Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The Guardian's Heart” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Read Book

The Guardian's Heart

Gabriel Lea (Goodreads Author)

4.18 · Rating details · 39 ratings · 33 reviews

Dreams and destiny, magic and mystery, and an impossible romance that has pierced the veil and holds the power to alter worlds.

Every human being knows heartbreak, but Lilly shouldn’t be feeling that…not anymore. Her time as a human ended long ago. She’s a Soul Guardian now, lending guidance from beyond the stars. But when she’s sent to soothe the human with the fathomless ...more

Get A Copy

ebook

Published October 2016 by Gabriel Lea

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Guardian's Heart, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about The Guardian's Heart

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.18 ·

Rating details

· 39 ratings · 33 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of The Guardian's Heart

Nov 27, 2016 Annika rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-fantasy, read-to-review-arc, romance-young-adult

First read: 11/2016
Second read: 04/2019

It's only been two and a half years since I read this book and for the most part while re-reading, I felt like it was the first time. My mind is a freaking sieve, you guys. Which means my decision to re-read this before picking up the sequel that came out early this year, was a good one.

Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the book quite as much as I did the first time around - which shouldn't come as a surprise considering that my tastes keep changing and I seem ...more

flag 16 likes · Like · see review

Feb 22, 2017 Anniek rated it liked it

"I have seen human suffering in all of its spawning variations and there are as many expressions as there are stars crowding the sky. Just as a star is born of dust and debris, suffering is born from the debris of your longing."

I received an ARC of The Guardian’s Heart from the publisher. What I read of it - some fragments and the blurb - had me instantly interested. I'm not sure what I was expecting when I started reading this book, but I was pleasantly surprised!

First of all, I loved Lea's wri "I have seen human suffering in all of its spawning variations and there are as many expressions as there are stars crowding the sky. Just as a star is born of dust and debris, suffering is born from the debris of your longing."

I received an ARC of The Guardian’s Heart from the publisher. What I read of it - some fragments and the blurb - had me instantly interested. I'm not sure what I was expecting when I started reading this book, but I was pleasantly surprised!

First of all, I loved Lea's writing. It's not all that complicated - I think this book would be suitable for pretty young teenagers (middle-grade) - but it has a lovely vibe and rhythm, and I found myself continually saving different quotes on my ereader.

The Guardian's Heart is about Lilly, a Soul Guardian. She lives at the planet Panacea, in a different dimension. In their sleep, Soul Guardians help humans on Earth to lighten the pain in their lives. I thought this was a pretty original, and very interesting, premisse. The idea is that souls reincarnate and they can reach Panacea if they've done well enough. I've always been interested in reincarnation myself, and I really liked how it was used in this book. Another great thing is that I know that I would have LOVED the idea of having a Soul Guardian watch over me as a kid, and I kind of still do. There's something warm and fuzzy about it.

"Whenever there were humans in pain, we would be there to support them. We didn't see it as a chore or a burden, it was just the way of our world. We did it gladly, because in truth, every earthbound Soul suffers... more than anyone ever sees or knows... and more than they want to admit. The reality is, suffering is an inescapable part of what it means to be human; a common thread that binds Souls together."

Usually, the Soul Guardians help a lot of different people, never seeing the same person more than once. And usually, the people they help don't notice them doing it. But Jay is different... Which is hard for Lilly, because there is also her childhood friend (and possibly more than a friend) Christian. This might sound like just another love triangle, but it wasn't annoying, because Lilly wasn't being overly dramatic about it.

The book's plot followed a logical structure, with clear steps. It started with a sort of introduction where you meet the world and the characters in it, and then you go on to discover (along with Lilly) that something weird happened (Jay noticed her presence). The book goes on like that, taking new steps on logical moments in the story. That makes it well-paced, and it gives the reader a chance to figure things out along with the main character, without ever becoming too long-winded.

Lilly was a loveable main character, because she was bubbly, but still realistic and not naive. I especially loved Christians sass, but Jay definitely had something: he was dark, but he could still see the beauty of things. That's why his POV definitely adds something, and it gives you more insight in the story.

But something about the characters made me feel a little distanced, making it hard for me to really relate to them. There wasn't a lot of background information revealed about them, nor did they go through a big character growth. The only characters that were rounded, were Lilly and Jay. And even their growth wasn't as big as I would have liked.

