Welcome to the Guarded Theory Page. This is a place where you can discuss confirmed, debunked, and unconfirmed theories from the Guarded series.
Confirmed Theories
- Word "Guarded": Possibilities on what "guarded" might refer to:
- Personal Bodyguard: The story could revolve around security or personal bodyguards, similar to Witness: A Bodyguard Romance. This is confirmed in Choices Insiders November 2023.
- Female Lead: Given the recent surge in female-lead stories, it is believed this one will be too. This is confirmed with the sneak peek featuring the main character.[1]
- Single-LI: Given the recent surge in single-love interest stories, it is believed this one will be too. This is confirmed in the book's blog.
- Mature-tagged: Given the recent surge in mature-tagged books, it is theorized that this book will be as well. This is confirmed with the book's 17+ tag.
- Dual Lead: The summaries for Chapters 1 and 2 have led some to believe that we'll be playing as both a customizable MC working on a movie and their bodyguard. This is confirmed in the book's blog.[2]
- Stalker: There are several theories about the stalker's identity:
- Shannon: One early suspect is Shannon, the PA you meet in Chapter 1. The stalker's first letter says they can't allow what's happening to continue, and they insist you need to fix what's wrong because you know better. Your first conversation with Shannon is about your shared love of the book your movie is based on, so this letter may be an indication that she's unhappy with the creative decisions being made to translate the story from page to screen. Additionally, her job as production assistant gives her access to the set and studio, so she'd be able to sabotage the light fixture, take the photos of you on-set just prior to the accident, and add a letter with no return address to your pile of fan mail. This is confirmed in Chapter 17.
Debunked Theories
- Sports book: It is believed that this is the aforementioned book that was being mentioned by PB 'in the works'. PB debunked this in Choices Insiders August 2023.
- Word "Guarded": Both are debunked when the November 2023 Choices newsletter mentions bodyguard:
- Guarded Place: This story might focus on guarded places (banks, museums, etc).
- Person: The main character or a love interest might have become a cautious person before the events of the story.
- Stalker: There are several theories about the stalker's identity:
- Val: Since his/her gender depends on the Guard's, this may be a hint that he/she is the stalker, continuing the trend of gender-determinant villains in single LI books whose gender depends on the LI's. In addition, he/she may have been the one who made the lights fall so that he/she can save you and make himself/herself out to be a hero, similar to Martin Schmidt from Red Carpet Diaries, Book 3. This is debunked as Val is neither a villain nor your stalker.