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Tidewater #2
Guarded
She’s given up on finding love…
Veterinarian Shelley Morgan has always preferred animals to humans, and not simply because she can communicate with them psychically. Unlike most people she’s known, animals have never broken her heart. But after six months in her new town, some of her favorite four-legged companions begin disappearing from the local zoo. Determined to track down the animals and their thief, the telepathic vet decides to investigate, unknowingly delving into a deadly mystery…
He’s ready to make her heart go wild…
Although his bear-like physique has been an advantage in the Tidewater Police Department, Dev Jones’s size often intimidates people. Only Shelley has seen past his massive build to the intelligent man inside, but that was years ago. So when she contacts him requesting his help to solve a series of animal kidnappings, he’s eager to reconnect with her. But the thefts escalate to murder and all the evidence points to Shelley as the killer, and Dev faces a devastating choice: forsake his career or risk losing the woman he’s grown to love…
Veterinarian Shelley Morgan has always preferred animals to humans, and not simply because she can communicate with them psychically. Unlike most people she’s known, animals have never broken her heart. But after six months in her new town, some of her favorite four-legged companions begin disappearing from the local zoo. Determined to track down the animals and their thief, the telepathic vet decides to investigate, unknowingly delving into a deadly mystery…
He’s ready to make her heart go wild…
Although his bear-like physique has been an advantage in the Tidewater Police Department, Dev Jones’s size often intimidates people. Only Shelley has seen past his massive build to the intelligent man inside, but that was years ago. So when she contacts him requesting his help to solve a series of animal kidnappings, he’s eager to reconnect with her. But the thefts escalate to murder and all the evidence points to Shelley as the killer, and Dev faces a devastating choice: forsake his career or risk losing the woman he’s grown to love…
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 5, 2014
15 people are currently reading
659 people want to read
About the author
Mary Behre
5 books118 followersMary Behre could never decide which kind of story she liked more, paranormal, mysteries or romances. So it only made sense that she combined all three in her books.
All three novels in her Tidewater Trilogy are award-winners.
All three novels in her Tidewater Trilogy are award-winners.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
August 5, 2014
Huge girly sigh! I mean. I'm loving this series. Guarded was an incredibly fun ride. How could it not be with one seriously sexy detective and a heroine who can talk with animals? Add in a murder mystery and touch of danger, a second chance at finding love and a man eating ferret and, yeah, I was a happy reader girl. *nods*
The quick of it is that Shelley can talk to animals--ahhh I love that!--and she's in need of help. Something fishy is happening in her local zoo and animals are disappearing. So she reaches out to a college friend--and unrequited crush--Dev who she hasn't seen in year but knows she can count on not knowing he was actually searching for her! See, he knows her long lost sister and is trying to get the siblings back together. Ahh I just love the Fates when they mettle like this. But the simple case Shelley needs help with turns into so much more with murders popping up all over the place and things heating up between the sheets too!
I really liked these two. Dev is just such a hottie. I was totally smitten with him in Spirited and fell even more in Guarded. He's just...a good guy. Dependable, honorable, ripped as all get out. Yes. He's one you'll totally want to lick. Mmmhmm What I loved most about him though was he was completely okay with Shelley's crift--her gift/curse of being able to talk to animals. Something that can be a struggle for Shelley from time to time. It's not something that phased him or he doubted he just...went with it. And that totally made me love him.
Shelley was a great heroine as well though she did opt to join the TSTL heroine club near the end for a minute there. But other than that I loved how much she cared for the animals around her and how she interacted with them. She just had a good spirit about her.
The romance and tension between them was very nice though it seemed to take a backseat to the suspense this time. Which really worked and wasn't a problem for me. It fit the storyline and and since these two already knew each other it was easier to go along with their quick connection. I would have liked a little more one on one time with them, personally, but it was still a nice romance with a bit of steam happening. I liked that they'd known each other during their college years and that both had been more or less already in love with each other all those years ago but the stars just hadn't aligned for them. I don't know. It was just sweet seeing them finally get their chance.
The suspense. Well. It was pretty damn good. It surprised the hell out of me. I don't say that too often but this time Behre got me something good. It wasn't until way close to the reveal that I figured things out. The last little bit was a bit chaotic reading-wise with lots of spurts and direction changes but it worked. It really made you feel that high stress adrenaline fueled atmosphere as things finally started to happen and everyone was going everywhere to wrap things up.
From the nerve wracking suspense to a sweet second chance at romance Guarded was a fantastic ride. There was some excellent humor added into the mix with the animals and some very touching moments as Shelley reconnected with her sister--the heroine from book one. It was just a nice read and one that has me very excited to see what will happen next in the series. Especially after meeting Ian and Ryan who totally have me panting after them and hoping they'll have their stories told.
Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup.
The quick of it is that Shelley can talk to animals--ahhh I love that!--and she's in need of help. Something fishy is happening in her local zoo and animals are disappearing. So she reaches out to a college friend--and unrequited crush--Dev who she hasn't seen in year but knows she can count on not knowing he was actually searching for her! See, he knows her long lost sister and is trying to get the siblings back together. Ahh I just love the Fates when they mettle like this. But the simple case Shelley needs help with turns into so much more with murders popping up all over the place and things heating up between the sheets too!
I really liked these two. Dev is just such a hottie. I was totally smitten with him in Spirited and fell even more in Guarded. He's just...a good guy. Dependable, honorable, ripped as all get out. Yes. He's one you'll totally want to lick. Mmmhmm What I loved most about him though was he was completely okay with Shelley's crift--her gift/curse of being able to talk to animals. Something that can be a struggle for Shelley from time to time. It's not something that phased him or he doubted he just...went with it. And that totally made me love him.
Dev eyed Lucy with distrust. He brushed a hand through his sandy-blond hair, sighing. "If you want to bring her along, it's fine. I'd already mentioned the possibility to Seth. But you might want to bring her cage just in case he decides to attack anyone else."
Shelley laughed. "Lucy's a very loving animal. She doesn't usually attack." Lucy pushed all four paws against Shelley's chest, as if preparing to launch herself at Dev again. "On second thought, maybe she should stay here. They've got a kitten over there now."
Bringing Lucy up to eye level, Shelley said, "I'll give you some extra treats and let you run around when I get back." I also don't want you attacking Dev anymore. She sent the thought winging into the ferret's mind.
Images of Lucy's hammock, munching on treats, and snuggling with Shelley came flying back in response. She'd started to smile until another image hit her--of Lucy latching onto Dev's jeans in Shelley's apartment.
That's not funny. She mentally scolded Lucy, who sent back an image of her doing the weasle war dance...Lucy's way of laughing.
"Yep, she'll be fine here." Shelley said, glancing at Dev as he opened the door.
Shelley was a great heroine as well though she did opt to join the TSTL heroine club near the end for a minute there. But other than that I loved how much she cared for the animals around her and how she interacted with them. She just had a good spirit about her.
The romance and tension between them was very nice though it seemed to take a backseat to the suspense this time. Which really worked and wasn't a problem for me. It fit the storyline and and since these two already knew each other it was easier to go along with their quick connection. I would have liked a little more one on one time with them, personally, but it was still a nice romance with a bit of steam happening. I liked that they'd known each other during their college years and that both had been more or less already in love with each other all those years ago but the stars just hadn't aligned for them. I don't know. It was just sweet seeing them finally get their chance.
The suspense. Well. It was pretty damn good. It surprised the hell out of me. I don't say that too often but this time Behre got me something good. It wasn't until way close to the reveal that I figured things out. The last little bit was a bit chaotic reading-wise with lots of spurts and direction changes but it worked. It really made you feel that high stress adrenaline fueled atmosphere as things finally started to happen and everyone was going everywhere to wrap things up.
From the nerve wracking suspense to a sweet second chance at romance Guarded was a fantastic ride. There was some excellent humor added into the mix with the animals and some very touching moments as Shelley reconnected with her sister--the heroine from book one. It was just a nice read and one that has me very excited to see what will happen next in the series. Especially after meeting Ian and Ryan who totally have me panting after them and hoping they'll have their stories told.
Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup.
June 6, 2014
Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Vivacious Valkyrie - Marta:
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review
--Actual rating 4.5 Skulls
Guarded is the second novel in the Tidewater series and it's a remarkable undertaking. These books straddle numerous genres with a nod to the paranormal whilst adding both suspense and even humour! If you enjoy solving a mystery and trying to work out " whodunit " then this book will be a delight. Add some hot law enforcement, a ghost or two and ever present danger and it's a book to keep the reader eager to turn the pages.
Once upon a time there were three sisters and each one had a unique talent that could be seen as either a gift or a curse. These girls chose to call it their " crift" but nothing could save them from tragedy. The loss of their parents changed their lives and these three young girls were separated and destined to lose the only family they had left. Now grown up they still hope that one day Lady Luck will smile on them and they will find each other.
Shelley has trained hard in her life and now she's doing what she's always wanted, she's a veterinarian but her life is far from perfect. Shelley has the ability to communicate with animals but she's no modern Dr Doolittle! It's a talent that should make her work easier but something strange is going on. Animals are going missing from the local zoo and Shelley is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and her solution is to call her old friend Dev who is now a police detective.
Dev met Shelley in college and always knew that he was attracted to her but Shelley and his friend were an item so he never made his move. Now she's asking for his help and he has no intention of passing up the chance to get reacquainted with her but something just doesn't add up. When Dev and Shelley start investigating they open up a can of worms that brings danger to Shelley's door . The possibility of black market animal trading is just the tip of the iceberg and pretty soon a deranged killer starts closing in!
This author writes such fun stories. It's filled with enough romance to please those who enjoy that aspect of a tale but has the addition of suspense and mystery. I loved trying to work out just who, what and why but thought the first half of this book was a little slow . Lots of humour and setting of the scene but it didn't pull me in quite as quickly as I'd hoped.The second half certainly makes up for it though as it's fast paced and just gathers momentum at break neck speed!
The "crift" that Shelley has of communicating with animals was very well explained and I could picture in my imagination very easily what was happening but it's a bit of a strange one ! The author never explains just why these characters have these abilities but it's fiction and not fact so I can forgive that. What I found amusing was Shelley's weakness with certain animals and thought Ms Behre gave a very plausible explanation as the story unfolded.
The highlight of the story though has to be a certain man eating ferret! Reading about Shelley's furry companion and her antics was truly hilarious. Surprisingly there is sadness here and it's emotional to read about the loss of one of the characters but the author does not dwell on that, no she presses on with the dramatic conclusion as the red herrings are finally laid to rest.
This ended up being action packed and very entertaining . There's a couple of characters introduced that I would certainly like to read more about . Steamy passion between the hero and heroine and enough twists and turns to keep my attention . I look forward to reading more from this author who constantly surprises me.
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review
--Actual rating 4.5 Skulls
Guarded is the second novel in the Tidewater series and it's a remarkable undertaking. These books straddle numerous genres with a nod to the paranormal whilst adding both suspense and even humour! If you enjoy solving a mystery and trying to work out " whodunit " then this book will be a delight. Add some hot law enforcement, a ghost or two and ever present danger and it's a book to keep the reader eager to turn the pages.
Once upon a time there were three sisters and each one had a unique talent that could be seen as either a gift or a curse. These girls chose to call it their " crift" but nothing could save them from tragedy. The loss of their parents changed their lives and these three young girls were separated and destined to lose the only family they had left. Now grown up they still hope that one day Lady Luck will smile on them and they will find each other.
Shelley has trained hard in her life and now she's doing what she's always wanted, she's a veterinarian but her life is far from perfect. Shelley has the ability to communicate with animals but she's no modern Dr Doolittle! It's a talent that should make her work easier but something strange is going on. Animals are going missing from the local zoo and Shelley is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and her solution is to call her old friend Dev who is now a police detective.
Dev met Shelley in college and always knew that he was attracted to her but Shelley and his friend were an item so he never made his move. Now she's asking for his help and he has no intention of passing up the chance to get reacquainted with her but something just doesn't add up. When Dev and Shelley start investigating they open up a can of worms that brings danger to Shelley's door . The possibility of black market animal trading is just the tip of the iceberg and pretty soon a deranged killer starts closing in!
This author writes such fun stories. It's filled with enough romance to please those who enjoy that aspect of a tale but has the addition of suspense and mystery. I loved trying to work out just who, what and why but thought the first half of this book was a little slow . Lots of humour and setting of the scene but it didn't pull me in quite as quickly as I'd hoped.The second half certainly makes up for it though as it's fast paced and just gathers momentum at break neck speed!
The "crift" that Shelley has of communicating with animals was very well explained and I could picture in my imagination very easily what was happening but it's a bit of a strange one ! The author never explains just why these characters have these abilities but it's fiction and not fact so I can forgive that. What I found amusing was Shelley's weakness with certain animals and thought Ms Behre gave a very plausible explanation as the story unfolded.
