3.5 - "It’s like you want to get punched..." Stars!

We return to the Dark Protectors universe for Grace and Adare’s story. This is a story that I have been eagerly waiting for, since Adare mated Grace to save her life early on in the reboot of the series. Love wasn’t part of the equation then, and this pair have essentially tried to avoid the other since Grace woke from her coma. Things have changed, and it would appear that the mating may not have been the cure-all everyone was hoping it to be.

It had been nearly three years since they had crossed paths…

Five years on and Grace has been pretty much doing her own thing, while Adare gets on with his mission as one of the seven, but fate conspires to throw them together and it isn’t long before Adare realises that Grace has been keeping secrets from him in relation to her general health, and the fact that their mating mark is fading from her body. Being one of the Key’s it is imperative she survives and if that means putting his own life on the line for that to happen he will do it, no questions asked, something else Grace is really not happy about.

"My options are death, death or… death."

Sometimes you read a book, and although you enjoy it, you get to the end feeling a little unfulfilled. That’s how I felt with Guardian’s Grace that's possibly because I have really high expectations of Zanetti, but for me the romance was a little off with it being really slow burn, which is not an issue in itself but I didn’t feel the usual spark or zip of chemistry between them as things progressed, which is usually what makes me devour Rebecca’s books. I just expected things to fire up more quickly considering they had spent the previous five years circling around and avoiding each other.

"I like you… Your insights and depths intrigue me, your beauty draws me, and your spirit challenges me…"

Benny and the kids (Hope, Pax & Drake) secondary stories kept things moving along nicely more than the main focus for me particularly in the second half, especially with the shift in the Realm as a result of the developments in this book in relation to the seven. Although on that front not much did really move story-wise in the scope of their mission to keep Ulrich imprisoned.

"It’s time you stopped running and faced what you need to face."

Easy to read, without much real progression in the main story arc, I liked Grace and Adare’s story but I didn’t love it as much as I would expect to. That said the Dark Protectors series is, and will likely always be my number one PNR go-to, and I cannot wait for Benny to get his own book!

I really enjoyed this book I had not previously read any of the books in the series so I was a little lost with what was going on but I really enjoyed it and I will definitely going back and reading the books that proceeded this one I really enjoyed this author take on the supernatural. I loved the characters in this book they all had great depth and I can’t to read more by this author. Thank you NetGalley and kingston for the opportunity to read and review this book

This book was another great addition to the series. Adare and Grace really have you from the get go.
This couple was thrown together to save Grace from the Kurjans and to also bring her out of the coma that she was in for 2 years. They were mated but not completely, since Grace was in a coma. Once Grace came out of her coma, Adare let her live her life for 5 years, because he felt like she deserved to live it before he brought her back to the Realm and the Seven.
These two really had a hard time getting back together, but after everything that they go through to get back together and for Grace to really understand the trouble that she's in, they finally come together.
I won't tell you everything that happens, I'll let that for you to find out for yourself.. But i can guarantee that you will love this story. I had to reread it a second time, because I read it so fast when I received it. I'm glad i did, because i just fell in love with Grace and Adare all over again.

Five years ago, vampire Adare mated Grace to help save her life, then walked away. He had no time for a human in his life. He had a duty to his brotherhood. His honor said he should walk away, give her freedom from the choice forced on her. Photographer Grace Cooper wants just two things - to live her life without being bothered by vampires and to reclaim the memories she lost the night she was hurt and slipped into a coma. Unfortunately, she doesn't get her wish for either. It seems she carries a mythical importance to the vampires which has put her in danger from the enemies who would see her dead to prevent her fulfilling her destiny. Grace isn't interested in destiny, just being left alone, but Adare doesn't care. As her mate, she's his to protect - and maybe even to love.

Adare finds his Grace❣️

Absolutely loved this next instalment in the Guardian’s series as Adare and Grace find out what it means to be mated, whilst fighting against the Kurjans and enduring their shenanigans😱 This story was action packed from the very beginning and kept me on my toes throughout which I loved and I can’t wait to read what happens next with Benny and find out more about Karma😍 I received an advanced copy via Netgalley and thank the author and publisher for the chance to leave my honest review❤️

For five years, Grace and Adare have been mated. They didn't choose to be mates but when Adare gave her some of his blood while she was in a coma they ended up mating and not in the usual way. Now Adare is off on a dangerous mission and he wants to make sure that Grace is going to be protected. Grace has been keeping secrets though and is trying to find answers before she dies.

