She must find the strength to keep going as her world falls apart around her…
Just when Serafina Evans seems to have figured out how to make the relationships in her life work, the loose ends she knew might come back to haunt her threaten to unravel it all. But if she’s learned anything from her hardships, it’s how to let the people who care about her in, to trust them, and lean on them to ride out the storm. Until fate deals a hand that changes everything. Sera is smart and resourceful, but that won’t help her now. And she thought she was done safeguarding her heart, but is she? Is she doomed to return to protecting herself from harm or will she find a way to persevere without closing herself off forever?
Note: Books One through Three in this series are meant to be read in order.
Melanie A. Smith is an award-winning, international best-selling author of steamy romance with smart, self-sufficient heroines and strong, swoony book boyfriends with hearts of gold. A former engineer turned stay-at-home mom and author, when Melanie is not lost in the world of books you’ll find her spending time with her husband and son, crafting, or cross-stitching.
I was kindly sent an ARC copy of this book to read, and I am literally so lucky that I was chosen.
This being the third book, I expected good things. I wanted more steaminess, I wanted more drama, I wanted more Bryce and Sera..... and I wasn’t disappointed. I got all three of these things and a whole lot more. Romance and heartbreak meant that I devoured this in no time at all. The characters, the emotions, the way in which the book ends satisfied me more than any other book series that I have read this year. If you want a gripping romance that is going to leave you guessing all the way through to the end, then pick up this series. If you want to be consumed by the characters and be made to feel like they are a part of you then pick up this series. Melanie... you should be so proud of this story. You deserve EVERY five star review that you get for this because in my opinion, you should get nothing less than that. Congrats on a delicious book series that I will be reading for years to come....
Omg this book was amazing! Like, still awake at 2am to get to the end amazing!! I had my heart ripped out, stamped on, left out to dry, then stroked back to life. Bryce and Sera are just couples goals. I hated Madison, reading her name made me feel physically sick. How Sera didn’t punch her is beyond me. The way the characters have grown since the first book is awesome. I can’t even imagine Sera with Alessandro now. It’s Bryce all the way. A fantastic read & worth all the stars. Thank you!
Beautiful ending to a roller coaster series! This final book in the Safeguarded Heart series is a truly satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. All three books had their share of ups and downs and were filled to the brim with suspense, but this one really tests all of the characters. Sera and Brice are in love and finally so happy that the reader feels secure in the fact that everything is going to work out for them. They’re together at last, enjoying the heck out of a ton of steamy love scenes and we get to go along for the ride as they generally getting into the groove of being a couple. In classic Smith style though, their world comes crashing down around them in the most heartbreaking of ways. Serafina’s character has exhibited such strength the whole way through the series. That’s what I love about her but I still kept thinking, ‘What more can this poor girl take? She just can’t catch a break!’ Then there’s Brice… poor beautiful, amazing book boyfriend Brice. *sigh* I don’t want to give anything away. Suffice it to say, the whole wrap up is a testament to enduring love, loyal friendship, and the twists and turns that hearts sometimes take to find one another. A very special read that lovers of romantic suspense will not want to miss.
Just when you think all is well, Smith throws a curveball you'll never see coming. I absolutely loved The Safeguard Heart series. Smith's prose is graceful, a delight to read throughout. This third book is filled with drama, heartbreak and suspense. All the ups and downs in the plot as well as the intense chemistry between the two main characters will keep you turning the pages.
This is a fast read, a story you'll want to savor and yet feel helpless to stop reading. If you like a good love story with strong characters and a suspenseful plot that never stops teasing, you will love this book, this whole series.
I loved the ending to this series! It’s my favorite out of the three. It’s a story about how love can last through anything — if it’s true. Sera is a badass. She withstands so much. And Bryce is just perfect & swoony. Melanie always writes killer suspense & the kind of stories that suck you in. I couldn’t put it down & I didn’t want it to be over. Strong writing, strong storyline, strong characters. Always a five-star read from this author!
