The Guardian (OMalley #2) by Dee Henderson

The Guardian (OMalley #2) Reviews

• 
  Sarah Grace Grzy

  *happy sigh* That one was the best yet! <3 I absolutely loved both Marcus and Shari, and loved hearing their stories. I could relate to both characters in a lot of ways, and the supporting cast was also fabulous. Beth was especially sweet. The Guardian keeps you on the edge of your seat pretty much the whole time, but leaves plenty of time for sweet heartwarming scenes, and some comedic relief. The romance was so sweet and perfect. There were a few too many\too described kisses for my liking, but the rest of the book was lovely. The themes of faith, salvation and prayer were spot on, and so inspiring.
  
  Highly recommended!
  
  Recommended for age 16+ for romance and violence.
• 
  Amanda Tero

  This is my favorite O’Malley book so far. Not only is it dealing with prayer and how God allows some prayers to be unanswered, but it also has rich characters. The salvation testimony in this book isn’t as prolonged as the other books, but I find that only helps it be unique and real life. Shari was a woman whose faith was shaken but brought back to the foundation of Jesus Christ. The spiritual message was strong.
  
  I really liked the intensity in this one. It actually had some riveting parts that drew me in more than the other books (so far).
  
  And you get to know other members of the O’Malley family, which only makes me eager to hear their stories.
  
  Again, I have slight issue with the romantic relationship being between a saved person who knew their love interest wasn’t a believer. It doesn’t matter which way you put it, it just feeds unrealistic expectations for readers. That part I didn’t fully like.
• 
  Ed

  So far in all of this series, I find many examples of God dealing with individuals through His providence in dealing with lost people about their salvation. Also you also see God allowing adversity and other trials on Christians to get the weak Christians stronger in their trust on the Lord. This is a good book showing the steps to maturity among Christians by putting complete faith in God because God knows what He is doing. Even those who are lost in the story see how Christians react to the problems of God working in their life. A lot of lessons taught in this fictional story.
  
• 
  Jesseca Wheaton

  Augh! Try to review a book on my tablet and it says I rated it 3 stars. Okay. . .no, it was definitely a five star book!
  I loved getting to learn more about Marcus, and Shari's story was so heartbreak. But the way she handled it, the way she leaned on God through it all was just so good. And of course her and Marcus just had the sweetest relationship ever!!
  And the sibling relationships! I adore this series! I love all the sibling interaction. It's just precious. :)
• 
  Victoria Lynn

  This book was good! Another great O'Malley story. Can I just say I love all the O'Malley's? Dee Henderson does a great job making each and every one of her characters unique and interesting.
  
  MC Marcus O'Malley was very easy for me to relate to. . .we share a lot of similar qualities, For him it is being a guardian for his family, and for me it is being a big sister and mother hen. I found myself relating very much to his struggle and I thought the spiritual wrestling that he and the other MC did in this book very helpful and relatable. I also related to his deep heart. . . he feels things deeply, which is something I do as well. Plus, you just gotta love his banter.
  
  The other MC, Shari, was a little on the bland side, but she became loveable as time went on. I just didn't jive with her the way I do other characters.
  
  The mystery was compelling, and equally balanced with moments of normalcy. This book is filled with sweetness between all of the O'Malley characters, enjoyable characterization and a high stakes mystery and suspense.
  
  Reccomended for ages 16+
  
  Contains violence, description of crime scenes, blood, deaths, and means of murder.
• 
  Jennifer

  A good book (like all her others). The things I like most about the books are the romance aspect, but more importantly, the fact that each of the siblings has a different issue about God to deal with and I find that Dee Henderson makes the issues real - I can definately relate to a number of the themes and have enjoyed all the books. The ability to make people aware of aspects which might be affecting their relationship with God as well as the solution and the reasoning for making the choice I feel is a necessary one which makes us, the reader, think.
• 
  Mikayla

  I loved Marcus. He was an awesome leader, and I loved his interaction with his siblings. He was so sweet with his sisters. <3 His struggle with faith was believable and moving.
  And I loved seeing Kate again. *Happy sigh*
  The only thing I did not like in this book was the amount of kissing. In particular the kiss in the gym, it was very unexpected and I found myself disliking Marcus for kissing her that much.
  
