Keeping Kinley

Books of Dalthia #5

by Annette K. Larsen

"Rylan made me feel like things were possible. Like I was possible, and he was possible, and we could be possible together."
Kinley is content tending her apple orchard, until a chance meeting with a childhood friend changes her priorities. Spending time with nobility is not socially acceptable, but Rylan rejects the norm. He pursues her with an easygoing charm, though she doesn’t dare hope that their relationship will be a reality.
When Kinley’s livelihood is threatened, any thoughts of a relationship are set aside as she’s thrust into Rylan’s world, where commoners and nobility don’t mix. The Rylan she encounters there is not the quirky and carefree friend she thought she knew. Can she trust what her heart has told her and believe in him, or will she be forced to accept that her dreams are only that—dreams?

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Historical, Clean Romance, Historical Romance

330 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 30, 2017

About the author

I love words. I always have. In songs, in poems, in books, in movies—words move me. In my younger years, I dabbled in writing as a therapy and an escape, but I never expected it to become more than that. While deep in the depths of mommying several small children, I took seven years to write my first book, Just Ella. During that time, I taught myself how to write a novel through a whole lot of trial and error. Not the most time-efficient method, but it gave me an education I wouldn’t have received from a class or a how-to book. Something about the struggle of writing without a formula or rules worked for me. I wrote for me. I wrote from my heart space, and I think that’s the reason that Just Ella has found room in so many of my readers’ heart spaces.

I write clean romance because I love it. I love the discovery of new love. I love the relationship building that’s done with looks, words, brushing fingers, and tentative kisses. Jane Eyre is the hero of my youth and taught me that being true to yourself and clinging to your convictions will be hard, but it will bring you more genuine happiness than giving up on yourself ever can.

I am an extraordinarily happy wife, and a mother of five kids. I’ve lived in Utah, Arizona, Missouri, and Virginia, but my heart is now firmly ensconced in Idaho where we’ve built a home and a community.

I love chocolate, waterfalls, pretty teacups, the sight and sound of ocean waves, and most especially my husband and my five littles. I love books that leave me with a sigh of contentment, and I aspire to write stories that do the same for my readers.

Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annetteklar...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoraklarsen
Follow me on twitter: @AnnetteKLarsen
Contact Me: http://www.annetteklarsen.com/contact...

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars ⭐️ Clean Fiction - YA Fantasy (Non-magical / Historical setting)

I read this book to see more of Ella and Gavin and was not disappointed 🥹 and Kinley and Rylan grew on me as well.

I will say that Kinley was a little too…dramatic? emotional? for my tastes. She often made me wince when she would overreact or lash out. It wasn’t cute and you could tell her age because of it. I like Rylan and found him to be a dear. A very sunshine or golden retriever MMC and I wish we could have had his POV because I think I would have appreciated being privy to his thoughts and actions towards the end.

Being that this is the fifth book in the series, I knew to brace for the impact of angst around 65/70% and that warning bode well for this book as well. I do think she completely overreacted to news about Rylan, so that didn’t endear her to me towards the end. Thankfully all ends well, but I will say that her reaction was over-the-top and the angst felt a little forced compared to the other books in this series.

I do wish we could have seen more of Ella and her sisters, but I wasn’t expecting to because of this book being about Ella’s sister-in-law instead. Overall it was a solid and angst-filled series that I enjoyed—some more than others of course, but it was a good non-magical series. I look forward to reading the author’s other fairytale retelling series that is loosely connected to this series soon!


Series ranking-
1- Just Ella (#1)
2- Missing Lily (#2)
and then Books 3, 4, and 5 are nearly tied because while I'm rating this one higher, I did enjoy #4's story the most of the three but had to dock it due to some heavier kissing moments.


Main Content-
A few mentions of sorceresses; A couple mentions of wicked smiles & enjoyment; A mention of Ella and Gavin’s marriage only happening because of the “grace of a higher power”; A mention of praying (but not towards Whom).



No major language, instead minor phrases like ‘saints above’/saints, and ‘thanks be to heaven’ are said; Kinley does curse someone a few times & there’s also mentions of curses (said, not written); Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Kinley also lies once to her crush; Eavesdropping.

A young man grabs at Kinley twice (in anger) and she fights back each time (it’s not said that it was sexually motivated, but Kinley and another imagine the worse that could have happened (assault) and asks to make sure she wasn’t hurt elsewhere); She sobs partially because of the second time and other things going on; The young man gets pummeled and threatened by both Kinley and the men in her life.

