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The Bennetts #1
When You Are Mine
Forever is a heartbeat away . . .
Kerris Moreton knows how to make things work. Bounced from foster home to foster home as a kid, she adapted; when opportunity arose, she thrived. Now, about to open her own business and accept a marriage proposal, Kerris is ready to build the life she's always wanted. The only thing missing? A passionate connection with her would-be fiancé, Cam. Kerris wants to believe that sparks are overrated-until Walsh Bennett lights her up like the Fourth of July.
. . . but what about love?
As one of the East Coast's most eligible bachelors, Walsh enjoys financial independence, fulfilling work with his family's nonprofit, and plenty of female attention. But lately he's been distracted by the one woman he can't have. Lovely to look at and even sweeter to know, Kerris is the soul mate Walsh never thought he would find. The problem is, his best friend found her first . . .
Approx: 50K words.
Kerris Moreton knows how to make things work. Bounced from foster home to foster home as a kid, she adapted; when opportunity arose, she thrived. Now, about to open her own business and accept a marriage proposal, Kerris is ready to build the life she's always wanted. The only thing missing? A passionate connection with her would-be fiancé, Cam. Kerris wants to believe that sparks are overrated-until Walsh Bennett lights her up like the Fourth of July.
. . . but what about love?
As one of the East Coast's most eligible bachelors, Walsh enjoys financial independence, fulfilling work with his family's nonprofit, and plenty of female attention. But lately he's been distracted by the one woman he can't have. Lovely to look at and even sweeter to know, Kerris is the soul mate Walsh never thought he would find. The problem is, his best friend found her first . . .
Approx: 50K words.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
About the author
Kennedy Ryan
57 books22.4k followersNEWSLETTER:
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I write contemporary romance and women's fiction. I always give my characters their happily ever after, but I love to make them work for it! It's a long road to love, so sit back and enjoy the ride.
I am wife to the love of my life, mom to a special, beautiful son, and a friend to those living with autism through my charitable foundation.
bit.ly/KRList
BOOKBUB: bookbub.com/authors/kennedy-ryan
AMAZON:
http://amzn.to/2EX7pgg
FACEBOOK:
www.facebook.com/KennedyRyanAuthor/
INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/kennedyryan1/
KENNEDY RYAN BOOKS - https://www.facebook.com/groups/68160...
I write contemporary romance and women's fiction. I always give my characters their happily ever after, but I love to make them work for it! It's a long road to love, so sit back and enjoy the ride.
I am wife to the love of my life, mom to a special, beautiful son, and a friend to those living with autism through my charitable foundation.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
February 11, 2016
Amazon US * Amazon UK
WHEN YOU ARE MINE is the first in a two part love story between Walsh Bennett and Kerris Moreton and as stupid as it sounds, I feel like Kennedy Ryan wrote their story especially for my ears. Love triangles are one of my reading LOVES. They have to be executed to perfection, and each emotion has to be depicted without creating a hero or heroine that seem contrary in nature. The characters have to be given the STRONGEST of MOTIVATION for all their decisions, thoughts, words and actions. If you're a reader who basks in the raw emotions evoked by a perfectly written LOVE TRIANGLE then this is a #MUSTREAD story because Kennedy Ryan executes this story to perfection. SO BEAUTIFUL in SO MANY WAYS, I won’t give away the story but I’ll attempt to express the crafted excellence penned on the pages of this eloquently told story.
WHEN YOU ARE MINE is told in third person but I still felt privy to the inner most private thoughts of the hero and heroine. I was totally in their heads, feeling their pain, hope and angst. It’s about facing your demons, acceptance, understanding and realising life is too short to live with mistakes when they can be rectified. Some people are meant to be together and the Prologue leaves the reader in no doubt at all where this story is heading, who the leading characters are, and who are destined to be together. The narrative shows the reader with crystal clear clarity the LOVE TRIANGLE web Kennedy Ryan is about to catapult us into. The angst she’ll lead us through. The raw emotion that will come our way but let me profess that every single angst filled moment is worth the reading pain. The mistakes of the protagonists are evident and, as the story unfolds their excruciating reality and the vulnerabilities of the heroine, ones that motivate her decision making process, become glaringly apparent. This story is perfect for those readers who bask in the raw emotion of protagonists waging a war on their feelings, making choices that are not always right, going through the hurt and coming out the other side.
Walsh’s privileged upbringing and wealth offer a stark contrast to Kerris’ nightmare of a childhood that left her with complex issues and a void that she longs to fill with something certain. The third character’s feelings and circumstance in this story mirror the heroine’s making him seem like an ideal suitor. I love the way Kennedy unravels the character’s rich history and motivation so we truly understand the whys. She holds them up so we see all their faults their triumphs their desires, their needs, their mistakes.
I simply have to mention the pure unadulterated beauty of the subplot to the main story which caught me by surprise and completely blew me away. I don’t want to provide a single detail except to say that it made me feel, and hurt, and sob and oh how I love this aspect, even though it ravaged my book heart. It comprehensively enhances the shape of the story arc and the realisation that seriously, life is too short to NOT put things right when mistakes have been made.
WHEN YOU ARE MINE treats readers to exquisite sentiments and pictures evoked by the most exquisitely descriptive prose overflowing with an abundance of emotion, depth of character and angst driving the story arc through scenarios that seem unsolvable. I had no clue how the author would puzzle out the situation of these three characters that had firmly embedded themselves in my book heart. I basked in the angst that was skilfully thrust at me whilst the story unraveled with creative descriptions and emotive imagery. On finishing this story I went straight to the second and concluding part of this story and devoured another 5 Star read by this author.
Note: This is the first of a two book series (Books 3 & 4 are both about a different couple so can definitely be read as STANDALONES)
My review thoughts of LOVING YOU ALWAYS
LOVING YOU ALWAYS (Bennett Series #2 and the conclusion to this two part story)
Available here
US http://amzn.to/1RjxCok
UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00NPCWL4I
★Teasers created by myself with Stock image I purchased from deposit photos★
WHEN YOU ARE MINE is the first in a two part love story between Walsh Bennett and Kerris Moreton and as stupid as it sounds, I feel like Kennedy Ryan wrote their story especially for my ears. Love triangles are one of my reading LOVES. They have to be executed to perfection, and each emotion has to be depicted without creating a hero or heroine that seem contrary in nature. The characters have to be given the STRONGEST of MOTIVATION for all their decisions, thoughts, words and actions. If you're a reader who basks in the raw emotions evoked by a perfectly written LOVE TRIANGLE then this is a #MUSTREAD story because Kennedy Ryan executes this story to perfection. SO BEAUTIFUL in SO MANY WAYS, I won’t give away the story but I’ll attempt to express the crafted excellence penned on the pages of this eloquently told story.
WHEN YOU ARE MINE is told in third person but I still felt privy to the inner most private thoughts of the hero and heroine. I was totally in their heads, feeling their pain, hope and angst. It’s about facing your demons, acceptance, understanding and realising life is too short to live with mistakes when they can be rectified. Some people are meant to be together and the Prologue leaves the reader in no doubt at all where this story is heading, who the leading characters are, and who are destined to be together. The narrative shows the reader with crystal clear clarity the LOVE TRIANGLE web Kennedy Ryan is about to catapult us into. The angst she’ll lead us through. The raw emotion that will come our way but let me profess that every single angst filled moment is worth the reading pain. The mistakes of the protagonists are evident and, as the story unfolds their excruciating reality and the vulnerabilities of the heroine, ones that motivate her decision making process, become glaringly apparent. This story is perfect for those readers who bask in the raw emotion of protagonists waging a war on their feelings, making choices that are not always right, going through the hurt and coming out the other side.
Walsh’s privileged upbringing and wealth offer a stark contrast to Kerris’ nightmare of a childhood that left her with complex issues and a void that she longs to fill with something certain. The third character’s feelings and circumstance in this story mirror the heroine’s making him seem like an ideal suitor. I love the way Kennedy unravels the character’s rich history and motivation so we truly understand the whys. She holds them up so we see all their faults their triumphs their desires, their needs, their mistakes.
I simply have to mention the pure unadulterated beauty of the subplot to the main story which caught me by surprise and completely blew me away. I don’t want to provide a single detail except to say that it made me feel, and hurt, and sob and oh how I love this aspect, even though it ravaged my book heart. It comprehensively enhances the shape of the story arc and the realisation that seriously, life is too short to NOT put things right when mistakes have been made.