On the one hand, I loved the Panacea world building, as it felt all light and wonderful. However, it was so much like earth it quickly became a little unrealistic, because it's meant to be some kind of nirvana. Would you, had you finally reached 'paradise', want to go to lectures wearing a backpack? This is something I had a bit of an issue with while reading: that there were so many day-to-day details in Panacea that seemed a bit weird and unnecessary in the setting of a wonderful place like that.

Also, I did think the world-building was a little black and white when it comes to how good Panacea was and how bad earth was considered to be. It's possible that this will change in the next book, since it's the first book in a series.

Most of all however, every time I came up with criticism, Lea unknowingly refuted it in a later part in the story, giving more background information. For example, at first I thought it was a little weird how human the Panacea people were. I would have expected something like elves, for instance. But then I found out they were souls that reincarnated from earth, and it made a lot more sense all of a sudden.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and especially the writing. The story was painful at times, but also full of love and hope. I would recommend it to a lot of younger (middle-grade) readers, but also to everyone who loves a light but insightful read. ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Dec 04, 2016 Erin Dunn rated it liked it

http://angelerin.blogspot.com/2016/12...

Thank you to the author for providing a free ebook copy of The Guardian's Heart in exchange for an honest review!

Short Review Summary:
A sweet story with excellent characters.

I really enjoyed The Guardian's Heart and most everything about it. However, I did have a couple of issues that kept me from giving it five stars. The biggest issue that I have is the world building. I really wanted more of it! There were times while reading that I had a hard time fo ...more

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

Jan 15, 2017 Jade Diamond rated it really liked it

I received a copy of The Guardian's Heart in exchange for an honest review.

The Guardian’s Heart is unique and tells a story of soulmates. It was a pleasant surprise, I was expecting something entirely different. I really enjoyed this book. The author's writing style is stunning, the plot is very well worked through, the premise was interesting, the characters were relatable and lovable.

However, I would have liked more world building. Panacea is the world in which the story takes place. Although ...more

flag 6 likes · Like · see review

Feb 03, 2017 J rated it really liked it

I received an ARC from the wonderful author herself in exchange for a honest review.
"The reality is , suffering is an inescapable part of what it means to be human."
This has got to be my favorite quote from the book!!! what I felt was put into words by this beautiful author!
The beginning of the book confused me a little bit and caused me to put it off for a day or two. It made it difficult for me to get immersed in the story and be part of it but as I read on and on it dwelt on me that nothing w ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Feb 27, 2017 Paige Green rated it it was amazing

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way influenced by this arrangement.

The book is set in present time. We are not alone in the world. There are people who are called Soul Guardians who live on an earth-like planet, seemingly just behind a veil that we as humans cannot see. Soul Guardians were once humans, but after some reincarnations the souls have moved on from Earth to this new land. They are born and live as a human will, except they have incred I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way influenced by this arrangement.

The book is set in present time. We are not alone in the world. There are people who are called Soul Guardians who live on an earth-like planet, seemingly just behind a veil that we as humans cannot see. Soul Guardians were once humans, but after some reincarnations the souls have moved on from Earth to this new land. They are born and live as a human will, except they have incredible abilities. Each person on this world possesses an unique ability whether it be healing or talking to animals. Their gifts help them discover a profession they are best suited for and they work like humans do; however, at night they use their other ability to help humans out. They all answer the call of humans' struggling souls on Earth and give them strength, guidance, reassurance, etc. This is not the case for Lilly Flights though. She used live on this peaceful world doing her duties until one night she is pulled to an intriguing green-eyed boy named Jay. Their connection is different than any other she has encountered as a Soul Guardian, she feels Jay is a familiar to her in some way. Besides that, other strange things happen in Lilly's life. She starts having realistic flashbacks of her past life, which are causing strange new feelings and emotions. Her world is also plagued by the strange appearances of many different animals and the strange deaths of some too.