A neighbor of Kinley’s family is an older man who has “delusions” about thieves stealing his chickens or wolves being nearby and causes problems including a fire.

Rylan talks about his father tolerating him and their strained relationship.

A fire, smoke, & grief (a handful+ of sentences).

Mentions of thieves, thefts, & stealing; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of hatred; A few teasing mentions of murdering or killing someone (usually in annoyance); A couple mentions of gambling; A couple mentions of drinking & wine; A mention of a gruesome drawing of a lion eating an antelope.



6 hand/fingers/palm kisses,
2 head/forehead kisses,
2 cheek kisses,
1 nose kiss,
A few not-detailed kisses,
4 kisses lasting a sentence each,
3 kisses lasting a couple sentences,
1 kiss lasting a few sentences,
1 kissing session lasting a few kisses & a couple paragraphs (8+ sentences) in length;
Staring at lips, Remembering kisses, & Wanting to kiss/be kissed (all up to a few sentences).

Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Hand holding, Warmth, Shivers/Tingles, & Nearness (up to a handful of sentences); Remembering touches, embraces, dancing, & nearness (up to a few sentences); Blushes & Flirting; Noticing & Staring (including at muscles, up to 2-3 sentences).

When Kinley adjusts Rylan’s clothing to make him look more like a commoner, he teases her that she’s undressing him; Rylan accidentally says that Kinley looks like his horse when he needs a rubdown (which Kinley asks if he realizes how that sounds and he is embarrassed and apologizes); Kinley thinks at one point that Rylan looks “delicious”; Kinley calls a woman a trollop (due to her jealousy).

A young man has a reputation that he earned by being a philanderer/rake/rogue (called all of these names) and entrapped more than one girl, but he says that will be deserved that reputation, he’s changed and no one believes him.

Many mentions of flirting, flirts, & different young men having reputations of flirting, kissing many girls, and (Kinley’s second brother is known to be a flirt and broken many hearts; She admonishes him often about it); Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of crushes & blushes; A few mentions of a widower with many children possibly being interested in Kinley; A few mentions of Kinley mooning over a guy; A couple mentions of a man looking like he is womanizing; A mention of a married couple kissing.

[✶Rachelle✶ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

RTC

[Kim]

This book #5 of the Books of Dalthia series by Annette K. Larsen. A fantasy young adult romance series in a fictitious medieval like kingdom setting I have enjoyed since book #1 Just Ella. The heroine in this one is in fact the sister of the hero from book #1.

Status: On my future to be read (TBR) list.

Standalone: Yes. Part of a series, but can be read without reading the other books in the series.

Language: None

Religious: Secular.

Sensuality content: This is a clean young adult series with kisses only.

Source: Kindle Scout title I voted for and received a free copy of since it won and was published.

[Tori (Book Chick) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again Annette K. Larsen has written a story that I adore. Her writing has such an ease to it that reading is just FUN. Kinley was feisty, loyal, and sweet. I loved that she cried over her orchard and called them "her trees," because it sounded like something I would do. Rylen was witty and likeable. I liked him the entire book. I so enjoyed the banter between him and Kinley. It was nice to see Ella and Gavin from Just Ella - the first book in this series. Just overall, reading this book made me happy and relaxed. Pure joy. :)

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve just adored these sweet, delightful fairy tale romances in the Books of Dalthia series. Keeping Kinley, like the others that came before it, was super cute and utterly romantic; it’s tied with Just Ella as my favorite. It was a fun change having the heroine being a common girl rather than a member of the royal family (she's the sister of our hero Gavin from Just Ella). I thought she was a wonderful character, as was her love interest, her childhood friend Rylan, whom she met when she temporarily served as a servant in his household as a young girl.

I love forbidden romance plots, and this one was especially delightful. I loved both our leading characters. Rylan was utterly charming, Kinley was delightfully spunky, and their relationship was just so amusing. They had a wonderful friendship and terrific chemistry; their banter and comfortable teasing were extremely witty, fun, and humorous. I loved it.

I was also delighted by the orchard setting for many of their scenes; having their relationship blossom amongst the apple trees was adorable. I also loved how Kinley serving Rylan tea acted as a thread that wove throughout the plot and the development of their relationship, from how they met all the way through the end of the story. In addition, I was thrilled to see so much of Gavin and Ella in this book, as well as more of Gavin's family, especially as Ella and Gavin are my favorite characters in this series.

