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Growing Strong #1

The Guardian's Heart

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Case Thomas is always in control whether its on the basketball court, the lab where he works, or in his love life. He thinks he has everything all figured out. All that changes when his parents pass away during his last year of college and Case is thrown into fatherhood when he becomes temporary guardian to two adorable twin toddlers. Weeks later, exhausted and running out of time, Case must decide if he's ready to become a father to these children, or give them up and move on with what's left of his life. Then he meets Gabbie Vaulst.


Gabbie is amazing with the kids, owns her own business, and has all the right curves in all the right places. She can tell Case is attracted to her, but does he really love her or is he just settling for a surrogate Mom who can wrangle his new kids? Knowing that she's falling in love with him, she chooses to push him away until his world straightens out. Can Case prove to Gabbie, and himself, that his feelings are real? Or is this sudden family too much for both of them to handle?


The odds, as well as members of their past who've come out of the woodwork, are against them, but when kids are involved, all bets are off.

188 pages, Paperback

First published September 17, 2012

2 people are currently reading
277 people want to read

About the author

Michel Prince

79 books838 followers
Michel Prince is an author who graduated with a bachelor degree in History and Political Science. Michel writes young adult and adult paranormal romance as well as contemporary romance.

With characters yelling "It's my turn damn it!!!" She tries to explain to them that alas, she can only type a hundred and twenty words a minute and they will have wait their turn. She knows eventually they find their way out of her head and to her fingertips and she looks forward to sharing them with you.

When Michel can suppress the voices in her head she can be found at a scouting event or cheering for her son in a variety of sports. She would like to thank her family for always being in her corner and especially her husband for supporting her every dream and never letting her give up.

Michel is a member of RWA Pro and Midwest Fiction Writers. In 2013 she was awarded Elite Status with Rebel Ink Press. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, and cat.

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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Byron Washington.
732 reviews4 followers
June 15, 2021
Good Story👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

Sometimes things are thrust upon us that we may be unable to handle. How would you respond when you are confronted with a truly life changing event?

Buy it, read it and enjoy!!!👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥👍🏾🔥
Profile Image for Becky Condit.
2,377 reviews66 followers
February 4, 2013
“The Guardian’s Heart” quickly sweeps you into Case Thomas’ life that is changing almost faster than he can handle. He’s a college senior, an intern at IBM and following the sudden death of his parents, the guardian of his two-year siblings. He is definitely out of his comfort zone when he suddenly meets Gabbie who appears to be the key to keeping this “new” family together. Gabbie finds what was missing in her life as the three Thomas’ quickly settle into her heart.
Case is a wonderful character, a dream come true for Gabbie and if he was a living, breathing man, I’m sure that there would be a line around the block of women ready to fight for him. Case fell for Gabbie at the sound of her voice—he just knew. It is family legend that Thomas men know their true love upon first acquaintance. If it seemed that maybe he was TOO perfect, (for example he overlooked Gabbie’s knock-down physical altercation complete with hurling constant obscenities at her best friend---in his living room---in front of the children) well that’s okay. If the twins seemed a tad too mature with a bit too precious baby talk, it’s fine as well. I can also live with him constantly referring to Gabbie as “Baby Girl”. While I would find that EXTREMELY annoying, I can accept that some women might eat that up. These are nice, interesting characters with an interesting story to share.

Please see Roux's complete review on February 17, 2013 at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
Profile Image for Kathleen.
1,431 reviews35 followers
January 8, 2013
The Guardian's Heart is a story of love, loss and family that will pull at your heartstrings. Author Michel Prince weaves an emotional tale of a young man who becomes the guardian of his two year old twin sister and brother after the tragic death of their parents in a car accident.

Case Thomas was enjoying his last year in college, but his carefree world was turned upside down with the death of his parents. Case struggles with the daily responsibilities of being the caretaker to his siblings, but a chance meeting at a Walgreens brings an angel named Gabbie Vaulst to his aid.

Gabbie Vaulst has had her share of problems in life, she had her heartbroken by a high school boyfriend, and now she plays it safe and guards her heart. She runs a successful daycare center, and when she happens upon sexy Case Thomas struggling to handle the twins, she knows she has to step in and help him out.

Case and Gabbie are attracted to each other but their relationship and family dynamic is tested when people from their past threaten their future.

The Guardian's Heart will draw you into Case and Gabbie's story and take you on an emotional roller coaster ride as their love story unfolds. Their ability to find love and maintain a family structure for the twins while overcoming difficult personal obstacles is heartwarming and inspirational. You can't help but feel for the Thomas family and cheer on Case and Gabbie's fledgling relationship. Author Michel Prince does a wonderful job of pulling out all the stops as the reader becomes emotionally invested in this young family.

