I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this book. It is heartfelt and thoughtful. As a reader it gives you a real insight into the legacy of the troubles and the issues it still causes now. I loved following the main characters story and seeing them stand up against prejudice to form a bond. I particularly enjoyed Aidan’s story seeing him fight against the expectations forced upon him because of his family.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Books and Netgalley for providing me access to an E-ARCin return for an honest review.

Guard Your Heart is a wonderful Romeo and Juliet style tale set Derry, and involving two teenagers born on the day of the Good Friday Agreement. While the use of The Troubles as a background to a romance may seem a little jarring, Divin handles the topic sensitively and shows no bias in her depiction of both Catholic and Protestant characters.

The voice of both Aidan and Lona are incredibly well written with dialect and slang used both to distinguish between the chapters but also the divide between both characters' backgrounds and beliefs.

Aidan's relationship with his family, particularly his older brother, 0 wonderfully exploredand the inclusion of Paddy the painter was one that felt particularly poignant in a novelabout learning and moving on from the past.

Many of the scenes are hauntingly raw and realistic and have the reader on tenterhooks yet the author manages to include just enough comedy to keep the pace and prevent too much heartache.

This really is an excellent piece of fiction and one which will hopefully introduce many readers to a side of-ireland which is often heavily edited for British audiences.