Keeping Kinley had a very lighthearted, fun feel and, like all the author's books, an adorable and heartwarming romance. It was bittersweet finishing this story, as I read all five books in this series back to back and am really sad there aren't any more. I sincerely hope Annette Larsen writes more in this wonderful series, but in the mean time, I'll definitely reread them all when I have the chance.

[Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have loved every installment of the Dalthia series. This is book five and is not about a noble. Kinley is the younger sister of Gavin, who we met in Just Ella. This is a series that focuses on a family in a past, make-believe time period. Each book can be read on it's own, but I loved having old characters show up, so I would recommend reading all of them.

Kinley is a spirited young woman who thrives on taking care of her orchard. She is thrifty and industrious, she is not afraid of physical labor and enjoys having a good time. She is the perfect match to the stuffy, bookish young gentry that she is introduced to when she worked at his house as a maid. This book takes place five years after they met.

The trial for both is their different economic stations. The upper class do not want to accept a common laborer into their ranks. The divide goes both ways. The laborers are proud and do not want to accept charity from nobility.

This is a fun story about what you would do for love. It is a story about perseverance and treating others as equals regardless of financial station. I would say that you could add that appearances could be deceiving.

This is a great book for anyone who loves the fairy tales of the common girl and the noble. It is clean with some kissing. It would be appropriate for teens on up.

Source: I voted for this book to be published on kindle scout. :)

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. This was one I nominated on Kindle Scout so I got a free copy when it was published. Yay! This whole series is fantastic and Annette Larsen is an author I've always got my eye on. This is a book that adults and YA can all enjoy. Sweet, clean and full of moments where butterflies erupt in your tummy! Love, love, love!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 5th book in this series of girls from Dalthia. This is Kinley's story. Kinley is Gavin's sister who married princess Ella from the first book. It was so fun to read about them again. It was full of Gavin who is one of my favorite leading men. Kinley is just your average spunky, strong, feisty farmers daughter. Rylan is a noble who just wants to be himself. There story was so fun. Most of the books in this series has had a serious element that has made the books a little weightier. This one was just so fun to read. I was so giddy for the first half of this book I was irritating myself:} I laughed and sighed and just really enjoyed it. I think Annette writes books just for me because I love her style, her characters and her stories. I have given all her books 5 stars and this one only 4. I think it's because there is a deep intensity to her other books that this one didn't have. It was a fun book and I think my teens would love it. All her books are sweet clean romances.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series. It has depth, heart, sadness and it’s more than a fairy tale! This one is another forbidden love of different stations. The main characters met as children. There was a boy, the son of a lord, and a girl, a servant. Their meetings were when she would bring him his afternoon tea and snacks. He had a love of learning and was taught how to treat girls! She loved that he treated her as a girl and that he shared his love of learning with her, and cookies too!!

She was only a servant temporarily and they find each other a few years later as new adults. They strike up the friendship they had as children. They meet in different places but he sees her often. Then feelings start to come to Kinley. But she can’t feel that way with him. Their stations in life won’t allow it, even though Kinley’s brother is married to the Princess. She sees the difficulties he has with not being in the same social class. But the heart wants what the heart wants!

I loved how the story goes once she does decide she loves him. There is always something that happens in a story that they have to overcome first. I loved this idea. It is very different than other stories!! Of course the end makes me want more of them. So hopefully there is another story to come so I can see more of them too! I sighed at the end!

[Taryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved all of Annette Larsen's books and this one is no exception. My goodness! I literally laughed, cried, and smiled like a fool while reading this. I couldn't put it down.

I loved the characters (side note: every hero in this series is different and yet I've loved every one). I loved getting to see more of Ella and Gavin and quick cameos from Lylin and Kalina (obviously would have loved more, but not sure where that would have fit *sigh*). And I loved Kinley's spunk, sass, and moxie and Rylan's charm and devotion.

Out of all the Books of Dalthia, which one is my favorite? Not a clue. Maybe Marilee. Maybe Ella. And now maybe this one. And Lily and Rain aren't far behind. They're just all lovely.

Annette, you say "I love books that leave me with a sigh of contentment." Well, you definitely succeed in giving me that feeling with all your books. <3

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year. So I was beyond thrilled when I received an early copy through Kindle Scout. I'll just go ahead and say that I loved this book! So sweet and adorable, and clean too which is always a plus. Kinley is a great character. She's feisty, and kind, and funny, and I just loved her. Rylan was completely swoon worthy and equally funny, his and Kinley's banter is just the best. I enjoyed getting to see some characters from Annette K Larsen's older book as well. Full of heart and humor, this book will keep you hooked from beginning to end. Would recommend!

[Sharlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun chemistry, great start and fell short at end.

I've read all books in this series and loved them all equally and separately. This book started off cute and I liked Kinsley so much but then it turned into another typical romance about the lovers being mad over confusion and not getting the chance to talk etc and and then they finally talk (like adults should) and make amends. No character development like the other ladies in the series and no push for the lovers growing together through trials or hardships. It could have been so great! And then fell flat. Of all the books in the series sadly I won't be re reading this one. Still cute and fun dialogue. I really do like the characters! Story just fell flat half way through. I stayed up all night reading to see what happens and then it's just downhill from there. Just miscommunications? Just "Oh I couldnt tell you"? Seriously? Oh well. Still my favorite author, and I still recommend every other book in this aeries! Just not this one.

[Emily Murdoch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! It was my favorite of the series after the first, Just Ella. The relationship was so easy and fun. I got a bit frustrated with the necessary obstacles toward the end of the book. They seemed to drag on a little bit for me. There was also some unexplained prejudices against the main character that I would have appreciated being explained. Otherwise it was wonderful to meet Gavin's family and I loved it!

[Ina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a fun read.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is not one book by Annette Larsen that has disappointed me!
I started with "Just Ella" soon after it was published and have moved through all of the Dalthia books in order. They are all clean, romantic reads which hold my attention and keep me turning page after page.
I am all about character development, and she does an excellent job developing all of her main characters. It is also nice to see previous main characters make appearances in the new books.
Kinley and Rylan are instantly likable and you will enjoy their story!

[Ashlyn Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

6. The heart-warming, realistic tale told in “Keeping Kinley” by Annette Larsen is one of the best stories i’ve ever read. In the book a young commoner girl named Kinley becomes a servant for a noble family at their mansion. She happens to meet the young boy who is a resident at the house. She brings him tea and they become close friends. When Kinley leaves and stops working there it is not only by chance that she finds herself, years later, running into the young master Rylander Baylor. I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. I like romance novels so naturally this story hooked me in from the beginning. I also enjoy reading or learning about the time period of nobles, and royalty. In the book the characters were very well described and I felt like I understood their choices in the book. I felt very connected with the main character Kinley because she was very daring and head strong. Her feelings and the way she expressed them were close to the way I would react. Near the end of the book I hated Rylanders character for reasons that would spoil the book. In the end and all in all this turned out to be an amazing book with a great and happy ending. And they lived happily ever after. The theme for this tale is definitely do not react to the first thing you hear. In the book Kinley hears rumors about Rylander from a few people. She lets the people's rumors get to her but in the end the rumors turn out not to be true. Or at least not in the way she thinks. Hands down this was a great novel.

[Xena Elektra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oddly enough, this book was my favorite of the series. I quite enjoyed several books in the series but it's so unusual for the last one to be my favorite.

While Keeping Kinley diverges from the royal family that the rest of the series was based around it followed much of the same format. You have what looks to be a neatly packaged story that wraps up around 50% only by this point we know it's not going to. It's an interesting technique to make the reader think the story is nearing its end only to have it somehow only be halfway by throwing a twist into the plot. I can't say I've seen that elsewhere and I don't know that it'd work for everyone but it works for this series.

Kinley and Rylan were so much fun. They bond over simple things and just enjoy spending time together. They're like best friends that gradually fall in love. I love best friends to lovers. The simplicity of what was happening made this a cozy read that you'll want to snuggle up with somewhere warm on a cold day. There's nothing huge happening in the grand scope of their worlds but it was enjoyable just to read about their day to day interactions.

My ONLY complaint was that Kinley didn't have more faith in Rylan. I figured he was doing whatever he was doing because of some ultimatum his dad gave him or something.

A sweet simple romance that was the perfect finale for the series.

[Stephani Fannin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of this book via Kindle Scout! All the books in the Dalthia series have been fun to read, but this has to be one of my favorites to date. Kinley is such a strong, hardworking heroine who isn't afraid to speak her mind or make sacrifices for her family.

Kinley's brother Gavin and sister-in-law Ella from the first book, Just Ella, play a part in this story. We get another glimpse into their life after marriage. It's interesting to learn how a relationship between a commoner and a noble can be perceived in the commoner's world. Gavin's marriage to a royal causes prejudices and hardships for Kinley and the rest of their family that I had never considered.