With realistic characters; engaging dialogue and interactions; and a nice balance between family dynamics, sensuous romance scenes, and dramatic twists and turns, The Guardian's Heart is an endearing romantic story that will leave you smiling.


Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in the virtual book tour event hosted by Goddess Fish Promotions.

http://jerseygirlsizzlingbookreviews....
Profile Image for Tricia Drammeh.
Author 28 books90 followers
February 27, 2013
I was blown away by this book. Absolutely enthralled. My intent was to read the first page or two just to see if I'd like it, but I couldn't stop reading until I was finished. The blurb does a pretty good job summing it up, so I won't rehash it. The author gets right into the meat of the story by introducing the main characters right off the bat. In the very first scene, we can feel Case's frustration as he struggles to handle two rambunctious two-year-olds. Gabbie, a seasoned child-care professional, offers help and enrollment in her daycare center, and the story kicks off from there.

Case doesn't struggle with the decision to keep his family together as much as I suspected when I read the blurb. His apprehension comes more from his fear of failure rather than a fear of responsibility. He has a great sense of family, honor, and compassion. There is no doubt in the reader's mind that Case can handle the challenge of raising the children. Gabbie is also certain Case can handle his new responsibilities, but she recognizes he'll need help in order to do so. She gives him a hand-up without taking over, thus giving Case confidence in his own abilities.

The romance... oh, the romance! Case and Gabbie have an instant connection, though both are reluctant to jump headlong into a relationship. Their feelings for each other cannot be denied, but a complicated friendship, challenges at Case's job, family problems, and a blast from Gabbie's past are roadblocks on their way to happiness.

Here's what I love about this book... Gabbie and Case are two intelligent, strong, realistic characters I loved rooting for. In many romance novels, the obstacles keeping the hero and heroine apart seem contrived, but not in this book. There isn't a single plot point in this story I could pick apart and criticize. The kids are adorable, often providing comic relief when things get too heavy. This book is the perfect mix of romance, heartbreak, humor, and hope. Highly, highly recommended.
Profile Image for Kristabel Reed.
Author 28 books128 followers
January 12, 2013

4.0 out of 5 stars Guardian's Heart-Review, January 12, 2013
By Kristabel Reed "Kristabel Reed" (East Coast USA)
This review is from: The Guardian's Heart (Kindle Edition)
Gabbie Vaulst and Case Thomas are not your typical twenty-somethings. Gabbie is co-owner of a day care facility along with her three best friends; Case is a soon-to-be college graduate and an intern at a corporate lab. Case has problems, struggles if you will--his parents died just two weeks ago and he now has custody of two younger twin siblings Charlie and Claire.

Natural caregiver that she is, Gabbie decides to help out the sexy basketball player in any way possible. Sure, the kids need her, but the other side of that is she gets to spend time and develop a relationship with Case.

The good:
Ms. Prince did a wonderful job of keeping me interested. Reading this book had me wanting more Case and Gabbie. Their story was very unique and not clouded by over written love smooch. The author did a great job of connecting all the various elements of this story and playing off the plot very well. The depth to the characters only added to my fascination of this unconventional love duo. Playing off the children's cuteness and giving them a voice made them a pair of rounded characters that actually added something to the story than a few "awws".

The bad:
In general, the author did a poor job of rushing. Maybe a slower courtship or even a little elaboration on the different hurdles they had to jump would have satisfied my needs as a reader. Also, she rushed all the interesting sex scenes! Yes, I realize it's not what I'd normally read, but I still felt they needed to be developed further.

The bottom line:
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes their books with well-developed characters and sensual sex. I enjoyed this story so well and I didn't want it to end.

Over all, The Guardian's Heart 4 stars.
Profile Image for Aine Massie.
Author 5 books84 followers
January 17, 2013
Gabbie is the owner of a day care centre. Case is a soon-to-be (college) graduate and an intern for a corporate lab. Case also is a ‘sudden parent’ due to his parents dying, leaving him to raise his two younger siblings – Charlie and Claire.

While Case is struggling, Gabbie is willing to help, more than willing at times but their mutual attraction both helps and hinders them. It’s a nice balance of love story, overcoming difficulty / loss, and having to trust the other (more than emotionally – which is hard enough for either to do).

