Reviews for The Guardian's Honor (Love Inspired Series)

The average rating for The Guardian's Honor (Love Inspired Series) based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-12-30 00:00:00 Jerel Fanuncio This book contains the conclusion to the search for Ned Bodine and what happened to him. Other plot points include a child with spina bifida who needs an operation to be able to walk, but whose mother cannot afford the bill for it; a coast guard member with a PTSD-like issue related to a past on-duty confrontation involving a child from Cuba; and a romance for Adam Bodine. I'm not quite sure what to make of Cathy Norwood. I think part of her issue is self-esteem--she feels like she let down her grandparents by dropping out of school and getting married to a man who left her when the baby they produced wasn't "perfect". She's an overprotective mother, and while protecting your child is admirable, I sometimes wondered if she was projecting reactions onto other people based on her own expectations. She seems very negative and very suspicious much of the time. She doesn't seem to trust the good in others or that they may be honorable and do the right thing. And while I can't fault her for hoping that there might be some money available to help her son and grandfather, that seems to be her main focus--rather than being glad he's reconnecting with family she wants to know what's in it for them--even to the point where she plans a secret trip to view the probated will to see if Ned was left anything. I honestly can't see Adam falling in love with her. Jamie, Cathy's son, on the other hand is an open, loving child who seems to bring out the best in his grandfather. (Though he does have his moments of not wanting to do things etc. so he's not portrayed as a "perfect" child in that sense either.) I can see Adam (and everyone else) falling in love with this little boy. Both Cathy and Adam show some personal growth within the plot. I am proud of Cathy for refusing the first proposal for reasons other than fear and the other negatives she began the novel with.

Review # 2 was written on 2018-08-22 00:00:00 Louis Obrien A pleasant conclusion to the Bodine family trilogy. I enjoyed the beach scenes, the little boy in the tidal pools, and Miz Callie, as always. A good gift from a good friend. "The Guardian's Honor" was said to be one of the better romances in a box of books, and I agree. Although these Love Inspired romances frequently have single-parent situations, and I suspect that's wish-fulfillment literature for single-parent readers, I am finding that I do enjoy reading the books with children. I appreciate their antics and their point of view, in keeping situations from becoming too serious or melodramatic. Jamie's medical issues in this one do naturally add to the crisis involved. I thought the descriptions and the character descriptions were well done, particularly Cathy's motivations for some of her secretive actions. The plot was a little predictable, but I found that I didn't even mind because it was so well told. I do think that Adam's secret could have led him down much darker paths than could be wrapped up in so short a book. SPOILER - I was proud of one character for refusing a marriage proposal. A different friend of mine would state that it's not very clear what the characters believe in this book, and that's true. But the characterization of this family has been building throughout this series, as far as what beliefs and values they hold together. Of course, an individual in the family could disagree, but Adam's issue seems to be more emotional than philosophical. Favorite quotes: (All Miz Callie quotes) "I've never been overly impressed with the wisdom of most people." "It's always dangerous to have specific dreams for your children and grandchildren. Life so often takes them in another direction. I find I have to count on the good Lord to get them to the place where they belong." "If there's one thing I've learned as I've gotten older, it's that the best way to look at the past is to sift through it for those bright moments. They'll come up, shining like a bit of beach glass in the sand, and you can just let the rest slip away."