Julie Barnson’s late husband Jim left her two gifts before he died: a puppy named Singer and the promise that he would be watching over her forever. Four years later, Julie, who is still living in Swansboro, North Carolina, is ready to date again. She finds herself torn between Richard Franklin, a good looking engineer who treats her like royalty, and Mike Harris, the great guy who was also her husband’s best friend. Her choice soon leaves Julie fighting for her life in a swirl of jealousy and hatred. Nicholas Sparks’ The Guardian is a dark thrilling love story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Julie Barenson survived a negligent mother and is now trying to survive the loss of a loving husband. The man who rescued her by offering her in the small town of Swansboro, North Carolina, died far too young, leaving Julie with a Great Dane puppy she names Singer and a promise to look out for her. Now 29, Julie is starting to date again after four years of mourning and Singer is acting very strangely. He becomes possessive, and especially dislikes her new beau, Richard Franklin. Richard is the perfect gentleman, bringing gifts and always being thoughtful, but something isn't quite right and after three dates, each more fancy and exciting. In the background is Mike Harris, her late husband's best friend. Mike has always been there for her, but she isn’t sure if she wants to be more than friends. After Julie makes her decision, she finds true love and happiness, but ominous things start to happen and she soon realizes that she's being stalked by a deranged sociopath.
Nicholas Sparks used love and danger as a theme in a different way it is used in most books. Unlike other thrillers, where a relationship is secondary to the action of a book, Sparks wrote a story where to relatable characters fall in love, and then surprises readers with suspense and peril that puts both characters at risk. Sparks found a perfect balance between love and danger, where the reader never loses sight of what the novel is mainly about- Love between two ordinary people. If you’re an avid book reader you may feel torn between reading this book, only because you probably know what it feels like for your favorite character to be killed off or eventually neglected. That’s why most people shy away from reading this novel, to save them the heartbreak of losing the character they end up siding with. Although this is a common fear, unlike in other novels,