Kate

by Charyse Allan

After escaping her past, Kate builds her life around a single purpose: staying hidden. But when the unexpected threatens to unravel her tightly kept secrets, her will to remain alone falters.

Kate ran, planning to leave behind a shell of a life, giving herself strict rules to live by in order to keep the past hidden. But these rules have her trading one prison for another.

Then Kai sneaks into her life, shoving through her shields, getting her to break every one of her rules. An unexpected surprise threatens to unravel her secrets and strip away the control she fought so hard for. But she embraces it, diving into the unknown with Kai.

When her past catches up with her, she battles to keep those she has come to love protected, refusing to relent the strength she found within. But when stuck in a place she never wants to return to and with no chance of escape, she fears losing everything she's allowed herself to cherish.

293 pages, Paperback

Published January 17, 2022

About the author

Charyse grew up dancing at her mom’s studio and riding horses at her dad's ranch. She often turned to books for entertainment, but didn't become the reader she is until high school. She always enjoyed writing, but never saw herself making a career of it. Instead, she turned to her love of cooking and became a certified pastry chef out of high school.

She published the first novel of the Valley of Death Series in 2014 and has published four books since then. She is working toward her BA in Professional Writing through GCU. Now married to her best friend/high school sweetheart, they live in the sweltering heat of Arizona raising their four kiddos and three Goldens. She still enjoys baking the occasional dessert for close friends and family. She's a bookaholic and chocoholic; her vices keep her sane, but YAH keeps her patient.

Reviews

[Spunky N Sassy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spunky N Sassy Rating: 4.0

~~~~~~~~~~Lindsey's ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review~~~~~~~~~~

Great Book

This book is a must read. I was hooked from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down.

[Sassy Southern Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book that took me a moment to really get into because I was so frustrated by Kate and how closed off she was to everyone around her. I knew there had to be a reason, however I struggled at first because I just wanted to grab a hold of her and shake some sense into her. She had people in her life that wanted to be there for her, but she kept everyone at such a distance and was so cold towards them that at first she wasn't my favorite person.

However, I am SOOOOOO glad that I didn't give up on her! With Kai forcing her to let someone in her life by not giving up even though she did her best to push him away her walls began coming down and she quickly became a favorite character. She is really so strong and the things she was hiding from in her past were the reason that she wanted to keep herself from getting discovered or hurt ever again.

I promise, this is one book that will have you feeling ALL THE FEELS and then some! You will be mad, sad, happy and put on the edge of your seat.

Definitely a must read book for sure!
By Alisa

[Jennifer Pierson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate is a very difficult woman to get close to because she's hiding some real demons from leaving her life behind. She never hooks up with a guy twice, and while that was the plan with Kai, somehow he kept getting past her walls especially with a bit complication. He's wanted more with her since that night, but she's barely giving him an inch until she fesses up about the complication they didn't see coming. I got frustrated with Kate more than once, especially since I didn't know what she had left behind without many clues, but I still found myself mad at everyone in her life who had done uncalled for things when she came clean (not about her past either). And then I was on the edge of my seat while waiting to see what the hell she was hiding from & how it would be outed since secrets don't make friends. It made for some pretty big twists that really had the f-bombs dropping like crazy especially when Kai definitely had a bad reaction which added to things! So yeah, this story had my emotional back all into it, and after y'all hit those one click buttons you'll see what I'm talking about! HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO ALL!

[SOMDReigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate is a new adult romance that is very well written. It is full of emotions. The main character Kate is a really closed off character and hard to get into. Give it time, and you’ll be glad you stuck with the story. She’s that way for a reason and it’s a must for this plot to work. There are secrets and twists, family dynamics, and wonderful characters. A good read!

[Pegboard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate by Charyse Allan is an intriguing contemporary romance novel that connects the reader with the characters. Kate is finally at a good place in her life when Kai upsets everything. Once she accepts he will be in her life, she tries to keep it at a minimal, but Kai wants it all. Trusting isn’t an easy thing for Kate and she knows once her secret is out there is no turning back. Can she trust him to protect her?
 
I was glued to the pages of Kate. Charyse Allan knows how to draw the heartstrings of her readers. You will feel the joy, anxiety, and fear Kate experience as her life is unhinged by Kai. I felt captivated by discovering her secret, then appalled by those who should have stood by her side in life. This is an author you will want to follow, and it looks like she will supply her followers with plenty of books.

[Ishu Saini · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐
Pretty average book

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by Charyse. I was hooked from the moment I started reading. Kate is living a life on the run so to speak. She ran from her family. She has a set of rules she lives by and has been for the last several years. That is until she meets Kai and everything gets turned upside down. Kai wants a chance with her and he gets one just not in the way he expected. But, can he stop screwing up long enough to make it work. Kate is stubborn and doesn’t share anything about herself. She has her reasons. Bad thing will happen to her if her past finds her. She feels like she is slowly losing control of everything and in a way she is. A lot happens in this book. The more you learn about Kate the more you understand why she has all these secrets. But, could all the secrets she has to protect wind up being what hurts her the most? Kate’s past catches up to her and she must decide what to do now. Kai can only take so much. He has put himself out there many times. Kate knows eventually he will have had enough and will leave. What will she do then? Kate must decide when to tell her secrets and when to hold them closer. I can’t say enough about this book. I love Kate and Kai. I feel for Kate so much. Kai is such a great guy. Really all the characters in this book are great. I highly recommend this book. Great job Charyse.

[Cheryl McCrork]

I suggest you read this book

This book was so good and a great storyline. I could not put it down and enjoyed it from start to finish. Charyse Allen is a great author and I can't wait to read more of her books. This was a great story of good family and bad family and a great love story.