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Keepsake
In the red corner is a six-foot-three machine of pure mass, an ex-MMA fighter with a bad attitude and fists of steel.
He is my best friend’s brother.
But Sofia is not here anymore, and all that she left me were her instructions: take care of my kids.
Not a simple task, especially when I have to open my doors to Sofia’s estranged brother.
I spent my entire life dreaming about having a family of my own, but I didn’t think it would be through loss that I would find my gain.
Three brilliant children need me, and I’ll have to learn to co-parent with a bull of a man in the China shop of my life.
We are complete opposites; I’m the business first, workaholic in the big city with a penthouse. Then there’s Alvaro Castillo, El Toro, with callouses in his hands and ink all over his skin.
I’ll need him on my side if I want the best for these kids, but my trust isn’t something I give out easily. To make things worse, El Toro has a secret that might ring the bell of defeat in all of our lives.
Now I have everything I’ve ever wanted. But at the cost of my best friend’s life.
*This is a spicy slow burn romance. Sixteen years age gap, an ex MMA fighter and little miss overachiever. +18.
He is my best friend’s brother.
But Sofia is not here anymore, and all that she left me were her instructions: take care of my kids.
Not a simple task, especially when I have to open my doors to Sofia’s estranged brother.
I spent my entire life dreaming about having a family of my own, but I didn’t think it would be through loss that I would find my gain.
Three brilliant children need me, and I’ll have to learn to co-parent with a bull of a man in the China shop of my life.
We are complete opposites; I’m the business first, workaholic in the big city with a penthouse. Then there’s Alvaro Castillo, El Toro, with callouses in his hands and ink all over his skin.
I’ll need him on my side if I want the best for these kids, but my trust isn’t something I give out easily. To make things worse, El Toro has a secret that might ring the bell of defeat in all of our lives.
Now I have everything I’ve ever wanted. But at the cost of my best friend’s life.
*This is a spicy slow burn romance. Sixteen years age gap, an ex MMA fighter and little miss overachiever. +18.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 30, 2023
223 people are currently reading
1554 people want to read
About the author
Amy Oliveira
31 books241 followersAmy Oliveira is a contemporary romance author dedicated to write about the two things you shouldn't skip: therapy and smut.
Amy's leads are strong, flawed, and very open about their mental health struggles. And her heros are understanding, lovable, and often pierced.
The combination results in a delicious slow burn with a lot of heart and a lot of heat.
Amy's leads are strong, flawed, and very open about their mental health struggles. And her heros are understanding, lovable, and often pierced.
The combination results in a delicious slow burn with a lot of heart and a lot of heat.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 237 reviews
February 3, 2023
Alvaro had no right being that damn sexy LIKE IT WAS PIERCED GUYS!! PIERCED!
March 11, 2024
a tension fulled slowburn with lots of emotion, wittiness, and heatttt. when logan’s best friend dies, her one wish is for logan to take care of her 3 kids. she’s now the single guardian of three grieving children, and her best friends older brother is sticking around to help as well. they’re practically strangers but he’s on her side from day one, watching the spark between them grow in the midst of a hard time in their lives was so sweet. alvaro is a gruff, former MMA fighter with a heart of gold, while logan is a straight lace corporate type who just wants to do right by these kids. watching their relationships grow with the kids was also the sweetest thing. it was a slower burn but the pay off was WHEW worth it. the narrators were so phenomenal, Noah B. Perez and Vanessa Vasquez brought alvaro and logan to life so well, i could hear the emotions and heat coming in through my headphones i swear. definitely an audiobook worth checking out!!
January 31, 2025
3.75⭐️ i really like the premise of this book and its one i find that i usually always enjoy whether it be the book “the godparents” or movies such as “life as we know it” or “instant family” but i feel like this one just didn’t work as well for me. i still liked it, just not as much as the other similar books/movies
March 16, 2024
*2.5 Stars*
Keep Sake was an okay book. I enjoyed the story and its characters. Logan and Alvaro were great but because of the serious topics I felt it was all very surface level. I needed more depth. It was all glazed over. I felt the story had potential. Logan being pointed out as the guardian of her best friend’s three children and the friend’s sixteen older brother moves in with her and helps. It showed promise but sadly lacked in execution.
Suicide and endometriosis are very serious and important topics and especially the latter was only mentioned once which was very disappointing since it affected Logan tremendously.
The chemistry between Logan and Alvaro was good but because of my overall experience it didn’t do much. I expected more.
2.5 Stars
Keep Sake was an okay book. I enjoyed the story and its characters. Logan and Alvaro were great but because of the serious topics I felt it was all very surface level. I needed more depth. It was all glazed over. I felt the story had potential. Logan being pointed out as the guardian of her best friend’s three children and the friend’s sixteen older brother moves in with her and helps. It showed promise but sadly lacked in execution.
Suicide and endometriosis are very serious and important topics and especially the latter was only mentioned once which was very disappointing since it affected Logan tremendously.
The chemistry between Logan and Alvaro was good but because of my overall experience it didn’t do much. I expected more.
2.5 Stars
August 23, 2024
This book was a jolt to the heart. I was drawn into the tale from the beginning, my heart breaking for the situation everyone was in. I wanted the best for these characters and watching them fumble through it for the sake of these children was gut-wrenching and beautiful.
My emotions are right at the surface the whole time and I felt the agony of loss and unanswered questions. I don't know what I would have done in that situation.
You may like this if you like:
-Best Friend's Brother
-Age Gap
-Raising kids together
-MMA Fighter
-Bad Boy/Good Girl
Narrated by Vanessa Vasquez & Noah B Perez. They were both new to me narrators and they had me riveted. This audio book was definitely the way to consume this story.
4.5 stars
3 on the spice scale
*Thank you to Must Love Audio & the author for an ALC of this title.*
CW: domestic abuse (past), violence, grief, suicide
My emotions are right at the surface the whole time and I felt the agony of loss and unanswered questions. I don't know what I would have done in that situation.
You may like this if you like:
-Best Friend's Brother
-Age Gap
-Raising kids together
-MMA Fighter
-Bad Boy/Good Girl
Narrated by Vanessa Vasquez & Noah B Perez. They were both new to me narrators and they had me riveted. This audio book was definitely the way to consume this story.
4.5 stars
3 on the spice scale
*Thank you to Must Love Audio & the author for an ALC of this title.*
CW: domestic abuse (past), violence, grief, suicide
March 7, 2024
Blew me away!
Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Trope: forced proximity, shared trauma
Angst: 😱😱😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥1\2
This book 'bout completely wrecked me. There is so much guilt surrounding loss and Amy did a wonderful job of conveying it. The difficulty of raising someone else's children. Especially when they have a different background culturally. The tragedy of parentified kids and their attempts at control. These are all issues I've dealt with personally and this book was a picture of realness. I cried, but I also laughed. The writing was beautiful. The burn, super slow, but so very hot at the end. Loved it. Loved the message of hope and found family. Walked away with a huge smile on my face and in my heart. This was my first Amy Oliviera book, but it definitely won't be my last!
Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Trope: forced proximity, shared trauma
Angst: 😱😱😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥1\2
This book 'bout completely wrecked me. There is so much guilt surrounding loss and Amy did a wonderful job of conveying it. The difficulty of raising someone else's children. Especially when they have a different background culturally. The tragedy of parentified kids and their attempts at control. These are all issues I've dealt with personally and this book was a picture of realness. I cried, but I also laughed. The writing was beautiful. The burn, super slow, but so very hot at the end. Loved it. Loved the message of hope and found family. Walked away with a huge smile on my face and in my heart. This was my first Amy Oliviera book, but it definitely won't be my last!
February 13, 2023
I’m teetering between 3/3.5 stars.