Smith brings Sera's story to its finale in another beautifully written, emotionally satisfying and steamy story of love, loyalty, strength, and family.
Okay, so I put off reading this book for like, a year after I finished All of Me, not because I didn't enjoy the book, or the characters. I've thought Bryce was swoony since he hopped onto the page the first, time, but the title of this one made me super nervous. I was in a place where I couldn't handle having my heart broken. But yesterday, I was feeling brave and I am so glad I did. This book totally lived up to the romantic suspense, and it did break my heart a little, but only just a little before putting it back together in the best way.
This book. Oh this book was everything I didn't realize I wanted and/or needed. It freaking slayed me. Totally threw me for a loop in the best way. I didn't see the twist coming and I literally wept and screamed at the author because she broke my freaking heart. But thankfully she put it back together again. Bryce is one of my all time favorite book boyfriends. He makes my heart flutter and I swoon with every word I read. Sera is everything I want in a heroine--fierce but vulnerable, flawed but absolutely beautiful inside and out, and real as hell. Never Forget was the perfect ending to an amazing series. Gut-wrenching, sexy as sin, and completely unforgettable. One of the best books and series I've read in years. One I will reread over and over.
Book 1 the Safeguarded Heart was a great intro to the characters...who they Re, their triggers, strengths, and weaknesses, etc. Which comes to light through Sera and her unwanted love triangle. I loved the angst of her emotional valleys. Book 2 All of me was a book about decisions and Sera seeing the forest through the trees. I wanted to climb in the book many times and tell her to smarten up. Book 3, brings everything together through some tremendous emotional turmoil. Sera again has tough decisions, but she has learned and grown from her past. Read this final supercharged book in the series The Safeguarded Heart, a truly entertaining tale
Ohhhhhhh this book was everything..... and I mean everything..... it had my emotions everywhere, I couldn’t stop reading, didn’t want the story to end. I thought I knew how this story was going to end, I was sure of it and then Melanie just twisted everything and blew my mind. #bookhangover
Sometimes it takes me a while to finish a series when I really like it, because all too often I am disappointed by the resolution of a story and I like to avoid that feeling like the plague. I've been done dirty too many times, my dude. I feel like a good ending should both surprise you and give you everything you've been expecting from the get-go. Not an easy bill to fit, is it?
The only reason I'm rambling about my highly refined [pain in the a$$] personal preferences in literature is because I am VERY HAPPY to report that I loved this final chapter in the Safeguarded Heart trilogy! It cleared my skin and harvested my crops. I closed the book both grinning like a fool and all teary eyed, and for me that's saying something.
The mysterious danger borne of Alessandro's dealings continues to haunt Sera's life. However it's not until the danger touches her significant other does she take matters into her own hands.
I love Sera. She is such a BOSS. And yet she's not infallible by any means.
I guess I should have known from the title, but this book deals with MY FAVORITE TROPE OF ALL TIME! HEEEEEEEEEE! I don't want to spoil it. I will tell you at times I was standing on my chair yelling at Sera. XD Maybe I shouldn't actually tell you all that.
Something I appreciate about Ms. Smith's writing is that despite the fantastical circumstances of the plot that we love, not for a moment do the characters feel contrived. These people are real. You could reach through the book and touch them, in all their glory and flaws.
Needless to say Ms. Smith has earned a die-hard fan in me, and I can't wait to see what she's cooked up in the spinoff Book 4, which is coming soon! ::grabby hands::
Intense, intriguing and a fantastic ending to an amazing series
Phew! I'm not usually one for a series with the same main character, but my gosh, Melanie has outdone herself! I was waiting for the moment where I would start to lose interest. But it. Did. Not. Come. The Safeguarded Heart series had me intrigued from the start right up until the very end. I went on this rollercoaster of emotions with Sera, feeling all the intense feels alongside her. I was happy, I was laughing, I was hating, I was a blubbering mess, and it was incredible. And just when I thought it couldn't possibly get any better, book 3, Never Forget, happened! It was so intense that I'm still reeling from it. I may need some time to just think and reflect for a while (and THAT is saying something). I highly recommend this series to well, everyone :) thank you, Melanie A. Smith for writing a stella series that I will, quite literally, Never Forget.