This book is an adult fantasy romance story. The story changes POV between the three main characters, Lilly, Jay, and Christian. This story has a completely new concept which I don't believe has ever been wrote about before, because these characters (except Jay) are not angels, they're human-like beings that are born, live, and die as we do. The beginning of the story took me by complete surprise. I was thrust into the action very quickly. While I wouldn't normally like this in a story, I did like how the author wrote the beginning scene. The scene begins with Lilly feeling a ton of emotions and feeling like she was drowning, which the author makes the reader feel as well because of how sudden the action occurs. You can tell from the very beginning how the author seems to have a strength for setting up stories and descriptions of the environment and the characters. The story felt very natural and nothing felt rushed. The story also seemed to develop on it's own. The transitions into new areas or when characters or things were discussed in the story, it was very fluid. The dialogue was also on point. There were a few little hiccups where I had to go back and reread it in order to imagine which character was speaking, but for the most part the dialogue went very smooth. The only slight criticism I have is that I'm not one for love triangles. While this is normally a thorn in my side when I read books with love triangles, it didn't bother me that much in this story. I really don't have any other complaints.

I completely devoured this book in one day, which is something I only do when I'm extremely interested in a story. I can count the number of books I've done this with on two hands. This book had everything I loved in a story and things I didn't know I loved: mystery, romance, and fantasy. I was left with more questions than I had going into the story: why are the animals dying and appearing in this world? Do children have the same abilities as adult Soul Guardians? When do the children's powers come in? and a bunch of other questions I will not post in this review due to spoilers. Overall, this book was freaking amazing. This author is an amazingly sweet woman as well. Please give this book a read because this series has the power to become the next Mortal Instruments in my opinion. ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

May 24, 2017 Cordelianne rated it really liked it

The Guardian's Heart is a promising debut novel and a beautiful start to a series! The story is about a sub world of Earth were souls live. Those souls help people who are in need of their help: 'The reality is, suffering is an inescapable part of what it means to be human'a common thread that binds Souls together'. In my opinion this idea with souls was very original and really interesting.

In the beginning the book was a bit slow and the world building was a bit lacking, so it was hard to get ...more

flag 3 likes · Like · see review

Feb 02, 2017 Alexa rated it really liked it

The Guardians Heart is the first book of a upcoming series by Gabriel Lea. It is a YA fantasy novel, which carries the reader off to another dimension. Main Character Lilly is an old soul. She has lived her time on earth and moved on to another planet, where it's her duty to help the souls still stuck on earth. The panet she lives on is a perfect world, where problems don't seem to exist.
I received an ARC from the publisher and when I started reading I had to take notes from Chapter one on, bec The Guardians Heart is the first book of a upcoming series by Gabriel Lea. It is a YA fantasy novel, which carries the reader off to another dimension. Main Character Lilly is an old soul. She has lived her time on earth and moved on to another planet, where it's her duty to help the souls still stuck on earth. The panet she lives on is a perfect world, where problems don't seem to exist.
I received an ARC from the publisher and when I started reading I had to take notes from Chapter one on, because I had so many thoughts in my head.
In her book, Gabriel addresses many issues about humans, issues everybody has to cope with. The book is about human suffering, and how it is normal for everyone to suffer. With rich and imageful language she brings up different kinds of suffering. Sometimes it can't be seen from the outside, sometimes a person seems perfectly fine, until you get a look inside that persons mind. Not all problems are equal, but all should be respected and treated with kindness, because only love and self-acceptance can heal a persons soul.
In the book all the major issues on earth are addressed: Climate change, the absent sense of unity among humans – and it is just too real.
Although the Story gets a little slow about halfway through and I didn't really know where it was going, I really liked it in the end. For me, timing was sometines a little confusing, because of a couple of POV and location changes, but it made sense altogether.
I didn't know I needed this book until I read it. Reincarnation finally makes sense to me!
The book is great for light reading and also suitable for younger fantasy readers. The language is easy and understandable and it creates a beautiful world to think about and dream into. The Book portrays an important and poweful message: Humans can't go on living like this. Gabriel Lea manages to bring serious topics in a fun story and I believe after reading this book everybody will want to save the earth.
All in all it was a good read and I am really looking forward to all the upcoming books in the Lost Souls series! ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 05, 2017 Jessica {Litnoob} rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This book was very kindly provided to me by the publisher to review, and since finishing it I have purchased my own copy (within 7 minutes of the final chapters end)

The story of Lilly and how she comes to meet Jay is one I've always been fascinated with. The idea of different planes of reality, different worlds so like our own, the human soul evolving long after the life we know it as has finished. When I was a teen I was obsessed with Sylvia Brown, a medium who believed in such things and this ...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Mar 10, 2017 ~*Winnie*~ rated it it was amazing

An enlightening piece of literature! Lea' writing balances upon simplicity and gorgeous description~ The scenes are relaxing and calming, the characters are kind-hearted and sweet~ This book opens up about life issues while answering the question "how can we continue to spread peace on earth."

