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Slow Burn #1

Keep Me Safe

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A sizzling story of a woman who risks her life and her heart to find a wealthy man’s missing sister — the first novel in a sexy new romantic suspense series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Maya Banks.

When Caleb Devereaux's younger sister is kidnapped, this scion of a powerful and wealthy family turns to an unlikely source for help: a beautiful and sensitive woman with a gift for finding answers others cannot.

While Ramie can connect to victims and locate them by feeling their pain, her ability comes with a price. Every time she uses it, it costs her a piece of herself. Helping the infuriatingly attractive and impatient Caleb successfully find his sister nearly destroys her. Even though his sexual intensity draws her like a magnet, she needs to get as far away from him as she can.

Deeply remorseful for the pain he’s caused, Caleb is determined to make things right. But just when he thinks Ramie's vanished forever, she reappears. She’s in trouble and she needs his help. Now, Caleb will risk everything to protect her — including his heart....

307 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 7, 2014

842 people are currently reading
12786 people want to read

About the author

Maya Banks

242 books21.5k followers
Maya Banks is the #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today and international bestselling author of over 50 novels. A wife and mother of three, she lives in Texas.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,243 reviews
Profile Image for Laura.
Author 15 books613 followers
March 9, 2015
review posted on Got Fiction? book blog


ETA: There is a spoiler (marked) in the comments. Trigger Warning for rape and abuse. Just a heads up in case it's not something you want to read


1.5
I don't even think it's worth the "it's ok" rating. This is 1.5 stars

Ramie was the weakest heroine I've ever come across. Ever. I get that's sort of the point-that she's broken, and scared, and weak right now, but the only strength I ever see in between her whispering and crying, was when it was time to play the martyr.

Our hero Caleb did something horrific to her, and she is never even mad. In my full review I think I'll spoil this [spoiled in comments-marked with a spoiler tag], because it needs to be talked about.

The ending was so abrupt that with the amount of damage done to Caleb and Ramie, I have a really hard time accepting that as a Happily Ever After, or even a Happily for now. They need therapy. Years and years of therapy. His love is not enough to fix what's wrong with her, and her forgiveness is not enough to rid him of what he did, let alone what the sociopath villain forced him to do.

I'm also over this author creating weak heroines. This is the second recent book where the heroine is so weak that the hero literally takes over running her life.

Now his family. My God, his family. What a bunch of dicks.

about 5 pages from the end, I DNF'd the book because of something one of his brothers said. Of course, once I cooled off, I finished it, but it wasn't worth it. This is a book that starts of forcefully and catches you up in the plot, only to have horrible things ruin what could have been a 5 star romantic suspense. We're left with a 1 star wanna be thriller. There is no romance at all. Whatsoever. A random dude who takes care of you and begins to run your life is not romance. There was no instalust to help this along and I truly felt the sex was completely inappropriate. (I'm so disgusted I can't even make an inappropriate sex joke right now). Basically, when you're traumatized and the hero knows you're traumatized, the last thing you need is sex. Ugh. All hail the magic peen. She will be healed through sex. Blergh. I'm done for now.

EDIT #2:

I've added the spoiler up here so you don't have to go hunting for it. It's still in the comments, but it's here now as well.
Also, I was originally going to rewrite this review but I think I'll leave it as is, since we've had so much discussion about it.



Short review for the tl;dr :

Big fat nope.


***ARC courtesy of Avon
Profile Image for Sabrina.
4,283 reviews2,388 followers
August 16, 2016


I'm a big fan of Maya Banks' romantic suspense book, and when I saw that she did a paranormal series I knew it was going to be kick ass. Keep Me Safe lived up to most of my expectations, but not all of them.

I liked the plot and the story kept me very intrigued in the beginning. I had an insane need to know what would happen between Ramie and Caleb so I couldn't put this book down. I just can't help it, I'm a sucker for a damsel in distress kind of book sometimes.

The suspense aspect of the book was very well written, and I would expect nothing less from Ms. Banks. But it was the romance part that I had an issue with. It felt lacking and near the middle of the book it all seemed to just slow down to the point I was getting bored with it. Which is not what I was thinking this author would deliver.

