Rebecca Zanetti is constantly raising her own bar. I love, love, love Grace and Adare’s story!

Adare O’Cearbhaill saved Grace Cooper from a coma. She is more than an enhanced human, she is one of the keys. He is a Vampire who mated her in a unique manner, with a brand and a bite only. Adare and Grace have always had a bumpy relationship. She is trying to reclaim memories she lost just before her coma. He has a need to protect her from herself and any other harm coming her way.

Grace and Adare’s story is the one I have impatiently been waiting for since I read ‘Vampire’s Faith’. These two characters have always had this amazing chemistry, even though they maintained the pretense of dislike for one another. Even though they are technically mated something is not right with Grace, she seems to be returning to human. What will happen when her chromosomes revert back to 23 pairs? Will she fall back into a coma? Can she cheat death by taking the virus. Is the answer to make her mating official? Adare and Grace must decide what will save both of them while still fighting a war against the Kurjans.

Rebecca Zanetti has built a complex and deep world with her Dark Protectors series. These last five books are an extension of the original storyline. The uniqueness of each species, their capabilities, and identifying features add a whole other level to the story. Even though characters from the original storyline appear throughout these books, this storyline has its own direction and keeps the plot entertaining. I don’t want to reach the end but I am on the edge of my seat wondering where the Seven, the Keys, and the Lock will end up.

I was very interested in Adare and Grace's story, from whatever I had read about them in the previous parts.
And this did live up to my expectations for them but at the same time, it didn't.

Grace, who has been out of coma for a few years now, is trying to find out what exactly happened on the night she was attacked. Adare, being Adare, is busy with his duties of being a 'Seven' and ignoring Grace. Their paths cross again by chance and there are new and terrible developments that have placed their lives in grave danger. And what is the solution to avoid this danger - mating, and this time, it would be a proper one. Grace is trying to take her life in her own hands and not make herself dependent on others, especially Adare. Adare is done with giving space to Grace and he wants to keep her safe and protected at all times, even if that means that he has to put his own life in danger. Both of them want each other, but both think that the other only wants to be them out of the sense of honor or obligation. This I feel is a very very typical trope particular to this series, in books after Vampire's Faith especially. That is why I was disappointed with the romance because it really felt more of the same. Something similar has been done between couples in this same series a lot of times now.

Adare and Grace's story started in a very unusual manner in Vampire's Faith, but sadly, I felt that its's continuation was not unique. It was the same thing again, where the guy is being all alpha male and caveman and wants to protect his mate and keep her safe while he goes out on dangerous missions. The woman is actually out of her depth and needs the guy's protection, but is not ready to accept it and hence does stupid things to show her supposed independence.

There was one thing that was done differently, which I actually really liked and that was that both Grace and Adare have serious discussions and conversations with each other about their relationship and commitments and priorities and if they are ready to mold themselves to suit each other's needs. This was not something that was done between the couples that came before these two and I really liked the open conversations.
There was an element of sweetness between these two, it was not all steamy and sexy. There was an intricate trust between these two that I liked.

Many other things happen in this book as well, other than Grace and Adare's romance. Things are getting messier between the Seven and the Realm. There are a lot of political problems and tensions. We see Hope, who is now a teenager and she is dealing with different kinds of problems and situations. There are a lot of new and dangerous developments in the Kurjan nation. Plotwise, this book has created a strong buildup for the events that might happen in the next book. The ending was a solid one, though again, a bit expected.

I was very much in love with Benny in this book. He is absolutely crazy but so sweet at the same time! I think his story is going to be the next one in the series and I must say, I am very very interested in his story because Benny deserves everyone's love!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing this eARC. The above words reflect my honest opinion.

I will be posting the review on my Instagram account linked below in October, in the week before the release of the book. I will also make a post on the publication day. Post release, I will add my review on Amazon.

Solid paranormal romance of the brotherhood variety (Blackdagger Brotherhood, Midnight Breed, etc.). Enough action, tension and steamy romance to entertain entwined in an enticing story-line that keeps you engaged.