Now, I know what you're thinking - this book sounds a bit too 'happy-go-lucky' for me. To be honest, it's not. There are positive moments within the book, but a majority of the story captures the character An enlightening piece of literature! Lea' writing balances upon simplicity and gorgeous description~ The scenes are relaxing and calming, the characters are kind-hearted and sweet~ This book opens up about life issues while answering the question "how can we continue to spread peace on earth."

Now, I know what you're thinking - this book sounds a bit too 'happy-go-lucky' for me. To be honest, it's not. There are positive moments within the book, but a majority of the story captures the characters and the complexities of their thoughts on life itself. The characters question 'who they are', along with 'their place in the universe'.

Lilly is a Soul Guardian, she is meant to help those on earth who are in a negative head space and lift their spirits. The trouble with her helping too much, is that those bad energies floating around humans can effect her in a bad way too. She often feels drained, which leads her to contemplate about her job as a Soul Guardian. Along with questioning why the human race seems to let themselves fall into negativity.
Jay, the boy with the green eyes - whom Lilly falls in love with - is a depressed dude. He gets into how life seems to screw him over. At times, he even comes across suicidal thoughts. Jay's battle with mental illness is strongly shown throughout the book. As you read on, you discover how Jay learns to cope and begins to see hope in his life again.

The subjects that Lea drops into my lap are breathtaking. Mainly because this is a YA novel. Books usually stay within a set genre, Lea's work is more experimental between Sci-Fi, Fantasy, YA and Spiritual. YA is experimental at the moment and I love the way authors are using this medium. I'm beginning to see more and more voices speaking out about real issues we face today! So I applaud you Gabriel Lea for such a wonderful read!

5/5 stars! B/c I loved the writing and the contemplation.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
Here's a bit more fangirling:

I love Lilly's character, she reminds me of myself! She's so adorable yet headstrong, and she always has that yearning to help others in need; no matter what the cost!

The story follows the povs of Lilly and Jay, which I felt blended perfectly throughout the book. Lilly and Jay are quite opposite in personality, but somehow they fit! I believe opposites attract~ Although Jay's character is dark & gloomy, Lea makes it known that Jay never strays away from hope.

There is a love triangle within the story line, but it's far from over dramatized. I feel like many YA novels use love triangles to create meaningless drama. Usually written in order to build suspense within a character's love life... That's a trope I'd like to destroy... I love how Lea uses a more subtle approach with the love triangle, which creates a more realistic vibe~

The world of Panacera sounds like a dream♥ The characters' actions and dialogue are close in range to our own reality. Lea likes to dig deep when it comes to what she feels matters in this world. This story makes me want to bring the world together, and be more positive/grateful for the life I have without pressure or force.

The Guardian's heart is a Sci-Fi/Fantasy novel with spiritual attributes. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 31, 2017 Mara YA Mood Reader rated it liked it

I received an ARC of The Guardian’s Heart from the publisher.

I finished this book almost a week ago and have been avoiding writing a review.

This just wasn't my cup of tea.

I wanted to like this. The synopsis drew me in and I was excited to read it. But I found it to be too descriptive, too detailed to hold my attention.

To me, the details smothered the plot in a way that I felt very disconnected from the story.

Although I admit, the descriptive writing was done beautifully and if I had the pati ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 24, 2019 Jenny (Bookbookowl) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Guardian's Heart was a one of those books that made me feel like I was floating through it. The writing was beautiful and the premise quite unique. When Lilly finds herself repeatedly attracted to the same soul in her role as Soul Guardian (instead of multiple souls as usual), she doesn't quite know what's going on. When it appears that person, Jay, can actually hear and see her, she's even more confused. That's not how any of it is supposed to work. While trying to live her normal life ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 26, 2017 Danielle rated it really liked it

The Guardian’s Heart by Gabriel Lea -- 4 stars

The Guardian’s Heart is a beautifully woven first book in author Gabriel Lea’s Lost Souls series. It follows Lilly, a young soul guardian whose life purpose is to heal and help guide human souls through pain or suffering. When she is called to the same soul twice, and unable to fight the strong connection she feels to him, her entire life and the equilibrium of her world turn upside down.

