The last time I saw my first love was twelve years ago. We fell hard and fast, but it didn’t stop me from leaving.
I never expected to see her again, but when I move back to my small hometown, there’s no avoiding it—especially since her dad’s my new boss.
The more time we spend together, the more I want a second chance to be the man she deserves. As old sparks resurface, we grow closer. Though … grow closer. Though she denies she feels the same, I notice the way her body reacts when I’m near.
Gemma isn’t mine—yet—but I’m willing to risk everything for her.
KEEPING YOU AWAY is book 1 in the Tyler & Gemma duet and must be read first.
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I loved Tyler when he was introduced in Liam and Maddie’s duet. He was such a great friend and was so selfless. He was a character that I needed to know more about. Kennedy Fox delivered that in the first book of Tyler’s story. We learn about the girl he fell in love with and left. His little sister’s best friend, Gemma. Gemma had always loved Tyler. When he was deployed they wrote letters and became close. I loved their letters they were probably my favorite part of the book. Gemma gushing about some of my favorite movies put a smile on my face. If you read The Roommate Duet you know what Tyler did for his friends but it came at a high cost, five years behind bars. When Tyler is released he decides to go back home to Alabama. Coincidentally he’ll be working at Gemma’s family auto shop. Tyler has been away from Lawton Ridge Alabama for 12 years. At first Gemma held out hope he’d eventually come back. Now she’s engaged to be married. I liked Gemma but sometimes I wanted to shake her. She’s marrying a man who expects her to stop working and stay home and have a bunch of babies. She’s pretty much an accessory to him. I didn’t like how she didn’t realize he was a jerk sooner. I flew through the pages and enjoyed this book. I can’t wait for the next one.
“Then I do the hardest thing I’ve done in years and walk away so I don’t do anything stupid.”
Tyler just got out of prison after 5 years. For those who read Always Mine / Always Yours, know that the character played a key role in the story of Liam and Maddie, paying a high price to save their friends. Trying to start over, he returns to the last place he expected, his hometown, the place where the past awaits him.
Gemma has always been in love with her best friend’s brother. Despite the age difference, the friendship that began in her adolescence, with an innocent exchange of letters, grew and became a beautiful love story, until Tyler left and broke her heart.
After so many years, these two will meet again. Tyler will work for Gemma’s father. And with so much time apart, realizing that both have changed will be easy. The difficult thing will be to recognize that the feelings still exist. And that they are dying to resurface.
But the fact that she is engaged will complicate things. Just like his desire for revenge. And with the two characters facing major revelations and twists, deciding what one really wants will be the key point of the plot.
Gemma’s fiancé awakens all possible alarms, being a totally self-centered and manipulative character. Tyler’s sister is funny and sassy.
The book ends in a cliffhanger that will leave the reader anxious for the final part.
I have no idea how Kennedy Fox does it but each time she creates a duet it just pulls you in every direction. One minute I loved Tyler, his personality, charisma and oh man his heart then start hating him for the way he leaves Gemma. Right from the start Kennedy Fox shows us this is more than just a reunion of two lovers but a reconnection of two soulmates finding each other again. Gemma has come a long way but all it takes is one hot kiss from Tyler to make her see he has never left her heart. Not only do we see Tyler fighting to do things right but we see Liam and Maddie from the previous books and wow just blows me away how Kennedy Fox has come this far with her wild imagination. Loved it all and cannot wait to see the second part when Tyler’s past finally comes to the present.
“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.”
Y’all better buckle up for Tyler’s story! Keeping You Away brings us Tyler’s side of the story, which I’ve been waiting on pins and needles for since the previous duet. As usual, the amazing duo of Kennedy Fox (Courtney and Lyra) weave a tale that will draw you in, counting down the days until the conclusion is release. They have me bartering my soul for the next book in the series, this is bound to be my favorite duet of theirs yet.
Loved this book and can’t wait for the next one to come out. I love how Kennedy Fox ties their different book series together. You get to spend more time with the characters you come to love, yet read a new storyline from another characters POV.