I enjoyed the overall story and I'm still very interested in the other characters that will show up in this book, but I hope I get more romance from their books.
Profile Image for Shawna.
3,803 reviews4,733 followers
February 5, 2015
1 star – Romantic Suspense

This was over-the-top ridiculous. I didn’t feel the romance between the H/h, and after suffering so much abhorrent abuse and violence, their seems impossible and totally unbelievable...even for Romancelandia. I’m surprised to be giving a Maya Banks book a 1-star rating, but this was just bad.
Profile Image for XxTainaxX Curvy and Nerdy.
1,563 reviews507 followers
July 5, 2016
Listened to this on audiobook while at work :) While I felt this was well written, I struggled with the heroine's doormat tendencies. I get that not all female leads will be strong, independent, kick@$$ heroines, but they should have something that says she WANTS the hero more than NEEDS him. I felt at the end of the story that this poor woman was doomed to an asylum or she would off herself of the hero, Caleb, didn't step back into her life. It was kind of sad. I've never felt that for a character before at the end of the book: pity. Usually by then something tells me they've got their shit together and will be ok. Caleb was the strong alpha type and I liked how he was with her after he initially messed up. The way they develop as a couple was pretty sweet though largely based on protective instincts IMO. The plot is quite involved and has some very interesting paranormal elements. It flows well and everything ties together seamlessly. But for me, it feels overshadowed by her overall state. Safety: No OW/OM/Sharing. Condoms sometimes. h was a V. No rape. Yes to abuse.
Profile Image for RachelW (BamaGal).
746 reviews77 followers
August 8, 2015
Not really much to it, sugary sweet and cheesy. A perfunctory effort by an author who has been writing long enough to do better. Not particularly suspenseful or romantic. Another one of Banks chest beating "mine" alpha heroes and Insta-love stories, with a side order of psychic 'woo-woo' a la Shea in the KGI series. (That went over the top ridiculous at the end of the book). A group of brothers running a security firm. Remind you of KGI? Yeah; it was the Kelly brothers in a fortified mansion in Texas instead of a fortified compound in Tennessee. I'd honestly hoped for more, especially since the KGI series has tanked. Why in the world would she blatantly pattern after a series that has already failed?

It was just barely okay, super fans of Banks will enjoy it. Just don't expect anything new or different. A stalker, honestly? Like that trope hasn't been beat to death. Sigh...
Profile Image for Jacqueline's Reads.
3,100 reviews1,527 followers
February 2, 2015
Paperback Giveaway - > HERE

5 Sexy Suspenseful Stars!!!

Well, this little gem came out of NO WHERE. I loved Keep Me Safe. I really did. I’ve always been a fan of Maya Banks. She’s one of the first authors I picked up when I started to read new adult. I think after that, I never looked back.

Keep Me Safe was nothing what I expected. It was suspenseful with a paranormal twist and the romance will make any book reader happy.

Ramie is sort of a physic. She can tap into people’s minds by touching anything they own. She helps bring kidnapping victims home, but it comes with a price. Ramie feels everything the kidnaped feels. Since Ramie is good at what she does there is a particular kidnapper that has been stalking her. He doesn’t like that she helps saves his victims and he intends to hurt Ramie. He just needs to find her first.

Caleb’s sister is kidnapped and he will do anything to save her. He knows Ramie’s abilities and he wants to use Ramie to find his sister.

I'm not a good man, Ramie. In fact I am quit capable of killing and hurting someone without hesitation if I deem them a treat to someone I love


Ramie reluctantly helps Caleb. Caleb had no idea Ramie would feel his sister’s pain, but he can’t focus on that now. He needs to save his sister.

When I first started Keep Me Safe I was punched with so much and I couldn’t stop reading. All Caleb cares about is finding his sister and when you see the pain Ramie goes through in order to find her, oh it breaks your heart. I gobble this up like crazy. Ramie is concerned that Caleb found Ramie easily and Ramie is scared of her stalker. Ramie decides to go on the run for good.

I love me a damsel-in-distress storyline! If you don’t’ like Heroine’s being stalked by crazy killers, then this isn’t for you, but fortunately it’s 100% for me and that is why I enjoyed it so much. Ramie goes on the run, but it seems that every where she goes the stalker is always near, a little too close for comfort and so Ramie enlists Caleb to help Ramie. It’s the least he could do with everything he put her through right?

I love Caleb’s guilt. I love that he’s torn of what he did to Ramie, but he would do it all over again if it meant saving his sister. Caleb is my kind of Hero. He has this protectiveness that I crave, yet he has a Ramie complex. He wants her, but he has massive guilt.

Whether she liked it or not she was now fully under his care and protection and that meant in all areas

You do have someone to live for, Ramie. You have me


Keep Me Safe is no normal book. It goes way out there with physic stuff and suspenseful moments, but in all honestly it felt really fresh and I felt like I was on my toes most of the time. I also love the villain! I love to hate a villain and Maya Banks delivered for me. He is pure evil.

I also loved getting small glimpses of the brothers, since they will be apparent throughout the series. I can’t wait for the next book!

If you love Maya Banks or want to try a Maya Banks book, but want something a little different than the norm, then this one is for you.

