Hard as a Rock (Gargoyles #3)
by Christine Warren
Blurb:
Bestselling author Christine Warren returns to
a mesmerizing
world in which the laws of attraction are never written in
stone—and love knows no bounds…
Her
name is Wynn Powe. A woman of great instinct and inner resources—and insatiable
beauty—Wynn has returned to Chicago to do what she does best: Locate Guardian
statues. But the Order of Eternal Darkness has beat her to the punch, and the
statue she’s come to investigate has been blown to smithereens. An elusive
enemy is on her trail…and this time, she’s on her own. Until a mysterious
package falls into Wynn’s hands—one that contains contain a chunk of old stone,
along with instructions for the spell required to summon a new Guardian.
HARD AS A ROCK
Enter
Knox. He’s a Guardian magically imbued with the skills and memories of his
race…and drop-dead, expertly-chiseled good looks. Bound to Wynn as his Warden,
Knox vows to learn the truth about the destroyed Guardian—and protect Wynn at
all costs. But he never could have imagined the fierce attraction
that has taken hold of him, body and soul. Is his desire for Wynn worth the
risk of being destroyed by the Order? The only thing he knows for sure is that
he won’t go down without a fight. Nor will he pass up a night of pure blind
passion...
Themes: gargoyles,
magick, paranormal
Rating: 4 stars
Heat Rating:
Review:
Review:
Ok let’s be honest there just aren’t that many
series out there that revolve around a group of gargoyles out to save the world
from demons. Christine Warren’s newest
series all about the misadventures of a group of sexy Guardians, who shift into
gargoyles for their stasis, and the women that are their mates, is almost as
fabulous as her Others series, though I might be biased since I’m more of a
werewolf fan. But the really great part of any story is the way that an author
manages to humanize her superheroes and show us that love is the one underlying
theme in any relationship. I have
followed this series since book one hit the review shelves and with each one I find myself finding something new to like, and of course, there is a new HOT
Guardian to fall in lust with in each book. If you haven’t read the previous novels,
I have to say you will be a little bit lost, while there is sufficient
information to keep you from losing interest, having the full background is the
only way to really understand and appreciate these novels as they are SO
tightly linked. I am looking forward to
seeing whose book will be next, though I have a small idea. Full of laughter, sadness, sensuality and
sweetness Warren’s writing and her characters always have something special to
keep you coming back for more.
This
story picks up right where book two ended, with Wynn traveling to a middle of
nowhere mansion in the Chicago suburbs looking for the Guardian that her friend
Ella has traced. This guardian is the
next one needed to fight the big bad that has begun to invade our world, but
she immediately finds that her luck has run out. Just as she has given up all hope of
surviving her little trip, a huge and intimidating beast shows up to come to
her rescue. Knox has been summoned,
though no one can explain how and he appears just in time to save Wynn. Filled with the knowledge of the ages, passed
to all Guardians upon their creation, Knox knows that he needs to keep Wynn
safe, even if he doesn’t quite understand her attraction or the emotions she
brings out in him. Together they begin to unravel the dangerous plot around
them, on the hunt for the newest disciple of the demons and his plot, as well
as Wynn’s missing Warden brother. But as
they get deeper and deeper into their investigations, the passion between them
becomes too much to resist and they fall into each other’s arms… and ultimately
hearts. When the battle begins for the
safety of the world and the chance to defeat evil, will Knox’s love for Wynn
keep him from fulfilling his duty, or can they each find a path to fulfill
their destiny but still be able to be together?
Even
though Knox springs into full life from nothingness, he is by no means a shallow
individual, and the man has no understanding of naiveté. His bravery, selflessness, and defense of
those around him are tempered with intelligence, passion, and wit, especially
when dealing with Wynn and her insecurities.
He is a fabulous character, even when he’s being a smartass, and it is
obvious he was made just for Wynn. While
he battles the dangers around them, he fights a second war with Wynn to get her
to give their relationship a chance. His
mate is a stubborn woman, but she'll soon learn his head truly is hard as a rock
(yes, pun intended). Wynn on the other
hand was a bit annoying at times.
Honestly, her lifelong dream—becoming a personal warden to a
Guardian—comes true through sheer luck and she is determined to resist the
change every step of the way, even knowing it hurts Knox. She’s more than willing to be with him and
take him into her body, when things get more intense and emotions become
invested, she pulls back again and again.
In the end, I was surprised she finally found a way to bend and accept
the flow that fate has pushed her into.
She also has some seriously sad moments to deal with and thankfully, she
learns to lean on Knox when she falls apart so he can give her a strong
foundation to fall back on.
Overall,
Hard as a Rock was a surprisingly intense and interesting novel that while
focusing on the relationship between the H/h, also carries a big portion of the
overall plot against the demons and the Order. The detail that goes into
something as intricate as this series, with so many moving subplots and
characters across so many settings, shows the true skill of the author, especially
being able to work in some sexy and passionate scenes as well as a life-long
love. Knox was one of those characters
that was just given the best lines, making you laugh, think, and groan, all in
the very best ways, while still being able to kick ass and protect those around
him. Wynn had her ups and downs for me;
in the beginning, her resistance to accepting Knox and their mating was
growl-inducing, but as we learned more about her insecurities, it was nice to
see Knox have to slowly overcome her prejudices so she could accept them. The passion between them, even when they
haven’t fully accepted their mating, is palpable and intense even when they are
only thinking about each other, but when the love is accepted and shared—phew,
the heat becomes exponentially higher.
I am looking forward to seeing whose book is next, since in all previous
books, we at least got a small hint, and though I have a small idea who it could
be, there are no guarantees. But no matter
who is next I know it will be someone awesome and I cannot wait to get to read
it. If you’re looking for a dark and
sensual story, with some moments of lightness, Warren’s Guardian series is
going to be right up your alley, as long as you have an open mind about what truly makes a person a Hero.
*eARC provided by publisher (via
netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review. No
compensation was provided.
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