I cannot say enough how beautifully written the Guardian’s Hea ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 06, 2017 Rose rated it it was amazing

I received an ARC of The Guardian's Heart from the publisher in exchange for an honest review:

Your time at earth ended and you are reborn as a go - lite. In a world where earthily worries and pains aren't anymore.
So what would you do when you are the only one still feeling some of these earthily feelings like self doubt, struggle and missing a piece of you?

Lilly is a go - lite, living in Panacea (a parallel universe to the earth) til she fulfils her time there and can enter Utopia. Panacea is a ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 31, 2017 Samantha Beard rated it really liked it

For me, this was a solid 3.5. The world that Lilly inhabits, Panacea, is beautifully constructed and described. I want to hop into the book and live there. I want to swim in the lake, and eat food from the markets, and attend the university. At times I felt that the descriptions were a bit verbose, but they led to such vivid images in my mind and I found myself getting lost in the world Lea created.

In addition to the detailed world building, the abilities of the Go-Lites (those who live on Pana For me, this was a solid 3.5. The world that Lilly inhabits, Panacea, is beautifully constructed and described. I want to hop into the book and live there. I want to swim in the lake, and eat food from the markets, and attend the university. At times I felt that the descriptions were a bit verbose, but they led to such vivid images in my mind and I found myself getting lost in the world Lea created.

In addition to the detailed world building, the abilities of the Go-Lites (those who live on Panacea) are mysterious and intriguing. I left the book still wanting to know more about how their powers function, what makes different people express different abilities, and what the limits of human and Go-Lite abilities might be. I was particularly drawn to the Translator ability. I would so love to speak to animals, and it would be great to learn more about that ability through the book's main Translator, Christian, in future installments.

Speaking of animals, one of the major reasons I enjoyed this book were the similarities I found to 'Johnathan Livingston Seagull' by Richard Bach, one of my favorite books of all time. In that story, seagulls pass through dimensions of existence based on the knowledge they attain through their lives. Ultimately Johnathan learns that the most important lesson of all is love, and he returns to a previous dimension to try and pass that lesson on to less fortunate gulls. Some of the abilities, themes, and even names in 'Guardian's Heart' just related so strongly to Bach's book that I thought for sure it was an inspiration for this story. I learned that it wasn't, however!

One of the major things I struggled with, and the reason I feel I can't rate this a 4.5/5, is relating to Lilly. Because of her nature as a Go-Lite she is almost perfect. Her memories of her past lives bring her more of a human nature, but she frequently recoils at the idea that she might be thinking or acting like a human does. I wouldn't say I felt ostracized, or insulted as a human reader by any means, but it did make me question my understanding of Lilly as a character. I'm sure it's largely personal preference, and I tend to like my characters with a dose of darkness. Lilly is all light, and it's beautiful just not the type of character that I really engage with. That being said, Jay (the resident human) was very relatable. His struggles felt so similar it was almost scary. At times the expression of his pain bordered on the melodramatic, but I have certainly felt the same feelings and thought some of the same thoughts throughout my life. It was interesting to read a character who I felt was struggling with a bipolar personality disorder. I thought that the depiction of his mental health struggles were good, given the exceptional circumstances.

My second real criticism is that Lilly seemed to contradict herself. Again, this could be because she was getting in touch with some part of remaining humanity in her memories. She frequently mentions that Go-Lites are accepting and loving beings, but when she finds herself in a difficult (and possibly dangerous) scenario, she keeps it to herself instead of sharing it with other Go-Lites who could help her. A good portion of the book was kept in motion solely based on her secrets, and the use of secrets like this in stories is something I don't always enjoy. I felt that she should have been more open and honest with people, especially after living a whole life surrounded by love and acceptance. If unconditional love is a constant, why would she suddenly question her community's ability to love and accept her situation? When she needed guidance most, of course they would be there to help her. Perhaps my understanding of the Go-Lite law is simply lacking, but I felt distracted by this while reading.