Another great story. Tyler we first meet when he helped Maddie when she was kidnapped. He is now out of prison and wants to start over. He moves back to his hometown to live with his sister and of course runs into the girl that he use to love. But things are not as simple as we would think they would be. Gemma is engaged to someone. She has for the most part believed that she has moved on away from her feelings for Tyler but again things aren’t that simple. I absolutely love all of Kennedy Fox’s books and this one is another great one. The ending holy cow I wanted to throw my kindle. This ending was freaking jaw dropping. I had to go back and reread the ending to make sure that I read it right the first time. What a freaking twist. This is an absolutely must read. I love the chemistry between Gemma and Tyler and cant wait to see what happens next with these two.
Tyler Blackwood once spent an amazing 3 months with his little sister’s best friend, Gemma Reid, but when he leaves town her heart is broken hoping he will return.
Now 12 years later Tyler is back in Lawton Ridge hoping for a new start away from everything that went wrong in his life and the 5 years he spent in jail for something he never did. Luckily Gemma’s dad, Jerry, has given him a job as a mechanic at his shop and he is grateful for the second chance although he is unsure of how working with Gemma will go.
Unfortunately for him Gemma is engaged to Robert, a man 15 years older than her. Gemma can’t deny that she still has chemistry with Tyler but is she ready to risk having her heart broken again?
Can Tyler prove to Gemma that he is back for good? When Tyler’s past comes back is he willing to ignore it for a chance to prove to Gemma that he is the right man for her?
This is such a great beginning to this duet and I really didn’t want it to end!!
I love Tyler and his dedication to his friends and how he did everything to help them out and then wound up in prison because of it. He is a great guy and I liked that he knew he had to go home to Lawton Ridge to begin again and get away from Las Vegas and his former boss. I liked that Jerry gave him a second chance and I knew he wouldn’t let him down.
Gemma was an interesting character as I really liked her but I hated how she let Robert control her and use her. It was clear that Robert needed a wife on his arm and never cared about Gemma’s passion for her cottage or the fact she loved working with her dad. I loved her continued friendship with Tyler’s sister who didn’t really care for Robert.
There was still so much chemistry between Tyler and Gemma and I knew that they were much better suited to each other but Gemma wouldn’t leave Robert as he was good to her. I liked when Gemma and Tyler were open with each other and Tyler talked about his past and was open about everything.
I was definitely worried when Eric contacted Tyler and I knew things would not be good. I was grateful that Tyler had his lawyer, Serena, beside him but I also knew this would not be the end of things!!
I was so happy when Gemma discovered certain things pertaining to Robert but then the very end of the book had my jaw on the ground!!! OMG – I need the next book asap!!!
Tyler and Gemma’s story starts off in an unconventional way and I thought that it was pretty sweet. Tyler and Gemma can’t help but be pulled toward each other no matter what. This was a book that I could not put down! I did not expect it to have so many different layers to the story but I am hooked and excited for part two! I, like most others, have not read the duet that came before this story, but I don’t feel lost. The authors have added enough backstory so that you get a good sense of what happened in the past. However, I will be reading those books now because i am intrigued!
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I wasn’t sure if we were going to be getting Tyler’s story as he was a character introduced in a prior book but hot damn I am glad we did. Gemma is Tyler’s little sister’s best friend and Gemma and Tyler start a friendship while he is deployed. Unfortunately circumstances happened and now he is an ex-con living in his small hometown. This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time with the background of their story, the feels that are still off the charts and just the pace of the story which went by too quickly. The authors did a great job developing this story and taking the reader on a wild ride with a fantastic cliffhanger. Cannot wait for book 2!
ARC BOOK REVIEW
Title: Keeping You Away
Series: Ex-Con Duet Series #1, Tyler & Gemma #1
Author: Kennedy Fox
Genre: Second-Chance Romance, Slow-Burn
Rating: /5
Oh. My. Gosh… in true Kennedy Fox duet fashion, just ripping my soul right out and now I have to wait a month for part 2! I love love loved Tyler and Gemma!! Their relationship is the slowest of burns, but it’s so so sweet and steamy.
