The Guard

Kephart College #4

by Cassie Mint

I’m limping home at night, barefoot with a busted ankle.

Then a white knight sweeps me off my feet.

He’s burly and bearded, and sweeter than sugar. Nearly twice my age, too.

No one understands why I’m so obsessed with the campus security guard, but they don’t see it. They don’t see him.

Well, it’s their loss–because I know he’s the perfect man. I don’t care if my mom wants me to date some rich jerk. My heart’s already spoken for.

Now I just need to convince him I mean it.

Buckle up, mister. You’re all I want in the whole world.

The Guard is a short and steamy age gap instalove story, starring a burly protector and the girl he can’t believe he’s won.

Genres: Romance, Novella, College, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Spicy, Fiction

71 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 24, 2022

About the author

Cassie writes outrageous, OTT insta-love with tons of sugar and steam. She loves cookie dough, summer barbecues, and her gorgeous cat Missy.

Sign up for Cassie's newsletter!
www.authorcassiemint.com/newsletter

Reviews

[*˚Remnant Light ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.4/5 stars**

This was fairly cute but also felt very typical. I wasn't really surprised by anything that happened but I enjoyed it overall.

The story starts when Alyssa is at a frat party, on a date her mother had planned for her. Since she doesn't want to be there and doesn't want to speak to anyone on her way out, she decides to leave through a window. The fall was a bit higher than she anticipated because she hurts her ankle. On her way home, she meet Brick, the college security guard who swoops her up her feet and bring her home like a princess.

Alyssa was sweet but a bit of an airhead. I was glad she stood her grounds against her mother but I don't know. I didn't really care for her character all that much. Brick nicknamed her ''princess'' and I thought it was fitting as she seemed in her own world of flowers, birds and butterflies. Not overly innocent but limit.

[...] he eases his c*ck forward again. I wriggle my hips, feeling the thick length inside me. I’m skewered, and the thought makes me giggle. “I feel like a kebab.”
-Alyssa

Girl, why? 😂

I liked Brick mostly in the beginning, when he met Alyssa. I thought he had a natural charm, a sort of playful side to him. He was very protective and felt tinges of jealousy at times. The only thing that bugged me a little bit was how he felt easily defeated. Like, he was so sure Alyssa would never see him as a lover that he sort of put distance between them (even when she was very obvious of her love for him). Other than that, the cover doesn't really portray him the same way he was described in the novella; salt and pepper hair, beard, bulk, green eyes...He definitely seemed more attractive in the book.

“I don’t want any distractions when I’m touching you, Alyssa. The rest of the world can burn.”-Brick

When it came to their relationship, I thought it was light and playful. Their issues mostly revolved around them lacking some self-esteem or being blind, not seeing the interest the other had for them. They had a nice complicity, fun and cute conversations.

✔️HEA Epilogue: 6 years later, they are married and h is pregnant (after attempting many times...but the miracle happened) They also plan to adopt too
✔️Novella
✔️Dual POV
✔️Age gap H is nearly 40 and h is 22
✔️Protective/ Hefty H
✔️Sweet/ Sunshine h
✔️No OW/OM h's mother tries to setup dates for her but she isn't interested
✔️No cheating
✔️Safe
🔥 Steam level: 1.5/5 one foreplay scene in a garden, and first time in h's apartment
⚡Content warning No condom/ No safety talk/ No mention of birthcontrol. Foreplay/ Fingering/ Oral sex/ Praising kink (slight)/ First time

Would I recommend this novella? Sweet story, not much angst. I'd say it was the second best story in the Kephart College series of novellas. The plot wasn't outstanding but it did the job, it was pleasant.

**Note that I do not rate novellas and full-length books by the same standards**

Kephart College Series
(Series Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5 /5)
1. The Shrink - 2. The Coach - 3. The Tutor
- 4. The Guard**

[sil ♡ the book voyagers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this one! It was a fun age-gap romance between a college student and the security guard working at her university. They meet when the heroine is walking at night after a horrible date, she's limping because she escaped her date through the window and fell. He gets SO WORRIED (the hero) and carries her to her place. I loved both characters and even read the little bonus extra Cassie linked at the end.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great one!

I loved this last installment of the series. I’ve liked these last two books so much I’m wondering if I should revisit the first two (that I read over a year ago) and see if they’re better than I rated them at the time.

Strangely Alyssa is the type of heroine I usually hate. She kind of throws herself at Brick but it’s so shy and unpracticed that I loved it. I just found her to be adorable.

And Brick… swoon! I love a burly hero. They are some of my favorites.

Highly recommend.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of my least favorite Cassie Mint stories. The hero has such low confidence that he doesn’t pursue the heroine at all. It’s all her running after him. And it made it feel unequal and like he really isn’t worthy of her.

So, when the instalove goes to intimacy it just feels gross to me.

Plus, this story touches on some deeper issues that aren’t really resolved with her family and background.