The highlight of the story though has to be a certain man eating ferret! Reading about Shelley's furry companion and her antics was truly hilarious. Surprisingly there is sadness here and it's emotional to read about the loss of one of the characters but the author does not dwell on that, no she presses on with the dramatic conclusion as the red herrings are finally laid to rest.
This ended up being action packed and very entertaining . There's a couple of characters introduced that I would certainly like to read more about . Steamy passion between the hero and heroine and enough twists and turns to keep my attention . I look forward to reading more from this author who constantly surprises me.
April 19, 2016
The first book was nice enough and the MCs were both reasonable people I could connect with.
Here the heroine, Shelley, was annoying.
At the beginning she’s likable, even if a little over-the-top about protecting the animals, but that’s understandable because her crift and her being a veterinarian.
She’s also in love/lust with her friend from her school days, Dev. She wrote to him and asked for his help and when he arrives everything seems to be going in the right way.
Dev is also in love with her since forever, but he’s shy and unsure about her. But he’s willing to act.
This book had everything to be excellent: an interesting paranormal twist, the possibility of scorching passion and sweet friend-to-lovers theme, the mystery… Unfortunately almost nothing came out… because of Shelley!
As the story progressed, her abandonment issues, that could be understandable because of her childhood with foster families, become so annoying and so without reason to exist that I wanted to slap her so badly!!!
Once, twice, even third time it could be accepted, but every single time was too much! She didn’t want to get attached to Beau, the little boy, then she didn’t want to meet her sister, then she didn’t want to get attached to Dev… and all of it again and again and again!!! And why? Because everybody leaves either by dying, or going away… OK with going away, but dying??? How can one control dying?!?!
Also her unreasonable charging in situations where caution should have been used and rush acting without thought brought her in the TSTL category! And I hate, really, really hate TSTL heroines!
Dev, her sister, people who came to help her tell her to stay put, but what she does? She runs away headfirst in danger!
So, no, I didn’t like her at all!!!
Dev, on the other hand, I loved and at the same time was sorry for him for being in love with such an idiot! He was a really nice, sweet (hot) guy and he deserved somebody sane, not a bipolar imbecile!
Therefore the three stars are only because of Dev!
Here the heroine, Shelley, was annoying.
At the beginning she’s likable, even if a little over-the-top about protecting the animals, but that’s understandable because her crift and her being a veterinarian.
She’s also in love/lust with her friend from her school days, Dev. She wrote to him and asked for his help and when he arrives everything seems to be going in the right way.
Dev is also in love with her since forever, but he’s shy and unsure about her. But he’s willing to act.
This book had everything to be excellent: an interesting paranormal twist, the possibility of scorching passion and sweet friend-to-lovers theme, the mystery… Unfortunately almost nothing came out… because of Shelley!
As the story progressed, her abandonment issues, that could be understandable because of her childhood with foster families, become so annoying and so without reason to exist that I wanted to slap her so badly!!!
Once, twice, even third time it could be accepted, but every single time was too much! She didn’t want to get attached to Beau, the little boy, then she didn’t want to meet her sister, then she didn’t want to get attached to Dev… and all of it again and again and again!!! And why? Because everybody leaves either by dying, or going away… OK with going away, but dying??? How can one control dying?!?!
Also her unreasonable charging in situations where caution should have been used and rush acting without thought brought her in the TSTL category! And I hate, really, really hate TSTL heroines!
Dev, her sister, people who came to help her tell her to stay put, but what she does? She runs away headfirst in danger!
So, no, I didn’t like her at all!!!
Dev, on the other hand, I loved and at the same time was sorry for him for being in love with such an idiot! He was a really nice, sweet (hot) guy and he deserved somebody sane, not a bipolar imbecile!
Therefore the three stars are only because of Dev!
August 18, 2014
I had such a good time with the breakout book for this series that I was ready to dive right back in with the second book. This book took up the story of one of the primary characters from the first book, Dev Jones, and another of the psychically 'crifted' Scott sisters. Another engaging installment to this delectable series.
I suppose the reader could get away with reading this one out of order in a pinch, but I would recommend reading it in order for optimal enjoyment since the hero and other characters were introduced in the first book.
The story opens when Shelley Morgan has yet another series of mishaps to confirm that Wednesdays are evil for her. She works as vet in a practice with the owner who has grown absent minded of late and an intern that acts as the dog groomer. It is the perfect situation in a small town where she can start over after the break-up with her fiance, earn good money and be groomed to take over the practice when the older doctor retires.
Shelly has a gift that enables her to receive mental images from animals and make herself understood. It is her gift that allows her to figure out that something is wrong at the local privately owned zoo. Animals are disappearing. This is what gives her the impetus to reconnect with an old college friend, Dev Jones, who was going into a career in law enforcement. Dev knows about and accepts her gift so he won't question that she is getting her information from the other animals at the zoo. It doesn't hurt that Dev still causes her a few steamy daydreams and that he isn't indifferent to her either. Dev is willing to help, but cautious. Shelley's attention is also divided by the pitiful situation of a local foster boy being abused and members of the community disappearing and turning up dead with one being found in her trunk.
Dev can't believe that Shelley looked him up when she did and its perfect timing that she needs his help. He has a reason to connect with her too- okay other than his desire to see her again particularly since she obviously never married his jerk of an old roommate. He would love to get that story and also needs to set her straight about several lies Cam told, but first, he has a reunion between long lost birth siblings to arrange as Shelley and Jules were separated in the foster care system and adopted into separate families. Jules has hunted a long time for Shelley and Dev remembered Shelley talking about finding her sisters. He is confused when Shelley is more focused on the animal disappearance and is oddly reticent about meeting up with the sister she claimed to have wanted to find. Dev can't figure her out, but the old spark is still definitely there and he will do whatever he can for Shelley even while needing to respond to a new case involving murder.
The plot was twisty and offered up several story threads to keep the reader busy guessing what was relevant particularly to solving the murders/missing animal case along with a tentative romance and family reunion. The plot can feel pretty loose as a result of all that is going on in the story as it flips between the animal situation, the foster child, the murders, the sister reunion and the romance. It was almost too much going on and affected some plot threads staying under-developed particularly the romance. The suspense element was the strongest and best represented. It took some time to build like an old-style cozy mystery with the clues building one on one until the impressive big reveal takes place during a tension-filled grand finale climax near the end.
As to the other side of the plot, the romance, it was given short shift much of the time. I liked the idea of the two characters together, but other than a few interrupted discussions about stuff other than the case and a day or so of passion there wasn't much and needed more time to develop something solid. They didn't clear up the past involving Cam and much of the present was spent with Shelley adamantly refusing to engage in anything beyond the physical because she was terrified to get close and always had one foot out the door because she lost so many significant people in her life early on. I needed more relationship building to be sold on their romance. I will point out that they had some history together as college friends to make the romance plausible at least when Dev could get the slippery Shelley cornered long enough to try for something with her. And physical chemistry? Yeah, they definitely had that in spades.
This leads me to discuss a bit about the characters.
Shelley was a heroine that I was amused by while at the same time she got me irritated not just a few times. I found her Dr. Dolittlesque personality amusing the way she was so into her animals and almost oblivious to much else. Poor Dev was pulled back and forth trying to fulfill his promise to Shelley that she reminded him of often to help her find the zoo animals even as he tried to make her see that others were on the case and he had murder to investigate at his own job. She got on so much better with animals and struggled to even function with her fellow people. In her rush to protect her own heart because of her abandonment fears, she inadvertently managed to crush Jules and Dev who both really love her. With Dev, she shut him down and turned her back on him with not a word and with Jules she verbalized needing to get away from her distrusting that Jules needed her and wanted to be family again. I couldn't love that even when she seemed remorseful afterward. She was wrong, but when she did work through it all, she sat there stewing and waiting for Dev and Jules to make the first moves. I was also not impressed with her brains when she kept rushing into danger insisting that she could handle it when it was patently clear that she couldn't. But hey, I guess that's what made things get pretty exciting there in the end. She had a lot to work through and she did stop running so in the end I didn't hate her and just wanted her to be happy.
Now Dev? He was a sweetheart. He crushed on Shelley in college and still felt that way toward her when they met up again. He was protective of her and only wanted to see her happy. I loved that he was so sangfroid about her psychic gift. He was so patient with Shelley and her hang-ups. Even after she hurt him more than once when she pushed him away, he stuck with her. He had a huge heart and it definitely was a plus that he was sizzling hot.
The main story arc of the three sisters progressed to two of them now found, to more of their past revealed and to more about their gifts surfacing. I really look forward to what comes next. Oh and I won't be offended if Dev's two yummy cousins get stories too.
So to wrap it up, I found this second book an overall enjoyable read with its cunning blend of several elements like spicy romance, engaging suspense and the pinch of paranormal that add up to good storytelling.
My thanks to Penguin Group and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in exchange for an honest review.
I suppose the reader could get away with reading this one out of order in a pinch, but I would recommend reading it in order for optimal enjoyment since the hero and other characters were introduced in the first book.
The story opens when Shelley Morgan has yet another series of mishaps to confirm that Wednesdays are evil for her. She works as vet in a practice with the owner who has grown absent minded of late and an intern that acts as the dog groomer. It is the perfect situation in a small town where she can start over after the break-up with her fiance, earn good money and be groomed to take over the practice when the older doctor retires.
Shelly has a gift that enables her to receive mental images from animals and make herself understood. It is her gift that allows her to figure out that something is wrong at the local privately owned zoo. Animals are disappearing. This is what gives her the impetus to reconnect with an old college friend, Dev Jones, who was going into a career in law enforcement. Dev knows about and accepts her gift so he won't question that she is getting her information from the other animals at the zoo. It doesn't hurt that Dev still causes her a few steamy daydreams and that he isn't indifferent to her either. Dev is willing to help, but cautious. Shelley's attention is also divided by the pitiful situation of a local foster boy being abused and members of the community disappearing and turning up dead with one being found in her trunk.
Dev can't believe that Shelley looked him up when she did and its perfect timing that she needs his help. He has a reason to connect with her too- okay other than his desire to see her again particularly since she obviously never married his jerk of an old roommate. He would love to get that story and also needs to set her straight about several lies Cam told, but first, he has a reunion between long lost birth siblings to arrange as Shelley and Jules were separated in the foster care system and adopted into separate families. Jules has hunted a long time for Shelley and Dev remembered Shelley talking about finding her sisters. He is confused when Shelley is more focused on the animal disappearance and is oddly reticent about meeting up with the sister she claimed to have wanted to find. Dev can't figure her out, but the old spark is still definitely there and he will do whatever he can for Shelley even while needing to respond to a new case involving murder.
The plot was twisty and offered up several story threads to keep the reader busy guessing what was relevant particularly to solving the murders/missing animal case along with a tentative romance and family reunion. The plot can feel pretty loose as a result of all that is going on in the story as it flips between the animal situation, the foster child, the murders, the sister reunion and the romance. It was almost too much going on and affected some plot threads staying under-developed particularly the romance. The suspense element was the strongest and best represented. It took some time to build like an old-style cozy mystery with the clues building one on one until the impressive big reveal takes place during a tension-filled grand finale climax near the end.
As to the other side of the plot, the romance, it was given short shift much of the time. I liked the idea of the two characters together, but other than a few interrupted discussions about stuff other than the case and a day or so of passion there wasn't much and needed more time to develop something solid. They didn't clear up the past involving Cam and much of the present was spent with Shelley adamantly refusing to engage in anything beyond the physical because she was terrified to get close and always had one foot out the door because she lost so many significant people in her life early on. I needed more relationship building to be sold on their romance. I will point out that they had some history together as college friends to make the romance plausible at least when Dev could get the slippery Shelley cornered long enough to try for something with her. And physical chemistry? Yeah, they definitely had that in spades.
This leads me to discuss a bit about the characters.
Shelley was a heroine that I was amused by while at the same time she got me irritated not just a few times. I found her Dr. Dolittlesque personality amusing the way she was so into her animals and almost oblivious to much else. Poor Dev was pulled back and forth trying to fulfill his promise to Shelley that she reminded him of often to help her find the zoo animals even as he tried to make her see that others were on the case and he had murder to investigate at his own job. She got on so much better with animals and struggled to even function with her fellow people. In her rush to protect her own heart because of her abandonment fears, she inadvertently managed to crush Jules and Dev who both really love her. With Dev, she shut him down and turned her back on him with not a word and with Jules she verbalized needing to get away from her distrusting that Jules needed her and wanted to be family again. I couldn't love that even when she seemed remorseful afterward. She was wrong, but when she did work through it all, she sat there stewing and waiting for Dev and Jules to make the first moves. I was also not impressed with her brains when she kept rushing into danger insisting that she could handle it when it was patently clear that she couldn't. But hey, I guess that's what made things get pretty exciting there in the end. She had a lot to work through and she did stop running so in the end I didn't hate her and just wanted her to be happy.
