Bookstore owner Kerry Emerson finally seems to be back in control of her life. Her failure of a marriage firmly in her rearview mirror and her recent business expansion a success, she is in charge of her own future. One that is looking better than ever. The sight of the tall man, with the familiar salt and pepper goatee pushing open the door of her store, sets her hair on end. He doesn’t exactly … exactly bring good memories.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Damian Gomez is just looking for a decent cup of coffee when he walks into the small store offering books and brew. The pretty, feisty woman behind the counter is an unexpected surprise. Not at all unpleasant, especially since her finger that used to hold a wedding ring is now bare.
Her wild hair, boho style and silvery grey eyes suddenly hold a lot of promise.
But when his office is pulled into an international investigation into the trafficking of rare books and manuscripts, the straight-laced SAC realizes he has to keep his distance from the woman who might well be involved.
Easier said than done, since fate seems determined to throw them together.
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Keeping 6 is the first book in Freya Barker’s new Rock Point Series, and boy is it off to a fantastic start!
This story takes us to Durango, Colorado, where Special Agent Damian Gomez is in charge of the field office there and an investigation that will eventually lead him to …
Bookstore owner, Kerry Emerson, who is finally free to live the life she’s always dreamed of only to be caught up in the middle of an international rare manuscripts trafficking ring.
I absolutely loved Damian Gomez. He is sexy, uber-alpha, swoon-worthy, and protective and really, an all-around awesome guy.
Kerry kinda was a different story for me. I found her character to be … well, not that likable at first. Perhaps some events from her past have made her a bit rough, untrusting, edgy?
The storyline is classic Freya Barker—full of suspense with plenty of twists and turns. There’s so much attention to detail that every time I pick up one of her books, it feels like I’m reading a painting for my mind’s eye. I love how her characters are more relatable to me by their maturity in age—but make no mistake, they all still got it going on! The supporting cast of characters add so much depth to all her stories and this one is no exception.
Keeping 6 is the first book in a new series from Freya Barker and once again, she does NOT disappoint!! I ADORE her style, the way she writes is unique and feels effortless! It just flows so nicely that before you know it, the story has come to an end…WAY too soon, imo!
Kerry is a strong, mature, sassy heroine who has FINALLY kicked her no-good, abusive husband to the curb and is living her dream….and then, the intrigue begins! Kerry is sucked into a nightmare involving stolen rare books, murder, mystery and is fighting her attraction to an FBI agent from her past! I couldn’t get enough of the chemistry between Kerry and Damian, who will stop at NOTHING to protect her!!! Damian has never really forgotten Kerry as they met previously while she was still married, but he’s not into relationships and makes no secret about that fact….until he’s forced to open his eyes (and his heart) during the intrigue surrounding Kerry and her book store!
This ABSOLUTELY RIVETING story is chock FULL of everything I LOVE about Freya’s books!!! The hilarious banter, the slow-burn build up, the emotion, the strong family connections, the AWESOME secondary characters that make this story come alive for me….everything comes together and makes THIS another MUST READ from Ms. Barker! I can’t WAIT for the next book in this series!!!
Loved the plot—FBI Agent likes woman, woman likes FBI agent, only problem, she’s part of an investigation the FBI agent is undertaking—Instant conflict—I loved that.
I loved that Kerry, the heroine in many ways was not your typical female character—she was different in her style, age, attitude, just to name a few. I understood her motivations as a character and I enjoyed those things about her.
Damian was a likable character, too but for me, some of his development and motivations came too late in the book and the things that probably made him the man he is today was glossed over and written in summary.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. If you like romantic suspense, I think Freya Barker has done a wonderful job executing the suspense elements (especially) in this book and for this reason, I think it is a great read.
Favorite Quotes:
Damn that man. I can’t even hang on to a good snit.
My mind twisted in so many different directions, I was giving myself whiplash.
He really has no idea the kind of danger he’s putting himself in right now. My sister can be like a rabid Chihuahua, especially with men.
“You know you’re near perfect, right?” “Near?” I sputter, mock insulted. “Perfection is boring, but near perfection? There isn’t a thing more intriguing, more tantalizing, more beautiful than that.”
Deadly words, those— I’m fine. Especially since it doesn’t take much to know she’s anything but fine.
…the reality of her never was a match to the dream of you.
There’s a reason I’m moving to Durango, aside from my job. More than an hour or two at a time and my mother has me reaching for the rat poison… for me!
My Review:
I have enjoyed every Freya Barker book I have ever picked up. Her books always provide me with a smirk-worthy level of entertainment as in addition to the intrigue of a good mystery and few murders and maybe a fight or two, Ms. Barker always supplies a healthy serving of humor, spicy sensuality, adult level romance, and authentic characters that I would enjoy knowing. I wasn’t familiar with the law enforcement terminology of keeping your 6, but I had an inkling of what it would mean, and it was an excellent title for this engaging tale. I adored FBI Special Agent in Charge Damian Gomez and loved the humor make available by the family dynamics of his intrusive relatives. I am already looking forward to the next installment of this new series.
