Erryn reviews ‘Kel’s Keeper’ by K.C. Wells. This book was released by the author on September 1, 2019, and is 240 pgs long. The audiobook version of this story was narrated by John Solo. It was released on December 13, 2019, and is 7 hrs and 35 mins long. A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Why I read this book: I love K.C. Wells and have a thing for Daddy Kink books.
When Kel Taylor’s life changes irrevocably, he finds himself alone in the world. He might have rebelled a little against his parents, but that didn’t mean he was ready to lose them. Unable to cope with his grief and feelings of guilt, he turns to booze, but before he hits rock bottom, someone dives into the murky waters to save him.
Luc Bryant watched Kel grow from the little kid whose football broke a pane in his greenhouse, into the sexy young man who sent heat racing through him. That was when Luc stopped watching and distanced himself, because he didn’t want to be that kind of a man. And that’s how things continued, until he saw to what depths the boy had sunk. Luc will be damned if he’ll let Kel kill himself. What Kel needs is a friend, and Luc’s shoulders are plenty big enough to bear his burdens.
Kel doesn’t need a friend. He needs a pair of strong arms to hold him, a broad chest to curl up against, someone to listen to him, someone who cares for him…and a whole lot more.
What he needs is a daddy.
He just doesn’t know it yet.
A stand-alone book that contains an age gap relationship between a sexy daddy and a virgin.
Buy Links: Audible | Amazon | Add to Goodreads
Erryn’s Review:
I enjoyed this book. This wasn’t a surprise because it’s a KC Wells book and I’ve enjoyed all of her books that I’ve read. Kel’s Keeper is a bit of a departure from her Southern Pride series and her BDSM Collars and Cuffs books. There is a simplicity to this story that really appealed to me.
Kel Taylor is a young man of 24. He’s finishing his MBA and trying to find a way to tell his parents that he won’t be following his father into the ministry. He’s a believer but knows the Church is not his calling. Then fate takes his parents away from him and he’s lost. He might not have been willing to become a preacher, but that didn’t mean he wanted to lose two people so important to him. With the help of his neighbor Luc, he makes it through the funeral. From there, things go downhill quickly. Understandably, he falls into a deep depression, partly because he was never honest with his parents about the fact he’s gay.
Luc is more than a concerned next-door neighbor. He’s watched Kel from afar for years, upset with himself that once Kel became a man, his interest morphed from friendly neighbor to sexual attraction. He’s kept it secret, of course. He’s more than twenty years Kel’s senior and, he didn’t want to make things weird. Plus, he’d never act on that attraction. Helping Kel through the week after his parents’ death was not a big deal. Then he left Kel alone, believing the young man deserved peace in which to grieve.
When he discovers Kel is not coping, he knows he has to step in. The younger man needs a firm hand to guide him to life beyond being a dutiful son. He needs to forge his own path and he has no idea how to do it. Luc is willing and able to step into the breach. But he has secrets of his own and when Kel moves in, keeping them becomes more and more difficult.
Eventually Luc shares some of the secrets and he and Kel begin a relationship that quickly becomes sexual. Kel is a virgin and now he’s found someone experienced who’s attracted to him, he’s ready to indulge. But Kel feels something is missing, he’s just not sure what it is. Until one day when he discovers Luc’s proclivities. Instead of being horrified, he’s fascinated.
Thus begins the journey into the Daddy/boy dynamic. As Kel eventually realizes:
A daddy was vastly more than someone who was sexually dominant with enough income to be comfortable and capable of providing the hottest kinkiest sex Kel had ever imagined. A Daddy is someone who is willing to meet my needs the way they need to be met. He’s my safe place, my shelter. He encourages me. He comforts me like no one else can. And I trust him with my life. With my heart.
Like I said, in some ways this is a simple book. But it is also emotionally complex – good daddy books usually are. I enjoyed the dynamics between Kel and Luc. How their relationship grew organically and that it was Kel who kept pushing for more, opening himself up emotionally. That worked for me.
John Solo narrated this book and he was a great choice. The book is set in the American south and his light accent was perfect. I always enjoy books he narrates and this one was no exception. This is a book I suggest everyone who loves Daddy Kink should read. And for those wanting to dip their toes in, this is a great book to start with.
Erryn’s Rating:
10/10 Pots of Gold (100% Recommended) – Compares to 5/5 Stars
Website | Twitter – @K_C_Wells |Facebook | Goodreads
K.C. Wells started writing in 2012, although the idea of writing a novel had been in her head since she was a child. But after reading that first gay romance in 2009, she was hooked.
She now writes full time, and the line of men in her head, clamouring to tell their story, is getting longer and longer. If the frequent visits by plot bunnies are anything to go by, that’s not about to change anytime soon.
Rainbow Gold Reviews 