Now Dev? He was a sweetheart. He crushed on Shelley in college and still felt that way toward her when they met up again. He was protective of her and only wanted to see her happy. I loved that he was so sangfroid about her psychic gift. He was so patient with Shelley and her hang-ups. Even after she hurt him more than once when she pushed him away, he stuck with her. He had a huge heart and it definitely was a plus that he was sizzling hot.
The main story arc of the three sisters progressed to two of them now found, to more of their past revealed and to more about their gifts surfacing. I really look forward to what comes next. Oh and I won't be offended if Dev's two yummy cousins get stories too.
So to wrap it up, I found this second book an overall enjoyable read with its cunning blend of several elements like spicy romance, engaging suspense and the pinch of paranormal that add up to good storytelling.
My thanks to Penguin Group and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in exchange for an honest review.
July 12, 2018
This book started off a little slow for me. But once Shelley and Dev hit the road to go to Tidewater, it really picked up for me, and I ended up enjoying this quite a bit. Shelley is a veterinarian who is able to communicate telepathically with animals. This really comes in handy in her job, and in solving the mystery of who is stealing the rare zoo animals. The zoo keeps denying the animals are stolen, so clearly something bad is happening there.
This is the second book in the series. People and events from the first book are present, but I think you can enjoy this book on its own.
This is the second book in the series. People and events from the first book are present, but I think you can enjoy this book on its own.
August 12, 2014
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
Guarded picks up shortly after Spirited left off. Seth's partner, Dev Jones, has located Jules's missing sister Shelley - and she needs his help. Animals are going missing from a local private zoo, and she wants to find out who is behind it. For Dev, this is double good fortune; he'll help Shelley with her mystery, bring her back to Tidewater to reunite with her sister, and maybe get a chance to tell her how he's felt about her since college. But nothing's ever that easy where the Scott sisters are involved.
I'm not sure, but I think I liked this book even more than Spirited. Both main characters are very likable, even if Shelley does have a tendency to pull away anytime she feels someone getting close emotionally. There's a lot of pain in her past, leaving her really unwilling to risk being hurt again. I understood, but I was really rooting for her to get over it. On the other hand, I love her protectiveness toward the animals and her rapport with them. I've often wished I could know what the animals around me are thinking! Mary Behre put some interesting limits on Shelley's abilities: she doesn't get words when she communicates with an animal, just pictures, and only if she's looking the animal in the eye. And then there is the weirdness with dogs; they don't like to be around her at all. Behre doesn't anthropomorphize the animals, although sometimes they seem smarter or more purposeful than real animals would be (especially in the climactic scenes.)
I fell in love with Dev from the start -- from the last book, actually. He's always had feelings for Shelley years ago, but because she was dating a friend of his, he kept his distance. Now she's single, but he's still slow to make a move or let her know how he feels -- except that the attraction between them simmers constantly, heating up as they spend more time together. Their relationship isn't easy, due to Shelley's deep-seated fear of trusting anyone with her heart, but it's so clear that they're right for each other. Dev is the sort of quiet, upstanding, honorable guy that always steals my heart: protective, loving, tender, and steadfast, not a domineering alpha male but every bit as strong and masculine. (Not that different from the man I married, come to think of it!)
There are several other things I really enjoyed about the book. Behre puts us inside the killer's head without giving away who it is (other than male.) Since there were several possible candidates, I never did figure it whodunnit. It's an effective tactic in both books, and particularly in this one. The mystery and the romance seem well-balanced, too, with the tensions of one playing off the tensions of the other. The subplot involving Shelley's and Jules's reunion weaves almost seamlessly with the main mystery, as Seth and Dev are assigned to an investigation that seems connected with Shelley's small town. We get to see quite a bit more of Dev's cousins, Ian and Ryan, both ex-military types who run a private security-and-investigation firm; I'm pretty sure they'll be heroes in their own stories down the road (although one of them needs to learn a little more respect! No doubt he will.)
One character really stole my heart: a little boy named Beau. An orphan, Beau is a foster child, which gives him something in common with Shelley and her sister Jules. Beau's foster mother doesn't treat him well at all. He's a sweet little boy despite the emotional and occasionally physical abuse he has suffered, and I really wanted a happy ending for him. But by the middle of the book, I really wasn't sure where things were headed for him. Behre has killed off sympathetic characters before, and she does it again in this book (and no, I'm not telling you whom, but it made me sad.) Let's just say that Jules's ability to speak with ghosts comes in very handy once again, and there is plenty of suspense, mystery, danger, and romance to keep you turning the pages.
About my only problem with Guarded is that, as in the last book, the heroine seems to bounce back from the trauma of murder and imminent personal danger a bit too easily. (I know I would be an emotional wreck for weeks, probably months.) And in this case, so does another character. (Again, I can't say who because spoilers.) I'm not saying there are no after-effects, but they don't seem as strong or lasting as I would expect in the circumstances. And everything gets tied up very neatly at the end -- but then, I'm a sucker for a happy ending, so I really wouldn't want it any other way.
On the whole, though, I'm loving this series and can't wait for book three!
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the author. All opinions are entirely my own.
Guarded picks up shortly after Spirited left off. Seth's partner, Dev Jones, has located Jules's missing sister Shelley - and she needs his help. Animals are going missing from a local private zoo, and she wants to find out who is behind it. For Dev, this is double good fortune; he'll help Shelley with her mystery, bring her back to Tidewater to reunite with her sister, and maybe get a chance to tell her how he's felt about her since college. But nothing's ever that easy where the Scott sisters are involved.
I'm not sure, but I think I liked this book even more than Spirited. Both main characters are very likable, even if Shelley does have a tendency to pull away anytime she feels someone getting close emotionally. There's a lot of pain in her past, leaving her really unwilling to risk being hurt again. I understood, but I was really rooting for her to get over it. On the other hand, I love her protectiveness toward the animals and her rapport with them. I've often wished I could know what the animals around me are thinking! Mary Behre put some interesting limits on Shelley's abilities: she doesn't get words when she communicates with an animal, just pictures, and only if she's looking the animal in the eye. And then there is the weirdness with dogs; they don't like to be around her at all. Behre doesn't anthropomorphize the animals, although sometimes they seem smarter or more purposeful than real animals would be (especially in the climactic scenes.)
I fell in love with Dev from the start -- from the last book, actually. He's always had feelings for Shelley years ago, but because she was dating a friend of his, he kept his distance. Now she's single, but he's still slow to make a move or let her know how he feels -- except that the attraction between them simmers constantly, heating up as they spend more time together. Their relationship isn't easy, due to Shelley's deep-seated fear of trusting anyone with her heart, but it's so clear that they're right for each other. Dev is the sort of quiet, upstanding, honorable guy that always steals my heart: protective, loving, tender, and steadfast, not a domineering alpha male but every bit as strong and masculine. (Not that different from the man I married, come to think of it!)
There are several other things I really enjoyed about the book. Behre puts us inside the killer's head without giving away who it is (other than male.) Since there were several possible candidates, I never did figure it whodunnit. It's an effective tactic in both books, and particularly in this one. The mystery and the romance seem well-balanced, too, with the tensions of one playing off the tensions of the other. The subplot involving Shelley's and Jules's reunion weaves almost seamlessly with the main mystery, as Seth and Dev are assigned to an investigation that seems connected with Shelley's small town. We get to see quite a bit more of Dev's cousins, Ian and Ryan, both ex-military types who run a private security-and-investigation firm; I'm pretty sure they'll be heroes in their own stories down the road (although one of them needs to learn a little more respect! No doubt he will.)
One character really stole my heart: a little boy named Beau. An orphan, Beau is a foster child, which gives him something in common with Shelley and her sister Jules. Beau's foster mother doesn't treat him well at all. He's a sweet little boy despite the emotional and occasionally physical abuse he has suffered, and I really wanted a happy ending for him. But by the middle of the book, I really wasn't sure where things were headed for him. Behre has killed off sympathetic characters before, and she does it again in this book (and no, I'm not telling you whom, but it made me sad.) Let's just say that Jules's ability to speak with ghosts comes in very handy once again, and there is plenty of suspense, mystery, danger, and romance to keep you turning the pages.
About my only problem with Guarded is that, as in the last book, the heroine seems to bounce back from the trauma of murder and imminent personal danger a bit too easily. (I know I would be an emotional wreck for weeks, probably months.) And in this case, so does another character. (Again, I can't say who because spoilers.) I'm not saying there are no after-effects, but they don't seem as strong or lasting as I would expect in the circumstances. And everything gets tied up very neatly at the end -- but then, I'm a sucker for a happy ending, so I really wouldn't want it any other way.
On the whole, though, I'm loving this series and can't wait for book three!
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the author. All opinions are entirely my own.
February 15, 2015
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: A woman who can talk to animals is desperate to figure out who is stealing animals from the zoo. Luckily, she knows just the detective for the case…
Opening Sentence: The coffee sucked.
The Review:
Shelley is a veterinarian in the small town of Elkridge. Her gift for being able to talk to animals has helped her immensely at her job. All is not well in the town though. Animals have been disappearing from the local zoo. While excuses have been made for why this is the case, Shelley knows better due to what the animals have told her: someone is stealing the animals, and some new tiger cubs are the next target. Shelley obviously has no way of proving this, so she decides to call Dev Jones, a college friend who is now a cop.
Dev has had a crush on Shelley for as long as he can remember, so he jumps at the chance to see her again. His hopes to sweep Shelley off her feet go awry though when bodies start showing up and Shelley starts looking good as a potential suspect. Now, time is running out for them to find out who is behind everything. Will they be able to figure out who the culprit is before it’s too late?
I really wanted to like this book. I’m a huge animal lover, and I really liked the idea of a heroine who could communicate with animals. Unfortunately, that aspect of the book wasn’t enough to keep me from being disappointed. I found myself bored much of the time, as the pacing of the plot just felt off to me. I was also often annoyed by Shelley, specifically with her constant use of the word “frack” or “fracking” to replace a certain curse word. Using it one time is cute, but using it repeatedly got old real fast. Shelley’s reasoning for not wanting to get too close to Dev also didn’t ring true for me, and I just found myself rolling my eyes a lot, which is never a good sign.
The one bright spot in the book is the chemistry between Dev and Shelley. From the minute they see each other, there’s a spark, and I was just dying for them to finally get together. While it wasn’t enough to save the book for me, it definitely deserves to be mentioned.
Ultimately, I was just let down by this book. I figured out pretty early on how some parts of the plot were going to be wrapped up, and I just never felt any urgency to know what was going to happen. I like to try and read more than one book from a series before making up my mind on whether to continue, but I honestly don’t see myself picking up book 3 any time soon, if ever.
Notable Scene:
A huge, blurry mass appeared so quickly in front of him, it seemed to pop into existence from nowhere.
Blam!
It flew at his chest, knocking him to the ground. Dev’s head smacked the pavement. Tiny stars burst to vibrant multicolored life in front of his eyes.
The something was large and furry and pinning him. Still he managed to get his hand free. He reached for his sidearm, which…shit!…he’d left locked in the trunk of his car.
The damned beast burrowed its muzzle against his cheek and rumbled a deep, throaty growl.
A bear?
Cold fear slid down his neck. Or that might have been the animal’s bloodthirsty drool. He might be a city boy, but he’d heard all about bear attacks in small towns like this one. He held perfectly still, eyes closed, playing dead as he tried to get a sense of the animal’s size. If it were a bear, it wasn’t full grown. A cub, maybe? But a big one.
Relief at the thought evaporated at the next.
Where there’s a cub, there’s a mama bear somewhere. Dev couldn’t just lie there; he needed to protect his vital organs before the animal figured out he was still warm enough to chew on. He rolled onto his side and into a ball, protecting his head, face, arms, and torso.
The bear seemed to tighten its hold on him. Its breath coming hot and nose hair curling against Dev’s ear.
He was going to be eaten by a bear in the middle of this damned street while everyone in Elkridge was out to lunch.
FTC Advisory: Berkley/Penguin provided me with a copy of Guarded. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: A woman who can talk to animals is desperate to figure out who is stealing animals from the zoo. Luckily, she knows just the detective for the case…
Opening Sentence: The coffee sucked.
The Review:
Shelley is a veterinarian in the small town of Elkridge. Her gift for being able to talk to animals has helped her immensely at her job. All is not well in the town though. Animals have been disappearing from the local zoo. While excuses have been made for why this is the case, Shelley knows better due to what the animals have told her: someone is stealing the animals, and some new tiger cubs are the next target. Shelley obviously has no way of proving this, so she decides to call Dev Jones, a college friend who is now a cop.