I was immediately intrigued by this book when I randomly saw a list of tropes on social media. Logan (the heroine) is facing the aftermath of her childhood best friend’s death (Sofia). Her friend left Logan as the legal guardian for her three kids. Their grandmother doesn’t agree at all, and the only way she agrees to stop making a stink about it is if her oldest son and their estranged uncle, Alvaro, agrees to move in with Logan and the kids. From there, we see both Logan and Alvaro battling with the guilt of Sofia’s suicide, and dealing with helping three kids heal after the tragic loss of their mother.
I think this book had a lot of potential, but ultimately remained very surface level despite how serious the topics were. For example, the heroine has endometriosis and explains that’s why she can’t have kids, but it literally was one paragraph of an explanation and the author never touched it again. The conflict with the kids’ biological father was resolved way too quickly. Also, the hero really didn’t act like someone who was 46 years old. I’m all for age gap, but something about how the hero spoke/how the author portrayed him made him seem younger than he really was.
The author did that thing where she told us more than showed us about the romance between Logan and Alvaro. I felt like the timeline wasn’t completely fleshed out so it was hard to understand how much time went by before they decided to make things physical. I wanted to be more in love with them but I didn’t connect with them as deeply as I’d liked.
Lastly - an editor was much needed. I think I’ll try more by this author, because the bones of a good story was there.
TROPES: single parents-ish/found family/co-parenting; age gap (16 years); best friend’s brother; slow burn?; retired MMA fighter hero; pierced hero (hehe); mental health rep (anxiety)
*the author listed “one bed” as a trope but that scenario didn’t pop up, they accidentally spent the night together in his bed because they were tired but it was not the traditional one bed trope one would expect
TRIGGER WARNINGS: suicide/death of a family member; grief; infertility; depression; panic attacks; graphic violence; domestic abuse (off page)
I was immediately intrigued by this book when I randomly saw a list of tropes on social media. Logan (the heroine) is facing the aftermath of her childhood best friend’s death (Sofia). Her friend left Logan as the legal guardian for her three kids. Their grandmother doesn’t agree at all, and the only way she agrees to stop making a stink about it is if her oldest son and their estranged uncle, Alvaro, agrees to move in with Logan and the kids. From there, we see both Logan and Alvaro battling with the guilt of Sofia’s suicide, and dealing with helping three kids heal after the tragic loss of their mother.
I think this book had a lot of potential, but ultimately remained very surface level despite how serious the topics were. For example, the heroine has endometriosis and explains that’s why she can’t have kids, but it literally was one paragraph of an explanation and the author never touched it again. The conflict with the kids’ biological father was resolved way too quickly. Also, the hero really didn’t act like someone who was 46 years old. I’m all for age gap, but something about how the hero spoke/how the author portrayed him made him seem younger than he really was.
The author did that thing where she told us more than showed us about the romance between Logan and Alvaro. I felt like the timeline wasn’t completely fleshed out so it was hard to understand how much time went by before they decided to make things physical. I wanted to be more in love with them but I didn’t connect with them as deeply as I’d liked.
Lastly - an editor was much needed. I think I’ll try more by this author, because the bones of a good story was there.
TROPES: single parents-ish/found family/co-parenting; age gap (16 years); best friend’s brother; slow burn?; retired MMA fighter hero; pierced hero (hehe); mental health rep (anxiety)
*the author listed “one bed” as a trope but that scenario didn’t pop up, they accidentally spent the night together in his bed because they were tired but it was not the traditional one bed trope one would expect
TRIGGER WARNINGS: suicide/death of a family member; grief; infertility; depression; panic attacks; graphic violence; domestic abuse (off page)
Want to read
September 20, 2023➕free 20 September 2023
February 6, 2023
This book pulled me out of a slump and even though I received an ARC I just ordered a physical copy! In other words, I really recommend this one as your next Valentine’s read!
—What’s Happening—
“He is my best friend’s brother.
But Sofia is not here anymore, and all that she left me were her instructions: take care of my kids. Not a simple task, especially when I have to open my doors to Sofia’s estranged brother.
I spent my entire life dreaming about having a family of my own, but I didn’t think it would be through loss that I would find my gain.”
—My Thoughts:
Responsible inclusion of mental health discussion and rep. There are heavier themes in this book; look up content warnings before reading.
I loved the kids! Not always a huge fan of kids in books, like in single parent romances, but these kids were so lovable!
This book was perfect in terms of spice—while allowing the plot to be center focus.
Trust was slowly built between Alvaro and Logan; great pacing for how the relationships developed between Logan and Alvaro and Logan and the kids.
This book shows how something good can come out of tragedy—and even though there are hard topics, it still has so many cute moments.
—Okay, I need to know what you thought about this:
I just don’t know about the piercing…but I read the the gym scene while being pretty nauseous so maybe that was the problem. After that I got more intrigued, but it also sounds so painful to get initially and I can’t not think about that. Idk.😅😂
The piercing. Vibe for you or no? Let’s chat over on Instagram—@ashleygabrielleaguirre
—What’s Happening—
“He is my best friend’s brother.
But Sofia is not here anymore, and all that she left me were her instructions: take care of my kids. Not a simple task, especially when I have to open my doors to Sofia’s estranged brother.
I spent my entire life dreaming about having a family of my own, but I didn’t think it would be through loss that I would find my gain.”
—My Thoughts:
Responsible inclusion of mental health discussion and rep. There are heavier themes in this book; look up content warnings before reading.
I loved the kids! Not always a huge fan of kids in books, like in single parent romances, but these kids were so lovable!
This book was perfect in terms of spice—while allowing the plot to be center focus.
Trust was slowly built between Alvaro and Logan; great pacing for how the relationships developed between Logan and Alvaro and Logan and the kids.
This book shows how something good can come out of tragedy—and even though there are hard topics, it still has so many cute moments.
—Okay, I need to know what you thought about this:
I just don’t know about the piercing…but I read the the gym scene while being pretty nauseous so maybe that was the problem. After that I got more intrigued, but it also sounds so painful to get initially and I can’t not think about that. Idk.😅😂
The piercing. Vibe for you or no? Let’s chat over on Instagram—@ashleygabrielleaguirre
March 6, 2024
“𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙝𝙚𝙧.“
Keepsake is an angsty age gap slow burn that makes every second of wait worth it. After a horrible family tragedy, he and Logan were left scrambling to pick up the pieces. I loved how Logan was willing to do anything for the children and making sure their needs were priority. She had a huge and giving heart and was full of determination.
The chemistry that brewed between her and Alvaro was thiiick and I waited patiently for things to pop off and boy did they pop off. I love a man who is possessive, sweet and filthy all at once and that was Alvaro to a T! The mouth on this man was just sinfully good and I ate it up. He would give his all for his family even at the sacrifice of himself. Alvaro wanted to be her strength even when she fought it and oh my heart swooned. This book hit on the theme of how family isn’t just biological. The found family vibes were all up and through this story and it was everything for me.
“𝙎𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙚. 𝘿𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚. 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨, 𝙄’𝙢 𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙧𝙮. 𝙉𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡.”
This isn’t my first audio by Vanessa Vasquez and Noah B. Perez but, I swear I’ll never stop being amazed at the range narrators possess. They brought this story to life beautifully! Their performance just added the cherry on top of this delicious story. From the moment, I heard the first clip, I knew this audio was an absolute must listen and it did not disappoint!
May 18, 2024
I'll be honest, if it wasn't for the audiobook performances of the narrators, I might have rated this book closer to 4 ⭐️. However, the performances were so exceptional that it elevated the overall reading experience, making me feel it deserved a full five stars instead. Noah B Perez (goosebumps!) and Vanessa Vasquez added a rich layer of authenticity, enhancing the cultural nuances of the characters.
