“I feel like the only place I was ever meant to be…is next to you.”Serious, by-the-book Eli Wyatt has life all figured out. He’s got a five-year plan, his future in the Coast Guard, and friends who always have his back. And then Ava Abrams breezes into his life one summer day. A free spirit, she’s on the run heading in the direction of her dreams. To Ava, music is life. She’s got her heart set on … To Ava, music is life. She’s got her heart set on country music stardom, not a happily ever after with a man she just met.
However, Eli is tempting. Very tempting. And heartbreakingly gorgeous. Just when they start to fall, they’re forced apart. Sent on different paths with nothing but the memories of what they shared that summer.
Four years later, fate reunites them. Both find themselves at crossroads, facing major life changes. But the chemistry… the passion? That hasn’t changed.
Destiny gave them a second chance. Will they grab hold of it and find what they’ve both been searching for?
A second chance, summer slow burn from IAN award-winning author, LJ Evans. Inspired by Luke Bryan’s “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset,” this novel shows all the ways dreams can be lost and remade, and how love can guide you through.
“LJ Evans is a unicorn author. You know the kind – they only come along once in a blue moon, but every word they write is pure magic. Every single one of her books brings all the feels and more, and Guarded Dreams is no exception.” – Novelmomma
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I love how LJ can infuse music throughout the entire story. Ava and Eli’s story is beautifully told from the magical first kiss, through the emotions of falling in love. She expresses real situations with raw emotions that pulls at your heart. I received an ARC of this and volunteered to review it.
LJ Evans, has a unique writing style.
There is a reason why she is an award winning author.
Have you ever listened to your favorite song, that you have been obsessed with for years and then the artist strips the song down, doing an acoustic version, that blows your mind?
It’s like hearing the song for the first time, as it’s becoming a masterpiece in their hands.
This is how LJ Evans, develops her characters.
It’s a beautiful masterpiece in her hands.
This is not your typical romance.
Ava, lost her mom at a young age and doesn’t even remember her.
Her dad has emotionally abused her, her whole life.
Putting her and her dreams down when ever he can.
Manipulating her every move and controlling her mercilessly.
She is finally getting out from under his grasp.
She’s following her dreams of writing music and singing her songs.
When she runs to the beach house, she finds she’s not alone.
Eli, has worked very hard to become a coast guard.
His father was a coast guard, killed in the line of duty.
He only had a little time left to realize his dreams.
Ava’s father, their instructor, has tasked him and his two friends two paint the beach house, so when they come back from getting groceries and find her their, they aren’t sure what to do.
If he finds out they’re their with his daughter, he can make their life miserable possibly ruining their careers.
Their is a connection between Eli and Ava that they have never felt before, but their dreams are pulling them in different directions.
“She was the music, it was her, just like the sea was me and I was the sea.”
Four years later, they find each other again and can’t deny the connection they have.
As they navigate through their dreams and life, they find away to have a happy ever after.
Relief. Peace. Home.
Love. Hands. Hope.
This is a beautiful story of love and heartache, that will tug at your heart strings and having a book hangover for days, as all of her books do.
The beautiful quotes used will touch your heart and inspire you to love.
After reading previous books by L.J., I knew I was in for a treat. When she was teasing us with the playlist for this book, I knew it was going to be something amazing. I have to start off by saying the way she mixes music with her stories is so beautiful! The songs fit their chapters so well and it doesn’t even seem on purpose.
Ava and Eli are characters you come to care for very quickly! Ava seems like a quirky one in the beginning, but as we learn about her story, it’s clear she hasn’t had it easy. Her father is anything but the loving father every child deserves. The way this author wrote her character made your heart break for Ava. On the other side of this I loved how open she was with her dream and nothing was going to stop her. In many ways she was also a free spirit finding a way to let our all her creativity and love.
Eli is definitely on top of the book boyfriend list at the moment. He meets all the requirements: kind, a hard worker, dedicated, passionate, loving, romantic and in his own ways a family man. Losing his father made him want his dream even more. His friends there have become his family. Even though he knows what he wants, he’s also very realistic. He’ll fight until he can’t fight anymore, but he knows sometimes matters won’t change.
Eli and Ava were a couple you wanted to live happily ever after from the start. It was wonderful that Guarded Dreams had a different pace though. They didn’t meet and live happily ever after, but lost each other for awhile and maybe fate had a play in it, but they ended up finding their way back to each other. Their journey of finding the other again and falling in love is one I will remember for a very long time. The special moments they had together had me sitting with a major grin on my face while reading. I could just feel how special they were.
On top of that amazing romance, the other characters she included in this book were amazing. So many times I was also laughing out loud when these characters were together. Mac Truck and Brady were definitely my favorites and I need more of them! Also Jersey at the bookstore, a shy girl becoming fanatic about something she loves makes me love a story even more. Then there’s Eli’s mother who is a book and cat lady and I hope I can be as amazing as she is when I get older!
Guarded Dreams is an amazing journey and an emotional roller coaster ride! I couldn’t put it down, but I didn’t want it to end either. L.J. Evans really outdid herself with this book and I can’t wait to see what she does next. I know this one will be a favorite of 2019 for sure!
Ava loves music. She’s extremely talented at writing and singing. While trying to escape the future her father dreams of, she hides out at his summer house for a few days before she heads to the next step in her journey. Imagine her surprise when 3 guys show up that she wasn’t expecting.
