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Secrets on Kings Drive

She's not in Nebraska anymore...


Hayven Whitaker’s life is upended when a rash of natural disasters rip through her hometown in Nebraska. Displaced, but welcoming the change, Hayven boards a bus in search of a new start. When she arrives in a new city, it quickly becomes evident how far away from home she truly is. For reasons she keeps tightly concealed, Hayven must blend into the background and avoid drawing attention to herself. However, her path leads her to a peculiar pink house, drawing her into the orbit of its intriguing owner.
Jo’Voni Kyle, affectionately known as the King of Kings Drive, rules his block with an iron fist and a generous heart. His days are consumed with protecting his turf, looking out for his neighbors, and maintaining order in his domain, which prominently includes the pink house. Jo'voni believes he has everything figured out, his life running like a well-oiled machine. That is, until the weird dressing, mysterious, quick-witted girl from Nebraska stumbles into his life, turning his world upside down.

As Hayven and Jo'voni's paths intertwine, their connection deepens, revealing layers of vulnerability and hidden desires. Still, beneath the growing romance lies a web of secrets. Jo'voni becomes increasingly suspicious of Hayven's past and the reasons behind her need for anonymity. At the same time, he struggles to conceal his own secrets, fearing that their revelation could jeopardize everything he’s worked hard for.

330 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 17, 2024

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About the author

Keta Denise

10 books54 followers
Keta Denise was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, where she currently resides with her two children. Although, a new author, Keta has always had a special knack for creating unique and captivating stories. Writing stories on pen and paper for family and friends was something she did for fun, until one day the call to pen a full novel became too loud to ignore.
Keta is excited to allow the world into her creative mind as she introduces a writing style just outside of the ordinary. Her debut novel, THE HEIST, will be releasing soon and will be an explosive introduction into the industry.

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5 stars
65 (61%)
4 stars
34 (32%)
3 stars
5 (4%)
2 stars
2 (1%)
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0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
Profile Image for Toya  Davis-Stokley.
2,793 reviews123 followers
August 21, 2024
I love when a synopsis pulls me in begging me to read the story, and this one did just that.

I know there was wild weather going on in Nebraska, but sis got the hell outta dodge like she was running from the po'lice! Hmmm..... When she ends up in Richmond, things get more interesting as she is going above and beyond to keep her identity hidden. What are you up to girl? 👀 Who you hiding from? To stay incognito she moves to the hood. Not just any hood, but Kings Drive, an area where everyone is terrified to go. Within her first few minutes on the block, she is accosted, witnesses a possible overdose, and already got a stalker/friend in Touri. I knew then I was in for a good time.

Hayven sits on the front porch assessing her new block, and notices cameras on the streetlights, and the odd pink house across the street. Where the hell did, I just move to she wonders. The occupants on King Drive are welcoming, well most of them, intrigued by her beauty and odd way of dress. Hayven walks to the beat of her own drum and doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks about it. She hears about the King of Kings Drive Jo'voni, and how firmly he runs the block that no one will dare come down, not even the police. What is that all about? 👀

Jo'voni, ran his business out of the pink house, knowing that he was untouchable. Staying successful and making money were the only things that mattered to him. Until....
When Jo'vani sees Hayven for the first time, he is entranced by her beauty, but wonders why the hell is she dressed like that? 😂 He quickly learns that this beauty is more than just a pretty face. She is intelligent, sassy, witty, fun, and about to change his world forever.

When the secrets came out, I ached for Hayven as her story was heartbreaking. 💔 No wonder she was ready to get the hell outta there. Then the revelation of who Raymond was almost took me out! What??? 🤯 These two were Bonnie and Clyde ready to take on the world. I loved the way Jo'voni listened to Hayven's ideas of how to make the business more profitable and let her take the lead. Real man ish!🤩 My good sis was brilliant with the ish she came up with on the fly, and they were killing the game. Their connection was so intense that everyone could see it.

