Book Review | Keep Me Close

Keep Me Close by R.M. Virtues

Series: Gods of Hunger #2
Published by Strange Hungers Publishing on July 30, 2021
Genres: Fiction / Fantasy / General, Fiction / Romance / General, Fiction / Romance / Suspense
Pages: 348
Format: eBook

She is the closest thing Khaos Falls has to a goddess...

And Aphrodite is feared and worshipped in equal measure. She has dedicated her life to being a savior for the lost regardless of the risk, but when unknown enemies nearly assassinate her in her own club, she realizes her reckless vigilante tactics won't cut it anymore.

He is the furthest thing Khaos Falls has from a hero...

In fact, Hephaestus is who you call when all the heroes have fallen. Still, he is the best at what he does, strengthening the city's weaknesses and keeping his feelings out of it. When tasked with Aphrodite's personal security, it's easy for him to detach himself from their mutual disdain. Until disdain is no longer the only thing he feels for her.

With their enemies elusive and snakes in their midst, good hearts and sharp wit may not be enough. But he made a vow, and he will keep it. Even if it means turning newfound feelings into newfound strengths and using them as a weapon to protect her.

ISBN: 9781736745434

I honestly don’t remember why I first rated this 4 stars when it’s definitely a 5 star read! Maybe having read the first one and then re-reading this just had everything make more sense.

As with the first one, I found everything adorable about Aphrodite and Hephaestus! I’m blown away by how R.M. Virtues creates stories that completely pull me in and make me root for the couple. Virtues is definitely an auto-buy author for me going forward!

While I love Hades and Persephone’s relationship in Drag Me Up, Aphrodite and Hephaestus just fill all my romance needs. Witty banter, rivals to reluctant allies to lovers, respect for each other and what they do, disability representation, transgender representation. I could go on and on it’s just so good!

So this one has a daddy kink, which is listed in the content warnings before the book and of course, I knew about it this time, since this is a re-read. I’m still surprised that I liked the daddy kink. I’m not sure if it’s Virtues writing, the personality of the couple, or a combination of both. But yea, it just worked for me in this one. As stated above about how they each respect each other, I think that’s what it comes down too with me liking the kink in this novel.

Spoilers for the ending! I love the ending where Aphrodite is confronted with being a damsel in distress and realizes she has to save herself. Throughout the novel there’s this idea of Aphrodite wanting to have a fairy tale romance, it’s something that annoys Hephaestus cause he’s such a realist. Even though Aphrodite grew out of that once she became an adult, there’s still a small part of her that does want a sweeping romance. But she’s fully confronted with the fact that there’s no one coming to save her. To live through this, she has to save herself, and it’s both heartbreaking and beautiful. Once safe, there’s an argument between Aphrodite and Hephaestus that he’s not good for her (brought on by Ares, who blames Hephaestus for everything). Hephaestus tries to fall on his sword to break-up with Aphrodite, but does she stand for that? Of course not! She straight up tells him that if he doesn’t want to be with her or want her, then to not be a coward and tell her. Hephaestus’s argument is quickly over when Aphrodite tells him that only she can decide what’s good for her. I’m here for independent women telling the men in her life that she can make her own decisions.

The quote from the end of their discussion gets me every time:

If you need to find me, I’ll just be over here looking for my Hephaestus or Aphrodite!

Darcy