Ash Harper and Amber Cohen.
Guarded is one of the many books in the Choices: Stories You Play series.Following an accident on set, rising star Amber Cohen is assigned a bodyguard to protect her. Will they be able to protect Amber from the mysterious person stalking her?
The book was released for VIP players on December 29, 2023 and on February 28, 2024 for everyone. The Early Access release ended on April 26, 2024.
Guarded includes examples of:
- Big Bad: Shannon Beck, the mysterious person stalking Amber is the one responsible for all the crap that happens to her.
- Call-Back:
- Amber is assigned a bodyguard after a stage light almost falls on her, much like what happened with Jessica from Red Carpet Diaries.
- The symbol for Veneer points matches the one for the Deception skill from Blades of Light and Shadow.
- Character Customization: Both Amber and Ash can be customized, the latter's gender is customizable as well.
- Content Warnings: The book opens with a warning about mature sexual content and themes of stalking.
- The Dog Was the Mastermind: After 17 chapters of Amber being stalked, harassed, put in danger, and eventually kidnapped, the culprit ultimately turns out to be Shannon, who had less than a minute of combined screentime throughout the entire book up until now.
- Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: Shannon loves the "Guarded" book series and talking to Amber online in a fan forum was a form of escapism for her after feeling like an outcast, which is why she was furious with the changes made in the film adaptation. Amber can tell her to "save the sob story", feeling no sympathy for a deranged criminal who has terrorized her for weeks.
- Gender-Blender Name: The default name of Ash (Amber's bodyguard) is short for Ashley, a unisex name.
- Loony Fan:
- Chapters 13 and 14 feature a fan attacking Amber at a convention before they're stopped by Ash and thrown out by security. Later dialogue reveals that he was arrested for attacking a different woman previously, believing her to be Amber.
- The Big Bad, Shannon Beck, ends up being this for the "Guarded" book series that is getting a film adaptation that Amber is starring in. Her motivation for the numerous crimes she committed throughout the book such as stalking, assault and kidnapping are because she felt the film was making too many changes that deviated from the source material.
- Recycled Premise: The book's premise combines those of RCD (specifically Book 3) and Witness: A Bodyguard Romance.
- Red Herring: The Loony Fan who's arrested in Chapter 14 is originally thought to be the stalker who's been harassing Amber. Turns out the real stalker had nothing to do with him.
- Stalker with a Crush: At the end of Chapter 1, Amber gets a threatening piece of mail from someone who is implied to be a crazed fan of hers. This is the reason for her being assigned a bodyguard in the first place. This trope is also referenced in the Content Warning. Turns out the stalker in this book does have a crush, albeit on a book series rather than a person.
- Switching P.O.V.: Just like in Surrender, you get to play as the main character and her love interest (the main character in odd-numbered chapters and the love interest in even-numbered chapters).