He’s twice her size and almost twice her age. It feels like she has a crush on him because he’s “different” than the college guys her mom tries to set her up with. We don’t get a view into a guy with a lot to offer the heroine emotionally or mentally or financially (financially doesn’t quite feel like the right term).

[Sarandah chrysalis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you just want an insta-love story with a burly, gruff, humble hero and a playful, loving heroine. And this hit the spot in 70 pages

[hanawesternberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

CASSIE MINT REALLY NEVER DISAPPOINTS WHEN IT COMES TO ANGST

This was such a sweet swoony read. Brick is literally the man i'd let boss me around. He is so strong and safe ? Like I'd be like Alyssa too. Would drop dead fall in love because Brick can really feel like a safe space 😮‍💨

And the angst ? My heart felt every pain Alyssa felt. Ughhh the tug and the way my heart broke whenevr she felt like she was being dismissed and pushed away. UGHHH

LOVED IT

[Starr (AKA Starrfish) Rivers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been gobbling these books up like crazy this weekend. Perfect bite sized for my mood.

[Viv “BookVixen” Gutierrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

SWEET N SWOONY🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥

This was a delicious little read! Big, burly security guard swoops in to help a little slip of a girl and they fall for each other hard and fast.

I love a big boy hero, who is devoted and smitten with his girl and this one delivered!

Safe. Hero’s past isn’t mentioned, but it’s been implied he’s been celibate for a while. Heroine is a virgin and belongs only to the hero. No OW, there’s very slight OM drama but nothing sexual as heroines mother keeps setting heroine up on dates. No cheating or abuse. HEA with epilogue years out.

[Lolina ⋆]

yes.

[Peyton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and fun! Alyssa and Brick are great, but I wanted maybe a couple more scenes.

[moonydew · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars…
No shock here. I love Mints big boys series and this one is in a similar vein. I loved the age difference and the mutual pining with a bit of self consciousness thrown in.

2/5 on spice. 1/5 on kink. 1/5 on tears. Too cute as always.

[♥ I’d Rather Be Reading ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

- FMC: Alyssa
- MMC: Brick
- POVs Included: Dual POVs (Alyssa, Brick)

-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
SUMMARY: (SPOILER WARNING)

Alyssa's mom has been setting her up on dates with guys "from good families" and she's getting fed up. When the latest date she's on is so awful, she decides to climb out the window to escape. She hurts her ankle on the fall down and is in a lot of pain. But that doesn't stop her from making the trek home.

On her way, the campus security guard (Brick), finds her limping home and offers to help. He even goes as far as to carry her home.

Alyssa is pretty much in love with him from the start. Brick is attracted to her, but sure she wouldn't want an older man like him (he's close to forty). But Alyssa proves him wrong. Because he's the only one she wants.

-----------------------------------
-----------------------------------
REVIEW:

Another sweet one from this series. We first got a glimpse of these two in Freya and Malachi's book (The Tutor). I think it was on the night he carried her home after she hurt her ankle, but I don't know. I was expecting a crossover scene in this one, which would've been neat, but that didn't happen.

Like the others in the series, it's a cutesy romance and very sweet. Not very steamy, but still enjoyable because of how adorable they are.

Alyssa did annoy me just a tad. She is VERY needy and clingy almost immediately and I found that kind of grating. She was also very mopey and emotional. Just not my type of FMC. But I didn't hate her -- I just didn't like her that much.

Still, it was cute. As a whole, this series was sweet. But I definitely expected more steam from them when I first started reading them. They were good, but would've been better with more steam.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super cute novella. It did have some steamy scenes but not super smutty. Alyssa is a college student and Brick is the campus security guard. She falls first and tries to get his attention but he’s oblivious. It takes someone else to point it out that Alyssa does like him a lot. Men 🙄 Brick is a such sweetie but I did get a little annoyed with him not going after her when he wanted to. The storyline was really good and it was a super quick read!

[kay reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Campus guard and college student romance, insta lovey, it was really cute and has a nice set up, was also a short quick read.

[Kait · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping this would be adorable but I really disliked both main characters. There’s also no real plot. College girl likes older, insecure security guard.. and that’s about it.

[Tosh P · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Whiptosticbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book it was not my favorite. The couple had me at cringing a bit. They were not really believable

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute read, short and sweet. I quite enjoyed that there was an atypical Hero in this one (think dad bod) and loved how he looked after his girl.

[Sabrina Flachsmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, so adorable. These two are a mix of missed cues and emotions. Brick thinks he is undeserving and Alyssa doesn’t feel like a man like him would go for her. I loved these two together and flew through reading this one. So enjoyable, as almost all in this series have been. Honestly didn’t even really feel like an age gap story with the connection these two had. Loved it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sarah Nielsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a sweet age gap/ opposites attract romance. I loved how Brick and Alyssa were depicted, they seemed so real and likable with their insecurities shining out. The storyline simple but entertaining and the story was well written. I really enjoyed reading it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got Wood?