Keepsake is a masterfully crafted contemporary romance that will immediately capture your heart. The story follows Logan, a dedicated lawyer, who unexpectedly becomes the guardian of her late best friend Sofia's three Hispanic children. Her life becomes intertwined with Sofia's estranged brother, Alvaro "El Toro" Castillo, an ex-MMA fighter. Oliveira skillfully blends themes of grief, healing, family, privilege (both actual and perceived), and ultimately, love, creating a piece that is as compelling as it is emotionally resonant.
Logan's journey through loss is portrayed with heartfelt authenticity. The book captures the raw pain of her best friend's death and the slow, often difficult path to healing. Her struggle and eventual acceptance are deeply moving, making the reader empathize with her every step. Before Sofia's death, Logan felt isolated despite her professional success. Taking in Sofia's children and co-parenting with Alvaro, she discovers the beauty of a found family, highlighting the transformative power of love and connection. The story beautifully explores how Logan transitions from feeling alone to finding a sense of belonging and purpose through her new family.
Logan and Alvaro's partnership in raising the children is fraught with challenges but ultimately rewarding. Their differing backgrounds and approaches to life add depth to their relationship and the story. Logan's meticulous, career-driven nature contrasts sharply with Alvaro's more laid-back, physically intense lifestyle, yet they find common ground in their love and commitment to the children.
The children, each with their distinct personalities, were as well-developed as the adult characters, making the family dynamic feel genuine and engaging. The novel does an excellent job of portraying each character's unique struggles and growth, making them relatable and deeply human.
The perception of Logan by Alvaro's Cuban parents adds another layer of complexity. They initially dislike Logan for her privileged background, which provides insightful commentary on cultural and socioeconomic differences. This tension highlights the challenges of blending different cultural expectations and values, adding depth to Logan's character as she navigates these dynamics.
Alvaro could have used a little more introspection and character development, but that man is so good and 🌶️ that I decided to ignore that little bumper.
Keepsake is a masterfully crafted contemporary romance that will immediately capture your heart. The story follows Logan, a dedicated lawyer, who unexpectedly becomes the guardian of her late best friend Sofia's three Hispanic children. Her life becomes intertwined with Sofia's estranged brother, Alvaro "El Toro" Castillo, an ex-MMA fighter. Oliveira skillfully blends themes of grief, healing, family, privilege (both actual and perceived), and ultimately, love, creating a piece that is as compelling as it is emotionally resonant.
Logan's journey through loss is portrayed with heartfelt authenticity. The book captures the raw pain of her best friend's death and the slow, often difficult path to healing. Her struggle and eventual acceptance are deeply moving, making the reader empathize with her every step. Before Sofia's death, Logan felt isolated despite her professional success. Taking in Sofia's children and co-parenting with Alvaro, she discovers the beauty of a found family, highlighting the transformative power of love and connection. The story beautifully explores how Logan transitions from feeling alone to finding a sense of belonging and purpose through her new family.
Logan and Alvaro's partnership in raising the children is fraught with challenges but ultimately rewarding. Their differing backgrounds and approaches to life add depth to their relationship and the story. Logan's meticulous, career-driven nature contrasts sharply with Alvaro's more laid-back, physically intense lifestyle, yet they find common ground in their love and commitment to the children.
The children, each with their distinct personalities, were as well-developed as the adult characters, making the family dynamic feel genuine and engaging. The novel does an excellent job of portraying each character's unique struggles and growth, making them relatable and deeply human.
The perception of Logan by Alvaro's Cuban parents adds another layer of complexity. They initially dislike Logan for her privileged background, which provides insightful commentary on cultural and socioeconomic differences. This tension highlights the challenges of blending different cultural expectations and values, adding depth to Logan's character as she navigates these dynamics.
Alvaro could have used a little more introspection and character development, but that man is so good and 🌶️ that I decided to ignore that little bumper.
August 27, 2024
Wow. Just wow. The way that I absolutely devoured this audio.....and when I say that, I mean that I finished it in one sitting. I literally couldn't put it down.
As always, I went in completely blind with the exception of tropes and I was completely blown away by the complexity and emotions that this story evoked.
What you will get:
-Fighter mmc
-Single Parent/Guardian
-Age gap
-Pierced MMC
-Family drama
-Healing after loss
I would also like to comment for a second about the absolute talent that the narrators had for this book. I immediately recongnized Noahs' voice from Brit Bensons Nothing Feels Better and I was obsessed with his voice then. Spoiler: Nothing has changed. Noah is someone that the audio world desperately needs more of. He's insanely talented and I can't wait to see him absolutely dominate this side of the booksta. And Vanessa did such an amazing job bringing Logan to life. She was a very complex character that needed someone to do her justice and Vanessa did just that.
As always, I went in completely blind with the exception of tropes and I was completely blown away by the complexity and emotions that this story evoked.
What you will get:
-Fighter mmc
-Single Parent/Guardian
-Age gap
-Pierced MMC
-Family drama
-Healing after loss
I would also like to comment for a second about the absolute talent that the narrators had for this book. I immediately recongnized Noahs' voice from Brit Bensons Nothing Feels Better and I was obsessed with his voice then. Spoiler: Nothing has changed. Noah is someone that the audio world desperately needs more of. He's insanely talented and I can't wait to see him absolutely dominate this side of the booksta. And Vanessa did such an amazing job bringing Logan to life. She was a very complex character that needed someone to do her justice and Vanessa did just that.
March 11, 2023
4.25/5 ⭐️
2.5/5 🌶️
Tropes:
- age gap (16yrs) ~ 46 & 30
- best friend’s brother
- heroine is the legal guardian of the hero’s nieces & nephew
- good girl x bad boy vibes
- hero is a retired MMA fighter
- forced proximity (he’s being forced to move into her home to help the kids adjust)
- latin hero
- rich heroine
- heroine has anxiety
- hero has a pierced 🍆
- one bed
POV: first person - dual
Type: stand-alone
I love love love this author’s writing. This is the second book of hers that I’ve read and really enjoyed.
2.5/5 🌶️
Tropes:
- age gap (16yrs) ~ 46 & 30
- best friend’s brother
- heroine is the legal guardian of the hero’s nieces & nephew
- good girl x bad boy vibes
- hero is a retired MMA fighter
- forced proximity (he’s being forced to move into her home to help the kids adjust)
- latin hero
- rich heroine
- heroine has anxiety
- hero has a pierced 🍆
- one bed
POV: first person - dual
Type: stand-alone
I love love love this author’s writing. This is the second book of hers that I’ve read and really enjoyed.
March 27, 2025
El Toro can get it 🔥🐂 That’s beside the point lol…this was such a heart-warming, found family, best friend’s brother romance…Logan and Alvaro needed each other and it was beautiful seeing their relationship grow along with the kids in this one so cute 🥹
February 1, 2023
This was such a good read, i absolutely fell in love with both characters abs how the overcome their issues to be there for each other and their family. I couldn’t put this down, the author talks about sensitive subjects with great care. This book will give you all the feels. Loved it
January 24, 2023
Let me tell you from the beginning that I love Amy. She writes the most amazing books 💕
And this one... This one is the best book Amy wrote until now. It is the best book i read this year.
This book is a journey to finding yourself. The experience of the characters transcends from the pages of the book in real life. I never read a book that hit so much home. I could identify with the characters and i felt part of their family, of their story.
Amy wrote a story of love, of discovery, of family ties, of accepting your flaws and your cracks, of loss and finding light where you wouldn't expect it.
Alvaro and Logan's road is not perfect, but that is what makes it wright.
