Jacqueline is offering TWO giveaways for our members at The Reading Cafe.

FIRST PRIZE: One winner will receive a complete e-set of Guardians of the Race –Books 1-4

SECOND PRIZE: One winner will receive an ecopy of Guardian’s Faith.

1. If you have not registered at The Reading Cafe, please register using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social logins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. Please comment and tell us to enter you into the giveaway.

4. Giveaway is open Internationally.

5. Giveaway runs from November 19-23, 2013

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

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

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