An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review

Keep Me Safe (Slow Burn, #1) by Maya Banks AMAZON
Profile Image for Skyden.
43 reviews
October 12, 2014
I am so utterly disappointed in this book. This is not the Maya Banks I know and love. Right from the start the writing was horrible. I felt like I was reading bad fan fiction or something. Honestly, this is more reminiscent of the quickly spun off tales you find with ebook only authors. The premise was interesting enough to snag my attention but what I've read so far (and I put it down half through to never pick up again) is crap. Just utter crap. The whole psychic hunting a psychic killer has been done before and it has been done well! If you were as disappointed by this book as I was, try a Kay Hooper Bishop series book. Some of the early books in that series were well written and scary, but they had characters you could connect with and an actual romance.

Here's a summary of what made me stop reading this book: It's honestly not worth finishing this blah jumble.

And, reading some other reviews on here, I'm actually pretty happy with my decision. So not worth my time! Maya Banks you are better than this!
Profile Image for Dayla.
2,904 reviews221 followers
August 25, 2014
Short review first appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7

I received a copy via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Keep Me Safe is the first Maya Banks novel I've ever read and I'm thinking that if her other novels are like this one, then I'm probably not going to read anything else by her. While the idea of the novel is pretty cool and promising, the characters are predictable, annoying, and way too dramatic, the romance is forced, obsessive, and too instant, and the storyline was rushed and full of plot holes.

Banks's novel is told from two perspectives: Caleb and Ramie. I had so many issues with these two characters because it was like Banks just needed to write a last minute story with two characters that fell completely flat. Caleb literally falls for a girl he forces to do something horrendous for him. Then, he spends a year pining for this mysterious girl, who holds no grudges against him. And even though she helped find someone Caleb loves, his family still hates her.
Seriously.

Ramie, on the other hand, is one of those characters who the author tries very hard to make an example of. She's supposed to be tough, independent, and brave. What I saw, however, was a girl who thought someone she'd seen a year before could be her saviour. She's the type of girl who, though she knows she's going to just end up hurting herself, does whatever she can to both a) appear heroic and brave and b) move the storyline along. She was infuriating. There are characters who are written as weak as one of their character traits, and then there are characters, like Ramie, who are weak because they are written weakly.
The overbearing "I must protect you at all costs because you're a fragile creature" act was made worse by Ramie allowing Caleb to not only continue his smothering of her, but enabling him by acting like a damsel in distress, when she's the one who got herself into certain situations in the first place.

The dialogue was overdramatic, the constant use of the descriptive phrase "bruise the skin" (or along those lines), and the translucent skin covering the final twist, made this such a blah book. I got through it because it was a quick read, but I was seriously disappointed.

Maybe if you like Maya Banks you'll enjoy this one, but this wasn't for me.
Profile Image for Alex is The Romance Fox.
1,461 reviews1,242 followers
October 29, 2016
The 1st book in Maya Banks Slow Burn Series.

This was such a disappointment - nothing excited me!!!

I found the characters totally unlikeable.........the heroine is a total wimp...always whining and moaning. The hero....let me not start!!! This is the most controlling and irritating man ever!!! The whole thing of feeling "bad" because he caused the heroine so much pain.........pleeeeezzzzzzzzzzzz.....

The plot....so over the top and totally unbelievable.

I am not convinced about this series. Maybe I should give it a chance and read book #2.

Profile Image for Julie .
4,247 reviews38k followers
August 17, 2016
Keep Me Safe by Maya Banks is a 2014 Avon publication.

Maya Banks is an author I have heard so much about, but for some reason I have only read a handful of her books. So, when it came to my attention that the fourth installment in the ‘Slow Burn’ series is due out later this month, I thought I would catch up on the series as quickly as possible before the new book is released. I was excited to see why this author is so popular, and was hoping to find a new romantic suspense series to follow.

Honestly, since I am not as familiar with the author’s writing style as many of her readers are, I can’t say if this is her best work, or if it is par for the course, or below average compared to her other work.

But, I have to confess I was not a big fan of this one. I’m fine with certain paranormal elements and I love romantic suspense, but this setup didn’t quite work for me.

Caleb was okay, I liked him well enough, but I didn’t care for the other Devereaux brothers due to their unreasonable response to Raime, but I’m sure their characters will improve as the series progresses. I liked Raime, but for those who like a kick butt heroine, who despite the physical and mental torment of having lived through countless attacks via her psychic connection to other victims, rises to the occasion and shows off her mental toughness, then you may find Raime a little too tepid. She was a little whiny and seemed to teeter on the edge of an emotional breakdown for the majority of the book, but did get old after a while. Ironically, I found that Tori is given permission to feel fragile, and is given all the time in the world to recover, while Raime’s emotional weakness is considered a flaw and is quite annoying. Even the other characters in the book, who should have been thankful to Raime, were a little hard on her. Go figure.

