A friends-to-lovers new adult MM romance from USA Today bestseller Siobhan Davis. Stand-alone with HEA and no cliff-hanger. Keaton Moving to California was supposed to be my fresh start. A clean slate. An opportunity to drop the façade, escape the lies, find a focus, and just be myself.But I should have realized it wouldn’t be easy, especially when my last name is Kennedy.I’m not ready to be a … when my last name is Kennedy.
I’m not ready to be a gay icon or some celebrity role model. I still haven’t admitted the truth to my family or the girl I professed to love, so there’s no way I want the public to know I’m into dudes.
Falling for my hot, straight, football-player roomie wasn’t part of the game plan.
Neither was backing myself into a corner because I trusted the wrong guy.
Now everything is on the line, and it’s time to stop pretending.
Austen
From the time I was a little kid, all I wanted is to play football in college and play in the NFL. As wide receiver for the Golden Bears, I am on track to achieve my goals, but it comes at a heavy price.
Denying who I am—for the sake of my career—goes against everything I believe.
I should never have listened to my high school coach, because all the lies are suffocating me.
Until Keaton Kennedy enters my life, turning it upside down.
Now, there is even more reason to tell the truth, because I’m falling for the famous one and I want the entire world to know.
This heartwarming, emotional romance has a dash of angst and drama, a sprinkling of humor, and cameos from some of your favorite characters from the series. It is a 100k-word full-length novel, and the second to last book in the Kennedy Boys series. This can be read as a stand-alone novel as it focuses on a new couple; however, it is recommended you start at the beginning of the series for maximum reading enjoyment.
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This is my first Kennedy Boys Book, but not my first Siobhan Davis read. I do love the way Ms. Davis writes a story.
Adoring Keaton continues the Kennedy Brothers Series and is the second of the triplets to get their book. Keaton’s story is a bit different than the norm. Keaton’s novel is a male/male relationship. I’ve been challenging myself to read more outside of my comfort zone and this book was the perfect mix of a relationship that I don’t typically read and a story that I could love.
Over the past year I’ve read a few M/M stories and I’m finding that I tend to like them. I enjoy seeing the relationship unfold in the same manner that a m/f story would read. In particular Keaton’s story had several key things that are on my “I’m going to fall in love with this (these) guys” list.
Keaton is the triplet who decides to buck family tradition, leaves the Boston based family home and Harvard where his other two womb mates attend and instead heads to Berkeley. As the story unfolds, I understand why Keaton has made this choice. Besides being educationally similar to Harvard, Berkeley enjoys a very liberal reputation. Set across the bay from San Francisco just over the bay bridge in Oakland, Keaton has access to an environment and a culture that his soul is crying out for. Keaton is just struggling between what his soul wants and what his head is telling he should have.
Keaton’s love interest/boyfriend is a complete opposite from Keaton. Austen is a football player for the Cal Bears, is very alpha and knows who he is. He’s just hiding behind a sham relationship because he listened to his high school coach about not being openly gay.
The story opens with Austen stumbling over Keaton. Literally. Keaton is almost passed out drunk against the side of the football house where Austen lives. After driving Keats home to make sure he’s safe, Austen and Keats become friends.
The plot then jumps to the following school year. Austen is now living with Keats and the guys are harboring crushes on each other. While Austen owns his sexuality and is comfortable with it, Keaton struggles with his. He is magnetically pulled to his roomie though. There are a few flirty scenes with the guys before Ms. Davis throws in a catalyst. Austen’s ex shows up at the apartment unannounced and unexpected. He’s hoping to reunite with Austen while completing an MFA at Berkeley.
Based on Dax (the ex) showing up, the boys having a difficult conversation and Keaton listening in, Austen is finally able to tell Keats who he is sexually and admits he’s attracted to Keaton. Keaton admits he feels the same, but is hesitant about coming out and into his own.