Dev has had a crush on Shelley for as long as he can remember, so he jumps at the chance to see her again. His hopes to sweep Shelley off her feet go awry though when bodies start showing up and Shelley starts looking good as a potential suspect. Now, time is running out for them to find out who is behind everything. Will they be able to figure out who the culprit is before it’s too late?
I really wanted to like this book. I’m a huge animal lover, and I really liked the idea of a heroine who could communicate with animals. Unfortunately, that aspect of the book wasn’t enough to keep me from being disappointed. I found myself bored much of the time, as the pacing of the plot just felt off to me. I was also often annoyed by Shelley, specifically with her constant use of the word “frack” or “fracking” to replace a certain curse word. Using it one time is cute, but using it repeatedly got old real fast. Shelley’s reasoning for not wanting to get too close to Dev also didn’t ring true for me, and I just found myself rolling my eyes a lot, which is never a good sign.
The one bright spot in the book is the chemistry between Dev and Shelley. From the minute they see each other, there’s a spark, and I was just dying for them to finally get together. While it wasn’t enough to save the book for me, it definitely deserves to be mentioned.
Ultimately, I was just let down by this book. I figured out pretty early on how some parts of the plot were going to be wrapped up, and I just never felt any urgency to know what was going to happen. I like to try and read more than one book from a series before making up my mind on whether to continue, but I honestly don’t see myself picking up book 3 any time soon, if ever.
Notable Scene:
A huge, blurry mass appeared so quickly in front of him, it seemed to pop into existence from nowhere.
Blam!
It flew at his chest, knocking him to the ground. Dev’s head smacked the pavement. Tiny stars burst to vibrant multicolored life in front of his eyes.
The something was large and furry and pinning him. Still he managed to get his hand free. He reached for his sidearm, which…shit!…he’d left locked in the trunk of his car.
The damned beast burrowed its muzzle against his cheek and rumbled a deep, throaty growl.
A bear?
Cold fear slid down his neck. Or that might have been the animal’s bloodthirsty drool. He might be a city boy, but he’d heard all about bear attacks in small towns like this one. He held perfectly still, eyes closed, playing dead as he tried to get a sense of the animal’s size. If it were a bear, it wasn’t full grown. A cub, maybe? But a big one.
Relief at the thought evaporated at the next.
Where there’s a cub, there’s a mama bear somewhere. Dev couldn’t just lie there; he needed to protect his vital organs before the animal figured out he was still warm enough to chew on. He rolled onto his side and into a ball, protecting his head, face, arms, and torso.
The bear seemed to tighten its hold on him. Its breath coming hot and nose hair curling against Dev’s ear.
He was going to be eaten by a bear in the middle of this damned street while everyone in Elkridge was out to lunch.
FTC Advisory: Berkley/Penguin provided me with a copy of Guarded. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
August 15, 2014
Review at Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks http://yummymenandkickasschicks.com/?...
I liked this much better than the first book.
———-
Guarded is the second book in Mary Behre’s Tidewater series.
As per usual, I read the first book in the series, Spirited, before I read this second book. Both books start slow for me. This series is a paranormal romance series, as each book has a different couple and we do get lots of the first couple in this second book.
I liked this book much better than the first, perhaps because things were already set up as the couple was friends in college and knew each other very well before the time where this book begins. So, the romance / sex doesn’t happen too fast, since they already had a relationship.
The paranormal aspects in these books are limited. It seems to just be the psychic sister, Jules, the heroine from the first book, who can see and talk to dead people. And in this book, Shelley is a veterinarian who can understand animals. The other sister, Hannah, was only 3 when the sisters were split up into different adoptions or foster homes so
I’ll be very curious to learn her talent. Jules has been hunting for her sisters awhile.
Jules is engaged to a police detective and Devon Jones, the hero for this installment, is his partner. Once he met Jules, he was struck by how much she looks like Shelley. Just about that time, Shelley contacts Dev to help her with the mystery of animals going missing at the zoo.
The story begins with Shelley at the clinic with her intern, Jacob. I didn’t like him from the second he was introduced and actually skimmed the part about him in the first chapter. I found him boring and annoying. Shelley is trying to get her life together after her fiancé broke up with her. She came here to work towards a partnership with the veterinarian who has been having memory issues. She’s enjoying the work and the small town life and people. She just believes she shouldn’t love anyone or have children, since she has lost everyone she loves.
Devon is from a prestigious family and is a great cop. He is smart and compassionate. He was in love with Shelley in college when he was a football player and she was his tutor. But she was dating his best friend. Now that the friend is out of the picture, he is determined to develop a relationship with Shelley. He starts with helping her with the zoo mystery. Once he is in town, it isn’t just animals disappearing, it turns into people missing and found dead.
I found Shelley’s insistence to protect the animals at the zoo, even at the risk of her own and others’ safety, a little frustrating. I thought she should be smarter than that. Devon is better at recognizing the dangers and tries to protect her.
The romance was sweet and sexy, fitted in around the mystery. They make a fine couple and a good team. The story wasn’t particularly humorous, the villains not as developed as characters so their motivations are more typical but overall, Guarded was a fun, interesting read. I’m assuming the next book is about the third sister, Hannah, but no information has been released yet. I also wonder if there will ever be anyone other than these three sisters who have any abilities. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
4 stars
Books in the Tidewater series –
Spirited
Guarded
I liked this much better than the first book.
———-
Guarded is the second book in Mary Behre’s Tidewater series.
As per usual, I read the first book in the series, Spirited, before I read this second book. Both books start slow for me. This series is a paranormal romance series, as each book has a different couple and we do get lots of the first couple in this second book.
I liked this book much better than the first, perhaps because things were already set up as the couple was friends in college and knew each other very well before the time where this book begins. So, the romance / sex doesn’t happen too fast, since they already had a relationship.
The paranormal aspects in these books are limited. It seems to just be the psychic sister, Jules, the heroine from the first book, who can see and talk to dead people. And in this book, Shelley is a veterinarian who can understand animals. The other sister, Hannah, was only 3 when the sisters were split up into different adoptions or foster homes so
I’ll be very curious to learn her talent. Jules has been hunting for her sisters awhile.
Jules is engaged to a police detective and Devon Jones, the hero for this installment, is his partner. Once he met Jules, he was struck by how much she looks like Shelley. Just about that time, Shelley contacts Dev to help her with the mystery of animals going missing at the zoo.
The story begins with Shelley at the clinic with her intern, Jacob. I didn’t like him from the second he was introduced and actually skimmed the part about him in the first chapter. I found him boring and annoying. Shelley is trying to get her life together after her fiancé broke up with her. She came here to work towards a partnership with the veterinarian who has been having memory issues. She’s enjoying the work and the small town life and people. She just believes she shouldn’t love anyone or have children, since she has lost everyone she loves.
Devon is from a prestigious family and is a great cop. He is smart and compassionate. He was in love with Shelley in college when he was a football player and she was his tutor. But she was dating his best friend. Now that the friend is out of the picture, he is determined to develop a relationship with Shelley. He starts with helping her with the zoo mystery. Once he is in town, it isn’t just animals disappearing, it turns into people missing and found dead.
I found Shelley’s insistence to protect the animals at the zoo, even at the risk of her own and others’ safety, a little frustrating. I thought she should be smarter than that. Devon is better at recognizing the dangers and tries to protect her.
The romance was sweet and sexy, fitted in around the mystery. They make a fine couple and a good team. The story wasn’t particularly humorous, the villains not as developed as characters so their motivations are more typical but overall, Guarded was a fun, interesting read. I’m assuming the next book is about the third sister, Hannah, but no information has been released yet. I also wonder if there will ever be anyone other than these three sisters who have any abilities. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
4 stars
Books in the Tidewater series –
Spirited
Guarded
September 6, 2014
Review posted on Got Fiction?
I really enjoyed Spirited, but for me, Guarded didn’t quite measure up.
I think my biggest problem was the heroine. Shelley is a veterinarian, and she can actually communicate with animals a la Dr. Doolittle. I liked this, and I thought that it was a neat “crift” (curse/gift). In the first Tidewater book, Jules can communicate with ghosts.
I liked the idea of this book, but unfortunately the story stalled for me.
Basically Shelley took a small-town vet job because she was promised to be able to care for the zoo’s big cats (her specialty). But it was a privately owned dump of a zoo that had animals going missing-from small time lizards to the baby white tigers, but no one seemed to care, or to be willing to admit it.
Shelley emails a friend to come help her investigate. Since he’s a detective, she’s certain that he’ll help her find the missing animals in no time.
Dev has been in love with Shelley since college, and he’s so excited to come to see her, especially since he comes bearing news that he’s found one of her missing sisters. (Jules from Spirited).
But Shelley was dating his roommate and turns out that guy was a jerk. Also turns out he lied to Shelley about all kinds of things. I really felt that this was pointless. Like really.
So back to what bugged me.
2 main things. Shelley was frustrating. Her whole deal is that she’s afraid of getting too close to anyone. Everyone she’s ever loved has left her (by left I mean died or been taken from her). So she has commitment issues, but this makes no sense to me seeing as she was engaged to her ex. Plus, I really had a hard time thinking she wouldn’t want to see her sister. I didn’t feel like the reasoning was good enough.
The other thing was that so many things could have been cleared up sooner. Dev came to see Shelley mainly to help with the animals, but Shelley kept putting off telling him. And he kept putting off telling her about her sister. I mean it seemed that the reasons were cut and dry, and yet they were dragged out. even the missing thumb drive, the headache “from wine,” the mysterious visitor the night before, her wiped hard drive…see where I”m going with this?
The bad guy-yeah that wasn’t well done. I’m all for a surprise he was right under your nose type of bad guy, but none of the reasons for him to hold a grudge were even hinted at until the very end. It was weird.
On the whole, the book was okay, but I really hope the next one is better, because I like the overall series arc and I like the writing.
***ARC courtesy of Berkley
I really enjoyed Spirited, but for me, Guarded didn’t quite measure up.
I think my biggest problem was the heroine. Shelley is a veterinarian, and she can actually communicate with animals a la Dr. Doolittle. I liked this, and I thought that it was a neat “crift” (curse/gift). In the first Tidewater book, Jules can communicate with ghosts.
I liked the idea of this book, but unfortunately the story stalled for me.
Basically Shelley took a small-town vet job because she was promised to be able to care for the zoo’s big cats (her specialty). But it was a privately owned dump of a zoo that had animals going missing-from small time lizards to the baby white tigers, but no one seemed to care, or to be willing to admit it.
Shelley emails a friend to come help her investigate. Since he’s a detective, she’s certain that he’ll help her find the missing animals in no time.
Dev has been in love with Shelley since college, and he’s so excited to come to see her, especially since he comes bearing news that he’s found one of her missing sisters. (Jules from Spirited).
But Shelley was dating his roommate and turns out that guy was a jerk. Also turns out he lied to Shelley about all kinds of things. I really felt that this was pointless. Like really.
So back to what bugged me.
2 main things. Shelley was frustrating. Her whole deal is that she’s afraid of getting too close to anyone. Everyone she’s ever loved has left her (by left I mean died or been taken from her). So she has commitment issues, but this makes no sense to me seeing as she was engaged to her ex. Plus, I really had a hard time thinking she wouldn’t want to see her sister. I didn’t feel like the reasoning was good enough.
The other thing was that so many things could have been cleared up sooner. Dev came to see Shelley mainly to help with the animals, but Shelley kept putting off telling him. And he kept putting off telling her about her sister. I mean it seemed that the reasons were cut and dry, and yet they were dragged out. even the missing thumb drive, the headache “from wine,” the mysterious visitor the night before, her wiped hard drive…see where I”m going with this?
The bad guy-yeah that wasn’t well done. I’m all for a surprise he was right under your nose type of bad guy, but none of the reasons for him to hold a grudge were even hinted at until the very end. It was weird.
On the whole, the book was okay, but I really hope the next one is better, because I like the overall series arc and I like the writing.
***ARC courtesy of Berkley
August 5, 2014
I was excited to step back into the Tidewater series by Mary Behre and in Guarded, we get to meet Jules Scott’s sister, veterinarian Shelley Morgan and learn more about Seth’s yummy partner Dev Jones. Guarded was action packed, with the perfect balance of woo-woo, suspense and romance.
Caffeinated Dates with Guarded:
First Date: Detective Dev Jones, is Seth English’s partner, and when he realizes, Shelley is the same girl he had a crush on in college he offers to locate her. Imagine his surprise when Shelley contacts him asking for help in tracking down an exotic animal thief. Shelly has a grift (a gift or curse, depending on how you look at it) just like Jules. Call her Dr. Doolittle because she can talk to the animals, well except for dogs whom for some reason loathe her and want to attack! Loved how Dev and Shelley reunite, there is humor, and I love how they kept misreading each other’s signals. I quickly slipped into their story and was hooked.