Overall, the plot was a kind of weak, the bad guy too shadowy, and the characters were hard to warm up to, but this is only the first book in the series, so perhaps things will firm up a little in the next installment. Here’s hoping!

This one gets 2 stars
Profile Image for Kathleen.
691 reviews89 followers
October 20, 2014
Review posted at: Swept Away By Romance

Story Rating ~ 2.5 Stars
Hero Rating ~ 3 Stars
Heroine Rating ~ 3 Stars
Romance Rating ~ 2.5 Stars
Heat Level ~ 3 Stars
Ending ~ 2 Stars
Overall Rating ~ 2.5 Stars

Keep Me Safe started out really good. I liked the direction the story line was going and loved that it was creepy. Then the story took a backwards slide and it took sometime before it picked back up.

I thought Caleb was a good character, but I found it hard to believe that he fell in love with Ramie so fast. I didn’t really feel the connection between them until the end of the book.

I loved Ramie's psychic abilities and I thought her back story was well done, however I got tired of her thinking she was a coward throughout most of the book.

There were a few sex/love scenes, but for me they were not up to Maya Banks’ usual sensual level. I felt some of them took place at a very inappropriate times, which made me feel that they were just added for the sake of adding a sex scene.

There were some fabulous action scenes and that’s what made the read for me. Without them this book would have been a bust.

I felt the way they caught the killer was not very believable , it was rushed, and would have loved for this part to be drawn out a little more.

I have to say that I thought the overall part of Ramie's abilities was a great touch, but it could have been a much better story if it would have continued on the eerie side, instead of the romance, which I felt fell flat in the end. It should have focused on one or the other.

*A copy of the book was provided in exchange for an honest review*

Profile Image for Howard.
2,111 reviews121 followers
June 11, 2023
2 Stars for Keep Me Safe (audiobook) by Maya Banks read by Jeffrey Kafer.

I really didn’t enjoy this story. I kept waiting for it to get better but it didn’t. The characters seemed off and the situation wasn’t believable. And I don’t think that the author liked the characters either when she brutalized them in the end.
Profile Image for ♥Rachel♥.
2,267 reviews922 followers
January 3, 2016
Ramie St. Clair has a special psychic gift or curse as Ramie sees it, to locate people. Unfortunately, when she uses her gift it costs her emotionally and physically because Ramie feels everything the victim does, as though it happened to her.

Caleb Devereaux is a desperate man. His sister, Tori has been abducted by a madman and Ramie is his only hope of finding her in time. When he finally locates Ramie, he forces his sister’s pain on her not knowing what her ability costs her, and he’s horrified by the realization. He can’t honestly say he’d do anything differently because it is his sister’s life on the line, but Caleb vows to help Ramie heal, make her whole again. The trouble is she disappears immediately after Caleb leaves to tend to his sister, and Ramie stays of the radar.

Caleb is determined to find Ramie, and has researched her fully since she took off. He feels a connection to her even just meeting her that one time. Caleb is torn to bits over what he put her through. So when Ramie finally materializes asking for his help and protection from a crazed serial killer, Caleb jumps at the chance to make things right and keep her safe.

I gravitate towards stories with an element of mystery and danger. Keep Me Safe was a combination of all of that with a steamy romance included! The story held an air suspense throughout and I was on the edge of my seat wondering what danger would come next. Poor Ramie, she’d gone through countless horrifying situations after helping the police locate numerous victims. This is why she went off the grid before Caleb found her and then again after helping to locate his sister. However, it seems her stalker has no problem finding her even with all the precautions she takes, and she just narrowly escapes him when she finally calls Caleb for help.

Caleb and Ramie’s romance was fast and intense, kind of insta-love/lust, but it didn’t bother me so much. Caleb felt like he already knew Ramie somewhat because he researched into her life to the point of obsession, so he felt like he knew her even with only meeting once. They have almost an uncanny connection when they’re reunited, and Caleb provides a warmth and protection that makes Ramie feel completely safe for once. I was happy she got some normalcy and love after all she’d been through.

There was a lot of action and danger in Keep Me Safe that had me anxiously biting my nails it some parts! Caleb and Ramie are put through the ringer in this intense conclusion. No worries, though, the story wraps Caleb and Ramie’s romance up nicely. The next story focuses on Beau, Caleb’s brother, next: In His Keeping. Can’t wait!

A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Michel Reinhard (Saucy Southern Readers).
1,760 reviews52 followers
September 3, 2014
Blog Banner photo banner2_zps0a9ef8c3.jpg
ARC provided by the Publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.