WHEN YOU ARE MINE treats readers to exquisite sentiments and pictures evoked by the most exquisitely descriptive prose overflowing with an abundance of emotion, depth of character and angst driving the story arc through scenarios that seem unsolvable. I had no clue how the author would puzzle out the situation of these three characters that had firmly embedded themselves in my book heart. I basked in the angst that was skilfully thrust at me whilst the story unraveled with creative descriptions and emotive imagery. On finishing this story I went straight to the second and concluding part of this story and devoured another 5 Star read by this author.
Note: This is the first of a two book series (Books 3 & 4 are both about a different couple so can definitely be read as STANDALONES)
My review thoughts of LOVING YOU ALWAYS
LOVING YOU ALWAYS (Bennett Series #2 and the conclusion to this two part story)
Available here
US http://amzn.to/1RjxCok
UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00NPCWL4I
★Teasers created by myself with Stock image I purchased from deposit photos★
June 16, 2014
4.5 Stars
This is a debut novel, folks, and I'm happy to say what a shocker that was for me. It's rare that I pick up a newbie author's ARC from Netgalley and get this bowled over. It's purely chance that I clicked the synopsis and decided to request it. Not since Terri Osburn have I been this excited about a debut.
When I picked this up, I expected a love triangle. That's good. I enjoy love triangles. What I didn't expect was this multi-layered, in depth story that covers a few years in the lives of these people...all of them flawed but still fantastic characters.
Kerris has been an orphan since the day she was born. Left on the steps of an orphanage and raised by numerous foster homes, she craves stability and the constancy of family. Instead of using her life situation as an excuse to be held back by her lot in life, she takes the hard route and makes something of herself, doing well in school and catching the attention of the Bennett foundation, a family run organization dedicated to improving the lives of people just like Kerris. And when Kerris meets Cam and he persists in chasing her for six months, she believes she's finally found a man that loves her enough to give her the emotional security that she craves. Their relationship is strong and faithful, and if it's not explosively passionate and volatile, that may be just one more reason to stick with it.
Then she meets Walsh Bennett. The golden boy of the Bennett family, Walsh seems to have it all...money, power, looks, a heart kind enough to take on the task of helping those less privileged than himself, and the backing of not only his father's huge company behind him, but also his mother's old money as well. To put it mildly, Walsh is everything that Kerris is not. Kerris is a nobody, Walsh is and always will be a somebody. And the clencher...Walsh and Cam have been best friends since childhood. So this instant sizzling attraction that sparks between them is somewhat easy to ignore...for awhile.
My Kerris and Walsh:
When Kerris and Walsh begin to run into each other at the hospital while each are intent on separate philanthropic undertakings, they realize that they have a few things in common. Both of them have a burning need to help people. It's what they live to do. Although Walsh does it with financial backing, he is just as hands on with underprivileged children as Kerris is.
Now, it sounds contrived a bit in order to allow the love triangle to unfold. But at about the halfway point, more and more layers are peeled away and Kerris and Walsh especially start to undergo these fundamental shifts in their core. Cam is so good to Kerris. How can she even contemplate another man when everything she's ever dreamed of is finally within reach?
"Please don't let me hurt him..."
And Walsh knows that moving in on Cam's girl is completely out of the question. It would destroy not only his longest friendship, but his family is also Cam's family. They're more like brothers than friends.
And still...
And still, there is an undeniable pull between the two, and they can't ignore it forever. Life pushes them toward each other until even the somewhat cynical Walsh begins to think words like "fate" and "soulmates." At the same time, life feels as if it pulls them apart. Both are trying desperately to do the right thing. When tragedy strikes, it is each other that they want to lean on. Right or wrong, there is an indefinable something there. They know in their gut that the fire and pull that they feel for each other won't just go away. So now they have to decide whether to unleash a scandal and vast amount of heartbreak on not only their own lives, but also on everyone's lives around them.
Things I LOVED:
I love the dynamic between Walsh and his parents. His mother is gentle and proud...a true matriarch of the family, and a wonderful woman. His father is hard, business minded, and seemingly without tender emotions. Walsh has mixed feelings about his father, but for the most part, he doesn't understand him and isn't much like him at all.
"Walsh strode to the door, eager to get out of his father's presence. His soul needed a shower..."
Another plus for me is that this isn't a white cookie cutter romance. Kerris has no idea what her lineage is or what race she is, but it's definitely not white Anglo-Saxon! And let's face it...biracial people are just more beautiful. At least, I've always thought so. It was nice to get a mixed race heroine but not have the race card shoved into your face constantly either.
After the story settles in and you slowly realize just where everything is headed, it all just feels so full, for lack of a better word. The characters are all well rounded and nothing feels overdone. Their lives are a bit tumultuous, but it's because of their circumstances, not (for the most part) their choices. You don't often get this in a love triangle. There is angst, but it's not this teenage disquietude that generally permeates this type of story. There's a big question here, and it's a realistic one. Do you go with your head or your heart? Do you accept a marriage of security and stability, or do you chance a failure of a relationship on someone who evokes much stronger longings?
It's a question often brought up in romance, but this book stands out for me because of the author's voice, her evocative story that had me bawling like a damned baby, and her true to life flawed, lovely characters. This story goes where you just don't expect it to go! But I'm glad it did because it gave gravity to their actions and ended up feeling more fleshed out and thought out than other stories like it.
The story ends on a cliffie. And my friends probably know how averse to cliffies I am. However, I honestly can say that these characters needed a break at this moment in time. I put the book down with a big sigh and a heavy heart, but one that is also hopeful that the next book with be as fantastic as this one was.
Advance copy provided by Forever Grand Central Publishing via Netgalley for review.
Quotes used with permission
May 22, 2014
Well, what am I supposed to say? I wrote it! I must think it's good, right? :-) Even as I say that, I understand there are some things about this book that will prove difficult for some readers. Can I warn you, gentle reader, that this is only part 1 of Kerris and Walsh's story? May I ask you, even though you have no reason to do so, to trust me? To trust that I want a happily ever after as much as you will, but I also want to see my characters change and grow? Our mistakes have the capacity to transform us if we recover from them the right way. I don't rescue these characters from the decisions I bet you'll wish they hadn't made. I don't resolve everything in this first book. Their struggle to learn their lessons and grow into their best selves continues in book 2, which releases Oct. 7.
And I know this will be a biggie. I don't endorse infidelity, even if it's only emotional infidelity. I don't believe in compromising my values and blaming it on attraction or inevitability or fate...but I'm not Kerris. But I wrote her. I know her. I love her, despite her flaws. And I hope you will, too.
And I know this will be a biggie. I don't endorse infidelity, even if it's only emotional infidelity. I don't believe in compromising my values and blaming it on attraction or inevitability or fate...but I'm not Kerris. But I wrote her. I know her. I love her, despite her flaws. And I hope you will, too.
February 19, 2015
"Figure that out before you marry my best friend.”
That's what he said. And guess what!! She didn't listen.
Feeling a wordless, mindless connection that strong with your boyfriend’s best friend would border on tragic.”
And acting on it is stupid. Poor Cam..
•
I hated Kerri, she was stupid, immature and selfish, and insecure oh the adjectives to describe her are limitless. She not only decided to go through with the wedding because she though that Walsh is going to marry Sofie, shea also then cheated on cam by kissing Walsh.
I get Walsh, on how Cam should find someone who adores him as much as cam adores Kerri but why the fuck would he allow the wedding then kiss her? Okay that is not fine. Have some respect for Cam..
Cam's my baby! I don't know why would anyone do that to him. The author better try to ruin his character on the second book. The ways she's making Cam seems bad and touchy with Jo is irritating!
I'm usually one for love triangles but marriage is sacred, I know that's kind of cliche but true.
The only thing I love about this book is walsh's mom and dad's story. It was heartbreaking and moving.
And the Eding! It was perfect.!
That's what he said. And guess what!! She didn't listen.
Feeling a wordless, mindless connection that strong with your boyfriend’s best friend would border on tragic.”
And acting on it is stupid. Poor Cam..
•
I hated Kerri, she was stupid, immature and selfish, and insecure oh the adjectives to describe her are limitless. She not only decided to go through with the wedding because she though that Walsh is going to marry Sofie, shea also then cheated on cam by kissing Walsh.
I get Walsh, on how Cam should find someone who adores him as much as cam adores Kerri but why the fuck would he allow the wedding then kiss her? Okay that is not fine. Have some respect for Cam..