The bulk of the novel takes us through a wonderful ride of a steady, sure, loving and supportive partner helping the love of his life come to terms with his sexuality. Keaton had experienced a traumatic introduction to gay sex and it’s now being used to blackmail him. This is what eventually folds the rest of the Kennedy’s into the plot line.
As Austen supports and loves Keats, Keats becomes more comfortable with who he is. Keats slowly begins to open up to his family and friends regarding his sexuality and who is partner is. Keats isn’t always met with open arms and the blow back is unexpected and fierce in some areas. This causes tension and an underlying plot point. Austen’s side isn’t all roses either. While he’s been openly gay since beginning high school, he isn’t as openly supported as he would like to be.
Eventually things blow up in the guys face. It severely tests and strains the give and take in the relationship.
Ms. Davis writes a marvelous ending for these gentlemen. It isn’t easy, perfect, or a clear visible line. However, it allows both of the guys to grow into themselves and settle into their full personalities. It gives Keats room to grow and stand on his own. It allows Austen to shed the last of the lies from his life. The ending for these two is perfect and will leave you with a feeling of closure.
The only thing in the story that jumped out at me was the very “bro-ness” of some of the dialogue between the guys when they are alone or when they are intimate they keep calling each other “man”. It gave a weird stiffness to the conversation flow. It also made me feel like there was a fist bump coming instead of a heavy and hot kiss. Overall though, this is my opinion, and really the only “bad” thing I can say about the book. It’s an incredible story.
As my closure – huge lit geek girl gushing. Austen and Keats. While Austen, Orwell and Charlotte are called out in dialogue, no one calls out the amazing literary marriage of Austen and Keats. Well played Ms. Davis.
Now I have to be honest I have not read a lot of MM Romance books, but they way that Siobhan Davis wrote Keaton’s story was simply beautiful. After Keaton held so much of himself back it was time to be his true self. I loved every minute of Keaton and Austen’s story. I was so full of emotions and was rooting for their happily ever after!
In this book, it explores a M/M relationship between Keaton and his room mate Austen. Both gentleman have a lot to over come in their lives to achieve their ultimate relationship with each other. This book has a lot of self discovery and growth to find themselves to fulfil their relationship. This book will send you down a path of every single emotion you have and then leave you wanting more.
I received an ARC and I am leaving an honest review.
Adoring Keaton is a beautifully written story of the joy of new discovery, deep seated fear, indecision and unconditional love. Keaton Kennedy is part of a family that is famous for their wealth and their success. He chose not to follow in his brothers’ footsteps and go to Harvard; instead, he decided to go all the way across the country to attend the University of California at Berkely. He has a number of personal issues that have to be dealt with and he’s struggling with his identity. It’s better to hide away, even if it’s in plain sight. Austen Hayes is the beloved star wide receiver on the football team who wants nothing more than to be drafted into the NFL. His teammates look up to him and his coaches trust him. He also has some personal issues and struggles with his identity. These two sound like they wouldn’t be good for each other, but they do provide balance for one another. They decide to room together and quite suddenly, it’s apparent that they are a good fit. Shortly after they become roommates, their glances and thoughts reflected on their faces make them realize that they’re going to be much more than roommates. This story of their love flows in a natural progression with a gentle touch. They experience pain and longing in equal measure. With the help of family and true friends, Keaton and Austen find their authentic selves and a happily ever after. With angst and drama provided by some familiar faces, it’s one more fabulous tale to be added to the list of brilliant Kennedy family stories!
Young love is difficult. Relationships can be messy. Add a football player and being from a prominent family to this mix and oh lets throw in being gay and you get an emotional rollercoaster. Siobhan deals with this relationship with sensitivity and shows the angst that exists even today. It is very real and gut wrenching.
Oh this book!!!
I didn’t know what to expect going into this book as I don’t think I have read any M/M books but oh my word!! I love it!
Keaton has been one of my favourites from the beginning and I knew it was going to be amazing to read his book. There’s so much emotion, action and excitement within this you will not want to put it down.