Keep Me Safe by Maya Banks was not what I was hoping for or expecting from a writer of her caliber.

Keep Me Safe is book one in the new romantic suspense trilogy The Slow Burn Series. This series features a group of brothers running a security firm and trying to find their kidnapped sister. Caleb Devereaux is determined to bring psychic in to help their search.

Ramie has a gift that wears on her soul. Once Caleb tricks Ramie into finding his sister’s location their story begins. They are mutually attracted to one another but continually deny their feelings.

As the story unfolds it does not seem believable. Caleb has that Alpha Male attitude and when he meets Ramie he instantly wants to protect her. While Ramie wants to be strong her weaknesses have a way of taking over her personality.

Even though this book was written from duo POV I found it very repetitive. The dialogue continued revolving in circles and kept the story from progressing. I also found that quite a bit of the plot, the characters, and series basis was borrowed from Maya’s other series. The brothers were similar to KGI, the security firm again similar to KGI, fortified mansion similar to KGI, Caleb’s personality similar to Burn character, and the secondary characters had familiar traits as well. Her leading female character appeared much more wishy- washy than her other leading female characters. Both leading characters in this series seem to fall flat and their personalities did not jump off the pages. The story moved at a slow pace and I found myself speed reading it rather than absorbing it. The repetitive dialogue spoiled the book. As I closed this book I was grateful to be finished and found no desire to read the next two books in this series.

I think Maya’s publishers/editors did her a disservice by allowing this book to be published. They should of demanded rewrites and better pacing. It feels like the publisher was banking on Maya’s excellent reputation and ability to sell books.

I have read all of Maya Banks books and I have to honestly say that the last three published books were subpar. She is an excellent writer and always delivers a good book. I am very sad to write this review.

Profile Image for BookAddict  ✒ La Crimson Femme.
6,917 reviews1,439 followers
September 1, 2014
Ever lost something and wish you had a way to find it again? What if a person is able to locate missing people just through a touch? In the a new series from Ms. Banks, Ramie is able to help find a missing person by touch. Sometimes wondrous gifts contain a negative flip side. For Ramie, the flip side is she connects with the missing person and experiences what they feel and more. If the people are merely deadbeat fathers skipping out on alimony or child support, it may not be the worst thing. Unfortunately for Ramie, she is requested for cases involving foul play or kidnapping. Too worn out, Ramie escapes to hide from everyone. This doesn't stop a determined man from finding her.

One of determined men is Caleb Devereaux. He is at his wits end and wants to find his kidnapped sister. He won't rest until Ramie helps him pinpoint his sister's location. When their paths cross and Ramie is tricked into helping, it won't be the last time they meet. When the other man stalking Ramie gets too closed, Ramie must reach out Caleb for help.

The story moves a bit slower than other Ms. Bank stories. The characters do follow her usual pattern. There is an alpha male lead who believes he can protect everyone and is proven otherwise. A female lead is misunderstood and treated poorly despite her being one of the good guys. From a character development, it's decent and easy to understand each character. Even if some of the minor characters are annoying and need a good slap upside the head, it is easy to step into their shoes. Perhaps if some of the angst injecting family scenes are cut and the repetitive dialog are to be removed, the story would flow at a better pace. In addition, it would make the story feel more tightly written.

The plot is of medium complexity. It's straightforward in the conflicts and the resolutions. The conflict is obvious even when throwing in a paranormal element. For those who don't enjoy stories involving speculative paranormal powers, this story will be difficult to believe. Realists will need to suspend their disbelief in order to finish the book. For those who enjoy or are indifferent to psychic abilities, this is no bother. There is a thrill aspect to this story. For me, it is enjoyable even if it stretched my ability to believe the latest twist in the psychic powers. Recommended to those who enjoy paranormal stories with a psychic thread.

*provided by Edelweiss
Profile Image for mer.
1,521 reviews65 followers
enggai
October 2, 2016
RD: Oct. 7, 2014.
Profile Image for Victoria.
1,188 reviews94 followers
Read
August 1, 2016

DNF at 70%

I should admit that I'm in the process of breaking up with Maya Banks. It's like breaking up with an old friend that you've had good times with but now just don't enjoy, it can be hard. I keep going back expecting to capture the earlier magic but each time, I find no magic.