Cam's my baby! I don't know why would anyone do that to him. The author better try to ruin his character on the second book. The ways she's making Cam seems bad and touchy with Jo is irritating!
I'm usually one for love triangles but marriage is sacred, I know that's kind of cliche but true.
The only thing I love about this book is walsh's mom and dad's story. It was heartbreaking and moving.
And the Eding! It was perfect.!
April 30, 2022
I applaud K Ryan for even attempting this love triangle because how do you come back from witnessing your best friend kiss your wife?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2020
Freaken Amazing!!!
I need to start a "Why Did I Wait So Long To Read This?" list.
When You are Mine will definitely make the list.
This story is written beautifully, it's unputdownable, it's unpredictable and it does not disappoint at any turn. Kept me guessing and wishing for things NOT to happen and I wished other things DID happen and everything I thought "should be" wasn't. My feelings and emotions going wild. At the end of it all I was soo in love and it hurt bad but it also hurt good.
I seriously didn't know what to expect when I picked this up -as I didn't even read the blurb- what I got was everything!
Note- I don't think I make any sense right now!! So to put it simple. I LOVED THIS BOOK ❤
His kiss was a feather and a flame, raising goose bumps and heating her skin. Something blossomed in her chest, unfurling and straining toward him. She pressed closer, defenseless against sensations she’d never experienced with anyone before.
As I finished, I went straight to book 2 ~ Loving You Always ❤
Emojis review LOL
❤🤗😡😭💔🤬🙄😊🔥😬🤯😱🤔❤😭
I need to start a "Why Did I Wait So Long To Read This?" list.
When You are Mine will definitely make the list.
This story is written beautifully, it's unputdownable, it's unpredictable and it does not disappoint at any turn. Kept me guessing and wishing for things NOT to happen and I wished other things DID happen and everything I thought "should be" wasn't. My feelings and emotions going wild. At the end of it all I was soo in love and it hurt bad but it also hurt good.
I seriously didn't know what to expect when I picked this up -as I didn't even read the blurb- what I got was everything!
Note- I don't think I make any sense right now!! So to put it simple. I LOVED THIS BOOK ❤
His kiss was a feather and a flame, raising goose bumps and heating her skin. Something blossomed in her chest, unfurling and straining toward him. She pressed closer, defenseless against sensations she’d never experienced with anyone before.
As I finished, I went straight to book 2 ~ Loving You Always ❤
Emojis review LOL
❤🤗😡😭💔🤬🙄😊🔥😬🤯😱🤔❤😭
August 11, 2016
**When You Are Mine generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
3 Undecided Stars
As a firm believer in soul mates my love for whirlwind romances runs pretty deep. While I understand not all love happens at first sight I hold on to the notion of its existence. I'm a hopeless romantic, you see, in love with being in love. For those reasons this book proved difficult for me to rate and review.
Before you go any further, let me be up front - this book contains a love triangle of the most angst-filled proportions. If you're not into love triangles this definitely isn't for you. I'm not usually a fan, either but the blurb intrigued me.
In When You Are Mine, a new adult romance, love does not come easy even after it's at first sight. Two men. One girl. Understated chaos in the heart ensues. Walsh Bennett - a consummate alpha - handsome, refined, rich - sees Kerris Moreton, his best friends girl, before he knows with whom she belongs. An instant attraction stuns both Walsh and Kerris into oblivion. Cameron Mitchell, best friend/boyfriend, is the constant, safe, shining light Kerris never had in her life.
Told from both Walsh and Kerris's points of view, When You Are Mine takes on a push/pull journey between two people who can't deny the intimacy between them. So far, so good. I'm okay with a love triangle, up to a point. Then the heroine has to go and make life changing decisions based on assumptions without ever bothering to learn the validity of these assumptions. Huge deduct for the heroine from me. A love triangle can only go so far for me and there needs to be some concrete reasoning behind the heroine's actions. Kerris disappointed me because up until a certain point I totally sympathized with her.
The writing in this book engages the reader. Even when I was over Kerris I felt myself still needing to know what happens. The magnetism of Walsh's character draws into the story. He's the third wheel but you find yourself rooting for him in a major way. The secondary characters and subplots throughout the book are all excellent, as well.
Thus, why I found it hard to review. Again, don't even bother if you can't stand a love triangle and mild cheating because it happens - blatantly. The heroine will make you want to reach through your Kindle and grab her. But there are strong elements to the book that cannot be denied. Walsh, his cousin Jo, and their parents being a few examples. I'm intrigued. I didn't love it to the moon and back but I also didn't dislike it and I'm excited to learn what comes of these characters in the second book.
February 11, 2017
What can I say about Kennedy Ryan's prose. It's flawless, intoxicating. I need it like I need air. I've read her Souls series and I loved every book in that series. So I decided to try the Bennett series. The writing style is different from her Souls series. The story is told in third person but I loved this POV here because every character is important and how their lives intertwine with one another is what really makes this story shine.
When You Are Mine created so many emotions inside me and it's all because of Ryan's talent for fabulous storytelling and compelling characters. Yes, the story revolved around Kerris and Walsh but I connected with Cam, Jo and Sofie too. This ensemble was perfectly constructed and their dynamics intense with emotions.
Kerris and Walsh's connection and chemistry gave me goosebumps. Especially their first kiss. When they tried to hide or neglect their feelings because of their current circumstances created some angsty, heartbreaking and powerful scenes.
The story was fast paced but with a well developed story and depth to every character.
When You Are Mine isn't a standalone and is part of a duet. It didn't end with a cliffhanger but it definitely made me want more. Not just more of Walsh and Kerris but of every character from the Bennett family.
5 BadAssDirtyOrchidStars
When You Are Mine created so many emotions inside me and it's all because of Ryan's talent for fabulous storytelling and compelling characters. Yes, the story revolved around Kerris and Walsh but I connected with Cam, Jo and Sofie too. This ensemble was perfectly constructed and their dynamics intense with emotions.
Kerris and Walsh's connection and chemistry gave me goosebumps. Especially their first kiss. When they tried to hide or neglect their feelings because of their current circumstances created some angsty, heartbreaking and powerful scenes.
The story was fast paced but with a well developed story and depth to every character.
When You Are Mine isn't a standalone and is part of a duet. It didn't end with a cliffhanger but it definitely made me want more. Not just more of Walsh and Kerris but of every character from the Bennett family.
5 BadAssDirtyOrchidStars
July 6, 2020
wish I loved this more
the ending is unresolved, continues in book two
2,5 stars
the ending is unresolved, continues in book two
2,5 stars
June 20, 2014
I bought this book on impulse after coming across and reading just ONE glowing review for it. I do that sometimes. (Ok, that's a lie, I do that a lot of times.)
This time, it was a mistake.
The writing just didn't click with me. There's nothing overtly wrong with it, but bottom line is that I didn't care for it. I felt like I was just reading words.
For stories like this that are fueled by drama and angst, I want - no, I NEED - writing that grips me emotionally. For example: the works of Tarryn Fisher and Karina Halle. Strong, engaging writing that pulls me into the story -- even if it's a story that I may not like or have major issues with -- I can't deny that I'm fully into the story. I want to keep reading the next page and then the next page after that. That ability alone is enough to make me admire an author's work, but I didn't get that here.
As for the story itself -- I wasn't convinced of the instant connection between Kerris and Walsh, and really, everything else that didn't work for me stemmed from that. This ended with a cliffhanger and while those used to be enough to suck me in for book 2, I think I'll be ok letting this one go.
Side note: I saw in the author description on this book's Amazon page that 25% of her royalties is being donated to a good cause, which definitely lessens the blow of having just paid $3.99 for a book I didn't enjoy. Always nice to see an author who is a cool chick :)
This time, it was a mistake.
The writing just didn't click with me. There's nothing overtly wrong with it, but bottom line is that I didn't care for it. I felt like I was just reading words.
For stories like this that are fueled by drama and angst, I want - no, I NEED - writing that grips me emotionally. For example: the works of Tarryn Fisher and Karina Halle. Strong, engaging writing that pulls me into the story -- even if it's a story that I may not like or have major issues with -- I can't deny that I'm fully into the story. I want to keep reading the next page and then the next page after that. That ability alone is enough to make me admire an author's work, but I didn't get that here.
As for the story itself -- I wasn't convinced of the instant connection between Kerris and Walsh, and really, everything else that didn't work for me stemmed from that. This ended with a cliffhanger and while those used to be enough to suck me in for book 2, I think I'll be ok letting this one go.