Lots of danger and action going on and it takes nearly losing Grace for Adare to realize that there is such a thing as love.

Great next installment of this series. Adare and Grace start with a relationship after they mated when she was in a coma. Her mating mark is fading and she’s having more health issues. They aren’t sure what she needs to do- fully mate with Adare, take the negating virus, or something else. There’s also mystery around her past that she can’t remember and tries to figure out. I received an arc from Netgalley for my honest review.

Guardian’s Grace is the fifth book in the continuation of the Dark Protectors series by Rebecca Zanetti. It brings to light new faces from times past and present along with a deeper insight into the history of the Vampire Kurjan war. While some of our favorite characters from the earlier books do make cameos in Guardian’s Grace, the focus is on illuminating a new mythos which began in Vampire's Faith with brand new characters and relationships.

This book focusses on Grace Cooper, Faith’s younger sister whom we met in Vampire’s Faith. She has still not come to terms with her destiny and wants to go back to her old and boring life. However, once people get dragged in the middle of the centuries-old Vampire Kurjan war, there is no going back.

Adare O’Cearbhaill is a highly powerful being who is one of the seven tasked with binding the Kurjan leader in another dimension and making sure the barrier holds forever. However, the barrier between the worlds is weakening. Despite his brethren's watch over the centuries trying to contain an ancient evil and the endgame is near.

Together, Adare and Grace work with his brethren to hold the ancient cage intact while fighting enemies hot on their trail. This book is truly spellbinding. Rebecca Zanetti creates characters with such depth that you just can't help rooting for them.

Guardian’s Grace is the 12th volume in the Dark Protectors series by Rebecca Zanetti, and the 5th in the new arc that began with Vampire’s Faith.
I reviewed all the arc’s titles, so I won’t revisit the general story.
There are also two novellas: Vengeance (that I read but didn’t review) and Vixen (not read). The next novella, Vampire, is expected in 2021.
More than ever it’s mandatory to read the previous volumes to understand the action and the suspense in Guardian’s Grace.

The story takes place three years after the end of Hero’s Heaven. Grace and Adare’s story began in Vampire’s Faith (Faith is Grace’s sister) and from the beginning I couldn’t wait to read their story.
In Vampire’s Faith, Adare and Grace have been mated for Grace to come out of the coma she’s been in for several years. There’s been no sexual encounter between them but we know from the start they are attracted to each other. However, not only none of them has wanted to yield but it’s mainly Adare who put a curb while explaining as often as possible that he refused to have feelings for a human because they’re too weak. In Guardian’s Grace, when the story starts, they haven’t seen each other for 3 years (yes, it was long for them too lol).
As the story goes on, we understand more of the hero’s motivations and we learn more about him.

There are things I appreciated in Guardian’s Grace and other much less. In the “much less”, there are elements that I already didn’t like in the previous volumes and it’s confirmed here. I won’t tell any details to avoid spoiling but those following the series from the beginning and/or read it entirely soon will understand.

What I liked:
- The heroine: Grace is really great. I loved that she tries to take charge of her destiny and succeeds in surprising the hero several times. She often puts herself in danger but knowing the people around her prevent her from acting, we understand she prefers not saying a thing
- The omnipresent humor and action: I give credit to Rebecca Zanetti for that.

What I liked less:
- The future of the Realm (of which the most powerful members are the first arc’s heroes) and of the Seven
- The virus: I already talked about it in my previous reviews and I still hate this aspect of the series’ evolution. The reason I like paranormal is the idea of one soulmate. But with this virus, the author admits the idea it could not be the case. At this point, I must say I’m not really certain to go on with the series after the two last volumes
- Hope (daughter of Zane and Janie, heroes in Marked, 7th volume) and her friends: without giving many details, I hate the triangle I foresee
- The Kurjans (the series’ bad guys): yes we need for the suspense to evolve to keep the readers interested but sometimes it’s not necessary to overdo
Once the book closed, I don’t’ really see how the good guys made of all the former heroes will be able to get fine when at this point there are only two single heroes.

I know I didn’t put Adare in those two categories but it’s deliberate: I’m still mixed about him. I often wanted to shake him but at the same time I understand his reservations. The scene I preferred is the one where Grace offers to take the virus when he’s in the room.

I don’t know who will be the next hero between the two last bachelors left. At the end of Guardian’s Grace, we have a little unexpected event with Benny. We can guess it will be him. Wait and see.

