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adhdandread 's review for:
Guarded
by Lark Taylor
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Guarded by Lark Taylor
Hopeless Blessed #3
Length: 412 pages
Source: The Author Agency eARC
Publication date: August 27, 2025
5 ⭐
4 🌶️
WHAT TO EXPECT
🪽Angel x demon
🪽Found family
🪽Touch him and die
🪽Hurt/comfort
🪽Lacy lingerie
🪽Dirty texting
🪽Slow burn
SUMMARY
Noah, a member of the Seraphim, and Jeremiah (Jem), a demon recently escaped from hell, are fated mates and destined to be together. Except, whoops, Jem sees Noah and immediately turns and runs away. More than once.
But soon, he realizes his mistake and returns to grovel his way back into Noah’s good graces. The problem is, Noah has spent most of his life in an emotionally abusive, dead-end relationship where he was taken advantage of time and again, until he eventually walked away. So he’s not exactly chomping at the bit to forgive and forget Jem’s initial reaction.
Noah is determined to protect himself from ever being hurt again. Unfortunately for him, Jem is just as determined to break down his angel’s emotional armor and prove that he’s worth the risk.
MY THOUGHTS
Holy hell! Jeremiah is the sweetest torture demon ever and treats Noah like a king. He keeps an ongoing list of things he learns about his mate, from “Noah is sassy” to “Noah sets boundaries” to “Noah deserves to be protected.” Ugh, the whole list is just *chef’s kiss.* It’s beautiful and lets the reader see—even though Noah cannot see it in the moment—how much Jeremiah is paying attention to him and truly seeing him. And this demon stands on business for his man! Nobody’s going to be taking advantage of Noah c/ Jem around.
Of course, that goes both ways. Noah may not appear physically threatening, but his mate immediately recognizes the power within him, and Noah is 100% not afraid to use it to protect Jem as needed. To see Noah not only stand up for himself but also finally find a partner who sees his worth and demands that worth be honored is really affirming. Noah learns that he doesn’t have to be alone and that the right person to appreciate and revere him just needed to stick.
Obviously, the gang’s all here as well, and I love it. The found-family aspect of the Hopeless Blessed series (and the other series in this universe) is outstanding. It’s integrated seamlessly into the writing so that even if you haven’t read the previous books (what’s even wrong with you?), you’re not lost on what’s happening or missing the point of inside jokes between the angels and demons.
And finally, there’s the spice. These guys do NOT shy away from the sexy times, and that includes Noah and Jeremiah. It’s a slower build than some previous books in this universe, because Jeremiah wants to respect Noah's hesitation, but when it hits … oof, better have a fire extinguisher (and some ear plugs) handy.
And finally, there’s the spice. These guys do NOT shy away from the sexy times, and that includes Noah and Jeremiah. It’s a slower build than some previous books in this universe, because Jeremiah wants to respect Noah's hesitation, but when it hits … oof, better have a fire extinguisher (and some ear plugs) handy.
BOTTOM LINE
Yes. 100% yes. Read it. Love it. Buy it. This entire universe continues to be top-tier.
CONTENT WARNINGS
Explicit sexual content; torture, murder, and violence; angel/demon battle, emotional abuse by a partner (ex), on- and off-page; verbal abuse by a partner (ex), on- and off-page. For a complete list, you can also visit the author’s web site.
— A
Thanks to The Author Agency and Lark Taylor for an eARC of this book. All opinions are mine. Reviews posted regularly on StoryGraph, Instagram, BlueSky, BookBub, Fable, and Goodreads.