Guardian's Keep

Witch Kelly Shane blames Kol Hildr for a lot of things, not the least of which was the death of her friend (see book 1, UNBOUND, for more details). Kol is a shape shifter, a garm, charged with protecting the portal found at the bar named GUARDIAN'S KEEP. Kelly just knows that he is somehow connected to her latest case in which wolves are wreaking havoc on her client's business. Another new client walks through her door and leaves Kelly even more convinced that Kol needs to be stopped. Meanwhile, Kol knows that Kelly is a potential threat to all that he holds dear, but what about the attraction sizzling between them? Will Kelly learn to trust Kol? Who or what will Kol choose when everything is on the line? Lori Devoti is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine with her willingness to take chances in the paranormal romance genre. In UNBOUND, I fell in love with her hellhound hero and now in GUARDIAN'S KEEP she has made me love a garm. Lori Devoti's unconventional heroes add an interesting twist to the storylines as she explores new beings in her world, making the seemingly unlovable become lovable. GUARDIAN'S KEEP is the sequel to UNBOUND. GUARDIAN'S KEEP can easily be read as a stand alone as the basis for the story is well explained. However, those wanting to see how the events unfolded and led to Kelly's anger at Kol will want to read UNBOUND as the details are related in full in the first book. The world building in GUARDIAN'S KEEP is phenomenal. Lori Devoti has created a vast world based on Norse mythology. Anything can and does happen in this world as readers are drawn into the fascinating politics and relationships that develop. GUARDIAN'S KEEP is yet another hit from Lori Devoti! She carefully balances the paranormal elements with a strong romance to create a story that is practically impossible to put down. Highly recommended! COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

Lori Devoti's GUARDIAN'S KEEP, the second book in the Unbound paranormal romance series, is steeped in mythology, romance and the paranormal world of garms, witches, shape shifters and portals to a different world. Kol Hildr, a shape shifter and a dual being with human and wolf forms can shimmer. He guards the portal at Guardian's Keep, a bar where hellhounds, warlocks, trolls and all sorts of beings cause trouble. Greed, power and rogue garms fuel all sorts of dark events in this magical world. Kelly, a twin witch, has seen the very depths of the evil that lurks behind the portal. When a woman asks for her assistance, Kelly is emboldened in her quest. First, she must come face to face with Kohl. Her twin sister trusts Kohl, but Kelly is not sure whom to trust, especially whether or not to trust the one man who could bring her entire mission to an end. Torn between his duty, indeed his life's purpose as a portal guardian, and this little witch who somehow awakens something in him, he may just be forced to choose what he knows and something all together more unfamiliar. When garm politics force him to choose sides, will he make a choice for love and will his journey to save Kelly make him risk losing everything? Lori Devoti creates a magnetic energy between the hero and heroine, not through description,but in the very interactions between Kohl and Kelly. Suspense mounts as Kelly's quest to save an innocent boy conflicts with Kohl's role as the guardian of the portal. Lori Devoti builds suspense with an object here that is out of place, a word spoken there, a certain odd alliance. The hint of garm politics with the Council and the rogues give GUARDIAN'S KEEP a multi-dimensional world in which love places the characters at a heightened risk as alliances endanger individuals by secret machinations designed to unravel one's very nature. Lori's Devoti's use of Norse mythology within the fictional context of a paranormal romance is brilliant, adding a unique rich darkness to this beautifully written romance that fans will enjoy watching Lori Devoti explore.

While not quite as good as her previous book Unbound (Silhouette Nocturne), I enjoyed Guardian's Keep, Lori Devoti's second book in her series, but I found the heroine witch Kelly (returning from the first book which starred her sister Kara) a bit frustrating. Kelly, who is supposed to be the logical of the twins, is incredibly impetious and does some really stupid things. She's the one that got her sister in trouble in the last book and here she goes through a gate to another world, not knowing anything about it, without any weapons, and not knowing how to get back. A damsel in distress is one thing but I prefer my heroines a bit smarter. I also didn't like that she thinks shifter Kol is truly a villian, but succumbs to her hormones and sleeps with him anyway. Fortunately she gets most of the truly dumb stuff out of the way early in the book, and when the action picks up she improves. I am a shifter freak, so of course I just loved the Hero wolf shifter Kol, who guards a portal between worlds. He in some ways was every bit as spontaneous as Kelly, but somehow with him I didn't find it quite so annoying, maybe because his choices were based on choosing love even when the cost was high. Despite the sleeping with the enemy stuff, the attraction between the leads here is well done, and for a lightweight paranormal romance there was some interesting action and a cast of otherworldly characters including some 'bad' guys/girls that were really just misunderstood -- bet at least one ends up in the next book. This book works fine as a standalone read, even though Kol and Kelly made appearances in the previous book.

Witch Kelly Shane returns to the scene of her abduction and that of her best friend. Kelly got back because her beloved twin sister Kara risked her life and heart to help her make it back UNBOUND from the portal the hellhound shapeshifting kidnapper took her through; her pal did not. She wants answers and believes the guardian shapeshifter Kol Hildr has them as she holds him culpable for what happened to them. Kol feels guilty that he failed to do his mission, but was caught unaware. He is attracted to the tyro witch who keeps coming around demanding answers from him that he refuses to provide. However, Kelly knows that the portal leads to species enslavement and trafficking including the sale of humans and humanoids. She wants to know why he would allow this though she kicks herself for wanting this hunk. However, as he tells her to go home every evening, this night is different when an assault on the portal occurs that he thinks she inadvertently caused. Teaming up to keep those wanting in out, they fall in love, but the Council he works for has no use for Kelly or a disobedient guardian. This exciting romantic fantasy sequel will hook the audience from the onset as Lori Devoti enthralls her devoted fans with a terrific thriller. The action never slows down once the portal is breeched whereas the relationship between the guardian and the witch is enchanting as both know it is wrong. Although this can be read as a solo, perusing UNBOUND first enhances this experience as the whole is greater than the sum of the wonderful twin parts. Harriet Klausner

Witch Kelly Shane knows there's a connection between the outbreak of huge wolves destroying one of her client's business and the Gateway run by werewolf Kol Hildr. When a new client claims that her child has been stolen and taken through that gateway, she's even more convinced that Kol is a force for evil. The hot physical desire that she feels for Kol simply has to be ignored. Unfortunately, ignoring that desire isn't easy as it's apparent that super-sexy werewolf Kol knows it's there--and feels the same toward her. Kol has guarded his portal for a long time and doesn't intend to give it up--not to the rogues who seem arriving from everywhere or to the council supposedly in charge of these things who are now demanding that he accept an 'assistant' who is completely prepped to take over when he screws up. One common thread seems to connect all of Kol's problems--that pretty witch who insists on sticking her nose everywhere it doesn't belong. Despite everything, though, Kol can't bring himself to take Kelly down. On the contrary, he wants to take her to his bed--and keep her there. Author Lori Devoti continues her creative Norse Mythology-inspired gateway series with an enjoyable story that combines lots of adventure with sizzling sexy. Werewolf Kol is the strong alpha type--very male, very certain of himself, and very angry with the world. Kelly, with her empathy and concern for others makes a perfect foil--and eventual mate for the were. The bar setting, where mythical creatures congregate as a sort of home away from home is a lot of fun and should prove the launch for many more stories. During the first half of this story, I found myself frustrated by Kol, and especially Kelly, making assumptions about the other's motives and actions--and not ever really asking about them. The story really settled down when Devoti cleaned up the misunderstandings and got into the hard core of the conflict between these two characters, and between the many enemies they share. GUARDIAN'S KEEP is a fun and enjoyable read--with plenty of steam.