I’m also very happy that the first two volumes in the series will hit the shelves in October in France.

Guardian’s Grace - Review

Overall - ⭐⭐⭐1/2
Heat - 🔥🔥🔥 🔥

Since it's October 2020 that means I seek out all the spooky and paranormal books I can find. I'm not usually a PNR reader, but when it's Rebecca Zanetti's latest I don't hesitate to pick up the book. I made a mistake though since this is book 12 in the series and there was a lot I didn’t know about that left me often confused or lost. But I’ll try to run down the major plot points with no spoilers for you here.

Five years ago Adare, a vampire warrior/soldier, mated himself to Grace to save her life. After the mating our vamp was an ass and basically told Grace that he wasn’t interested in some poor, weak human as his mate and he peaced out. So Grace went on with her life without Adare, not knowing that the idiot had feelings for her. At the start of this book, Grace is in some hot water again, and Adare swoops in to keep his mate safe.

There is some major hate to love going on in this book, and I can’t blame Grace for how she feels. That being said I’m always a big pile of feels for a fated mates situation. Zanetti manages to throw in some curveballs about this mating which made it even more interesting and enjoyable.

I loved the action and adventure of this book. Even though I didn’t recognize any of the characters from previous stories it was still enjoyable and I’ll for sure be going back to start this series from the beginning. I think fans of Immortals After Dark or the Black Dagger Brotherhood will love this book and probably the entire series.

Disclaimer: When I picked up this book for a review, I didn't notice it was No12 in a series. I haven't read Zanetti's previous books, so getting a sense of the world and what was happening and why made it very difficult for me to enjoy this story. So don't let my review deter you from reading this if you're familiar with the world!

There are many interesting things about this book. The battle sequences, the suspense, the POVs of the kids (Hope and Paxton) were all things I appreciated. This is clearly an author that does this genre well.

Unfortunately, this particular book wasn't for me. There were several things that rubbed me the wrong way, like the concept of mating allergy (where a person of the opposite gender can't touch you if you're mated to someone else because they get a rush), the way every single person seemed to be straight, the way Adare called Grace "female" throughout... I found it very hard to connect with both Adare and Grace. I was intrigued by Benny though.

But like I said, I'm clearly not the intended audience. I like male characters that are more vulnerable and female characters that are more kickass. This series looks like it has many devoted fans though, so I would recommend to read other people's reviews as well before deciding :-)

As always, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for offering me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What more could you want? Action, suspense, romance, humor, paranormal, and great characters! I loved this story. It's my first of the series but I'm going back and reading them all. I was completely sucked into the world Rebecca Zanetti has created. I am never disappointed by her books and this one lived up to my expectations. I'll keep this short, I've got 11 books to go read!

Take one Scottish vampire mated by a bite and a brand to a human who bears a special birthmark but needs to survive a coma. Let the human wonder the world wishing to forget the paranormal world she was introduced to until she needs help. Add a bit of spice, an obvious attraction, and just a wee bit of stubbornness from both but a lot more from a strong very male vampire and trouble is sure to follow. Adare and Grace fight their attraction in the latest addition to the Dark Protector's series. Enjoy the action, the romance, the sizzle and a whole lot more. As always Zanetti's ongoing series is a must read and never fails to satisfy.

Grace got thrown into the supernatural world to safe her life. Determined to have nothing to do with that world and way of life, Grace has kept her distance.  As iron willed and stubborn as she is, there are things she can’t control and with her life on the line again, steps back through a door that never really closed on her.

Adare is warrior alpha, one of the seven and a protector to the core.  Adare saves Grace's life yet lost a mate.  As typical of most men it takes them a long time to be able to express their feelings and he allowed her to walk away years ago. He may have expressed what he did as a sense of duty, but deep down, in my mind, he knew she was for him.

We have a fiercely strong and protective alpha warrior and a highly independent woman who can stand her ground.  A duty may have brought them together, yet they have kept themselves apart. Five years pass and Grace finds herself in  a predicament and Adare is more than willing to do what it takes to protect her and to convince her give into the bond of matting this time.

Guardians Grace is an action packed, sizzling hot read. Ms. Zanetti gave readers a different kind of story with Adare and Grace.  These two Razzle each other up like no other. Their banter was on point. The chemistry was beyond the boiling point yet as stubborn kept them away.  Which made me want to slap them both upside the head at different point through out their story. What I can say is this- the battles are intense, the lovin’ is hot and two very strong and hardheaded people were able to find their way back to each other.