• 
  Oceana

  I actually got into this much quicker than I expected.
  I really like Marcus's character. He and Shari were a good match.
  I do find some of the strategy talk is kind of boring at times. I just wanted to see the action and the romance. But still really good. and I love the faith in this one too!
• 
  Maria

  LOVED IT!! Wow! I was blown away at how much I loved this novel!! I fell in love with Marcus and Shari. Marcus is the protective type and he had me swooning more than once! Shari is the 'victim' but possesses a quiet strength. I mean, if I went through everything she did, I'm not sure I would've made it. I loved how the elements of faith were touched on. For those who said it was too preachy, it wasn't at all. If you are genuinely looking for answers that Marcus was looking for, then this novel is perfect for you. The secondary characters were also lovely. The plot came together fabulously and I was furiously turning the pages to see what would happen next!
  Can I mention that this novel won a Christy award?!! Does that convince you to get this novel? This is a must read!! I very highly recommend this novel!!
• 
  Joleen

  
  The Guardian by Dee Henderson
  Genre: Suspense, Christian Romance, murder mystery
  Format: Kindle
  Timeframe: More or less current day
  Location: Chicago, IL
  Characters:
  Marcus O'Malley: Eldest O’Malley, 38 year old single US marshal
  Shari Hanford: Witness to a murder, 34 years old, unmarried speech writer
  Kate, Jennifer and Lisa: Three O’Malley sisters
  Dave Richman: FBI agent, working with Marcus, dating Kate
  Joshua and Beth: Shari’s brother and mother
  
  Shari Hanford is a witness to something horrible in a hotel room just as US Marshal Marcus O’Malley was heading to that floor to relocate and protect a federal judge. This immediately becomes his case…to protect the witness and her remaining family members.
  
  There are always so many twists to Ms. Henderson’s books that they are hard to put down. This book is no exception.
  
  There’s a murderer who believed his disguise would keep him safe. The protection team is on a hunt for who Shari saw. While the shooter is sure he won’t be caught, the witness still needs to be eliminated, and the route to that end is elaborate. What Lisa (a forensic pathologist as well as sister to Marcus) does to find the least little clues is pretty amazing.
  
  Two specific things I’m realizing about this series:
  1) The author has a main character who is a Christian, and another main character who is an unbeliever. Both are placed together for some reason and both begin a relationship that usually passes beyond friendship. The non-Christians are all the O’Malleys. In their orphanage-life “God” seemed distant or had abandoned them, so these unrelated orphans became a family, learning to rely primarily on each other for the past two decades.
  2) The gospel isn’t in great detail, but Christ is proclaimed by believers in such a way that the non-Christian is challenged to rethink his/her ideas about God.
  
  In The Guardian, two characters fall in love. When the Christian accepts the unbeliever's marriage proposal, it isn’t written that the Christian is aware that the person she's going to marry had turned his life back to Christ. So his lack of faith is irrelevant to their marriage vows? She got what she wanted...him. That’s a pet peeve of mine in Christian fiction. Why do Christians put themselves in a position to fall in love with someone who doesn’t share their greatest value? Could it be that what they want is of greater value than the Son of God who saved them? Another thought is why Christian authors think it’s okay to write about a Christian falling in love with an unbeliever... and for them to pray that they could spend the rest of their lives together? Does II Cor. 6:14 mean nothing?
  
  Sigh.
  
  Aside from that fact, which brings it down a notch, the book is amazing!!!
• 
  Emma Turner

  Another amazing O’malley book to add to my “read” books.
  
  I loved how this book portrayed Marcus as the leader in their close family. It really made his character so much more confident and strong.
  
  The suspense was also amazing!! I was on the edge of my seat, and I was barely able to put this book down. Another aspect I loved was that Marcus wasn’t a strong believer. I have the opinion he was saved, but because of circumstances his faith wavered. I loved how Shari did not push him to revaluate his relationship with God, but only encouraged him and was there for him. Everyone has to make their own decisions regarding God, but that does not mean we should not be there with unbelievers or believers who have lost faith.
  
  
  Only four stars because it wasn’t the greatest thing I have read recently. :)
• 
  Library Queen

  I was 12 when I first started reading this series, and I remember completely loving it.
  