Then here come the haters with their jealousy, and greed trying to ruin our good time. Nope! The drama kicked up several notches, and my heart was racing as the intensity of the story was building, as I wondered what would happen. This is just one of those reads that you have to see for yourself. I promise you will not be disappointed. Keta ma'am you wrote the hell outta this! I loved every minute I spend on Kings Drive. 💖 Bravo!! 💪🏾👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾
Profile Image for Mani.
81 reviews29 followers
December 14, 2024
Keta is slowly becoming a contender amongst my faves.

Ten for originality.

A tornado blew little miss grunge into the lives of the unsuspecting ppl of the infamous King Drive. Each one looking unfamiliar to the other. She had never seen a hood quite like this one and they had never met a girl quite like her. A unique story about fast friends, love connections, and hood politics and what happens when worlds collide.

Why were the ppl on Kings Drive so trusting? Why did they automatically trust Hayven? For some it proved to be a grave mistake.

Faves: Tourian
His Power and 90s movie references were hilarious. Young, dumb and reckless but lionhearted and loyal, Touri took a liking to Hayven from the moment he laid eyes on her and did not switch up. He was solid.

I’m a sucker for good banter in a book and Keta executed and delivered there.

I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Profile Image for ReadnliftwithShar.
2,014 reviews
August 19, 2024
“Secrets on King’s Drive” by Keta Denise was an excellent experience; I couldn’t get enough of this book. When I binged Keta’s catalog last year, I knew I had found my match - an author who doesn’t mind pushing the envelope and enjoys snatching every strand of hair on my head. I forever Stan.

In this story, Hayven wants to get a fresh start and leave her past behind. Hayven is a jack of all trades, a mystery girl who marches to the beat of her drums. By the end of the book, I labeled her “Big Hayven” because she shook up Kings Drive, which made her public enemy #1, but she didn’t back down from any challenge. And in return, she earned the life she desperately needed.

When Hayven first arrived at King’s Drive she was told, “Let me put you on to some __ real quick. You are a resident of the block now, and on this block, we look out for each other.” The crew had their little community, and it worked. The whole set-up was genius, but Hayven was the missing piece- the way she elevated the community was nothing short of incredible. With her quick thinking and ability to spot potential weaknesses, she caught the eye of Jo’voni. Their unexpected partnership yielded many challenges, but they overcame them with each other.

Jo’voni is a natural leader; his ability to speak with authority and command the room makes others want to follow him. I loved his character because he was open to feedback from Hayven. And listen the chemistry between them was everything!!! When I think of character development, Jo’voni is an example of what it means to see a character grow. He changed for the better throughout the story. It was sweet how unraveled and possessive he was over Hayven. My boy was giving out headstones like they were going out of style.

It said, “True love is produced from the block.” Jo’voni and Hayven are the perfect examples of this and I love a good hood love story. “They’d overcome adversity, transformed their lives, and found solace in each other's arms. Their love story, born amidst danger and uncertainty, triumphed against all odds, proving even in the darkest of times, love can conquer all.” When you start to elevate yourself, the enemies will come out of the shadows, and it is often the ones closest to you.

While my review makes it seem like things were sweet and easy for Voni and his “Brat” it was everything but easy. Both had hurdles in their past that haunted them. The loose ends threatened their livelihood for the majority of the story and it was a rollercoaster of emotions for them to reach the happily ever after stage. Secrets, mystery, and scheming ran rampant throughout and I was spinning my wheels trying to predict the outcome. That tells me Keta did a heck of a job because there wasn’t an inkling of how or when the climax of the story would come out.

This is a must-read story! One minute I was rubbing my feet together cheesing like a Cheshire Cat to ready to fight everyone the next second. There are a few things in the story that can be triggering so be mindful; however, Keta handled the situation with grace. I would like to spend just one day on King’s Drive because they were having a good time and a good community is always my jam. Amazing job on this one!

**ARC Review**
Profile Image for Mybookscafe.
535 reviews15 followers
August 21, 2024
Good stuff

Mannn I ate this book up!! Listen, when I say it was good, baby it was goodddddd.
The story was different and entertaining, the characters were just as entertaining and the writing was on point.

My favorite thing about it, that the author didn’t wait until the very end to reveal certain things. As the story developed, some things were revealed.
J’voni and Hayve had good chemistry. I love that Hayven wasn’t a typical lead, the uniqueness of her character, made her more enjoyable.