While Tyler is in the Army, Gemma starts writing him letters and from there their relationship blossoms. They spend an amazing summer together, then Tyler moves to Vegas to escape the small-town life. In Vegas, Tyler gets mixed up with some bad people while trying to help his friends and is falsely imprisoned. After 5 years in jail, he is released and moves back home to Alabama, where he finds Gemma engaged to another man.
The spark between Gemma and Tyler is still there, though, and things between Gemma and her fiancé may not be as perfect as they seem…
There’s angst, a little drama, a dash of suspense, some snarky laughs, and as always a hot man to drool over.
I can’t wait for Tyler & Gemma’s conclusion in Needing You Close, releasing on August 13th.
I look up and see him. No. It can’t be. Blinking, I shake my head and clear my vision. He walks toward me with an intense expression on his face, and I know I’m not seeing things. It’s really him. My mouth falls open, and I forget how to breathe. I stay standing as I wait for an alien invasion to come and abduct me. There’s nothing I want more than to be taken out of this uncomfortable situation. “Hi, Gemma.” His deep voice sends electricity down my body. It’s even manlier than I remember.
While his brown eyes are still kind, something brews behind them like a distant storm at sea. The boy I remember is now a man, and he’s rigid like a sharp piece of glass.
When I look into her eyes, they still sparkle as bright as they used to. Guilt floods in, but I push it away. I know she’s engaged, but it doesn’t stop the unfiltered thoughts that flood my mind as I study her.
Rumors wrapped in sprinkles of truth fly around here like mosquitoes in the summer.
Happy reading!!
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The book was definitely a slow burn for me. While the heroine was frustrating to me a few times I can see why she was making the choices she was. The ending definitely has a cliffhanger and can’t wait to read the second book in this duet and read the secondary characters book as well!!!!
I was so excited for this book to come, ever since I read Maddie and Liam’s duet, Always Mine and Always Yours. I love Tyler and Gemma, I’m rooting so hard for them. The angst and suspense is killing me. That cliffhanger is pure torture. I am so excited to see where this story goes in the next and final book. I just know its going to be epic!
What a start to this duet!
Keeping You Away is a slow burn, angsty and drama filled romance. Keeping You Away is a little different than the rest of the duo’s stories but they certainly pulled it off. This angsty romance follows Tyler and Gemma.
Tyler is an ex con, recently released from jail. Living in his hometown, Tyler is hardworking, caring and one of my favourite heroes by Kennedy Fox.
Gemma is determined, loving and always there for her dad. Never leaving home, Gemma has been working at her dad’s garage to help in anyway she could.
Gemma and Tyler still have something between them after all this time but with any good romance there are some obstacles keeping them apart.
I LOVED the side characters in Keeping You Away, between Gemma’s friends and her dad. lol I’m so excited for part 2!
Thank you Kennedy Fox and Wildfire PR for this arc in exchange for an honest review!Kennedy Fox
Keeping You Away is the first novel in Tyler and Gemma’s duet. If you love the slow build romances with a second chance twist and sexual tension by the truck full, you are in for a treat!
About Keeping You Away:
Keeping You away is the first novel in the Ex-Con duet series by Kennedy fox. The first duet is based on Gemma and Tyler’s second chance romance, and is told from both Gemma and Tyler’s point of view.
Since the moment Gemma can remember, she’s always had a crush on her best friend’s older brother. When Tyler joined the military she decided to prove her crush was something more so she kept in touch with him by writing letters while he was away. Tyler fell in love a little more with each letter he received from Gemma. But that last letter was the last hit to his armor connecting the two of them together forever, or so he thought.
Four months of bliss and then Tyler was gone with no word and Gemma was left feeling broken and alone.
Years later, Tyler has just been released from prison and he’s looking to make a fresh start in the hometown where he found his first start. But with going back home comes serious consequences and writing a whole lot of wrongs. Things aren’t the same as when he left. His sister is now an owner of a boutique and the love of his life is now wearing some other man’s ring.
