I can't tell you how glad I was when I picked Keeping King up!! I've been getting slammed with cliffhangers, angst, and up-in-the-air HEAs so much lately that it was a relief to read one of my favorite contemporary series! I always know I'm in for a good time when I'm reading an Anne Jolin book and she didn't disappoint me with this one. I absolutely loved, Loved, LOVED it!!
If you've read any of the books in Rock Falls series, you know that Jayden is the laid back, funny guy who always has a joke ready and a smile on his face. I don't know why I didn't expect it, but Jayden actually surprised me because there's so much more to him than the laid back façade he puts on. I didn't mind though, because OMG, that man is HOT, HOT, HOT!! He's an a**hole, he's gruff and possessive and so deliciously dominant! Jayden's also deep and thoughtful and trust me, you'll be swooning for him. I know I did, I positively loved him!!
I really loved Peyton too! It was so great to see more than just her shy side and let me tell you, this girl can kick some major butt!! I loved finding out more about her even though it squeezed my heart to learn. Peyton is a strong, beautiful, amazing woman and she's everything a heroine should be!
Keeping King is a fast read, but it's full of twists and turns, danger, passion, and beauty. It's not as light as the first two books and it will tug in your heartstrings sometimes, but it will definitely still make you laugh and smile. It's a wonderfully amazing book and I wholeheartedly loved it!!
Keeping King is a standalone, it's told from Jayden and Peyton's POV, and they get their HEA! As I was reading this book, it was so bittersweet because I didn't want this series to end and I was totally prepared to beg Ms. Jolin to keep writing about these characters, but with an ending like the one she gave us--well, it can't be over and I couldn't be more happy or excited about that!! ~ Paige, 5 stars
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I really like this series. So far, I found that it's smart, has an abundance of awesome movie references, and is jam-packed with hot, swoonworthy, Alpha men and their sassy women. And while it's certainly not sunshine and roses all the time, it's fun, sexy and sweet. And that trend continues with Keeping King.
When Peyton Callaghan is viciously attacked by the stalker of her roommate, she's given no choice....she's moving in with the man she's lusted after for two years - ever since she first arrived in Rock Falls and laid eyes on him. Jayden.
Jayden King is determined to keep Peyton safe. His heart is still, broken by his past, and yet, Pey has a way of making it throb once again. He doesn't have much to offer her, this girl with her own scars and secrets, but he's determined to try. He's wanted Pey for years, and now she's under his roof, the sizzling desire becomes an inferno.
She wants to keep him, but first she has to catch him. He wants to keep her, but first he has to learn her. Can they heal each other and face the future together?
I gotta say, I burned though this book. Such an easy-to-read book - and I mean that in a good way. It just kind of sucks you in, until it's nearly impossible to stop flicking to the next page, reading the next chapter, gleaning just a little more information out of it before bedtime/responsibilities/life seeps back in. However, Keeping King is by no mean an easy book. While there are most definitely moments that'll make you smile, laugh, swoon, lip bite and so on, there's an darker undercurrent here. These characters have been to their own personal versions of hell, and are trying to pick up the pieces. After all, it wouldn't be Rock Falls without a bit of angsty drama to keep you on the edge of your seat.
I liked the little bits of Jayden and Peyton we saw in the earlier books in this series, but I didn't truly have a handle on them until I read this book. They're great together, a good balance, a great fit. They weren't really what I expected - Jay with his playful exterior, Pey with her quiet demeanor - and I couldn't help but feel for them, for all they've faced. Somehow though, I found myself almost more intrigued by two secondary characters - Jackson and Colt. I loved seeing a brighter side to Jackson, who has been a part of the series since the first book, but had, in my opinion, been dealt a bad hand. I see growth and hope here. I can't wait Saving Steele. And Colt...well, I'm definitely going to need to know more about him, especially if it means another Rock Falls book.
Side note: that epilogue. *mouth drops open*
Another side note: that cover *drools*
One final side note: I love the reference to "keeping" that's sprinkled throughout this book. When I ask my daughter, "what are we going to do with that brother of yours?", she always says, "I don't know...Keep him?" And as such, it's just an expression that makes me happy. *goofy smile*
Keeping King is the fourth book in the Rock Falls series and can be read standalone. ~ Beth, 4 stars