I never intended to read Keep Me Safe because, well, me and Maya are on a break. But when the title popped up as available at my library I figured I'd download it and give it a try, for old times sake. I normally don't enjoy paranormal reads but enjoyed the earlier romances the author had written in the KGI series that had psychic heroines and thought this fell along those same lines. I was trucking along and the book was okay. The heroine is over and beyond a damsel in distress. She's practically falling apart at the seams. Still, I love a good hero that saves his lady love so wasn't a major issue for me. Still a 3.0-3.5 book until I got to the 70% mark.
Profile Image for Angela.
968 reviews1,578 followers
January 25, 2016
Tried multiple times to get into this book, but just couldn't.
Profile Image for Vickie*** .
341 reviews27 followers
June 16, 2015
3.5/5

I read this book without reading the negative reviews in fear that it could affect my thoughts on the overall book.

I'm pretty sad to give this book low ratings, it did have a lot of potential. The side characters just pissed me off a lot though.

Ramie is a psychic, and having such useful powers is beneficial for solving criminal problems, but it's really bad for her. when Ramie touches something belonging to a victim, she becomes the victim. She feels their emotion, get the same injuries, and it could really take a toll on someone's mentality.

Caleb has a sister who has been kidnapped, and is set on finding Ramie so that she could help him. Once he finds her he basically forces Ramie to use her abilities to find his sister, Claire. Long story short, Caleb is mortified on how Ramie's powers affects her, and is immediately guilty. After finding Claire, Caleb and his 2 brothers are extremely grateful for Ramie and what she had done for their family.

One year later... Ramie looks for Caleb when she's in trouble because you know he does owe her a favor for forcing her to use her powers. Caleb takes her into his protection, and brings her to his home. A home whom he lives with his 2 brother and sister.

Claire is still not well after the kidnapping, and his brothers are mad that He brought Ramie home.

This is when I'm like "WTF??" what happened to all the appreciation you had for her a year ago, where did that go?
and Claire was a total bitch to Ramie, you know the person who was the main reason she's alive in the first place. She was mean to Ramie because apparently she was ashamed of Ramie seeing her at her lowest point.
Well wake up Claire, she didn't just see you at your lowest point, she practically lived through it as well.


Other people had a problem with Ramie crying all the time, but I was alright with that. If I had to die 123489381239 times I'm sure I'll be crying my eye sockets out all day errrrr'day

The beginning of the book was really intriguing for me, but the rest did fall a bit.. flat.
Profile Image for LuvLaw.
106 reviews30 followers
October 28, 2014
This is my first Maya Banks book:

I found it to be quite different... is it erotica? Is it Paranormal? Is it truly romance? Yea it is a Romantic novel with a different twist along the story :)

Erotica? I am not so sure O_o

The main star cast:

 photo KeepMe_zps9b757e6a.jpg

At the start of the book we find Caleb who is in search of Ramie to save his sister who has been Kidnapped by a psychotic guy.

Ramie is a gifted person who with a victims clothes can feel and has connection not only with what happens to that particular victim but also has a connection towards the criminal. Ramie has disappeared from the site of people cause she is scared of another psychotic criminal who is behind her life for he has imprinted into her mind when he escaped the cops.

The only thing I didn't get is... does he have gift like Ramie? Nothing about the criminals background is mentioned.

So in the meanwhile Caleb forces Ramie to see what is happening to his sister (and read it to understand what happens)

After this incidence Caleb feels bad for what he did to Ramie and vovs to come back and help her, but she has disappeared again in fear that the criminal will find her too.

Now this book shows us after one year Ramie approaches Caleb to help her out from the clutches of her Criminal.

I loved the way he handles Ramie and my my how much she suffers for her gift.

I loved the way Caleb holds her when ever she suffers:

 photo b51c7419e2ff9526b1a8d9ee73a82d7f_zps252ae221.jpg

I loved the way he handled his family and Ramie :)

I loved the way in the end his family accepts her ^^

But in the end my question is what happens to Tori's abuser? What is the story behind Ramie's abuser? These remain unanswered...

So for me its 4* NJOY!!!
Profile Image for Greta.
467 reviews
March 19, 2022
Probabilmente ho fatto qualcosa di male in questi giorni e il karma ha deciso di farmi schifare le mie ultime letture. Boh, non saprei. Fatto sta che neanche questo mi è piaciuto. Sono stata sveglia quasi tutta notte per finirlo e cercare di cavarci un ragno dal buco, ma no, niente.

Keep Me Safe è il primo romanzo della serie Slow Burn (primo e ultimo per me ovviamente) e dovrebbe essere di genere romantic-suspance, anche se a me è sembrato più una lagna paranormal romance. La prima cosa che mi è saltata agli occhi e che mi ha fatto storcere il naso sin da subito è stata la scrittura dell'autrice, sembrava che stesse scrivendo un libro per ragazzini, non la trovavo seria e non mi ha presa per nulla.
Seconda cosa, i personaggi. Raimie è una ragazza che sin da bambina ha il potere della telepatia. Veniva spesso usata dalla polizia o dalle famiglie per rintracciare persone scomparse, il punto è che a lei questo potere fa male, perchè rimane vittima lei stessa, soffre insieme alle persone che vengono rapite e seviziate. Ora, spiegami cara Maya perchè devi fare un plot così bello, con questi poteri, e poi mi fai una storia così piatta e una protagonista così scialba? Questa tizia aveva paura anche dei moscerini!

