Guardian

by Katey Hawthorne

Sequel to Rival

While the other members of glam rock sensation The Rade indulge in public affairs and flirtations, bass player and soulful lyricist John has kept himself to himself. He's had no end of offers, seeing as he's the heart of the band (and stacked like a brick wall), but since losing his mortal lover, no one has sparked his interest. After all, to a centuries-old shapeshifter-fae, most people's lives are just too short for him to risk his heart on them.

Then he meets someone who captures his attention as well as his long-buried protective instincts. Venkat, a shy but brilliantly talented energy vampire and classical violinist, is just coming off a triumphant US tour. He and John bond immediately over their love of music and blossoming mutual attraction. But Venkat has a past, one that seems to give his fae manager Red an unbreakable hold on Venkat's violin and life. And Red isn't above using it to keep him isolated and under his power.

John and Venkat know the future could be theirs. But the road to freedom will lead directly through the darkest places in both their pasts.

287 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 11, 2025

About the author

Hi! I'm Katey. I write superpowered and fantasy romance of an LGBTQIA bent. I live at Superpowered Love -- kateyhawthorne.com.

I know, I know, it looks like I don't read anything here at GoodReads. But I do, I swear. My reviews and stuff are all over at my other GoodReads thingie, KV Taylor. Relevant shelves to Katey Hawthorne stuff:

Romance
LGBTQ
and
Comics, Graphic Novels, and Trade Paperbacks

Reviews

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.25 stars

Guardian is the second book in The Rade series by Katey Hawthorne, featuring the members of a fae rock band. While the books do feature the various bandmates as side characters in each other’s stories, this one could stand alone just fine from the plot and romance end. I really enjoyed John and Venkat’s story and I was caught up in it right away. We see John attending one of Venkat’s concerts and I love the way Hawthorne really brings us into the music, capturing both the magic of Venkat’s performance, and also the way it makes John feel.

I continue to enjoy this group of friends and we delve a little more into some of the other side characters here. I liked getting a chance to reconnect with this group and am looking forward to more stories for the band.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review for (The Rade-2) Guardian by Katey Hawthorne

I loved this second book in the Rade series by Katey Hawthorne. I love stories that are written about what happens in the life of a rock group. As we are in the background, we can glam up the lives these people live and expect more than we should. I always look to see how an author writes it. This one is about John, who is the bass player who writes fantastic songs. He never has to fight to get others into his bed since he is the heart of the group. Take that, and what he looks like, yep, he isn't lacking in that way. What others don't understand is that he is hurting since he lost his human lover. To see the pain and torment he goes through feels so truthful to me. It all changes when Venkat walks into his life. I fell in love with this story with just the story of a rock band, and then paranormals and vampires, oh my gosh, yes please. I just couldn't put it down till I knew what happened with these two. I look forward to more in this world of wonderful stories in this series.

Nicole Harvey

[Nate Elune · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 and a half stars ⭐ for this very queer supernatural romance

Katey Hawthorne's Guardian delivered exactly what it promised. This second book in her "The Rade" series about a band of exiles fae rockstars focuses on the quieter bassist, John, and the psychic vampire slash classical violinist he meets, Venkat. There's a perfectly hateful villain in the person of Venkat's manager, the members of the Rade continue to be the most amazing, unapologetically queer family, and of course, the fairy lore keeps expanding and I am incredibly here for it.

I'm fascinated by the notion of these four fae and their rejection of their home culture - if leaving your world to go carve out a space for yourself where you can isn't a queer experience, I don't know what is. Add to that the fact that their complicated origins has done nothing to tamp down their queer joy, on the contrary. They know how precious it is. They are fiercer for it.

The love story is adorable and the sex scenes are s t e a m y, although I personally could've used a little less sex.

One last note: a very promising character in the person of the creepy and stunning Lady. Apparently I am into scarily beautiful female presenting characters with a very fae sense of morality. Who'd have thought. Really hoping to see more of her in the rest of the books!

[Mari Cardenas · Rating 5 out of 5]

 4.5 Stars!

Much as I enjoyed Rival, book 1 in the series, I loved Guardian more. I also suggest reading them in order for maximum enjoyment.