Side note: I saw in the author description on this book's Amazon page that 25% of her royalties is being donated to a good cause, which definitely lessens the blow of having just paid $3.99 for a book I didn't enjoy. Always nice to see an author who is a cool chick :)
January 7, 2015
WOWOWOWOWOWOW! NO. FREAKING. WORDS. RIGHT. NOW! OH MY GOD! Going to read book two! HOLY ANGST ALERT!
July 20, 2014
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The Book Wranglers
Heat: warm butterflies
Rating: **** 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Provided by: NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
WOW!!! This book is achingly bittersweet...so much love, so much loss.
Kerris Moreton is a young woman driven by hope and determination. Hope that she will one day be able to start a family of her own, and determination to be better than those who 'helped' take care of her throughout her years in foster care.
She's now on the verge of opening her own store, and just minutes away from accepting a proposal that will rocket her into the life she's always wanted, until she comes face-to-face with what she never thought existed–her soul mate. For years she thought she would never find the 'one' that could open her heart and break down her walls. Her current boyfriend, Cam–who seems more like a close friend than boyfriend–has never been able to ignite her, but she loves his friendship, his understanding of their similar backgrounds, she loves the feeling of safety.
But what is Kerris to do when her soul mate slams right into her the night she's accepting an award for her volunteer services, and the only thing stopping them from being together is the brotherly bond he has with Cam.
Walsh Bennett has enjoyed what most would call a charmed life. As one of NYC's most sexy eligible bachelors, he can have any woman he wants. He's financially independent, a successful philanthropist with his mother's orphanage foundation, grooming to take over his father's business, and is as sweet as they come. He thought he had everything going for himself until the wind was knocked out of him by the pure beauty of Kerris' spirit. Just being around her caused him pleasure and pain–an internal battle that he was slowly losing. For the first time in his life he was being denied the only thing, the only person he'd ever really wanted because she belonged to his best friend, his brother–Cam.
The connection between Kerris and Walsh was like a fine piece of silk–easy and smooth. For inexplicable reasons they bonded over their differences and somehow found solace in one another. But time and circumstance stood between them, too many people would be hurt by the betrayal of them finally accepting what most seemed to already know...that they were the real thing.
So begins the bittersweet story of a love that came a little too late. A story that would mold the harsh edges of truth and splinter throughout those that were around them leaving their relationships broken and aggrieved.
The Best Thing:
This was such and interesting and fresh story. The love, the connection, the undeniable truth that Kerris and Walsh shared was perfectly written across the pages to create a world where only supreme joy existed. While the characters–Kerris, Walsh, Cam, and even Jo–were experiencing different variations of loss, whether it be a loss of friendship or love, when Kerris and Walsh were together the world seemed calm, seemed right, and everyone else faded away. It was a pleasure to read such an intense development between characters, especially when they did not have an extensive background together.
I loved how real, but how unfortunate the story was. Maybe there will be a HEA in book two, because this one was filled with anguish and severe heartache. The love-square (if you can call it that) was interesting and sad to see as well. To know that Jo, Walsh's cousin, had been pining away for her friend Cam for over 15 years and was now having to watch as he started a life with someone else...just sad. To watch while Walsh struggled not to ruin his closest friendship and to deny his love for Kerris was no easy feat. And lastly, to see the uncertainly and the fear that Cam wore around himself like a blanket, knowing that his wife Kerris loved Walsh and could be taken away at any moment was just painful, but so well written.
The Worst Thing:
I really...honestly don't have a worst thing. It's been while since I've read a book that I didn't have something to nitpick about but it is what it is.
Every character acted so perfectly and realistically in this book that it was hard for me to not like how something was written or a character's profile.
Overall:
Great story and can make you believe in love again.
The Book Wranglers
Heat: warm butterflies
Rating: **** 4.5 out of 5 Stars
Provided by: NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
WOW!!! This book is achingly bittersweet...so much love, so much loss.
Kerris Moreton is a young woman driven by hope and determination. Hope that she will one day be able to start a family of her own, and determination to be better than those who 'helped' take care of her throughout her years in foster care.
She's now on the verge of opening her own store, and just minutes away from accepting a proposal that will rocket her into the life she's always wanted, until she comes face-to-face with what she never thought existed–her soul mate. For years she thought she would never find the 'one' that could open her heart and break down her walls. Her current boyfriend, Cam–who seems more like a close friend than boyfriend–has never been able to ignite her, but she loves his friendship, his understanding of their similar backgrounds, she loves the feeling of safety.
But what is Kerris to do when her soul mate slams right into her the night she's accepting an award for her volunteer services, and the only thing stopping them from being together is the brotherly bond he has with Cam.
Walsh Bennett has enjoyed what most would call a charmed life. As one of NYC's most sexy eligible bachelors, he can have any woman he wants. He's financially independent, a successful philanthropist with his mother's orphanage foundation, grooming to take over his father's business, and is as sweet as they come. He thought he had everything going for himself until the wind was knocked out of him by the pure beauty of Kerris' spirit. Just being around her caused him pleasure and pain–an internal battle that he was slowly losing. For the first time in his life he was being denied the only thing, the only person he'd ever really wanted because she belonged to his best friend, his brother–Cam.
The connection between Kerris and Walsh was like a fine piece of silk–easy and smooth. For inexplicable reasons they bonded over their differences and somehow found solace in one another. But time and circumstance stood between them, too many people would be hurt by the betrayal of them finally accepting what most seemed to already know...that they were the real thing.
So begins the bittersweet story of a love that came a little too late. A story that would mold the harsh edges of truth and splinter throughout those that were around them leaving their relationships broken and aggrieved.
The Best Thing:
This was such and interesting and fresh story. The love, the connection, the undeniable truth that Kerris and Walsh shared was perfectly written across the pages to create a world where only supreme joy existed. While the characters–Kerris, Walsh, Cam, and even Jo–were experiencing different variations of loss, whether it be a loss of friendship or love, when Kerris and Walsh were together the world seemed calm, seemed right, and everyone else faded away. It was a pleasure to read such an intense development between characters, especially when they did not have an extensive background together.
I loved how real, but how unfortunate the story was. Maybe there will be a HEA in book two, because this one was filled with anguish and severe heartache. The love-square (if you can call it that) was interesting and sad to see as well. To know that Jo, Walsh's cousin, had been pining away for her friend Cam for over 15 years and was now having to watch as he started a life with someone else...just sad. To watch while Walsh struggled not to ruin his closest friendship and to deny his love for Kerris was no easy feat. And lastly, to see the uncertainly and the fear that Cam wore around himself like a blanket, knowing that his wife Kerris loved Walsh and could be taken away at any moment was just painful, but so well written.
The Worst Thing:
I really...honestly don't have a worst thing. It's been while since I've read a book that I didn't have something to nitpick about but it is what it is.
Every character acted so perfectly and realistically in this book that it was hard for me to not like how something was written or a character's profile.
Overall:
Great story and can make you believe in love again.
April 5, 2021
If you like angst read this book, otherwise stay away. I loved the depth of emotion Kennedy was able to pull out of these characters, although I do feel like a lot of the drama was maybe a bit over the top. This book really highlights what a talented writer she is because this is still a solid read but the growth she has had since writing this one is incredible.
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CW: sexual assault, child abuse, abandonment, cancer, loss of a parent, loss of a child
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CW: sexual assault, child abuse, abandonment, cancer, loss of a parent, loss of a child
January 26, 2020
3.5 stars
I will be the first to admit that this story isn't my usual cup of tea. I'm not a huge fan of love triangles or heavy angst, but I am a huge fan of Kennedy Ryan's writing. Just a few pages into it, I was hooked and needed to know how the characters had gotten to that point. It was like a train wreck that I couldn't pull my eyes from. This one pushed me emotionally and though I don't personally agree with some of the decisions these characters made, I can understand them. There was a lot going on in this book, and some topics that readers may have a problem with, including past histories of abuse, infidelity, death of a loved one, kidnapping, and more. I'm not a fan of cheating (physical or emotional) in books, but I will say what occurs did hurt, but was relatively mild and written in a way that felt honest. These characters are not perfect and stumble along as they try to make the best decisions for those that they love and themselves. Sometimes those decisions are destructive. Sometimes they're gut wrenching. At the end of the day though, I appreciated that each character was finding their way and growing throughout.