I can highly recommend this series! I've really enjoyed having some good 'thriller' style plots to go along with the wonderfully written romance. The characters that Sera has in her life have just enough involvement to help keep track of what happened in the previous books, so don't worry how long it's been since you read books 2 & 3, Smith catches you right up. So much so that you could maybe even read this as a stand alone. These friends and acquaintances also help to neatly bring the long-running subplots to conclusions. Sera and Bryce are very much the focal point in this book though. Part 1 making your pulse race for all the right reasons and then delivering a heart stopping finale. Part 2 taking us through a myriad of deep emotions. One thing I was missing...at some point, Sera should have punched Madison.
This book picks up right at the end of the second book. Everything seemed to be going great for Serafina at the end of book two, so I thought, what other problem could she suffer from now? Well, I can tell you it's one that made my heart really ache for her.
The first part of the book deals with the mystery around Alessandro with a lot of actions and heart-racing actions. It leads to the heart-wrenching phase of Serafina's life with its ups and downs. The author mixed angst, peppered with enough hope that kept me reading into the late hours of the night and willing Sera's happily-ever-after to come. And it didn't disappoint.
Melanie A. Smith's conclusion of Serafina's story showcases her skills in weaving together mystery, actions, everyday-life (that may seem mundane), hard-earned romance, and sensuality. It was a pure pleasure to read.
The first two books in this series kept me up reading to the wee hours of the night. Book 3 was no different than its predecessors. It's hard to talk about these books and not give anything away, so here's what I can say. These characters are full of life and are having experiences that are so relatable that you will have a hard time putting them down. Book 3 was a rollercoaster ride of emotions ranging from love, passion and heartache. I laughed and cried with Sera as she navigated through all of the trials and tribulations that seemed to follow her at every turn. New and old lovers return, new families are discovered and ex-girlfriends show up at the most horrific of times. A must read series!
Book 1 the Safeguarded Heart was a great intro to the characters...who they are, their triggers, strengths and weaknesses etc. Which comes to light through Sera and her unwanted love triangle. I loved the angst of her emotional valleys. Book 2 All of me was a book about decisions and Sera seeing the forest through the trees. I wanted to climb in the book many times and tell her to smarten up. Book 3, brings everything together through some tremendous emotional turmoil. Sera, again, has tough decisions to make, but she has learned and grown from her past. Read this final super charged book in the series The Safeguarded Heart, a truly entertaining tale
Masterful ending to a compelling and romantic series
Melanie A. Smith wraps up her Safeguarded Heart series beautifully, with a page turner novel that has it all. She ties up all the storylines in an incredibly satisfying way and even drove me to message her about a particular twist I just about died over. Basically I want to squeeee over so many things, but it would all be spoilers. "Stop. Being. So. Perfect." That’s something Sera thinks about regarding Bryce and I’m so glad he doesn’t. Yet for all that perfection, he was still vulnerable man with lots of character layers that made me simply mushy for the guy. I highly recommend the series for romantic suspense lovers that wants something beyond the straightforward love stories we see in romance.
***Content in the Safeguarded Heart Series is for 18+***
I read the bind up of all 5 titles in the Safeguarded Heart and the bonus novelette. 1. The Safeguarded Heart 5* 2. All of Me 5* 3. Never Forget 5* 4. Her Dirty Secret (directly following this is the novelette) 5* 5. Recipes from the Heart 5*
If you enjoy your steam with substance, Melanie A. Smith is the author for you. There is suspense, a love triangle, heartache, recipes (Tiramisu, was my fav), strong males and a lot of steam. This bind up for me was a whole meal, I was not left wanting for anything when I was done. I was also very glad that I was able to binge read the series, now I know where to turn for my steam with substance. Brava, Ms. Smith, Brava!!!
