Releasing Keanu (The Kennedy Boys: Book 8) by Siobhan Davis

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: December 30th, 2019

Genre: Romance

Series: The Kennedy Boys

Finding Kyler—Book 1 (Review Here)

Losing Kyler—Book 2

Keeping Kyler—Book 3

The Irish Getaway—Book 3.5

Loving Kalvin—Book 4

Saving Brad—Book 5

Seducing Kaden—Book 6

Forgiving Keven—Book 7 (Review Here)

Summer in Nantucket—Book 7.5

Releasing Keanu—Book 8

Adoring Keaton—Book 9

Reforming Kent—Book 10

Where you can find Releasing Keanu: Amazon | BookBub

Book Synopsis:

Keanu
Selena played me.
Confirming I wasted years loving someone who didn’t love me back.
It should be easy to move on, but since she dumped me, I can’t shake her from my thoughts, no matter how hard I try.
Dates and random hookups don’t help, because no one measures up to the girl I still love with my whole heart.
When she appears at my door, begging me for help, I can’t turn her away. My protective instincts kick in, and I grasp this second chance with both hands.
This time, I’m determined to open her eyes.
To help her realize she made a mistake throwing what we had away.
To prove our love is the real deal.

Selena
Keanu has it all wrong.
I let him go because I love him too much to continue holding him back.
And I’ve paid for it every day since.
I didn’t think it was possible to miss someone this much, but my entire being aches for him in a way that isn’t healthy.
It’s why I continue to keep my distance even though it’s killing me inside.
No one understands me the way he does, so, when my ugly past returns, threatening to undo years of progress, he’s the first person I run to.
If anyone can keep me safe, it’s the love of my life.
Maybe, this time, I’m strong enough to be the woman he deserves.
If my past doesn’t take me from him first.

Releasing Keanu is a STANDALONE new adult romance in the Kennedy Boys world. No cliffhanger, no cheating, and a guaranteed HEA.

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First Line:

An icy chill creeps up my spine, and I clutch my arms around my shivering, semi-naked body, pulling my bent legs even more tightly to my chest.

Releasing Keanu by Siobhan Davis

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My Review:

When I saw that Keanu was getting his story, I was excited. He had not been an enormous presence in the books I have read in the series, but he intrigued me. His heartbreak over breaking up with Selena was palpable. I figured his story was going to be something special. And it didn’t let me down.

Before I get into the review, I do have to give a trigger warning. Before you, all roll your eyes and say, “Really, Jolie,” let me explain. The author chose to include a trigger warning at the beginning of the book. Which I thought was wise, considering the content that she was writing about. See, Selena was kidnapped and used as a sex slave from the ages of 10 to 13. There are some vivid and disturbing scenes of sexual abuse. But, the majority of the book focused on Selena and her recovery. She had extreme PTSD and extreme anxiety because of what she went through. As someone with PTSD, I had to pace myself while reading those scenes because I was triggered myself. So, if you are triggered by human trafficking, sexual abuse (some graphic), forced drug use, physical abuse of children, and graphic details of PTSD and anxiety attacks, I would suggest not reading this book. If not, I would still read with that warning in mind.

The plotline for Releasing Keanu was lightning fast and flowed well. There were no dropped storylines or characters. There was also no lag.

The storyline for Releasing Keanu was compelling and heartbreaking. I loved that the author chose to write about such a difficult subject. Not only did she write about Selena’s time in captivity was tact and grace, but she decided to show how life was afterward. She also explained how the healing process went one step forward and two steps back. I loved it, even if it had me in tears for 80% of the book.

The storyline with Selena’s former captors was interesting. I did find that storyline a little rushed towards the end. I also didn’t get a sense of justice when certain things happened. But, I was happy those evil people were caught. I wish that it wasn’t as anti-climatic as it was.

Selena and Keanu’s romance was breathtaking. Keanu moved so slowly with her. That usually would irritate me to no end, but in this case, it didn’t. He didn’t want to push her and risk her closing upon him. On her end, it was heartbreaking to see her wanting to get closer to Keanu, but she was so afraid. But it was worth it. I do think that the events at the end of the book were a little rushed. But, with what was hanging over their heads, I understood why Selena and Keanu did what they did.

When Selena and Keanu had sex, it was one of the most poignant scenes of the book. The buildup (which included a therapy session) was sweet. It wasn’t supposed to be hot. I did cry during that scene because it represented how far Selena had come in her recovery.

The end of Releasing Keanu was your typical HEA. I did think that the storylines involving Selena’s former captors had a rushed ending. I also thought that what happened to Selena was typical. But, overall, I loved it. I also loved the sneak peek into Keaton’s book.

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I would give Releasing Keanu an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Releasing Keanu. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book*