  I somehow love it even more at 31.
  
  This book was just perfect. I like how Marcus struggled and everything wasn't just a pat answer (actually, that's something I really love with this whole series, how each O'Malley comes to believe in a very real way). This book is hilarious, suspenseful, and romantic. (I still can't decide which O'Malley guy I liked the most as a teen, they were all book crushes.) I wish I could make everyone read it, so they'd understand how obsessed I am with this series.
• 
  Micaiah

  SO GOOD!!! Henderson knows how to write romance-suspense. 😍 (4.5 stars)
• 
  Knucklefish

  Being the rather female chauvinist I am, as a general rule I prefer the O'Malley books centered around the sisters. Marcus is the one glowing exception. This book is one of the best.
  
  Although in actuality, the gender of the main O'Malley shouldn't matter much because of the book's format. They are told from the perspective of both the male and female lead. Maybe it's just that the women for Jack and Stephen aren't as dynamic of characters. Marcus's love interest Shari, however, is as cool as they come. Ironically I think it took some time for me to warm up to her during the first reading. Part of it may very well have been that I didn't like her name. Also it's a testament to how quickly the reader falls in love with Marcus. What woman would possibly be good enough for him?
  
  Now I do think Shari is worthy of Marcus. She's got major feminist appeal because she wants to be a politician. The relationship she and Marcus form feels like one of the strongest in the series. It develops over the course of many late night talks about both silly and deathly serious topics.
• 
  Shannon

  At its heart, this book is about one's relationship with God through prayer. Yes, there is a love story, but it's not deeply developed; there is also a bit of a mystery/thriller element - but don't read it for that quality (how the investigation occurs, you can tell it was written by one who doesn't spend much time in the criminal arena - I mean, why wouldn't the investigation check hotel cameras? And how do the US Marshall's, FBI and local police just work so well together?)
  
  Overall it is an enjoyable quick read that can kill some time.
• 
  Audrey

  A federal judge was shot and killed and Shari witnessed it happen. The murderer is determined to get Shari out of the picture but Marcus is even more determined to protect her. In the meantime, Marcus's sister, Jennifer, is in the hospital dealing with chemotherapy treatments for her cancer. Will Marcus be able to trust that Jesus is able to protect his loved ones?
• 
  Piepie | The Napping Bibliophile

  I really enjoyed this one! Dee Henderson books are sometimes a little cheesy (the "hug time" thing with the pagers? really??) and predictable (I think all her books end with a marriage proposal/happily ever after), but I like her writing and her characters.
• 
  Jenny Jo Weir

  This series is so cute! Not sure how much Christian Fiction I'd read before this but I'm loving it. When they want a cold drink, they drink a glass of milk, tea or soft drink :-) When they get angry, they pray to God, no one says bad words and its full of suspense and action! Yay I say! Cant wait to read book 3.
• 
  AlixJamie