A Brilliant read!!
Loved! I am a huge fan of Siobhan Davis and this series! Adoring Keaton was amazing! I love a well written MM story and this one is a top-five for me now! Whew! FIVE STARS!!!
I have never read M + M romance before but I have loved this series so I wasn’t going to miss this one just for that! I’m so glad I have read this! It was really eye opening and written in such a thoughtful way! Keaton’s and Austen’s struggles and challenges were depicted in such a way that I could fully understand and I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a new genre, if you’re unsure trust me, you won’t regret it! I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
An exceptional tale of an amazing relationship between two amazing men from completely different worlds brought together by love. I’ve read really good MM and I’ve read really bad MM and Adoring Keaton falls into the really good category. Siobhan manages to weave a story that makes you want to crawl inside her books and live with her characters forever. She makes you cry, but follows it up with so much love you can’t help but smile through the tears. 4 bright shining stars. *I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book*
What can I say???? This book was INCREDIBLE!!!!! I am such a major fan of MM books. They are my absolute favorite to read. When I heard this author was going to write one of the boys as a gay character, I fell in love. And I was SO happy to read Keaton find his happy. OMG so happy. Austen was PERFECT. It didnt take long at all for their friendship to turn into something more. Right as soon as alittle jealousy was thrown into one of their faces BAM! It happened. It was glorious. I have to say, out of all the couples, the chemistry between Keaton and Austen was the hottest and most intense for me. I just cannot even describe the joy I felt reading this. And what I love the most about this authors work is, its not only AUTHENTIC romance, HOT chemistry with every single story but theres also tons of suspense with every novel! I was actually on the edge of my seat!
Last but not least, without going into too much detail, that epilogue was FANTASTIC & PERFECT. OH SO VERY PERFECT. MELTING OFF THE PAGES. And also that little twist at the end. Superb 5 star read!!!
I loved the book! It was really a well written story. The story flowed so nicely and it was a bit of like a tug of war with feelings but overall such a great story. Love is love so if you don’t mind reading a mm book this is a great one!
When Siobhan announced that Keaton is going to have M/M romance, I felt disappointed and thought that this book was going to be the one in the Kennedy’s series I would not read. Why? Because I read mostly single love stories, where the love interests are of opposite sexes. However, I really wanted to see what happens next and how the Kennedy’s story continues. So I had a dilemma… read or not to read… As you can guess, I read it…
annnddd.. it was good, real good. I do not think that I will read a lot of M/M romances in the future, however, if they are written by Sibhan, I will try for sure.
A little bit about the book…
The hero I LOVED the most was Austin. He is mature ,brave, his thoughts and actions spoke louder than any words he could say. Of course, I would have preferred a little less amount of lovemaking between them two, a little more action and obstacles to overcome, however, I still enjoyed the book a lot.
In other Kennedy’s books, Keaton participated very sporadically and he felt like a bit estranged (together with Kent) away from others in the family, and now you can see the reason. Keaton gave me feels like he was unsure, shy, closed off and afraid to be who he was, therefore, a bit too weak for my liking (e.g., the situation with Gia), however, these are the qualities that most people possess, which means that Keaton is human with all human attributes. Of course, I would have liked him to be more mature and ready to come out of the closet, however, I do understand the reasons why he couldn’t do it.
There is not much I would like to add, just to give advice – give the Keaton’s book a try, even if you do not read M/M. The lovemaking part can be skipped or read without too much imagination as the love-story between Austin and Keaton is beautiful and worth a read.
* I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book.
Absolutely everything I was waiting for. Adoring Keaton was one of my MOST anticipated books this year and it did NOT disappoint! I loved the connection between the characters, but that they also went through “coming out” process together. It was nice to see them share that experience together, to have both of those feelings together allowed them to be able to see where the other was coming from and gave patience to each other and their relationship. As with every book you’re also given some insight into the next brothers book and now I am just as much salivating for the next book in the series. This entire series has been an absolute stand out, every single book from this series on TalkNerdy2me‘s Must Reads List!