Second date: Behre has a clever little mystery going on here, and it looks like there is a lot more going on than missing animals. Dev is called back to Tidewater when he and Seth snag a big case. Shelley reluctantly tags along to meet her sister Jules. Behre weaves in humor and family bonding between investigative moments and smooches making the tale well rounded. Shelley got on my nerves a little in her one-track mindedness, but I also love how she imitated things in the sexy department. Cannot fault a girl for going after what she wants.
Third date: Uh-oh clues are pointing to Shelley as the killer, and Dev needs to trust his instincts but protect his badge. The question is can he do both. The Tidewater case and missing animal case weave together and were well crafted. The romance built slowly until this point and then ooh-la-la. Yeah, professions of love may have been made but it did not feel insta-lovey since these two have a shared history. I love how Behre heats up the investigation and even reveals why the doggie population has an issue with Shelley.
I ended my dates with Guarded satisfied with the second installment of the Tidewater series. Behre does an excellent job of balances the paranormal, suspense and romance making this reader grin. While these novels will delightfully work as standalone why miss the fun? Read them in order!
Copy received from publisher in exchange for unbiased review.This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer
Caffeinated Dates with Guarded:
First Date: Detective Dev Jones, is Seth English’s partner, and when he realizes, Shelley is the same girl he had a crush on in college he offers to locate her. Imagine his surprise when Shelley contacts him asking for help in tracking down an exotic animal thief. Shelly has a grift (a gift or curse, depending on how you look at it) just like Jules. Call her Dr. Doolittle because she can talk to the animals, well except for dogs whom for some reason loathe her and want to attack! Loved how Dev and Shelley reunite, there is humor, and I love how they kept misreading each other’s signals. I quickly slipped into their story and was hooked.
Second date: Behre has a clever little mystery going on here, and it looks like there is a lot more going on than missing animals. Dev is called back to Tidewater when he and Seth snag a big case. Shelley reluctantly tags along to meet her sister Jules. Behre weaves in humor and family bonding between investigative moments and smooches making the tale well rounded. Shelley got on my nerves a little in her one-track mindedness, but I also love how she imitated things in the sexy department. Cannot fault a girl for going after what she wants.
Third date: Uh-oh clues are pointing to Shelley as the killer, and Dev needs to trust his instincts but protect his badge. The question is can he do both. The Tidewater case and missing animal case weave together and were well crafted. The romance built slowly until this point and then ooh-la-la. Yeah, professions of love may have been made but it did not feel insta-lovey since these two have a shared history. I love how Behre heats up the investigation and even reveals why the doggie population has an issue with Shelley.
I ended my dates with Guarded satisfied with the second installment of the Tidewater series. Behre does an excellent job of balances the paranormal, suspense and romance making this reader grin. While these novels will delightfully work as standalone why miss the fun? Read them in order!
Copy received from publisher in exchange for unbiased review.This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer
August 4, 2014
4.5 stars - My review cross-posted from Wit and Sin: http://witandsin.blogspot.com/2014/08...
Guarded is a stellar romantic thriller! Mary Behre’s second Tidewater novel was so engaging that I didn’t want to put it down for a moment.
Shelley is a veterinarian gifted with the ability to communicate with animals. A blessing for her, since she’s been left time and again by the people she’s loved and now only lets animals into her heart. But when Shelley learns that someone has been kidnapping animals from the local zoo, she digs into her past and contacts Dev Jones. Dev has always been in the friend zone where Shelley is concerned, but all that changes when they meet again. It’s easy to like both Shelley and Dev; they both have big hearts and are protective by nature. Their past history paves the way for a smooth friends-to-lovers transition and the ensuing romantic storyline was wonderful to watch unfold. Their biggest problem is Shelley’s unwillingness to trust others to stay, but Ms. Behre does an excellent job of showing exactly why Shelley is so wary.
The mystery of who is kidnapping wild animals and why adds intrigue to Guarded . I loved the twists and turns the story took, and I eagerly followed Shelley and Dev as they unraveled the mystery. With numerous lives on the line, multiple suspects, and a killer who’s setting Shelley up to take the fall, there’s ample danger to be found in Guarded . Shelley does have a propensity for jumping into dangerous situations without thinking things all the way through – something that detracted from the story a touch – but aside from that I pretty much loved everything about this book.
Some books are simply a joy to read, and Guarded was such a story for me. Mary Behre is definitely a romantic suspense author to watch, and I can’t wait to go back and read the first Tidewater novel, Spirited.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Guarded is a stellar romantic thriller! Mary Behre’s second Tidewater novel was so engaging that I didn’t want to put it down for a moment.
Shelley is a veterinarian gifted with the ability to communicate with animals. A blessing for her, since she’s been left time and again by the people she’s loved and now only lets animals into her heart. But when Shelley learns that someone has been kidnapping animals from the local zoo, she digs into her past and contacts Dev Jones. Dev has always been in the friend zone where Shelley is concerned, but all that changes when they meet again. It’s easy to like both Shelley and Dev; they both have big hearts and are protective by nature. Their past history paves the way for a smooth friends-to-lovers transition and the ensuing romantic storyline was wonderful to watch unfold. Their biggest problem is Shelley’s unwillingness to trust others to stay, but Ms. Behre does an excellent job of showing exactly why Shelley is so wary.
The mystery of who is kidnapping wild animals and why adds intrigue to Guarded . I loved the twists and turns the story took, and I eagerly followed Shelley and Dev as they unraveled the mystery. With numerous lives on the line, multiple suspects, and a killer who’s setting Shelley up to take the fall, there’s ample danger to be found in Guarded . Shelley does have a propensity for jumping into dangerous situations without thinking things all the way through – something that detracted from the story a touch – but aside from that I pretty much loved everything about this book.
Some books are simply a joy to read, and Guarded was such a story for me. Mary Behre is definitely a romantic suspense author to watch, and I can’t wait to go back and read the first Tidewater novel, Spirited.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
July 31, 2014
Danger and passion explode in this thrilling paranormal romantic suspense. Because Shelley Morgan can communicate with animals she knows that there is something more to the disappearances at the local zoo than everyone thinks, so she reaches out to a friend from the past, Detective Dev Jones. Dev has been looking for Shelley so he’s eager to reconnect, but the thefts escalates to murders and the evidence points to Shelley and he’ll have to make a devastating choice…forsake his career or risk losing the woman he loves.
This steady to fast paced and smooth flowing plot keeps readers on the edge with suspense, action and romance. The author brings the story to life with well written scenes and details that inspire vivid images and capture the imagination and the well orchestrated suspense and drama draw the reader deeper into the series. The strong compelling characters intrigue and invite the reader to help them solve the case.
The attraction between Shelley and Dev burns up the pages and the relationship builds slowly but surely to a gratifying HEA. The reader can’t help but get caught up in Shelley’s story as the young woman has such a giving and loyal heart even though there is a lot of emotional trauma from the past and her ability to talk to the animals add lots of spice to the story.
The excitement and suspense builds throughout the story and the more the reader learns the more intrigued they get and the author surprises the readers with a few twists and turns that they don’t see coming. The suspense of the siblings reconnecting with each other also captures the heart and ensures that the reader wants to know more. Personally, so far I have found this to be an enjoyable and entertaining series and I can’t wait to read Hannah’s story. By the way, the story can be read without reading the first, but this one does reference the first one and well the story will have a stronger impact if you have read the first one.
- Eva
This steady to fast paced and smooth flowing plot keeps readers on the edge with suspense, action and romance. The author brings the story to life with well written scenes and details that inspire vivid images and capture the imagination and the well orchestrated suspense and drama draw the reader deeper into the series. The strong compelling characters intrigue and invite the reader to help them solve the case.
The attraction between Shelley and Dev burns up the pages and the relationship builds slowly but surely to a gratifying HEA. The reader can’t help but get caught up in Shelley’s story as the young woman has such a giving and loyal heart even though there is a lot of emotional trauma from the past and her ability to talk to the animals add lots of spice to the story.
The excitement and suspense builds throughout the story and the more the reader learns the more intrigued they get and the author surprises the readers with a few twists and turns that they don’t see coming. The suspense of the siblings reconnecting with each other also captures the heart and ensures that the reader wants to know more. Personally, so far I have found this to be an enjoyable and entertaining series and I can’t wait to read Hannah’s story. By the way, the story can be read without reading the first, but this one does reference the first one and well the story will have a stronger impact if you have read the first one.
- Eva
August 9, 2014
This series is a perfect mix of paranormal, suspense and romance along with the reuniting of 3 sisters that were separated when they were young and in foster care.
Jules, who was in the first book, can see and talk to dead people, Shelley, who is the lead in this book, is a vet and able to communicate with animals and Hannah, we haven’t been told yet of what she can do.
As with the first book the heroine manages to get herself in the middle of a murder mystery that also involved animals from a zoo going missing. The hero in this one is Dev Jones who is a detective with the Tidewater Police Department who played a large secondary role in the first book. We as the readers knew he had some connection with Shelley from the past and had figured out she was the one of the sisters Jules had been looking for years. Dev is a large burley man but he has such a sweet disposition you couldn’t help but fall in love with him the moment you met him.
Even though the suspense parts of the books are somewhat dark the majority of the books are lighthearted and humorous. Shelley’s insecurities about everyone in her life either dying or leaving her was a bit over done at times but overall I really liked the story and loved her and Dev together.
Still don’t know much at all about the 3rd sister but I’m looking forward to meeting her in the next book and for all 3 of the sisters to be finally reunited.
Jules, who was in the first book, can see and talk to dead people, Shelley, who is the lead in this book, is a vet and able to communicate with animals and Hannah, we haven’t been told yet of what she can do.
As with the first book the heroine manages to get herself in the middle of a murder mystery that also involved animals from a zoo going missing. The hero in this one is Dev Jones who is a detective with the Tidewater Police Department who played a large secondary role in the first book. We as the readers knew he had some connection with Shelley from the past and had figured out she was the one of the sisters Jules had been looking for years. Dev is a large burley man but he has such a sweet disposition you couldn’t help but fall in love with him the moment you met him.
Even though the suspense parts of the books are somewhat dark the majority of the books are lighthearted and humorous. Shelley’s insecurities about everyone in her life either dying or leaving her was a bit over done at times but overall I really liked the story and loved her and Dev together.
Still don’t know much at all about the 3rd sister but I’m looking forward to meeting her in the next book and for all 3 of the sisters to be finally reunited.
August 13, 2014
3.5 stars
Why you should read it: This is the second Tidewater book, and it's a great series (so pick it up!). I do recommend reading the first (it centers on Shelley's sister Jules), because we really get a feel for the girls' "crifts." I love that Shelley can talk to animals, and Dev … yum! I have to say this book is more suspense with a large dollop of romance rather than the other way around, but the suspense is done very well. What I love is that Mary has dipped her toe into multiple genres and weaved them together. Fans of the paranormal will love this, of mysteries, of romance, and of chick lit.
Head over to the HEA blog to see what Mary is working on now and her favorite line from Guarded
http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyev...
Why you should read it: This is the second Tidewater book, and it's a great series (so pick it up!). I do recommend reading the first (it centers on Shelley's sister Jules), because we really get a feel for the girls' "crifts." I love that Shelley can talk to animals, and Dev … yum! I have to say this book is more suspense with a large dollop of romance rather than the other way around, but the suspense is done very well. What I love is that Mary has dipped her toe into multiple genres and weaved them together. Fans of the paranormal will love this, of mysteries, of romance, and of chick lit.
Head over to the HEA blog to see what Mary is working on now and her favorite line from Guarded
http://www.usatoday.com/story/happyev...
August 11, 2014
Here are my impressions: Good follow up to the previous novel, Spirited. Guarded was interesting. Loved Dev from the previous book and loved watching him and Shelly dance around. Shelly's insistence on keeping walls and being alone but wanting Dev was a bit overdone, but still ended well. Series seems to be a little more lighthearted, lots of suspense and drama but more weighted in romance as well. Some what gritty chick-lit, very enjoyable to wind an afternoon away.
Please click on the link for the full review to be posted at That's What I'm Talking About blog: http://twimom227.com/2014/08/review-g...
Please click on the link for the full review to be posted at That's What I'm Talking About blog: http://twimom227.com/2014/08/review-g...
January 29, 2020
The first book of the series was enjoyable. However, I found this one to be quite a bit better. It seems the author is finding her voice. I enjoyed the romance of Dev and Shelley. Her "Dr. Doolittle" gift was interesting and fun. Lucy the ferret made me smile. The whodunit portion of the book actually surprised me. The only problem I had was getting a picture of Dev in my head. I like to have a pic in my mind of the characters, but I just couldn't figure out Dev....part Haitian with blond hair. Does anyone have a suggestion as to who they think Dev may look like?