*Review will be posted to blog www.elainehowlin.com on release date

Holy Grace and Adare. This book was great. Adare and Grace have a very unconventional mating. This mating led to difficulties present day. I love how they both fight their feelings. I also enjoyed that Grace nodded and agreed with Adare but then did what she wanted. Totally inline with the past few female mates. They try to resist each other and then when they finally come together they ignite, The chemistry is off the charts, This story pick ups right where the last left off as far as where the 7 are in the War. This time, in Adare's book the Shifter nation has an issue with what the 7 has done. Hopefully this plays out in Benny's book.

I love this world and cannot wait for Garrett and Benny's story.

I’d give this book a 3.5. I’ve been looking forward to Adare and Grace’s story for a while now, but I found it a bit lacking. Grace kept pushing Adare away to the point it was tiring. Adare kept saying he couldn’t love because his clan had been wiped out. They both have emotional baggage, and I don’t think either of them handled it well.

I felt the story about something being different with Grace’s blood went on a little too long and took away a bit from the developing romance. I found it interesting at first, but then I started to lose interest in it.

I also found it hard to believe that Jacki set up Adare and The Seven and didn’t get punished for it. Adare had the chance to turn her in to the leader of the shifters, but he didn’t and I couldn’t understand why. The betrayal didn’t seem like something The Seven or the Realm would let someone get away with.

I was happy to see Hope, Drake again, and there’s an interesting twist involving Pax. I can’t wait to see how it plays out. I also enjoyed seeing more of the King and Queen in this book.

I found this to be one of the least romantic books in the series, and I honestly didn’t feel much chemistry between the pair. The suspense, however, was on point as always, and it’s what saved the book for me. I liked the book but I didn’t love it. It looks like Benny is up next, and based on meeting his mate in this book, it’s going to be interesting to see how that unravels.

This is a great addition to the Dark Protector’s series. I have been anxiously awaiting Adare and Grace’s story since their unconventional mating. Adare mated Grace in order to save her life. Grace is also one of the keys that they are protecting. When the book starts Adare and Grace are seeing each other after several years. Grace is trying to remember her past as well as dealing with the fading of her mating mark. Adare is unaware of Grace’ s fading mark and is on a suicide mission himself. Their love story is engrossing in that both of them are suppressing their feelings for one another. The action of the book keeps the story moving and it’s fun to see interaction with past favorite characters. It was a fun adventure story with an engrossing love story. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment.

I have read all the books in this Series and have enjoyed them, I rarely find a Rebecca Zanetti story that I don't enjoy. We first ready about Grace a couple of books back and I was always curios to what happened to her to end up in a coma. You just had a feeling their was an interesting story coming about her and the spunky personality she had. For the past 5 years Grace has been out trying to figure her life out and what happened to her, she has stayed away from Adare her mate since their union was unconventional and she felt forced on the both of them.

They both have very different personalities, she is quirky has a bit of an attitude and he is straight forward no nonsense kind of guy. It's basically his way or no way because its for the greater good, at least that's how he see's it. It was fun reading about them and how little Adare really about Grace and what she hid from him. I enjoyed their story alot was thrilled to read it. Its fun to see the difference in each one of the Seven, they are really unique but always have each others back.

Like past stories you do get a peek into past characters but not all of them. You also get to find out whats happening in the realm. Can't wait for the next one story!

Steamy, action filled goodness from one of the most entertaining RNR series out there.
I love that Rebecca Zanetti has evolved the Dark protectors world so much and keeps bringing original and different characters into the mix. Adare might be one of my favorites from the whole series – he’s equal parts ancient being, action terminator and unconventional swoony romance hero. I honestly did not want this book to end, I was so enamored by him. I also love that the underlining plot progresses with each installment and we get new glimpses into both camps, keeping the anticipation of the final battle going. If you haven’t started this fabulous series, please do, it’s such a fun distraction. This installment is great and I can’t wait for the next one, but it’s best enjoyed if read in order, as the mythology and the relationships between the different species is the underlining plot throughout the books.
action-filled goodness from one of the all time

I received this book via NetGalley and the author's publisher and have agreed to leave an honest opinion.

Five years ago, Adare partially mated Grace who was in a coma in hopes that she would wake from the coma and not die.

This couple have been at odds since she awoke, probably because Grace felt Adare saved her out of pity of for her sister, who was a mate to another Dark Protector. It is far from the truth as Adare felt drawn to her the moment he saw her even though he would 't admit it at that point either.