Just finished this amazing baby last night and let me tell you Keaton is all the feels rolled up into one sexy man with a heart of gold man did he melt my heart. Let’s not forget about Austin can we just take a minute and do some deep breathing because he will absolutely take your breath away. I definitely ugly cried a few times throughout this book. It was just perfect
OMG! This is hot and sweet and heart retching and emotional! A total Siobhan home run! Love anything that she graces us with and Keaton is a front runner!!! Don’t read if you haven’t enjoyed the other 8 books.
My very first MM romance and I was so excited to finally take the leap!! When Siobhan Davis tells you to take a chance on a new genre, you listen to her. If you’ve never read anything MM before, well you just have to trust Siobhan Davis with this is book, one of the sweetest stories in The Kennedy Boys series.
I’ve been waiting for Keaton’s book for a really long time, I felt in love with him since Finding Kyler, the first book in the series, the way he and Faye built their relationship of friendship, made me adore Keaton in every possible way. He is one of the purest and sweetest of the Kennedy boys.
Now we get Keaton’s story, and this couldn’t be more perfect, the angst, the push and pull between Austen and Keaton, had me melting; the passion, the love and all the emotions this story evoked are just too good to pass. Trust me you’ll want to read this one ASAP!
This book is part of a series, however, can be read as a standalone, but for better background of the rest of the characters you might want to dive in from the beginning.
This series never disappoints and has remained my favourite by Siobhan Davis from the moment I picked up the first book. As with the others, Adoring Keaton stands out all on its own and leaves you wanting more. I’m a huge fan of MM books and Siobhan Davis has hit the mark with Keaton and Austen’s story. This author seems able to turn her hand to any genre and create a story that will leave her readers raving about it for days after.
Whilst I’m happy to have finally got my hands on Keaton’s book, it’s also a bittersweet moment because I know Kent’s is up next and then the series will be complete. I’ve waited patiently for this, but I’m not ready to say goodbye because these boys have been in my life for 3 years. If only there was a way to convince Siobhan Davis to continue writing about the Kennedy Boys and family forever lol.
I only have one thing to say to anyone who has yet to lose themselves in this series – why the heck aren’t you reading the first book already!!! Don’t delay! Head over to Amazon now and prepare yourself for a roller-coaster ride of emotions as you become immersed in one amazing book after another.
*I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book
LOVED this!!!! So is my first mm romance book and I was cautious to read as I wasn’t how I would like it but it was Siobhan so I gave it a shot…. SO GLAD I DID!! The book was the perfect treat both super sexy and super sweet!! I am in LOVE with Keaton and Austen! I was great to see the characters comes to terms with the sexuality and how it would appear to outside world (sports and entertainment industry) It was beautiful!
Such a fantastic book, great characters, even better storyline! I so wanted to throw my kindle several times during this story… two guys coming to terms with who they are and what they want… but the spotlight that is thrust upon them because of who they are forces them into opening up in more ways than one! Go out and one click this awesome story.
Adoring Keaton is an MM romance that was full of angst, love and had me begging for more!
This story started off with a bang and kept surprising me till the very end! Seeing Keaton find his forever, find who he is just warmed my soul! I love love LOVE that Davis took on so much with this story and delivered flawlessly! Yes there will be tears because one; it’s the Kennedy’s and two is Siobhan Davis! All those tears though are worth it because this story is just jam packed with all the people I have come to love as well as some amazing new secondary characters!
Keaton was always the shy one, heart on his sleeves! He sees the best in people but lacked confidence in who he is and it isn’t until his new roommate shows his just how beautiful love can be that Keaton finally starts to see just how much he has to offer!
Take a chance on this story to see who the love of his life is and discover the strength that can come from love, family and friends!