On to the novella, then the next full length book of the series. Any chance that Iain will get a book? Please?
On to the novella, then the next full length book of the series. Any chance that Iain will get a book? Please?
October 18, 2014
Guarded is a great title for a unique story. Once again, Mary Behre blends mystery, humor and romance in a story that is as much about family, place and opening up as it is about a deepening relationship between two people who deserve a happy ending. I especially enjoyed the heroine's gift of being able to telepathically connect with animals--her exasperated exchange of psychic images with her naughty but protective ferret are a joy. The twists and turns will delight those who savor mystery and the love story is hot, hot, hot. A truly memorable and delightful read.
December 27, 2017
Though I did greatly enjoy the first book in the series, I liked Guarded even more. Dev, the love interest, didn't give off as much of a macho vibe as Seth, and he didn't give Shelley, our female MC, any presumptuous nicknames like Seth did with Jules. I also thought that the romance built much more naturally in this book, where the situations that brought Jules and Seth into contact felt very contrived.
Much like the first book, the mystery of this one was good and I didn't foresee the ending (though in all fairness, I don't think the author really gave us enough information to figure it out in advance to being told). I did think it was kind of strange that Dev seemed to have very little inner conflict about whether or not to handle things by the book when Shelley ended up involved in the crime; that being said, different people would handle that situation with varying degrees of hesitance, so I suppose this could be realistic.
One complaint that I had was that, even though several scenes take place in Shelley's veterinary clinic, no real veterinary medicine happens on screen at all. The book never pretends to be any kind of medical drama, but I felt like Jules did several florist-y things in her book, and as a vet student myself, I was excited to see veterinary medicine in a novel. The fact that I didn't disappointed me, and probably only me.
Aside from that, my only real complaints were minor inconsistencies or other brief, strange moments. One that particularly sticks out to me is at the very beginning of the book, where the main character, who has the ability to communicate with animals, recalls that she hadn't communicated with a dog since the day her childhood one died. Immediately afterward, she communicates with a dog with no problems. Later, it was mentioned conveniently that this dog was the only one who didn't seem to have a problem with communicating with her, but I thought that should have been mentioned from the getgo. Also, no reason was ever given for that one individual dog to communicate with her when no other ones did. After his role in the opening of the story, I don't remember him ever coming up again.
In general, though, this book was very enjoyable and I definitely intend to get my hands on the third one eventually and find out how the sisters' story ends.
Much like the first book, the mystery of this one was good and I didn't foresee the ending (though in all fairness, I don't think the author really gave us enough information to figure it out in advance to being told). I did think it was kind of strange that Dev seemed to have very little inner conflict about whether or not to handle things by the book when Shelley ended up involved in the crime; that being said, different people would handle that situation with varying degrees of hesitance, so I suppose this could be realistic.
One complaint that I had was that, even though several scenes take place in Shelley's veterinary clinic, no real veterinary medicine happens on screen at all. The book never pretends to be any kind of medical drama, but I felt like Jules did several florist-y things in her book, and as a vet student myself, I was excited to see veterinary medicine in a novel. The fact that I didn't disappointed me, and probably only me.
Aside from that, my only real complaints were minor inconsistencies or other brief, strange moments. One that particularly sticks out to me is at the very beginning of the book, where the main character, who has the ability to communicate with animals, recalls that she hadn't communicated with a dog since the day her childhood one died. Immediately afterward, she communicates with a dog with no problems. Later, it was mentioned conveniently that this dog was the only one who didn't seem to have a problem with communicating with her, but I thought that should have been mentioned from the getgo. Also, no reason was ever given for that one individual dog to communicate with her when no other ones did. After his role in the opening of the story, I don't remember him ever coming up again.
In general, though, this book was very enjoyable and I definitely intend to get my hands on the third one eventually and find out how the sisters' story ends.
July 26, 2022
Fair to Middling
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, I found Shelly for the first half of the book to be brainless. Yes, the gift she had would be so cool, but the way she was with Dev at first, at the zoo and afterwards was less than inspiring. It took until three quarters of this book was read for it to really start to become interesting and enjoyable to read. I don’t believe this one to be typical of Mary Behre.
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, I found Shelly for the first half of the book to be brainless. Yes, the gift she had would be so cool, but the way she was with Dev at first, at the zoo and afterwards was less than inspiring. It took until three quarters of this book was read for it to really start to become interesting and enjoyable to read. I don’t believe this one to be typical of Mary Behre.
July 30, 2018
I liked getting to know Dev and Shelly. Shelly was a little wishy-washy for me, but I enjoyed the story. Worth the read. Good series
August 10, 2019
Tearjerker
October 5, 2022
A telepathic vet with poor management skills. That's enough for me to set it back on the shelf for library returns.
August 19, 2014
http://openbooksociety.com/article/gu...
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jerjen
Guarded by Mary Behre is a combination of a love story, a mystery, family drama, humor, and animals with paranormal thrown in. All of these aspects are perfectly blended together to create a really great book.
Dr. Shelley Morgan is a veterinarian in a small town clinic/ animal spa. She also has the ability to communicate with animals. If she looks an animal in the eye she can get a telepathic connection. Visions of past activities and scenes flash through her mind that she must decipher to know what the animal is telling her. The only animal that this doesn’t work with are dogs. Most times dogs will try to attack her or run away from her. Shelley doesn’t know why this is but at the end of the book she finds out the reason.
She has a serious problem, the local zoo is losing exotic animals. Shelley is sure that someone is stealing them from the zoo. The latest victims are tiger cubs. She asks her college friend, Dev to come and help her to investigate the thefts. Dev is a police detective who has his own reasons to go and help Shelley. One reason is that he’s been in love with her since college. Another reason is that he’s found her long lost sister.
Shelley has two sisters who were all placed in foster homes when their parents died. Her and her sister were separated when they were younger and they haven’t seen each other in years. Dev has found Shelley’s older sister and he wants to take her so they can meet. He doesn’t know how Shelley will take the news, but he’s promised to unite them.
There are a couple of mysteries carried on throughout the book. One is who is stealing the zoo animals. The other is who killed the person found in Shelley’s trunk of her car. The mysteries are woven throughout the entire book and I didn’t figure out the culprit until it was revealed at the end. The ending is very plausible and made sense and is well thought out.
Shelley is a strong independent woman but she fears abandonment. Everyone she’s ever cared about has died or left her. Her biological parents, her adoptive parents, her two sisters and even her ex-boyfriend. She is afraid to become too attached so she builds emotional walls to protect herself. She also runs away from others before they can leave her. Will she run away from her sister and from Dev?
The characters are well developed, well rounded and realistic. They display traits that we all have, such as jealousy, fear and longing. It was easy to care what happens to them and be worried when things don’t go right. I could see myself hanging out with them when they’re not solving mysteries.
There were plenty of animals in this book, which I really enjoyed. Many animals from the clinic (dogs and hamsters), many animals from the zoo (tigers and monkeys) and one feisty ferret. Lucy is Shelley’s pet ferret and she is very protective of her. She attacks Dev more than once because she doesn’t want Shelley to be hurt by him. Her attacks make for some funny moments.
My favorite part of the book is the paranormal aspect of Shelley being able to communicate with the animals. I love light paranormal books and I think that her animal communication is a vital part of the book. I think it made this book stand apart from other mystery books.
The writing style flows easily and the book is an easy ready. The author is very descriptive when writing about the zoo, the animals, the love scenes, and the characters. I felt like I was pulled into the story and was witnessing things first hand.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery and those who enjoy paranormal books. I would also recommend it to those who enjoy books with animals and love stories. I think this book is more appropriate for an adult reader rather than a young adult due to the descriptive writing of the love scenes. I have not read any other books by this author but I’ve already picked up the first book in the Tidewater series.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jerjen
Guarded by Mary Behre is a combination of a love story, a mystery, family drama, humor, and animals with paranormal thrown in. All of these aspects are perfectly blended together to create a really great book.
Dr. Shelley Morgan is a veterinarian in a small town clinic/ animal spa. She also has the ability to communicate with animals. If she looks an animal in the eye she can get a telepathic connection. Visions of past activities and scenes flash through her mind that she must decipher to know what the animal is telling her. The only animal that this doesn’t work with are dogs. Most times dogs will try to attack her or run away from her. Shelley doesn’t know why this is but at the end of the book she finds out the reason.
She has a serious problem, the local zoo is losing exotic animals. Shelley is sure that someone is stealing them from the zoo. The latest victims are tiger cubs. She asks her college friend, Dev to come and help her to investigate the thefts. Dev is a police detective who has his own reasons to go and help Shelley. One reason is that he’s been in love with her since college. Another reason is that he’s found her long lost sister.
Shelley has two sisters who were all placed in foster homes when their parents died. Her and her sister were separated when they were younger and they haven’t seen each other in years. Dev has found Shelley’s older sister and he wants to take her so they can meet. He doesn’t know how Shelley will take the news, but he’s promised to unite them.
There are a couple of mysteries carried on throughout the book. One is who is stealing the zoo animals. The other is who killed the person found in Shelley’s trunk of her car. The mysteries are woven throughout the entire book and I didn’t figure out the culprit until it was revealed at the end. The ending is very plausible and made sense and is well thought out.
Shelley is a strong independent woman but she fears abandonment. Everyone she’s ever cared about has died or left her. Her biological parents, her adoptive parents, her two sisters and even her ex-boyfriend. She is afraid to become too attached so she builds emotional walls to protect herself. She also runs away from others before they can leave her. Will she run away from her sister and from Dev?
The characters are well developed, well rounded and realistic. They display traits that we all have, such as jealousy, fear and longing. It was easy to care what happens to them and be worried when things don’t go right. I could see myself hanging out with them when they’re not solving mysteries.
There were plenty of animals in this book, which I really enjoyed. Many animals from the clinic (dogs and hamsters), many animals from the zoo (tigers and monkeys) and one feisty ferret. Lucy is Shelley’s pet ferret and she is very protective of her. She attacks Dev more than once because she doesn’t want Shelley to be hurt by him. Her attacks make for some funny moments.
My favorite part of the book is the paranormal aspect of Shelley being able to communicate with the animals. I love light paranormal books and I think that her animal communication is a vital part of the book. I think it made this book stand apart from other mystery books.
The writing style flows easily and the book is an easy ready. The author is very descriptive when writing about the zoo, the animals, the love scenes, and the characters. I felt like I was pulled into the story and was witnessing things first hand.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery and those who enjoy paranormal books. I would also recommend it to those who enjoy books with animals and love stories. I think this book is more appropriate for an adult reader rather than a young adult due to the descriptive writing of the love scenes. I have not read any other books by this author but I’ve already picked up the first book in the Tidewater series.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
August 19, 2014
Guarded is the second book in the Tidewater series by Mary Behre. This series focuses on three sisters separated after the death of their parents. Each girl with a special supernatural gift/curse. Behre combines the paranormal with romantic suspense and a touch of humor to give readers a unique reading experience. With fast paced action and plenty of passion in and out of the bedroom, Guarded is an excellent addition to the series.
What I liked:
After reading Spirited, the first book in the Tidewater series, I was excited when Guarded came along. In Spirited readers got their first taste of three sisters that drive the series. Jules coined the phrase 'crift' when describing her supernatural give/curse of being able to communicate with the dead. Now in Guarded readers get to learn about another one of the lost sisters, Shelley, who is a veterinarian with the ability to communicate with animals. One of the things that I find intriguing about this series, is the originality of the idea behind it. Readers who have been reading paranormal books for awhile have probably seen 'ghost' and 'animal' whisperers before, but not quite in this manner. Having three separated sisters who are trying to find each other, and who can combine their gifts and use them together is something new and different. I think Behre is really on to something here.
I actually liked several things about Guarded a little more than I did Spirited. I liked the idea of the heroine being able to talk and understand the animals around her. I am an advocate for animal rights and fair treatment and I felt that Behre actually used this story as a platform for causes dealing with animals, whether she meant to or not. Shelley had such a great heart for the animals she worked with and it made her a believable and endearing character.
Dev was a great hero. I enjoyed reading about him a lot. He just seemed like such a good guy. Big hearted and built like a bear. He had connected with Shelley in the past and wanted to help re-unite her with her sister, as well as, solve the mystery surrounding the theft of the zoo animals. The more the clues pointed toward Shelley, the more I felt like he was determined to see the good in her and knew that she could not be the culprit. I loved his faith in her and his romantic and loving way of dealing with her.
There is quite a bit of romance in this book and some hot love scenes, for sure. But Behre really knows how to write suspense. The action starts out slow and starts to build until it is almost at a frenzied pace at the end and readers will find it hard to put down even to eat or sleep. It has some very intense scenes, tempered with moments of levity, like the meeting of the two sisters after so long. It was a good balance, but did lean a little toward the suspenseful side to drive the story.
What I didn't like:
Toward the end, as the mystery started to wind up, things got a bit chaotic. I understood the need to wrap things up, but it seemed like there was an inordinate amount of changing directions and dead ends, and backtracking and all of that. It got a little confusing right before the big reveal at the end. I also has a few issues with Shelley's inability to let the people around into her heart. I was glad when she finally started to drop the walls, it just should have been a little sooner.
Bottom Line:
Guarded is a great addition to the Tidewater series. I can't wait to read Hannah, the final lost sisters, story. I think Behre did a great job of writing a book that incorporated the paranormal and romantic suspense into it seamlessly. The story was tilted toward the suspenseful side, but that didn't seem to take anything away from my enjoyment of it. Shelley was a good heroine, with a great 'crift' and readers are sure to love her.
What I liked:
After reading Spirited, the first book in the Tidewater series, I was excited when Guarded came along. In Spirited readers got their first taste of three sisters that drive the series. Jules coined the phrase 'crift' when describing her supernatural give/curse of being able to communicate with the dead. Now in Guarded readers get to learn about another one of the lost sisters, Shelley, who is a veterinarian with the ability to communicate with animals. One of the things that I find intriguing about this series, is the originality of the idea behind it. Readers who have been reading paranormal books for awhile have probably seen 'ghost' and 'animal' whisperers before, but not quite in this manner. Having three separated sisters who are trying to find each other, and who can combine their gifts and use them together is something new and different. I think Behre is really on to something here.
I actually liked several things about Guarded a little more than I did Spirited. I liked the idea of the heroine being able to talk and understand the animals around her. I am an advocate for animal rights and fair treatment and I felt that Behre actually used this story as a platform for causes dealing with animals, whether she meant to or not. Shelley had such a great heart for the animals she worked with and it made her a believable and endearing character.
Dev was a great hero. I enjoyed reading about him a lot. He just seemed like such a good guy. Big hearted and built like a bear. He had connected with Shelley in the past and wanted to help re-unite her with her sister, as well as, solve the mystery surrounding the theft of the zoo animals. The more the clues pointed toward Shelley, the more I felt like he was determined to see the good in her and knew that she could not be the culprit. I loved his faith in her and his romantic and loving way of dealing with her.
There is quite a bit of romance in this book and some hot love scenes, for sure. But Behre really knows how to write suspense. The action starts out slow and starts to build until it is almost at a frenzied pace at the end and readers will find it hard to put down even to eat or sleep. It has some very intense scenes, tempered with moments of levity, like the meeting of the two sisters after so long. It was a good balance, but did lean a little toward the suspenseful side to drive the story.
What I didn't like:
Toward the end, as the mystery started to wind up, things got a bit chaotic. I understood the need to wrap things up, but it seemed like there was an inordinate amount of changing directions and dead ends, and backtracking and all of that. It got a little confusing right before the big reveal at the end. I also has a few issues with Shelley's inability to let the people around into her heart. I was glad when she finally started to drop the walls, it just should have been a little sooner.
Bottom Line:
Guarded is a great addition to the Tidewater series. I can't wait to read Hannah, the final lost sisters, story. I think Behre did a great job of writing a book that incorporated the paranormal and romantic suspense into it seamlessly. The story was tilted toward the suspenseful side, but that didn't seem to take anything away from my enjoyment of it. Shelley was a good heroine, with a great 'crift' and readers are sure to love her.
August 5, 2014
Guarded is the second novel in the Tidewater series and it's a remarkable undertaking. These books straddle numerous genres with a nod to the paranormal whilst adding both suspense and even humour! If you enjoy solving a mystery and trying to work out " whodunit " then this book will be a delight. Add some hot law enforcement , a ghost or two and ever present danger and it's a book to keep the reader eager to turn the pages.
Once upon a time there were three sisters and each one had a unique talent that could be seen as either a gift or a curse. These girls chose to call it their " crift" but nothing could save them from tragedy. The loss of their parents changed their lives and these three young girls were separated and destined to lose the only family they had left. Now grown up they still hope that one day Lady Luck will smile on them and they will find each other.
Shelley has trained hard in her life and now she's doing what she's always wanted, she's a veterinarian but her life is far from perfect. Shelley has the ability to communicate with animals but she's no modern Dr Doolittle! It's a talent that should make her work easier but something strange is going on. Animals are going missing from the local zoo and Shelley is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and her solution is to call her old friend Dev who is now a police detective.
Dev met Shelley in college and always knew that he was attracted to her but Shelley and his friend were an item so he never made his move. Now she's asking for his help and he has no intention of passing up the chance to get reacquainted with her but something just doesn't add up. When Dev and Shelley start investigating they open up a can of worms that brings danger to Shelley's door . The possibility of black market animal trading is just the tip of the iceberg and pretty soon a deranged killer starts closing in!
This author writes such fun stories. It's filled with enough romance to please those who enjoy that aspect of a tale but has the addition of suspense and mystery. I loved trying to work out just who, what and why but thought the first half of this book was a little slow . Lots of humour and setting of the scene but it didn't pull me in quite as quickly as I'd hoped.The second half certainly makes up for it though as it's fast paced and just gathers momentum at break neck speed! The "crift" that Shelley has of communicating with animals was very well explained and I could picture in my imagination very easily what was happening but it's a bit of a strange one ! The author never explains just why these characters have these abilities but it's fiction and not fact so I can forgive that. What I found amusing was Shelley's weakness with certain animals and thought Ms Behre gave a very plausible explanation as the story unfolded. The highlight of the story though has to be a certain man eating ferret! Reading about Shelley's furry companion and her antics was truly hilarious. Surprisingly there is sadness here and it's emotional to read about the loss of one of the characters but the author does not dwell on that, no she presses on with the dramatic conclusion as the red herrings are finally laid to rest.
This ended up being action packed and very entertaining . There's a couple of characters introduced that I would certainly like to read more about . Steamy passion between the hero and heroine and enough twists and turns to keep my attention . I look forward to reading more from this author who constantly surprises me.
Four and a half from me
Once upon a time there were three sisters and each one had a unique talent that could be seen as either a gift or a curse. These girls chose to call it their " crift" but nothing could save them from tragedy. The loss of their parents changed their lives and these three young girls were separated and destined to lose the only family they had left. Now grown up they still hope that one day Lady Luck will smile on them and they will find each other.
Shelley has trained hard in her life and now she's doing what she's always wanted, she's a veterinarian but her life is far from perfect. Shelley has the ability to communicate with animals but she's no modern Dr Doolittle! It's a talent that should make her work easier but something strange is going on. Animals are going missing from the local zoo and Shelley is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and her solution is to call her old friend Dev who is now a police detective.
Dev met Shelley in college and always knew that he was attracted to her but Shelley and his friend were an item so he never made his move. Now she's asking for his help and he has no intention of passing up the chance to get reacquainted with her but something just doesn't add up. When Dev and Shelley start investigating they open up a can of worms that brings danger to Shelley's door . The possibility of black market animal trading is just the tip of the iceberg and pretty soon a deranged killer starts closing in!
This author writes such fun stories. It's filled with enough romance to please those who enjoy that aspect of a tale but has the addition of suspense and mystery. I loved trying to work out just who, what and why but thought the first half of this book was a little slow . Lots of humour and setting of the scene but it didn't pull me in quite as quickly as I'd hoped.The second half certainly makes up for it though as it's fast paced and just gathers momentum at break neck speed! The "crift" that Shelley has of communicating with animals was very well explained and I could picture in my imagination very easily what was happening but it's a bit of a strange one ! The author never explains just why these characters have these abilities but it's fiction and not fact so I can forgive that. What I found amusing was Shelley's weakness with certain animals and thought Ms Behre gave a very plausible explanation as the story unfolded. The highlight of the story though has to be a certain man eating ferret! Reading about Shelley's furry companion and her antics was truly hilarious. Surprisingly there is sadness here and it's emotional to read about the loss of one of the characters but the author does not dwell on that, no she presses on with the dramatic conclusion as the red herrings are finally laid to rest.
This ended up being action packed and very entertaining . There's a couple of characters introduced that I would certainly like to read more about . Steamy passion between the hero and heroine and enough twists and turns to keep my attention . I look forward to reading more from this author who constantly surprises me.
Four and a half from me
August 8, 2014
Guarded by Mary Behre is the second book in her Tidewater series. I enjoyed the first book in this series, but I have to say this one is even better. The series revolves around three sisters, who were separated at a very young age due to the death of their parents. Each of them have a special gift (crift); Jules, the oldest sister, who had her story in the first book, sees and talks to ghosts. Shelley, our heroine in this story, is the middle sister, and she communicates with animals. It helps since she is a veterinarian. The sisters is part of the background of the story, but this is a romance, with suspense and hunky men for the girls.
Dev is our hero, and he is a detective in Tidewaters Police Department. He knows Shelley from school, and always had a crush on her. But because she was dating his best friend, Dev kept his distance. Dev is friends with Jules’s fiancée, and knew Shelley was her missing sister, so he set out to find her, and bring her to meet her sister. Shelley is embroiled in a serious issue with some animals she treats that turn up missing, and she sends Dev a letter to please come to help.
When Dev arrives to see Shelley, his old feelings resurface. He begins to work with Shelley to find out why animals from the local zoo are disappearing. Shelley is in embroiled in this mystery, with Dev concerned that all clues are pointing to her. There are quite a few twists and turns along the way, people getting killed and the danger escalating. To give too much more information would be considered spoilers.
But I will say that this is a wonderful story of a romance that continues to build over the course of the story. Dev knows he is falling in love all over again, but Shelley is hesitant to commit, as she was hurt very badly when her fiancée dumped her months before their wedding. She swore off men, but finds herself responding to her lustful feelings for Dev. There chemistry together was great, and very sensual.
In between this exciting mystery, there were so many wonderful parts of this story. When Shelley and Jules come face to face after all those years was very emotional. Seeing Jules talk to ghosts and telling Shelley what the ghost was saying was cool. I loved Shelley talking to the animals, as she saw visions that they showed her. Shelley’s pet ferret, Lucy, was a riot, and her attacks against Dev were eye opening…. you have to read it. LOL There is a lot of humor in this story and it was fun. At the same time, the last 1/3 of the book was very exciting, filled with non-stop action.
Mary Behre has written a wonderful story with a little bit of everything. She has created some wonderful characters, especially the hot men in Tidewater Police Department, whom we will get to see more of in future books. Guarded was a fun delightful read, with a hot romance, mystery, and action-packed suspense.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
Dev is our hero, and he is a detective in Tidewaters Police Department. He knows Shelley from school, and always had a crush on her. But because she was dating his best friend, Dev kept his distance. Dev is friends with Jules’s fiancée, and knew Shelley was her missing sister, so he set out to find her, and bring her to meet her sister. Shelley is embroiled in a serious issue with some animals she treats that turn up missing, and she sends Dev a letter to please come to help.
When Dev arrives to see Shelley, his old feelings resurface. He begins to work with Shelley to find out why animals from the local zoo are disappearing. Shelley is in embroiled in this mystery, with Dev concerned that all clues are pointing to her. There are quite a few twists and turns along the way, people getting killed and the danger escalating. To give too much more information would be considered spoilers.
But I will say that this is a wonderful story of a romance that continues to build over the course of the story. Dev knows he is falling in love all over again, but Shelley is hesitant to commit, as she was hurt very badly when her fiancée dumped her months before their wedding. She swore off men, but finds herself responding to her lustful feelings for Dev. There chemistry together was great, and very sensual.
In between this exciting mystery, there were so many wonderful parts of this story. When Shelley and Jules come face to face after all those years was very emotional. Seeing Jules talk to ghosts and telling Shelley what the ghost was saying was cool. I loved Shelley talking to the animals, as she saw visions that they showed her. Shelley’s pet ferret, Lucy, was a riot, and her attacks against Dev were eye opening…. you have to read it. LOL There is a lot of humor in this story and it was fun. At the same time, the last 1/3 of the book was very exciting, filled with non-stop action.
Mary Behre has written a wonderful story with a little bit of everything. She has created some wonderful characters, especially the hot men in Tidewater Police Department, whom we will get to see more of in future books. Guarded was a fun delightful read, with a hot romance, mystery, and action-packed suspense.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
September 17, 2014
Spirited, the first book in this series, was an enjoyable read, so I was excited when this book was released, and bought it soon after. I purchased it on August 8th, and finished it today, on Sept. 10. Why did it take me so long to read it? I kept putting it down, because it just didn’t hold my interest. I was reading other books, even though I was halfway done with this one. I really hate it when a second book doesn’t live up to the first. To be fair, the last probably third of the book was way more exciting, and fast paced, but I just wish it had been that exciting all the way through.
Shelley is a small town veterinarian, that happens to be gifted with being able to talk to animals. The animals don’t talk, but instead show her pictures in her mind, and I guess they understand her when she speaks English to them. This small town boasts a rundown zoo, and Shelley has been tasked with taking care of the health needs of the animals. Someone is stealing the animals, and Shelley is taking the heat because of it. All of the animals are more then happy to “tell” her what they know, but it’s not enough, as none have seen the face of the one responsible. She reaches out to her old friend(and crush)from college. Dev is a detective in Tidewater, but he is more then happy to make the trip to Elkridge to help Shelley-his own crush from college, as well.
I enjoyed the characters of Dev and Shelley, for the most part, however, since Shelley is Jules’s(from Spirited)long lost sister, I got a bit tired of her not wanting to live near her sister, or get attached to her. The two sisters, along with their still lost sister, Hannah, had all been adopted by different couples. Shelley’s adoptive parents are deceased, she has no one else, so it made no sense to me, especially since they remember each other, and have an immediate connection. When she starts acting that way towards Dev, I just got even more tired of it. I don’t mean to share spoilers, there just was no other way for me to explain why I got tired of the main character. She also manages to put herself in harms way more then she should, also a pet peeve of mine in a lead character. I did enjoy Jules in this book. She, of course, is still seeing ghosts(her gift)and this happens in this book as well.
It may seem like I have told way more of the story than I should, but this story has a lot more then just this, more characters, more hazardous situations, and more deaths. I just wanted more of the communicating with animals. I loved that premise, and I thought there should have been more then is shown.
If you have read Spirited, and liked it as I did, I think you should still give this a try. If you haven’t read Spirited, I do recommend it, and it actually can stand alone. This one might not have been my favorite read, but it sure could be yours!(RabidReads.com)
Shelley is a small town veterinarian, that happens to be gifted with being able to talk to animals. The animals don’t talk, but instead show her pictures in her mind, and I guess they understand her when she speaks English to them. This small town boasts a rundown zoo, and Shelley has been tasked with taking care of the health needs of the animals. Someone is stealing the animals, and Shelley is taking the heat because of it. All of the animals are more then happy to “tell” her what they know, but it’s not enough, as none have seen the face of the one responsible. She reaches out to her old friend(and crush)from college. Dev is a detective in Tidewater, but he is more then happy to make the trip to Elkridge to help Shelley-his own crush from college, as well.
I enjoyed the characters of Dev and Shelley, for the most part, however, since Shelley is Jules’s(from Spirited)long lost sister, I got a bit tired of her not wanting to live near her sister, or get attached to her. The two sisters, along with their still lost sister, Hannah, had all been adopted by different couples. Shelley’s adoptive parents are deceased, she has no one else, so it made no sense to me, especially since they remember each other, and have an immediate connection. When she starts acting that way towards Dev, I just got even more tired of it. I don’t mean to share spoilers, there just was no other way for me to explain why I got tired of the main character. She also manages to put herself in harms way more then she should, also a pet peeve of mine in a lead character. I did enjoy Jules in this book. She, of course, is still seeing ghosts(her gift)and this happens in this book as well.
It may seem like I have told way more of the story than I should, but this story has a lot more then just this, more characters, more hazardous situations, and more deaths. I just wanted more of the communicating with animals. I loved that premise, and I thought there should have been more then is shown.
If you have read Spirited, and liked it as I did, I think you should still give this a try. If you haven’t read Spirited, I do recommend it, and it actually can stand alone. This one might not have been my favorite read, but it sure could be yours!(RabidReads.com)
August 14, 2014
Review Courtesy All Things Urban Fantasy
Looking back at my review for Spirited, my thoughts at the time were that I’d probably read the second book in the series, but would do so with the hope that some of the little glitches were tightened up. I’m happy to say that they were. GUARDED was a much tighter story – both in terms of the plot and the sparks/relationship of the two protagonists.
Whereas Jules, Shelley’s estranged sister, can see and speak to the dead, Shelley herself can communicate with animals – all except dogs who run in fear or go crazy when she’s around them. This is explained late in the story and it makes such beautiful sense. I really liked the way that Behre wrote the animal communication angle. None of the animals spoke to her in words, but rather they communicated in a series of pictures. The picures could be anything from things they’d seen to memories they had of good and bad things. I liked it better than the voice-over Dr. Doolittle way of doing things, where each animal has it’s own comical accent. Images as communication just seemed to fit better for me.
GUARDED‘s plot is solid, if a little hard to follow in the climax for reasons that would spoil a plot twist. Not enough, though, for me to drop a star. I was pulled in like a fish and kept there. The mystery was nicely built up and kept me guessing through to the final reveal. Charcters I loved in Spirited were back and I loved seeing Jules and Seth again, catching up on how they were doing and happy to see Jules settling in to using her “crift.” And the reunion between the sisters is a scene not to be missed. Very, very well done.
All in all, I enjoyed GUARDED and I’m definitely back for the third book. Not just to meet the third sister, but to revisit Dev, Shelley, Jules and Seth again. I’m enjoying the universe so much, I’m getting better at overlooking the “reworking” of my hometown. If you like a little mystery, a little romance, and some ghosts and guard ferrets, this is probably a story you’ll enjoy.
Looking back at my review for Spirited, my thoughts at the time were that I’d probably read the second book in the series, but would do so with the hope that some of the little glitches were tightened up. I’m happy to say that they were. GUARDED was a much tighter story – both in terms of the plot and the sparks/relationship of the two protagonists.
Whereas Jules, Shelley’s estranged sister, can see and speak to the dead, Shelley herself can communicate with animals – all except dogs who run in fear or go crazy when she’s around them. This is explained late in the story and it makes such beautiful sense. I really liked the way that Behre wrote the animal communication angle. None of the animals spoke to her in words, but rather they communicated in a series of pictures. The picures could be anything from things they’d seen to memories they had of good and bad things. I liked it better than the voice-over Dr. Doolittle way of doing things, where each animal has it’s own comical accent. Images as communication just seemed to fit better for me.
GUARDED‘s plot is solid, if a little hard to follow in the climax for reasons that would spoil a plot twist. Not enough, though, for me to drop a star. I was pulled in like a fish and kept there. The mystery was nicely built up and kept me guessing through to the final reveal. Charcters I loved in Spirited were back and I loved seeing Jules and Seth again, catching up on how they were doing and happy to see Jules settling in to using her “crift.” And the reunion between the sisters is a scene not to be missed. Very, very well done.
All in all, I enjoyed GUARDED and I’m definitely back for the third book. Not just to meet the third sister, but to revisit Dev, Shelley, Jules and Seth again. I’m enjoying the universe so much, I’m getting better at overlooking the “reworking” of my hometown. If you like a little mystery, a little romance, and some ghosts and guard ferrets, this is probably a story you’ll enjoy.
August 8, 2014
Shelley and Dev share a past friendship but went their separate ways. Now Shelley needs help and she calls him in hopes he will be able to help her crack a case that's close to her heart. When Dev receives an email from Shelley he doesn't have to think twice about riding to the rescue. Not only does he want to reconnect with the woman he had feelings for the past, he wants to help his friend Jules reconnect with her lost sister.
I thought the characters in SPIRITED were stubborn but they have nothing on Shelley. A lot of her stubbornness comes from fear of having someone she loves walk away from her like they have in the past. She's scared that the sister she has been longing for or the man she is falling in love will break her heart when they eventually leave. She walls her self off so she doesn't have to deal with the pain. On the other hand she's pretty fierce. She can communicate with animals and the ones at the zoo keep disappearing. No one believes her when she says it's foul play but she refuses to give up on them and fights for what she believes.
Shelley and Dev pulled off the romance. There's instant chemistry on both sides even though there's tension along the way. Watching them grow on each other to the point that they refused to let go was a journey in its own, but they really fit well together and it showed. Shelley's ferret gave us plenty of comic relief when the three of them were together. I really loved the reunion between Shelley and her Sister Jules. You expect there to be a lot of crying and hugging but circumstances make it so much smoother than that. There are a lot of feelings on both sides but I was happy with the way things happened.
The plot flowed smoothly from situation to situation. The author did a great job of linking the book to the series but also making it feel like a whole new story. I really love all the investigative work both books have had and I'm really excited to see how the 3rd sister and book fits into the dynamics that SPIRITED and GUARDED has set up.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I thought the characters in SPIRITED were stubborn but they have nothing on Shelley. A lot of her stubbornness comes from fear of having someone she loves walk away from her like they have in the past. She's scared that the sister she has been longing for or the man she is falling in love will break her heart when they eventually leave. She walls her self off so she doesn't have to deal with the pain. On the other hand she's pretty fierce. She can communicate with animals and the ones at the zoo keep disappearing. No one believes her when she says it's foul play but she refuses to give up on them and fights for what she believes.
Shelley and Dev pulled off the romance. There's instant chemistry on both sides even though there's tension along the way. Watching them grow on each other to the point that they refused to let go was a journey in its own, but they really fit well together and it showed. Shelley's ferret gave us plenty of comic relief when the three of them were together. I really loved the reunion between Shelley and her Sister Jules. You expect there to be a lot of crying and hugging but circumstances make it so much smoother than that. There are a lot of feelings on both sides but I was happy with the way things happened.
The plot flowed smoothly from situation to situation. The author did a great job of linking the book to the series but also making it feel like a whole new story. I really love all the investigative work both books have had and I'm really excited to see how the 3rd sister and book fits into the dynamics that SPIRITED and GUARDED has set up.
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Read
August 14, 2014Review Courtesy All Things Urban Fantasy
Looking back at my review for Spirited, my thoughts at the time were that I’d probably read the second book in the series, but would do so with the hope that some of the little glitches were tightened up. I’m happy to say that they were. GUARDED was a much tighter story – both in terms of the plot and the sparks/relationship of the two protagonists.
Whereas Jules, Shelley’s estranged sister, can see and speak to the dead, Shelley herself can communicate with animals – all except dogs who run in fear or go crazy when she’s around them. This is explained late in the story and it makes such beautiful sense. I really liked the way that Behre wrote the animal communication angle. None of the animals spoke to her in words, but rather they communicated in a series of pictures. The picures could be anything from things they’d seen to memories they had of good and bad things. I liked it better than the voice-over Dr. Doolittle way of doing things, where each animal has it’s own comical accent. Images as communication just seemed to fit better for me.
GUARDED‘s plot is solid, if a little hard to follow in the climax for reasons that would spoil a plot twist. Not enough, though, for me to drop a star. I was pulled in like a fish and kept there. The mystery was nicely built up and kept me guessing through to the final reveal. Charcters I loved in Spirited were back and I loved seeing Jules and Seth again, catching up on how they were doing and happy to see Jules settling in to using her “crift.” And the reunion between the sisters is a scene not to be missed. Very, very well done.
All in all, I enjoyed GUARDED and I’m definitely back for the third book. Not just to meet the third sister, but to revisit Dev, Shelley, Jules and Seth again. I’m enjoying the universe so much, I’m getting better at overlooking the “reworking” of my hometown. If you like a little mystery, a little romance, and some ghosts and guard ferrets, this is probably a story you’ll enjoy.
Looking back at my review for Spirited, my thoughts at the time were that I’d probably read the second book in the series, but would do so with the hope that some of the little glitches were tightened up. I’m happy to say that they were. GUARDED was a much tighter story – both in terms of the plot and the sparks/relationship of the two protagonists.
Whereas Jules, Shelley’s estranged sister, can see and speak to the dead, Shelley herself can communicate with animals – all except dogs who run in fear or go crazy when she’s around them. This is explained late in the story and it makes such beautiful sense. I really liked the way that Behre wrote the animal communication angle. None of the animals spoke to her in words, but rather they communicated in a series of pictures. The picures could be anything from things they’d seen to memories they had of good and bad things. I liked it better than the voice-over Dr. Doolittle way of doing things, where each animal has it’s own comical accent. Images as communication just seemed to fit better for me.
GUARDED‘s plot is solid, if a little hard to follow in the climax for reasons that would spoil a plot twist. Not enough, though, for me to drop a star. I was pulled in like a fish and kept there. The mystery was nicely built up and kept me guessing through to the final reveal. Charcters I loved in Spirited were back and I loved seeing Jules and Seth again, catching up on how they were doing and happy to see Jules settling in to using her “crift.” And the reunion between the sisters is a scene not to be missed. Very, very well done.
All in all, I enjoyed GUARDED and I’m definitely back for the third book. Not just to meet the third sister, but to revisit Dev, Shelley, Jules and Seth again. I’m enjoying the universe so much, I’m getting better at overlooking the “reworking” of my hometown. If you like a little mystery, a little romance, and some ghosts and guard ferrets, this is probably a story you’ll enjoy.
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