ARC Review of Guarded Love by Emery Paige
DeeDee,
Hello! It's been a while since I posted! Now, the new review post is here. Let's go!
Read an ARC book. Disclaimer attached in my review.
Title: Guarded Love
Author: Emery Paige
Genre: Romance
What Do I Think About The Book?
Pros: I like the college setting, Puerto Rico trip, and a character who is a hockey player. There is a character who is a video gamer (that is awesome!). Neurodiverent charcters! The first half of the book is good!
Cons: The pacing is slow and the plot is decent. The chemistry between Willow and Blaise is fine at the beginning, but started to get me uninterested around the middle of the book (I think the book is too spicy for me).
Verdict: The book is okay. I somewhat enjoy it (mainly the first half), but I think you would like this book if you like tense slow burn romance.
I have received a free copy from Love Notes PR. All opinions are my own. Thank you!
Plot:Â 3.5/5
Characters: 5/5
Pacing: 3.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Spice Level: 4/5 I think 🌶🌶🌶🌶
Overall: 3/5
Synopsis:
Willow Sanchez has one rule: avoid athletes at all costs. Ever since her high school heartbreak with a popular football player turned streamer, she's steered clear of jocks. That includes hockey players like her older brother Knox's teammate and best friend, Blaise Dalton. Blaise might be blond, blue-eyed, and annoyingly charming to everyone else, but to Willow, he's the definition of annoying as hell wrapped in a nerdy, athletic package.
Blaise knows how to keep his cool on the ice, but beneath his polished exterior, routines and love of videogames, lies a secret battle with anxiety. His life is carefully planned until Willow storms into it once more. She’s fiercely independent, and impossible to ignore.
When a winter break group trip to Puerto Rico throws Willow and Blaise into closer contact than ever before, the tension between them ignites, but their connection through her brother still lingers in the background. Arguments transform into deep conversations, and Blaise discovers that the spontaneity Willow brings into his life might be exactly what he needs to help face his anxiety. But just as they begin to grow closer, a scandal linked to Willow's ex-boyfriend threatens her emotional wellbeing, forcing her to retreat from the world. Blaise is determined to show her that facing the past is the only way forward, and the connection they’ve built is worth fighting for.
Soon, they’ll both realize it’s time to embrace the chaos and press start because it’s game on.
Description from Goodreads.
