Book 1 - Keep Me
Sigh....doesn't everyone want someone like Marcus? Someone willing to do anything for you without you asking, who wants to love you and take care of you, who is willing to reform himself to be what you need, who wants to give you everything you never knew you wanted.
Tessa's been through the ringer. The last thing she's looking for is love, and certainly not with the little brother of her childhood best friend. But once Tessa reappears, Marcus is finally able to act on the crush he's been harboring for her since they were kids. Oh, there are plenty of obstacles, the biggest of which is Riley, Tessa's best friend and Marcus' sister. I'm gonna be straight up - Riley annoyed me with her controlling nonsense. But even if Riley's feelings hadn't been a hurdle, Tessa and Marcus each had enough baggage to complicate the matter. Tessa needs to stand on her own two feet and learn how to trust again, and Marcus has to work against his man-whoring reputation to win her. And trust me, he did have to work for every inch of ground he gained with Tessa. That was an aspect that I really enjoyed - Marcus is a model who is used to getting whatever and whoever he wants without having to "earn it". That was so not happening with Tessa, and it was nice for him to learn that the things that mean the most to have in your life are often the things you have to work the hardest to get.
As if the story itself weren't good enough, Faith makes it great by giving us characters that are believable. Nothing about these characters, their actions or their emotions seem made up. Tessa could work in your office, Beck could be your local fireman (don't I wish?), and Marcus, well, Marcus would be the random anonymous hottie you scope out at Starbucks. :). Even Riley's overprotective/domineering nature has aspects you could easily see in a real person in your life.
Book 2 - Keep Her
**possible spoilers **
As much as I disliked Riley coming into this book, there were a lot of things going on with her that ended up giving me a big ol' case of the feels. Everything she felt about losing her mother, about learning to live without her...those emotions were tangible and very relatable. Having lost my own mother at a similar stage in life to Riley's, let's just say shit got very real for me.
And Beck. Dear sweet Beck. Hottie tottie fireman Beck. He comes across as the kind of guy who prefers to see the best in people (even Marissa, but let's not go there). He's had a thing for Riley since he was a teen, but was never in a position to act on it. He and Riley realize their encounter was more than just a one-night stand/quasi-drunken hookup. Even though it made Riley a hypocrite and Beck was risking his years of friendship with Marcus, they take that window of opportunity, nail that bitch open and throw themselves through it time and again. They both know pretty early on that what they've got together could really be something. But there are so many other factors at play, it is never just as simple as deciding to be together and making a go of it. There are definitely some bumps in their road (a hot one named Griffin and a cuckoo one named Marissa), but by the time they get to where they were meant to be, Riley and Beck are all the stronger (individually and as a unit) because of the rough ride it took to get there.
Now that there is another available hottie in Griffin, I think we need a book three. Keep Him, anyone? :)
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