Book Review | For Keeps – K.C. Everly (The Windmere Series)

Loving Smoke
By: Barbara Nolan

Series: The Windmere Series
Book # in Series: 1
Trope(s): Why Choose, Polyamory, Enemies To Lovers, Small Town Romance
Publisher: Self Published
Publication Date: June 30th, 2024
My Rating: ✮✮✮½
Format: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Synopsis:

Past sparks or present flames? Sometimes, you don’t have to choose…

My future is neatly planned, and it belongs to Jake Lauder, my steadfast love since high school. But when Beau Dalton breezes back into our small town, it sets off a chain reaction that threatens to ignite us all.

Because Beau isn’t just my former flame—he’s Jake’s lifelong heated rival.

Beau’s return sparks more than just old memories when he and Jake are forced to work together. Their simmering history of competition reaches a boiling point when they both set their sights on the one thing they desire most: me.

And I want both of them.

Can I have two larger-than-life men without getting burned in a small town where gossip spreads like wildfire? The hardest choices can lead to the most unexpected outcomes… because sometimes you can have it all in matters of the heart.

honey-script.light

For Keeps by K.C. Everly is an emotionally captivating romance featuring three individuals all on a mission of finding themselves.

Fallon found the love of her life in high school. But when Jake took a job he decided to cut Fallon loose and unbeknownst to him right into the arms of his rival Beau. But you see, Jake knew he made a mistake in letting Fallon go and came back to her. So she let Beau go, and he decided to move to another state to pursue his dreams of being a stuntman. Now, Beau is back home and Fallon isn’t the only one crushing this time around…..

My Thoughts:

Let me start this review by saying, If you’re looking for a novel that is high on the steam level, involves M/F.M/F/M, M/M/F, and M/M sexy time scenes, this may be the novel for you.. I’m fairly new to the polyamorous theme in romance novels. I have to say, K.C. Everly hit the mark with this novel! I loved the fact that she took this trope/theme/subgenre and gave me four different love stories within it (Fallon/Jake, Fallon/Beau, Jake/Beau, and Fallon/Jake/Beau)! If novels featuring Polyamory relationships are not for you, I highly suggest you move on from this novel. If you’re looking to dip your toe in the Why Choose trope, definitely pick up this novel!

First of all, my rating may be a little confusing because I really did love this novel. I will get into why I dropped 1 ½ stars on my rating in a few moments. Let’s dive into these characters!

First up is Beau, one of our main heroes of the story. Beau, I think, had the most to lose in this novel. This man gave his heart away months ago, and knew it wouldn’t work out when Fallon’s love came back for her. So he did what he thought was best for him and for her and left. My heart was on the verge of breaking for Beau throughout this whole novel. I also loved the fact that his family was supportive of his life choices, and never judged him for who he was as a person. He definitely had a strong foundation to lean against when stuff hit the fan.

And then we have Jake. Jake is the gruff and grumpy hero in the story. He’s also very dependable and protective of those he holds closest to his heart. But beneath the surface this man is a ball of vulnerability. Which makes his feelings and emotions hit even harder. And just to throw this in the mix, I loved the fact that his grump personality evened out Beau’s sunshine personality. He was the rainy day to Beau’s cloudless sky.

And then we have Fallon! Fallon is the lucky heroine of the story. This woman is the glue that holds the thropple together. She erases insecurities and shares her strength throughout this novel.

When I say the sexual tension was so thick you could slice it with a knife, don’t take that lightly! I loved the fact that Beau and Jake were rivals throughout their teenage years. They constantly tried to outdo one another and I was here for it, especially when that carried on into the bedroom… As I said above, Fallon was one lucky lady!!

So now onto the reason why I dropped 1 ½ stars on my rating. I initially had wanted to rate this novel with a four star rating, but the deeper I dove into my review, the more I found situations in this novel that I would have liked a little more from. For starters, the steam is epic and trust me when I say there are absolutely no complaints about the spice factor. My issue was a result of the spice becoming spicier. When Fallon, Jake, and Beau started experimenting within the bedroom, the connection became more on the sexual side and less on the growing of the relationship side. I liked the moments outside of the bedroom when the three of them were just being themselves and conversing. I wanted more conversation that wasn’t focused on sexual themes. I loved the first part of this novel and getting to know the characters, and I guess I wanted that theme and vibe throughout the whole novel. So that is why I dropped a star on my rating. The reason why I dropped a 1⁄2 star had to do with wanting more from Fallon. I felt like this novel revolved around Jake and his coming to term with his sexuality. I wanted that same energy from Fallon and I was a bit let down to not have point of views that weren’t based on sexy time chapters. I wanted more from this character. And due to not wanting to give spoilers away, I’ll end this portion of my review here.

Overall, I loved the relationships that were portrayed in this novel. I loved the rivalry between Jake and Beau. And I loved the fact that Fallon was there to hold them all together. There were some aspects of the novel that I needed more from, but overall it was a great read full of endless potential! I will definitely be reading more from K.C. Everly in the near future!

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