My favorite character is definitely Touri❤️❤️❤️
Profile Image for Shahtia Gay-hairston.
3,586 reviews28 followers
September 3, 2024
Kings Drive

The best book I’ve read in a good while. 🩷🩷🩷 The mystique the drama the action and most importantly the love between Voni and Brat was top tier 🥰
Profile Image for Gabrielle  Johnson.
32 reviews
August 27, 2024
Top Tier!

The author did a great job of making these characters different from the average urban romance and it was refreshing to read! The characters stayed true to themselves throughout the book. She almost lost me at the end because I just knew the FMC was going to do something stupid despite her being portrayed as incredibly smart and gifted but the author did not disappoint! It’s always nice to see the MMC and FMC compliment one another instead of the MMC being a savior. Read the book!
Profile Image for Aarika.
298 reviews25 followers
August 25, 2024
Secrets for real

Hayven was an amazing character and her development and past! I loved her style and attitude! The whole book was different and fast paced with twists at the end! Would love to visit Kings drive again for Touri!
70 reviews
November 15, 2024
My second book by this author and I can for sure say she's an auto buy author. I loved this book. Imma get a physical copy, it was that good. I loved the storytelling the main characters were written so well. LOL Idk if we'll get a spin off but Touri, loved him. Can't wait to get through the rest of her catalog.
Profile Image for SDWhite.
105 reviews12 followers
September 19, 2024
This is a Must Read book! The story was well written...it sucks you in from the beginning to the end...and it's a standalone. Loved "Friend" Touri...I'm going to need his story. Of course Voni is BAE and he loved his Brat(z)! I will be definitely be reading other books by this author.
Profile Image for Ashanti Burton.
836 reviews15 followers
October 27, 2024
I would give this about a 4.5 ⭐️. I enjoyed the concept of the plot. Loved that the fmc aesthetic was black girl Alt. It went a lil slow at some points but I couldn’t tell if it was the book or because I’m a mood reader who jumps to other books. Overall I enjoyed it.
106 reviews1 follower
September 4, 2024
Best Standalone Book this year

Read this NOW! At least once a year I read a book and go how did they come up with this? Well folks this is that book for the year. OMG it was so good. Fresh storyline, well written, and I loved Touri. Touri needs his own story Ms Denise! We love him. I’m not giving anything away in my review because you need to just trust us when we say READ IT! 100 stars!
408 reviews4 followers
October 14, 2024
Get it and read it!

My time reading a book by her and absolutely loved it. It's definitely a page turner until the very end. I loved Hayven for Jo'Voni instead of Koley. Toure is hilarious.
40 reviews
October 8, 2024
4.5 This was a good read! I would have given it 5 stars, but it was more of a mystery then a romance. There was lots of interaction between Hayven and Jovanni but not enough romance (I.e. just because gifts …lingering looks). Most of their interactions revolved around business. Toward the end I was like who is going to live to tell the tale 🤷🏽‍♀️.
220 reviews2 followers
November 24, 2024
Sooo good!!

Author Keta Denise did her big one with Secrets on King Drive!! This book was so good. The suspense had me unable to put the book down! Jo'voni and Hayven are both complicated characters with big secrets. Every time I thought I was close to figuring out the secrets, I realized I was so wrong (that's a good thing). There were literally so many jaw dropping moments. I definitely recommend this read, it's worth a read and a re-read.
Profile Image for Chideraa.
85 reviews
May 6, 2026
Man, the feeling of finding a book that is good from start to finish is indescribable. I love this book and the characters too dang much. It ended beautifully too. Long live the pink house :') 6⭐️
Profile Image for Rashawnda.
1,391 reviews1,328 followers
August 27, 2024
🎶I hear you be the block but I’m the lights that keep the streets on🎶 Ayeeeee it’s a bad b!tch anthem and Hayven is the star of this show 🩷🖤

Keta doesn’t always release a book but when she does it’s a hit! I had no idea what to expect going into this read but “Secrets on Kings Drive” did not disappoint. Very rarely do I read a synopsis! I’d much rather go into a book with a blank slate and allow the story to transform before my eyes!