This is a book that touched my heart and will forever live in my soul.
I leave you now with my favorite quote from the book and the urge to run and get the book 💕
“You want this because you’re just as broken as me, Logan. You saw it. You try so hard to be perfect because you know if they get to see the real you, they will see the broken little girl. But I get you. I can take care of you. I don’t mind the parts that are cracked, because they match mine.”
And this one... This one is the best book Amy wrote until now. It is the best book i read this year.
This book is a journey to finding yourself. The experience of the characters transcends from the pages of the book in real life. I never read a book that hit so much home. I could identify with the characters and i felt part of their family, of their story.
Amy wrote a story of love, of discovery, of family ties, of accepting your flaws and your cracks, of loss and finding light where you wouldn't expect it.
Alvaro and Logan's road is not perfect, but that is what makes it wright.
This is a book that touched my heart and will forever live in my soul.
I leave you now with my favorite quote from the book and the urge to run and get the book 💕
“You want this because you’re just as broken as me, Logan. You saw it. You try so hard to be perfect because you know if they get to see the real you, they will see the broken little girl. But I get you. I can take care of you. I don’t mind the parts that are cracked, because they match mine.”
April 9, 2024
Logan's best friend, Sophia passed away and left Logan to be the guardian of her three children. This causes a lot of drama with the grandmother of the children, even though Sophia was very clear with her instructions. Grandma finally lets the children go after everyone agrees that Alvaro, Sophia’s brother, will be present whenever the kids are with Logan.
I basically went into this book almost blind, which I do pretty often, but it's not everyday that when you do that you find a book you just can't stop reading it listening to? This was definitely one of those books for me. I loved how Logan and Alvaro feel into place with each other and how he took care of her. I loved how Logan wasn't someone who flaunts her money around. I loved how Alvaro was always able to get Logan to open up to him about things.
The only thing I wish we saw more of was more of the drama between Logan and the grandmother. It felt like such a huge deal in the beginning that the kids were going with Logan, that there would be more of that, instead of just something at the end. However, I did thoroughly enjoy this book!
The narration for this book was perfect! I'm already a fan of Vanessa Vasquez, but this is my first audio with Noah. I will definitely be on the lookout for more of his work! Vanessa and Noah could not have done a better job.
Thank you to the author and Must Love Audio for sharing this advanced audio with me! All opinions are my own.
THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU IF: You love a strong guy who knows how to make a girl blush.
I basically went into this book almost blind, which I do pretty often, but it's not everyday that when you do that you find a book you just can't stop reading it listening to? This was definitely one of those books for me. I loved how Logan and Alvaro feel into place with each other and how he took care of her. I loved how Logan wasn't someone who flaunts her money around. I loved how Alvaro was always able to get Logan to open up to him about things.
The only thing I wish we saw more of was more of the drama between Logan and the grandmother. It felt like such a huge deal in the beginning that the kids were going with Logan, that there would be more of that, instead of just something at the end. However, I did thoroughly enjoy this book!
The narration for this book was perfect! I'm already a fan of Vanessa Vasquez, but this is my first audio with Noah. I will definitely be on the lookout for more of his work! Vanessa and Noah could not have done a better job.
Thank you to the author and Must Love Audio for sharing this advanced audio with me! All opinions are my own.
THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU IF: You love a strong guy who knows how to make a girl blush.
November 18, 2024
ALC AUDIOBOOK REVIEW:
💚 Keepsake
By: @amyoliveira.author
🎧Narrated by: Vanessa Vasquez and Noah B Perez
What a beautiful slow burn.
I went into this mostly blind, knowing of a professional boxer and a heartbreaking story, little did I know all the little details that really made this story. When Logan’s best friend, Sofia, passes away, Logan is left to raise her three children, a wish from her late friend, and that is when her late friend’s brother, Alvaro, steps in to help. Logan, Alvaro and the kids move in-together, starting something new and trying to give the kids a less chaotic life during this difficult time. It was sweet to see how much Logan cared for her late friend’s kids and when the request came for her to take care of them she was eager for this new challenge. Becoming a mother to yet one but 3 children, some grown, some little is tough and Logan handle it with so much heart, even during the stress, she exuded love for these children and that was what they needed most. Alvaro came in the picture as an ex professional MMA fighter and someone who still let that dark sides take over but he was determined to step up and be the role model these kids needed. I enjoyed the growth each character had throughout this story. Narrated in dual by Vanessa Vasquez and Noah B Perez, they both did an incredible job. You could tell from Logan and Alvaro’s conversations there was a culture backround in this story and the way these narrators were able to bring that out in each character, not only in the main characters but the side characters (mother, father, kids, Alvaro, even Logan) really made me understand this deep rooted family and the decisions they made based on their beliefs. Each narrator made you feel the passion behind their words as well as the sadness the family was experiencing. Overall this was a sweet, emotional, slow burn, learning about the different ways people grieve but knowing it’s okay to let people in to help.
🫶🏼Thank You @mustloveaudio for the opportunity to listen and Review.
⚠️Check CW before reading.
💚 Keepsake
By: @amyoliveira.author
🎧Narrated by: Vanessa Vasquez and Noah B Perez
What a beautiful slow burn.
I went into this mostly blind, knowing of a professional boxer and a heartbreaking story, little did I know all the little details that really made this story. When Logan’s best friend, Sofia, passes away, Logan is left to raise her three children, a wish from her late friend, and that is when her late friend’s brother, Alvaro, steps in to help. Logan, Alvaro and the kids move in-together, starting something new and trying to give the kids a less chaotic life during this difficult time. It was sweet to see how much Logan cared for her late friend’s kids and when the request came for her to take care of them she was eager for this new challenge. Becoming a mother to yet one but 3 children, some grown, some little is tough and Logan handle it with so much heart, even during the stress, she exuded love for these children and that was what they needed most. Alvaro came in the picture as an ex professional MMA fighter and someone who still let that dark sides take over but he was determined to step up and be the role model these kids needed. I enjoyed the growth each character had throughout this story. Narrated in dual by Vanessa Vasquez and Noah B Perez, they both did an incredible job. You could tell from Logan and Alvaro’s conversations there was a culture backround in this story and the way these narrators were able to bring that out in each character, not only in the main characters but the side characters (mother, father, kids, Alvaro, even Logan) really made me understand this deep rooted family and the decisions they made based on their beliefs. Each narrator made you feel the passion behind their words as well as the sadness the family was experiencing. Overall this was a sweet, emotional, slow burn, learning about the different ways people grieve but knowing it’s okay to let people in to help.
🫶🏼Thank You @mustloveaudio for the opportunity to listen and Review.
⚠️Check CW before reading.
January 31, 2023
Family Isn't Always Defined by Blood
This was a heartwarming relatable story about living your life after the death of a loved one. This book touched on how grief affects everyone differently. A mother losing a child, a brother losing his sister, children losing their mother and a best friend losing her BFF.
In Sofia's will she wanted Logan to take care of her children. Logan who was childless, successful career woman wanted nothing more than to raise her former BFF's children. Logan was dealing with personal demons of her own but she was willing to give it everything she had.
Alvaro was reeling from the loss of his baby sister Sofia but he knew he was not the best option to raise his niece and nephews. Alvaro gave Logan full support in her decision to follow through with Sofia's wishes.
Death affects people differently. Logan, Alvaro and the children had a lot of growing pains to overcome. All Logan ever wanted was a family of her own but she didn't want it at the price of losing her best friend.
This story dealt with hard hitting issues such as Death, Grief, Rebellion, Distrust, Pity, Anxiety and Pain. Logan fought for the family she needed and the love she deserved proving that you can be family without sharing blood.