Sometimes you just want a bit of instalove. This was sweet with a bit of spice. Alyssa was a diehard romantic and Brick was a loveable giant! There were misunderstandings that had me wanting to shake Brick but were the consequences of him being unsure of his worth rather than willful ignorance. And the moment Alyssa stood up to her mother? Chefs kiss! This is such a good series!

[Erin Rogoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Favorite of Cassie Mint's Novels!

Well, I've done it. I've finished a beautiful series, and now I have no clue what to read next. This novel was, by far, my absolute favorite in the Kephart College series! I want more than just an epilogue for Alyssa and Brick, I want a whole series! Definitely going to read every book Cassie Mint has ever written, that's for sure!

[Joyjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet and fun

Fun, quick read. You have instalove, age gap (older man, younger woman), and two people who have a hard time believing the other is into them. No cheating, no cliffhanger, standalone in an interconnected series.

Also contains: explicit sex, mutual pining, miscommunication, a crappy relationship with mom and absentee father, and size difference

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

good read

Her mom is something else she keeps setting up her daughter with these rich entitled connected jerks. She was unhappy with her marriage and divorced Alyssa’s father but she keeps setting her daughter with idiots like her dad.

[Sam&Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute & sweet insta-love short story. Zero drama with minimal story, this is the type of book I’m usually looking for. There’s a whole slew of authors that write super quick insta-love reads that are very cute and sweet. I find that some are hits with me and some are a miss, I guess it’s just what you want in your romance. This story is pretty minimal in every single way, so it’s just not enough for me but it does fit in well with the genre of short/fast insta-love romance books. I’m just personally looking for a bit more steam and a stronger possessive-alpha male character but that’s definitely not for everyone. This story, while not squeaky clean, has a very minimal steam level and is two very sweet main characters with a large age-gap. She pretty much pursues him the entire book while he denies the fact that she could possibly be interested in him. Once he realizes he made a mistake in his thinking, that she does indeed want him, the story wraps up quickly with a short sweet HEA.

[Kayy Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Alyssa.” God, his voice is deep. Like continental plates shifting. “Hey, princess.”
.
.
I’m limping home at night barefoot with a busted ankle. Then a white knight sweeps me off my feet, burly and bearded and sweeter than sugar.
.
.
The final book in this series and I’m slightly disappointed in this one. I wanted the male main character to be oozing confidence and being that strong ass man but once again it’s as if every time a character is plus size they are always shy and insecure and it just grates on my nerves cause I believe they should be sometimes comfortable in their bodies. Again, the story itself was really sweet and Alyssa and Brick were really cute and I would one hundred percent read a full novel about them. It also didn’t really feel like a forbidden romance as such it sort of came off as a cute romance.

All in all this series brought a set of really cute, short, sweet and insta love stories and they worked well for me as a palette cleanser. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ series!

[reignofpersephone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this was a wholesome age gap short story which I LOVED.

Our FMC is Alyssa and she is a college student. Our MMC is Brick and he is a security guard at her college campus.

One night Brick comes across Alyssa hobbling to her apartment on campus after taking a dive out of a house window to get her away from her bad date. He tends to her injury and carries her home bridal style.

After this encounter Alyssa is absolutely head over heels for Brick and Brick feels the same but he’s battling his inner thoughts that run wild saying he’s not good enough for her and too old.

Despite all of this neither of them can deny the chemistry between them.

I loved how soft and sweet Brick was despite his size and how much Alyssa showed him he had so much worth.

This story was incredibly sweet and made me smile.

What happens when you come across the most beautiful woman limping her way home on campus and you feel this overwhelming need to protect her? That’s for me to know and for you to find out.

happy reading xo

[Alex Silver · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one felt a tad gross since he worked at her school and is like 17 years older than her in a position of power over her. Idk, a lot of her books are like that so I don’t know why this one bothered me a bit. Maybe because it wasn’t addressed? Like, he never mentioned it and felt bad about it and had to overcome it because he loves her so much? The barrier he had to overcome was out fucking obtuse he was. He was willfully ignorant. It was a bit annoying.
And the FMC was so bland she didn’t even register. She cried at everything. She was giving OMEGA. So meek and sweet and needing smoothing and touch. I don’t mind it in omegaverse but for someone who is supposed to be and adult in the real world? How?

[Brittany (Brit.tea.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been loving all the books in Cassie’s Kephart College Series!
This is the fourth and final book and I devoured it.

Alyssa is being setup on yet another date from hell by her controlling mother. She wants her to settle down and marry the right guy. Only problem is all the guys her mom has picked have been all wrong for her.
Until she meets Brick the Security guard who carries her home after she hurt her leg getting away from one of her nightmare dates.


This was a steamy instalove novella and I loved it!

Can’t wait to read her new series sweet little sinners and sweet tooth in March!

[Lisa Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alyssa is on another bad date arranged by her mother. She jumps out a window to get away from the drunk frat boy and hurts her ankle. One of the campus security guards, Brick, comes across her and carries her back to her apartment. Brick is attracted to Alyssa, but believes there is no way she is interested. This is a sweet and steamy read, Brick makes a few missteps with his belief she does not feel the same.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.