Adoring Keaton (The Kennedy Boys Book 9)

Oh, what fantastic love story. Be prepared for a roller coaster ride of emotions through but you can’t help will fall in love with both lead characters, Keaton and Austen. Both are so caring and devoted to their future but as is normal, especially with football players where the sport is mistakenly perceived as extremely ‘manly’, ‘coming out’ would be an incredibly difficult thing to do. This causes issues for both of them. But they are a perfect couple. I love the way this author builds up character descriptions too.

This is such a touching story that will melt your heart and I totally recommend it to everyone. I enjoy the occasional MM story and this has to be one of the best I have read.

Reviewer: Robyn

I am trying to think of the highest possible praise for this book. But I guess phenomenal is pretty close. The way this book was written with such thoughtfulness and caring for two gay guys was absolutely wonderful. And what can I say about the love between Keaton and Austen? Magical. This book shows the dilemna facing someone who is gay and living a lie. Especially someone as high profile as Keaton Kennedy. I cannot rate this book highly enough. Absolutely brilliant. Loved it!!

Even in a series with a cast of phenomenal couples there is always one couple that stands out and in the case of the Kennedy Boys series that couple is Keaton and Austin!

Sweet and sexy this couple brought all the angst of fighting to be who they were and loving who they wanted into the thick of their attraction. In true Siobhan Davis style their love did not come without its fair share of hurdles and cruel manipulations but what stood out was this pair’s personal interactions remained pure of heart and without guile, genuine to their characters. Both Keaton and Austin had all the makings of being a hero even as their love for each other and themselves put earning that title to the test. This author laid down a strong foundation for this couple’s love but it was her awareness of timing in the progression of this relationship and the need for her heroes to mature and evolve as individuals that showed her sensitivity and sophistication as a writer.

Nothing is perfect in the love lives of Siobhan Davis portrayals. Her plots are complex with lots of unexpected developments as she unabashedly shows the less than flattering side of love right alongside with the ideal side of love. What you can always be assured of with this writer is that her characters end up with a worthy match. This work continues to show this author’s aptitude for taking on sensitive topics with compassion. Siobhan Davis brings achingly tender romance to her work Adoring Keaton for an unforgettable love story!

*I was given an advanced copy. All opinions expressed are my own.*

*While this work can be read as a stand-alone, for an overall enhanced reading experience reading the previous books in this series is suggested.*

Not having read the previous books in this series, or any past books from this author, I had no idea what to expect but by the turn of the final page I was completely captivated by this couple and applauding the heartfelt journey they took to reach HEA. Moments of hard truths, unconditional love and support, and heartwarming exchanges that had the lead couple putting all their cards on the table with each other fueled this story from the moment Keaton and Austen met. From the moment their friendship started you can feel a weight lifting off them and it brought a smile to my face while it warmed my heart. Emotional twists and turns, interactions between family and friends, and a love that was meant to be all made for a realistic and beautifully crafted story that fit nicely into the m/m genre.

As part of a famous family, Keaton Kennedy had his life all planned out with the girl, marriage, and kids….but something’s been holding him back from fully embracing that life plan. Though he worries what his family and others will think about his not committing, he still can’t bring himself to go down that path and it’s become an endless weight on him. When readers first meet Keaton we see a young man with an air of mystery around him who seems a bit lost and uncertain about what he wants out of life, a life where he’s clearly just going through the motions. He lacks self-confidence too and is full of vulnerabilities and it hurt my heart to see him struggling to find himself and his purpose as he was weighed down by secrets holding him back from finding his HEA…and his other half. From the very start Keaton’s a wonderful hero who owned my heart and it had me rooting for him every step of the way. He’s sweet, kindhearted, and sensitive to the needs of others as he often wears his heart on his sleeve. Moving to California for school gave him the chance to start anew, opened him up to new possibilities…and introduced him to Austen, a young man keeping his own secrets and who changed Keaton’s life irrevocably. The chemistry between them was off the charts and they quickly moved from friends to lovers in a relationship that saw the walls around their hearts and souls come crumbling down with each turn of the page. For so long Keaton felt the need to hide, but with Austen beside him he had the unconditional love and support to fully embrace who he really is and it was an immensely satisfying journey he finally embraced.

Austen Hayes is a delicious hero and just what Keaton needed in his life at a time when he was at an emotional fork in the road. On the cusp of NFL fame Austen has secrets he’s keeping too and though he’s not out to the world he accepts who he is on the inside. He’s self-assured with a bit of edginess to him that was drool worthy and it’s that air of self-confidence that sets him apart from the less confident Keaton who aspires to be more like him. As their connection deepened their mutual secrets bound them together in a friends to lovers romance that became richer and more empowering as Austen gave Keaton the support he needed to fully embrace his truths.

