Independence born of fear . . .Addison Tetrick fears one thing: becoming like her demanding, train-wreck of a mother who wallows in the bitterness bred by poor choices, from marrying the wrong men to being controlled by them. Addison vows to walk a different path, one of independence and free of men—until she meets fellow student Sergei Petrova while studying abroad. Sergei’s intelligence, … intelligence, kindness, and dedication to family win Addison’s heart. But is that enough to dissolve her fears?
Devotion born of strength . . .
Sergei Petrova is driven to bring pride to his adoptive parents whose love built a solid foundation, but his ambition toward success has left him hollow. When Sergei meets Addison, his world explodes with light, and he knows she is the missing piece of his heart. Convinced Addison is his destiny, Sergei promises to destroy the barriers behind which she hides.
Love born of the stars . . .
Addison and Sergei soon find their hearts and souls entwined. Sergei believes no obstacle can break them, but Addison’s fears deepen and darken until tensions boil, and she makes a fateful decision that shatters their world. A life apart is in their stars until the Fates offer a second chance. But is Addison capable of releasing a lifetime of fear to accept the gift of Sergei’s heart? Sergei’s love for Addison must be strong enough to conquer the walls that surround . . . Her Guarded Heart.
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East meets West and sparks fly.
This is a well-written contemporary romance that meets and exceeds expectations. The settings and descriptions invite you into the story. The protagonists are lovable and the antagonist downright irritating. If that’s not enough, there’s conflict around every corner, leavened with generous dollops of humor and warmth.
Can an American girl and a Russian boy overcome difference and distance? You’ll have to read it and find out.
Intriguing captivating distance relationship romance story has adventure, drama, and emotions. Interesting delightful characters and a well-written book. The pleasure to read this book.
She had put up walls around her heart since she watched her mother make so many different bad choices in men. She would never let a man enter her heart as it was too tough. Then she meets him and he seems so different. They talk for each other but her fear gets the better of her and she runs. Will they get a second chance? Will he be able to make her his? See if she can overcome her fears
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love this story that will keep you flipping pages throw in some surprise twist and turns to really be able sink in one sitting.
This story was so good
Wonderfully written story and fast paced story.
Fantastic story line with great characters.
Recommend it for anyone looking for a good love story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sergei is captivated with Dawn from the moment he sees her but she has built a wall around her heart that is so thick it is impenetrable. Dawn has worked hard not to become like her mother. This is one story that will take you on an emotional ride that will be with you long after the story is read and have you picking it up again.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The book is a good romance read. The characters are good. The story is a captivating read that will take the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride that will fill you with hope, despair, and excitement read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
How do you know what love is when you have only seen it once in your life but never experienced it yourself? How do you know what true love is like when what has passed for love in your life has been tainted? How do you know that love can truly conquer all? How do you know that you can truly have it all? How do you learn that by truly loving someone you can actually achieve greatness and not lose yourself but gain a better version of yourself? How love opens us all to the light and clears the dark. This is an awesome read of what can be when you let love in….
This is my first time reading something by this author and I can tell you it won’t be my last. This is the first book in the A Letting Love in Story series and with this book, the series is off to a spectacular start. After seeing her mother’s experiences with men, Addison has guarded her heart closely, building up walls to protect it. When she meets Sergei and unexpectedly finds love, she panics and runs away. Will he be able to convince her their love is real and worth a shot? The story pulled me in from the very beginning and kept me engaged all the way through. With Ms. Baca’s wonderful storytelling, it was easy to get pulled into Addison and Sergei’s world. Both were well-developed characters with depth and personality which gave them an authentic quality. An emotional and satisfying read! I look forward to reading more books by this author.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and am voluntarily leaving my review.
Her Guarded Heart – (Letting Love In Book 1)By Dawn Baca is the tale of the romance of Addison Tetrick & Sergei Petrova that reminds one of other Russian love stories such as Doctor Zhivago…Anna Karenina …with beautiful descriptions of Russia and sweeping drama. The story captivated me at once …as two young lovers depart from their families …take on the World..and find passion in each other’s arms. And yet …life intervenes tearing the young couple apart as distance and unfounded terrors threaten to keep them apart….will love re-unite them or will time fade their desire for each other?!?
Read and see. Much enjoyed and Highly Recommended. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Copy of this book.
