Book Details:
Title: Keep
Me
Author: Faith Andrews
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Day: January 28th 2014
Synopsis
Sexy,
tatted up, underwear model Marcus Grayson is every girl’s dream—or more likely
worst nightmare. He’s a player, a self-proclaimed bachelor for life, and he’s
got no problem living up to his man-whore status. But when his older sister’s
friend comes back from the past, he may just have the chance to turn some of his
adolescent fantasies into reality.
Tessa Bradley is a self-sufficient, take-no-bull, single mother—well, now she
is. Finally rid of her abusive, alcoholic ex, she’s making a new life for
herself and catching up with old friends; the ones she was forced to break ties
with because of her controlling husband. When she runs into Marcus, her friend
Riley’s once-adorable turned smoking-hot little brother, she has no idea how
he’s about to rock her world.
You wanted me then, now you can have me. Just promise you’ll Keep Me…
You wanted me then, now you can have me. Just promise you’ll Keep Me…
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Excerpts
I rocked Luca to sleep while
listening to the peaceful sounds of Marcus and my old guitar downstairs.
Holding my son close to my chest I silently sobbed, wishing my life could have
been different—good, like right now. Instead, I was all screwed up, jaded and
broken, with no foreseeable way to fix it.
Nights like this reminded me how
I’d wanted things to be, how they
should be. They reminded me how unfair life could be, too. Why did Luca’s
father have to be such a hateful bastard? Why did I allow him to ruin my idea
of a happily ever after? And why, for the life of me, did I feel like I was losing
control again? Forget that Marcus and I shouldn’t be. . .dabbling. . .the way we were. We were having fun, maybe even more.
I loved the idea of dating someone, especially someone I knew wouldn’t hurt me,
but Zack had left me incapable of trust. I gave it all to him, even when I
didn’t trust myself to do so, and it
was the stupidest, most dangerous, mistake ever. Thankfully an angel came out
of it, but that was all I had to show for years of taking Zack’s shit and never
saying anything about it. That and the tears that just couldn’t stop themselves
from flowing right now.
When the tiny mouth around Luca’s
thumb slackened and his hand fell from his face, I knew he was out for the
count. I stood carefully so as not to wake him while transitioning him to his
crib. After closing the door behind me, I went into the bathroom to compose
myself.
“He is nothing like Zack, Tessa.
He’s a friend. It’s okay to relax and have a good time.” Great! Now I talk to myself! But my little pep talk was just what I
needed to rid my mind of ugly memories and hurtful pasts. There was nothing
wrong with enjoying the company of an old friend and allowing him to make me
feel good. I wiped the tears from my face, reapplied a little bronzer for
color, swished some mouthwash around, and followed the intoxicating music that
was the elixir to my wounds.
“Hey, what’s that?” I asked as I
hopped off the last step, got rid of my melancholy mood, and made my way toward
him. Was there anything sexier than a
hot, tattooed, muscle-bulging man playing a guitar?
“Ever heard the Lumineers?”
“Yes, but not this one.”
“Reminds me of you. It’s called Classy Girls.”
As he sang with a raspy, soft voice
about a man trying to pick up a ‘classy’ girl in a bar, the little reserve I
had left started to melt away. I take it
back. . .there is something sexier than a hot, tattooed, muscle-bulging man
playing a guitar. And that would be a hot, tattooed, muscle-bulging man playing
a guitar while singing an adorable
song that reminds him of me!
I listened and felt my cheeks warm,
then gave in to the huge smile making its way across my face as the pace of the
song picked up and he really got into it. His arms flexed, his fingers danced
across the strings, and his eyes focused on me when he sang, “something drew me
closer to her lips.” The rest of the lyrics passed by with no significance
until Marcus strummed the final note and I realized that the guy in the song
never actually got to kiss the so-called classy girl.
I applauded and asked, “And why
does that remind you of me?”
He laid the guitar on the couch
beside him and relaxed against the back cushions. “Because he wants her so bad,
but they just don’t fit.”
His words were a surprise. Did
Marcus want me ‘so bad?’ And although
I knew why, was it so obvious that we were the worst possible match for each
other?
With nothing to say in response, I
leaned over him and lifted the guitar. When I played a familiar chord, I basked
in the sensation of how good those forgotten strings felt underneath the skin
of my fingertips. The first song that came to mind was a new one by Phillip
Phillips. I fell in love with his music during his stint on American Idol and downloaded his album
to iTunes as soon as it was released. Not only did it prove to be right up my
alley, but the track I was about to play made me hopeful that I’d feel this way
about someone…one day. I didn’t want to admit that Marcus made me hopeful, but this was the first step in
allowing myself to trust him.