Well it didn’t take long for Hayven’s story to completely captivate me and draw me in. After a string of tornadoes 🌪️ touched down in her hometown of Nebraska, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise and afforded her with the opportunity to start fresh in a new state. With a one way bus ticket 🚎 🎟️ and no real destination in mind, Hayven ended up in VA renting a home on one of the most ruthless streets in the city.

For her it was perfect! She could fly under the radar and mind the business that paid her. What she didn’t anticipate was becoming instant bffs with a young kid on that block and that friendship roping her into an opportunity that nurtured a love she had buried deep within. She was quick to let you know that she “knew a little about a lot” and her quick wit and sharp thinking quickly proved that in reality she knew a lot about a lot!

This was such a unique storyline and I really enjoyed reading a book that’s not like everything else out there. This book kept me on my toes and had me trying to figure out all moving parts right until the very end.

🛑🛑🛑SPOILERS BELOW🛑🛑🛑

I will say that there were a few parts that missed the mark for me and had they been written differently, this would have easily been a 5 ⭐️ read. For me I didn’t understand why Prophet invested years toward his get back plan only to make such a foolish mistake that cost him his life. It would’ve seemed that he would have had a more calculated, iron clad plan in place. Also, it seemed amateurish for Hayven and Voni to be casually talking about the plan to rob the chemical plant with windows open. For as careful and meticulous as they were this did not fit with their character traits for me and went against everything they showed us up until that point. It would have made more sense for this leak of information to come up a different way. Raymond’s sudden change of heart at the end of the book also seemed strange and I wasn’t all that convinced. There were also a few discrepancies in the storyline that affected the flow of the story.

Even taking all of this into consideration, I still enjoyed the book. Like I said the storyline was original and that gets automatic bonus points in my book. I need every trap house to come like this moving forward! Good job Keta! I can’t wait to see what’s next!
Profile Image for Kenisha Carroll.
40 reviews1 follower
August 22, 2024
Touri

I just loved the brother/sister bond from Hayven and Touri! They were my favorites. I just knew Hayven was on BS but my girl turned out to be solid and the perfect match for the crew. Loved everything about this.
Profile Image for Perrishea.
20 reviews
May 5, 2025
I loved everything about this. the characters were so real and loveable, even in the midst of their craziness. this was a page turner that was so well written. 5 stars for me. one of my fav reads all year.
Profile Image for Elle.
101 reviews1 follower
August 27, 2025
This was a unique read! It’s urban fiction but different…in a good way. I enjoyed the story.
Profile Image for Tasha.
67 reviews
September 17, 2026
Love Keta Denise's storytelling. I was locked in on Hayven and Jovanni's story from the beginning to the ending which held.so many twists and furns.
Profile Image for BooksAreMyLoveLanguage.
88 reviews2 followers
April 16, 2025
NTMA & I am a fan. From reading this book, I will now be reading her entire catalog. This was different but soooooo good.
Profile Image for _literaryaura_.
509 reviews103 followers
August 30, 2024
Keta just recently appeared on my radar with her book Back Home. It was a five-star read for me and I was smitten with all the Virginia references. When I heard about Secrets on Kings Drive, I had to grab it.

This story sucked 🌪️me in from the beginning, we had action on page one. Hayven is in Nebraska where there are multiple natural disasters occurring at the same time. Homeless and needing a change of scenery and in life in general, she finds herself in Richmond, VA. Sis just wants to lay low and regroup. Once settled she meets Touri who is the life of the party and her funny sidekick.
Jo’voni was the King of the block and operated out of the little pink house on the corner. When I say he had everything on lock, nothing was moving on King’s Drive with out his knowledge. However, Hayven showed up with her wit and knowledge and changed the game for him and the residents on the block. They had chemistry from the beginning and Voni tried to be a Uck boy, but Hayve wasn’t having it.

The story has a great concept and storyline, I loved the characters and Keta gave us something a little different from the norm. This was almost a five-star read for me, however three quarters of the way in some parts of the storyline started to fizzle out and didn’t quite make sense. It’s a shame because Keta had a very strong start, nonetheless, four stars is still a good time.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews