The Guardian Clause: You don't fix me. You just don't leave while I fix myself

By: Quinn, Fallon

Guardian Clause Blurb

THE GUARDIAN CLAUSE
A heart-sharp, grease-stained, slow-burn romance about what happens when your last chance shows up wearing a scar, a clipboard, and zero patience for your self-sabotage.

Ivy Mercer doesn't need saving. She needs space. She needs a win. And she definitely doesn't need some ex-military mentor breathing down her neck like her whole future isn't hanging by a thread.

After getting caught defending a friend the only way she knows how-with fists and fury-Ivy's one incident away from court-ordered consequences. Her brother cuts a deal: enroll in Ashford Industries' elite apprenticeship program or kiss freedom goodbye.

Enter Caleb Knox. Tall, scarred, and maddeningly quiet, he's not interested in fixing anybody. Especially not the sharp-tongued girl who shows up late, talks back, and treats kindness like it's a loaded weapon. He's seen this before. Rage covering fear. Talent buried under trauma. But Ivy's different. Not because she's broken-because she's trying so hard not to be.

For six months, they're locked in a garage, side by side. No shortcuts. No handouts. Just tools, tension, and a growing pull that neither of them want to name. He's structure. She's chaos. But under the heat of grease and pressure and missed chances, something starts to spark.

Then it ignites.

But love-real love-requires more than chemistry. It demands trust. Vulnerability. And the terrifying belief that maybe, just maybe, someone won't leave.

And for Ivy? That might be the scariest clause of all.

THE GUARDIAN CLAUSE is a fiercely emotional, deeply character-driven romance perfect for fans of:

Mentor/apprentice slow burns with heat and healing

Grumpy/sunshine pairings where the grump might secretly be both

Found family dynamics with bite and heart

Heroines who fight tooth and nail to earn peace

Heroes who don't rescue-but stay

If you love books where love isn't a fix, it's a choice-this one's for you.

Because not all happy endings are clean. Some are covered in motor oil. And worth every scar it takes to get there.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FTT4SY4B
• ISBN13: 9798268205978
• Release Date: October 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 68 Pages
• Weight: 0.23 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"