This was a heartwarming relatable story about living your life after the death of a loved one. This book touched on how grief affects everyone differently. A mother losing a child, a brother losing his sister, children losing their mother and a best friend losing her BFF.
In Sofia's will she wanted Logan to take care of her children. Logan who was childless, successful career woman wanted nothing more than to raise her former BFF's children. Logan was dealing with personal demons of her own but she was willing to give it everything she had.
Alvaro was reeling from the loss of his baby sister Sofia but he knew he was not the best option to raise his niece and nephews. Alvaro gave Logan full support in her decision to follow through with Sofia's wishes.
Death affects people differently. Logan, Alvaro and the children had a lot of growing pains to overcome. All Logan ever wanted was a family of her own but she didn't want it at the price of losing her best friend.
This story dealt with hard hitting issues such as Death, Grief, Rebellion, Distrust, Pity, Anxiety and Pain. Logan fought for the family she needed and the love she deserved proving that you can be family without sharing blood.
March 9, 2024
5/5⭐️ 3/5🌶️ 5/5🎧
Audiobook Review: I adored this book so freaking much! It was heartbreaking, beautiful, culturally appropriate, and so damn wholesome.
It brings awareness to different cultures and privilege. But it’s written in a way that is using it to advantage without being malicious or arrogant. Honestly, that’s what sold me on this book in the very beginning.
It also brings awareness that people can be judgmental, no matter the ethnicity or the social/financial status.
Our white FMC, Logan, gets guardianship over her best friend’s 3 Hispanic children after her untimely death. Life as a single woman with no kids is over as she knows it and she struggles to adjust to the parenting lifestyle.
The kids’ uncle, Alvaro, who is also single with no children, has agreed to move in with Logan temporarily to watch over the children at his mother’s wishes.
Sparks eventually catch fire with Logan and Alvaro. And when I say the spicy scenes are hot, they’re scorching!
Anyway, this story was so damn real. It was real life, real issues, real trials and errors.
The dual narration by Vanessa Vasquez and Noah B Perez was outstanding. They really captured the culture and overall tone of the story. It was fantastic.
Audiobook Review: I adored this book so freaking much! It was heartbreaking, beautiful, culturally appropriate, and so damn wholesome.
It brings awareness to different cultures and privilege. But it’s written in a way that is using it to advantage without being malicious or arrogant. Honestly, that’s what sold me on this book in the very beginning.
It also brings awareness that people can be judgmental, no matter the ethnicity or the social/financial status.
Our white FMC, Logan, gets guardianship over her best friend’s 3 Hispanic children after her untimely death. Life as a single woman with no kids is over as she knows it and she struggles to adjust to the parenting lifestyle.
The kids’ uncle, Alvaro, who is also single with no children, has agreed to move in with Logan temporarily to watch over the children at his mother’s wishes.
Sparks eventually catch fire with Logan and Alvaro. And when I say the spicy scenes are hot, they’re scorching!
Anyway, this story was so damn real. It was real life, real issues, real trials and errors.
The dual narration by Vanessa Vasquez and Noah B Perez was outstanding. They really captured the culture and overall tone of the story. It was fantastic.
March 6, 2024
Keepsake- Amy Oliveira
Narrated by Noah B Perez and Vanessa Vasquez
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Narration 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
This was such a beautifully raw and emotional story. I could feel the pain and grief throughout the entire book, and that later turned into love and hope and healing. And my man Alvaro having a double pierced peen…🥵🥵🥵 Logan and I both could not get enough. 😂😂
Noah and Vanessa’s narrations definitely brought all the emotions of the book so well. I really loved the authentic accents that came through in the parts where they switched to Spanish, even just individual words or names, rather than whole phrases. Casting native speakers or bilingual speakers to the language rather than someone outside of that culture that learned the language/accent makes a huge difference I believe and I loved the outcome.
Narrated by Noah B Perez and Vanessa Vasquez
Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Narration 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
This was such a beautifully raw and emotional story. I could feel the pain and grief throughout the entire book, and that later turned into love and hope and healing. And my man Alvaro having a double pierced peen…🥵🥵🥵 Logan and I both could not get enough. 😂😂
Noah and Vanessa’s narrations definitely brought all the emotions of the book so well. I really loved the authentic accents that came through in the parts where they switched to Spanish, even just individual words or names, rather than whole phrases. Casting native speakers or bilingual speakers to the language rather than someone outside of that culture that learned the language/accent makes a huge difference I believe and I loved the outcome.
March 2, 2024
Keepsake is a result of trying to have your cake while eating it simultaneously. The narrative deals with some weighty, sensitive issues, but oddly keeps the reader at a distance from its heavier issues and its characters. Reading this book was akin to watching people from a distance. Keepsake, as a result, feels hollow and devoid of any true substance.
April 1, 2024
*Check Trigger Warnings before reading.
4.75⭐️/ 3-4🌶️
Suffering the lost of a loved or a friend is always a heartbreaking experience. For, Logan she lost her best friend, Sofia, and on top of losing the one person who knew her best, she was now faced with the biggest change to her life, becoming the legal guardian of Sofia’s children. Logan found herself in the role as a single parent trying to help care and get to know Sofia’s children, and always trying to maintain a good relationship with Sofia’s parents. Luckily, Logan wasn’t alone since Sofia’s older brother, Alvaro was there to help. This emotional story had a lot of heart, sadness, love, and tropes ranging from slow burn romance, best friend’s brother, single parent, and age gap romance.
If you like the single parent trope then I think you’ll enjoy reading this book. I also think you’ll like this book if you’ve read, Mariana Zapata’s book, “Wait for It” that had a similar plot line to Logan’s. In Logan’s case, she wasn’t the kids actual parent, but became their legal guardian after their mom passed away. Logan became a parent to Sofia’s kids, and it was a new adjustment not just for her, but the kids and Alvaro as well. I could tell that Logan wanted to make sure everything went according to plan from making sure the kids had everything they needed to ensuring they felt comfortable with her. Although, with all the planning and organizing Logan did, some things you couldn’t control as seen by Dash, the oldest of the three kids constantly at odds with her or even with Vienna’s temper tantrums, and the youngest, Lachlan. While I’m no expert when it comes to kids, I could see that Logan was always trying her best, and not just to honor her late best friend’s wishes, but also trying to be there for the kids. At times, I just wanted to hug Logan and let her know it was ok, and to take a breather, my girl was going through it, but at least she had Alvaro to help along the way.
Best friend’s brother/sister’s best friend is one of my favorite tropes, and seeing how Alvaro was, it was easy to fall for the six foot tall retired MMA fighter! Alvaro was literally a strong man both physically and mentally. Alvaro was the kind of man who tried to do right by his family, but even when his parents didn’t agree with him becoming an MMA fighter, he still sought to mark his dream a reality. I was expecting Alvaro to be more off stand-ish towards Logan in the beginning, but I was glad to see that he fought for Logan to raise the kids just as his little sister, Sofia wanted. Plus, seeing Alvaro take on a parenting role to his nephews and niece made him more aware of their needs as well as helping Logan. As much as Alvaro agreed into helping Logan with the kids, the sparks were bound to fly with them essentially living together in Logan’s penthouse and coincidentally enough having alone time when the kids weren’t there! Alvaro was a “take charge” kind of man, and OH BOY DID HE TAKE CHARGE WITH LOGAN! WOO! The way Alvaro dirty talk to Logan, commanded her intimately with trust was sexy, and called her, “Jefe” (boss) was both sexy and at other lighthearted. Alvaro was just all around GREAT!
