The Keeping Kind: Kilkenny Chronicles, Book 1

Cassie Kennedy catches fiancé Rhys having sex with another girl in her car just days before their wedding. She cancels the wedding and her friend Siobhan O’Mara finds her a job in New York, where the two of them will live close to one another. Cassie is reluctant to leave Ireland but is so shattered she feels she needs a complete change of pace. They stop in Vegas first, where Cassie meets a man at the roulette table. Mesmerized by his dazzling blue eyes, she suddenly forgets all about Rhys back home. She knows she will never see Dax, aka Mr. Blue Eyes again, so when they get paired up at a sex party, she tells him her whole sordid past. Dax listens to her and falls for her on the spot. They fall asleep, and in the morning, she is gone. He vows to find her no matter what it takes.

“The Keeping Kind” tells the story of a woman who has lost everything but is ready to take a gamble and relocate to find herself. Cassie, Siobhan, and Dax are bright characters with a lot of depth to them, and the readers will enjoy getting to know more about them. The secondary characters fall flat, however, and only have a line or two of dialogue. Helen is the original dragon lady and is not sympathetic to any degree. Ms. Clarke has written an extremely emotional piece with exceptional highs and lows, so have a tissue ready. 

Belinda Wilson