Review: Keeping 6

Keeping 6 by Freya Barker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Kerry Emerson is a divorced woman with two book shops, she is finally starting to feel like she's on an even keel when FBI Special Agent in Charge Damian Gomez walks into her book store. Two years ago (and I'm guessing in a different series) Kerry was kidnapped and beaten up to try to find out the whereabouts of her BFF, Damian was the FBI agent who was first to find her.

Having thought she had left all the drama behind her, Kerry is soon embroiled in Damian's FBI investigation involving stolen rare books. There are break-ins, inside jobs, intra-departmental rivalries, reclusive millionaires and loud families galore.

I liked this but I didn't love it, and Damian was the cause. He felt too sexist, too aggressive, too prone to boxing Kerry into corners or kissing her in a way which felt controlling. One of the things I have really enjoyed about Freya Barker's other heroes is that they are mature enough to have either got over the macho BS or to have learned to control it, Damian was too much like a dog with a juicy bone (growling at anyone who tried to take it away) whilst simultaneously pushing Kerry away because 'he has a personal code' - yeah right!

Also, I received mixed messages about Kerry. at the start of the book she was all Bo-Ho smocks and hippy clothing then she seemed to morph into leggings and sloppy tops followed by skin-tight dresses.

Overall, this is an enjoyable romantic/ suspense novel, I liked Kerry and the plot was intriguing yet believable, there was a good feeling of misdirect which I like in a suspense novel.

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