4.25 stars! This picks up a couple of years after Like Arrows ends from the Cedar Tree series. Kerry and Damian meet again, but this time Kerry has divorced her ex. Sparks fly between them, though jealousy seems to pop up in each of them with some frequency. There are some sexy sex scenes too.
Damian is a bit of a caveman at times and overprotective, though he does help save her at times. Kerry is stubborn and cautious about starting anything with Damian or any other man. As she deals with an smoldering attraction, her bookstore was broken into and robbed. She is now at the center of the investigation that includes a box of books that were delivered to her bookstore by mistake. The mistake was even bigger because it went to the store that Kim was working at instead of Kerry’s.
This twist with making the bookstore and the box of books as part of the mystery made it eve more interesting for me. I was intrigued to find out what was in the box and when it would appear in the story. Neither outcome disappointed me. It was a solid story with a twist at the end.
Secondary characters added dimension and hints of romances for other books in the series. I liked Bella and Jasper. Marya needs her own story too. Damian’s family showing up was a bonus, full of fun to nudge things along between Kerry and him.
Note: I received an advance reader copy, and this is my honest review. I enjoyed it enough that I preordered a copy. I own almost all of this author’s books.
I absolutely loved this latest book by this talented author!!! We meet Kerry and Damien in Like Arrows (Kimeo and Malachi’s book). They meet back up when Damien visits Kerry’s bookstore. Damien has always wondered what happened with Kerry and never forgot about her. Now that she is here and single….the feelings that he had for her start to come back. Kerry is loving her life….she is following her dreams of owing her own bookstore and she will be damned if she allows a man to tell her what to do ever again. When Damien walks into her store….sparks flew but she was determined to ignore the feelings that Damien stirred up in her. They both try to ignore the feelings but when Kerry finds herself in danger….Damien swoops in and takes over. I really liked Damien for Kerry and vice versa. They balanced each other out. Her sassiness to his uber alphaness….it just worked for them! Their story had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end! I loved the secondary characters and can’t wait to learn more about them. I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to everyone. Well done!!!!
As always Freya Barker had me hooked from the first page with Keeping 6. With impeccable writing she weaves words into a story so captivating I was glued to the pages for hours. An amazing start to a new series, Keeping 6 is full of romance, suspense, & mystery making it an addictive read!
One thing I love about Freya is she doesn’t stick to keeping her characters young and in their twenties. It’s so easy to relate to characters who are further along in their lives. There’s no games, no drama and over reactions. Just true to life characters written so perfectly it’s like you’re right there with them. Both Kerry and Damian are wonderful in so many ways.
Damian is a strong man, seemingly happy with his single life. That is until Kerry is thrust back into his life during an investigation. Kerry is a fiercely independent sweetheart who is loving her new life free of an unhappy marriage when Damian’s investigation leads him right back to her book store. As things heat up with the mystery of what he’s investigating, they’re also heating up between Damian and Kerry. Between the swoon worthy romance that builds with these two and suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat this book is one you can’t put down!
Keeping 6 is an intriguing start to what promises to be another great series by Freya Barker. FBI agent Damian Gomez was a supporting lawman in Like Arrows of the Cedar Tree series but one doesn’t have to have read that book to know exactly is going on in Keeping 6. Reintroduced to the kidnapping victim from a previous case, Kerry and Damian’s attraction is combustible. The suspense story is unique and the players varied. The new characters Ms. Barker introduces have strong personalities and I think will prove to be stellar main characters in future books.
Damian Gomez has always been in control of every facet of his life. When he is faced with Kerry and the danger she is in, he realizes that maybe rules and control aren’t the only way to live. Kerry has fought tooth and nail to gain independence from an ex who sought to belittle her. Since leaving him she has struggled to be in control and be independent. When danger threatens her well-ordered life and throws her and Agent Gomez together, sparks fly and control follows.
This story has it all: witty banter, strong characters, amusing family members, intrigue, passion and above all else love. I can’t wait for the next installment of the Rock Point series.
ETA Audiobook: Keeping 6 is one of my favorite books by Freya Barker and getting the opportunity to listen to Damien and Kerry’s story firmly keeps it in my top reads/listens. Christian Fox is swoon worthy as Damien Gomez. His gruff no nonsense style is exactly how I imagined Damien in my head when I first read the book. Mr. Fox adds just the right amount of intensity to draw the listener into the book and keep them listening. He does a great job giving variety to the different characters, even the female Dutch task force liaison. Muffy Newtown’s voice is again how I imagined Kerry’s voice when I read. She has great vocal control and range of emotions making Kerry endearing and believable to the listener. This pair is perfect for this suspenseful story.
Wonderful start to another amazing series.
We’ve met Kerry as Kimeo’s best friend in Arrow Point.
This book takes place a few years later and Kerry has divorced her husband (thank God) and is now a free woman.
These are the kind of books I love with an mature couple who knows what they want, protective Alpha male and lots of suspense.
Love the banter and some interesting new characters that I can’t wait to read about.
5 “For You” stars!!