Omg I feel like I haven’t read a book this fast in a while that was so good and held my attention all the way through! This was an emotional story with lots of heartfelt moments as well as equally heartbreaking sadness that really tugged on my heart strings. Logan became not just a legal guardian to her best friends kids, but a parent who did the utmost to give them the best life possible after suffering a terrible loss of their mom. Alvaro was a great advocate to support Logan through the new transition of being the sole caretaker of his nephews and niece. I really felt sympathetic towards all the characters from Logan to Alvaro to even the kids as they worked their grief and adjusting to a new life. The tropes in this book were absolutely amazing from, single parent, retired MMA fighter, best friend’s brother/ sister’s best friend, age gap romance, forced proximity, and a sprinkling of slow burn romance. Logan and Alvaro had great chemistry and oh boy were those two intimately connected when it came to those heated scenes together! OMG! IT WAS HOT! A tall, muscular, former fighter who was wholeheartedly in love with his sisters best friend, YES I LOVED IT! I wasn’t expecting the bit of danger in this storyline but I actually liked how it played into Alvaro’s storyline which made it a bit suspenseful. As a whole, this book had me captivated all the way through, and I loved every moment of it! I was really happy to see Logan find her way towards happiness and even after suffering the loss of her best friend, she managed to find her own family, not those of blood, but by choice. I also really loved the epilogue since it further showed a happy ending for Logan and Alvaro and (sigh) it was really satisfying to read! Highly recommend reading this story!
4.75⭐️/ 3-4🌶️
Suffering the lost of a loved or a friend is always a heartbreaking experience. For, Logan she lost her best friend, Sofia, and on top of losing the one person who knew her best, she was now faced with the biggest change to her life, becoming the legal guardian of Sofia’s children. Logan found herself in the role as a single parent trying to help care and get to know Sofia’s children, and always trying to maintain a good relationship with Sofia’s parents. Luckily, Logan wasn’t alone since Sofia’s older brother, Alvaro was there to help. This emotional story had a lot of heart, sadness, love, and tropes ranging from slow burn romance, best friend’s brother, single parent, and age gap romance.
If you like the single parent trope then I think you’ll enjoy reading this book. I also think you’ll like this book if you’ve read, Mariana Zapata’s book, “Wait for It” that had a similar plot line to Logan’s. In Logan’s case, she wasn’t the kids actual parent, but became their legal guardian after their mom passed away. Logan became a parent to Sofia’s kids, and it was a new adjustment not just for her, but the kids and Alvaro as well. I could tell that Logan wanted to make sure everything went according to plan from making sure the kids had everything they needed to ensuring they felt comfortable with her. Although, with all the planning and organizing Logan did, some things you couldn’t control as seen by Dash, the oldest of the three kids constantly at odds with her or even with Vienna’s temper tantrums, and the youngest, Lachlan. While I’m no expert when it comes to kids, I could see that Logan was always trying her best, and not just to honor her late best friend’s wishes, but also trying to be there for the kids. At times, I just wanted to hug Logan and let her know it was ok, and to take a breather, my girl was going through it, but at least she had Alvaro to help along the way.
Best friend’s brother/sister’s best friend is one of my favorite tropes, and seeing how Alvaro was, it was easy to fall for the six foot tall retired MMA fighter! Alvaro was literally a strong man both physically and mentally. Alvaro was the kind of man who tried to do right by his family, but even when his parents didn’t agree with him becoming an MMA fighter, he still sought to mark his dream a reality. I was expecting Alvaro to be more off stand-ish towards Logan in the beginning, but I was glad to see that he fought for Logan to raise the kids just as his little sister, Sofia wanted. Plus, seeing Alvaro take on a parenting role to his nephews and niece made him more aware of their needs as well as helping Logan. As much as Alvaro agreed into helping Logan with the kids, the sparks were bound to fly with them essentially living together in Logan’s penthouse and coincidentally enough having alone time when the kids weren’t there! Alvaro was a “take charge” kind of man, and OH BOY DID HE TAKE CHARGE WITH LOGAN! WOO! The way Alvaro dirty talk to Logan, commanded her intimately with trust was sexy, and called her, “Jefe” (boss) was both sexy and at other lighthearted. Alvaro was just all around GREAT!
Omg I feel like I haven’t read a book this fast in a while that was so good and held my attention all the way through! This was an emotional story with lots of heartfelt moments as well as equally heartbreaking sadness that really tugged on my heart strings. Logan became not just a legal guardian to her best friends kids, but a parent who did the utmost to give them the best life possible after suffering a terrible loss of their mom. Alvaro was a great advocate to support Logan through the new transition of being the sole caretaker of his nephews and niece. I really felt sympathetic towards all the characters from Logan to Alvaro to even the kids as they worked their grief and adjusting to a new life. The tropes in this book were absolutely amazing from, single parent, retired MMA fighter, best friend’s brother/ sister’s best friend, age gap romance, forced proximity, and a sprinkling of slow burn romance. Logan and Alvaro had great chemistry and oh boy were those two intimately connected when it came to those heated scenes together! OMG! IT WAS HOT! A tall, muscular, former fighter who was wholeheartedly in love with his sisters best friend, YES I LOVED IT! I wasn’t expecting the bit of danger in this storyline but I actually liked how it played into Alvaro’s storyline which made it a bit suspenseful. As a whole, this book had me captivated all the way through, and I loved every moment of it! I was really happy to see Logan find her way towards happiness and even after suffering the loss of her best friend, she managed to find her own family, not those of blood, but by choice. I also really loved the epilogue since it further showed a happy ending for Logan and Alvaro and (sigh) it was really satisfying to read! Highly recommend reading this story!
June 27, 2024
I'm mad I hadn't read this sooner!
This had just the right amount of slow burn, gave me all the feels, and ended up being such a feel-good story.
It deals with some heavy topics like grief, self-unaliveing, family trauma, emotional abuse and manipulation by a romantic partner, and fertility. But what I connected with most was Logan's experience living with chronic anxiety, and the cultural representation of Sofia & Alvaro's family (who are Cuban-American).
Sofia was a mother of three who escaped an unhealthy relationship with a controlling and manipulative partner, who unalives herself and leaves her best friend Logan as guardian of her three kids. But Logan and Sofia hadn't spoken in years, so the news comes as a shock to Logan who is now a succesful single woman, Harvard graduate, but more importantly--she is rich and white.
Sofia's family is not at all happy with this and initially dismiss Logan. Enter Alvaro, Sofia's much older brother and former MMA fighter who up until Sofia's death, remained astranged from the family. Alvaro is riddled with guilt, convinced that he could've seen the signs and helped his little sister had he actually been present.
To appease his family, Alvaro agrees to co-parent with Logan while the kids transition to their new life. Through their grief and growth, these two fall in love. That's not to say that there are no speedbumps along the way, and lots of tears! But they make it to that HEA and I loved it all!
Great writing and awesome narrators--if you're an audiobook lover! I highly recommend picking this one up if you're a fan of found-family, age gap (16yrs, MMC is in his 40's), and hot MMA fighters!
P.S. My dad AND brother are both named Alvaro, so took me a minute to stick with this one lol but it was worth it in the end!
This had just the right amount of slow burn, gave me all the feels, and ended up being such a feel-good story.
It deals with some heavy topics like grief, self-unaliveing, family trauma, emotional abuse and manipulation by a romantic partner, and fertility. But what I connected with most was Logan's experience living with chronic anxiety, and the cultural representation of Sofia & Alvaro's family (who are Cuban-American).
Sofia was a mother of three who escaped an unhealthy relationship with a controlling and manipulative partner, who unalives herself and leaves her best friend Logan as guardian of her three kids. But Logan and Sofia hadn't spoken in years, so the news comes as a shock to Logan who is now a succesful single woman, Harvard graduate, but more importantly--she is rich and white.