Per non parlare di Caleb. Sembrava un quindicenne che cerca di salvare la sua principessa dall'orco cattivo, invece di un uomo. Il loro insta-love mi ha dato proprio sui nervi. Lui la cerca per trovare la sorella scomparsa ma poi si sente in colpa per averla fatta soffrire e poi boh di punto in bianco si innamora di lei. Così, dal nulla. Dov'è uno straccio di spiegazione? Qualcosa che mi faccia capire COME E DOVE E QUANDO lui si è innamorato di lei? Ma no, niente anche qui.
Profile Image for Tanja ~ KT Book Reviews .
1,566 reviews211 followers
October 7, 2014
Right from the start, this book really took me by surprise. It’s really different from what I am used to from Maya Banks. A psychic ability is a curse to Ramie, but one that has been used to help others. Through touch of objects and people she feels their deepest emotions: hate, fear, darkness, and physical pain. What Caleb does to Ramie is horrible. Yes, he does it in order to save his sister, but to the detriment of Ramie, leaving her alone and nearly dead.

A year passes and when Ramie finds herself within the reach of a psychotic murderer she seeks out to Caleb for help.

Although I am a huge fan of Banks, this is where things just kind of fell apart for me. I did not like Caleb’s sister at all. Her selfish and narcissistic behavior without any due cause didn’t endear her to me. Ramie saved her life, a little gratitude please. Along with the brothers outward anger and the insta love thing going on I just felt irritated by the lot of them.

Having said, all that the sexy time was hot and the case was thrilling. I just didn’t feel anything for these people. I am sad to say that I am just meh about the whole thing.
Profile Image for Lover of Romance.
3,712 reviews1,122 followers
January 7, 2021
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance




Keep Me Safe is the first book in Bank's "Slow Burn" series, and its definitely been a long while since I have read this author and quite frankly I wasn't sure I wanted to read more of her ever since the whole fiasco with her and her PR team BUT I just realized I didn't want to keep that frustration for another series to keep me from some solid reads and I did see this on Libby and I just wanted to read it and as one of my main goals this year is to mood read I knew I wanted to try it out. So I grabbed this up and first impression was the narrator, I fell in love with his voice and the flow by which he narrated this novel and I do think his narration did increase my enjoyment of the story quite a bit, so I do love it when that narrator hits the spot and he just has this gruff sexy voice that just appealed to me and totally connects with the alpha vibes you get from this book.



So Keep Me Safe is a story that is focused on our hero, Caleb, who is on the hunt for his sister who has been kidnapped. He goes in search of a psychic woman who is known for finding serial killers and he will do anything to get his sister home and safe with them. So he forces Ramie to make a connection to get the location of his sister but when he sees the effects of the linking, Caleb realizes his mistake and what he put Ramie through and despite the horrible meeting, Caleb is drawn to Ramie and is determined to make it up to her no matter the cost. Ramie hasn't seen Caleb in six months and even though she has been furious with him, she needs him because she is being hunted and she knows that Caleb can help protect her from him. But Ramie never expected that upon calling Caleb for help, she would find herself in a fighting game with this psychic killer but also finding a love with Caleb she never thought possible for herself.



Keep Me Safe was quite different than I expected and yes it has been a while since I have read such a suspense thriller romance with a paranormal twist as this book was. I know there are a TON of mix thoughts on this one here. I am kinda on the fence on my true feelings to be honest. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but there was quite a bit of drama, so much that I almost felt like I was reading a new adult (which this is NOT new adult since the main characters are older and more experienced) I actually enjoyed seeing this romance form, I did think it had that insta love feel to it a bit. I mean, as a suspense novel, you definitely know that the plot will thicken and progress very quickly so you do need to take that aspect into account. But their romance was a bit too quick even for me and I adore the instant love trope. It just felt off and not quite right for the level of intensity that is found within the story.



The plot of the story is highly engaging and you definitely feel like you are on edge, not sure how I feel about reading audio romantic suspense because yeah my anxiety levels kinda went through the roof but then its been a while. Listening to this book was a good reminder that I have been lax on my romantic suspense reads because I realized (despite some of my issues with this one) that I miss these suspense, on the edge, vibes in a romance. I did adore many of the side characters that come into play with this book so you can count on me picking up the other books in the series for sure.



