A small-town detour was supposed to be easy, until she showed up and changed everything.
Tyler Holiday
Badass. SEAL. Player. Those words have defined me for years. After a decade in combat zones, I’m burned out—but not broken. My next mission? A break. Set up a new base in Bronze Bay, Florida. No deployments. No firefights. Just weights, sun, and maybe a few beachside distractions. Mission accepted.
What I didn’t see coming was Caroline May—a sweet, stubborn, Southern girl with a fire in her eyes and zero interest in guys like me. Someone cover me. I’m going in.
Caroline May
I’ve always had my head in the clouds—literally. My daddy owns the local airport, and I’ve been flying since I could walk. College and dating? Not for me. I waitress at my mama’s diner, count the minutes until my next flight, and keep my heart on lockdown.
Then the SEALs arrive and turn everything upside down. Especially Tyler—gorgeous, cocky, impossible to ignore. He’s the last man I should fall for… but I think it’s already too late. I can’t deny that every time I see him, four words run through my
Foxtrot. Uniform. Charlie. Kilo. Lord, help me—I’m in trouble.
Escape to Bronze Bay in Keeping It and fall hard in this sizzling small-town military romance. Perfect for fans of a Virgin Heroine, Opposites Attract, Enemies to Lovers, Alpha Male, and Southern Charm. Start reading now!
Rachel Robinson, the widow of trailblazing baseball legend Jackie Robinson, is a nursing professional and educator as well as an esteemed social activist.
Thank you to Hambright PR and Rachel Robinson for this ARC in exchange for my honest review… but unfortunately this was a no from me, dawg.
I will say, I absolutely adored the cover! I was just in love with the art and I so badly wanted to love this story but I just didn’t… not in the way I was hoping to.
Edit: I keep trying to convince myself to write a productive ARC review and I just don’t have it in me. So this is all you’re going to get out of me at this time. I am sorry. I will not be posting this review on socials or Amazon.
An Enemies to Lovers Small Town Military Romance by Rachel Robinson
A small town was supposed to be a pit stop. Instead, it became the mission that changed everything.
Tyler Holiday is burned out, cocky, disciplined, and used to getting what he wants. Bronze Bay is meant to be quiet. No combat. No chaos. Just a reset.
And then there’s Caroline May.
She’s grounded in the sky, rooted in her family, and absolutely uninterested in a Navy SEAL with player energy and too much confidence. She has dreams, boundaries, and zero patience for men who disrupt her carefully balanced life.
Which makes this… delicious.
The slow burn in Keeping It is immaculate. The tension simmers. The push and pull feels earned. Every interaction is charged with restraint, curiosity, and just enough friction to keep you locked in.
What really works here is how Tyler and Caroline balance each other. He’s learning how to slow down. She’s learning how to take up space. Neither rushes the other, and the emotional pacing mirrors the romantic one beautifully.
💥 What I loved ✈️ A military MMC who isn’t defined only by his service 🌸 A virgin heroine with agency, backbone, and big dreams ⚔️ Enemies to lovers done with intention, not cruelty 🏡 A small town that feels lived in, not just a backdrop 🔥 Chemistry that builds instead of exploding too fast
Their connection is layered with sweetness, flirtation, and tension that makes every almost moment count. Tyler might be confident, but Caroline is the one quietly holding the power, and watching that dynamic unfold is incredibly satisfying.
This is the kind of romance where the payoff hits because the foundation was solid.
If you love 🎖️ Military romance 💘 Contemporary slow burn 🌸 Virgin heroine ⚔️ Enemies to lovers 🌾 Southern charm 🏡 Small town vibes
I loved Tyler and Caroline so much! 📖❤️ The slow burn in this book was chef’s kiss! Perfectly paced and deliciously tense. Tahoe had me wanting to scream more than once, but the way he and Caroline balanced each other with sweetness, tenderness, flirtation, and heat made it all worth it. Their chemistry was addictive, and I couldn’t get enough.
Thank you @hambright_pr for letting me arc read!
A small-town detour was supposed to be easy, until she showed up and changed everything.
Tyler Holiday
Badass. SEAL. Player. Those words have defined me for years. After a decade in combat zones, I’m burned out—but not broken. My next mission? A break. Set up a new base in Bronze Bay, Florida. No deployments. No firefights. Just weights, sun, and maybe a few beachside distractions. Mission accepted.