This one was frustrating with the amount of miscommunications and assumptions, but at the same time, it made these characters more real and relatable. Haven't we all made rash decisions based on incorrect assumptions? Sometimes those decisions have very lasting and far reaching consequences. I do want to note that there is one scene in the book that occurs in the aftermath of a confrontation, that I found very unsettling regarding consent. I wanted to slap or throttle pretty much everyone in the book at one point or another and don't even get me started on Sofie. I *may* have screamed and wanted to throw my kindle at the end of chapter 18 and start of 19.
When You Are Mine is part 1 of the duet, but thankfully there isn't a terrible cliffhanger. Things are still quite a bit up in the air though, and I'm invested enough in these characters to want to read the conclusion.
I will be the first to admit that this story isn't my usual cup of tea. I'm not a huge fan of love triangles or heavy angst, but I am a huge fan of Kennedy Ryan's writing. Just a few pages into it, I was hooked and needed to know how the characters had gotten to that point. It was like a train wreck that I couldn't pull my eyes from. This one pushed me emotionally and though I don't personally agree with some of the decisions these characters made, I can understand them. There was a lot going on in this book, and some topics that readers may have a problem with, including past histories of abuse, infidelity, death of a loved one, kidnapping, and more. I'm not a fan of cheating (physical or emotional) in books, but I will say what occurs did hurt, but was relatively mild and written in a way that felt honest. These characters are not perfect and stumble along as they try to make the best decisions for those that they love and themselves. Sometimes those decisions are destructive. Sometimes they're gut wrenching. At the end of the day though, I appreciated that each character was finding their way and growing throughout.
This one was frustrating with the amount of miscommunications and assumptions, but at the same time, it made these characters more real and relatable. Haven't we all made rash decisions based on incorrect assumptions? Sometimes those decisions have very lasting and far reaching consequences. I do want to note that there is one scene in the book that occurs in the aftermath of a confrontation, that I found very unsettling regarding consent. I wanted to slap or throttle pretty much everyone in the book at one point or another and don't even get me started on Sofie. I *may* have screamed and wanted to throw my kindle at the end of chapter 18 and start of 19.
When You Are Mine is part 1 of the duet, but thankfully there isn't a terrible cliffhanger. Things are still quite a bit up in the air though, and I'm invested enough in these characters to want to read the conclusion.
July 26, 2016
This story was a true joy to read, which surprised me a bit, since it deals with some serious subject matter. But I was glued to the pages! The intense moments, and a series of reveals, caught me off guard, and had me hooked to the end! These are flawed characters, with real life challenges. But they are so well developed, and compelling, they jumped off the pages. It was hard not to root for them!
Kerris had a tough start in life, but it hasn't gotten in the way of her hopes and dreams. As a new college graduate she is full of ambition for her future, and plans to open a vintage clothing store. Things are just starting to fall into place. So, when she arrives at an awards ceremony packed with wealthy donors, and sponsored by a prestigious foundation, nothing can prepare her for Walsh -- dark green eyes, 6'4"... and staring holes through her.
Of course, Walsh and Kerris are from different worlds. As the heir to the Bennett family fortune, Walsh has been groomed in acquisitions, travel, and philanthropy. Kerris, on the other hand, is used to doing things for herself, and finds creative ways to cut corners. But when they run into each other at a local hospital, they realize they have more in common than meets the eye -- Kerris volunteers her time locally, while Walsh travels the world helping children in need. And so begins an unlikely friendship. The problem is, Kerris' boyfriend, Cam, has just asked Kerris to marry him... and Walsh is Cam's best friend.
As the friendship between Kerris and Walsh intensifies, so does their attraction. But it goes far beyond physical. They understand each other, and are hopelessly drawn together like a moth to a flame. And they soon discover the pull is stronger than either one of them. Even their friends begin to notice. And then there is the kiss...
"His kiss was a feather and a flame, raising goose bumps and heating her skin. She pressed closer, defenseless against sensations she'd never experienced before ... An intimate invitation. An irresistible dare."
Of course, it would be easy to jump to judgment. But Kerris and Walsh are caring people, who never set out to hurt anyone. Above all this is a love story, but one where loyalties and friendship are at stake. And while matters of the heart are never simple, Kerris and Walsh's story is particularly complex.
To find out more, you will have to read the story -- lovely, well written, and sometimes heartbreaking. But it is well worth the read!
Note: This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Kerris had a tough start in life, but it hasn't gotten in the way of her hopes and dreams. As a new college graduate she is full of ambition for her future, and plans to open a vintage clothing store. Things are just starting to fall into place. So, when she arrives at an awards ceremony packed with wealthy donors, and sponsored by a prestigious foundation, nothing can prepare her for Walsh -- dark green eyes, 6'4"... and staring holes through her.
Of course, Walsh and Kerris are from different worlds. As the heir to the Bennett family fortune, Walsh has been groomed in acquisitions, travel, and philanthropy. Kerris, on the other hand, is used to doing things for herself, and finds creative ways to cut corners. But when they run into each other at a local hospital, they realize they have more in common than meets the eye -- Kerris volunteers her time locally, while Walsh travels the world helping children in need. And so begins an unlikely friendship. The problem is, Kerris' boyfriend, Cam, has just asked Kerris to marry him... and Walsh is Cam's best friend.
As the friendship between Kerris and Walsh intensifies, so does their attraction. But it goes far beyond physical. They understand each other, and are hopelessly drawn together like a moth to a flame. And they soon discover the pull is stronger than either one of them. Even their friends begin to notice. And then there is the kiss...
"His kiss was a feather and a flame, raising goose bumps and heating her skin. She pressed closer, defenseless against sensations she'd never experienced before ... An intimate invitation. An irresistible dare."
Of course, it would be easy to jump to judgment. But Kerris and Walsh are caring people, who never set out to hurt anyone. Above all this is a love story, but one where loyalties and friendship are at stake. And while matters of the heart are never simple, Kerris and Walsh's story is particularly complex.
To find out more, you will have to read the story -- lovely, well written, and sometimes heartbreaking. But it is well worth the read!
Note: This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
November 20, 2015
In Kennedy Ryan's emotional debut novel we are treated to a tale of love and desire, friendship and forbidden attraction. This first part of the Bennett series is the story of Kerris, a woman who has risen above her troubled upbringing to create a satisfying life for herself and the two men who will turn her world upside down - Cam, an artist and the man with whom she shares the bond of a foster parent upbringing and Walsh, Cam's wealthy best friend who sees in Kerris the woman of his dreams - until he finds out that she is the one with whom Cam want to spend the rest of his life. With Cam, Kerris feels safe and content and doesn't regret that her feelings for him don't include sexual attraction. But Walsh sparks in her strong feelings of intense sexual desire that alternately scare her and make her realize that her feelings for Cam will never be the same as what she feels for Walsh. Her choices and the emotional aftermath make up the first book of this serial.
Writing with a fluid style that is captivating and emotionally riveting, readers are pulled into the story from the very first page. Each character is portrayed with all their perfections and flaws. Kerris is generous, kind and unassuming but unsure of her ability to attract and keep love. Cam has an artistic temperament. He is devoted to his work and to Kerris but prone to emotional outbursts and carrying pent up anger from his troubled youth. Walsh is a good man, patient and understanding, trying to perform his business tasks and charitable work in a fashion that will please those around him. His attraction to Kerris threatens to ruin his lifelong friendship with Cam yet he is drawn irresistibly to her like a moth to a flame. Their love triangle sizzles with sexual tension and emotional depth, and the choices made propel the story forward. Secondary characters play a key role in the plot as it unfolds, evoking emotional responses from all involved, including the reader. There is laughter and there are tears and the overall story is compelling. The book ends not with a cliffhanger but with the sense that there is much more of the tale left to be told. Readers will be anxious for the next instalment, planned to be released in late 2014. Highly recommended, 5 heart-wrenching stars!
Note: An ARC of this story was received from the publisher via NetGalley for review
Writing with a fluid style that is captivating and emotionally riveting, readers are pulled into the story from the very first page. Each character is portrayed with all their perfections and flaws. Kerris is generous, kind and unassuming but unsure of her ability to attract and keep love. Cam has an artistic temperament. He is devoted to his work and to Kerris but prone to emotional outbursts and carrying pent up anger from his troubled youth. Walsh is a good man, patient and understanding, trying to perform his business tasks and charitable work in a fashion that will please those around him. His attraction to Kerris threatens to ruin his lifelong friendship with Cam yet he is drawn irresistibly to her like a moth to a flame. Their love triangle sizzles with sexual tension and emotional depth, and the choices made propel the story forward. Secondary characters play a key role in the plot as it unfolds, evoking emotional responses from all involved, including the reader. There is laughter and there are tears and the overall story is compelling. The book ends not with a cliffhanger but with the sense that there is much more of the tale left to be told. Readers will be anxious for the next instalment, planned to be released in late 2014. Highly recommended, 5 heart-wrenching stars!