Grace goes off on her own, eager to get away from the Dark Protectors and their issues. She doesn't believe she is a "key" and therefore important to the immortal world. She is a gifted photographer and does decently on her own. She wants to find out about the attack on her life though, the one that put her in the coma. Eventually she heads closer and closer to Chicago where she lived when she was attacked. Grace is not doing well though. Since her mating with Adare was not totally fulfilled her mating mark is fading and she has been ill and she wants answers in case she dies.

What will she find here? Answers to her questions? Memories? Danger??

Even though he let her leave, Adare has kept tabs on Grace and he now knows she is in danger. Can he keep her safe? And what of her failing health and what needs to be done to keep her alive?

This book is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. Any questions that may come up from past books is filled in if needed so they reader is not confused.

Adare's sidekick and one of his best friends is Benny. Benny and Grace are also good friends. Poor Benny tries telling both characters that there is more between them but neither will listen of course.

As usual, we get plenty of action in this book! Our author, Rebecca Zannetti, spins a great story with action and plenty of twists! It's ALWAYS a ride worth taking....

At this point we are pretty far in this beloved series. You need to read them in order so get going--we are on book #12 already! We have met this couple before. Grace was on death's door and Adare volunteered to mate her--kind of. No romance, no s3x, but all the other steps. She recovers and now 5 yrs later, Adare is catching up with her. She has gotten herself on the radar of the Cyst and things are not looking so good.

This author always gives us lots of action. The big bad guy has yet to show his face so we know there are more books coming. Grace is one of the Keys and vital to bringing down Ulric. Not a ton of romance in this one but story progression. We are getting closer to the big conclusion.

Great to see all the previous couples. Loved Hope and her gang. Lots of unanswered questions I am just dying to know. Looking forward to the stories to come.

It's hard to believe GUARDIAN'S GRACE is the twelfth book in the Dark Protectors series, but as usual, this was a fun romp through a different world. There are a ton of characters in this series, and the whole gang is regularly in the majority of scenes. I thought I would connect more with Grace Cooper since I'm also a photographer, and while I did find her ability to capture the true essence of a soul through the lens, she fell flat for me in her battle for independence. I mean, when you know the reality of the world is that there are real paranormal creatures out there, wouldn't you stick close to the big guy who's pledged himself to you? I wanted to slap her and tell her to snap out of it when she continued to insist upon going to the baptism of her friend's child. That said, when she finally got on board, her courtship with Adare was satisfying -- even if their courtship came after marriage.

I received an ARC of this book for an honest review.

I've been waiting to see where Adare and Grace's story was going since they first mated. Adare is of course an alpha male, and Grace ends up being a strong willed female, despite her health weaknesses. I didn't feel like there was as much romance in this book, as there is in other books of the series, but there was a lot of action and humor.

There were a few surprises along the way that I was not expecting and a few guest appearances. Not to mention there was a lot of Benny is this book! I think that this book set up the next book in the series nicely and think it was a good addition to the series.

This is definitely a series you want to read in order, even if each couple gets their HEA.

GUARDIAN'S GRACE by Rebecca Zanetti. This tells the tale of Grace and Adare. Adare, a Seven member, and immortal, is a sexy and strong and ultra alpha guy. He only wants to take care of and protect Grace. Grace, having no memories of her life prior to 5 years ago, isn't quite sure who she is anymore. However, she feels the explosive chemistry between her and Adare, her mate. Honestly, Grace irked the heck out of me and for that reason, I had trouble progressing through this one. I just didn't like her. She made so many poor choices and would get mad when others reacted, she just drove me nuts. The story has a lot of action and that was well written and quite suspenseful too. I liked the introduction to what, I presume, will be future works - Hope's story hopefully. If you have not read previous books in this series, I highly recommend it as, I have not read them all and was a bit lost in all of the story history that this books entails. Overall, an ok read but was hoping for more. (received ARC from NetGalley for honest review)

I absolutely love this world! That’s saying a lot when I despise ongoing series. There are only a few that I’ve dedicated my time to and this is one that I will always want to read.