What I didn’t see coming was Caroline May—a sweet, stubborn, Southern girl with a fire in her eyes and zero interest in guys like me. Someone cover me. I’m going in.
Caroline May
I’ve always had my head in the clouds—literally. My daddy owns the local airport, and I’ve been flying since I could walk. College and dating? Not for me. I waitress at my mama’s diner, count the minutes until my next flight, and keep my heart on lockdown.
Then the SEALs arrive and turn everything upside down. Especially Tyler—gorgeous, cocky, impossible to ignore. He’s the last man I should fall for… but I think it’s already too late. I can’t deny that every time I see him, four words run through my head:
Foxtrot. Uniform. Charlie. Kilo. Lord, help me—I’m in trouble.
🎖️ Military Romance 💘 Contemporary Romance 🌸 Virgin Heroine ⚔️ Enemies to Lovers 🌾 Southern Charm 🏡 Small Town Romance
Keeping It by Rachel Robinson swept me straight into Bronze Bay, a place so charming I could practically smell the diner coffee and feel the ocean breeze. This small-town romance follows Caroline and Tahoe and honestly, I was rooting for them from page one.
I adored Caroline. She’s the literal small-town sweetheart who has spent her entire life in Bronze Bay, juggling piloting her dad’s hanger and helping out at her mom’s diner like an absolute pro. She’s strong, grounded, stubborn in all the right ways, and reading about a woman so confident in her beliefs and her skills (a pilot!! we love!) felt incredibly refreshing.
Enter Tyler better known as Tahoe a SEAL newly stationed in Bronze Bay. Sparks don’t just fly when they meet… they practically detonate. When the SEAL team needs a hanger and a local airport for their jumps, Caroline and Tahoe’s worlds collide, and the slow burn begins simmering.
Tahoe has his fair share of baggage, and watching him wrestle with his past while falling hard for Caroline added so much depth. Their chemistry was off the charts. The kind that makes you kick your feet a little. And the slow-burn tension was burning.
The small-town vibes were immaculate entertaining side characters, cozy-chaotic energy, and that familiar warmth I always expect (and love). The angst, the tension, the grovelling it all built up to a perfectly satisfying climax that tied everything together beautifully.
Overall, this was such an easy, fun, heart-tugging small-town slow burn. I devoured it in one sitting and had fun reading.
Thank you to @hambright_pr and @rachelrobinsonauthor for this arc!🫶🏻 And Happy Pub Day! 🥳
A Must Read Start to the Bronze Bay SEALs Series! (5/5 Stars)
Rachel Robinson has delivered an absolute knockout with "Keeping It," the thrilling first installment in the Bronze Bay SEALs series. I was completely captivated from the very first page to the last, and I honestly couldn't put it down.
The chemistry between MMC and FMC is scorching, featuring some of the best, most electric banter I've read all year. Their dynamic is the heart of the story, driven by a perfect enemies to lovers setup that is both incredibly fun and deeply emotional. MMC, the battle hardened SEAL, and FMC, the small town flight obsessed waitress, clash in the most entertaining ways, making every interaction sizzle.
Robinson's writing is immersive, drawing you right into the coastal world of Bronze Bay, Florida. She balances the steamy anticipation and emotional depth perfectly, giving the characters genuine growth and complex backstories that make you root for them every step of the way. If you love a hero who meets his match and a heroine who is stronger than she knows, this book is for you.
This is a well written, exhilarating, and deeply satisfying romance that sets an incredibly high bar for the rest of the series. Clear your schedule before you start, because you won't want to stop until you know how this journey ends!
This was a sweet, slow-burn romance that let the chemistry simmer until it finally hit its breaking point. With a blend of love, sadness, angst, and a touch of drama, it made for an easy, cozy read—perfect for cold weather.
Tahoe and Caroline were the definition of opposites attract. Tahoe may be the confident, badass SEAL, but around Caroline he’s gentle and warm. Caroline is the small-town sweetheart everyone would instantly adore, yet she’s strong and determined in her own right.
Despite the slow build, the story stays engaging with fun banter, laugh-out-loud moments, a few emotional lows, and some shout-at-your-kindle frustration. It feels real, the characters are easy to love, and the epilogue ties everything together beautifully.
Thanks so much to Rachel Robinson and Hambright PR for my ARC copy!
Keeping It is some great, intense insta-love with two incredibly sweet characters.