This is a series that just gets better and better and I look forward to every addition that comes along We have met Adare and Grace in previous book in this series he was the vampire that saved her life by bonding with her but when she came out of the coma he informed he didn't want a human mate Well that was a big lie because he actually craved her After that Grace and Adare lived separate lives but when the connection between them starts to weaken and Grace once again becomes sick Adare will do whatever he needs to in an effort to keep her safe even if that means completing the bond between them Can he finally admit what it is he really wants (Grace) and can she forgive him is bad boy alpha ways and can she handle been drawn into the supernatural world Will they finally get a future together You will have to read to see

Fun action and suspense. Overall, cool, dynamic story. I’ve only read the previous book in this series; I get what is going on, but you may want to start from the beginning for a better reading experience. There’s lots of past characters involved in this book and an overarching storyline. Lots of bad guys, lots of different types of paranormals, prophecies, and fated mates. Entertaining read! I didn’t go for a full 5 star because I don’t feel the overarching storyline progressed much.

Vampire/Demon hybrid, Adare, has been mates with Grace for five years, but it wasn’t a romantic mating. She was in a coma, so he became mates with her to help save her; they have stayed away from each other for the 5 years. There’s an attraction and connection, but both are withholding on a romantic relationship; both think the other doesn’t want them. They cause the problems in their relationship themselves, and both push the other away; he’s all about giving his whole life for his mission and she’s dealing with memory loss and health issues. Lots of back and forth on their relationship. Sweet connection between them though, and some fun banter.

There’s also some problems when the bad guys are after Grace because she’s one of the Keys mentioned in some prophecy. Adare is one of the Seven; group of paranormal warriors, who are trying to take out the bad guys and protecting those needed in the prophecy. Lots of danger and action fun!

Overall, this is an interesting and engaging series! Excited to see where this story is going to go!

GUARDIAN'S GRACE is a fantastic, funny and heartbreaking, action packed, romance, that just happens to be filled with fights and explosions that will have readers holding on for dear life, then wanting to do it all again.

Reviewed by Annetta Sweetko, for Fresh Fiction

Complete review: https://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=71954

4.5 stars

Although I haven't read this series before, I'm a big fan of Rebecca Zanetti's other work so I definitely had high expectations going into Guardian's Grace. Zanetti met every single one of these expectations and delivered a wonderful and thrilling paranormal romance that left me wanting more. Seriously, I need to go back and read this series from the beginning!

The romance between Adare and Grace was totally unexpected for me as a new reader to the series. It was interesting to see how a pair mated (but didn't mate...) five years prior and then circled around each other citing excuses such as duties, emotions and morals. Neither truly believed the other wanted into the relationship but after being thrown together and having to actually face their situation... look out for the fireworks!

As for the storyline, I think reading Guardian's Grace being read as a standalone or series could go either way. Despite being book 12 in the series, I personally found it pretty easy to follow along with who each of the main and side characters were, and what the deal was with the baddies. That being said, I definitely think it would have also been a lot easier if I were familiar with the series prior but in no way did I feel my lack of series knowledge hinder my enjoyment!

As previously mentioned, I'm a huge fan of Rebecca Zanetti and her storytelling abilities. She weaves engaging stories full of drama, action and romance that always leave me ready to find out what happens next. Guardian's Grace is written in the same manner and despite being jam-packed with action and plot, it's a very easy read. Overall I truly loved this one and can't wait to read more of Zanetti's work in the future.

3.5 Stars
Overall I enjoyed this latest installment of the Dark Protectors series. But.... and it’s a big one, Grace kinda drove me crazy. She was TSTL most of the time. I just wanted to shake her! I get that some of it was needed to move the plot along, but argh! As always the story of the Seven and the Realm was great, and I can’t wait to see what happens next

A true love connection
I think this might just be my favorite book in this series. How I enjoyed this emotionally untouchable male with his not quite mate. The action and danger is there as with all of this author's books, including that edge of betrayal and misunderstanding. But the thing that struck me the most was the length these two went to in order to protect each other. The author drew me in with the subtlety of their growing emotions and then wouldn't let me escape until the last moment. I really hope we get to see more of this couple in future books and how their relationship continues to grow. Oh, and I loved that little Easter egg of things to come. I cannot wait to see what the author comes up with for the Realm and the Seven next. I am sure that it is going to be amazing.