My Thoughts:
Kennedy Fox has swiftly become a go to author of mine whenever I need to get out of a book funk or if I need to lose myself in a love story for a few hours. I know with this author duo I will never be let down. And this novel goes to show everything I love about their writing styles.
My initial thoughts when reading this novel: It’s a tad bit predictable, but the slow burn is doing it for me. I loved every tense moment between Tyler and Gemma! These two are going to get an epic love story, that goes without saying. But the buildup between these two is igniting. I can’t wait to continue on with their story and get down to the nitty gritty!
I loved Gemma’s independent streak. But her fiance (Robert) is dead set on her being a stepford wife as soon as his last name is attached to her first. He wants the perfect stay at home trophy wife. He obviously doesn’t know Gemma as well as he thinks he does. These two are NOT a match. She needs to chuck the ring and go for Tyler…. Tyler is a real man, he lets her have her independence but he’s also willing to be there for her if she needs him. He’s the epitome of what book boyfriend stands for. It hurt my heart to see them dismiss the feelings they have for each other… Legit crushed my soul to see them throw away what stands right in front of them.
I do have to honestly say this novel was predictable, but that ending…. I did not see that one coming!!! I need answers and I need them right now. Gemma’s about to float up shit creek without a paddle and the shit just got real!!!
Overall, this was a great start to a new series. I can’t wait to get all the stories, but especially Tyler and Gemma’s conclusion. I need to know what happens, I’m on the edge of my seat here!!!
~Alecia @ The Staircase Reader
I have been anticipating Tyler Blackwood’s story since we have seen glimpses of his story during Liam and Madelyn’s The Roommate Duet #5 and #6. This was the perfect start to a new series and it totally did not disappoint.
Gemma Reid is Tyler’s sister best friend and someone he has always been close with during his younger years; however, that all changed when he left his small town to make something more of himself. After being in prison or five year he returns to his hometown in hopes to lay low (from the mafia princess, Victoria O’Leary who frame him) and to start a new life.
Gemma is engaged and Tyler is trying to get his life back in order. Unexpectedly seeing someone in your past who has been someone more begins to question what Gemma wants in her life. Tyler seeing Gemma again and cannot help but wonder what would have happened if he had stayed. Close friends believes she may be settling and Tyler does not want to step in her way of happiness. We get a look of the letters they have written to each other over during their younger years and you cannot help but get the feels and want more for these two in the present.
We are left with a cliffy that can be a game changer in their story and needless to say itching for answers stat!
I was given this book by the author in return for an honest review.
This is book 1 in the ex con duet series, book 2 comes out in August.
I have followed this author for a long time and have around 10 of her books sitting in my kindle waiting to be read. Finally I actually got to read one and OMG I am so glad this was my first, now I need to go binge read the ones I have. One of these days I will get through all the books I have to read!!
OMG What a blooming end to this fabulous book!! How the heck can we wait to see what happens next haha! The anticipation will surely kill us all.
Loved this book so much, I read it in 2 sittings, and it definitely kept me up later than I should of been. I love when a book won’t let you sleep but drags you back in to read ‘another chapter’ and of course that led to finishing the book
I was grabbed from the very first page of this amazing book, the characters were amazing and wow how could you not love Tyler? What a beautiful piece of hot man he is!
best friends brother
slowburn
small town
ex con
friends to lovers
family business
Mafia
This book has it all going on, there is definitely something for everyone. Tyler and Gemma became friends through Tyler’s little sister Everleigh (love this name) and over the the years they really hit it off, unfortunately Tyler doesn’t want to stay forever in his little hometown, so off he goes breaking both their hearts in the process. Fast forward 12 years and a lot of water under the bridge plus a fiance (hate this guy) Can they even be friends again, never mind anything more, I am 100% team Gyler
Loved all the relationships in this book, they all share a wonderful bond and hold a lot of mutual love and respect for each other.
I am so looking forward to reading the next part of this story, the next 4 weeks are going to feel like 4 years haha.
Thank you so much for the chance to read this wonderful book Kennedy.
