Blog+Review Tour: Guarded by Sara Davison

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour & Giveaway for Guarded by Sara Davison, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Guarded
Series: The Night Guardians, Book 2
Author: Sara Davison
Publisher: Mountain Brook Ink
Release Date: February 1, 2020
Genre: Suspense / Thriller

The tip the stranger left sent Nicole a painfully clear message. The past is no longer in the past.

Nicole is fighting to bury the memories. Someone else is fighting to keep them exposed.

Detective Daniel Grey is back in town, and diner owner Nicole Hunter isn’t sure how she feels about that. It’s been almost seven years, and now she doesn’t just have herself to think about but her six-year-old son as well. If she does find the courage to take a chance on love, her heart could be smashed into pieces. Again.

And it’s not only her heart that is in danger. Someone is working hard to disrupt her present with reminders of the past she has worked hard to forget, especially her darkest memory—of the night her husband was gunned down in the street in front of her. As much as she might want to push Daniel away, Nicole needs him closer now than ever before.

But the one she trusts to keep her and her son safe has a secret that may prove to be the biggest threat of all.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon

My Review ♥️

I am a sucker for a good suspense, but what do you do when that suspense is way too predictable and has a leading couple that you find hard to root for? You dig deep to figure out what you loved about the story, so that's exactly what I did, and it wasn't hard to find what made me enjoy this novel: the supporting characters and the love and support of family.

One character that captured my heart was Jordan, the heroine's sweet little six year old boy, who I absolutely fell in love with. His bravery and childlike faith was so awe-inspiring that it truly stole the show, and was the perfect balance to the angst that his mother was facing. I also loved how loving and supportive many of the other characters were. Having such strong support in the midst of hardship is so important, and though it wasn't a glaring theme in this novel, you can feel the support that both Nicole and Jordan have.

I know that I'm supposed to love Nicole and Daniel, the two main characters, but they did not jive with me. Maybe it's because I haven't read the first book in the series (though this book can definitely be read as a standalone), but something didn't click with me. I know that Daniel is a cop, but his crazy stalker tendencies made me second guess his intentions. Call me a cynic, but I just wasn't feeling it. His relationship with Nicole is charming but lackluster for me, even though I could tell the author really wanted me to fall in love with them as a couple. In saying that, I do have to admit that the ending is pretty cute.

Though incredibly predictable, the suspense was palpable, the writing is decent, and the love sweet, especially the love within the family. I craved more plot twists but I did love the happy ending and I am really looking forward to the third book in the series.

My Rating: ★★★★

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sara Davison is the author of the romantic suspense series, The Seven Trilogy and The Night Guardians. She has been a finalist for eight national writing awards, including Best New Canadian Christian author, a Carol Award, and two Daphne du Maurier Awards for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a Word and Cascade Award winner. She currently resides in Ontario, Canada with her husband Michael and their three children, all of whom she (literally) looks up to.

CONNECT WITH SARA: Website | Facebook | Twitter

TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a signed copy of Guarded and a $25 Amazon gift card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule shown below. Giveaway will begin at midnight February 1, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on February 8, 2020. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN mailing addresses only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.
**I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author through JustRead Tours. All views and opinions are completely honest, and my own.