Note: An ARC of this story was received from the publisher via NetGalley for review
June 14, 2014
Kennedy Ryan's debut is a beautifully crafted and heartwrenching story about Kerris and Cam... and Walsh. Oh, how I adore a love triangle, especially one where both men are handsome and successful and smart. How is a girl to choose? I found myself rooting for Kerris to make the right choice, really getting into her journey as her feelings changed and grew, and I LOVED the steamy chemistry between her and Walsh. Lucky for readers, this book is the first in a trilogy, and I'm already looking forward to the next "The Bennetts" novel!
June 18, 2019
While there isn't a typical on the edge of your seat cliffhanger per se, there are many, many unresolved issues and it is a duet.
If I had read this duet five years ago, when they were first released, I think I would have rated it higher. That is sort of a cop out but also a testament as to how much KR has evolved into a fantastic storyteller. I mean have you READ Grip?
Some may view this as blatant cheating, some may see this as a grey area and some may not care. I choose the latter. It's fiction, but real life, nope not OK.
If I had read this duet five years ago, when they were first released, I think I would have rated it higher. That is sort of a cop out but also a testament as to how much KR has evolved into a fantastic storyteller. I mean have you READ Grip?
Some may view this as blatant cheating, some may see this as a grey area and some may not care. I choose the latter. It's fiction, but real life, nope not OK.
March 27, 2014
Love triangles are tough to write. But when they're done right like the one in WHEN YOU ARE MINE, it is pure bliss for the reader. The heart wants what the heart wants, and this is the case for Walsh and Kerris. The attraction between them is undeniable. I shivered with anticipation every time they were in a scene together. Together, they make the pages sizzle! I can't wait to read book 2, LOVING YOU ALWAYS! An outstanding debut from Kennedy Ryan!
June 17, 2014
I'm not one who enjoys or chooses stories in which situations like Cam, Kerris, and Walsh are in in this debut novel, but I was absolutely riveted from the first page and could not put the book down. Kennedy does a stellar job making you root for what you would probably abhor in real life. The characters felt so real and the tension holds well throughout the book. This is one of my favorite reads this year.
Shelved as 'dnf'
October 8, 2019I’m very sad to have a dnf of a book by Kennedy Ryan, but I just couldn’t with this story. I stopped reading at 53%
Two best friends, one fantastic girl... and that was a recipe for disaster for me. I have loved all other Ryan books I have read, so I’m going to think that this series is just a fluke for me.
Personally, I didn’t like that Kerris was so insecure. And I also did’t like that Walsh thought he should go after her when she was with his best friend. But what really made me stop reading was when Walsh hooked up with Sofie - whom he had known since he was little, and who he knew he didn’t love. That is what made me close the book for good.
Two best friends, one fantastic girl... and that was a recipe for disaster for me. I have loved all other Ryan books I have read, so I’m going to think that this series is just a fluke for me.
Personally, I didn’t like that Kerris was so insecure. And I also did’t like that Walsh thought he should go after her when she was with his best friend. But what really made me stop reading was when Walsh hooked up with Sofie - whom he had known since he was little, and who he knew he didn’t love. That is what made me close the book for good.
May 19, 2016
I’ll be the first to admit I’ve always loved Much Ado About Nothing far more than Romeo and Juliet. You can safely say that I’m all about the happy endings and not so keen on the angst. I think this is why Kennedy was a little concerned about handing over her darling for me to review.
She needn’t have worried.
First of all, her prose is addictive. I kept turning page (er, clicking to the next page…whatevs) after page because I was thoroughly invested in her characters and because the words flowed so smoothly. Walsh first sees Kerris helping out an elderly lady. His attraction is immediate, but he doesn’t know who she is. That surprise comes a few minutes later when she’s almost late to receive her own award, and he finds out she’s the girlfriend of his best friend, Cam.
Now, Walsh has money and lots of it. Cam and Kerris are both products of the foster care system and both have seen and experienced things no child should ever have to know. Maybe that similar background—or an intense loyalty—keeps Kerris with Cam even though she feels the sparks between her and Walsh, too.
I know, I know…love triangle! You either love them or you hate them. I assure you, this one works. I want to be mad at Kerris for not just telling Cam to shove it and to go off with Walsh, but I can’t. Her logic, her inner reasonings are sound. Same with Walsh. Cam is a bit of a mystery until you get further along in the book, but his character develops in surprising ways. I had to keep reading. I couldn’t help myself.
So here are the last few things you need to know:
This book has angst. If you love angst at all—and you know who you are—you need to go preorder this stat.
This is part one of a series. You will be left wanting more. But you won’t mind *too* much.
In many ways, each character in this book has a flaw—just like folks in real life, but Kennedy Ryan is going to make you love them anyway.
I love Kerris’s fashion sense. Okay. I know that’s not on part with the first three, but I had to say it anyway. Her consignment shop finds and ideas for rock jewelry intrigue me.
Go forth and buy When You are Mine. Just be prepared to pine for Loving You Always.
She needn’t have worried.
First of all, her prose is addictive. I kept turning page (er, clicking to the next page…whatevs) after page because I was thoroughly invested in her characters and because the words flowed so smoothly. Walsh first sees Kerris helping out an elderly lady. His attraction is immediate, but he doesn’t know who she is. That surprise comes a few minutes later when she’s almost late to receive her own award, and he finds out she’s the girlfriend of his best friend, Cam.
Now, Walsh has money and lots of it. Cam and Kerris are both products of the foster care system and both have seen and experienced things no child should ever have to know. Maybe that similar background—or an intense loyalty—keeps Kerris with Cam even though she feels the sparks between her and Walsh, too.
I know, I know…love triangle! You either love them or you hate them. I assure you, this one works. I want to be mad at Kerris for not just telling Cam to shove it and to go off with Walsh, but I can’t. Her logic, her inner reasonings are sound. Same with Walsh. Cam is a bit of a mystery until you get further along in the book, but his character develops in surprising ways. I had to keep reading. I couldn’t help myself.
So here are the last few things you need to know:
This book has angst. If you love angst at all—and you know who you are—you need to go preorder this stat.
This is part one of a series. You will be left wanting more. But you won’t mind *too* much.
In many ways, each character in this book has a flaw—just like folks in real life, but Kennedy Ryan is going to make you love them anyway.
I love Kerris’s fashion sense. Okay. I know that’s not on part with the first three, but I had to say it anyway. Her consignment shop finds and ideas for rock jewelry intrigue me.
Go forth and buy When You are Mine. Just be prepared to pine for Loving You Always.
August 25, 2015
When You Are Mine is an entertaining read about two people who fall in love in unfortunate circumstances. It's the kind of love that is all-consuming, you feel sick when you're not with the other person, and you can't imagine your life without that other person. I enjoyed this quick read that packed a heaping dose of drama, love, and heartache.
Walsh Bennett has lived a charmed life. Everything has been served to him on a silver platter. He has spent his adult life giving back through his mother's non-profit, the Bennett Foundation. Its aim is to help kids in foster care become leaders in the community, and the organization also has orphanages in Africa. Walsh travels back and forth between Africa, his hometown of Riverfront, North Carolina, and New York, where his father has built a business empire. His father, Martin Bennett, is a king of mergers and acquisitions and has always hoped Walsh would join him in the family business. But Walsh's heart has always been with the the Bennett Foundation.
Walsh is a romantic at heart who has always believed in soul mates and fate. His family has always assumed he'd marry Sofie, a world-famous supermodel, but he has never really felt anything for her. Then he meets Kerris Moreton. In just a few short minutes, both of them knew there was something there. The connection between the two of them was unexpected, forbidden, and made things very complicated. Case in point: Kerris's boyfriend, Cameron Mitchell, is Walsh's best friend.
Kerris never knew her mother. After she abandoned Kerris in a pile of clothes at the orphanage, Kerris was tossed from family to family in the foster care system. Her turbulent past still haunts her, but her life is much more stable now that she found someone who can give her the kind of love she never had. She and Cam share many commonalities that bind them together. They both understand what each other has gone through, having come from broken homes.
