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momwithareadingproblem 's review for:
Keeping Kyler
by Siobhan Davis
I received an eARC of this book from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Okay, so I have a confession: I’m not a big contemporary reader (I know that’s not a huge confession because I’ve said it a lot!). I never have been and I never will be. If I pick up a contemporary, it’s because A) I’m in the mood for some clean, Hallmark-type romance, B) I want that HEA that is promised, or C) I have read the author before and loved the writing style. This is a C moment. I love Siobhan Davis‘s writing! I devoured her two sci-fi series with her debut [b:True Calling|23293202|True Calling (True Calling, #1)|Siobhan Davis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1456943208s/23293202.jpg|42275397] still being one of my favorites. SO I of course had to give The Kennedy Boys a go.
[b:Finding Kyler|35173351|Finding Kyler (The Kennedy Boys #1)|Siobhan Davis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495223487s/35173351.jpg|53428748] and [b:Losing Kyler|35173350|Losing Kyler (The Kennedy Boys #2)|Siobhan Davis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495223464s/35173350.jpg|53578418] were actually pretty good reads for me despite liking neither of the main characters (more on that in a sec). I enjoyed the family dynamic, the over-the-top drama and of course Davis’s ability to foreshadow like no other author I’ve read. Davis can write a story that leaves you thinking long after you finished it AND if you pay attention the ending (even those terrible, awful cliffhangers she is known for) aren’t a surprise because Davis leaves plenty of subtle hints along the way.
Despite all of this, I found myself not impressed with Keeping Kyler. It was just okay for me. The drama was toned way down. I noticed that with this book the focus shifted from will they/won’t they to they will but how. This didn’t surprise me as I knew that this book would conclude Ky and Faye’s story. However (without spoiling the book) the things that kept occurring to Ky started to feel repetitive and like filler rather than actually relevant to the plot. The drama with Addison is finally coming to a head and honestly I felt it was drawn out for much too long. I could have cared less about her character by the end.
Then there’s Faye and Ky. I tried so hard to ship these two. I tried to like them. I tried and failed at both. Faye is self-centered and a bit naive in my opinion. She talks a big game about the things she wants yet caves the second Ky needs her. She says she cares for Brad (my heart belongs to him by the way) yet strings him along, flirts with him and even kissed him in the last book only to run right back to Ky. This bothered me because I felt like it really spoke to the core of her character, showing that she really only thought about herself. If I measured the timeline correctly, it’s not even been a year since her parents died. Yet she doesn’t seem to be grieving. Instead she is focused solely on Ky. I would have expected to see some progress in her character, instead from the first scene (being drunk in bed with a guy) to the last she comes off as selfish.
And Ky….he’s just mean. I get that he had a lot happen to him (and I can’t go into details because of spoilers) but that does not give him the right to treat those that love him the way he does. He’s angry with his mother for a secret she kept from him, he’s angry with his father for being late to pick him up which led to an unfortunate event. Instead of placing the blame where it belongs he blames those around him. Then he runs. He is constantly running away from Faye and she lets him! First time he ran, I’d say see ya and good riddance. But that’s me.
Overall, I felt that Siobhan Davis did an excellent job in wrapping up Faye and Ky’s story. Most of the loose ends are resolved and there is an HEA, for those that might be worried there isn’t. The series is even going to continue with standalones for the other characters, which if I’m being honest I’m excited for. Personally Keeping Kyler was just okay for me. If you have enjoyed the series thus far, I highly recommend you continue. A lot happens and many questions are answered. Even though it wasn’t my favorite read, I still enjoyed aspects of it and for that alone will continue the series.
Okay, so I have a confession: I’m not a big contemporary reader (I know that’s not a huge confession because I’ve said it a lot!). I never have been and I never will be. If I pick up a contemporary, it’s because A) I’m in the mood for some clean, Hallmark-type romance, B) I want that HEA that is promised, or C) I have read the author before and loved the writing style. This is a C moment. I love Siobhan Davis‘s writing! I devoured her two sci-fi series with her debut [b:True Calling|23293202|True Calling (True Calling, #1)|Siobhan Davis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1456943208s/23293202.jpg|42275397] still being one of my favorites. SO I of course had to give The Kennedy Boys a go.
[b:Finding Kyler|35173351|Finding Kyler (The Kennedy Boys #1)|Siobhan Davis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495223487s/35173351.jpg|53428748] and [b:Losing Kyler|35173350|Losing Kyler (The Kennedy Boys #2)|Siobhan Davis|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495223464s/35173350.jpg|53578418] were actually pretty good reads for me despite liking neither of the main characters (more on that in a sec). I enjoyed the family dynamic, the over-the-top drama and of course Davis’s ability to foreshadow like no other author I’ve read. Davis can write a story that leaves you thinking long after you finished it AND if you pay attention the ending (even those terrible, awful cliffhangers she is known for) aren’t a surprise because Davis leaves plenty of subtle hints along the way.
Despite all of this, I found myself not impressed with Keeping Kyler. It was just okay for me. The drama was toned way down. I noticed that with this book the focus shifted from will they/won’t they to they will but how. This didn’t surprise me as I knew that this book would conclude Ky and Faye’s story. However (without spoiling the book) the things that kept occurring to Ky started to feel repetitive and like filler rather than actually relevant to the plot. The drama with Addison is finally coming to a head and honestly I felt it was drawn out for much too long. I could have cared less about her character by the end.
Then there’s Faye and Ky. I tried so hard to ship these two. I tried to like them. I tried and failed at both. Faye is self-centered and a bit naive in my opinion. She talks a big game about the things she wants yet caves the second Ky needs her. She says she cares for Brad (my heart belongs to him by the way) yet strings him along, flirts with him and even kissed him in the last book only to run right back to Ky. This bothered me because I felt like it really spoke to the core of her character, showing that she really only thought about herself. If I measured the timeline correctly, it’s not even been a year since her parents died. Yet she doesn’t seem to be grieving. Instead she is focused solely on Ky. I would have expected to see some progress in her character, instead from the first scene (being drunk in bed with a guy) to the last she comes off as selfish.
And Ky….he’s just mean. I get that he had a lot happen to him (and I can’t go into details because of spoilers) but that does not give him the right to treat those that love him the way he does. He’s angry with his mother for a secret she kept from him, he’s angry with his father for being late to pick him up which led to an unfortunate event. Instead of placing the blame where it belongs he blames those around him. Then he runs. He is constantly running away from Faye and she lets him! First time he ran, I’d say see ya and good riddance. But that’s me.
Overall, I felt that Siobhan Davis did an excellent job in wrapping up Faye and Ky’s story. Most of the loose ends are resolved and there is an HEA, for those that might be worried there isn’t. The series is even going to continue with standalones for the other characters, which if I’m being honest I’m excited for. Personally Keeping Kyler was just okay for me. If you have enjoyed the series thus far, I highly recommend you continue. A lot happens and many questions are answered. Even though it wasn’t my favorite read, I still enjoyed aspects of it and for that alone will continue the series.