I’ve been waiting to get Adare’s and Grace’s complete story since they were first introduced as a “couple”. Their relationship is not one of choice as much as necessity. That intrigued me with where their storyline would go and how they’d eventually come together. It was all that I had hoped.

Grace, as a human, is weaker but holy heck did she have a will of iron and she was quick to show it in full force to Adare. The thing I really liked about it was that she didn’t have to yell and shout or carry on, she simply said what she wanted or she did as she wanted. It pretty much drove Adare crazy.

As all of Ms. Zanetti’s heroes, Adare is the perfect example of an alpha male with strong protective tendencies and even a bit of jealousy when called for, although with these mated males jealousy is harder to come by as anyone who makes a move, even jokingly, pays the price for doing so. Watching him slowly come to some new realizations was endearing as he thought he had his life all planned out, even with his mate that he had separated himself from.

This is chock full of action and excitement with a lot of new information regarding the ongoing struggle between the Seven and...well, pretty much everyone else. We see lots of old familiar characters from the past, as well as a few new ones. I’m so excited to see where this series is going to take us as there is just so much possibility here.

Such a fun series! There’s romance, humor, passion and vampires! Not much more one could ask for, really. Grace has been an interesting character that is bought to the front in this book. Her mating with a member of the seven was to save her life but may end up saving Adare’s in multiple ways. The children that have always added fun to the series are growing up and will allow future books to explore.

Love this series and author. Was looking forward to this book and it didn’t disappoint. Bit different from rest of series. Seems to be setting you up for future books and wasn’t as heavy on romance part. But overall great book by fantastic writer.

Scottish Hottie Vampire finally gets his story - and it's a doozy!

Adare and Grace have been percolating in the background for a while now. She was in a coma and he managed to help her by mating her, just without the sex (that's the best bit too LOL). Fast forward a few years and Grace has been up and around for a while and is trying to piece together what happened to her before her coma.

The backstory as it unfolds is awesome, intricate and very heartbreaking. Similarly, Adare is carrying around a bucketload of guilt and self-recrimination which is getting in the way of ensuring Grace mates him properly.

Adare and Grace are a great match - they both have layers to peel away. But the secondary characters are also a joy. Especially, Benny, I need to know what his story is ASAP! Plenty of twists and WTH moments to keep you interested and the passion is off the charts HAWT!

I've read a few books from the Dark Protectors series now, I have been waiting to find out how things would unfold with Grace and Adare. They have popped up time and time again, as they are reluctant mates, not properly connected. I thought that it might be fun when they finally got together and that's what they have in this book.
I've enjoyed seeing their relationship, or lack of it, at a distance in the previous books. Now we finally see them finding out what they might mean to one another. It clear that despite their distance, they really do have feelings for one another. I liked the way that they are together. Adare is a little overbearing, as most of the male characters are in this series, but Grace is able to hold her own. That said, there were a couple of times that I think he went a little too far, although I would like to think that he would learn to trust her and treat her as more of an equal. I prefer storylines where there is more equality.
With all of these books, there is the overarching storyline that involves Hope and her future role in bringing an end to the conflict in their world. We did see some more of this in this book, with whole chapters devoted to Hope and her friends. I'm looking forward to seeing where that will go.
This would probably work as a standalone if you haven't already read any books in this series. I think that you would get far more out of it if you were to read the other books first. It also sets up for the next book, which I assume with involve Benny.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Grace and Adare have been dancing around each other in previous books - happy to finally get to learn more about their backgrounds and their marriage of convenience.
Highly recommend reading the other books in the series as this book does not work well as a stand alone.

This book is a return to the Realm and DID NOT disappoint. As a reader of this author for many years, this book helped tie a lot of threads together and move the overall story of the Realm along. Our Heroine, keeps the Hero (a member of the Seven) on his toes as he tries to focus on his mission without her interference. She is a spitfire, who takes no crap from the hero, and he assumes his directives will be obeyed. She doesn’t like the word obey and is a free thinking firecracker all the way around. He is very much an alpha male that I imagine has a charming Irish brogue. He’s old-fashioned and is often surprised that this small female continues to stand-up to him and forge her own path to discover her past and missing memories. From their first meet up after 5 years at the beginning of the story and through all of the twists and turns, this book will totally keep you on your toes. There are many story lines that are interwoven and you will most definitely not be bored!