Sofia's family is not at all happy with this and initially dismiss Logan. Enter Alvaro, Sofia's much older brother and former MMA fighter who up until Sofia's death, remained astranged from the family. Alvaro is riddled with guilt, convinced that he could've seen the signs and helped his little sister had he actually been present.
To appease his family, Alvaro agrees to co-parent with Logan while the kids transition to their new life. Through their grief and growth, these two fall in love. That's not to say that there are no speedbumps along the way, and lots of tears! But they make it to that HEA and I loved it all!
Great writing and awesome narrators--if you're an audiobook lover! I highly recommend picking this one up if you're a fan of found-family, age gap (16yrs, MMC is in his 40's), and hot MMA fighters!
P.S. My dad AND brother are both named Alvaro, so took me a minute to stick with this one lol but it was worth it in the end!
January 26, 2023
This story captured me from the first chapter. I loved Logan from the moment she was introduced and I loved Alvaro alias “El Toro” even more. The story doesn‘t just focus just on their romance, but on how much support there was between them, how they tagged team dealing with the Dash, Vienna, and Lachlan, as well as how they navigated the relationship with Alvaro’s parents. The mental health rep in this one is amazing, so relateable to those who suffer anxiety and depression. Especially since Logan carried a lot of insecurities around not being likable and screwing up and Alvaro was there every step just giving her words of encouragement and helping de-escalate when Logan’s anxiety would overtake her.
Let’s get to the good stuff shall we…
What I ♥️
♥️ Logan - there are so many parts of this FMC that I identify with. Her middle name was preparation and that is totally how I operate, when something unfamiliar gets thrown at me, I will basically stop my entire life to learn as much as possible, because I would rather be caught dead than unprepared. I also identify with her anxiety, with how her success is perceived by other people.
♥️ Alvaro “El Toro” - He is broken, hurt, has so much grief that I connect with, yet he is just so supportive of Logan, from getting his parents to stop fighting Logan for the kids, to co-parenting, to always having encouraging words for when Logan felt inadequate. He calls Logan Jefa, and after that he could do no harm.
♥️ The development of the family dynamics was amazing in this book, especially after everything that happened as well as the trauma and grief that everyone of these characters was processing throughout the book.
♥️ The tension - friends, the tension build up on this one was GOOD, real good.
Who is this for? If you like:
❤️🔥 Slow burn romance
✨ Legal guardians
🥊 Retired MMA fighter MMC.
♥️ Age gap (16 years)
✨ Forced Proximity
🛏️ One Bed
✨ Mental Health
And much, much more
I would like to thank the author Amy Oliveira for this eARC.
Let’s get to the good stuff shall we…
What I ♥️
♥️ Logan - there are so many parts of this FMC that I identify with. Her middle name was preparation and that is totally how I operate, when something unfamiliar gets thrown at me, I will basically stop my entire life to learn as much as possible, because I would rather be caught dead than unprepared. I also identify with her anxiety, with how her success is perceived by other people.
♥️ Alvaro “El Toro” - He is broken, hurt, has so much grief that I connect with, yet he is just so supportive of Logan, from getting his parents to stop fighting Logan for the kids, to co-parenting, to always having encouraging words for when Logan felt inadequate. He calls Logan Jefa, and after that he could do no harm.
♥️ The development of the family dynamics was amazing in this book, especially after everything that happened as well as the trauma and grief that everyone of these characters was processing throughout the book.
♥️ The tension - friends, the tension build up on this one was GOOD, real good.
Who is this for? If you like:
❤️🔥 Slow burn romance
✨ Legal guardians
🥊 Retired MMA fighter MMC.
♥️ Age gap (16 years)
✨ Forced Proximity
🛏️ One Bed
✨ Mental Health
And much, much more
I would like to thank the author Amy Oliveira for this eARC.
August 29, 2024
✨ Keepsake by Amy Oliveira ✨
I could not stop listening to this audiobook. I listened to almost the entire thing in a single day. This book was emotional, hopeful, sexy, and reached depths that I just didn't expect. The characters were navigating loss, guilt, perfectionism, parenting, cultural differences, and unexpected connections. Amy navigated all these subjects in the most beautiful way. I felt the emotional connection between Alvaro and Logan instantly and the slow burn to them connecting on a romantic level was intense in the best way. (and oh so very HOT) What I loved the most was how in the end, neither of them was perfect but you could tell that they SAW and KNEW each other in a profoundly deep way.
✨ Ex MMA Fighter
✨ OCD + Perfectionist Heroine
✨ Age Gap
✨ Sudden Parents
✨ Emotional
✨ Pierced & Tatted Hero
✨ Loss and Suicide (off page)
🎧 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼...
RUN to listen to this audiobook. Vanessa Vasquez and Noah B Perez made this already incredible book even better with the way they read Logan and Alvaro. You could feel their raw emotion and the accents were perfection. This audiobook gets ALL THE STARS.
📚 Book: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 Audio: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥Spice Rating: ❤️
I highly recommend that you read the content warnings before reading this book.
Thank you so much to Amy Oliveira and Must Love Audio for this gifted audiobook.
Spice Rating
🤍 clean romance
💗 closed door/ fade to black
❤️ sexual content (a few detailed scenes)
❤️🔥 explicit, play-by-play (major part of the plot)
🖤 graphic, more than vanilla
I could not stop listening to this audiobook. I listened to almost the entire thing in a single day. This book was emotional, hopeful, sexy, and reached depths that I just didn't expect. The characters were navigating loss, guilt, perfectionism, parenting, cultural differences, and unexpected connections. Amy navigated all these subjects in the most beautiful way. I felt the emotional connection between Alvaro and Logan instantly and the slow burn to them connecting on a romantic level was intense in the best way. (and oh so very HOT) What I loved the most was how in the end, neither of them was perfect but you could tell that they SAW and KNEW each other in a profoundly deep way.
✨ Ex MMA Fighter
✨ OCD + Perfectionist Heroine
✨ Age Gap
✨ Sudden Parents
✨ Emotional
✨ Pierced & Tatted Hero
✨ Loss and Suicide (off page)
🎧 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼...
RUN to listen to this audiobook. Vanessa Vasquez and Noah B Perez made this already incredible book even better with the way they read Logan and Alvaro. You could feel their raw emotion and the accents were perfection. This audiobook gets ALL THE STARS.
📚 Book: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 Audio: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥Spice Rating: ❤️
I highly recommend that you read the content warnings before reading this book.
Thank you so much to Amy Oliveira and Must Love Audio for this gifted audiobook.
Spice Rating
🤍 clean romance
💗 closed door/ fade to black
❤️ sexual content (a few detailed scenes)
❤️🔥 explicit, play-by-play (major part of the plot)
🖤 graphic, more than vanilla
January 23, 2023
Wow! What. A. Ride.
First, I have to say, this trope cocktail is exactly what I needed this last weekend:
- Slow Burn.
-Age gap.
- Opposites attract.
- Legal guardian.
- Found Family.
- Retired MMA fighter hero.
- Forced Proximity.
I was immediately embraced by the story. The pain of the situation this family was enduring and the different ways they were trying to cope broke my heart.
I simply LOVED Logan and Alvaro. They loved too much, too hard and had the entire weight of their insecurities, fears and regrets smashed
to their heads but came out of it like the badasses they were. I loved how they managed to find security and stability for them and the kids, despite how different they were, the doubts and the guilt they were carrying and that their main priority was always the safety and peace of the kids. Even if they had to sacrifice themselves or the opposition they had in the outside. Alvaro being that protective alpha with a heart of gold and Logan an amazing, loving and caring soul.
The story got more intense and intriguing with each chapter. When I thought I was already settled in the story, there was another jab that kept my mouth open and my heartstrings pulled. I was rooting for them all as a family and was not disappointed at all!