Exceedingly Well Written
This author is relatively new to me, and the story absolutely delighted me. The author knows how to show, not tell. If you’ve read any of my reviews before, you know it’s something that I harp on all the time that drives me crazy: authors who do too much telling of the characters, plot, and backstory—not showing it to us through scenes. With just a few pages, the author showed us exactly the world the heroine comes from. We can understand her joy in going to Russia and her reticence; we immediately understand her family dynamic. The book had me in its grips from that very first scene and didn’t let go until the end. Sergei is a fantastic hero. I feel like I don’t say that often enough when writing reviews for near-contemporary stories. I usually reserve this next word for my reviews of historical romance, but he is utterly swoon-worthy in his actions and feelings towards the heroine. That’s what makes a good romance, whether contemporary or historical. If you enjoy well-written contemporary romance with a fantastic couple at its core, you will most likely enjoy this book as much as I did.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Addison does not want to be like her mom and calls her a train wreck. Her path though includes she thinks no men until she meets one that catches her attention with his ways. This also happens to be the first time in reading this author. Sergei though is one that will have one more hurdle. Fear seems to stop alot from that one relationship. Sergei wants to reward his adoptive parents but he is missing something like a heart until he meets Addison. She is his missing piece so he thinks. They believe they are each others soul but then that fear is still a obstacle. We become frantic thinking this is not going to grow so we turn those pages to find the answers.
A Love Unleashed
Dawn Baca’s first novel is off to a phenomenal start! The emotions this story entails spans the whole spectrum from hate to love and everything in between. Sergei and Addison, the main characters, do not have one of those instant to die for kind of love. Theirs is a slow kind of burn romance that builds over time. This book was so riveting that I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended and definitely a MUST read!
Book one in the A Letting Love In Story series a well written story that held my interest until the end. Addison Tetrick and Sergei Petrova’s story of a second chance. That Mother of her’s was just awful so full of herself. I enjoyed seeing this story come together.
Dawn Baca, ‘Her Guarded Heart’, a Letting Love In story.
As an ARC reader I received a free copy and promised an honest review. Here it is.
English isn’t my first language. Sorry for errors.
Rating: 3 stars (of 5).
In general: Love in a foreign country.
Main characters:
– Addison ‘Addi’ Tetrick.
She’s the daughter of divorced parents. Her mother, Tandy, married and divorced three other husbands after the break up with her dad. So she had four half sisters (same mom, different dads).
Addison has a vey good relationship with her dad, Eli, and her stepmom Cassie. Both love her and help with her education and her care for the halfsisters who are somewhat neglected by her very self-centered mom.
Her dad and step-mom stimulate ‘Addi’ to find her own way in live. So they assist her when she wants to study in St. Petersburg for a year. Her mom Tandy uses Addison to show her hate/jealousy for Eli and Cassie, so she fiercely protests against Addi’s going to Russia. But Addi will not give up her dreams and travels to St. Petersburg (without saying goodbye to her sister Quinby)?
– Sergei Petrova (why the Russian female conjugation for his last name while he’s a young man)?
His parents died in a terrorist action while he was 7 years old and his family lived in Germany. He was adopted by the Petrova family and his step-parents loved him as their own children. He’s intelligent student in math and other science subjects.
When Sergei sees Addison and her girlfriend for the first time in a bar/dancing he is afraid to speak to her for she’s ‘entirely out of his league’. But during a first date (after he discovered that they had classes on the same university) he invites her to meet his parents, gives her a family ring and proposes marriage. A very daring action (and, for me, rather unbelievable) of a shy boy who’s a bit of a nerd. And during the whole novel he’s almost always convinced that Addison will become his wife. It makes his character, at first shy with a low self-esteem, not credible for me.
During the year in Russia gradually Addison accepts her love for Sergei (with a bit of help from Sophie, Addi’s wealthy French roommate). But again something I don’t understand: Addi is an intelligent, strong young woman with a hate/love relationship with her mom. But for a very long time she’s afraid of loving Sergei because her mom will not accept him and his lovely family. Is that logical for a daughter who went to Russia against her mother’s wish?
The author, Dawn Baca, creates an original plot of a young American woman who wants to study in Russia. (Why in that country?). She describes some wonderful characters (Cassie, Sophie, Sergei and his family) and the story is easy to read. But I had too many unanswered questions after reading the book to adjudge a high rating in spite of the plus points.
R. Huiszoon.
This is not the usual type of story I go for but I am so happy the author gave me a copy to read/review.
I went through so many emotions reading this, from sympathy for the main characters home life to large smiles when she finally does let Sergi into her heart.
What they go through getting there was so worth it and I am sure if you take the time to read this story you will feel the same way, it even brought tears to my eyes at times.
OMG this gave me chills when it brought real life into the story and when you get to that part I am sure it will do the same to you.
I hope that I have not spoiled this for you but made you want to read it instead.
I found it very hard to put down at times and I’m sure that you will too.