Eli and his friends Mac and Truck have agreed to paint their instructor’s house for a free week at the coast. Nothing can beat some time off and the healing ocean air. Each of them is taken with Ava’s voice, but know she’s off limits. She’s their instructor’s daughter, and she’s only 19. But Eli is drawn to her, there’s something about her he’s not sure he can stay away from.
I think sometimes in life, we cross paths with those who touch our soul, and it’s obvious from the start that this is true for Eli and Ava. But sometimes we have paths in life that we must follow, even if it leads us away from the one we just might spend our lives with.
I love how feisty Ava is. She’s sure of herself, ahead of her age, she’s smart and talented, and so incredibly strong. I love how Eli knows what he wants, how he’s not afraid to share what he’s feeling. I love these two together. As Eli says from the beginning “The energy was coming off her in waves, like an undertow, and I was going down.” *swoon*. These are two amazing characters, and we cannot forget about Mac and Truck. Both are great supporting characters and I would be more than happy if they each got their own turn at true love.
I have a particular fondness of Ava, because she’s had it so rough in life, and she still perseveres. I was so proud of her when she realized, she is more than her past. When she says “But being broken doesn’t mean you can’t love and be loved. Sometimes, you just need someone who loves you enough to help you see the full brilliance left inside after all the breaks.” That’s the strength I was talking about.
I can’t mention much more and keep spoilers from this, but I loved this book so much. It was such a fun and heartfelt read and I loved being on this journey with Ava and Eli. L.J. writes such wonderful books. Each chapter is themed around a song, which is such a unique and creative way to go about writing, I imagine it’s quite the challenge. Guarded Dreams is a book you don’t want to miss.
Sometimes writing a review is easy and sometimes it’s hard….writing this review is hard. I’ve been thinking about what to write since I finished the book but none of my words seem adequate. LJ Evans is able to weave words and poetry and music together and give us a book that is full of goodness. It’s a beautiful story of Ava and Eli chasing their dreams and realizing that sometimes what you think you want leads you to something even better. Life is a journey not a destination….enjoy the ride and don’t solely focus on the destination because you may miss something beautiful along the way. This was my first LJ Evans book but I’m already looking forward to reading more of her words.
I loved everything about this book! There is laughter, sorrow, pain, happiness and a slow burn that keeps you hoping. This story was about hope and dreams and knowing when you find the one. From the first paragraph, this story grabbed me and would not let go. This was one of those rare books for me that I thought about even when I wasn’t reading and I couldn’t wait to get home and read some more! L. J. Evans is a new to me author but I will definitely be reading all of her other books!
LJ Evans has become a favorite author. Having just finished her Album series, I went to her backlist to find the Anchor Novels. Guarded Dreams is book one of the series, and if this one story is any indication, I’ll be buried in the next 2 until further notice!
While insta-love is not typically a favorite of mine, I firmly believe in insta-connection. One of the best parts of this story is that it’s built on a foundation of that connection, by characters mature enough to know the timing is wrong – they each have a commitment to themselves to carry on.
Fate steps in and they find each other again, with amended dreams, years later. I LOVE that both Eli and Ava stayed true to themselves. They worked hard, and were honest with each other they entire way. There is plenty of angst to be found in the story, but its derived from circumstances, and not at all from immature, selfish characters.
I’ll be diving in with Mac in Forged by Sacrifice asap!
I read this book in one sitting it was so good! A beautiful second chance romance. Ava and Eli are people who I would love to have as friends IRL, they are such authentic characters you just want to crawl through the book and introduce yourself to them. This book has it all, an age difference, dreams neither are willing to give up, a chance meeting and life changes. LJ Evans has a way of getting you pulled into a story with in the first few paragraphs, and in this story I couldn’t put the book down. I was so enamored by it I even forget to mark that I read it and it wasn’t until I read Forged by Sacrifice that I realized I never even reviewed this book either. I was so taken away with words I forgot what I do when I’m done reading a book! Now that’s a book hangover you all need!
I love a romance that can capture me from the beginning. I want to feel the emotion and get excited about what’s to come. I also love the simple, beautiful build of a relationship. And I sometimes even like the angst that can get my heart racing. I found that with Guarded Dreams.
Ava Abrams is running. She has an independent and confident spirit not many have. She’s full of sass but there’s a hurt she’s trying to hide. And she’s chasing a dream I’m not sure I’d ever be brave enough to follow. She’s a character I can admire, a girl with spunk and a mind of her own.
Eli Wyatt is an old soul with dreams he won’t let anyone stop him from attaining. His self control is commendable. His commitment to his dreams and goals are unwavering. He is a man any parent would be proud of.
Most importantly, they are characters that you can fall in love with and be attracted to without head to toe descriptions. Those features just aren’t necessary because it’s what is inside their hearts that matter. Don’t get me wrong, their descriptions are sexy and fun but they aren’t really needed or what held my interest. And I really like when an author can do that for me.
With an instant connection and deep attraction that filled their young hearts without any unnecessary proclamations of love, the pace of the story is on point. I could feel everything they were feeling including those dreams they wanted to chase long before they met each other and what that meant or could mean to their future.
Smooth cadence, lovely words, times that made my heart hurt and soar, Guarded Dreams took me on a journey filled with chasing dreams, highs and lows, struggle and sacrifice, and a love that fills the soul.