The tension and pull between Alvaro and Logan was so deliciously written. I really enjoyed seeing them fighting attraction and finally giving in and letting themselves love and being loved. They made me swoon and blush, and it filled my heart with joy seeing them having the happy ending they deserved.
It was such a perfect story about healing, what family is supposed to mean and how love can bring beauty out of ashes.
My heart is so full, the book hangover is kicking hard!
I received this advance reader copy from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
First, I have to say, this trope cocktail is exactly what I needed this last weekend:
- Slow Burn.
-Age gap.
- Opposites attract.
- Legal guardian.
- Found Family.
- Retired MMA fighter hero.
- Forced Proximity.
I was immediately embraced by the story. The pain of the situation this family was enduring and the different ways they were trying to cope broke my heart.
I simply LOVED Logan and Alvaro. They loved too much, too hard and had the entire weight of their insecurities, fears and regrets smashed
to their heads but came out of it like the badasses they were. I loved how they managed to find security and stability for them and the kids, despite how different they were, the doubts and the guilt they were carrying and that their main priority was always the safety and peace of the kids. Even if they had to sacrifice themselves or the opposition they had in the outside. Alvaro being that protective alpha with a heart of gold and Logan an amazing, loving and caring soul.
The story got more intense and intriguing with each chapter. When I thought I was already settled in the story, there was another jab that kept my mouth open and my heartstrings pulled. I was rooting for them all as a family and was not disappointed at all!
The tension and pull between Alvaro and Logan was so deliciously written. I really enjoyed seeing them fighting attraction and finally giving in and letting themselves love and being loved. They made me swoon and blush, and it filled my heart with joy seeing them having the happy ending they deserved.
It was such a perfect story about healing, what family is supposed to mean and how love can bring beauty out of ashes.
My heart is so full, the book hangover is kicking hard!
I received this advance reader copy from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
February 23, 2024
• 𝑨𝑳𝑪 𝑹𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑬𝑾 •
I enjoyed this audiobook! It’s definitely a more emotional book & please check the triggers! This book touches on some sensitive topics.
Logan lost her former friend, Sofia. Her last wish was for Logan to take care of her kids. The two of them were best friends growing up, but lost touch once Sofia started dating David. They reconnect years later only for tragedy to strike.
She’s left to pick up the pieces & fight with Sofia’s mom about taking the kids. She finally agrees with one condition, Alvaro must move in with them. Hello best friend’s older brother, age-gap, and forced proximity.
I liked watching their relationship grow, both of them trying to fight the attraction to one another. Hello gym scene 🥵 And him taking care of her?! Love it & the shower scene.
“𝓞𝓾𝓻 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓼𝓽 𝓼𝓬𝓪𝓻𝓼 𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓷’𝓽 𝓿𝓲𝓼𝓲𝓫𝓵𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓪𝓷𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓮”
Omg David is an actual POS!! Like we knew this, but Sofia’s letter? Ugh it made me so mad & my heart shatters for Sofia 💔 I can’t even imagine what she was going through. How isolated she felt & the manipulation she endured.
The narrators did a great job of bringing this story to life! I flew through this audiobook & enjoyed every second of it!
I enjoyed this audiobook! It’s definitely a more emotional book & please check the triggers! This book touches on some sensitive topics.
Logan lost her former friend, Sofia. Her last wish was for Logan to take care of her kids. The two of them were best friends growing up, but lost touch once Sofia started dating David. They reconnect years later only for tragedy to strike.
She’s left to pick up the pieces & fight with Sofia’s mom about taking the kids. She finally agrees with one condition, Alvaro must move in with them. Hello best friend’s older brother, age-gap, and forced proximity.
I liked watching their relationship grow, both of them trying to fight the attraction to one another. Hello gym scene 🥵 And him taking care of her?! Love it & the shower scene.
“𝓞𝓾𝓻 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓼𝓽 𝓼𝓬𝓪𝓻𝓼 𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓷’𝓽 𝓿𝓲𝓼𝓲𝓫𝓵𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓪𝓷𝔂𝓸𝓷𝓮”
Omg David is an actual POS!! Like we knew this, but Sofia’s letter? Ugh it made me so mad & my heart shatters for Sofia 💔 I can’t even imagine what she was going through. How isolated she felt & the manipulation she endured.
The narrators did a great job of bringing this story to life! I flew through this audiobook & enjoyed every second of it!
January 29, 2023
Tragedy and a huge loss bring Logan and Alvaro together. They are each trying to work through their grief of losing someone so important to them while struggling with their mental health.
The way their trauma is written and how each deal with their own guilt over past events is done so well. It’s a beautifully written story with so many emotions. I cried more than once!
It was so easy to relate to these characters and how they were feeling. I was so captivated by their story and where they were headed.
I loved seeing how the relationship between Logan and Alvaro developed. Plus how they bonded with the children. Loved those kids. They definitely stole the show at points.
Now..
Alvaro Castillo.. El Toro.. I fell hard for him. He had me swooning, he had me hot, he made me cry. He was just everything! I love him!! The tension and chemistry between him and Logan was fantastic and although it was a slow burn there was still plenty of heat!
This book is probably one of my most highlighted ever, there were so many quotes I loved and connected to, I honestly can’t recommend it enough and I can’t wait to read more from Amy.
The way their trauma is written and how each deal with their own guilt over past events is done so well. It’s a beautifully written story with so many emotions. I cried more than once!
It was so easy to relate to these characters and how they were feeling. I was so captivated by their story and where they were headed.
I loved seeing how the relationship between Logan and Alvaro developed. Plus how they bonded with the children. Loved those kids. They definitely stole the show at points.
Now..
Alvaro Castillo.. El Toro.. I fell hard for him. He had me swooning, he had me hot, he made me cry. He was just everything! I love him!! The tension and chemistry between him and Logan was fantastic and although it was a slow burn there was still plenty of heat!
This book is probably one of my most highlighted ever, there were so many quotes I loved and connected to, I honestly can’t recommend it enough and I can’t wait to read more from Amy.
August 21, 2024
Thank you Must Love Audio for the #gifted audio to read and review.
I’ve been trying to read more new-to-me authors lately so when Keepsake was offered, I jumped on it.
Expect 👉🏼 Fighter, Single Guardian, Forced Proximity, Slow Burn, Sick Care, Secret, Family Drama, Age Gap, Opposite Sides of the Track
When Logan’s best friend dies, she leaves her three children in Logan’s care. Going from being a single adult to being a parent of three overnight is jarring. Learning to parent while also dealing with extended family drama and a live in uncle is more than most would be able to handle. Not the mention, said uncle was her teenaged crush.
Big emotions, heart and steam. This was a great read and a great intro to a new author. I enjoyed how real everyone was. From the kids to the grandparents. Everyone was flawed and human and it made them that much more relatable. The spice was great! I loved the balance between parenting and a new relationship.
I’ve been trying to read more new-to-me authors lately so when Keepsake was offered, I jumped on it.
Expect 👉🏼 Fighter, Single Guardian, Forced Proximity, Slow Burn, Sick Care, Secret, Family Drama, Age Gap, Opposite Sides of the Track
When Logan’s best friend dies, she leaves her three children in Logan’s care. Going from being a single adult to being a parent of three overnight is jarring. Learning to parent while also dealing with extended family drama and a live in uncle is more than most would be able to handle. Not the mention, said uncle was her teenaged crush.
Big emotions, heart and steam. This was a great read and a great intro to a new author. I enjoyed how real everyone was. From the kids to the grandparents. Everyone was flawed and human and it made them that much more relatable. The spice was great! I loved the balance between parenting and a new relationship.
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