Cam and Walsh have been friends since they were teenages and consider themselves brothers. As Cam's feelings towards Kerris intensify, she is forced to make some difficult choices.
"Walsh could have anyone. She and Cam were made for each other; they could heal each other and build together. The future and family they'd never thought they'd have, they could have each other."
She must choose between taking a risk or staying on safe territory. But she risks breaking the heart of an already tortured man or losing her own heart.
"...when he looked at her, he made her feel that everything he'd ever wanted in the whole world was standing in front of him. If she had still been a praying woman, she would have asked God if He could please, please, please make her feel the same."
In the innocent moments she spends with Walsh she realizes that Cam has never made her feel like that. Walsh and Kerris get to know each other, sharing bits of their pasts with one another. The moments from them are emotionally charged and full of the bottled-up longing that I LOVED!
"So you can be honest with me about the most traumatic thing that ever happened to you, but you can't tell me how you feel when Cam kisses you?"
"It's fine."
"That's not how it's supposed to be with the person you marry."
"Maybe not for you, or for other people that's how it is for me. I just don't I have the capacity to be affected that way."
I really loved Walsh's character so much. The fact that he came from a long line of family wealth, yet stayed incredibly humble was attractive and made me fall in love with him. What he saw in Kerris was more than a beautiful woman. After the first time they met, her quiet resilience, perseverance and intelligence was what pull him towards her. It's also what I admired about her the most. I love a strong heroine and she was the definition of one. She came from nothing and grew up to be a compassionate and caring business woman.
"Your past haunts you, but it hasn't twisted you, it hasn't ruined you. If anything, it's made you a stronger person. That's a miracle. You're the miracle, baby."
As a forewarning, there is a love triangle and a bit of cheating in this book. If those things are deal breakers for you, then this one may not be for you. Personally, I will read a book with those plot devices present but there are times when those things do not work for me. I didn't have a problem bookwise with the cheating or the love triangle; it didn't cross the line for me. The heroine was not running back and forth between the guys giving me whiplash nor was she annoying. Kennedy Ryan did a good job at setting the scene and making you feel the pull and tug between Walsh and Kerris, but at the same time feeling for Cam.
There were some things in this book that did not work for me completely. I won't go into some of them for the sake of spoiling it. Suffice it to say that there were some dramatic moments that seemed a little over the top and I felt as though the story could have survived without those dramatics being used as a catalyst for Kerris to come to her conclusions. There were also some moments from the characters' pasts that didn't sit well with me.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed watching Kerris and Walsh fall in love. I really enjoyed their unique connection and look forward to finding what happens next in Loving You Always, the second book in the series.
*I received an advanced copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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December 9, 2019
This seems to be part of a duet. I usually hart duets but i liked this one. Hope to get to the good stuff wit the Second one
June 19, 2014
Let me just tell you honestly that I'm really not a fan of love triangles, where the men are best friends who are both in love with the same woman, because that's very frustrating for me, but Kerris, Cam, and of course my baby, Walsh's, story is different. Still frustrating but like in a good way different.
You don't know how much I wanted Kerris and Walsh to kiss and like get together since Chapter 1. Their chemistry is just so palpable I can feel it in my soul. I'm not even sorry for Cam. I know, rude much.
And when their first kiss finally happened...I was like...
(Let's take a 2 minutes break and I'll just swoon over Matt Bomer)
2 minutes later...
So yeah, don't get me wrong, I like Cam, he's a very good man and he deserves happiness after all he's been through, but I just don't like him with Kerris. They're more like a brother and sister for me. I don't get butterflies in my tummy when they have a lovey-dovey moment, not like Walsh and Kerris I feel the whole zoo. And I am not just saying that because I'm on Team Walsh.
Or maybe I am.
Even Kerris is on my team! ;)P
Dean, do you think Miss Kennedy could like erase Cam on the picture? And let Walsh and Kerris have their happily ever after on the next book?
(I LOVE THIS GUY! HE ALWAYS APPROVES!)
And now let's talk about freaking Sophie. That girl is frustrating as hell. If I were there I'd pull her hair off. But I'm not so I'm pulling my own hair every goddamn time she clings to Walsh. She gets on my nerves like every spinal nerves, sciatic nerves, facial nerves, medial nerves, sural nerve, and ulner nerve and some of the nerves in the human body. And for me, she's the sole reason why everything went so wrong.
This book got my emotions all over the place.
One moment I am so in love...and then after .091208 seconds I am crying...and then the next thing I just want to stab someone with a fork in the throat because of frustration. (And when I say someone I meant Sophia.)
Here's an emoji story of my emotions for you.
See? The struggle is real.
Now guess who's emotionally fucked-up.
Half-part through the book I was tempted to just skip to the last chapter or just bang my head on the wall. Of course, I chose the latter—because the former is considered as cheating—I literally banged my head on the freaking wall.
And when I finally reached the last chapter, I repeatedly banged my head again on the wall. (I'm going to have a concussion I swear to God.) But it did not help abate the painI was I AM feeling. Nope, not even a little. If you don't feel me here, Leo will tell you.
If you need me I'll be just in my room, laying on the floor, staring at the ceiling, listening to Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends."
Or perhaps this...
You don't know how much I wanted Kerris and Walsh to kiss and like get together since Chapter 1. Their chemistry is just so palpable I can feel it in my soul. I'm not even sorry for Cam. I know, rude much.
And when their first kiss finally happened...I was like...
(Let's take a 2 minutes break and I'll just swoon over Matt Bomer)
2 minutes later...
So yeah, don't get me wrong, I like Cam, he's a very good man and he deserves happiness after all he's been through, but I just don't like him with Kerris. They're more like a brother and sister for me. I don't get butterflies in my tummy when they have a lovey-dovey moment, not like Walsh and Kerris I feel the whole zoo. And I am not just saying that because I'm on Team Walsh.
Or maybe I am.
Even Kerris is on my team! ;)P
Dean, do you think Miss Kennedy could like erase Cam on the picture? And let Walsh and Kerris have their happily ever after on the next book?
(I LOVE THIS GUY! HE ALWAYS APPROVES!)
And now let's talk about freaking Sophie. That girl is frustrating as hell. If I were there I'd pull her hair off. But I'm not so I'm pulling my own hair every goddamn time she clings to Walsh. She gets on my nerves like every spinal nerves, sciatic nerves, facial nerves, medial nerves, sural nerve, and ulner nerve and some of the nerves in the human body. And for me, she's the sole reason why everything went so wrong.
This book got my emotions all over the place.
One moment I am so in love...and then after .091208 seconds I am crying...and then the next thing I just want to stab someone with a fork in the throat because of frustration. (And when I say someone I meant Sophia.)
Here's an emoji story of my emotions for you.
See? The struggle is real.
Now guess who's emotionally fucked-up.
Half-part through the book I was tempted to just skip to the last chapter or just bang my head on the wall. Of course, I chose the latter—because the former is considered as cheating—I literally banged my head on the freaking wall.
And when I finally reached the last chapter, I repeatedly banged my head again on the wall. (I'm going to have a concussion I swear to God.) But it did not help abate the pain
If you need me I'll be just in my room, laying on the floor, staring at the ceiling, listening to Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends."
Or perhaps this...
June 11, 2014
WOW...just wow!! This is really more of a 4.5 star for me. An incredible debut novel for Kennedy Ryan.
The basis for this story is a love triangle between Walsh, his best friend Cam, and Kerris. But there is so much more packed into the pages of this story. Each of the characters in this book has a story and you can't wait to find out what happens. I would have given a five star rating but I feel the writing needs just a bit more polish but it will be so exciting to see how this writers work evolves over the course of the series and what is sure to be a very long writing career. If you absolutely have to have your HEA, you won't get it in this book. This story is not complete. It will be continued in the next installment of the series. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it. I can't wait for the next one.
The basis for this story is a love triangle between Walsh, his best friend Cam, and Kerris. But there is so much more packed into the pages of this story. Each of the characters in this book has a story and you can't wait to find out what happens. I would have given a five star rating but I feel the writing needs just a bit more polish but it will be so exciting to see how this writers work evolves over the course of the series and what is sure to be a very long writing career. If you absolutely have to have your HEA, you won't get it in this book. This story is not complete. It will be continued in the next installment of the series. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it. I can't wait for the next one.
September 1, 2015
4 1/2 stars
Starting off like any other love triangle, this book separated from the trope early on with well developed and diverse Secondary characters. This story quickly developed into intricate layers, ending in the biggest ugly cry I've had this year. And not even over the main characters! There are several things happening that will take your attention and imagination.