These characters just keep getting better and better! I was extremely excited when these authors announced Tyler’s story especially after the explosive ending in the last duet involving his character! Reluctantly returning to his hometown after getting out of prison, Tyler isn’t too happy with his circumstances but is trying to move on and fight the urge to get revenge. Part of why he wasn’t happy to return home is how he left things the last time he was there with Gemma. Gemma was absolutely in love with Tyler as a teenager, but wasn’t willing to leave her family behind. Finally moved on and engaged to a new man, her feelings bubble back up to the surface once Tyler returns and even more so when she finds he’s working for her father. The back and forth between these two along with the crazy chemistry had me so eager to see what happens between them! And of course the cliffhanger had me re-read it a few times to not only catch it but sit there stunned! I have so many questions not only with this couple but with Gemma’s brother as well and I can’t wait for Tyler and Gemma to be resolved but also hopefully the next duet involve her brother!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
I’m not sure were to begin with this review!
I loved this book and can’t wait to read what comes next. The second chance romance that needs to overcome so much.
Tyler is moving back home after being in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Oh and he is going to be seeing the girl he walked away from.
Gemma is sassy and full of life. She is very loyal and hardworking at her family business. Oh and she is Tyler’s sisters best friend and has done everything she can to not think about him while he was gone.
These two together have a chemistry that burns down the charts. However, will they be able to handle it again or will their new lives get in the way?
I LOVED, JUST WHAT I WANTED BUT I NEED MORE!!! That is all I could think of after reading part 1 of Tyler and Gemma’s duet. Kennedy Fox, you just keep out-doing yourself.
I don’t know where to start telling you how much you need to read this duo’s books. After reading the Roommate duets, I didn’t think I could be shocked anymore by the twists and turns. But here I am counting down the days till the next book.
You meet Tyler in Always Mine/Yours and I instantly wanted to know what was next for him. My heart broke for what happened to him and I just wanted him to get his HEA but of course, it’s not going to be that easy. Not when the only girl he ever loved Gemma is ready to marry another man. Will Tyler fight for the girl he left behind and will his past come back to haunt him?
I’ve been eagerly awaiting this release which is the first in a new series by KF about ex-cons. I’ll be honest, I don’t really know a whole lot about ex-cons besides the TV shows my husband watches from time to time, and what made me so excited for this release was because we were introduced to Tyler in their previous series. Tyler was Liam’s friend who helped Liam and Maddie have their HEA. He took care of Maddie and as we got to know him, we realized how sweet of a person he was, who was occasionally snarky which I loved, and I was so curious about his own story. I’m also a sucker for second-chance romances because it brings up a lot of falling in love with the person again for who they are now as opposed to who they were before. The story follows Tyler who has to move back home with his sister, Everleigh. Back in this town, it’s where the girl who got away, or rather the girl he left behind, Gemma, lives. Tyler and Gemma dated for about three months before Tyler decided to leave the small town, and she couldn’t leave with him, so they ended their relationship. Now when Tyler returns, he finds himself working with her at her father’s garage as a mechanic, and also, she’s engaged. We get close-quarters contact, their attempts of being friends, but we also get to see Gemma come to terms with her engagement and what that relationship really looks like, and also for Tyler, him grappling with wanting to get revenge for the person who put him in jail to begin with. This is def the usual stuff you have come to know and love in a KF novel: an incredibly sexy slow-burn romance, friend groups (who you also hope they get their HEA too! I’m looking at you Everleigh and Kate), family members who you just adore like Gemma’s dad, Jerry, and the drama which makes it a duet series that has you waiting for the next one to see how it will all wrap up. Another thing which I really loved about this book was the letter writing component because Gemma and Tyler basically began their friendship/relationship via letters. I loved seeing what made them fall for one another initially so much! We also got to see some familiar faces like Liam and Maddie. All in all, a solid KF read as usual. I can’t wait to see how this one ends.. and I’m already excited for Kate’s story which I know is further away since we learned some stuff that was hinted towards it in this book 😉