Book links:
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Goodreads
Synopsis:
It’s not every day a girl discovers she’s not entirely human and unlocks hidden powers strong enough to make even the First Race take notice. Then again, Ava Michaels is no ordinary girl.
Now, the Race’s Ruling Council wants her under their control, and that’s just the beginning of her problems. Her boyfriend, Caleb Foster, has disappeared—accused of betraying the Race—and Ava herself is implicated in a crime she didn’t commit.
Clearing their names will mean uncovering a web of deceit and intrigue with Ava woven right in the center. To unravel the strands, she joins forces with some unlikely allies; a Protector who once haunted her nightmares, a young girl with secrets as unexpected as Ava’s, and a group of rebel Guardians who have their own fight against the Council.
Together they stand in a battle to find the truth, bring Caleb home, and secure Ava’s freedom—not to mention save her life.
My review:
The Guardians is the second installment in author T.M. Franklin’s More Trilogy. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this read and absolutely cannot wait to see how this trilogy plays out in the next book!
Trying to come to terms with her Race heritage and learning she isn’t exactly a human has kept Ava Michaels busy for the last few months. She’s been training with her boyfriend, Caleb, trying to hone the supernatural skills she has and also trying to unlock skills she feels buried deep within her. Oh, all while being watched by the Council to make sure she isn’t a threat to them, being a half-breed and all. Now, as if that wasn’t enough to deal with, Ava senses something is off with Caleb lately. He’s had a short temper and been snapping over the littlest things, really unlike his normally patient and kind manner. Things go from a bit off to jumping off the charts after Caleb disappears and is suspected of working with Rogues and deceiving the Race and everyone he knows. Certain that there is no way he could be responsible for the charges against him, Ava sets off with the Protector in charge of keeping an eye on her to find Caleb and find out just what the hell is going on. Along the way, she will meet allies and foes all the while having to figure out who falls into which category. Danger and deceit lurks around every turn but to Ava, it’s all worth it to save Caleb. Will she have what it takes?
The twists and turns in The Guardians made this book an amazing and thrilling ride. Ava proves, on more than one occasion, that she is a force to be reckoned with and she will never back down from what she believes in. Knowing Caleb couldn’t have done what he’s accused of, she will stop at nothing to find him and get to the bottom of this mess. What she finds, however, is not at all what she thought she would. She uncovers a plot to take down the Council and the Guardians. In other words, a plot to take over the Race. Also, the mystery of where she came from before she was adopted is somewhat solved during her search for answers regarding Caleb and gives us an idea of what she will have to deal with in the next book (which I can’t wait to read!). Characters thought to be trustworthy prove otherwise while others step up and prove they will fight alongside Ava. I really enjoyed getting to see a different side of Tiernan as the story progressed. He’s turning into quite the softie when it comes to Ava. Love that! By the end of the story, Ava has gained a pretty great team supporting her and Caleb. Goodness knows she’s going to need all the help she can get to fight the opponent we are introduced to in this book. I apologize if my review sounds vague, but you know how I hate to give spoilers away….and trust me, there are a whole lot of things I don’t want to spoil!
Just believe me when I say, if you love a good mystery combined with fantasy and supernatural elements, pick up this series. You will not be disappointed. Thank you, Ms. Franklin, for a fantastic read!
Four Loves
About the author:
T.M. Franklin started out her career writing non-fiction in a television newsroom. Graduating with a B.A. in Communications specializing in broadcast journalism and production, she worked for nine years as a major market television news producer, and garnered two regional Emmy Awards, before she resigned to be a full-time mom and part-time freelance writer. After writing and unsuccessfully querying a novel that she now admits, “is not that great,” she decided to follow the advice of one of the agents who turned her down—write some more and get better at it. Her first published novel, MORE, was born during National Novel Writing month, a challenge to write a novel in thirty days.
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Mike, is mom to two boys, Justin and Ryan, and has an enormous black dog named Rocky who’s always lying nearby while she’s writing. Whether he’s soothed by the clicking of the computer keys or just waiting for someone to rub his belly is up for debate.
In addition to MORE and The Guardians, Franklin penned the Amazon best-selling short story, Window, as well as another short story, A Piece of Cake, which appears in the Romantic Interludes anthology.
Connect with T.M. Franklin
Dawn is a woman of many colors. Born and raised in the North-East, the youngest child of three, to two hard working, and extremely dedicated parents, she thrived on her love for creative writing. Her commitment to hard work lead her down a number of career paths over the years, stopping with her love for fiction.
| 
Patricia Leever is a wife, stay-at-home mom of four and owner of one dog and one really old cat. On the average school day she runs about town like a lunatic picking up and dropping off kids and trying to find a moment of quiet to write down a word or two.
~ 
~ 
Four-and-a-Half Loves
Caisey Quinn lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, daughter, and other assorted animals. She is the bestselling author of the Kylie Ryans series as well as several New Adult Romance novels featuring country girls finding love in unexpected places. You can find her online at 
~ 
Debra Anastasia grew up in New York and got a bachelor’s degree in political science at SUNY New Paltz. At the start of her marriage, she moved to southern Maryland with her husband. She still doesn’t trust crabs and all their legs, though everyone else in her family thinks they’re delicious. Her favorite hobbies include knitting, painting furniture and wall murals, and slapping clowns.
~ 
Even before she graduated from law school, Mary Whitney knew she wasn’t cut out to be a real lawyer. Drawn to politics, she’s spent her career as an organizer, lobbyist, and nonprofit executive. Nothing piques her interest more than a good political scandal or romance, and when she stumbled upon writing, she put the two together. A born Midwesterner, naturalized Texan, and transient resident of Washington, D.C., Mary now lives in Northern California with her two daughters and real lawyer husband.
~ 
Kat Bastion is an award-winning paranormal romance writer, poetic warrior, and eternal optimist who loves getting lost in the beauty of nature. On a never-ending, wondrous path of self-discovery, Kat throws her characters into incredible situations with the hope that readers join her in learning more about the meaning of life and love. Her first published work, Utterly Loved, was shared with the world to benefit others. All proceeds from Utterly Loved, and a portion of the proceeds of all her other books, support charities who help those lost in this world. Kat lives with her husband amid the beautiful Sonoran Desert of Arizona.
~