The Guardian’s Heart is an inspirational, sexy ride from the beginning, to the very end. The characters were well developed, the sex sensual, and the story engaging. It was also a unique story of struggle and love, with a couple of really cute kids.
Profile Image for Julie Dalglish.
110 reviews10 followers
March 6, 2014
what a lovely story of Case who loses his parents in a car crash, leaving him to raise his 2yrs old twin siblings. He meets Gabbie and his life takes a turn for the better. Not only is she a natural with kids but a heart of pure kindness Case can't help but fall for. But their path is far from clear its a real test of their strength to make it through. I really enjoyed it. It was ony to buy list so winning it was a bonus
Profile Image for Vikki Vaught.
Author 12 books158 followers
July 14, 2014
What a moving story. I love the way this talented author writes. The children are adorable and their dialogue is delightful. There's no doubt that Ms. Prince knows children and their antics. While the sensual scenes are fantastic, there's so much more to this book. I look forward to reading more stories by Ms. Prince.
Profile Image for Mayas.
2,277 reviews48 followers
June 20, 2013
Awesome hear felt story. Tragic events made a boy a man. Thrown pampers gave a girl her strength. Greed made a hard rock family. Bring your tissue
Profile Image for Twinsie Talk Angie J.
1,803 reviews
February 25, 2021
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Guardians Heart by Michel Prince
Narrated by Ben Josephs
I was given this audio book for an honest review by the author.
I love love loved the premise of this book given I am a preschool teacher by day. SO, when Michel offered me the book, I snapped it up and started it the next day!!
I am going to start with our heroine Gabby because she is just kind, loving, and loyal…at times to a fault…but that is a story for another day. Gabby is minding her business when she catches a batch of diapers being thrown her way. She, again being the amazing and selfless person that she is, jumps in to help this incredibly stressed out…Dad? What she soon learns about Case and his siblings turned children, she opens her heart to help him figure things out not realizing how her own world would be rocked by this man and kiddos.
Case is just wanting to finish college when his world is rocked by his parent’s death. He now has to decide what he is doing…keeping his twin siblings OR giving them up for adoption. He is at his wits ends and begging God for a sign when Gabby, the angel from above, comes to his rescue.
Claire and Charlie ….seriously made this book!! They are the typical kids with typical drama (I mean I feel ya Claire when my Pretties are no longer wearable) but then they have such devastating sadness over the loss of their momma and daddy. Case and Gabby navigate a relationship all the while finding a family forming under their feet.
I loved the story like crazy. I mean how can you not love them as a couple plus Gabby’s Growing Strong Mafia who threaten Case at every turn if he hurts their girl…LOL *Sigh* Oh Mandy……..
This was a sweet story of finding the love of your life right when you need them most. The couple deal with a few issues and learn to communicate along the way but I just loved everything about the story.
The narration at the times was a little off sounding. It was like a bad edit cut in at times but Ben did a nice job with bringing the story to life for the characters.
Profile Image for Katy Beth Mckee.
4,574 reviews61 followers
September 15, 2024
This was such a sweet story. There is love at first sight. This story has few moments of drama but mostly low angst. It is a great story of what it takes to make a family where love is the foundation. I enjoyed the audio book. #CMCon25
Profile Image for Kristabel Reed.
Author 28 books128 followers
January 12, 2013

4.0 out of 5 stars Guardian's Heart-Review, January 12, 2013
By Kristabel Reed "Kristabel Reed" (East Coast USA)
This review is from: The Guardian's Heart (Kindle Edition)
Gabbie Vaulst and Case Thomas are not your typical twenty-somethings. Gabbie is co-owner of a day care facility along with her three best friends; Case is a soon-to-be college graduate and an intern at a corporate lab. Case has problems, struggles if you will--his parents died just two weeks ago and he now has custody of two younger twin siblings Charlie and Claire.

Natural caregiver that she is, Gabbie decides to help out the sexy basketball player in any way possible. Sure, the kids need her, but the other side of that is she gets to spend time and develop a relationship with Case.

The good:
Ms. Prince did a wonderful job of keeping me interested. Reading this book had me wanting more Case and Gabbie. Their story was very unique and not clouded by over written love smooch. The author did a great job of connecting all the various elements of this story and playing off the plot very well. The depth to the characters only added to my fascination of this unconventional love duo. Playing off the children's cuteness and giving them a voice made them a pair of rounded characters that actually added something to the story than a few "awws".

The bad:
In general, the author did a poor job of rushing. Maybe a slower courtship or even a little elaboration on the different hurdles they had to jump would have satisfied my needs as a reader. Also, she rushed all the interesting sex scenes! Yes, I realize it's not what I'd normally read, but I still felt they needed to be developed further.

The bottom line:
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes their books with well-developed characters and sensual sex. I enjoyed this story so well and I didn't want it to end.

