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A review by andreasromancebooks
Keep Me Close by R.M. Virtues
5.0
5 ⭐️ I'M SO IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK
I reread it. I did it and I can't wait to do it again. I'm bumping it up to 5 stars because it deserves all the stars. The first time I read this it took me longer than normal to read (cause of life stuff, not because I didn’t love it). I didn’t want to put it down, but I only had time to read 3-5 chapters at a time and it felt a little like I made this book (and myself) a disservice. This book is binge-read worthy, and by the time I wrote my review, I was already so exited for when I could just sit down again and reread it at a time when I knew I wouldn’t be as real-life stressed as I was that first time around. And it turns out that it took me longer to finish this time- go figure!
I'm still so in love with these characters. Aphrodite is the manager of the Pleasure District in Khaos Falls, and as such she is the most badass and baddest bitch around, and she knows it. She works tirelessly to provide a safe environment for sex workers, as well as rescuing and providing shelter and care to human trafficking victims. She is a wrench in the works of exploitative traffickers, and we open this book when someone puts a hit on her, and an assassin tries to kill her in her own club. Enter Hephaestus, recently promoted Head of Security for all of Khaos Falls, and although Aphrodite is far from his favourite person, he's tasked to guard her and keep her safe whilst investigating the threat on her life and finding out how such blatant security issue could have been possible in the first place. A series of spinning betrayals, a hot-as-all-hell steamy enemies to lovers relationship (the kinks in this book should be illegal, they’re THAT good - the hate sex included!), complicated family dynamics and disenchanted fairytales are just some of the amazing things you will find if you pick up this book.
My only complaint, which is more of a wish really, is that I wish we would have had a scene with Hephaestus actively working as a blacksmith. I understand that he has bigger responsibilities since he’s now part of Khaos Falls political structure but reading the part where he distracts himself by cleaning his weapons made me realize that we hadn’t really seen him in that comfort bubble, even though it’s mentioned often in the book. Blacksmith Hephaestus is hot, and I want more of him!
That being said, I am very much aware that this is me being extremely nit picky, and that is because this series is blowing my mind... This blows it out of the park while doing a home run, and a touchdown, and a slam dunk and every other sports metaphors that I do not understand, but know they mean you're just straight up killing it. And these books really are – killing it, finding it, loving it, steaming it… they are doing the most and I can’t wait for more.
After reading the first book in this series, I already knew I had found a new favorite author, but this really settled it for me. I went on and on about it on my review of Drag Me Up, but the representation and diversity imbedded right into the world building in this series is so fucking beautiful it makes me ache and longingly sigh like an old Victorian maiden, but `Fates be dammed` , I want to live right there amongst these characters. It’s just sad that the thing that makes me dreamily sigh the most in this book is the acceptance it shows to its characters - regardless of color, gender identity, sexual orientation, disabilities, or any other ‘otherness’ that our world has, unfortunately, managed to convince us means we are unable and unworthy of love, affection, care - and even being the fucking main character in our own stories! I will forever be grateful for books like this.
I don’t have a conclusion for this review because my conclusion would be to read it again and again until I can get my hands on the next one – It’s Dionysos and Athena and I cannot tell you how excited I am!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5
I reread it. I did it and I can't wait to do it again. I'm bumping it up to 5 stars because it deserves all the stars. The first time I read this it took me longer than normal to read (cause of life stuff, not because I didn’t love it). I didn’t want to put it down, but I only had time to read 3-5 chapters at a time and it felt a little like I made this book (and myself) a disservice. This book is binge-read worthy, and by the time I wrote my review, I was already so exited for when I could just sit down again and reread it at a time when I knew I wouldn’t be as real-life stressed as I was that first time around. And it turns out that it took me longer to finish this time- go figure!
I'm still so in love with these characters. Aphrodite is the manager of the Pleasure District in Khaos Falls, and as such she is the most badass and baddest bitch around, and she knows it. She works tirelessly to provide a safe environment for sex workers, as well as rescuing and providing shelter and care to human trafficking victims. She is a wrench in the works of exploitative traffickers, and we open this book when someone puts a hit on her, and an assassin tries to kill her in her own club. Enter Hephaestus, recently promoted Head of Security for all of Khaos Falls, and although Aphrodite is far from his favourite person, he's tasked to guard her and keep her safe whilst investigating the threat on her life and finding out how such blatant security issue could have been possible in the first place. A series of spinning betrayals, a hot-as-all-hell steamy enemies to lovers relationship (the kinks in this book should be illegal, they’re THAT good - the hate sex included!), complicated family dynamics and disenchanted fairytales are just some of the amazing things you will find if you pick up this book.
My only complaint, which is more of a wish really, is that I wish we would have had a scene with Hephaestus actively working as a blacksmith. I understand that he has bigger responsibilities since he’s now part of Khaos Falls political structure but reading the part where he distracts himself
Spoiler
in the boat on their way to get PerseusThat being said, I am very much aware that this is me being extremely nit picky, and that is because this series is blowing my mind... This blows it out of the park while doing a home run, and a touchdown, and a slam dunk and every other sports metaphors that I do not understand, but know they mean you're just straight up killing it. And these books really are – killing it, finding it, loving it, steaming it… they are doing the most and I can’t wait for more.
After reading the first book in this series, I already knew I had found a new favorite author, but this really settled it for me. I went on and on about it on my review of Drag Me Up, but the representation and diversity imbedded right into the world building in this series is so fucking beautiful it makes me ache and longingly sigh like an old Victorian maiden, but `Fates be dammed` , I want to live right there amongst these characters. It’s just sad that the thing that makes me dreamily sigh the most in this book is the acceptance it shows to its characters - regardless of color, gender identity, sexual orientation, disabilities, or any other ‘otherness’ that our world has, unfortunately, managed to convince us means we are unable and unworthy of love, affection, care - and even being the fucking main character in our own stories! I will forever be grateful for books like this.
I don’t have a conclusion for this review because my conclusion would be to read it again and again until I can get my hands on the next one – It’s Dionysos and Athena and I cannot tell you how excited I am!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5