“Never forget how much I love you.” ***squeals*** I loved the first two books in The Safeguarded Heart Series, and the third book lives up to them, if not surpassed. Melanie A. Smith always provides a beautiful, emotional roller coaster for her readers that we never want to end. She has created characters that I want to revisit again and again. They feel very real, like they could be people I know in my own life. This has been a BEAUTIFUL love story with a super swoon-worthy book boyfriend. I look forward to reading many more books from Ms. Smith in the future.
I have loved every second of this book series and Never Forget gave me everything I needed. This is steamy romance with a kick. Sera’s journey to love is full of passion, heartache, warmth and compelling action. The author does an amazing job of drawing you in with unexpected twists and leaving you wowed. Sera and Bryce’s story pulled at my heartstrings and had me rooting for them all the way. I can’t recommend this series highly enough.
An amazingly story! My heart was breaking for the characters throughout most of the book. Such wonderful characters, I’m glad there’s one more book to read with them and their lives.
OMG!!! I cannot believe all the things she has been through. I couldn’t help but be tearful with what happened in the elevator, I am so proud of Serafina for not being the damsel in distress, during the attack, instead, she snapped out of her shock, spurred into action and fought back to protect her man and herself. The things she had to endure following the attack was even more heartbreaking
I hate cliffhangers as most times the stories are just drawn out unnecessarily and I loose interest. Not so with this series though. I cannot find enough words to do justice to how utterly engaging these books are.
This incredible story is traumatic, gut-wrenching, heartrending distressing, suspenseful, passionate and highly addictive. In the midst of all the chaos, we have amazing family, loyalty, strength, and some steamy emotionally charged love scenes that are delightfully seductive.
Serafina is such a beautiful and giving soul, she did not do anything to deserve all the terrible things that's been happening to her, it's a good thing she is so resilient. She will take charge of a situation and take action even when she was afraid.
Bryce and Serafina is amazing together and I am blissfully happy with how this book ended. It was a beautifully crafted, emotionally satisfying plot with a well deserved HEA.
I cannot wait for book four, as I'm dying know what is next for Alessandro and Emily.
So I started this book before NaNoWriMo and sadly put it down to focus on writing but every day, I thought about getting back to Sara and Bryce. Omg! I freaking loves their story. There were a few moments where someone was cutting onions but I read through and loved every moment. I want to spoil it so bad but I wont! I will just tell you to get out and get your copy!!
If you want a gripping romance that is going to leave you guessing all the way through to the end, then pick this series. This is steamy romance . Sera’s journey to love is full of passion, heartache, warmth and compelling action. You have unexpected twists and leaving you wowed.
This book opens with Serafina's life being blessedly perfect, which of course, doesn't last. Serafina is finally in love and beginning to plan the rest of her life, but that same life is still being threatened by forces completely out of her control. When tragedy strikes, the life Sera felt so blessed to have completely falls apart. Throughout this trilogy, I kept wondering what it would take to break my favorite heroine, and I was heartbroken to learn what that really was. I stayed up all night to read the second half of this book and cried more than I am willing to admit. All of that heartache and all of those tissues were worth it. Smith takes us on another unforgettable journey, weaving a world that you never want to leave but still can't help racing towards the conclusion. The most satisfying ending I have experienced all year.
Well. Ms. Smith does it again with steamy suspense and deep connections between characters and readers. When writing fiction, they say you should think about the worst thing you could possibly do to your characters. Never Forget does that. I expected s e x y. I expected dramatic tension. I didn't expect to be SO heartbroken by Sera and Bryce's situation. Ms. Smith delivered an immersive, well-crafted, unique contemporary romance that I will never forget. Pun intended.