Over all, The Guardian's Heart 4 stars.
Profile Image for Connie.
9 reviews5 followers
July 10, 2015
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. While I don’t usually read young adult or new adult, I was drawn to the storyline of a young man who is suddenly thrust into fatherhood upon the sudden death of his parents, leaving him with much younger siblings, two-year old twins. Case needed to make the serious decision about raising, adopting, or walking away from his siblings. He was struggling heavily with his new responsibilities until Gabbie came along and rescued him from a humorous situation in a drug store. I really enjoyed the main characters, who were imperfect, but mature, and were both taking on a great deal of responsibility at a young age. With their love of sports, I was reminded a bit of the story “Love and Basketball.” Throw in two precocious and adorable toddlers, and you have a very enjoyable read! The interactions of the kids with the adults brought frequent moments of humor to break up the seriousness of the story line. Overall, this was a very sweet and entertaining story of interracial love, with a hint of spice, and a solid four star read. The only constructive issue I had with the book is that the author had too many sub-plots going that were not necessary in an already enjoyable and believable story with sufficient drama and real life issues affecting a relationship. It’s a fairly quick read, and perfect for a lazy afternoon.
Profile Image for Kimberly Caldwell.
13 reviews2 followers
August 17, 2015
The blurb written by the author pretty much sums up the entire book. I really enjoyed the characters themselves, but found a lot of the book hard to read. Maybe it was because I received an ARC, and the formatting wasn't finished. I thought the story jumped around a lot, and was often confusing trying to figure out what voice was talking, as all of the conversation seemed to take place in one paragraph surrounded by quotes. The premise behind the story is fantastic, but would love to see the characters fleshed out a little more, with more backstory. I felt there were places that rushed too quickly, and was actually a little surprised by how fast Gabbie and Case went from bumping into each other, to basically living together (I think it was about 3 weeks?). I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, and would recommend this one to anyone looking for a good beach read.
Profile Image for Leah Keys.
136 reviews6 followers
July 3, 2015
Excellent book and a quick read!
I finished this book in one sitting I was so wrapped up in Case and Gabbie's relationship. Their first meeting was so real I could imagine it happening to anyone, even me :) Gabbie was instantly drawn to Case and the kids and it was nice to see her helping him out. Much like reality, insecurities came into play in their relationship but they worked through things together. Both characters were written so much like real people it felt like I was right there with them. I was devastated when Aunt Gwen tried to ruin their chance at happiness. It's hard to find well written interracial love stories and this was a great example of that. I would definitely recommend this book!
Profile Image for CarolKat.
2,280 reviews28 followers
July 11, 2015
This book was a gift in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This story begins with a kind of rescue. Case Thomas is struggling with his brother Charlie and diapers when Gabbie comes upon him. She helps him get control only to discover there is a sister running around somewhere. Once they have both children in tow, she offers a McDonald's dinner to get to know them better and to give Case some child care tips and tricks.
I loved the build of the relationship and Case's determination to be a father to his siblings. Quite a few obstacles need to be overcome including a relative who is less than friendly.

A heartwarming read of chance meetings and family.
The length of the book makes it a perfect beach read.
Profile Image for Brenda.
8 reviews2 followers
July 10, 2015
Gabe captured my heart from the start. Taking care of his twin siblings, making a home for them while he's working to finish school with no time left to grieve the loss of their parents, he is thrown into a very adult world with adult responsibilities. Gabbie rescued Gabe and the twins at one of Gabe’s lowest and loneliest points. In return, Gabe rescued her right back by loving her at first glance without any pretense. This story made me laugh out loud at times. It also made me cry. Feeling the loss they were experiencing, not just Gabe’s and the kids but Gabbie’s loss of innocence and miscarriage of justice from her high school crush. I like a strong hero and Gabe is definitely one of those.
28 reviews1 follower
July 7, 2015
Overnight, Case is thrown into fatherhood after a tragic accident loosing both his parents.
Not wanting to give up guardianship of his twin 2 year old siblings ( Charlie and Claire)Chase lives total chaos that raising 2 toddlers will do.
Thankfully, while shopping for diapers, Case meets Gabbi who knows a lot about children since she is part owner of a day care....
As the story moves forward, I found it to be a great concept, loved the characters but found it to jump quickly from scene to scene.
I did laugh with the chaos of the children, got angry when certain situations arose and loved how Case fell and fell hard for Gabi.
Profile Image for Katherine.
4 reviews
August 5, 2015
It didn't take long for me to get into this book I started reading and then I was finished. I really liked the characters, Case and Gabbie. Two young people with so many responsibilities. Case taking over the care of his twin toddler siblings in the last year of college and Gabbie starting a daycare with her friends. Gabbie noticed case needs help with the twins, and he is willingly accepting of the help. Throw in a mean spirited relative into the mix, and Case and Gabbie do everything they can to make a family.

This story progresses into a sweet love story with a little bit of jealousy, chivalry and a fight for family....and a bit of heat.
Loved it!
145 reviews1 follower
July 2, 2015
OMG this book had me enthralled. I laughed, I cried, I got mad, and at times I felt sad. This is by far one of the best romance books I've read in a while. Without giving too much away this is a book about what true love and family is really about.
Profile Image for Gina Schwartz.
274 reviews3 followers
September 14, 2015
This was a very sweet story. A little predictable and the action happens a little too fast in teh beginning for it to really make sense but it is sweet. If you are in the mood for a happy ending. This is a good one.
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