On Guard

The Hastings, Book 2

By: Denise Stone, Kels Stone

Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton, Savannah Peachwood

The bad boy of professional fencing meets Hollywood’s favorite good girl in this sexy sports romance set against the backdrop of a high-stakes blockbuster.

DANTE HASTINGS:

You might have heard of me.

I was the defending Olympic champion—until I used my fist instead of my sabre during a match. Needless to say, I was suspended. Which means no competing for a year…and cleaning up my image.

So, instead of continuing to dominate the fencing world, I’m working on a film that’s poised to be next year’s blockbuster action flick.

The upside? Working with Reese Sinclair, my celebrity crush whose poster was on my wall growing up. Spending time with her will help wash the tabloids of my suspension and convince the league that I’m reformed.

But America’s sweetheart is nothing like I imagined. She’s stubborn, ambitious, and struggling to prove herself in a role that no one thinks she can handle. Still, her determination runs red-hot, and I can’t help but admire her.

When our late-night training sessions turn into something more, I start to realize that I’m outmaneuvered by feelings I never saw coming.

REESE SINCLAIR:

The girl next door. The best friend. The love-struck heroine.

I’ve played them all.

But with 30 creeping closer, I need to prove to myself that I can be more than Hollywood’s darling. And this movie is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for, the project I can use to break out of my typecasting.

The problem? I’m not cut out for action-packed stunt work.

Enter: Dante Hastings. He’s hedonistic, insufferable, infuriatingly gorgeous—and my last shot at making this career move work.

I should stay away. His reputation alone could sink mine. But the more time we spend together, the more I see past all his tabloid exploits and rule-breaking. He knows what it means to fight for something.

But a leading lady doesn’t simper over her co-workers, right?

Yet as much as I try to resist, part of me wants to let Dante put the sin in Sinclair.

©2025 Between the Sheets Publishing (P)2025 Between the Sheets Publishing

Fencing, Fame, and Feelings

ALC Review:
Dual Narration by Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton

Tropes:
Sports romance
Bad boy / good girl
Image rehab

On Guard follows a disgraced fencing champion and a determined actress as they navigate public scrutiny, career pressure, and unexpected chemistry while working on a major action film.

Savannah Peachwood captured Reese’s determination and inner conflict beautifully, balancing vulnerability with quiet strength. Her delivery conveyed the pressure of public expectations while still letting Reese’s ambition shine through. She gave the character a grounded, relatable presence that worked especially well in the more introspective moments.

Teddy Hamilton was a strong match as Dante, bringing confidence, charm, and a hint of edge to his performance. He conveyed Dante’s swagger effortlessly while also allowing room for growth and emotional depth. His pacing and tone made Dante’s internal struggles feel natural rather than overplayed.

guarded to be unguarded

Aw, this was such a cute book! The narration pulled me right into the story and kept me hooked the whole time. I’m a sucker for an enemies-to-lovers trope, and this one absolutely delivered. She wanted nothing to do with him at first until she realized he could actually help her grow and become better. And watching him turn his own life around made their connection even sweeter. I can’t get over how good this was! A definite must-read (and must-listen!).

Crawl to me? (& No Third Act Break Up?) Say less!

On Guard is as good as the first audiobook of the Hastings series. The narration was outstanding. Teddy Hamilton is a phenomenal bad boy Dante while still making the character deep and vulnerable and worth rooting for.

Savannah is an incredible Reese and was such a perfect character to depict social media and just how hard it is to be a woman in media and in the world.

As always, the spice was amazing and the rest was funny and charming. This series continue to be wildly underrated!!! ❤️

Dante & Reese 🩷🩷

𝕒 𝕦 𝕕 𝕚 𝕠 𝕣 𝕖 𝕔 & 𝕣 𝕖 𝕧 𝕚 𝕖 𝕨

🌟:4 🌶️:2.5 🎧:5

This was so wholesome and was honestly just a really sweet romance. I was not expecting that! 🥰

We have Hollywood’s good girl, Reese Sinclair, and Olympic Fencing bad boy, Dante Hastings! What a pair these two made. 🥹 Started off bickering and kinda enemies kinda not, but then once they started opening up and they saw past each other’s facades… they were all in. And guess what?? There’s NO third act breakup!! 🥳

I’m loving the mental health rep in this series, and I love the way that Kels and Denise shine a light on mental battles that so many of us face and have to deal with, for some of us, on a daily basis. I also really felt the woman power and the ode to feminism in their words and through the actions of Reese. I really loved that this featured a sport that has very little, if any, representation, which was fencing. It added such a unique twist to the book, and it was fun reading something totally different from what I’m used to.

Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton star in the audio, and honestly who wouldn’t enjoy a audiobook with these two in it?? They’re so good at storytelling and really embodying the characters, and I thought they did so good with Dante and Reese. Definitely grab this on audio, and get ready to feel the love. 💗

Swoony Dual Narration

Yes, Little Fighter! On Guard by Kels and Denise Stone was a sweet and swoony sports romance with the perfect touch of Hollywood, too! I couldn’t get enough of Reese and Dante’s good girl/ bad boy opposites attract chemistry that absolutely captured my heart. I am loving (and a little bit obsessed with ) The Hastings series in audio, and couldn’t stop listening to Reese and Dante’s love story.

Savannah Peachwood and Teddy Hamilton perform this audiobook in dual narration. These two could not have been more perfect to voice Reese and Dante, both embodying this couple to the fullest. Savannah created a soft and sensual tone to portray Reese’s determined and passionate persona as she went after her goals and gave in to her desires for Dante. Teddy’s portrayal of Dante gave a certain smugness and confidence, layered with a charismatic devotion to Reese that made my heart melt. Both narrators fashioned a steamy, tension-filled connection between Reese and Dante that was undeniable.

Overall, I LOVED this book. If you are a fan of a sports romance with a hot, cocky fencer, a feisty Hollywood good girl, a female Robin Hood movie adaptation, table read meet cute, sword fighting training, they help each other, dyslexia rep, witty text banter, regrets confession, masquerade cave parties, tabloid gossip, steamy waterfall kisses, new job opportunities, mentoring young fencers, limo steam, love declarations, and a HEA that is red carpet worthy, then you will love Reese and Dante’s story. I always look forward to more from Kels and Denise Stone.