Veena’s review of When You Are Mine (The Bennets, Book 1) by Kennedy Ryan
Contemporary Romance published by Forever Yours 17 Jun 14
This is an extremely well-crafted novel, making it hard to believe that it’s Ms. Ryan’s debut book. Relationships are definitely complicated things and nowhere have I seen this better illustrated than in this book with its maze of interconnecting relationships and good intentions that definitely don’t lead to heaven. The one thing that I am deeply unhappy about is the skidding halt right at the edge of a cliff…
Walsh is the golden boy with the world at his feet, who has everything that he could possibly need – except the one person he aches to make his own.
Kenris is beautiful inside and out with a deeply painful childhood that she’s putting behind her, as she works towards creating a golden future. Unfortunately, she does not consider herself good enough for Walsh, despite the almost instantaneous attraction that she feels towards him. Of course, it doesn’t help that his cousin Jo and childhood friend, who has designs upon him, constantly warns her off him. Despite the hot chemistry between them, Kenris is determined to resist him to the point of marrying his best friend Cam.
Cam has his own painful childhood, but his friendship with Walsh and near adoption into the Bennett family has given him a strong sense of worth. He wants Kenris with everything within him, even knowing that his all-but-in-blood brother Walsh also loves Kenris. I think he loves Kenris, but now with how the book is shaping up, I wonder what Kenris represents to him when he found out that Walsh loves her.
Jo, Walsh’s cousin, also loves Cam, and yet I don’t understand why she pushes Kenris in Cam’s direction, even when it’s clear that Walsh loves Kenris. That one is still a mystery, but I am sure we’ll learn more about Jo’s motivations as the story goes on.
The biggest mystery or perhaps lesson of the story is Walsh’s parents. He thought they hated each other, when it turns out that, in fact, they loved each other so much that they managed to drive each other apart and ended up spending most of their life without the other. Perhaps their story serves as a great lesson about pride coming before love and a fall.
I am totally captured and sucked in, but, as you can tell, this book has left me with more questions than answers. Clearly I’ll have to read the next one to see what gets answered there and what remains a hook into the Book 3. Ms. Ryan is definitely an author to watch for in the future.
Grade:B
Summary:
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 . . .
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