This was a well-crafted story that dealt realistically and respectfully with issues of sexuality. Keaton’s fears about what others will think, as well as how he thinks of himself, were heartbreakingly understandable and had me aching for him all the more as those fears kept him from moving forward. Austen’s just the man he needed though, a strong and non-judgmental support, and their interactions kept me glued to the pages. Their relationship started out quickly but through numerous emotional roadblocks (ones that frustrated me as well as bringing a tear to my eye) their connection grew stronger and more satisfying while allowing them to grow into the men they were meant to be. Their pairing was sweet and sexy, one full of heart and soul, and it captivated me from start to finish. Surrounding this immensely likable main couple was a cast of secondary characters who were equally as appealing….among them the other Kennedy family members. This was a larger than life family, one who was loving and supportive…and they would’ve been there unconditionally for Keaton from the start had he just spoken his truths sooner. Their obvious love for family has me wanting to read the previous books in this series to see how Keaton got to where he was at the start of this story as well as finding other characters to fall in love with. One other character who caught my eye was Austen’s friend, Colton. He was sweet, supportive, and just an all around good guy who I’d love to see more of….that’s for sure! On a whole I found this a realistic and heartwarming m/m read that stands strongly amongst other books in this genre and though this was the first foray into the genre for Ms. Davis I hope it’s not her last!

This book has all the sexiness and angst that you could hope for! I loved the story line. This series has been an epic read.

I haven’t read a whole lot of MM romance, however when I see Siobhan Davis is releasing a new book I don’t even read the blurb anymore because I’m a HUGE fan girl of hers. I’ve always said that it wouldn’t matter what she wrote about I would love, and that makes Adoring Keaton a masterpiece because I loved it HARD! Keaton feels like no one in his life would understand him being in love with a man, so he’s basically stayed in the closet, and it’s starting to negatively affect him. He falls hard for a football player, Austen, who has also stayed in the closet because of his high school coach, but it’s destroying him. He’s a football player trying to achieve his dreams but there’s still such a stigma for players who don’t love the way society wants them to, so it was realistic in the telling for sure. The journey they embark on is no easy task, because they not only have to get past their own hangups, but also have to weather the storm from outside forces. Since not everyone believes love is love, will they be able to overcome everything for a happily ever after?! Hit those one click buttons to find out! HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Love is not meant just between a male/female. Love can happen in any form, shape, color or career. Love is something that is knocking Keaton Kennedy in a way he has never experienced before in his life. Now have to say I have been following the Kennedy’s since Kyler’s story and finally reading about Keaton well Siobhan will blow you away. We have seen many sides of love in this book and loved that it doesn’t stop from showing us everybody deserves it. Austin Hayes is a man who knows what he wants and though it has been hard for him one thing for sure is Keaton is the one for him. Keaton is a man who has always had the world watching his every move so to see what he goes through in this book might be hard. As a Kennedy he has a reputation to achieve yet with Austin he is just well Keaton. Siobhan Davis doesn’t disappoint and though this reader didn’t expect a M/M romance it by far passed what I expected. This is a love not just between two men but it is a friendship no one saw coming between two opposites growing into a romance that not only defines them but we see them grow from it. Loved it.

“I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.”

/ Overall Rating: Adoring Keaton (The Kennedy Boys Book 9), is book nine in the Kennedy Boys Series, and Siobhan Davis’s first dip into the world of M/M romance! Although Adoring Keaton can be read as a standalone, as it focuses on an entirely new Kennedy and couple, I would recommend starting at the beginning of the series to better enjoy and understand the Kennedy’s and all that comes with their world, as well as to also avoid any spoilers from previous books if you intend to eventually read them. With that being said, HOLY FREAKING HOTNESS Ms. Davis!!! Sheesh… I thought with this being her first venture into M/M that she would like be dipping a toe into that world… heck no, she didn’t even test the waters before jumping in headfirst and I am LOVING it!! I’m a HUGE Siobhan Davis fan, if she writes it, I’m reading it and Adoring Keaton was a wonderful addition to the Kennedy Boys Series. If you’re looking for a heartwarming, low angst, M/M romance, with a whole lot of steam, and just enough drama to keep you hooked then Adoring Keaton is the book for you.

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I’m not going to give a rundown of the plot like I normally do because I don’t feel like it’s needed. The blurb tells you pretty much all you need to know about this one and what it doesn’t say, I don’t want to spoil.

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Keaton Kennedy: After reading all of the released books in the Kennedy Boys Series I felt like I knew Keaton. I was wrong. This poor boy was so much more troubled than I ever realized. From reading the last few books in the series it was clear to see that Keaton was struggling, with what we weren’t sure. All those questions are answered in Adoring Keaton. For years he’s struggled and been suppressing who he really is and because of that, he’s been kind of aimless. He’s in college and doing everything he’s supposed to do but he doesn’t feel like he has a purpose, a passion, a goal. He lacks the confidence to become the person he’s meant to be and until he finally embraces his identity and sexuality, that won’t change.

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Austen Hayes: Austin is such a sweetheart. I literally have nothing bad to say about Keaton or Austen, they are just really honest, and genuinely good guys. Austen was exactly the type of person that Keaton needed to help support him in becoming the person he wants to be. I loved that Austen was so understanding that everything as far as coming out and being an openly gay man and in a relationship with another man was so new to Keaton and he never pushes him, being nothing but supportive. I loved his “straight-talking and dirty mouth” as much as Keaton does!