My last comment goes back to Christian's story. I thought he was a wonderful character, and I really enjoyed the dynamic between him and Lilly. Though love triangles are sometimes a struggle for me, I found this one rather compelling! I would love to know more about his story line, since we're left with a bit of a cliffhanger where he's concerned.

Ultimately, I enjoyed my time on Panacea and I would love to return there with the next book. The story is engaging and pretty fast paced. The mystery of the story was fascinating, and I wanted more of that but in the end it is about a romance of souls. There are a lot of unanswered questions, and I think I will like future books even more! Can't wait to see what comes next from this author. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 17, 2016 Deanna J rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc

I received a copy of this book for an honest review.
Stars: 4/5

When I first took on this book for a review I wasn’t sure how it was going to be or what would unfold in the pages (e-pages?) and what I did read was interesting and enjoyable. The Guardian’s Heart is unique in its detail and tells a story of soulmates and an otherworldly place full of interesting characters. Good for those that like romance/fantasy.

What I liked

-Details. The world that Lilly lives in is beautiful. I know it’s b ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 14, 2017 Jenn rated it really liked it

If possible I would give this book a 3.7 out of a 5 star rating. I did have trouble at the beginning understanding where I was in the story, and what was happening. It was later into the first chapter that I managed to find a rhythm. The read from there was easy. The plot became easy to follow, i connected to the main character thoughts and emotions, grew attached to her friendships (i won't name anyone for the purpose of avoiding spoilers.) At times I felt myself skipping over the POV of a cert If possible I would give this book a 3.7 out of a 5 star rating. I did have trouble at the beginning understanding where I was in the story, and what was happening. It was later into the first chapter that I managed to find a rhythm. The read from there was easy. The plot became easy to follow, i connected to the main character thoughts and emotions, grew attached to her friendships (i won't name anyone for the purpose of avoiding spoilers.) At times I felt myself skipping over the POV of a certain character that was connected to the main - i honestly just kept wanting to skip back into the main characters world. How could I not want to?? The idea, the jobs, the people, and just the world of Panacea was intriguing to me - more so than hearing about what was going on in earth. but that is a personal thought. i would have loved to have seen more world building - i am a big sucker for a real in-depth exploration of a new world. but that might be the authors way of slowly introducing her new world and might be going fully into in the next book. Gabriel Lea handled her characters wonderfully, I found myself invested in their lives, even the one who I had gotten bored with grew on me near the end. Although there was one thing that I did not enjoy - this is personal opinion, something that I don't overall like in any book - is a love triangle. While there isn't necessarily a love triangle as such but the implications and underlying of it was present enough for me to curl my nose.

Please skip down to the next line if you don't want to be spoiled by names or anything that may spoil the book for you. Overall I found myself loving Christian's character - the slow build up on introducing his fondness (more than friendship) with Lily was well done. I loved their bond - it was natural and easy and I enjoyed reading it - much like Lily and Sky's friendship. I found myself looking for more of it. The overall plot and Panacea was unique and intriguing - I have never read a book like this one !!

When reading, my mind always automatically thinks ahead in books, trying to piece together what evidence laid before at that point and work out what will happen in the plot. I try not to do it but its just a thing I do. There have been some cases in this book that I had figured out what was going to happen next but in the overall plot it was a surprise. Not at all how I foresaw the ending - which is a huge bonus to me - if books can surprise me before I can figure out a plot. They are in my good books.

I would highly recommend this book to those who want to read about a different view point of earth, who have an interest in a, somewhat, little love triangle, and the exploration of soul guardians. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 21, 2017 Allison rated it really liked it

I received an ARC of The Guardian’s Heart from the publisher.

My actual rating would be 4.5 but we don't have half stars (stares at Goodreads)
This Story has amazing characters that you can really connect with. I usually hate love triangles. Many it's because I choose one and I'm determined that that's the one the main character should end up with, but I found myself like both of Lily's choices really good people. I could see her with either so I knew no matter whom she ended up with I would enjoy ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 24, 2017 ☕️ rated it it was amazing

I just finished reading The Guardian's Heart by Gabriel Lea, and wow. This book hit me right in all of my feelings.