  It took me forever to read this book. I read the first few chapters and quickly got disgusted by Marcus and Shari's hitting on each other when they had just happened to meet by accident. So I set it aside for about a month until it got annoying. I can't stand starting a book and not finishing it. So I sat down and told myself I was going to read until it was done.
  For starters, I was really annoyed with all the kissing and flirting going on between these to mature, career-minded adults. It just didn't fit their characters.
  Then, Dee Henderson's overblown images of the O'Malley family, while SOME of it was fun to read, a lot of it got aggravatingly tacky.
  The Christian angle of this book came off as stilted and awkward. I know from personal experience that it is EXTREMELY difficult to take a character who believed at one point in his or her life and then rejected God for one reason or another, and make their re-conversion convincing. Even so, practically any mention of God or prayer seemed removed from the plot line and just stuck in here and there to tag the book as "Christian". But, in Ms. Henderson's defense, writing fiction where the characters naturally breath God and any mention of Him flows with the book is also extremely difficult. In real life, most people don't talk about God constantly, if really at all, so even though it is heartfelt, it just doesn't sound natural.
  I found Lisa's forensic pathology very engrossing, to the point where I viewed her scenes as the best parts of the book. As is usual with Dee Henderson, her dialog was interesting to read and mostly well paced, though I occasionally got lost in the longer conversations because she withholds some necessary he said/she saids.
  My favorite character, and one of the main reasons I kept reading, was Joshua Hanford. It was too bad that he was only a minor character, because he was excellently drawn and the only reason I gave this book three stars. Without him, it probably would have been two (and a half, if Goodreads let me do that...)
  And finally, as one of my friends complained, Dee Henderson's plots are virtually the same in every book; which is basically true. It begins with mild flirtation, digresses to something more serious, a damsel is always in distress and must be shipped off to some safe hideaway to be looked after by their love-interest and an avalanche of security (in most cases the mass security), the disbelieving person usually comes to faith in God around that point, meaning that an eventual marriage will take place, and then there is an abrupt and usually bullet-filled climax and everything is resolved in an upward of ten or eleven pages.
  It's the quick endings that get me. Ms. Henderson drags out the investigations, false leads, romance, danger,faith struggles, family issues, crime scenes and other interesting topics and then, boom, she drops the criminal culprit in the laps of the law where he is shot or arrested as the case may be, and then before you have really caught the significance of what just happened, the book ends and you are left to read the note by Dee Henderson that is stowed away in the back. Maybe the swift culminations after drawn out investigations are the way it is in real life; I don't know. But it doesn't make for a very conclusive novel-ending.
  One more thing: I wasn't the only one who thought that the last scene in this book was really...childish, am I? I mean, come on. Pager games? Really? It reminded me of Rolf and Liesl in the garden in "The Sound of Music" sending telegrams to each other. But Rolf and Liesl are sixteen and seventeen - not thirty something. "HUG-TIME"? Please...
  
• 
  Andrea Cox

  by Andrea Renee Cox
  
  The Guardian was the first book I read in Dee Henderson’s The O’Malley Chronicles, even though it’s the second one in the series. I’ve been hooked ever since. How could I not be when it includes humor, core family values, Christianity, tough emotions and circumstances, and a host of characters that crawled into my heart? Not to mention the suspenseful plots that fuel each story.
  
  This particular novel features Marcus O’Malley, the guardian of the clan, who works for the U.S. Marshals. When a federal judge is killed on his watch, Marcus determines to guard the only witness and hunt down the shooter. But what will he do when his heart get tangled up along the journey?
  
  One of my favorite things about The Guardian is how detailed it is. The way the author intricately designs each chapter heightens the suspense along with my curiosity. Perhaps that’s why I’m on my third read of this incredible series.
  
  Or it could be the closeness the O’Malley family exhibits. It reminds me of my childhood dream of having lots of children some day in the future. I wondered if they would grow up close, similarly to the O’Malleys. It’s encouraging to see that it’s possible, both in fiction (The Guardian) and in reality (my sister and I have become really close over the years).
  
  Have you read The Guardian yet?
• 
  Kylie

  This series amazed me- all the storylines flow from each other so wonderfully and this was a great one!! At the beginning I didn't really care for the match of the characters but Dee really pulled me in and her use of suspense had me sitting at the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened. Marcus's journey back into Christianity and Shari's struggle with keeping her own faith was so relatable and the book really helped answer some amazingly tough questions about a God who would let horrible things happen and why.
• 
  SassyMama

  INTRIGUING Christian Romantic Suspense...looking forward to the next book!
• 
  Sarah

  I liked this book even better hen the first two. I love how Henderson can makes each sibling's journey to God different.
• 
  Mikayla

  Rtc
• 
  Alice.L

  This is the 3rd book in the collection. Focusing on Marcus O'Mally.
  
  Negative
  To mush similarities with the first 2. The books seem to have a repeating pattern with the characters. It's kinda annoying. One is always not a believe, lots of talk about having a family, and the girl is always in danger. So super repetitive within the first 3 books.
  
  Positive
  I like how they still talk about the characters from the last books. 👏 It's good to hear about the other ones lives a little.
• 
  Joy Crain

  A Judge is dead and there's a witness.
  
  Marcus O'Malley is used to protecting everyone. He's the Guardian and he's good at his job. But now things are shaken up. He can't protect everyone. Someone wants Shari dead because she witnessed the murder and his younger sister is dying. Plus, he can't seem to guard his heart either by the witness he swore to protect.
  
  This book was good. Appropriate for all ages.