Hard as a Rock

Warren's third book of the paranormal romance Gargoyles series (after Stone Cold Lover) is an alluring, fast-moving tale with a wry, gutsy heroine and a sexy-as-sin hero. The Guardians who protect humans from the Order of Eternal Darkness have been turned into stone statues, and human Wardens need to find and revive them before the Order destroys them. Wynn Powe, a witch and healer, resents that women aren't permitted to be Wardens. She goes searching for a statue in an old mansion but finds only fragments. When she's attacked by the property's caretaker, a Guardian appears in fierce warrior form. Knox, a newbie Guardian whose human form is walking sex magnet, cannot believe the audacity of the feisty human witch; she both dispels his expectations of humans and is curiously fascinating. As Knox is brought up to speed on the activities of the Order, Wynn attempts to decipher her missing Warden brother's to-do list while resisting her attraction to Knox. A quirky ex-Warden uncle and a super hacker friend help with the mission, while seductive kisses and sizzling intimacy smooth out the edges in Wynn and Knox's relationship. This is a fiery, fierce, and fun outing in a series that has staying power. Agent: Ethan Ellenberg, Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency. (Apr.)