It takes place in a world called Panacea and Earth. Panacea is the most beautiful peaceful world where all life is respected and everything is equal and they all live in harmony. Everybody there has a unique purpose and ability making them all an important part of the community where they trade the things they need, instead of using money as currency. The people in Panacea are Guar I just finished reading The Guardian's Heart by Gabriel Lea, and wow. This book hit me right in all of my feelings.

It takes place in a world called Panacea and Earth. Panacea is the most beautiful peaceful world where all life is respected and everything is equal and they all live in harmony. Everybody there has a unique purpose and ability making them all an important part of the community where they trade the things they need, instead of using money as currency. The people in Panacea are Guardians of the Souls on Earth. They are drawn to the broken Souls to help heal them and help them find their way to happiness.

"Whenever there were humans in pain, we would be there to support them. We didn't see it as a chore or a burden, it was just the way of our world. We did it gladly, because in truth, every earthbound Soul suffers.. more than anyone ever sees or knows... and more than they want to admit. The reality is, suffering is an inescapable part of what it means to be human;a common thread that binds Souls together."

To get to Panacea the soul must first "heal themselves of all their wounds, and forgive and gain true compassion."

This story is about Lilly. She has the perfect best friend/roommate named Sky. Sky was such a lovable bubbly character, I really enjoyed her presence. The best way for me to describe it as, I saw it being told in the idea that they are in a dorm almost and they are going to "college" and just started to become guardians, and they are there going to class and learning how to use their abilities.

So Lilly was being strangely drawn to a boy named Jay and we are taken on the journey to find out why and how he has this strange pull on her. I instantly fell in love with Jay, I really related to him and his feelings about the world we live in and the people we are surrounded by. My favorite character had to be Christian though, I NEED more Christian haha. From the moment I met him, his charming sarcasm, humor and big heart stole my heart.

I enjoyed the scenes in this new world, giving me day dreams that someday I could live there and study there in peaceful harmony. I also thought it was unique how the book started changing points of view. After seeing Jay I got to view things from in his mind, and a little bit from Christian, it was awesome.

It was a magnificent love story about these soulmates that have been trapped in different dimensions/worlds it was a real twist on reality, and it had such a deep and positive point of view. I also thought her Grandfather's manuscript had a beautiful story behind it as well and really tied everything together.

Even when discussing sadness, heartbreak and depression it was beautifully written. I felt like it held many important life lessons. It hit me right in the heart, and I felt myself trapped in this book! I look forward to reading more! I loved it!

I received an ARC of The Guardian’s Heart from the publisher.
...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 24, 2017 Melleny rated it it was amazing

If you would like to see all my thoughts on this book, be sure to check out the review on my blog:

www.abooktropolis01.blogspot.co.za

But here is a snippet and overview of what I thought:

I loved this story. It was amazing. I recommend this book to everyone. It was a fantastic book with an important underlying message. I cannot wait for the next book in the series. I cannot wait to see how it all progresses from the ending of the book.

I feel like this review is a short review because I really enjoy ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 27, 2016 Jenny rated it it was amazing

Everyone who knows me knows that I'm not too much a fan of the colour pink. With this cover though I fell straight in love!

The author's writing style is amazing. She literally trapped me in her story. The plot is very well worked through and Gabriel is writing in a highly thrilling way. You won't find any dull scenes and I wasn't able to lay the book down for one second.

Panacae is the world in which the story takes place. It's a place full of wonders and it's also stunning beautiful. Imagine a w ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 05, 2017 psiedoll rated it it was amazing

I have received a copy from the author for an honest review and I just devoured it. The Guardian's heart can be considered a light and nice read. More than that, a book that warms your heart and takes you to another dimension. I loved the main characters and the storyline, I loved Panacea and the soul path that the author developed. Everything was well written and even thou I would have liked more description of Panacea, I will give it 5 stars anyway, for the nice feelings that I got by reading ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 06, 2017 Natasha rated it it was amazing

I received this book as a free download, in return for an honest review!! I honestly loved this book!! The story itself is unique, and something I haven't come across in any book that I have read before. The author creates a very descriptive picture of the world and characters she is telling. The characters were relatable and I can't wait to see where the next book takes me ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Sep 29, 2019 Mrs designer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Loved it...but