Overall I found Keep Me Safe to be a fantastic read that brought some unique elements together and I am highly intrigued to see where this author takes the series overall.






















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394 reviews39 followers
May 5, 2020
This book that just wasn’t an enjoyable read. The heroine, Ramie, spends the whole book on the verge of a nervous breakdown, crying, and being in pain. So I didn’t believe that she could realistically develop feelings of love for the hero, Caleb, in that frame of mind. And I also couldn’t believe that Caleb could be so hot for her either when he barely knew her, and what little he did know showed her to be a highly damaged and basket case. It felt like he was taking advantage of someone who’d come to him for protection.

Profile Image for Jennifer.
1,871 reviews6,703 followers
October 24, 2014
Keep Me Safe is the first installment in author Maya Banks's Slow Burn series. I have seen Ms. Banks's name associated with romance/erotica all over goodreads and she has written an impressive quantity of novels. I was so excited when I saw this audiobook at my local library- what a perfect chance to try out this popular author! Unfortunately, I did not enjoy my first Maya Banks experience as much as I had hoped to. I should note that many goodreads reviews for this book have made reference to some disappointment compared to her other novels...oh well.

Keep Me Safe falls in the romantic suspense genre with a mild paranormal element. This combination appealed to me, and I liked the idea of the overall plot. It succeeded in the suspense factor, and I found the female lead's paranormal gift interesting. However, I just didn't care about the romance element and that's just sad. I felt that there was very little relationship development when it came to the romance aspect- it just happened all of the sudden- and that led me to feel minimal investment in the characters' interactions together. Also, just a sidenote: the audiobook is pretty dramatic. I literally felt like I was listening to a movie announcer's voice during the action scenes and I found it distracting. Ultimately, these issues ended up affecting my enjoyment of the book as a whole. While I did finish this book, I do not plan to continue on in the series. I'll have to do some goodreads research before selecting another Maya Banks book.
Profile Image for ✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ .
2,332 reviews1,341 followers
October 30, 2014
I really liked it - but what I don't like is anything paranormal or psychic stuff :/
It was - like all recent Maya Banks book - too much redundant talk in there ..but it was pretty suspensy and interesting...I missed the Maya Banks sexiness a bit though..
I will definitely read the next 2 books in the series - even though the supernatural stuff will get even worse ;)
Profile Image for Tonya.
138 reviews68 followers
November 8, 2018
This is the book by this author that I have read. I will be continuing with this series. I loved it. the characters are easy to fall in love with
February 3, 2015
Maya Banks review
3coffeebeans
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Ok maybe throw in another half a coffee bean in there… or a shot… because the story plot was intriguing and interesting..

Ramie St. Claire has a great gift... NO! an awful gift... she is a psychic with a 100% success rate in finding people after they have been kidnapped. Problem is when she 'locates' them she forms a link to the kidnapper and the victim. As you can imagine with that comes EXPERIENCING everything first hand as it happens to the victim.



NOW she is on the run because she formed a link that she can't shake off. She is now STALKED & HUNTED. Just a few centimeters ahead of her tormenter.

Having old school money Caleb Devereaux uses it to track her down to help track down his sister who has been kidnapped with no ransom demanded. To save her life he FORCES Ramie to locate her. After seeing what it does to her he unfortunately has to leave her in her state to get to his sister. Upon safe retrieval he returns to Ramie only to find her hiding hole abandoned and no way to track her again.

In effort to absolve his GUILT he forms a security company to keep his sister safe and his younger brothers... but his mind is always of Ramie and what he forced her to do. What he forced her to experience. GUILT. GUILT. GUILT...



After a very close call Ramie heartbroken and nowhere to run for safety seeks Caleb and demand he owes her protection. But oooh silly girl she doesn't need to DEMAND... their attraction is already felt. Caleb's overprotective genes making it harder for him to think. His knuckled elongating to the floor... dragging on it if he is not beating on this chest protecting Ramie from EVERYONE even his hostile family members.



Unfortunately, I felt like the book could have been reduced in length and would have had been a powerful book then. But there was an awful lot of angst and self deprecating feelings from both MCs… where it could have focused more on establishing secondary characters it spent time wallowing in “ I’m no good for you… you are too good… I’m so weak… I don’t deserve you…”-land… but then again this also solidified in how we are to perceive the heroine. Who WOULDN’T be like that when their mind is not their own and they had no home.

Ultimately, I just want to hug the poor girl and kiss Caleb all over...



Overall I wasn't too overly impressed with the beginning of this series but I WILL give this series another go. After all we all deserve a second chance.

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