Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: Guarded

SERIES: Kensley Panthers (Book 2)

AUTHOR: Nicole Dykes

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 221 pages

RELEASE DATE: January 9, 2023

BLURB:

Jameson Bates
I have a secret. We all have secrets. I’m nothing special.
It just so happens, however, that my sworn enemy also knows my secret.
He’s the absolute worst person to know this, and there’s nothing I can do about it.
What he does with this information is totally out of my hands and completely in his.
This is why I’ve never let anyone in. I don’t trust easily. I keep to myself.
I’m closed off. Angry.
Guarded.

Garrison Dixon
I shouldn’t have seen what I did.
I shouldn’t know what I do.
But how Bates can think I would ever say anything is beyond me.
Everyone thinks I’m just a big, dumb football player with nothing more to him.
The truth is I’ll never say a word about what I witnessed. I don’t care about it the way he thinks I do. I wouldn’t hurt him.
And I’d let him know that—all of it—if he wasn’t so damn . . .
Guarded.

REVIEW:

I am not typically a high school romance reader but Nicole Dykes has lead me to desire this series.

This series is shaping up to have opposites in personalities attract to each other. In the first book Keeper Kingston is a partier that just lets things come as they may without worries and Camden, his best friend, has had to be serious and responsible all this life. And I believe that Kingston was gay-for-you because he truly loved Cam and that was all that was important. In this next book in the series Jameson knows that he’s bisexual but he also knows he has to guard his secret in his small, conservative town where homophobic slurs are common place. Garrison and his best friend Oakley are the new kings of the town and he basically acts and then he will deal with the fall out of his actions. He doesn’t worry about the consequences. But that’s all Jameson and his best friend Travis do is worry that their secrets will be discovered. Having Garrison catch Jameson kissing Travis is the worst possible scenario because Garrison is a loud mouth that doesn’t think but just blurts out everything. Besides Jameson has hated him every since he stole his glue stick in kindergarten! But when Garrison starts trying to hang around Jameson it freaks him out. Then there is that kiss and now Jameson is questioning everything. Can two football teammates who hate each other trust the other so they can experiment as long as they stay Guarded?

Seriously? You have had a feud going since kindergarten and you are now graduating from high school this year all over a freaking glue stick??? I will tell you that opening scene and the childish rivalry really had me worried where this book was going. I’m not big on created angst and definitely can’t stand immature teeny bopper antics. Thankfully, this book turned a corner pretty fast and grabbed hold of me. I get that they were both worried if their secrets were discovered. Kensley seems to be a small homophobic town mentality that surrounds them. And they both feel stuck there forever, never ever going to get the opportunity to love who they love open and freely. Surprisingly Oakley, of all the characters, endeared me the most. I get how he was surprised and hurt by the chain of events with Garrison, who is his best friend and his ride or die since he was young, but him stepping up meant a lot. I am really looking forward to getting his story.

RATING:

BUY LINKS:

Amazon