Slow Burn #2
Maya Banks
Contemporary Romance/Suspense
432 pages
HarperCollins
Available Now
Source: Finished copy for review
THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Abandoned as a baby to a young wealthy couple and raised in a world of privilege, Arial has no hint of her past or who she belonged to. Her only link lies in the one thing that sets her apart from everyone else—telekinetic powers. Protected by her adoptive parents and hidden from the public to keep her gift secret, Ari is raised in the lap of luxury, and isolation. That is, until someone begins threatening her life.
Beau Devereaux is no stranger to the strange. As the head of Deveraux Security, he’s more than familiar with the realities of physic powers. So when a family friend approaches him about protecting his daughter, he’s more than ready to jump on board. What Beau isn’t prepared for is the extent of his attraction to his beautiful and powerful client. What began as a simple assignment, just another job, quickly turns personal as Beau discovers he’ll do anything at all to protect Ari. Even if it costs him his life.
MY THOUGHTS
In His Keeping is the type of romance where we have to check our inner critic at the door and prepare to accept the over the top nature of the hero and heroine's love, but even then the grandiose declarations of how they feel about one another (both via internal monologue as well as out loud) are likely to elicit an eye roll or two. The prose shifts toward purple more often than not, a heavy use of italics repeatedly emphasizing the seriousness of Beau and Ari's feelings despite the speed at which their romance develops, while long descriptive passages hammer home just how powerfully these two are capable of loving. Theirs is the soul-merging, I-will-literally-die-without-you type of love, and while a certain level of that is to be expected and desired in a romance novel, In His Keeping takes us well outside the realm of believability.
Despite the above issues, the romance between Ari and Beau is not without its highlights, sucking us in once we suspend disbelief and allow their fiercely dramatic interactions to simply bring a smile to our faces rather than push us over the edge into frustration. Ari is a damsel in distress in every sense of the word in the beginning, sheltered and coddled in order to keep her telekinesis under wraps, but she's fully aware of her lack of life experience and it's something she wants desperately to change once her greatest fear becomes a reality. She shows a great deal of growth from beginning to end, fully embracing her power and proving herself to be more asset than hindrance by the time we close the back cover.
Beau, for his part, is growly and protective in a way that only fiction can make attractive, deciding quickly that Ari is his and never once second guessing that decision. He doesn't undergo the same personal growth that Ari does, but he's still enjoyable in all his alpha-ness, and we're left with the happily ever after for the two of them that we fully expect (an of course hope for) going in. Overall, In His Keeping is pure escapism, perfect for those who love their romances on the melodramatic side, but it will likely frustrate those who are looking for intensity without the overly flowery heartfelt exchanges.
Rating: 3/5
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This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a
review.
I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.
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GIVEAWAY
Thanks to the generous team at HarperCollins and Sullivan and Partners, I have a copy of In His Keeping to give away to one lucky winner. To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US/Canada.
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