Tropes: ✈️ Insta-Love ✈️ Military Romance ✈️ Enemies to Lovers Sprinkle ✈️ Small Town
Caroline is a very innocent southern girl who works in her mom’s diner and at the family airport. Tyler, aka Tahoe, is a Navy SEAL who is now stationed here, and they need access to the airport for training. Caroline doesn’t love them being around, so Tahoe has to work hard to win her over. As they spend time together, they find that they really like each other…
Tahoe and Caroline are really sweet. Caroline is incredibly innocent, and Tyler is definitely not…but he wants so badly to do this serious relationship right. It was sweet to watch Tyler fall so fast and hard.
🌶️🌶️
Thank you, Rachel and HPR, for sending me a copy of this book!
First I want to say I’m thankful to Hambright PR for sending me this eARC for its release!
What I liked about it was he is a Navy SEAL and she is is hobby pilot, I loved the small Florida town setting, the virgin FMC, and the premise on how they met. I did read this book in one sitting!
What I didn’t like was that this book had so much potential but it didn’t quite hit the mark. What didn’t work was the pacing it did little time jumps then next thing I know it’s six months later. This was also an insta-love but also a slow burn?! They were going on a date after a month then in love then not talking for half a year then engaged?! If I was going to jump around like that I would date the chapters so readers aren’t confused.
With all that said this is my second book I’ve read by Rachel and I will still read more!
2.75 ⭐️ I was excited to read this story however it was not quite what I expected. I will say I accepted the story enough to finish it and there were a few moments I did like but I didn’t love it. First, I didn’t click with either of the main characters. I didn’t get Caroline as much as I would have liked and Tyler was annoying and cocky. Next, the story started out by moving too fast for me and the back and forth for the first 50% made it hard to follow the storyline. Also, the whole innocence thing just seemed to be mentioned a lot and I didn’t completely understand why it was as important as it seemed. Finally, there was little to no chemistry or connection between the characters. I didn’t feel the love they shared.
This book was fun we had a navy seal who is new to the area and a waitress/pilot who feels like she is an outsider. The story is cute the meet and slowly he is trying to get something from her and she isn’t given in so quickly. My favorite like was “That wasn’t the first time I noticed you. That was the first time I let you see me noticing you.” Swoon. That had me the story was cute and very enjoyable. The story had a few lines that definitely stuck out for me and made the book enjoyable. I am already getting ready to dive into book two. The seals in this book are all men who need their own books.
Thank you Rachel Robinson and Hambright PR for my copy of Keeping It. 🤍 I received this book for review, all opinions are my own and given freely.
Let me start by saying how much I adore this cover! Holy beautiful. I know they say, don’t judge a book by its cover but I’m always impressed and drawn to a beautiful cover. And this book has one heck of a beautiful cover!! 😍
Keeping It is a delicious slow burn between a military MMC (Tyler) and a virgin FMC (Caroline). It’s a secret to absolutely no one that I’m a sucker for a military romance. The balance between these main characters was perfection. Their connection, the tension, the chemistry.. This book has it all.
Ah Tahoe and Caroline, what a couple. A SEAL and a pilot who runs a small airport. This story runs the gambit with falling fast, past trauma, virginity and innocence, and an accident. It's amazing what falling in love will make you do and say that you don't really mean, but pushing past the past and confronting it will make you realize she is your forever. Great read and excited for the next book!
As always Rachel gives us a story of redemption, love and military. They know how to be the bad boy you never knew you needed until one day, a wrong turn leads you right towards him! And what better than small town romance but when she's daddy's princess and a "v".....what do you expect to happen when the enemies become..... yupppppp you guessed it.
Keeping It is an emotional military romance. I really enjoyed Caroline and Tyler/Tahoe's story. There's lots of banter, tension, and emotion with a beautiful HEA. 4⭐2.5🌶️ Thank you Rachel and Hambright PR for including me as an ARC reader!
Keeping It was a sweet, slow burn romance with plenty of banter and a simmering chemistry that is edged until close to the end. This story follows Navy Seal, Tyler Holiday, aka Tahoe and waitress/pilot, Caroline May.
Tahoe and Caroline had the best tension going throughout the book. What starts off as a business arrangement, soon becomes a friendship and so much more. Tahoe's confidence and tough exterior was only outmatched by his gentle care of Caroline. Caroline was such a sweetheart and easily adored. I loved her sense of adventure and the way she put Tahoe in his place time and time again.
Keepint It had a slow build, but the tension, the humor and the push and pull between Tahoe and Caroline kept me engaged.