John was so sweet, patient, and fiercely protective of Venkat. And Venkat was a cinnamon roll, and I wanted to cuddle him and take him away from his evil manager Red, and make it all better. It turned out he didn't need my help, since John, Harper, Rob, and Wren, were more than up to the task once they realized what he'd had to endure all those years. John and Venkat were both cute and scorching hot together, a damn good combo in my book.

I loved catching up with the rest of the band and how they brought Venkat into their fold. I especially enjoyed every time the Lady came into scene, she stole every single one she was in, LOL. I hated Red and I was very glad we got to see him suffer at least a bit. 

Overall, a very good addition to the series. The fantasy elements blended with the romance and the music made it a really entertaining read. This is definitely a recommendation from me. I can't wait to see who gets their story next! 

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

[L H · Rating 5 out of 5]

John is a music lover. He is the bass player for Rade, their lyricist and he loves music. He takes Robin with him to hear Venkat, a talented energy vampire, play a concert. Venkat is a talented violinist and they meet as John and Robin are being spirited to their seats and Venkat is coming into the hall where he is to play. The connection and attraction is immediate for John and Venkat and it is not just because of the music. But Venkat is dealing with a manager who is holding things over him that has trapped him. This brings out John's guardian instincts. But even more so these two as they work on finding a way to free Venkat from what is not good for him with the help of John's bandmates, this is also about freeing John from his wariness of loving again after the death of a mortal partner. These two are so cute together and there is so much upside for their future together personally, professionally and musically. They were an intriguing pairing from their first meeting and it was good to see them make their way to their ever after.
I received an ARC from GRR and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guardian is the second book in the series about the fae members of the rock band The Rade. This time the focus is on bass player John, who falls for psy vampire and famous violinist Venkat. John hasn't been in love since the mortal woman he loved died decades ago, and Venkat is under the control of a manipulative fae, but it doesn't take long at all for intense feelings and longing to develop between them.
I love this story. It is by turns sweet, sexy, emotionally devastating, edge-of-seat thrilling, and happily hopeful. John's dear friends and bandmates are the best kind of found family as they support John while also bringing Venkat into their fold. They really step up to try to free Venkat from his abuser, proving over and over just how wonderful they are. I love them all so much!
This series is just fantastic, and I look forward to learning more about Fairyland and the different types of fae in the next books. I'm excited for Wren and Robin to find their HEA's. Like our first two couples, each of them deserves the very best.

[brownsoda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new author for me. Hurt/comfot usually makes for a cozy read. This is the second in a four book series, so I was plunged into world of The Rade without too much backstory. I actually liked that. When we meet John, bass player of The Rade, a gentle giant with a love for classical music and musical crush Venkat, virtuoso violin player . John and Venkat meet and sparks fly. Something is amiss with Venkat and his manager. John wants to find out why Venkat is tethered so tightly to his manager. The chemistry between the two MCs is fantastic. I love how gentle John is and how fierce Venkat could be. I definitely would recommend this as a good read. I will add it to my reread folder on my Kindle

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed coming back to this group of friends. Their vibe is very supportive. John is much calmer than Harper and although their pasts both contain violence, they're different species of fae so there are differences there too. I like the idea of him having a generations old friendship with a bog witch family. Venkat is in a position of modern slavery to a fae, with a classic story of being taken advantage of when vulnerable. The way everyone worked together to free him was fantastic. Great storyline with plenty of spice. Read this series in order for maximum enjoyment.

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guardian is the second book in the Rade series. It focuses on the bassist John, a 500-yr old fae and a psychic vampire named Venkat. I loved this story it was intriguing and emotional. I loved the size difference trope between them as Venkat is much smaller than John. It was also nice learning more about the world the book is set in. I like how it promotes the importance of mental health. And that they both love cats. You also learn a lot about culture in india and I found that interesting. Please pay attention to the trigger warnings as there is a lot of heavy topics in the book.

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, first Hawthorne can write a book or a series about Lady any time and I'll be right there. What a great character. I was wonderful seeing all the band again and getting more information about fairy life both pro and con in the book. I loved the relationship between John and Venkat and their mutual love of music. Venkat's manager was a perfectly evil villain and his hold made perfect sense as a manager. These two needed all their strength and their friends to fight for each other.

[K-Me · Rating 5 out of 5]

John is a big quiet song writer of a Fae, who after all these years alone and sad is instantly brought alive again by Venkat our vampire who needs to be saved and protected. The romance was so passionate as they connect thru their love of music. I adored how his band was all there to support him in his quest to love and save Venkat. Have to mention the intimacy was just a physically smoking too!

[Jvles · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This was another rather sweet story in this series. I felt that the dynamic between the main characters was not as exciting as in the first book but the suspense made up for that and Vee and John were absolute sweethearts. I adore the sense of found family throughout the books and would love to know more about some of the side characters.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Venn and John's book opens the door wider on the fae world in this series and let's us start seeing the dangers the band was escaping. Even with the big bad pointed our in the beginning and a save the princess feel, this still has a tender lobe story. And don't count Venn out, he has surprising strength even if he does need to be "saved".

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book two of The Rade series and it was another great read, this is bass player and lyricist John and Venkat’s story and it shows us more about the far world that the band was trying to escape from. Their connection was instant and they grew closer over their love of music and although it wasn’t an easy path they managed to get there hea in the end. Looking forward to book three next.

[b00ks_in_nature · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book two in the series, but can be a complete standalone. I enjoyed that this book had a lot more of the PNR aspect to it than book one did. I identified with the way both MC's relate to and value music. This was a great story, with a villain we could hate and root for the love of our guys. A great storyline, great spice, and fun characters. Looking forward to the next one!

[Marta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is John love story and he has a perfect partner in Venkat.
In this book we found a very protective MC and a wonderful found family willing to go to war for the sweet violinist.
We learn more about the fae, the side characters add depth to this heated love story.
Well written, with enough spice to burn, a good addition to the series.

[Fay MMBookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, I could put this book down as I didn’t want to miss anything that happened. John and Vee are great together, especially when Vee needs John.

[Adoraboy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It was very cute and the chemistry was hott!!!

[Reatha Klein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one. Kathy Hawthorne is becoming one of my favorite authors because of books like this one!

[Geboyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series and I enjoyed it more than the first. Super steamy!

[Samantha Cato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one, the second book in the Rade series! It was just as good as the first! Loving this unique and fun series!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

**********Contains Spoilers**********

I’m very new to Katey Hawthorne’s work and I’m looking forward to reading more. I really enjoyed this book and thought that it was a good addition to The Rade Series. I liked getting to immerse myself in this world that Katey has created. I thought John & Venkat were great together. Man, my heart hurt for everything Venkat has been through, especially with his a*sehole of manager Red. I’m glad that he met John and the rest of The Rade as they helped him see the truth about who his manager is, they were on Venkat’s side from the get go and just wanted the best for him. I’m looking forward to reading Thrall next, as well as more books by Katey Hawthorne in the future. I’d definitely recommend this book, series and author to others.

******I received a complimentary copy of this book through GRR. I would still happily review this book even if I purchased it myself. My thoughts and feelings about this book are completely unbiased******

[L.B. Tea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you like gentle giants? How about tiny twinks that need to let go of their tight self control and embrace hedonism? Would you like to see a gaslighting abuser get their comeuppance? If you like these themes and the joyful banter that Katey brings to every series, then nom this book.

For me, this is the best book Katey has written to date. Which says a lot, because I thought her recent novel, Heartwood, was a real masterpiece. Guardian, the second book of the Rade series, has a simple plot in many ways. How do you love after healing from loss? How do you trust after years of narcissistic abuse? Common, recognizable themes, through the lens of contemporary fantasy. At least Venkat’s gaslighting manager is courtly fae. What excuse do ab*sers have in real life?

The characterization in this book is rich, and the two protagonists have chemistry that sizzles. John, our returning protagonist, bass player of the Rade, is warm and genuine, the biggest teddy bear of our fairy exiles—big guard dog energy. His newly introduced love interest, Venkat, is a deeply sweet people pleaser, affectionate but isolated from his deepest needs. He’s a psy vampire, so he’s not completely in the dark about the supernatural world, unlike the mortal half of the pairing in The Rade book 1. What Venkat doesn’t understand keeps him on a tight leash. He’s too afraid of hurting others to step into his full potential.

The pace of this book is fluid and fun. While the biggest challenges are identified early, the story takes its time letting the characters explore, heal, fall in love, and reclaim their power.

[Deb Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another page turner to follow on from Rival, which i loved. This again had a unique storyline that had me completely captivated with the band! Brilliant main characters John and Venkat who were just so great together. I really liked how protective John is with Vee and the steamy parts too 😜
I received a free arc copy and this is my honest review