I gave in to the urge to take the
leap and just started to play. I fumbled with the difficulty of the chords and
I hadn’t sung in front of anyone in. . .forever, but just like the words of the
song, Marcus made it so easy. I
poured my heart out through shaky vocals and rusty strumming, never looking up
at him to register how he felt. When I was almost done, I felt a pang of regret
for speaking these words to him, even if they weren’t my own, but it was too
late for that, wasn’t it?
With the last chord, I kept my eyes
closed, afraid to face him.
He pulled at the guitar and I
released my grip. His touch was strong yet gentle at my cheek. When I opened my
eyes Marcus looked at me with emotion that I imagined was foreign to him. This
was so different from lust or desire. “Tessa, that was. . .you’re so. . .do you
know what you’re doing to me?”
I desperately wanted to know, but I
was also too scared to hear the words. Go
figure! I could sing him a song about falling hard, but I couldn’t admit
that that’s what was happening.
Before I had the chance to be
embarrassed or to even think, his lips were on mine, taking control of my brain
and the rest of my body.
I gave in to the parts of me that
wanted this, ignoring the parts that were telling me it was wrong, or too soon,
or just plain stupid. I remembered the word I used earlier to describe what we
were doing to Marcus—fun. If I just
kept convincing myself that that’s all it was, no one would get hurt. Right?
Review
This is a story about second chances.
Tessa
is a single mother getting along after a terrible marriage with an
abuser alcoholic. She reconnects with friends from her past after being
isolated by her ex, starting a fulfilled life with her little boy.
Marcus is a male model with a motto, love 'em and leave them. He uses women, mostly his sisters friends, and the next day he walks away untouched leaving a path of destruction. That is, until he reconnects with his sister's best friend from childhood, Tessa.
Tessa and Marcus share great chemistry and they start a relationship behind his sister's back because they won't know she won't approve due to his track record and her fear that he will hurt a friend who already been through so much.
I liked the book, the storyline is interesting and catchy. The characters are well developed and it's satisfying to see the transformation in Marcus. I absolutely loved the "tension" between Riley (Marcus' sister) and his best friend, Beck, I think those two deserve at least a novella. That said, there were couple of things that didn't seat well with me, but that is a matter of preference. I would encourage people to read the book and enjoy this story because it's truly beautifully written and a lesson that no matter what mistakes you made, there's always the opportunity for a second chance.
About the AuthorMarcus is a male model with a motto, love 'em and leave them. He uses women, mostly his sisters friends, and the next day he walks away untouched leaving a path of destruction. That is, until he reconnects with his sister's best friend from childhood, Tessa.
Tessa and Marcus share great chemistry and they start a relationship behind his sister's back because they won't know she won't approve due to his track record and her fear that he will hurt a friend who already been through so much.
I liked the book, the storyline is interesting and catchy. The characters are well developed and it's satisfying to see the transformation in Marcus. I absolutely loved the "tension" between Riley (Marcus' sister) and his best friend, Beck, I think those two deserve at least a novella. That said, there were couple of things that didn't seat well with me, but that is a matter of preference. I would encourage people to read the book and enjoy this story because it's truly beautifully written and a lesson that no matter what mistakes you made, there's always the opportunity for a second chance.
Faith Andrews lives in New York where she is
happily married to her high school sweetheart. They have two beautiful
daughters and a furry Yorkie son, Rocco. If she isn’t listening to Mumford and
Sons or busy being a Dance Mom, her nose is in a book or her laptop. She’s a
sucker for a happily ever after and believes her characters are out there
living one somewhere . . .
Connect with Faith:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessicafaith919
Website: http://faithandrews.wordpress.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/AuthorFaithAndrews
Keep Me Playlist
Love Somebody – Maroon 5
Blurred Lines – Robin Thicke
Crash Into Me – The Dave
Matthews Band
Empty Promises – Hollywood
Hangover
Everything Has Changed –
Taylor Swift
Run – Matt Nathanson
Laid – James
Classy Girls - The
Lumineers
So Easy – Phillip Phillips
All I Ever Wanted – Airborne
Toxic Event
Sometime Around Midnight –
Airborne Toxic Event
Bride & Groom – Airborne
Toxic Event
Bonfire Heart – James Blunt
Come to Me – Goo Goo Dolls
Still Into You – Paramore
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