This isn't your usual romance. it is an epic Southern family drama that I'm in love with, and can't wait to continue.
Starting off like any other love triangle, this book separated from the trope early on with well developed and diverse Secondary characters. This story quickly developed into intricate layers, ending in the biggest ugly cry I've had this year. And not even over the main characters! There are several things happening that will take your attention and imagination.
This isn't your usual romance. it is an epic Southern family drama that I'm in love with, and can't wait to continue.
March 24, 2020
Giving this 5 very unexpected, very deserved, what the heck was I worried about?? stars!!!! You go Kennedy Ryan...just like you've always been doing!!!!!! I know this author has a lot of followers on GR - definitely do yourself a favor and add this series to your immediate TBR!
It's not a surprise that I LOVE everything that Mrs Ryan writes. She just has the magic!! When she puts broken people together, she captures me and I can not let go until I am finished! Her Hoops series...her Grip series...her Soul series - they are all favorites of mine. But for some weird reason the very first series she wrote - this one - I actually passed on reading for 2 years?!?! Number 1 - only 1 person I am friends with on GR read it. 2. it has an overall rating of 3.8. Which in my reading world is not high. I naively thought her first book must just not have been as great as all her later books - well I was plain wrong!
I LOVED this cast of characters - Walsh, Cam, Sophie, Kerris, Jo - they all bring something to the friendship. Some Love, some jealousy, some bring the money, and some bring the kindness. This first book in the series is a dangerous love triangle - the chemistry between Walsh and Kerris is just constant and the angst of their relationship is crazy!!!! This book does end on a cliffhanger - so you will need to crack open book 2 to get the rest of the story.
It's not a surprise that I LOVE everything that Mrs Ryan writes. She just has the magic!! When she puts broken people together, she captures me and I can not let go until I am finished! Her Hoops series...her Grip series...her Soul series - they are all favorites of mine. But for some weird reason the very first series she wrote - this one - I actually passed on reading for 2 years?!?! Number 1 - only 1 person I am friends with on GR read it. 2. it has an overall rating of 3.8. Which in my reading world is not high. I naively thought her first book must just not have been as great as all her later books - well I was plain wrong!
I LOVED this cast of characters - Walsh, Cam, Sophie, Kerris, Jo - they all bring something to the friendship. Some Love, some jealousy, some bring the money, and some bring the kindness. This first book in the series is a dangerous love triangle - the chemistry between Walsh and Kerris is just constant and the angst of their relationship is crazy!!!! This book does end on a cliffhanger - so you will need to crack open book 2 to get the rest of the story.
January 8, 2021
Review to come
June 24, 2014
OMG, I WAS CAPTIVATED! A GIRL COMES BETWEEN TWO BROTHERS & CREATES A LOVE TRIANGLE, WILL SHE LISTEN TO HER CONSCIENCE OR HER HEART?
When You Are Mine is the first novel in The Bennetts series by author Kennedy Ryan. Kerris had a difficult childhood growing up without love and a family to call her own. She was an orphan from day she born, because she was just left abandon on the doorsteps of an orphanage as a baby. She lived in numerous good and bad foster homes, but never letting her past steer her away from her dreams. As a college graduate and mentor at Walsh House in Raleigh for serve risk teens. She impressed everyone with her strength, determination, and compassion, especially Walsh Bennett.
“He was a mountain. Insurmountable. Stark against the backdrop of the glittering ballroom like peaks against a feather-clouded sky. His unwavering stare scrambled her thoughts.”
Walsh was also the best friend to Kerris’ boyfriend, Cam, whom she had been recently dating for the past six months. Kerris had found comfort, security, and someone she could relate her past with in Cam. Unfortunately, Cam never made her feel breathless by his presence as Walsh.
“…he carried an air of careless glamour only money could achieve. He was a slumming prince, and the strong male beauty of him snagged the breath in her throat. The rest of the room dissolved into a peripheral blur.”
Walsh is an only child who was love, had a wealthy family, and rose in a high society. Although his father was grooming Walsh to take over his father’s business someday, Walsh always found time to help his mother with the charities assisting orphans.
Walsh’s best friend, Cam, was also an orphan he meets at camp when they were thirteen years old. Initially, the two did not like each other but later became best friends after a few fights and pranks. They were so close, Walsh’s mother treated Cam as he was her son too.
Walsh soon finds out he and Kerris have more in common then he thought, like volunteering and helping orphans. It seems they also share the same flare igniting a consuming flame within their souls, but to take away the girl from the guy he calls brother is unacceptable. Will Walsh be able to walk away from Kerris? Who will Kerris decide stay with, Cam or Walsh?
"The intensity simmering between them had knocked him over from that first glance. It was still here, right below the surface, coiled like a whip poised to crack at any moment. He felt it now, and knew the moment she felt it, too."
Kennedy Ryan’s novel, When You Are Mine, is the first novel in The Bennetts series which Kennedy has done an amazing job writing a captivating love story that will pull at your heart strings while also feeling as if you are on an emotional roller coaster of COMPASSION, SADNESS, ANGER, LAUGHTER, FORGIVENESS, BETRAYAL, FRIENDSHIP, and LOVE. Even though When You Are Mine does end with a “soft” cliffhanger, Kennedy Ryan will not have us to waiting too long for the second novel, Loving You Always, due to be released on October 2014. In addition, Kennedy Ryan is donating 25% of her royalties to her national charitable partner Talk About Curing Autism and Myles-A-Part.
"People don’t belong to each other...People love each other."
Kennedy Ryan’s first novel in The Bennetts series, When You Are Mine, receives - 5 AMAZING STARS!
When You Are Mine is the first novel in The Bennetts series by author Kennedy Ryan. Kerris had a difficult childhood growing up without love and a family to call her own. She was an orphan from day she born, because she was just left abandon on the doorsteps of an orphanage as a baby. She lived in numerous good and bad foster homes, but never letting her past steer her away from her dreams. As a college graduate and mentor at Walsh House in Raleigh for serve risk teens. She impressed everyone with her strength, determination, and compassion, especially Walsh Bennett.
“He was a mountain. Insurmountable. Stark against the backdrop of the glittering ballroom like peaks against a feather-clouded sky. His unwavering stare scrambled her thoughts.”
Walsh was also the best friend to Kerris’ boyfriend, Cam, whom she had been recently dating for the past six months. Kerris had found comfort, security, and someone she could relate her past with in Cam. Unfortunately, Cam never made her feel breathless by his presence as Walsh.
“…he carried an air of careless glamour only money could achieve. He was a slumming prince, and the strong male beauty of him snagged the breath in her throat. The rest of the room dissolved into a peripheral blur.”
Walsh is an only child who was love, had a wealthy family, and rose in a high society. Although his father was grooming Walsh to take over his father’s business someday, Walsh always found time to help his mother with the charities assisting orphans.
Walsh’s best friend, Cam, was also an orphan he meets at camp when they were thirteen years old. Initially, the two did not like each other but later became best friends after a few fights and pranks. They were so close, Walsh’s mother treated Cam as he was her son too.
Walsh soon finds out he and Kerris have more in common then he thought, like volunteering and helping orphans. It seems they also share the same flare igniting a consuming flame within their souls, but to take away the girl from the guy he calls brother is unacceptable. Will Walsh be able to walk away from Kerris? Who will Kerris decide stay with, Cam or Walsh?
"The intensity simmering between them had knocked him over from that first glance. It was still here, right below the surface, coiled like a whip poised to crack at any moment. He felt it now, and knew the moment she felt it, too."
Kennedy Ryan’s novel, When You Are Mine, is the first novel in The Bennetts series which Kennedy has done an amazing job writing a captivating love story that will pull at your heart strings while also feeling as if you are on an emotional roller coaster of COMPASSION, SADNESS, ANGER, LAUGHTER, FORGIVENESS, BETRAYAL, FRIENDSHIP, and LOVE. Even though When You Are Mine does end with a “soft” cliffhanger, Kennedy Ryan will not have us to waiting too long for the second novel, Loving You Always, due to be released on October 2014. In addition, Kennedy Ryan is donating 25% of her royalties to her national charitable partner Talk About Curing Autism and Myles-A-Part.
"People don’t belong to each other...People love each other."
Kennedy Ryan’s first novel in The Bennetts series, When You Are Mine, receives - 5 AMAZING STARS!
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