I absolutely loved the relationship between Kinley and Rylan who also come from different stations in life. You can't help but fall in love with the funny, bookish Rylan, who would rather pick apples in an orchard than attend a royal ball. The scenes in the orchard were so sweet and made me long for my own orchard to run around and read in.

This was another fantastic story in the Dalthia series, and although you can certainly enjoy it without reading the other books first, I highly recommend reading Just Ella before you dive into this one. 😊

[Sara Cardon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is sweet. Kinley works for Rylan's family when she's a girl. He remembers her years later when they cross paths. They have a playful relationship and love to tease each other. Rylan doesn't quite fit into his social class, but he stands out in Kinley's working class too. The sweetest part was the dancing--I loved it.

A few frayed ends. A conversation could have saved a lot of angst. I don't remember if the neighbor who's husband had dementia ever received a better permanent solution? I skimmed a handful of places.

Kinley and Rylan bring out the best in each other. I love their banter and flirty "non flirting" (since Kinley doesn't think they flirt-so cute). I've loved this story world and I'm sad this is the last book of Dalthia. It brought it full circle, with a nobleman and a commoner.

[Pascale’s*ARC,Unwind,Read,Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to give this book a try when I saw the price had dropped dramatically. I borrowed it on KU but before I was even close to finished reading, I decided that I would definitely want to read it again in the future and so I bought it at the special price.
I usually read books very quickly and move onto the next one. However, with this one I took my time and savoured it. It absolutely kept my attention but the pace of it was gentle and I didn’t feel rushed to get through it. It was a comfortable, cozy read. I’m not a big fan of historical fiction so I didn’t think I would like it but I was wrong. I was completely absorbed. I highly recommend it and I will be reading more in the series for sure! I’m so happy I took a chance on it.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended!

Keeping Kinley was the last (?) book in this series. I happened upon the first book through a friend's recommendation, then searched out the next as soon as I finished. I've worked my way through, enjoying each installment. I really liked how the series started with a princess and a commoner, worked it's way through several more of her sister princesses and finally ended here, with a common girl and lordly boy. Characters were engaging, interesting, strong, and brave when they needed to be. I also really appreciated that when there were misunderstandings, they weren't caused by stupidity. (Pet peeve of mine.)
Well written, highly recommended.

[Danielle Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic end to the series

I loved this whole series. I tend to review at the end of a series as then I know the whole picture.
I loved that the characters were well developed. That the h and H were real people and the villais were not so crazy bad, but we're also more real people. I appreciated that the secondary interests weren't devastated by the h and H getting together, but added depth to the story. I liked that a secondary live story was often thrown in.

The writing is fabulous, I look forward to more regency romances from this author.

[mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good clean story

I have enjoyed all of Annette Larsen's books. This story was another great clean read. I love her sweet stories. This book introduced new characters which was a little different from the previous books in the series. The main characters were fun, and I enjoyed their interactions with not only each other, but the supporting characters as well. This book also gives the reader further glimpses into the lives of Ella and Gavin from book one.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one! Rylan is such a gentleman, and to see that from when he was 11 on made me really appreciate his mother. The orchard parts were wonderful, and the parts about the value of reading and books sprinkled in the story were so enjoyable. The side story with their neighbor and mental illness was appreciated as well. Gavin and Ella's story as well as this one show how easily love can cross class boundaries. A wonderful finale to the series.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been looking forward to this book and I was not disappointed! It was just fun to read.
I love the theme in her books, that sometimes you have to make hard decisions, and do things that are hard, because they are right. In this book Kinley made a hard decision that would help her family. Even though it was difficult for her, she kept at it. I admired her for it.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clean romance with plenty of chemistry. Stand alone novel but all 5 books definitely compliment eachother. Wonderful to see some of the other characters intertwined. I loved the side romance of Kinley's brother Fynn and even liked the snippet about Bram, he'd be a fun character to read about (definitely see an interesting story there!). Highly recommend this author!!

[Brooke -Brooke's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great story. It is not one of Ella's sisters, but I loved reading about Gavin's sister. I liked getting insight in to where he came from and his family and seeing more of his family have their "happily ever after".

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love all of her books, but this one fell a little short for me. It just didn't keep me as interested as the others. I am looking forward to more books though!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annette k Larson does it again! I loved this book, and am always impressed with how much I love Annette k Larson's writing. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go start the entire series over 😍

[Laurajoyl · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet!!