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/ Romance & Steam: These two had off the wall chemistry. There was always an attraction between them, even before they came out together. Once Austen started rooming with Keaton things went very quickly. Austen was exactly the type of man that Keaton needed to help pull him out of his shell and Keaton has so much unconditional love that Austen needs. The ONLY thing I would have liked to have seen was a little bit longer of the attraction/will they or won’t they phase and even though it’s probably just me but when Austen and Keaton were talking to each other and kept calling each other “man” instead of like pet names like baby or something it just made it sound like they were talking to a friend instead of a lover ya know what I mean? “Man” was used a lot and it bugged me a little LOL, again it’s probably just me but it was weird.

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Secondary Characters: Austen’s friend Colton, I adore him! He was such a complete sweetheart and so understanding when Austen finally admitted that he was gay, although Colton had already figured it out. I’d love to see Colton get his own story too because he was just suchhh a GOOD guy. I always love being able to catch up with the rest of the Kennedy bunch, especially my first true love Kennedy’s, Faye and Kyler. After seeing the two of them again in Adoring Keaton, I’m thinking I may need a re-read of a certain trilogy ASAP!

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Cliffhanger Warning: Nope, no cliffhanger! Adoring Keaton wraps up with a HEA. But we get a little taste of what’s to come next in Kent, the bad boy, black sheep, and last of the triplets’ story, Reforming Kent, and I am LIVING for his story! I love the little troublesome bad boy, I always have but in Adoring Keaton… he’s made me soooooo extremely mad at him. If he didn’t prove to me why I loved him so much back in Keanu and Selena’s story then I’d probably hate him for real. But from the little tease we got of what’s to come in his story, I think (I hope!!) Kent has met his match with Presley!

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Blogger Note: Anyone who follows my reviews knows that MM romance isn’t something I normally review or am that familiar with (although after reading Adoring Keaton, that may be changing!) so, you may have noticed that where I usually have HERO and HEROINE, I instead just changed it to the guy’s names. I was trying to think of something to put there, like protagonist and protagonist’s love interest, but it just didn’t look… right? To me. So I went with just using their names, if anyone has a better idea (or understanding?) of what I SHOULD put there instead of when reviewing M/M romance, PLEASE feel free to comment or direct message me because I’ve looked around and I couldn’t figure it out so I figured the way I did it would be the least offensive if that makes sense. If not, just ignore this note altogether, I’m hormonal and could possibly be making it a bigger deal then necessary. LOL

Siobhan Davis – The Kennedy Boys Bk 9 – Adoring Keaton – Reviewed 9/16/20 – Read 9/13-15/20

Coming to terms with who you are is confusing! Friend to lover ADULT MM Romance!

Keaton:
Being born as one of the triplets makes it difficult to be your own person, so Keaton Kennedy decided that he would pass on going to the same college as his brothers. He moved to California so that he could start life on his own. Realizing that he was not into girls, it has been difficult to come to terms with the fact that he was gay. Although he knew that it would be hard, he also knew that he was not ready to come out to the world, I mean he had not even told his family yet. Then he meets Austen, the hot straight, football player, and they become roomies. Now, this was not in his game plan when he decided to move here.

Austen:
Growing up the only thing that ever-interested Austen was football, and that golden star out there was to play in the NFL. Moving to California has set him on the right track to catch that star. Plus, being on the team here at Berkley is moving him in the right direction. However, the one thing that was not on this track was meeting and falling for Keaton Kennedy. He was advised by his high school coach that he should not tell anyone that he was gay, and now he is sure that he never should have listened to him.

And now the story begins…

What did I like? I have followed every book in this series and not one of them has let me down. They have all been exciting and full of adventures, romance, and awesome characters. Here we are in the next to the last book in this series, and we have learned everything about the Kennedy’s, except for two, Keaton and Kent. Every one of them has lived through drama and adventures of their own. Now we are with Keaton, off on his own at Berkley.
I have several friends that are gay and from experience, I know that it is an extremely confusing discovery for them. Not only for themselves but for their families too. It has not been that many years ago, none of them would have left their closet, to move into the daylight, but the world thankfully has changed! This book deals with the emotional part of coming to terms with that and learning to trust someone with that knowledge. Very emotional and beautifully handled.

What will you like? From page one, you will be drawn into the emotional life of gay men. Understanding the depth of their torment gives this storyline the impact that they face on a day to day basis. Making mistakes, learning to live with them, adjusting, and gaining the wisdom to trust the right person will give you an idea of their struggle. The action pulls this storyline together with emotions, humor, and danger. The characters are unique, hot, and exciting! Be aware that this is certainly an ADULT book with explicit sexual content. After we figure out the life of Keaton and Austen, we move on to the final book coming out October 23, 2020; “Reforming Kent”, be sure to add it to your reading calendar!

File Size: 2331 KB
Print Length: 330 pages
Publication Date: October 23, 2020
ASIN: B07YBKBZG4
Genre: Gay Fiction, Gay Romance, Sports Romance
@ddeegott

Grab your copy now!!