Please read the review by Anniek, she gives a really great overview of this book. I would like only to add that my reason for the 4 stars and the “but” was the ending. Some time ago I read a series (my first) that was getting worse and worse in each book..I won’t go further with details, but it made me swear off series for a long time. I felt cheated and mad that the author “strung me along...luckily I read reviews about other series books and jumped into that genre again; this tim ...more

flag Like · see review

Sep 15, 2017 Mandy Lai rated it really liked it

Another Reality That Kept You Reading
4/5 stars

The Guardian's Heart is an amazing debut novel and I enjoy the way the whole book started. The idea of another "earth" with souls is definitely unique and crazily innovative! Generally, I think the idea of the story is totally worth reading!

The writing in this book is really awesome. Personally, I really like stories with beautiful writings and fascinating description. A vivid and stereo world is created, which is also very strong to form a reality, ...more

flag Like · see review

Jul 06, 2017 Alex rated it really liked it

The writing is very descriptive. My mind kept wondering during these detailed paragraphs or pages but I learned to skim or skip over them. I really enjoyed the book once I got through all the details. Lilly is a go-lite, a step above humans. She lives on the planet Panacea and is a Soul Guardian, she helps those on earth who need it. She is also in training to be a healer. There is a love triangle starting in this book and I know some people really dislike them. I have no problem with it, it wil ...more

flag Like · see review

Mar 02, 2017 Simply One Story rated it really liked it

The narrative of the author is very descriptive and the paragraphs bring a beautiful writing. To show a piece of the style of the author follows an excerpt from the prologue:

"I’ve gazed upon many ‘stars’, so to speak, tiny pricks of light struggling to be seen through infinite black. They might all appear the same from a distance, but viewed closely, are as varied and unique as a fingerprint."

The universe created is simple but interesting: a parallel world called Palacea where the guardians l ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jun 13, 2017 Ashley rated it really liked it

I received an arc of this book and am voluntarily reviewing.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I thought it was a really beautiful story full of wonderful characters and a great setting! Where I feel it fell a little flat was the world building and the pacing. At times I felt it was a little rushed, which would have helped with the details if slowed down. However I really enjoyed the story and think it's definitely a great read! ...more

flag Like · see review

Jul 04, 2017 Brandi Amos rated it really liked it

I received an ARC of The Guardian’s Heart from the publisher For review. This story started a bit slow for me, but man, am I glad I kept reading. It's a great, unique, story that ended way too soon for me! I need more story! I need to know what happened next! Beautiful descriptions and visual writing. Well done. ...more

flag Like · see review

Aug 29, 2019 Jeanne Richardson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is the 2nd book I've read written by Gabriel Lea; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I loved the chemistry between the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
...more

flag Like · see review

« previous 1 2 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Lovers of YA: R2R #4: The Guardian's Heart by Gabriel Lea 35 COPIES Left	7	19	Jun 13, 2017 04:52PM
Shut Up & Read: {Read It & Reap 728} The Guardian's Heart by Gabriel Lea	6	125	May 15, 2017 05:10AM
Advanced Copies f...: NEW YA Fantasy Romance - magic, mystery, destiny	9	20	Nov 13, 2016 08:57PM
Making Connections: 4645. - THE GUARDIAN’S HEART by Gabriel Lea	1	8	Oct 27, 2016 10:21PM
The Perks Of Bein...: ARC's available New YA Fantasy Romance series	1	5	Oct 27, 2016 10:03PM
Addicted to YA: New YA Fantasy Romance ARC's available	1	22	Oct 27, 2016 09:33PM
Lovers of Paranor...: R2R The Guardian's Heart - YA fantasy romance	1	16	Oct 27, 2016 09:08PM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Fantasy

2 users

See top shelves…

About Gabriel Lea

Gabriel Lea

30 followers

I want to write books that make you come alive, that inspire, and spark questions, and remind you that life really is magical. I want to write stories that grab you by the hand and say, "Come on! Dig deep and find your own magic. The world is waiting to see how unique and brilliant you are.

https://www.instagram.com/gabriellea....
https://www.facebook.com/gabriellea.a... ...more